Operational Risk Management - 2081 Words

Operational Risk Management Operational Risk Management, otherwise known as ORM, is defined as a continual recurring process which includes risk assessment, risk decision making, and execution of risk controls, which results in acceptance, mitigation, or avoidance of risk. It is the oversight of operation risk, which is a risk arising from execution of a company’s business functions. It is a very wide concept which focuses on the risks arising from the people, systems and processes through which a company operates. It also includes other categories like fraud risks, legal risks, physical or environmental risks. As for ORM, some include the risk of loss resulting from insufficient or failed internal processes and systems; human factors;†¦show more content†¦It is an expressive list of the threats that currently affect the organization with estimates of probability. The latter identifies weaknesses in the business that allow threats to spread with great disruptive effect. The assessment combines impact analysis and probability data to prioritize the plugging of gaps, proposing, cost-justifying and comparing strategies for improvement. Then we have what is called â€Å"continuity planning† which offers the ultimate backstop where risk improvement measures have known to be unsuccessful or were unsuitable and the organization faces great disaster. It identifies what people, processes, systems, and other structures must be provided to the firm in good time to guarantee and preserve its ability to exist. Last but not least, we have â€Å"assurance†, which is nothing but a set of activities that help guarantee that your continuity provisions work. Training encourages staff to build up a consistent understanding of risk and continuity issues , building familiarity with aspects that could affect them. Periodic review or audit ensures your continuity provisions still reflect the needs of the business. Preparation and testing offer controlled means of simulating real incidents, ironing out problems under safe conditions In addition to this, both the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy have come upShow MoreRelatedOperational Risk Management50825 Words   |  204 Pages≈√ F M A G u i d e l i n e s on Operational Risk Management These guidelines were prepared by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in cooperation with the Financial Market Authority Published by: Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) Otto-Wagner-Platz 3, 1090 Vienna, Austria Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) Praterstraße 23, 1020 Vienna, Austria Produced by: Oesterreichische Nationalbank Editor in chief: Gà ¼nther Thonabauer, Communications Division (OeNB) Barbara Nà ¶sslingerRead MoreOperational Risk Management2610 Words   |  11 PagesCORPORATE RISK MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM) IN BANKS Risk is inherent in any walk of life in general and in financial sectors in particular. Till recently, due to regulated environment, banks could not afford to take risks. But of late, banks are exposed to same competition and hence are compelled to encounter various types of financial and non-financial risks. Risks and uncertainties form an integral part of banking which by nature entails taking risks. There areRead MoreWhat Is Operational Risk Management, Kri And Kpi?1548 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction 1.1 What is operational risk management, KRI and KPI? Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people, systems or external events where strategic, systemic and reputation risk are not included. KRI KPI: Definition of KRI - â€Å"It is a metric for measuring the likelihood that the combined probability of an event and its consequences will exceed the organization’s risk appetite and have a very negative impact on an organizations abilityRead MoreOperational Risk Management in Banking Sector: an Overview2324 Words   |  10 Pages Volume : 3 | Issue : 1 | January 2013 | ISSN - 2249-555X Operational Risk Management in Banking Sector: An overview Keywords Rakesh Chutia Assistant, State Bank of India Margheita-786181 Dist.-Tinsukia Assam ABSTRACT Operational risk is inherent in all banking products, activities and processes and systems and the effective management of operational risk is of paramount importance for every bank’s board and senior management. With globalization and deregulation of financial markets, increasedRead MoreScenario Analysis for Basel Ii Operational Risk Management2572 Words   |  11 PagesBASEL II OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT 1 Introduction: Scenario Analysis for Potential Catastrophic Losses 1 2 Addressing Operational Risk 3 3 Scenario Analysis in a Risk Measurement Framework 5 4 Scenario Analysis in a Risk Management Framework 6 5 Achieving Risk Measurement and Management 6 6 Conclusion: Benefiting from Scenario Analysis 7 1 Introduction: Scenario Analysis for Potential Catastrophic Losses â€Å"Are you saying that you want us to figure out how to lose R50 million?† asked the risk managerRead MoreThe Department Of Defense s Operational Risk Management Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesFurthermore, it will look what types a factors should be looked at when making an organizations plans. In addition, this paper will look at mitigating risks, specifically cyber and physical risk mitigation and some of the different approaches risks can be mitigated. Finally, this paper will briefly look at the Department of Defense’s Operational Risk Management process and how it ties planning and mitigation together. Planning Continuity of Operations Continuity of Operations (COOP) is an effort withinRead MoreMarketing Management : Strategic And Operational Risks727 Words   |  3 PagesMarketing management consists in distributing resources in order to produce net present value to shareholders among an environment of market-product investment involving risks. A. Rappaport, 1981). As a result, a marketing strategy is defined as the method on how the organization’s resources are put at risk seeking to get competitive advantages (V. Cook, 1983). Marketing risks are present in all the aspects of the marketing plan. We can identify five main areas of risks listed below: - StrategicRead MoreOperational Risk Management in Foreign Exchange Dealing710 Words   |  3 PagesOperational Risk Management in Foreign Exchange Dealing Abstract This paper discusses operational risk management in foreign exchange dealing for commercial banks in Tanzania. The paper further defines the problem and showing evidence that the problem is still in existence and outlines areas that require further researches from other literatures with the same research problem. It outlines the questions to be used in the research and shows the relevance of the study and its significance to commercialRead MoreCapital Adequacy and Risk Management in Banks1498 Words   |  6 PagesADEQUACY FRAMEWORK AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN BANKS GUEST LECTURE: MR. R M PATTANAIK EX GM- INDIAN OVERSEAS BANK CAPITAL ADEQUACY RATIO  (CAR) Also known as  Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio  (CRAR)  is the  ratio  of a  bank’s capital  to its  risk.   National regulators track a banks CAR to ensure that it can absorb a reasonable amount of loss and complies with statutory capital requirements. It is a measure of a banks capital. It is expressed as a percentage of a banks risk weighted credit exposuresRead MoreWells Fargo Risk Management Paper1418 Words   |  6 PagesWells Fargo Risk Management â€Å"Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Warren Buffet 2014 Jovan Gonzalez University of Texas at San Antonio 2/11/2014 Wells Fargo Risk Management â€Å"Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Warren Buffet 2014 Jovan Gonzalez University of Texas at San Antonio 2/11/2014 Overview When it comes to managing key risks that financial institutions face such as, credit risk, asset/liability interest rate and market risks, Wells Fargo Board

Christianity vs. Judaism - 479 Words

People are in search of understanding life and the happenings that surround them. When things go wrong, people turn to God for hope and understanding. As we look at the Jewish and the Christian faiths, both of which trace their origins back past Abraham and Moses, to the original stories of the Garden of Eden, we notice basic similarities and major differences between the two religions. The three main differences between Jewish and Christianity is the concept of God, judgment, and salvation. The most eminent difference between both religions is the concept of God. Christianity believes that God is trinity which means three persons in one the father, the son and the holy spirit. However Judaism sees God as a single entity, and†¦show more content†¦Judaism rejects the notion that Jesus or any human could be God, that God could be divisible in any way, or that God could be joined to the material world in such fashion. Comparing Judaism and Christianity we notice another differe nce. Both Christianity and Judaism believe in some form of judgment. The Christian view of judgment states that every human is a sinner, and that nothing but being saved by Gods grace can change the damnatory sentence to salvation. Christian also believe that there is a judgment after death, and that Christ will return to judge the living and dead. Those positively judged will be saved and live in Gods presence in heaven, those who are negatively judged will be cast to eternal hell. Jewish teaching is somewhat contradictory on judgment. Jews do not look for an afterlife as a reward ofdesire , the reward for a good life is the pleasure it gives God, and the rightness of doing ones duty and living a holy life in his ways. Yet another difference between both religions is the believe in salvation. Christianity seeks salvation through faith, they generally agree that salvation is secured through a relationship with Jesus Christ and daily repentance of sins. Unlike Judaism, it believes th at salvation is obtained by belief in God and ones good deeds. Furthermore, Judaism and Christianity both believe in the existence of heaven and hell. The existence of hell as the dwelling placeShow MoreRelatedChristianity And Judaism : Christianity Vs. Judaism Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity vs. Judaism â€Å"If you take away the Jewish contribution to Christianity, there would be no Christianity. Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence; Christianity, however, cannot explain its existence without Judaism.† – John Hagee This quote synthesizes that Judaism was a foundation of Christianity. This is the fundamental reason they are the same; however, there are numerous reasons Judaism and Christianity are different. Comparing how these two religions justify theRead MoreJudaism Vs. Christianity And Judaism1303 Words   |  6 PagesFugate ANT 130, 75Z1 November 10, 1015 Judaism vs. Christianity Christianity and Judaism are two religions that have similarities as well as differences. I plan to explore beliefs, religious ceremonies, and religious authorities in both Christianity and Judaism. Judaism originates from the time of Abraham and God made a covenant with Abraham promising him to make his ancestry a sacred people and provide them with a holy land. Meanwhile, Christianity derives from Jesus Christ with whom theRead MoreChristianity vs. Judaism Analysis1669 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity vs. Judaism Christianity and Judaism are two Abrahamic theologies that have comparable origins, but have various beliefs, practices and teachings. Founded in 1300 BC, Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world today. The Jewish theology began with Abraham, who God sent to Canaan, where it all began. Hebrews took Judaism as their first religion. 14 million people classify themselves as Jewish worldwide today. Coming from Judaism, Christianity was founded in 30 ADRead MoreChristianity Vs. Judaism : Religion Is The Opium Of The General Population Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pages Christianity vs. Judaism At the point when Karl Marx composed, Religion is the opium of the general population, doubtlessly he put forth this expression subsequent to understanding that individuals look to a higher Being from whom they can get request, comfort, and a purpose behind living, and in addition clarifications. The idea of the great beyond bears a despondent individual motivation to continue onward, Marx more likely than not suspected; this objective turned into an opium for them isRead MoreChristianity, Islam, And Judaism1636 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity, Islam, and Judaism All three religions believe and worship the same God but they do it in different ways. Judaism happens to be the oldest religion today but they don’t have an official creed. They aim to teach you about God, the Messiah, human beings, and the universe which makes Jewish beliefs very important to them. But it is important to understand that being Jewish is more of a race and culture than it is a religion. Some Jewish people may have no interest in Judaism. Judaism hasRead MoreWorld Religions and the North Africa/Southwest Asia Realm854 Words   |  4 Pagesreligions; Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Centuries of conflict lie at the heart of this realm due to differences in religious beliefs. In reviewing the scripture readings presented for this lesson, each religion has one intrinsic similarity; that is the belief in God. Where both Islam and Judaism view God as one entity, Christians believe in the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), (Islam, Judaism and, 2004-2013). Review of the scripture readings show that both Judaism and Christianity areRead MoreConflicts Between Christians and Jews are Low Essay765 Words   |  4 Pagesif one does look at the similarities they will see that Judaism and Christianity have enough in common to keep them at peace even if they disagree about other things. First off both religions are monotheist meaning that they only believe in one God. Because believing in one God is very different than believing in multiple Gods, Judaism and Christianity will be able to get along because of believing in one God (Berman). Judaism and Christianity also have holy places in Jerusalem, which can help bringRead MoreMonotheistic religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam promote the belief in One God;1600 Words   |  7 PagesMonotheistic religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam promote the belief in One God; all that exists is because of God. Through prophets and scripture, God portrays moral goodness and truth. Essentially, these three religions believe that God speaks to us, unveils God’s Being, and seeks to guide us through life. In turn, humans should embody the moral goodness and excellence that is revealed to us by God. These religions are taught based upon both scripture and reason. When readingRead MoreThree Religions : One God1467 Words   |  6 PagesReligions: One God Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are three of the most influential religions in the world. Together, they account for almost four billion followers. These religions are usually referred to as the Abrahamic religions. This is because they all claim Abraham as an important pillar of their faith. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have many things in common, including a main place of worship and holy book, but within these similarities are some major differences. Christianity is a religionRead MoreUnderstanding The Distributions Of Religions942 Words   |  4 PagesAtheism is the belief that there is no God and Agnosticism is the belief that the fact that there is a God or no God cannot be proven. Christianity is a universalizing religion. It is the dominant religion in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. Countries with a Christian majority exist in Africa and Asia as well. There are three major branches of Christianity–Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy. In Europe, Roman Catholicism is the dominant branch in the southwest and east, Protestantism

