Learning Agreement Essay Example for Free

Learning Agreement Essay Instructions: * There are 4 parts to a Learning Agreement. You must remember to complete every section since marks will be awarded for each section. Sections in a Learning Agreement Remarks Marks Allocated Objective(s) This is where you determine What you want to learn from a particular department 15% Strategies The Strategies is where you determine How you are going to achieve your objective(s) or where you are going to get the information required to fulfill your learning. 15% Assessor Comments You will have to submit this to your Manager(s) for their comments and signature company stamp. (When submitting this to your manager(s), you need not show them the Students Reflections, just your objectives and strategies) 5% Student Reflections This is where you develop a report on your objective(s) this is where you can also develop the learning outcomes. 65% * No part of this report may be reproduced, in any form or by any means. Work submitted based on any of the examples may be awarded no marks. AN EXAMPLE OF A LEARNING AGREEMENT Student Name : X Placement : Human Resource Department Assessor : Ms A Subject Area : Health and Safety Objective To learn and observe the health and safety regulation used in R Company for its employees Strategies for achieving the objective * Discuss with the Human Resource Manager regarding the safety procedures provided by R Company * Tour around the office to observe any hazardous condition and safety procedures implemented in R Company * Discuss with the staff on their opinion about safety in R Company Target date of completion : Y Verification by Assessor and Comments [This is where you get your Manager/Assessor to comment about your performance in the area identified above and get him/her to sign ( stamped).] Signature Stamp _________________________________________________________ Students Reflections [This is where you write in detail about your objectives.] It is important that any company to provide a safe workplace for its employees. For many companies, safety is considered to be a very minor issue, but if one were to look at it closely, it plays a very important role to ensure a safe working environment. This is because a minor negligence in safety could lead to a major disaster. R Company being a company dealing with both local and foreign customers has to always take the effort to ensure that they provide safe and secure services to its customers. It is also necessary to provide enough safety for the employees working there. In my observation on the working condition in R Company, the safety here is awfully neglected. From my personally experience, I had injured my toe more than twice during my 5 months there. This is because all the files are allocated on the floor and due to the small walking space, it is easy for anyone to kick the files and causing injury. The first reason why the files are placed on the floor is because lack of space in the file cabinets. The second reason is because of the staff themselves, they place the files that they need on the floor around the desk. A condition such as this is hazardous to the employees because it will reduce that maneuverability in the company. The staff will have difficulty walking around and might injure themselves because of the files being placed on the floor. If in any case where there is fire, the employees will tend to rush out of the office. With the files placed on the floor, someone might trip and fall. Due to the rushing of all the employees, the victim might suffer major injuries and probably death. It is always important to keep all walk space clear of any obstacle and is wide enough for people to walk safely. This is to ensure that nobody would get trip and injure themselves while working or in an emergency case. The other thing that I observed in both branches of R Company in M City and N City is that they do not have a fire exit. The fire exit of N City branch is locked and blocked with boxes of old documents and brochures. I also noticed that they do not even have any fire extinguisher placed in the office. This shows that there are no proper safety procedures for the staff when there is an emergency situation. Fire escape routes are also not set and displayed in the office. Without these safety items in the office, it can be hazardous when there is a fire situation. The employees there do not know how to react during a fire, how to vacate the building during a fire and the knowledge of any fire fighting equipment placed in the premises. When I interviewed the Human Resource Manager regarding the practice of safety for the employees, I was shocked when he told me that this issue was never discussed. This is very disappointing because I believe many companies fail to see the importance to practice a safe workplace and concern about the welfare of its employees. Even though an emergency situation is unlikely to happen in a commercial office, it is very important that the staff know what to do when an emergency situation occurs. Firstly, it is important that the staff know how to react during a fire situation. This is because a fire accident could happen anytime without warning, therefore it is better to be prepared when it does happen. To be prepared for this, the fire escape route must be cleared. The management of the company should set up and display the emergency escape route all over the office. With this information displayed, the staff would know where to go during an emergency situation. The fire escape routes should also be cleared of any obstacles. This is to ensure an easy escape path and there are no difficulties using it. The office should also be equipped with fire extinguishers to combat any fire situations. This is because in most cases, a fire disaster can be avoided if it is dealt with immediately. With fire extinguishers placed around the office, a minor fire can be attended to before it gets out of hand. I noticed that in R Company there is no fire alarm system. It is important to install a fire alarm system to alert the staff in case of a fire situation because it could take just a few minutes for any fire to consume the whole building. Therefore it is best that all the employees are notified immediately by the fire alarm and able to vacate the premises as soon as possible. When all the facilities and procedures installed to combat a fire situation, it is also necessary to educate the employees on how to use them. A safety committee should be set up to continuously educate the employees on safety and how to react during an emergency situation. The committee is responsible to provide education to the employees on how to use the fire extinguisher, identify the different types of fire extinguishers available and which one is best to use in each type of fire cause. The committee can also conduct frequent audit of the workplace to ensure that all fire escape routes are not blocked and all fire extinguishers are easily accessible. By conducting audits, it is also possible to identify any fire hazard in the company and action could be taken before it turns into a disaster. R Company should also hold a fire drill twice a year to make sure that all employees know what to do if the fire alarm goes off. This is to avoid a panic situation which could cost lives. When the staff are educated with fire drills, they would know the correct procedure on how to vacate the building in an organized manner. The company should also provide training for a certain number of staff in First Aid. This is because if there is any accident that occurs in the workplace, the victim could be attended to immediately while waiting for the arrival of the ambulance. This is vital because in many cases, lives were lost because no immediate attention was given to them. This committee should also work closely with the fire department to learn any latest information regarding safety. They should also encourage frequent checking of the electrical wiring in the company because wires tend to wear off over the years. Even though the Tourism industry usually deals with tourists and giving them the best services available, it is also important to ensure that safety of the tourist. To do so it is best to start with the company. This is because without the concern of safety in the office, how it is expected that the safety of the customers can be guaranteed. Often many people overlooked the issue of safety in their working environment because it rarely happens, but bear in mind that accidents happen without a warning and it is always better to be prepared for it.

Research Methods for Consumer Buying Behaviour Research

Research Methods for Consumer Buying Behaviour Research Research Method Research methodology Everywhere, our knowledge is incomplete and problems are waiting to be solved. We address the void in our knowledge and those unresolved problems by asking relevant questions and seeking answers to them. The role of research is to provide a method for obtaining those answers by inquiringly studying the evidence within the parameters of the scientific method. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/3238/page3-15.htm Research means finding out things in a systematic way in order to increase knowledge. In any research two phrases are important, first is the ‘systematic research’ that is based on logical relationship and not just beliefs (Ghauri et al., 1995). The second phrase is to ‘find out’ the purpose of the research. It includes describing, understanding, criticizing, analyzing and explaining. (Ghauri et al., 1995) (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. 2000) (pg 1-2). Therefore in simple words research can be expressed as number of similar and related activities involving together in search of information. It is also found that many times we have a question or a problem to resolve. The main aim of research is to collect sufficient information or data relevant to the research topic to get the clear picture and proper understanding in order to accomplish the research goal. But it is thought that we have the answers to those questions thinking that the answer is obvious, commonsense, but until we have subjected our problem to rigorous scientific scrutiny, our knowledge remains little more than guesswork or at best, intuition. http://www.chssc.salford.ac.uk/healthSci/rem99/resmeth/chap1.htm Though the meaning of research is to find out answers for question but research can also be carried out in particular subjects. As a result research in marketing is the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for improving decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing. There are different approaches to carry out the research. It truly depends upon the researcher which method to choose. It is also necessary to explain why a particular method is being chosen. However the author has focused on the levels of maintaining brand loyalty toward telecom service provider with respect to the competitor’s offers. To carry out this research the author has collected the primary as well as secondary data. Comparison of the primary and the secondary data will help the author for the interpretation leading to the conclusion and recommendation for the research topic. Research Approach Research can be carried out by using two types. One is the Inductive research and the other is Deductive research. Inductive research â€Å"Inductive research is a study in which theory is developed from observation of empirical reality; thus general inferences are induced from particular instances, which is the reverse of deductive method†.( Hussey Hussey, 1997, pg 13). In inductive research the data is collected and after that the theory and the hypothesis are defined and formulated. The inductive approach can also be helpful in coming up with new ideas, theories and hypothesis. It is also possible that the results of inductive research may not be hundred percent true as they are done through empirical observation. Inductive research is also known as theory generating as it done through specific observations to broader generalizations. Deductive approach According to Hussey Hussey, 1997, pg 13, deductive research is â€Å"Deductive research is a study in which conceptual and theoretical structure is developed and then tested by empirical observation; thus particular instances are deduced from general inferences. The deductive method is referred to as moving from the general to the particular†. In deductive approach the theory or hypothesis are drawn and the research is carried out to support or test the hypothesis. The deductive research draws conclusion through logical reasoning. Robson (1993:19) lists five sequential stages through which deductive research will progress: Deducing a hypothesis from the theory: In this stage the relationship between the two variables can be defined and later tested. Expressing the hypothesis in operational terms, which propose a relationship between two specific variables: In this stage the two variables can be defined to be measured. How the two variables relate to each other and how they would affect each other if any changes are made. Testing this operational hypothesis: In this stage one can involve experiment or some other form research method to test the relationship between two variables. Examining the specific outcome of the inquiry: In this stage the result of the research would be verified according to the hypothesis so that to see whether the result support the hypothesis or not. If necessary, modifying the theory in the light of the findings: In this stage, if the results suggest that there should be justified then the theory needs to be modified or altered. (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2000) (pg 85 87) The author has decided to carry out the mixed approach that is the inductive and deductive method in order to carry out the research on whether customer are able to maintain band loyalty towards their mobile service provider and originate and analyze the essential facts required to fulfil the research objective The research design builds on clear and concise understanding of research topic. A clear and concise statement of research purposes is absolutely essential for doing good quality research. The important idea of a research design is that all of its components must ‘fit’ with each other or ‘go together’ with each other in a logical manner. There are various methods to collect data. But which method the researcher should adopt will depend upon the nature of the research and various other factors. The method chosen should able to derive sufficient information to answer the research question. It should also be reliable, accurate. Data collection There are various methods that can be used for collection of data. In research data collection methods may vary greatly in the amount of time and money required and in complexity. The best method is one that provide the relevant and sufficient information that is needed and not necessarily the one which is fastest, cheapest and easiest. In many cases it is also possible to use more then one type of data collection method to obtain data on the same research topic. Sources of data can be put into the two general categories of being either primary or secondary. Research methods can be classified in various ways. However one of the most common methods are qualitative and quantitative research methods. Quantitative research The quantitative research is more easily defined as the collection of numerical and statistical data. â€Å"a quantitative approach involves collecting and analyzing numerical data and applying statistical tests†¦a qualitative approach, which is more subjective in nature and involves examining and reflecting on perceptions in order to gain an understanding of social and human activities†. (Hussey Hussey, 1997, pg 12). The aim of quantitative methods is to determine whether the predictive overview of a theory hold true. Quantitative designs of research tend to produce results that can be generalised. The important features that are associated with quantitative research are Objectivity, deductive ness, generalisability and numbers. It can also be said that quantitative research is concerned with numbers and measurement, rather than words, in the collection and analysis of data. Charts and graphs demonstrates the results of the research, the researchers commonly employ words such as ‘variables’, ‘populations’ and ‘result’ as part of their expressions Quantitative research usually seeks to establish causal relationships between two or more variables, using statistical methods to test the strength and significance of the relationship. Quantitative methods include experiment, surveys, and questionnaire for data collection. Qualitative research Preissle (2002) confirms that ‘qualitative research is a loosely defined category of research designs or models, all of which elicit verbal, visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory data in the form of descriptive narratives like field notes, recordings, or other transcriptions from audio and videotapes and other written records and pictures or films’.