Use Of Social Media Network In Business †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Use Of Social Media Network In Business? Answer: Introduction Use of the zone of business or social contacts through web association over different web-based social networking website like Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook and so forth is regularly called the Social Networking. This system sets up interconnection of online groups which helps in making contacts. Advertisers and Businessmen utilize interpersonal organizations for the addition of brand acknowledgment and pick up devotion from purchasers (Aral, Dellarocas and Godes 2013). The organizations and association gets substantially simpler access to the quantity of clients through this online networking webpage alongside the customary technique for showcasing, this aides in expanding the notice of the particular business and henceforth advances the brand. In this project work we will talk about the real hugeness of Social Network in the major changes that Social Network has done to the business world. There are a few more advantages of interpersonal organization in this progressive world which we will examine further (Cumings and Dennis 2016). Facilitate we will examine about the techniques created by the business for the improvement of their business inside the informal communities. Objective of the research project To examine the criticalness of Social Network To examine the difficulties confronted in Business for Social Network To examine the need of online networking in business To examine the advantages and disadvantages of Social Network in Business Scope of the project The need of the project is to build up a consciousness of the Social Network. Assessing the requirements and utilization of this interpersonal organization in business reason. How these business are enhanced by the systems administration strategies of informal communities (Bharadwaj et al. 2013). Here, we will survey a portion of the books, articles and online journals in the writing audit part to disclose the goals identified with the interpersonal organizations in business and henceforth close the procedures and prerequisites of this long range informal communication. Literature Review In old and conventional administration approach the association fundamentally concentrates on the execution of here and now skylines, point of view from requesting outside, extraneous endorses and rewards, unequivocal control and coordination, pushing the administrative qualities and deciding resources as the business association's center asset. Be that as it may, the advanced administration approach propose the association to concentrate on the point of view from the positive center, longer term execution skyline, characteristic endorses and rewards, certain controls and coordination, pulling the administrative qualities and considerably more (Cristescu 2016). The principle point of the project is to give the readers a writing audit on multilevel concentrated on the examination zone and the subject chose on the present research. The analyst subsequently tries to look for the crevices between prior inquires about unpublished and distributed work. The exploration inside, are conveyed concentrating on the qualities of interpersonal organization in business strategies in the association. This piece of the project gives writing audit on the person to person communication and its effect on the present business world alongside its advantages and difficulties to the field. Idea of Social Networking The informal communication benefit is additionally called the web-based social networking or the person to person communication webpage is a stage administrations online that are utilized by the general population for building social relationship and systems with other individuals the individuals who shared normal enthusiasm for vocation or in different exercises or to extend the business expanding contacts with people or associations. Advertisers and agent utilizes the web-based social networking systems for expanding the acknowledgment of brands and subsequently advance steadfastness toward the clients (Holmes and O'loughlin 2014). Since, the organization has then access to the unmistakable existing client and some new clients, in this manner here the web-based social networking advances the brand name and substance. The fundamental favorable position of long range interpersonal communication for businessperson and advertisers are that the organization utilizes the informal community to enhance change rates and gives an entrance to assortment of association and old, later and new clients. Sharing different sorts of online journals, posts, pictures and so on may lead clients to the appeal of the association and consequently their compliments on organization's putting forth urges new clients to purchase the item and utilize the administration as needs be. Advancing the organization's item or administration helps in expanding the estimation of the brand expert. Increment in posts, influences the organization to rank higher in the internet searcher which helps in setting up the brand as reliable, honest to goodness and dependable. The organization utilizes the web-based social networking system to show the level of its client benefit and thus enhance the association with the customers. Alongside the advantaged there are a few drawbacks also. The online networking stage is free is as yet experiencing upgrades and support, which costs calm high and these costs, includes rapidly. An organization profile and a business needs a few quantities of supporter before the showcasing effort in the online networking begins, which created a positive Return of Interest (ROI). Single advertising systems don't work for each business event since there is uniqueness in each business and will have some extraordinary targets statistic, aggressive and history commercial centers. Therefore the way that the long range informal communication is developing continually makes it conceivable to keep pace with the difficulties, changes which impact the organization's prosperity promoting rate. Since the online networking needs to get paid from the business for the publicizing, the organizations limit the real sum the business has come to. This may enable them to get the unpaid posts for the ad. The higher the organizations achieve the more sums they acquire. The valuable use of Social Network is very effective in the modern days business. Since, advancement of business now-a-day a major difficulties for the organization due to the market potential contenders the informal community can be demonstrated as accommodating as no other conventional techniques. Informal community gives expansive number of dynamic group of onlookers utilizing different social destinations. It is not essential for the organization to utilize each and every stage for the advancement of their business item or administration however making even a solitary record can offer introduction to million quantities of individuals around the globe (Cummings and Dennis 2016). The online networking showcasing enables the client to make their stages free of cost. Be that as it may, the main speculation one needs to complete is as time. Be that as it may, there are likewise some paid commercial choices in the online networking stages which turn out to be a decent method for develo ping the business and to achieve more clients since paid advancements reflects devotion and value. Web-based social networking is a one of a kind stage which can share and thus get assistance from the supporters. Frequently paid notices get offer and likes from the devotee that enhances the advancement of the business. This gives a more extensive reach to individuals for the business. The online networking causes the general population to get insights about the brand products and enterprises given and furthermore in a different way. The online networking give a few important data about the preferences of the client that can settle on some more intelligent business choices. Aside from these advantages of online networking there are some real inconveniences of the field too. Negative inputs of shoppers may prompt disappointment of the business. There ought not to be any sort of blemishes inside the framework advancement since it is anything but difficult to get got in the online netwo rking. This can have an immense outcome enemy any business. Time and exertion are two principle things that keep up the informational quality of the business in online networking (Eriksson and Kovalainen 2015). Consequently, it is required to have vast groups and potential assets for the project of time. Person to person communication in Business The need of online networking in business is significant. Online networking can be utilized admirably as an effective instrument in the business. There are a few open doors and advantages of online networking that incorporates organizing, pulling in clients, income, exploring, mark advancement and web search tool discoverability. In this modern world of technology driven business, managing a successful team and consequently a successful business requires personal connections. Business in a broad concept is about building relationships. Hence, for successful carrying out business activities, social networking is required as much as it requires drive and discipline. Networking: This field is ended up being an important route for trading a few thoughts with the similarly invested individuals that may enhance the method for business strategies. Utilizing successfully the internet organizing destinations likewise assumes a noteworthy part in the business (Ngai, Tao and Moon 2015). This offers sharing of learning and verbal referrals inside the administration and merchandise gave by the organization. Attracting Customers: Web-based social networking is known for being a superior and more prominent approach to pull in new clients. Considering the battles of online networking mindfulness the associations can have a go at drawing in buyers and supporters by conveying great or administrations. Once the organization picks up devotees, rest can concentrate more on the customized web-based social networking efforts that urges individuals to remain. Revenue: This is the clearest strategies to produce income. Building a group or promoting the item and administration gave inside the stage of web-based social networking. The commercials that are been advanced in online networking can be connected to the sites of organization or can either interface back to the matter of web-based social networking page (Maier et al. 2015). This empowers the client to get the advantage from online networking without the need a channel. Researching: Online networking not just aides in serving the business advancement among the customers yet in addition enables the clients to monitor the contenders, their method for business and how they are enhancing in it (Saravanakumar and SuganthaLakshmi 2012). This is said to be a profitable exercise to do, if not have enough time to burn through one's own particular business advancement over the interpersonal organization. Brand Development: Utilizing interpersonal organization causes the clients to interface with the clients and connect with them inside a more individual level. Having an entrenched brand can be useful as the online networking may give the chance to advance the brand further and consequently build up the brand and give the business a voice to ad lib. Search-Engine Discoverability: The positioning of the query output of different web crawlers may influence the size and impact the interpersonal organization of the business. With increment in the social supporters, the visibility of the business site in websites likewise may increment. This is known as the Search Engines Optimization technique.Upsides and downsides of Social Networking in business Advantages of social networking in business Reduces the advertising cost Increases the deals Increases activity to sites Improves positioning on the web indexes Better client engagement Greater access to the worldwide advertisers Opportunities on customer's criticism Opportunity for leading statistical surveying about purchasers Improves the systems administration openings with clients and alternate organizations too Disadvantages of social networking in business Unclear advertising procedure may bring about decrease the advantages of the business The online nearness should be overseen by the extra assets Social media is prompt and needs every day observing Only effectively dealing with the online networking nearness may give the genuine advantages Risk of improper and undesirable conduct on the site incorporates purchasing and provocation More presentation online can possibly assault dangers and these dangers may incorporate negative criticism, data spills or hacking. Conclusion The person to person communication methodologies offer extraordinary open doors yet in addition incredible traps. For each organization utilizes the web-based social networking systems administration to advance their items and administrations the dangers gets higher. Interpersonal interaction is consequently utilized for the business and social purposes relying upon the sorts of individuals they lead and convey. The organizations and association gets substantially simpler access to the quantity of clients through this online networking webpage alongside the customary strategy for showcasing, this aides in expanding the notice of the separate business and consequently advances the brand. The long range informal communication benefit is likewise called the web-based social networking or the person to person communication website is a stage administrations online that are utilized by the general population for building social relationship and systems with other individuals the individua ls who shared basic enthusiasm for profession or in different exercises or to grow the business expanding contacts with people or associations. Long range interpersonal communication is henceforth a creating marvel which has potential utilize and advantages as the innovation advances. References Aral, S., Dellarocas, C. and Godes, D., 2013. Introduction to the special issuesocial media and business transformation: a framework for research.Information Systems Research,24(1), pp.3-13. Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O.A., Pavlou, P.A. and Venkatraman, N.V., 2013. Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights. Cristescu, M.P., 2016. Traditional Enterprise Business Intelligence Software Compared to Software as a Service Business Intelligence.Informatica Economica,20(1), p.39. Cummings, J. and Dennis, A., 2016. Enterprise Social Networking Sites and Knowledge Sharing Intentions in Virtual Teams. Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen, A., 2015.Qualitative methods in business research: A practical guide to social research. Sage Heymann-Reder, D., 2012.Social Media Marketing. Addison-Wesley Verlag. Holmes, K.M. and O'loughlin, N., 2014. The experiences of people with learning disabilities on social networking sites.British Journal of Learning Disabilities,42(1), pp.1-5. Jussila, J.J., Krkkinen, H. and Aramo-Immonen, H., 2014. Social media utilization in business-to-business relationships of technology industry firms.Computers in Human Behavior,30, pp.606-613. Maier, C., Laumer, S., Eckhardt, A. and Weitzel, T., 2015. Giving too much social support: social oObjective of the research projectverload on social networking sites.European Journal of Information Systems,24(5), pp.447-464. Ngai, E.W., Tao, S.S. and Moon, K.K., 2015. Social media research: Theories, constructs, and conceptual frameworks.International Journal of Information Management,35(1), pp.33-44. Oh, H. J., Ozkaya, E., LaRose, R. 2014. How does online social networking enhance life satisfaction? The relationships among online supportive interaction, affect, perceived social support, sense of community, and life satisfaction.Computers in Human Behavior,30, 69-78. Perrin, A., 2015. Social media usage.Pew Research Center. Rennie, F. and Morrison, T., 2013.E-learning and social networking handbook: Resources for higher education. Routledge. Saravanakumar, M. and SuganthaLakshmi, T., 2012. Social media marketing.Life Science Journal,9(4), pp.4444-4451. Scott, J., 2017.Social network analysis. Sage. Trusov, M., Bucklin, R.E. and Pauwels, K., 2014. Effects of word-of-mouth versus traditional marketing: findings from an internet social networking site.Journal of marketing,73(5), pp.90-102

Western civilization reflection free essay sample

In chapter one, the Sumer culture is discussed at lengths including their religion of several Gods from the â€Å"natural world† and their technology and innovations. I particularly find it interesting that despite the Sumer’s lack of mineral, they were still able to make innovations and weapons using traded copper. The Sumer people may not have had access to various resources but they are still to be thanked for technology such as the seed drill. It is very useful of the Sumerian people to be so innovative and creative despite their lack of resources. Also in chapter one, the civilization of Ancient Egypt is explored. In contrast with the Sumerians, the Egyptians did not have futile resources as their lands were renewed each year when the Nile River flooded. Although I was already aware that Alexander the Great ruled Egypt for quite some time, I still find it fascinating that Ancient Egypt thrived for so long under this sort of government and rule. We will write a custom essay sample on Western civilization reflection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ancient Egypt witnessed several rulers all with the title of pharaoh. How the original pharaohs claimed their spot as ruler is not entirely clear, which I find interesting. What was known, however, was that the pharaohs played a larger role than just Egypt’s ruler; they embodied everything that Egypt stood for. Egyptian culture is responsible for several technological innovations such as hieroglyphs. These hieroglyphs are still, to this day, not fully understood. I find it difficult to believe given how many historians and archaeologists have studied them. These hieroglyphs are apart of one of the first written languages. Although I was already aware of this, it continues to fascinate me. In Ancient Egypt, women had rights as their own person, while not able to hold office; they were still allowed more rights than in societies to come. I find it interesting that women were given rights in this ancient society that some women in other societies would never receive. Also in Ancient Egypt, the first semi-accurate calendar was created based upon the Sun. This solar calendar was far more reliable than the former lunar calendar and was even later used, with some corrections, by Rome’s Julius Caesar. I find it especially innovative that the Egyptians were able to create such a calendar in these medieval times. The Egyptians also created their own irrigation systems to assist in their agriculture. Perhaps they were so creative and thoughtful in this because of the constant flood of the Nile River. In Ancient Egypt, the wheel was not utilized for quite sometime; it is thought that this is so because there was no lack of manpower. I find it interesting that so many Egyptians were willing to work tirelessly day after day. In Ancient Egyptian religion, to be Egyptian was to be special. The Egyptians told a vast amount of religious stories, but one of the key messages that were portrayed was that life was an endless cycle of renewal. The two central Gods, Osiris and Isis, while brother and sister, were still married. I think the fact that they are siblings and husband and wife, displays how close everyone in the Egyptian culture is, or is supposed to be. Osiris is said to be â€Å"the first pharaoh† and despite his brothers several attempts, he could not be killed. In Egyptian religion, it is proper to mummify the dead so to preserve them as they enter their next cycle of life. I find it interesting that the richer citizens were buried with several luxury items to use in their next stage in life. The extensive procedures that go into the mummification process are extremely interesting to me because their work was so intricate several mummies are still intact today. Also buried with the mummies were â€Å"coffin texts† which contained magic spells and instructions that might be needed in their future life. By the Middle Kingdom era, it was difficult for the majority of Egyptians to ensure that their bodies would be taken care of after their passing. As important religion was to the Ancient Egyptians, I would have thought that there would have been more assurance and opportunities to be mummified after their deaths.