(Web 14) http://www.roboneill.co.uk/papers/research_methods.pdf Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting and involves a process of building a complex and holistic picture of the phenomenon of interest. Qualitative research is concerned with no statistical methods of inquiry and analysis of social phenomena. Qualitative Research is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. Qualitative research is more subjective and deals in words, images. Qualitative research methods are observation, in-depth interviews or the case study. Therefore in some cases the researcher can also take an active part while interacting with participants. This helps the researcher to get in-depth views and knowledge from participants. Research is carried out with some or the other aim. Thus research is important to answer the questions and draw conclusion. Therefore to achieve the aim of the research it is crucial to choose the correct research approach and correct research method. As a result the author has made an effort to collect the primary as well as secondary data from the reliable and relevant sources in order to achieve the final results of the study. Collecting and using primary data Primary data is collected with a specific purpose or some reason. It is collected especially when the researcher cannot find the relevant data or enough data in the secondary sources. â€Å"Primary data is also known as grey literature; they are the first occurrence of piece of work. They include published sources such as reports and some central and local publications such as white papers and planning documents. They also include unpublished manuscripts sources such as letters, memos and committee minutes that may be analyzed as data in their own right†. (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2003, p52). In many cases primary data is the first hand data that is directly collected from the field survey and thus it is really important for the respondent to understand the aim of the research. This helps the respondent to answer the questions the from the researcher’s view and not from their personal thinking. There are various types to collect primary data. Every type is advantageous and disadvantageous in its own way. The choice is also highly influenced by the availability of time and money. The basic methods are observations, interview, questionnaire survey, focus group interview, and case study. After the proper and complete understanding of each and every method the author had decided to obtain the primary data by using questionnaire survey and interviews to carry out the research. The method selected by the author is the mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative method. The main reason to use mixed approach is that qualitative method of approach is process-oriented, real, subjective and descriptive where as quantitative method of approach is objective and mainly outcome oriented. The use of multi methods or triangulation is adopted so that the weakness of one method is offset by the other and to ascertain whether the findings of each method achieve the same results or conclusions which will greater validity and reliability. The questionnaire survey Questionnaire is one of the simple and widely used methods for collecting primary data. â€Å"In questionnaire technique each respondent is asked same set of questions and thus it provides an efficient way of collecting response from a large sample prior to quantitative analysis†. (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 1997)(pg 244). Thus it can be understood that questionnaire is a set of the question given to the respondent. The questions are in preset format and the respondents are asked to fill in the answers. There are various advantages in using the questionnaire technique as it is cost effective, less time consuming and efficient. Questionnaire is one the most familiar method for data collection so the researcher doesn’t have to sit and spend time in explaining how to fill them. It also won’t make the respondent nervous. The clear and simple questionnaire can also be filled in by the respondent without the presence of the researcher. Therefore the respondent will be honest and researcher’s own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer questions in a certain way. There are also certain disadvantages of using questionnaire method. It is very difficult to design the questionnaire. In many cases the researcher is not present while filling in the questionnaire thus it is not possible to give any assistance. The questions in the questionnaire have to be very simple. The response rate is also low many times. Many times it is difficult to find a consumer group who are co operative to answer the question. The main purpose of using the questionnaire survey was to obtain as much as information possible on customers brand loyalty towards their mobile service provider. The questionnaire survey was intended to acquire the information from the customers using the mobile service. In terms of design and layout of the questionnaire was kept very simple. The questions framed were very clear, simple and easy to understand by the respondent. The length of the questionnaire was also kept short keeping in mind that the respondent may not be bored or tired. This may hinder the final results of the research. The questionnaire was the combination of open ended and close ended questions, which will use the rating scale technique from 1 to 5. In which 1 represented the highly satisfied customer, 2 represented the satisfied customer, three represented the moderate customer. 4 represented dissatisfied customer, 5 represented highly dissatisfied customer. The questionnaire was self administered and researcher administered. The author had chosen the option of delivering and collecting the questionnaire. With the help of the supportive consumer group the author had achieved 90% of the response rate from the customer and tried to maintain the privacy of the data collected. Pilot testing Before using the questionnaire on the main sample the pilot testing of the questionnaire was carried out. It is important to obtain information by pilot testing the questionnaire on individual similar to those who will be asked to complete the questionnaire. The purpose of pilot testing is to refine t questionnaire so that the respondent will have no problem in answering the questions and there will be no problems in recording the data. (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2003)(pg 308). This will help the researcher to perform the necessary changes in the questionnaire before giving it to the actual sample. Pilot testing helps to assess the questions, validity and reliability of the data collected. After the completion of designing and drafting of questionnaire it was circulated between the MBA students at UWIC. Some of these students were currently working in a company. As a result the author received a response on the clarity, sequencing and inter relation of the questions. This response facilitated the author to make the necessary alteration in the questionnaire. Interviews An interview is a purposeful discussion between two or more people. In this one the person is the researcher. Making use of the interview method can be helpful help to gather valid and reliable data that are relevant to the research question and objective. There are three categories of interview each category has its own advantages and disadvantages. Structured interview Unstructed interview Semi structured interview The first is the structured interview in which the researcher has a list of question in a predetermined manner. They are focused and prà ©cised there fore more data can be collected. These are informal interview. The second is the unstructured interview in such type of interview there are no predetermined questions. The conversation between the respondent and researcher is quite general but the researcher needs to have a clear idea about the aspects that he has to explore. The interviewee is given an opportunity to speak on the research topic this type of interview is called as non directive. As there are no set of questions that are prepared it takes lot of time to gather sufficient information. But in such