The Evolution of the Spinning Wheel

The Evolution of the Spinning Wheel The spinning wheel is an ancient invention used to transform various plant and animal fibers into thread or yarn, which are subsequently woven into cloth on a loom. No one knows for certain when the first spinning wheel was invented. Historians have come up with several theories. In Ancient History of the Spinning Wheel, German author and science historian Franz Maria Feldhaus traces the origins of the spinning wheel back to ancient Egypt, however, other historical documentation suggests that it debuted in India between 500 and 1000 A.D., while other evidence cites China as the point of origin. For those who accept the latter theory, the belief is that the technology migrated from China to Iran, and then from Iran to India, and finally, from India to Europe during the late Middle Ages and early  Renaissance. The Evolution of Spinning Technology A distaff, a stick or spindle upon which wool,  flax or other fibers are spun by hand is held horizontally in a frame and turned by a wheel-driven belt. Generally, the distaff was held in the left hand, while the wheel belt was slowly turned by the right. Evidence of early handheld spindles, from which spinning wheels would eventually evolve, have been found in Middle Eastern excavation sites that date back as far as 5000 BCE. Distaffs were used to create threads for the fabrics in which Egyptian mummies were wrapped, and were also the primary tools for spinning ropes and the material from which ship sails were constructed. Since spinning by hand was time-consuming and best-suited to small-scale production, finding a way to mechanize the process  was a natural progression. Although it would be some time before the technology reached Europe, by the 14th century, the Chinese had come up with water-powered spinning wheels. Around the year 1533, a spinning wheel featuring a stationary vertical rod and bobbin mechanism with the addition of a foot pedal debuted in the Saxony region of Germany. Foot power freed up the hands for spinning, making the process much faster. The flyer, which twisted the yarn as it was spun was another 16th-century advancement that increased the rate of yarn and thread production dramatically. The Industrialization of the Spinning Wheel At the dawn of the 18th century, the technology to produce thread and yarn was falling behind the ever-increasing demands for plentiful, high-quality textiles. Resulting yarn shortages led to an era of innovation that would eventually culminate in the mechanization of the spinning process. With British carpenter/weaver James Hargreaves 1764 invention of the spinning jenny, a hand-powered device featuring multiple spools, spinning became industrialized for the first time. Although a vast improvement over its hand-powered predecessors, the thread spun by Hargreaves invention wasnt of the best quality. Further improvements came via inventors  Richard Arkwright,  inventor of the water frame and Samuel Crompton, whose spinning mule incorporated both water frame and spinning jenny technology. The improved machines produced yarn and thread that was much stronger, finer, and of higher quality than that produced on the spinning jenny. Output was greatly increased as well, ushering in the birth of the  factory system. Spinning Wheel in Myth and Folklore The spinning wheel trope has been a popular plot device in folklore for thousands of years. Spinning is cited in the Bible and also makes its appearance in Greco-Roman mythology, as well as various folktales throughout Europe and Asia. Sleeping Beauty The earliest version of Sleeping Beauty appearance made its appearance in a French work, Perceforest (Le Roman de Perceforest) written sometime between  1330 and 1345. The story was adapted in the collected tales of the Brothers Grimm but is best known as a popular animated film from the studio of Walt Disney. In the story, a king and queen invite seven good fairies to be the godmothers of their infant princess. At the christening, the fairies are fà ªted by the king and queen, but unfortunately, there was one fairy who, through an oversight, never got an invitation but shows up anyway. Six of the other seven fairies have already bestowed gifts of beauty, wit, grace, dance, song, and goodness on the baby girl. Out of spite, the miffed fairy puts an evil spell on the princess: The girl is to die on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a poisoned spindle. While the seventh fairy can’t lift the curse, with her gift, she can lighten it. Instead of dying, the girl will sleep for a hundred years- until she’s awakened by the kiss of a prince. In some versions, the king and queen hide their daughter in the forest and change her name, hoping that the curse won’t find her. In others, the king orders every spinning wheel and spindle in the kingdom be destroyed, but on the day of her birthday, the princess happens on an old woman (the evil fairy in disguise), spinning away at her wheel. The princess, who has never seen a spinning wheel, asks to try it, and of course, pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted slumber. As time passes, a great thorny forest grows up around the castle where the girl lies sleeping but eventually, the handsome prince arrives and braves the briars, finally awakening her with his kiss. Arachne and Athena (Minerva) There are several versions of the cautionary tale of Arachne in Greek and Roman mythology. In the one told in Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Arachne was a talented spinner and weaver who boasted that her skills exceeded those of the goddess Athena (Minerva to the Romans). Hearing the boast, the goddess challenged her mortal rival to a weaving contest. Athenas work pictured four tableaux of mortals being punished for daring to think they equaled or surpassed the gods, while Arachnes showed gods abusing their powers. Sadly for Arachne, her work was not only superior to Athena’s, the theme she’d chosen only added insult to injury. Enraged, the goddess tore her competitor’s work to shreds and beat her about the head. In desolation, Arachne hanged herself. But the goddess wasn’t through with her yet. Live on then, and yet hang, condemned one,† Athena said, â€Å"but, lest you are careless in future, this same condition is declared, in punishment, against your descendants, to the last generation! After pronouncing her curse, Athena sprinkled Arachnes body with the juice of Hecates herb, â€Å"and immediately at the touch of this dark poison, Arachnes hair fell out. With it went her nose and ears, her head shrank to the smallest size, and her whole body became tiny. Her slender fingers stuck to her sides as legs, the rest is belly, from which she still spins a thread, and, as a spider, weaves her ancient web. Rumplestiltskin This fairytale of German origin was collected by the  Brothers Grimm  for the 1812 edition of  their Childrens and Household Tales. The story revolves around a social-climbing miller who tries to impress the king by telling him his daughter can spin straw into gold- which of course, she cant. The king locks the girl in a tower with a roomful of straw and orders her to spin it into gold by the next morning- or else face a harsh punishment (either decapitation or lifelong imprisonment in a dungeon, depending on the version). The girl is at her wits end and terrified. Hearing her cries, a tiny demon appears and tells her he will do whats been asked of her in exchange for a trade. She gives him her necklace and by morning, the straw has been spun into gold. But the king still isnt satisfied. He takes the girl to a larger room filled with straw and commands her to spin it into gold by the next morning, again or else. The imp comes back and this time the girl gives him her ring in trade for his work. The following morning, the king is impressed but still not satisfied. He takes the girl to an enormous room filled with straw and tells her if she can spin it into gold before morning, he will marry her- if not, she can rot in the dungeon for the rest of her days. When the demon arrives, she has nothing left to trade but the demon comes up with a plan. Hell spin the straw into gold- in exchange for her first-born child. Reluctantly, the girl consents. A year later, she and the king are happily married and she has given birth to a son. The imp returns to claim the baby. Now a wealthy queen, the girl begs him to leave the baby and take all her worldly goods but he refuses. The queen is so distraught, he makes her a bargain: If she can guess his name he will leave the baby. He gives her three days. Since no one knows his name (other than himself), he figures its a done deal. After failing to learn his name and exhausting as many guesses as she can come up with over the course of two days, the queen flees the castle and runs into the woods in despair. Eventually, she happens on a small cottage where she chances to hear its occupant- none other than the awful imp- singing: Tonight, tonight, my plans I make, tomorrow tomorrow, the baby I take. The queen will never win the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name. Armed with the knowledge, the queen returns to the castle. When the imp shows up the next day to take the baby, she calls out the evil tricksters name, Rumpelstiltskin! In a fury, he disappears, never to be seen again (in some versions, he gets so mad he actually explodes; in others, he drives his foot into the ground in a fit of rage and a chasm opens up and swallows him).

How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content

How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content Ive been writing and publishing digital marketing content for 10 years now. Theres no way to measure the return of investment of all that immense effort. Shouldnt there be a way to get more out of it? As someone who has been contributing content online for ages, Ive always been on the lookout for more ways to monetize that effort. Consolidating old content into an online course is a perfect idea. You can turn it into an extra source of income and you can also use it to further promote your brand. Here is a step-by-step guide into re-packaging your old content into a new video course. How to Create an Awesome Online Course By Repackaging Old Content by @seosmarty via @Step 1. Get Organized: Find and Record All Your Content Let's make it straight: This guide is for individuals and businesses that have been producing online content for a while, and not just on their own sites but outside of them too (through expert columns on popular niche outlets and guest blogging). That being said, the first step is to look back and find those content assets you can re-use now. 1.1. Find Brand-Authored Content Now, I realize you probably haven't been recording your company's important URLs diligently throughout the years. And finding them now will probably be next to impossible, so here's a quick workaround for you: Set Google to show you 50-100 results per page Use Google to search articles by you and your team. Use all kinds of search queries, like [author name guest post -site:yoursite.com] - this will exclude your own site from search results ["author name is XXX at your company name"] - this can be part of your writer's guest post byline ["author name * company name"] - this search is useful for those guest authors who slightly vary their byline wording but always make sure their name and your company name will make it to the bio. NOTE: If you only publish your content on your own site and not elsewhere, simple use [SITE:yoursite.com] search on Google. As you move forward, you can attach different terms to this search to target your search more precisely, e.g. [SITE:yoursite.com guide] or [SITE:yoursite.com apple pies] Get more ideas here. Now, use  this Greasemonkey script  to extract URLs from search results and easily copy-paste them to add to your search engine using the include-in-bulk option. 1.2. Create a Searchable Database Next, there are two steps to take: Copy paste all those URLs into a Google Spreadsheet, then search more and keep copy-pasting. If you search for several author names (if your company has a few ambassadors publishing content around the web to represent your brand collective expertise), add a separate column for the author name for easier sorting. Now, use sorting options to remove duplicate URLs and clean up the spreadsheet manually too Then copy-paste the whole list into a new  Google Custom search. The beauty of this tool is that you can also add your whole site there for its content to be searchable in your database of brand-focused content. 1.3. Take Note of Frequently-Occurring Topics to Build the Course Around While proceeding with both the steps, look for popular topics you and/or your company authors tend to cover more frequently than others. Take notes of those topics: That's how you are going to brainstorm topics for your future course and its structure. Look for topics that have been covered in much depth in at least 10 articles by you and/or your team. These articles are going to make your course chapters and content is going to be your video scripts, so it's important that you have blogged a lot on them to make your course creation easier. Gathering existing content to create a course? Look for topics that have been covered in much depth...Step 2. Research the Chosen Topic Some More and Come up with the Plan Once you have a solid list of brand-owned resources around one common topic, research the interest and competition. This step can be broken into three important tasks: 2.1. Identify your core term Creating a course is quite a commitment: You want to make sure there's a demand for more information on the chosen topic and you need to brainstorm your competitive advantage: What is it you are building that will allow you to stand out in the crowd? Good old keyword research  is something I usually resort to whenever I need to dig deeper into a specific topic. I like  Serpstat  for its big selection of tools to play with. For one, I check how hard it will be to compete for high rankings for my future course. I play with different variations of my topical keywords and use the search filter to restrict results to those containing my main keyword and [course] or [training] in them: Serpstat shows: Search volume (which reflects demand for this particular topic) Keyword difficulty (which reflects how intense the competition is) Both metrics allow me to finally make an educated choice of the core term to build my course around. Recommended Reading: Your Ultimate Content Marketer's Guide to Keyword Research 2.2. Identify the Course Structure Once I am done with choosing my actual final keyword, I use Serpstat's unique clustering  feature  to break my long keyword list into groups of related queries. This gives a good mind-map of my future course topic and allows to come up with the course structure. Keep referring to your spreadsheet of chosen content assets to fill your spreadsheet with content you can use in each chapter. Tip: While creating your course structure, you'll discover some "gaps", i.e. sections that need to be included into your course which were not covered by you or your writers previously. These are great to add to your blog editorial calendar. This way your video course also helps you brainstorm content for your blog. Thus those new sections you'll be working on can be re-used as text content too! That being said, re-packaging goes both ways in this case: You use your existing content to create a course and you use your future course structure to create more content for your brand too! I don't have a set template for that but here's how my spreadsheet looks like when I start working on the course structure and identifying which other sections I need to start working on: It's also a good idea to turn to your actual customers and readers to collect some ideas from them. Ultimately, you want to know what real people are interested in learning about to better meet their needs. Consider: Sending a quick email to your email list inviting them to take a quick survey and help you structure your future course (promising a free access later on) Creating a Twitter and/or a Facebook poll (for both you can use ads to generate more replies) If you are collaborating with other team members on this project, consider consolidating multiple parts of it inside one common management platform. works well for this purpose to collaborate and organize projects. You can embed your Google spreadsheets within projects on a calendar: Add workflow checklists with Task Templates: Communicate with Discussion Threads: It's a useful way to keep everyone on board. Recommended Reading: How to Repurpose Content and Make the Most Out of Your Marketing Step 3. Put Together Video Content This step is still my learning curve: I am still working my way towards coming up with the best process. I do have some processes and tools to share but feel free to share more! 3.1. Turn existing articles into scripts and write new articles (and turn them into scripts too) Go through your spreadsheet and start working on those scripts. Keep the new format in mind: You need to be saying what you are showing. Let your team members work on their own scripts and do the voiceovers for their own chapters. Keeping more people involved will make your end product higher-quality. At this stage of going through everything before it goes into production, I also come up with extra downloadable content. I always want people to go home with some actionable tips and tangible rewards. So what I do: Where possible, turn articles into pdf downloads (to let people print the scripts out and follow video instructions easier) Adding some more visual content for course takers to download and refer to when then need. Branded downloadable PDFs are a great way to give your audience something to take home and get reminded of your brand on a regular basis. So at some point my course structure spreadsheet is going to look like this: Notes: You can re-use some of those handy PDF downloads you are creating on your blog too! Embed them on your blog to generate more subscribers and leads. Here are  a few plugins just for that. 3.3. Extract All Visual Content and Create More The beauty of this approach is that you can reuse as much content as you want. As someone who always adds lots of annotated screenshots to my articles, I always make sure I reuse those in my videos too, whenever I am describing a specific step. Of course, for videos, I usually need more visuals than I offer in my articles, so I use the following three tools to create more: Snagit  for more annotated screenshots Visual.ly  to visualize stats (as graphs) and steps (as flowcharts) Bannersnack  for promotional in-video calls-to-action Those three are very easy to use and require no graphic design background. 3.3 Create Videos I use three types of videos for my articles 3.2.1. Screencasts The most common video type I am using is a screencast, especially since it comes perfectly inline with my writing style: I love actionable advice with lots of tools included. The two newer screencasting tools in my arsenal are: Filmora eCamm Both tools allow picture-in-picture capability to put the instructor's face right next to your podcast. It seems people stay with your instructional video longer if they see the instructor talking along. 3.2.2. Video Interviews I tend to invite at least one or two experts to my courses to feature actual stories illustrating tactics I talk about. I am trying  Blue Jeans  to record interviews now. It also streams to Facebook Live, so you can first make a public show (and generate some leads through it), then edit the recording and re-use it in your course. 3.2.2. Quick entertaining videos Finally to prevent my students from being too bored, I break the routine with cool entertaining videos that list interesting stats, propose an action item or share a cool tool. It's a great way to add some diversity to the course flow. Animatron  is my tool for that and it lets me put together short yet useful and engaging videos literally in minutes. I cannot recommend it enough really. 4. Choose the Platform to Host and Sell Your Video Course Here you have two main options to choose from: 4.1. Host Your Course on a Third-Party Platform Pros: Easy set up, existing user base to sell your course to Cons: Monthly extra costs to pay for the platform For the lack of time, I haven’t tested too many platforms here. I tried Udemy (which is where I still host most of my courses) but their recent moved in dictating pricing model and limiting free courses have made me look elsewhere. By analyzing other options and their pricing, Uscreen  seemed like a winner. For a monthly price, you retain full control over your course, how you choose to charge your students and how often you want to get in touch with them (you can schedule automatic email campaigns to keep them engaged). You can even create your own smartphone app to give your students an additional medium to access your course. 4.2. Use DIY Approach to Set up the Course Section on Your Own Site Pros: Complete ownership of the product (Without depending on the third-party service), money saving (keeping cons in mind) Cons: Likely development budget involved, hard to set up on your own I have been considering this option for a while but couldn’t allocate enough time to plan and delegate the development part of it. Frankly, I like the idea but this looks like a huge project I haven’t had the time for. Here are a couple tutorial in case you decide to consider this approach: How to create sell an online course in WordPress: a step-by-step guide How to build your own course  (DIY) Building an online course yourself? Check out these resources to learn how:Final Thoughts It's not an easy task to re-package old content into a new educational course but think about multiple benefits: Put your old effort to good use: You deserve that! Come up with more useful content on a related topic (and thus improve your own knowledge of the subject): Become a better expert! Put a solid content asset which quite possibly will position you as an expert and/or your business as a knowledge hub in the niche Offer your loyal customers something new and valuable: Give them a reason to love your business even more! There are many more benefits, including more opportunities that course sharing platforms can offer (like attracting new audience, creating a new channel for brand awareness building, etc.) The bottom line is this: It's hard. It takes time and effort. Don't start working on the course unless you are ready to invest both. But if you think you are ready, go for it!

Comparing the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Diplomatic Service Essay

Comparing the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Diplomatic Service and UK Diplomatic Service Regulations - Essay Example In this way, the major areas that will be discussed between these two code of laws revolve around the expectation of impartiality, receiving of gifts or other remunerations, the level to which the monitoring and/or implementation of successful agreements is performed, whether or not discrimination is a determinant compliments that requires elaboration and definition, the process and regulations regarding the acceptance of gifts, and the level and extent to which the sponsoring state is ultimately responsible for providing the needs and welfare of the employed individuals within the diplomatic services. One of the first and most blatant the differentials that is noted with regards to the law concerning the diplomatic services between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom is with respect to the overall level of importance and time that the United Kingdom’s code of law gives towards the importance of impartiality. For instance, the United Kingdom specifies the following in DSR one se ction 3: â€Å"As a civil servant, you are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Diplomatic Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality† (Diplomatic Service Regulations, 2012, p. 5). Further section 3 of DSR 1 goes on to state that impartiality is defined as â€Å" acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well Governments of different political persuasions (Ibid). Although there is not a specific section within the law governing the actions and expectations of the diplomatic service operating at the behest of Azerbaijan, article 4 subsection to denotes the following with regards to the expectation concerning proper behavior of diplomatic professionals: â€Å"Diplomatic service agencies may carry out other functions in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan† (Law of the Rep ublic of Azerbaijan, 2012, p. 2). Once again, a clear level of divergence is noted with respect to the fact that the laws governing diplomatic expectations within Azerbaijan deviate quite a bit from the law governing diplomatic expectations within the United Kingdom. Serving based upon impartiality is a fundamental construct of the UK law whereas serving in strict adherence and accordance with existing Azeri law and the Constitution serves as the regulatory framework and concern for the Azeri consular services. Another noted differential is with regards to the level and extent to which British law defines appropriate behavior and expected outcomes is with regards to what the regulations specific concerning appropriate remuneration and/or the acceptance/receipt of gifts. Whereas the British law allows for the receipt and acceptance of certain low monetary value gifts, special favors, discounts, or benefits of any other variety are strictly prohibited from being enjoyed by the individ ual employed by the diplomatic services. Although this is not to say that the receipt of gifts and or any level of persuasion/coercion on the part of a third-party is not specifically frowned upon within the regulations of consular and diplomatic conduct that had been laid out within the aforementioned case, no such specification of regulations

Analyze Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze - Research Paper Example According to the article, the US possesses inclusive free-trade agreements with nearly 17 nations comprising both Canada as well as Mexico. The article emphasized that the different service providers that encompass law as well as bank firms to reap maximum benefits from the idea of international trade of the US with other various nations (The New York Times Company, 2013). Government Influence The governmental interventions in global business provide significant implications upon different significant aspects that include employment and inflation among others. From the viewpoint of the aspect of employment, the governments influence global business by encouraging the business procedures of different organizations as well as by generating ample job opportunities. In relation to inflation, the governments influence global business by ensuring that there does not lay any sudden rises especially in the prices of the products (The New York Times Company, 2013). ... order to combat particularly against corruption, terrorism and different cross-border criminal activities like drug smuggling (The Washington Post, 2013). 2. Important aspects of Global Business in relation to Foreign Exchange and Rates Foreign exchange rates are fundamentally regarded as an imperative determinant in the business activity of any nation in the global context. It can broadly be stated with foreign exchange rates, it is possible for a nation to conduct its business transactions nationally as well as internationally by a considerable level. The major significance of foreign exchange rates is that the exchange rates extensively enhance the trade level of a particular nation. There are numerous factors that influence foreign exchange rates by a significant degree. In this connection, the factors comprise dissimilarities in the interest charges, public debt and financial performance among others. In accordance with the reports of a recently published article, it has been vi ewed that Egypt adopts a latest system by which they can purchase as well as sell foreign currencies. The prime objective of the nation i.e. Egypt to introduce a new system of transacting foreign currencies is to provide an active support particularly to the finance related policy makers while facing problem linked with foreign-exchange reserves. The country strongly believed that by introduced such system it can safeguard the reputation of Egypt as a business nation in financial international markets (The Wall Street Journal, 2013). 3. Important aspects of Global Business in relation to International Business Strategy and Country Evaluation and Selection In the context of providing a global strategy for pursuing various business transactions, it has been viewed in a recent article that a