interview the interviewee feels at ease and does not realise that he is being interviewed. There are also some ethical issues that may prevent to make use of such interview especially for research projects. The third category is the semi structured interview. In such interview there are the list of topics and question to be covered by the researcher. The researcher may also vary the order of the question as per the situation and flow of the conversation. Additional question can also be asked related to the research topic in order to gain the in depth knowledge. It is more flexible. The response rate is also higher. It is a time-consuming method and also requires more time to analyse them. Therefore the author has decided to make use of the semi structured interview in order to gain the in depth knowledge and achieve the research objective. Secondary data Secondary data is the data that readily available. Secondary data is data that is neither collected directly by the user nor specifically for the user, often under conditions not known to the user. â€Å"Secondary data is a source such as books and journals are designed either to help to locate primary literature. These publications are aimed at wider audiences. They are easier to locate than primary data†. (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill, 2003, p52). It is the information that has already been collected for some other purposes by some one else. It may be available from internal sources, or may have been collected and published by another organization. It is basically gathered before the primary data as to find out what is already known about the subject matter before starting the own research. In many cases the researcher prefers using the secondary data instead of carrying out the primary research. There are advantages as well as disadvantages of using secondary data. Secondary data is available quickly, easily and cheaply. It provides the researcher in determining the direction for primary data collection. It is flexible and provides great variety to the researcher. The disadvantages of secondary data are as follows. It is difficult to rely on secondary data in terms of quality and accuracy of the data. As the gathered may be long time back hence it may not be valid in current situation. The data readily available may not be related to the research question or may not available in sufficient quantity. There are three types of secondary data: 1. Documentary. Organizational records, communications and web sites; reports of committees; media accounts (newspaper articles); TV and video recordings; Internet sources 2. Multiple sources. (different data sets combined) Country or sector reports; industry statistics 3. Survey data. Government surveys and censuses (continuous); surveys by international bodies. (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 1997) (pg 190) There are other types of secondary data available such as books, journals, newspaper, articles, and internet. In order to make the research more effective the author has gone through various books, journals, articles, and internet. The combination of primary and secondary data has been collected to obtain answer to the research question more efficiently. Reliability and Validity In order to reduce the possibilities of getting the answer wrong attention has to be paid on two important factors in research design: reliability and validity. These two factors are dependent on one another. Reliability is required to make statements about validity. Reliability of the research means the extent to which the instrument would yield the same result if used in the other occasion. Validity applies to both the design and the methods of research it is an indication of how sound the research is. Validity is concerned with whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2003) (pg 101). Validity in data collection means that the findings truly represent the phenomenon that the researcher is claiming to measure. Research can be affected by different kinds of factors that irrelevant to the concern of the research, can invalidate the findings (Seliger Shohamy 1989, 95). Findings can be said to be internally invalid because they may have been affected by factors other than those thought to have caused them, or because the interpretation of the data by the researcher is not clearly supportable (Seliger Shohamy 1989, 95). Findings can be externally invalid because they cannot be extended or applied to contexts outside those in which the research took place. (Seliger Shohamy 1989, 95). Therefore the author has taken proper care while making the selection of the sample as well as the research planning. The information acquired is also from the reliable and valid sources. The incomplete questionnaires were also discarded to avoid the effects on final results. Ethical issues There were certain ethical issues that the author had to face throughout the research. Ethics in research is mainly the appropriateness of your behaviour in relation to the right of those who become the subject of your work, or are affected by it (Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2003)(pg 129). Therefore the ethical issue has to be taken the special care as they remain sensitive and had a impact on the research work as well as the respondent. While carrying out the survey the companies were assured that this research work is truly for educational purpose and wouldn’t be revealed any where else. Therefore special care was taken by the author to maintain the privacy for the data collected so that it is not been misused by anyone else for any other purpose. For primary data http://members.tripod.com/~mccurtain_2/genietips/tip15.html http://misnt.indstate.edu/wilhelm/ASBE%20336/336%20Primary%20Data.ppt http://www.jica.go.jp/english/evaluation/guides/pdf/ref_ma_005.pdf Consumer buying behaviour A buyers decision are also influenced by personal characteristic such as the buyer age and life cycle stage, occupation, economic situation, lifestyle, and personality and self concept. There are various internal factors, external factors and marketing factors which motivates the customers in their decision making process. Some of the important factors are mentioned below: Competitive price: a product with a competitive price often attracts customers. Customers are willing to pay a certain amount for a specific product. If the price ranges of that product falls within their purchasing power, customers are tend to be happy. Good Customer service: customers are satisfied if the are given good customer services for the product that they have purchased. Customer should be provided with good service not only at the time of buying a product but also after sales service should be provided as this influences the buyers buying behaviour. Efficiently handling the customers’ problem. How convenient the buyer is in buying and using the product also influences the buying behaviour of the customer. Availability of the product also acts as an influencing factor for the customers buying behaviour. In some cases, if a particular product that the customers buy regularly is not available in the market then the customer may intend to buy the substitute of that product. Attitude of customers toward a particular product and company also influences their buying behaviour. A good attitude will always have a positive effect and a bad attitude will have a negative effect. Individual learns attitude through their personal experience and interaction with other people. Therefore it becomes important for the companies to develop a positive attitude in the minds of the customers by providing excellent quality of service. If the negative attitude is developed within the customers it is difficult to change it. Life style of a customer is also becoming an influential factor in their buying behaviour. This influencing factor relates to the way we live through the activities we engage in and interests we express.  Lifestyle is often determined by how we spend our time and money. A person having a high standard of life will always prefer using a high quality of product specially a brand. Many people respond to what they perceive to be fun, exciting, and hip, and they want to feel valued and recognized Consumer purchasing decisions are often affected by factors that are outside of their control but have direct or indirect impact on how we live and what we consume.

Key Worker Living Scheme Analysis

Key Worker Living Scheme Analysis Key Workers Conference Abstract Affordable housing in London is an issue which affects many individuals and the problem of affordable housing is particularly of concern to poorer sectors within London and those in low paid employment (Greater London Authority (2005) 1) (Pacione, M. (1997) 8) and (Greater London Authority (2006) 1). This is a situation which remains unchanged by the fact that there are schemes in place which purport to ameliorate the problems relating to affordable housing experienced by many people living and working in London (Rugg, R. (1999) 19-20). Schemes such as the Key Worker Living scheme which is administered through the offices of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Teachers Housing Association Scheme and London Strategic Housing have been targeted specifically at key workers who experience housing needs in London. However, although the government have made many housing provisions for London based key workers, the problem remains that these provisions arguably do not extend far enough. Specifically, it may be argued that the definition of what a key worker is is perhaps too narrow. It may also be argued that those who fall outside the definition of key worker, but nevertheless experience housing problems are being let down by the government, principally because many of them simply do not qualify for the schemes which have been mentioned above. The fact that house prices in London are increasing quite rapidly, and that the average salary within London has not increased in the same proportions sharpens the hardships experienced by those in low paid employment in London, who don’t qualify for key worker schemes. These arguments will be put forward and evaluated in this paper and there will be a wider discussion of whether there is any real need to continue to have a ‘key worker requirement’ to trigger the assistance which is available to those in need of housing support within London. The paper will also consider wider economic, socio logical and political factors and will employ a qualitative, evaluative methodology in doing so. Who is included within the definition of a Key Worker? The people to whom the status of key worker is attributed to must firstly be employed in the public sector dispensing essential services in a sector where there are problems with recruiting staff and retaining their services. Categorises of people who fulfil this criteria are: clinical staff employed by the NHS, for example nurses (doctors and dentists are excluded); teachers working in maintained primary and secondary educational institutions; police officers, community support officers and prison staff; uniformed staff in the fire and rescue services; probation officers and local authority employed staff (for example educational psychologists) (Department of Communities and Local Housing (2006) 1). Perhaps it is also wise to comment on which workers may not fall within the definition. These sectors may include cleaning staff and support staff within teaching institutions, many categories of unskilled labourers, support staff wi thin hospitals and universities and those who provide support services within other professions. Why assistance is particularly tied to the Key Worker Sector; and What is being done to assist those who are not Key Workers? The rationale behind tying housing assistance to key workers is built upon much common sense. It is sensible to ensure that workers who provide key services are encouraged to stay within key occupations that provide useful services to the general public. Perhaps the need for such a rationale can be brought more sharply into focus by considering what may occur if essential workers were ‘priced out of the market’. A scenario like this will deplete the services which are available to the entire population within a given area and would perhaps impact hospitals and schools in particular. It is plain to see therefore why housing assistance in terms of affordable housing is targeted at these sectors which may be described as containing key workers. However, there is also an argument to be made that these provisions are not enough, and that they fail to a cknowledge the wider issue which is that affordable housing affects many individuals who fall outside the definition of a key worker. The reality is that the problem of affordable housing is a pervasive one, and, as we have seen explained above, the definition of key worker is quite a narrow construction. Therefore many non key workers have very low incomes but do not meet the criteria which are prescribed to give them key worker housing assistance. The services which these groups provide are indeed essential; they help to support the day to day running of essential services and are therefore crucial to the lives of all of those living in London. It seems logical therefore that these individuals should be given the same levels of support that key workers are given when it comes to the issue of affordable housing. As we have seen explained above, the reality is very different, and critics of the fact that just key workers qualify for many schemes to provide housing support point to the actual need experienced by the individuals involved; not just to the wider usefulness that housing support schemes may afford the ge neral public (which is the justification for the linkage between some housing support and just key workers). However, is it the case whereby the government simply ignore the needs of those who do not qualify for housing assistance as they are not key workers? Clearly this is not the case. The government operate housing associations and special needs facilities for those individuals who have needs due to disability or poverty. Those who are on low incomes may qualify for the new tax credits schemes and indeed for rates relief or housing benefit to help lessen the effects of the affordable housing problem. In terms of specific housing provision, non key workers may take advantage of some Social Registered Landlord Schemes  which include Home Exchange and Right to Acquire Schemes. The Home Exchange scheme is open to secure, or assured tenants and involves exchanging homes between tenants with the permission of landlords; other schemes include the Seaside and Country Homes initiative which involves the allocation of homes to those considered deserving (not necessarily key workers); the Homefi nder Direct scheme which is similar to the Seaside and Country Homes scheme and the LAWN project which makes homes available to ethnic minorities (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). These schemes are intended to assist all those in need of housing assistance and not always just key workers. However, how much help do these schemes really deliver? The reality of poverty in London means that many tenants on low incomes are not those who would qualify for the Home Exchange scheme or other schemes, since they may not have assured tenancies. People who receive housing assistance in the form of housing benefit lose their entitlement to benefit if their savings are over a certain threshold, and therefore it appears that poor people in London, who experience housing need and who are not covered by the key worker schemes are in a state of perpetual poverty. It also appears that the government’s main solution to the housing problem in London is to suggest that people within London should make an effort to relocate in other areas where housing and living is cheaper. This is tantamount to indirectly saying that low paid workers do not deserve to live within London; indeed the government’s failure to acknowledge the problem or to deal with it in any other way reinforces this point and effectively classes poorer people as second class citizens. This attitude taken by government also takes no consideration of the fact that many people who cannot afford to live in London, as they are not covered by key worker schemes, and who the government expects to simply relocate to other parts of the country, may have relations who live in London, and may have spent their entire lives there. To expect these people to abandon their roots is not a realistic solution to the problem of affordable housing in London. Also, given that the government’s main approach to the problem of affordable housing for poor people who are not covered by key worker schemes is to relocate, no assistance is offered to those who actually have jobs in London and who are faced with a choice between unemployment forced through relocation, and continuing to experience housing need while being employed in London. None of these problems have easy answers, but clearly a good approach to the problem is to more explicitly acknowledge that there is a problem to start off with, and it is also clear that to only offer assistance in the form of housing support to key workers is to assist one category of people in housing need by making another groups’ housing need more acute. Conversely however, on a macro and political level the government have attempted to make better use of the space which is available to build affordable housing within London. This has involved the conversions of abandoned commercial sites for use as housing sites (Greater London Authority (2005) Section 5.4). This is intended to ensure that available space within London is used sensibly to help lessen the effects of shortages in housing building sites. Clearly this will be of long term assistance to both key workers and non key workers. On a macro level another example of the government’s efforts in this area is their current emphasis on building ‘sustainable urban environments’, an emphasis which is of benefit to all of those affected by the affordable housing problem, not just those considered to be key workers. The government has also conducted many research initiatives into identifying