Legitimacy Theory Essay Example for Free

Legitimacy Theory Essay â€Å"Legitimacy is a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions† (Suchman, 1995, p. 574, emphasis in original) Legitimacy theory has become one of the most cited theories within the social and environmental accounting area. Yet there remains deep scepticism amongst many researchers that it offers any real insight into the voluntary disclosures of corporations. This brief paper outlines responses to two specific concerns identified in the literature. It will eventually form part of a much larger project addressing a range of issues associated with legitimacy theory. First, the paper brings some of the more recent developments in the management and ethical literature on legitimacy and corporations to the accounting table. Second, there are contributions to the theory that have already been made by accounting researchers that are yet to be fully recognised. The author believes that legitimacy theory does offer a powerful mechanism for understanding voluntary social and environmental disclosures made by corporations, and that this understanding would provide a vehicle for engaging in critical public debate. The problem for legitimacy theory in contributing to our understanding of accounting disclosure specifically, and as a theory in general, is that the term has on occasion been used fairly loosely. This is not a problem of the theory itself, and the observation could be equally applied to a range of theories in a range of disciplines (see for example Caudill (1997) on the abuse of Evolutionary Theory). Failure to adequately specify the theory has been identified by Suchman (1995, p. 572, emphasis in original), who observed that â€Å"Many researchers employ the term legitimacy, but few define it†. Hybels (1995, p. 241) comments that â€Å"As the tradesmen [sic] of social science have groped to build elaborate theoretical structures with which to shelter their careers and  disciplines, legitimation has been a blind man’s hammer.† This paper begins to address these issues. Not One Theory but Two (at least) An important issue which needs to be acknowledged is that there are in fact two major classes of legitimacy theory. These are graphically presented in Figure 1 below. The ‘macro-theory’ of legitimation, known as Institutional Legitimacy Theory, deals with how organisational structures as a whole (capitalism for example, or government) have gained acceptance from society at large. â€Å"Within this tradition, legitimacy and institutionalization are virtually synonymous. Both phenomena empower organizations primarily by making them seem natural and meaningful† (Suchman, 1995, p. 576, emphasis in original). In terms of accounting research, given the time frames involved and questions generally being considered, the current business environment, including the capitalist structure, democratic government, etc. are generally taken as a given, a static context within which the research is situated. This assumption would, however, need to be carefully considered for a longitudinal study of any significant length. Figure 1: Layers of Legitimacy Theory INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL GOVERNMENT RELIGION SOCIETY CAPITALISM ORGANISATIONAL LEVEL (IN THIS CASE: COMPANY LTD BY SHARE) Establishment Defence Extension Maintenance From the Moral to the Measurable One layer down from the Institutional Level is what in Figure 1 is called the â€Å"Organisational Level† (sometimes referred to as Strategic Legitimacy Theory). â€Å"Underlying organizational legitimacy is a process, legitimation, by which an organization seeks approval (or avoidance of sanction) from groups in society† (Kaplan and Ruland, 1991, p. 370). It is from this level  that most accounting research tends to draw its understanding of legitimacy. Mathews (1993, p. 350) provides a good definition of legitimacy at this level: Organisations seek to establish congruence between the social values associated with or implied by their activities and the norms of acceptable behaviour in the larger social system in which they are a part. In so far as these two value systems are congruent we can speak of organisational legitimacy. When an actual or potential disparity exists between the two value systems there will exist a threat to organisational legitimacy. At its simplest, within the Organisational view â€Å"legitimacy [is] an operational resource that organizations extract often competitively from their cultural environments and that they employ in pursuit of their goals† (Suchman, 1995, p. 575 6, emphasis in original). Legitimacy, just like money, is a resource a business requires in order to operate. Certain actions and events increase that legitimacy, and others decrease it. Low legitimacy will have particularly dire consequences for an organisation, which could ultimately lead to the forfeiture of their right to operate. Although we can describe a firm as being legitimate, and conceive of ‘amounts’ of legitimacy, it becomes a very subjective exercise to try and directly measure legitimacy. Although it has concrete consequences, legitimacy itself is an abstract concept, given reality by multiple actors in the social environment. For a researcher to try and directly establish, or even rank, the legitimacy of various organisations would seem to be a necessarily subjective undertaking, preferencing the researcher’s own views. As Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues, â€Å"I reject this view because it is based on a conflation of the roles of observer and participant in social science†. As an alternative, rather than trying to subjectively measure a firm’s legitimacy directly it can instead be inferred from the fact that being legitimate â€Å"enables organizations to attract resources necessary for survival (e.g., scarce materials, patronage, political approval)† (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Hybels (1995, p. 243) develops this in some detail: Legitimacy often has been conceptualized as simply one of many resources that organizations must obtain from their environments. But rather than viewing legitimacy as something that is exchanged among institutions, legitimacy is better conceived as both part of the context for exchange and  a by-product of exchange. Legitimacy itself has no material form. It exists only as a symbolic representation of the collective evaluation of an institution, as evidenced to both observers and participants perhaps most convincingly by the flow of resources. †¦ resources must have symbolic import to function as value in social exchange. But legitimacy is a higher-order representation of that symbolism – a representation of representations. Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues that good models in legitimacy theory must examine the relevant stakeholders, and how â€Å"Each influences the flow of resources crucial to the organizations’ establishment, growth, and survival, either through direct control or by the communication of good will†. He identifies (p. 244) four critical organisational stakeholders, each of which control a number of resources. These are summarised in Table 1 below. Table 1: Critical Organisational Stakeholder STAKEHOLDER RESOURCES CONTROLLED Contracts, grants, legislation, regulation, tax (Note that the (1) The state last three of these could be either a ‘negative’ or ‘positive’ depending on the implementation) (2) The public (3) The financial community (4) The media Few ‘direct resources’; however, can substantially influence the decisions of stakeholders (2) (3) (if not (1)) Patronage (as customer), support (as community interest), labour Investment The last of these has received considerable attention. The power of the media has been noted by a number of researchers, including Patten (2002, p. 153), who states â€Å"that while increased media attention can certainly lead to the potential for increased pressures from any of the three sources [dissatisfaction of public; new or proposed political action; increased regulatory oversight], increases in pressure can  also arise, particularly with respect to regulatory oversight.† See also Deegan et al. (2000, 2002). Companies try to manage their legitimacy because it â€Å"helps to ensure the continued inflow of capital, labour and customers necessary for viability†¦ It also forestalls regulatory activities by the state that might occur in the absence of legitimacy and pre-empts product boycotts or other disruptive actions by external parties By mitigating these potential problems, organizational legitimacy provides managers with a degree of autonomy to decide how and where business will be conducted† (Neu  et al., 1998, p. 265). Researchers need to move away from trying to directly assess legitimacy, and instead focus on measuring it in terms of the resources relevant stakeholders provide. â€Å"Rather than engage in the further development of entirely abstract constructions of the legitimation process†¦ researchers should investigate the flow of resources from organizational constituencies as well as the pattern and content of communications† (Hybels, 1995, p. 244). But Wait†¦ There’s More As shown in Figure 1 Organisational Legitimacy Theory suggests that a firm may be in one of four phases with regard to its legitimacy. These phases are outlined below, some examples of industries/firms that might be considered to be operating in each of these phases are included (further research needs to be undertaken in this area). Establishing Legitimacy. (E.g. Stem Cell based bio-tech). This first phase represents the early stages of a firm’s development and tends to revolve around issues of competence, particularly financial, but the organisation must be aware of â€Å"socially constructed standards of quality and desirability as well as perform in accordance with accepted standards of professionalism† (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Maintaining Legitimacy. (The majority of organisations). This is the phase that most firms would generally expect to be operating in, where their â€Å"activities include: (1) ongoing role performance and symbolic assurances that all is well, and (2) attempts to anticipate and prevent or forestall potential challenges to legitimacy† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). However the maintenance of legitimacy is not as easy as it may at first appear. Legitimacy is a dynamic construct. â€Å"Community expectations are not considered static, but rather, change across time thereby requiring organisations to be responsive to the environment in which they operate. An organisation could, accepting this view, lose its legitimacy even if it has not changed its activities from activities which were previously deemed acceptable (legitimate)† (Deegan et al., 2002, p. 319 20). Extending Legitimacy. (E.g. Alternative Health Providers). There may come a point where an organisation enters new markets or changes the way it relates to its current market. This can give rise to a need to extend  legitimacy which is â€Å"apt to be intense and proactive as management attempts to win the confidence and support of wary potential constituents† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 180). Defending Legitimacy. (E.g. Uranium Mining). Legitimacy may be threatened by an incident (internal or external), and therefore require defence. â€Å"Legitimation activities tend to be intense and reactive as management attempts to counter the threat† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). Even barring a major incident it is likely in the Western Capitalist system that almost every corporation will regularly need to defend its legitimacy, by the mere fact that â€Å"corporations must fulfil both a competence and community requirement to realize legitimacy†¦ Satisfaction of stockholder interests often occurs at the expense of community concerns (e.g., the despoiling of the environment, the use of labour) while, conversely, responsibility to the larger community often occurs at the expense of the stockholder† (Hearit, 1995, p. 3). It is this last phase that has tended to be the main focus of accounting researchers. It also provides us with the clearest opportunity to examine the crucial link between legitimacy and resources. Lindblom (1994), a key paper cited by many Social and Environmental Accounting researchers, also seems relevant specifically to this phase only. An example of work in this area is Deegan et al.’s (2000) study of five major incidents (including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Bhopal Disaster) which provided a context to examine the annual reports of related (in industrial terms) Australian firms to see if there had been a significant change in their social or environmental reporting. They concluded: The results of this study are consistent with legitimacy theory and show that companies do appear to change their disclosure policies around the time of major company and industry related social events. †¦ These results highlight the strategic nature of voluntary social disclosures and are consistent with a view that management considers that annual report social disclosures are a useful device to reduce the effects upon a corporation of events that are perceived to be unfavourable to a corporation’s image (Deegan et al., 2000, p. 127). The Diagnosis Needs Refinement This is where the traditional legitimacy model stops. However my own  research, into the tobacco industry, Tilling (2004), and that of other researchers, including experimental research undertaken by O’Donovan (2002), suggest a further development of the Organisational Legitimacy Level, as depicted in Figure 2 below. Added to the model is the possibility that a firm may not successfully (or may be unable to) defend the threat to its legitimacy and actually start to lose legitimacy. Figure 2: Refinement of the Organisational Level of Legitimacy Theory Establishment Loss Defence Disestablishment Extension Maintenance In this model the defence phase is usually entered by an organisation after some form of one-off ‘incident’ or ‘accident’ which threatens its legitimacy. This phase could be characterised as being ‘acute’, it can be serious, some times even fatal, but usually, with proper management, the organisation can maintain, or at least recover, its legitimacy. However should there be an ongoing series of events, indicative of a systemic issue, e.g. the nuclear power industry, or a single event with permanent consequences which cannot be effectively managed, e.g. realisation that the organisation’s product is not safe such as the tobacco industry, an organisation is likely to have its legitimacy eroded over a period of time (the ‘loss’ phase), which can be characterised as ‘chronic’. The issue can be difficult to manage, and generally leads to declining legitimacy, however the loss may be managed and slowed over a long period of time, or significant change could lead to reestablishment of legitimacy. The ‘loss’ phase is most likely to be preceded by sustained media and NGO scrutiny, and accompanied by increasing government regulation, monitoring and possibly taxation. Within this phase there are likely to be periods where the company will increase its voluntary social and environmental disclosure in an effort to meet specific threats (such as to postpone or defeat proposed regulations) or to communicate systemic corporate change  (similar to the defence phase). However, with each new restriction average total disclosure can be expected to decrease. This idea is alluded to by O’Donovan (2002) who argues, based on experimental evidence, that the lower the perceived legitimacy of the organisation, the less likely it is to bother providing social and environmental disclosure. Watch This Space Legitimacy theory offers researchers, and the wider public, a way to critically unpack corporate disclosures. However the understanding and study of the theory must become more sophisticated, drawing on developments both within the accounting literature and beyond. Only then will the full potential of legitimacy theory for examining a wide range of disclosures be fully realised. Areas that would provide useful insights include at the moment the asbestos industry (as it goes through the disestablisment phase), brothels (as they become much more legitimate within the Australian context), and the forestry industry (as it tries to defend its legitimacy), to name but a few. The knowledge gained will then be used to provide better and more useful information to inform decision making by stakeholders. In this way society is empowered to have greater control and oversight over the way resources are allocated. References: Ashford, B. E. and B. W. Gibbs (1990) â€Å"The Double-Edge of Organizational Legitimation†, Organization Science, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 177 194. Caudill, E. (1997) Darwinian Myths: The Legends and Misuses of a Theory, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and J. Tobin (2002) â€Å"An Examination of the Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosures of BHP from 1983-1997: A Test of Legitimacy Theory†, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 312 343. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and P. Voght (2000) â€Å"Firms’ Disclosure Reactions to Major Social Incidents: Australian Evidence†, Accounting Forum, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 101 130. Hearit, K. M. (1995) â€Å"‘Mistakes Were Made’: Organizations, Apologia, and Crises of Social Legitimacy†, Communication Studies, Vol. 46, No. 1-2, pp. 1 17. Hybels, R. C. (1995) â€Å"On Legitimacy, Legitimation, and Organizations: A Critical Review and Integrative Theoretical Model†, Academy of Management  Journal, Special Issue: Best Papers Proceedings, 1995, pp. 241 245. Kaplan, S. E. and R. G. Ruland (1991) â€Å"Positive Theory, Rationality and Accounting Regulation†, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 361 374. Lindblom, C. K. (1994), â€Å"The Implications of Organizational Legitimacy for Corporate Social Performance and Disclosure†, Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference, New York. Mathews, M. R. (1993) Socially Responsible Accounting, UK, Chapman Hall. Neu, D., H. Warsame and K. Pedwell (1998) â€Å"Managing Public Impressions: Environmental Disclosures in Annual Reports†, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 265 282. O’Donovan, G. (2002) â€Å"Environmental Disclosures in the Annual Report: Extending the Applicability and Predictive Power of Legitimacy Theory†, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 344 371. Patten, D. M. (2002) â€Å"Media Exposure, Public Policy Pressure, and Environmental Disclosure: An Examination of the Impact of Tri Data Availability†, Accounting Forum, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 152 171. Suchman, M. C. (1995) â€Å"Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches†, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 571 610. Tilling, M. (2004), â€Å"Communication at the Edge: Voluntary Social and Environmental Reporting in the Annual Report of a Legitimacy Threatened Corporation†. APIRA Conference Proceedings, Singapore, July.