the root causes of affordable housing problems and aiming to eliminate them. Although these initiatives only address the needs of those affected by the affordable housing problem in an indirect sense, it is clear that the government’s efforts on a macro scale (Karn, V. and Wolman, H. (1992) Ch 1) are intended to help those key workers and those non key workers who are all affected by the affordable housing problem. The problem remains however, that non key workers simply do not get the levels of support that key workers may qualify for, in spite of the fact that perhaps both sectors arguably equally deserve this. Therefore, would the problem of affordable housing be more fairly approached by simply abolishing the requirement for workers to qualify as key workers in order to qualify for housing support within London? Another approach would be to make it easier to fall within the definition of what a key worker is. The answer to these two suggestions is that perhaps there is an argument for this to be the case, but it must be counterbalanced against the fact that resources within this area are limited. It is inevitable that there will be a deserving case to be made for many third parties who do not fall within the current definition of what   a key worker is and of course, it is the case that it is desirable for all of those who are in need to receive housing support. As we have seen explained above however, there is a cogent rationale for why support is targeted at the key worker sector in particular. Key workers provide valuable services to the entire community and to neglect them would be detrimental to the levels of available services which all those resident in London often depend upon. The reality is that limited resources have to be dissipated in ways that are prescriptive and designed to exclude some categories of people. This exclusion does not point to an idea that the excluded person is undeserving; instead it points to the fact that there are limited resources which have to be expended in a frugal manner. However, this is not to say that more lateral thinking on the part of the government and a more open acknowledgement on the part of the government that non key workers experience acute housing need in London would not go a long way to lessening the housing hardship which they experience.

Easy Steps to Beautiful Hairstyles :: Free Expository Process Essays

Easy steps to Beautiful Hairstyles A Japanese proverb says, "Hair is women's life." It did not matter how ugly women's faces were; those who had shiny, long, straight black hair were considered beauties in Japan in ancient times. This standard doesn't exist any more, but such beautiful, healthy hair is still highly regarded. As well as the hair, certain hairdos - French twist, piggy tail, pony tail and bun - have been the charming accents of women's fashion until now. Braids, my favorite hairstyle, are the most beautiful of all. When I was little, my mom used to comb and braid my long hair, which extended below my shoulders, while I was having breakfast in the dining room. After I bought a book called 365 Ways to Do Your Hair, I spent some time in front of a mirror in the bathroom doing fascinating, different braids and creating my own hairdos every day during my high school years. Following the proper procedure of the Japanese technique of hair braiding, people can braid their hair easily and quickly and even do complicated, beautiful braids. Mitsuami means braid or plait in English. This is the basis of the braiding techniques or A of the ABCs. If you have ten fingers and medium long hair, you can master it. Struggling with stubborn hair takes one third of your hair setting time. To handle your hair, water-spray and comb your entangled hair well at first. Using the edge of a comb brush, part your hair down the middle. On the right side, split your hair in three equal parts, I am going to call these bundles 3 (left, toward the back of the head), 2 (center), and 1 (right, toward the forehead). To begin, put bundle 3 onto bundle 2. Next put bundle 1 onto bundle 3. Then put bundle 2 onto bundle, and repeat this process. See, it is not hard. Don't forget to do the other side too. It takes an average of three minutes to complete this job. You can also apply mitsuami to advanced but easy hairdos: The Braid Hairband gives an impression of innocence and sweetness. This style fits fine long hair, length at least below the shoulders. Start making mitsuami from above your ears on both sides. Next, lift and cross mitsuami on top of the head. Last, tuck the fringes under with two hair pins. This style takes only five minutes.

Essay --

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction This chapter introduces the definition and importance of customer attitude toward health advertisement and followed by how determinants of health advertisement affect the customer attitude toward advertisement. This chapter also discusses the theoretical framework for the four independent variables such as credibility, informative, pleasure and good for economy that influences the customer attitude toward health advertisement. 2.1 Health Advertisement According to the American Marketing association stated that â€Å"advertising refer to any paid from of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and service by an identified sponsor†. The advertisement is directed toward increasing the sales of the business. The one of the trait of the advertising is for communication, information and persuasion. Advertisement is non-personal communication that use mass media. Buyer can get information from the advertisement about the particular product that they want to buy. Advertisement create favorable attitude of the customer that lead to the favorable actions. Dofman, Woodruff and Wallack (1993) stated that public service advertisement used for selling good health behaviors. Personal behavior will determine their own health status. They believe that health promotion advertising has been used to benefit the advertisers and industry. The mass media provide the solution of health problem. The public health professionals need to take the risk to use the advertising to change the attention from the personal to social. Health advertisement helps the company to sell their health product such as product that can lose weight, increase antibody, and multivitamin product. The health –rela... ...ponse produce the behavior. The behavior was created by three factors which is pleasure, arousal and dominance. Pleasure refers to a person feel happy in a certain situation. Arousal means that feeling that vary from person to person in different situation such as bored and excitement. While dominance refer to the individual feeling which are control in particular situation. When the consumer watches an advertisement thus develop the feeling of like the product then the willingness to buy it. The advertisement was consider as successful advertisement when the consumer has the ability to recall the brand in the advertisement. A firm can have the competitive advantage if the consumer can recall their brand through the advertisement. The positive attitude of a consumer can easily recall the advertisement than those who has negative attitude toward the advertisement. Essay -- CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction This chapter introduces the definition and importance of customer attitude toward health advertisement and followed by how determinants of health advertisement affect the customer attitude toward advertisement. This chapter also discusses the theoretical framework for the four independent variables such as credibility, informative, pleasure and good for economy that influences the customer attitude toward health advertisement. 2.1 Health Advertisement According to the American Marketing association stated that â€Å"advertising refer to any paid from of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and service by an identified sponsor†. The advertisement is directed toward increasing the sales of the business. The one of the trait of the advertising is for communication, information and persuasion. Advertisement is non-personal communication that use mass media. Buyer can get information from the advertisement about the particular product that they want to buy. Advertisement create favorable attitude of the customer that lead to the favorable actions. Dofman, Woodruff and Wallack (1993) stated that public service advertisement used for selling good health behaviors. Personal behavior will determine their own health status. They believe that health promotion advertising has been used to benefit the advertisers and industry. The mass media provide the solution of health problem. The public health professionals need to take the risk to use the advertising to change the attention from the personal to social. Health advertisement helps the company to sell their health product such as product that can lose weight, increase antibody, and multivitamin product. The health –rela... ...ponse produce the behavior. The behavior was created by three factors which is pleasure, arousal and dominance. Pleasure refers to a person feel happy in a certain situation. Arousal means that feeling that vary from person to person in different situation such as bored and excitement. While dominance refer to the individual feeling which are control in particular situation. When the consumer watches an advertisement thus develop the feeling of like the product then the willingness to buy it. The advertisement was consider as successful advertisement when the consumer has the ability to recall the brand in the advertisement. A firm can have the competitive advantage if the consumer can recall their brand through the advertisement. The positive attitude of a consumer can easily recall the advertisement than those who has negative attitude toward the advertisement.

Rice dishes Essay

The famed George Bernard Shaw once proclaimed â€Å"There is no love sincerer than the love of food. † I couldn’t agree more. I, myself, am something of a food enthusiast. And my favorite food is biryani. You just cannot go wrong with it. You just cannot. Even the most critical and picky individuals cannot resist indulging themselves when it takes â€Å"center stage† on the dinner table. Biryani is the name and stuffing one’s face is the game. Biryani is, by far, my most favorite dish. I can’t emphasize that enough. And those who aren’t exactly on the same page as me or aren’t even familiar with the book I am so fixated upon â€Å"oughtta† be ashamed of themselves. But that’s alright I guess, as I will take some precious time from my schedule to shed some revealing light to the â€Å"underprivileged. † Biryani has everything. It has great taste, a unique taste, a variety of taste, it even smells great, it’s better than anything you can or want to compare it to, and you should most definitely eat it every day. This is an ode to biryani. Biryani originated from the Indian subcontinent and spread to a few countries in the surrounding areas. As a result different variations of the dish sprung about. All the variations of the dish taste pretty great in their own right. That’s miracle number one. The dish is so beautiful that even when made with a few slip-ups it turns out not only edible but quite tasty. You can only say that about a few other dishes, if any at all. But the biryani that will make any reader of this salivate and have hunger pains originated in the state of AP [abbreviated] in India. There exists a city in this state that we call Hyderabad and the biryani there†¦well let’s just keep it simple and say when I first had the biryani from there I thought I passed away and ended up just short of heaven. But I was okay with it because it was absolutely delicious. I’ll admit that I am a tad bit biased with regards to the biryani from Hyderabad due to it being the place of my birth and my parents’. [From now on, I am referring to Hyderabadi biryani when I write biryani unless stated otherwise] Just a touch though I assure you. Let’s get a move on shall we? Biryani is a rice dish. You add a ton of Indian spices as well as vegetables such as mint, and pepper, etc. Then you can either opt to with chicken, seafood, or beef/veal. You can’t go wrong with either. Then you can add plain yogurt with vegetables amongst other things or you can use specific eggplant gravy. They both complement the biryani really well so there are no losers here. The smell will arouse your nose once it is done cooking and sometimes if you cook it well the arousal will begin while the dish is in the cooking process. When you are eating, your tongue will feel as your body does and some unspecified parts do when you make love to the person of your dreams. It is that good! The dish encompasses every great taste that was created and you’ll see, smell, and taste what sets it apart from absolutely any other food in this world. It’s spicy but just the right amount. And you can adjust it based on your spice standard. I promise you won’t need to. It’s a bit tangy but not too much. The only word that does it even a minuscule amount of justice is refreshing. I cannot do disservice to the dish by describing it any other way. If dishes were creatures, every dish other than biryani would be human, plant or animal and biryani would be a superior extra-terrestrial or the God of all dishes. Understood? I was directed to compose this paragraph with the objective of describing the taste and smell. UI thought about it hard and long and I decided that I would describe it by writing about how it made me feel and using comparisons and parallels simply because there is no way to describe biryani. I discussed the process so as to give an idea of what the ingredients combined would taste like, But I’m helpless if was to try to define it further. Biryani tastes like †¦.. [Fill in the blanks with all your personal taste preferences except for sweet]. Biryani is king! There are many similar foods in terms of appearance and texture characteristics simply due to the fact that biryani’s base product is plain white rice. But to me the only real competition biryani has if we are talking about taste is stirred fried rice with shrimps and even that doesn’t stand a chance. So imagine stirred fried rice but like 10-15 times better realistically speaking. Biryani is better because it has all the tastes that stirred fried rice has and more. Stir fry is like the Neanderthal while biryani is the homo-sapien. It’s like an evolution. Imagine that. How much more improved is the homo-sapien than the Neanderthal? Calculate accordingly how much better biryani is than stirred fried rice. And if stirred fried rice is that far behind all these other foods are†¦you get the idea. Everything in terms of taste is enhanced while there are more desirable features added. Biryani is healthier too. You can make it with white, red, or sea food meat. More variety? Check. You cannot make stir fry without citric acid and large amounts of vinegar. And sure it tastes pretty great, have some health benefits, and help you give the proper amount of protein or whatever it maybe but it won’t give you nearly all of what you need. It is highly probable that its harms outweigh its benefits. Be ready for heart burns and heart attacks. I apologize for the brashness. Biryani is king and stirred fried rice is a prince, and hardly that. While eating stirred fried rice, you’ll think to yourself â€Å"Man this needs more salt, spice. It would be perfect if the meat were more cooked, left to thaw more. This, that and a third and etc. If only it †¦ † Well those needs and ifs add up to make a majestic dish called biryani. The impossible simply becomes biryani: so much better than stirred fried rice and all the other dishes don’t even compare. â€Å"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,† said Sherlock Holmes. He was talking about biryani. You just lost your job. You get home and all your cats passed away. No girl/guy likes you. And while you go outside to get some supplies your house burns down. Fu@#! No worries. All you have to do is get some biryani and it’ll almost be like you passed away and ended up right underneath heaven. So if your days are any less stressful than the one described than you have no right to complain unless you still