A Feminist Reading of A Woman on a Roof Essay -- Feminism Feminist Wo

A Feminist Reading of   A Woman on a Roof  Ã‚     Ã‚   The short story, "A Woman on a Roof," by Doris Lessing may seem to be about a few men who become annoyed with a woman because she suns herself out on her roof. The men feel that she is a distraction and are obviously bothered by her presence. They are not happy that this sunbather is out there on display and illustrate these feelings of discontent by constantly whistling and yelling at her. The men also make several rude and sexist comments to her throughout the story. In a time period such as the one this story takes place in, males were considered far superior to women, and comments such as the ones the men make would not be considered out of the ordinary. What is extremely surprising, and quite out of the ordinary, however, is the fact that this woman did not even seem bothered by their actions. When this is taken into consideration, it is revealed that the real source of the men’s anger toward the woman is not simply because she was sunning herself, but rather, wa s due to the fact that she showed indigence toward them in a time when women were expected to submit to men’s demands. The men in this story obviously have strong feelings of superiority and power over the opposite sex, and expect that women will naturally give in to their demands. These feelings are illustrated as early as in the opening paragraph, when they see the woman for the first time. While working, "They made jokes about getting an egg from some woman in the flats under them, to poach it for dinner" (Lessing 856). Such a comment demonstrates the men’s beliefs about gender roles: that women will be home, not working, and eager to serve men. The comments continue; later on, when referring to the woman as ... ...woman And, while she may not have earned women the right to vote or gained women admission into institutes of higher education, she stood up for herself in a normal everyday situation, and that’s a start. She is a woman who was one of the exceptions in her era; she was not just a woman on a roof, but rather a hero of her generation. Works Cited Allen, Orphia Jane. "Doris Lessing." Short Story Criticism, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Atack, Margaret. "Doris Lessing." Short Story Criticism, vol. 6. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990. Lessing, Doris. "A Woman on a Roof." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 856-862. Works Consulted Baron, Mary. "Doris Lessing." Critical Survey of Short Fiction, vol. 4. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1993.   

Lead In Drinking Water

Lead is a naturally occurring element present in the earth's crust. It is one of the most harmful environmental pollutants.   It has become difficult to control because of its wide usage. Over the years it is being used in gasoline, house paint and plumbing fixtures. Lead shows adverse effects when it builds up in the body. There are many ways in which humans are exposed to lead: through deteriorating paint, household dust, bare soil, air, drinking water, food, ceramics, home remedies, hair dyes and other cosmetics.Much of this lead is of microscopic size, invisible to the naked eye. In 1978, the federal government banned lead-based paint from housing. Though the amount of lead that is released into the environment each year has been greatly reduced by less use of leaded gas, starting in the mid-70s. Laws forbidding use of lead in house paint (1978) and lead in plumbing solder (1986) have helped as well. Still, lead can be a problem, especially in older homes.As a highly toxic meta l contaminant in drinking water, with public health threat lead received attention over the years. However, the old lead painted houses are the primary source of lead contamination. Water has a combination of things in it, when it reaches home for household purposes. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the United States 1 out of every 11 children has a dangerous level of lead in the bloodstream. The elevated blood-lead levels can be due to the drinking water contaminated with lead, in spite of water being the rare primary source.Although there is no â€Å"safe† level of lead in water, the EPA has estimated that on average up to 20% of a child's total lead exposure can potentially be attributed to lead-contaminated water. Lead poisoning is dangerous for anyone of any age, but children are particularly vulnerable because of  the effects of lead poisoning on development. According to EPA, lead dosage that would have little effect on an adult can harm a small child.   Lead in drinking water can be a problem for infants whose diet consists of liquids-such as baby formula and juices mixed with water. Lead can be easily and more rapidly absorbed by children compared to the adults.Lead can cause a variety of adverse health effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the action level even for relatively short periods of time. The effects are the same whether it is breathed or swallowed. Very low levels of lead poisoning can cause reduced IQs‚ learning disabilities and behavioral problems such as hypertension and reduced attention span in children, and often these effects are life long and irreversible. Pregnant women and young children are at the greatest risk even with short-term, low level exposures. Overexposure to lead over time can have severe health effects that can last a lifetime.   Lead poisoning can cause damage to brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells. Children's brains and nervous systems ar e more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead, so they can have behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity), damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches.Because children are most vulnerable to adverse health effects from lead exposure, the adequacy of controls over lead in water supplies serving schools and child care facilities is particularly important. In adults it can cause reproductive problems, high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, muscle and joint pain.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC), Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (LPPP) in conjunction with the Office of Refugee Resettlement developed the Lead Poisoning Prevention in Newly Arrived Refugee Children tool kit in response to the increasing number of refugee children entering in the United States and subsequently developing elevated blood lead levels. CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Preven tion Program is committed to the Healthy People goal of eliminating elevated blood lead levels in children by 2010. CDC continues to assist state and local childhood lead poisoning prevention programs, to provide a scientific basis for policy decisions, and to ensure that health issues are addressed in decisions about housing and the environment.Other studies have shown that the intrusion of lead into the lens of the eye may cause protein conformational changes that decrease lens transparency. Now NIEHS grantee Howard Hu and colleagues at Harvard University have uncovered what could be another adverse health effect with global implications: cataracts. The researchers found that participants with high tibial lead were more than 2.5 times as likely to develop cataracts as men with low tibial lead (bone lead is a measure of long-term lead exposure). Blood lead levels, which are more indicative of short-term lead exposure, were not significantly associated with increased risk of catarac t development.The contamination occurs when the water is once out from the treatment plants to the individual residences.   The service lines that direct the water, certain types of plumbing materials, such as lead pipes, lead solder, brass faucets and some water meter components are responsible for the leaching of lead into drinking water. Hot water can cause the lead to leach out from lead-soldered copper pipes. The longer that water stays in pipes, the greater the exposure to lead.  Stray electrical currents from improperly grounded electrical outlets or equipment also may increase the level of lead in drinking water.Though the, Congress in1986 banned the use of solder containing more that 0.2% lead and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes, and other plumbing materials the risk of lead contamination is not completely removed as â€Å"lead-free† plumbing may contain up to 8 percent lead. Lead in the air comes from industrial emissions. Lead deposits in soils ar ound roadways and streets from past emissions by automobiles using leaded gas, together with paint chips and lead paint dust. Lead may be found in some imported candies, medicines, dishes, toys, jewelry, and plastics.Under Safe Drinking Water Act law passed by Congress in 1974, EPA determined safe levels of chemicals in drinking water which do or may cause health problems. These non-enforceable levels, based solely on possible health risks and exposure, are called Maximum Contaminant Level Goals. The MCLG for lead has been set at zero because EPA believes this level of protection would not cause any of the potential health problemsResponsibility for ensuring safe drinking water is shared by EPA, the states, and, most importantly, local water systems. In general, EPA sets standards to protect drinking water quality and to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of public water systems.   EPA also oversees state implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and applicable regula tions where states have assumed primary responsibility for enforcement.The states ensure that local water systems meet EPA and state requirements, provide technical assistance, and take enforcement action, as necessary. In addition, the states collect information on the results of drinking water monitoring, among other things, and report the information to EPA. At the local level, public water systems operate and maintain their facilities in accordance with federal and state requirements, periodically test the drinking water to ensure that it meets quality standards, install needed treatments, and report required information to the states.Water system cannot directly detect and remove the lead contamination in drinking water as corrosion occurs in household lead pipes. To control lead and copper in drinking water, EPA implemented a regulation known as LCR (Lead and Copper Rule) or 1991 Rule in July 1991. The main aim of this program is to monitor the drinking water for the contamina tion and to educate the public to take precautions to protect their health when lead concentration (15 ppb) and copper concentration (0. 3 ppm) in water exceed their action level.The LCR even replace lead service lines used to carry water from the street to the home when elevated lead levels are continued even after anti-corrosion treatment. It is compulsory that that all public water supplies should abide these regulations to meet National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. EPA regulations require that child care centers operating their own water supplies test all drinking outlets for lead. The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for lead is 0 ppb, the EPA action level for lead in drinking water is 15 ppb. GSA requires that corrective actions be taken when lead concentrations in drinking water exceed the 15 ppb action level.  EPA played a major key role in distributing a list of banned coolers and publishing and distributing guidance on detecting and remediating lead contamination in school drinking water supplies when the Congress banned the manufacture and sale of water coolers that were not lead-free under the Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988. In addition to it EPA ordered required states to establish programs to assist local agencies in testing and correcting for lead in water supplies in schools and child care facilities.In March 2005, EPA announced a Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan to improve and clarify specific areas of the rule and the agency’s guidance materials. EPA proposed regulatory changes to the LCR in the following areas:Treatment Processes: To require that utilities notify states prior to changes in treatment so that states can provide direction or require additional monitoring. EPA will also revise existing guidance to help utilities maintain corrosion control while making treatment changes. Customer Awareness: To require that water utilities notify occupants of the results of any testing that occurs within a home or facility. EPA will also seek changes to allow states and utilities to provide customers with utility-specific advice on tap flushing to reduce lead levels.Lead Service Line Management: To ensure that service lines that test below the action level are re-evaluated after any major changes to treatment which could affect corrosion control.Lead in Schools: The agency will update and expand 1994 guidance on testing for lead in school drinking water. EPA will emphasize partnerships with other federal agencies, utilities and schools to protect children from lead in drinking water.Although EPA in cooperation with NSF International, state, and water industry officials succeeded in reducing lead levels by testing the water by lead rule. According to NSF, the extent to which lead leaches from products containing lead is not directly proportional to the level of lead used in any one alloy contained in the product. NSF identified several factors that contribute to the level of leaching, including the cor rosiveness of the water, lead content, the extent of the leaded surface area, and the process used to manufacture the product.Lead contamination in water can not be detected normally because one cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, Individuals who suspect the contamination of lead in their house, the only way to be sure of the amount of lead in their household water is to have it tested by a certified lab where water will be analyzed using the EPA's sampling and analysis procedures. While collecting water for analysis one should be sure to have a â€Å"first draw sample and a â€Å"fully flushed† sample. The first draw sample should be collected after water has sat undisturbed for at least six hours. The first draw sample should have the highest level of lead.The fully flushed sample should be collected after the water has been running from the tap for several minutes, at least until the water becomes noticeably cooler. This two-sample procedure indicates whe ther flushing the tap can reduce the lead to safe levels. Water testing is especially important for apartment dwellers, because flushing may not be effective in high-rise buildings with lead-soldered central piping.According to the Toxics Release Inventory, from 1987 to 1993 a total of nearly 144 million lbs of lead compounds were released to land and water by lead and copper smelting industries. When released to land, lead binds to soils and does not migrate to ground water. In water, it binds to sediments. It does not accumulate in fish, but does in some shellfish, such as musselsOne can temporarily reduce lead hazards by taking actions like repairing damaged painted surfaces and planting grass to cover soil with high lead levels. Appropriate precautions should be taken to prevent the contamination using specialized cleaning techniques that are effective in removing lead-contaminated dust. Cleaning should be done time to time in addition to a final cleanup at the end of the job. T hese actions (called â€Å"interim controls†) are not permanent solutions and will not eliminate all risks of exposure.Peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and needs immediate attention Lead from paint chips, and lead dust, both cause serious hazards. Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can reenter the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.There are many ways to reduce lead exposure at home specially for children. Precautions should be taken to keep children away from chipping, peeling and flaking paint. Children should wash their hands before meals, snacks, nap time and bedtime and the areas where children play as dust-free as possible. Care should be taken to give clean pacifiers for infants to suck. Pacifiers often and pin them on a short ribbon to the child's shirt and children’s clothes clean by changing frequently. Stuffed animals and toys should be washed regularly.Lead contaminated water can be avoided to some extent by following simple measures. Hard water can actually offer some protection against lead contamination because mineral build-up on the inside of pipes reduces contact between water and the lead or solder.  Use only lead-free materials in all plumbing repairs or new faucets and pipes. Homes with plastic drinking water lines, which are glued rather than soldered, should not have problems with lead contamination from pipes. Before using water for drinking or cooking, run the cold water for a minute until it is as cold as it can get.   This will flush out the water that has been sitting around for awhile so lead concentration won't be as high.   Also, use only cold water for drinking and cooking since hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water.Some precaution can be taken to prev ent ourselves from continuous exposure. When renovating homes, Do not use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes. Federal law requires that contractors provide lead information to residents before renovating pre-1978 housing. Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Landlords have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect.Some of the activities that should be done to prevent lead contamination are:Create aerator (screen) cleaning maintenance schedule and clean debris from all accessible aerators frequently. Use only cold water for food and beverage preparation as hot will dissolve lead more quickly. Instruct the users to run the water before drinking. Regularly flush the piping system in the building. The degree to which flushing helps reduce lea d levels can also vary depending upon the age and condition of the plumbing and the corrosiveness of the water.Bottled water can be an expensive alternative but might be warranted if you expect or are aware of widespread contamination and flushing is not an option. If you use bottled water, be aware that it is not regulated by EPA but rather by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Reverse osmosis units are commercially available and can be effective in removing lead. Since these devices also tend to make the water corrosive, they should only be used when placed at water outlets. Electrical current may accelerate the corrosion of lead in piping materials. Existing wires already grounded to the water pipes can possibly be removed by a qualified electrician, and replaced by an alternative grounding system.Apart from the efforts of EPA and associated bodies, as general public we too have some responsibility in educating people towards the adverse effects of the lead contaminated water . We should discourage people from using materials that induce lead into the environment. Care should be taken that industrial effluents are not released into the water streams and any such incidence should be reported to the concerning authority.Reference:http://www.awwa.org/Advocacy/pressroom/lead.cfm