feel down after indulging in some biryani. And if you still feel down, you probably have no hope. Yup biryani is that damn good man. That’s why you, I, and everyone SHOULD eat it every day. It’ll make the worst of one’s days into solid ones and cheer one up after a brutal day in the lab. It is also quite healthy. It is not unhealthy unless you have an unhealthy fetish of an ingredient, whether it be you loving green peppers or salt. It’s all about moderation. Other foods when cooked with moderation of ingredients end up being a little too this or a little too that. Biryani works baby. It provides crabs, protein, lipids, and even vitamins such as vitamin c and d. Biryani can be found in many places especially in Chicago where there is a dense sub-continental population. There are also several ready-made mixes where you just cook with a plain rice, and get a solid biryani product. Time is of the essence and you won’t need to spend hours in the kitchen. Cooking it, whether from a ready-made mix packet or from scratch, is not very time consuming. Numerous benefits and an absence of side effects. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Why not eat healthy, pleasurably, tasty, and without too much preparation? There are never losers with biryani. Biryani is king! All in all, biryani is my most beloved and favorite dish. And as I said before, I am a food enthusiast, so my tongue has been around. I know taste. Whether you eat to live or live to eat, biryani is the way to go. It tastes like Zeus’s dinner, is so much better than stirred fried rice and better than anything Paula Deen can cook, and should be eaten every day for any food reason one can possibly think of. Side effects are nonexistence while the benefits are numerous like the members of the feline family. So head to Devon Ave [Little India] and Hyderabad House and grab yourself a few plates. And remember biryani is king!

Human cloning Essay

If there was one technology that the world never accepted, then it will be the cloning of humans. Just 30 hours after the news of a cloned lamb hit the streets, movements against human cloning already started forming (Pence 1998, p. 1). 90 days after the study, a law against human cloning was already being pushed. People claimed that there is no good reason to clone humans, and yet, how can this be known when there wasn’t enough time to discuss it? When the scientific community did not even have time to prove its advantages? Most of the arguments against cloning are philosophical in nature. It is not about â€Å"scientific facts but about ethics, human nature and public policy† (Pence 1998, p. 3). If we look at human cloning in an objective point of view we will realize that there are certain merits to this technology. Certainly, there are disadvantages too, but whether the disadvantages outweigh the advantages is still a question unresolved today. Advantages of Human Cloning Human cloning becomes a good prospect when we talk about the issue of infertility and genetic illnesses. In an article published by ScienceRay (Whatani 2008), it was mentioned that only half of the population of females are capable of gestation. Estimates show that current infertility treatments are only 10% effective (Benefits of Cloning n. d) hence, there are many couples who end up getting frustrated because of their inability to have children. With human cloning, there is no need for the egg to be fertilized, and there is no need to find a mate, and only one parent is needed to create a child (Teacher’s Domain 2010). Researches show that an average person carries 8 defective genes (Benefits of Cloning n. d). In some cases, these genes are recessive and no symptoms will appear, but there are also instances when the genes are inherited by the children and they become dominant traits. Down’s syndrome and Tay Sach’s disease are just two genetic illnesses which can be inherited if reproduction is left to natural means. Though human cloning, parents can choose which genes their children will inherit, thereby allowing them to get rid of the defective genes. Another advantage of cloning is that it is now possible to create organs which can be used for transplants (The Advantages of Cloning n. d). People with liver and kidney trouble no longer need to wait for a donor to get a transplant. People suffering from leukemia can get cloned marrow. Scientists will be able to produce effective therapy for cystic fibrosis if only they are allowed to test the technology for human cloning. Lastly, cloning will allow medical professionals to understand how cells differentiate and become cancer cells, thereby allowing the creation of a cure for the disease. Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction In several researches conducted (Science Daily 2006; Treisman 1976; Williams and Mitton 1973) it was discovered that sexual reproduction allows populations to adapt to their environment better because they are able to resist harmful mutations. Yet, sexually transmitted diseases are already so widespread that sex has become risky. Also, sexual reproduction has its costs wherein the female carry most of the burden, a situation called as the two-fold costs of sex (Science Daily 2006). In his study, Ricardo Azevedo says that in order to overcome the two-fold cost of sex, two things must be true ‘†The production rate of harmful mutations must be relatively high, such that each individual acquires on average one or more harmful germline mutations not inherited from its parents. The second is that these harmful mutations must interact in a special way, called negative epistasis, such that adding more and more harmful mutations makes you progressively worse off (Science Daily 2006)†. This means that in order for genetic illnesses and harmful mutations to become extinct, these two conditions must take place. Needless to say, there are no studies which show how prevalent negative epistasis is in nature, hence the extinction of genetic illnesses and mutations are purely by chance. With the world becoming even more chaotic because of the discovery of new incurable diseases and the rapidly degrading environment, there is a big possibility that the survival of humankind may need to rely with artificial means. With human cloning, it is now possible to create a healthier, if not a better race of individuals who are more resistant to mutations and have lesser diseases to endure (Phil for Humanity n. d).