Costs of benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Costs of benefits - Essay Example This paper gives an analysis of the results obtained from StopNShop Today Inc especially on the competitiveness of its benefits package and the benefits it accrues from the package. As much as it is of a necessity for any organization to conform its benefits package to the prevailing ones within the economy it operates, it is also ethical that organizations make their packages more attractive and above their competitors so as to retain the best of human resource within the market (Barnow et al, 2013). The review report from StopNShop Today Inc study review of its packages reveals an interesting trend within the organization. More weight is given to wages and salaries as in forms the core of the organization’s incentive to its employees. This is followed by the total costs incurred on benefits to the employees with the rest given very little weight. Of more interest is the allocation to retirement and the savings that come with it. It is the least area over which the company allocates its resources. The trend within the U.S economy is of greater interest and explains further the recent decision by major organizations to review their benefits packages (Barnow et al, 2013). As of the year 2004 towards the year 2008, the general of cost allocation to benefits and remunerations was on a declining slope which gives a reflection of the economic times during such periods. Between the year 2008 and 2010 there was a steady increase in the general allocation of resources to benefits and remunerations. Such an action reveals that the companies were experiencing economic boom and thus could easily afford to increase the allocation of their resources to benefits. The general trend in the statistics available at the U.S Bureau of Statistics shows that most organizations do allocate between 40% and 47% of their resources towards the benefits of their employees with the percentage allocated to

Race-Based Internment and Korematsu Essay Example for Free

Race-Based Internment and Korematsu Essay The internment of Japanese-Americans following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was shameful not only because of the fact that it was allowed to happen, but mostly because it was a national public policy joined in by all branches of the American government. President Roosevelt initiated the policy as the head of the executive branch by issuing executive orders declaring zones of exclusion for people of Japanese backgrounds, curfews, and even relocation programs to what some scholars have referred to as quasi-concentration camps. The legislative branch failed to protect the rights of these Japanese Americans; instead, On March 21, 1942, Congress ratified and confirmed Executive Order No. 9066, which authorized criminal penalties for persons disobeying exclusion orders (Justl, 2009, p. 272). Ultimately, with both the executive and legislative branches having failed to protect or defend the rights of American citizens of Japanese ancestry, the United States Supreme Court would be called upon to decide whether these orders and policies were in violation of the American constitution. To be sure, the notion that Americans could be rounded up and compelled through force to confined in internment camps seems to offend the dearest principles of American liberty and justice. Hoping that the judicial branch would extend the constitutional guarantees to American citizens of Japanese ancestry, a man named Korematsu filed suit alleging that these orders and policies violated the American constitution in a case now well-known as Korematsu v. United States. This particular case originated when an American citizen, who was born and raised in San Francisco, openly refuse to obey the exclusion order issued by President Roosevelt. Korematsu was loyal to the United States, having volunteered for military service though rejected because of health limitations, and there existed absolutely no evidence that he posed even a minor threat to American national security. He was allegedly subject to the exclusion order purely because of is Japanese ancestry. Korematsu was gainfully employed, he had a girlfriend who was not of Japanese ancestry, and he took deliberate steps to avoid and later challenge the constitutionality of the exclusion order. Ultimately, he was arrested and relocated to an internment camp. Specifically, he was arrested because he refused to leave an area open to others but closed to those of Japanese ancestry and because he refused to voluntarily report to an internment camp. The judicial branch, like the executive and legislative branches before, failed to protect the rights of Japanese-Americans; indeed, the Supreme Court upheld the exclusion order and Korematsus conviction (Justl, 2009, p. 274). Significantly, however, the Supreme Court’s decision was a six to three majority rather than a unanimous decision. The majority reasoned that war constituted a national emergency and that certain laws and orders designed to prevent spying or sabotage were sufficient bases upon which to restrict or eliminate individual rights protected in the constitution for the duration of the emergency. This case and its rationale still functions as a landmark type of legal case because it stands for the proposition that the constitutional rights of Americans can be suspended in times of national emergency. The minority opinions, recorded in dissents in the Korematsu case, argued that these laws were racist that they offended American ideals, and that the rights guaranteed by the American constitution ought to always apply regardless of alleged fears and national emergencies. This case effectively allows the judicial branch to relinquish its sacred duties as guardian of the constitution in national emergencies; this, in turn, gives the executive and legislative branches powers perhaps not intended when the founders of the constitution sought to create a stable balance of powers. In the final analysis, the Korematsu case is troubling because it stands for a legal principle that transcends its origins. More particularly, it can be seen in contemporary times that the War on Terror has been used as an indefinite type of national emergency to restrict or eliminate rights for American citizens even though the main enemies have been defined as foreign nationals. Arab-Americans and Muslims have in this way replaced the Japanese-Americans of World-War Two. Additionally, the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been treated as a type of environmental national emergency and the media has been restricted by the American Coast Guard from covering the story on-site. Korematsu is a tragedy both because of the individual harm done to Fred Korematsu and because it continues to stand for a proposition to the effect that politicians can cry â€Å"national emergency† in order to suspend or eliminate constitutional rights for different classes of American citizens. It is perhaps time that the Supreme Court reasserts its intended role as a true guardian of the constitution by accepting a case challenging the Korematsu precedent so that it can eliminate the vague national emergency exception. References Justl, J. M. (2009). Disastrously Misunderstood: Judicial Deference in the Japanese-American Cases. Yale Law Journal, 119(2), 270+. Retrieved June 2, 2010, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5036190287

Review of hierarchical theories of intelligence

Review of hierarchical theories of intelligence The theories of cognitive abilities have been advanced through the conglomeration of two similar theories on the structure of human cognitive abilities which have provided a trend in intelligence theories. In particular, Cattell (1941) and Horn (1965) theoretical frameworks on unitary traits that reflects certain basic aspect of cognitive functioning (Fogerty Stankov, 1988) along with the seminal work of Carrolls (1993) three stratum theory that proposed cognitive abilities was an expansion and extension of previous theories, notably Spearman (1927) concept of general intelligence (g) have influenced the advancement in understanding the concept of general abilities. McGrew (2004) article emphasizes the theory based assessment, specifically CHC theory based assessment in human cognitive abilities. The article focuses on the history of cognitive abilities theory particularly test development, operationalisation and interpretation and outlines salient points of the model along with evidence review in support of the model. Thus, McGrew (2004) provided an outline describing the conglomeration of these models in particular, the initial works of Cattell (1941) and Horn (1965) Gf Gc theory which proposed Gf (fluid intelligence) of individual differences in cognitive ability were the influences of two major classes of factors, educational-cultural opportunity, genetic factors and physiological neurological functioning (Ferrer McArdle, 2004) that affected the normal development of cognitive abilities and further postulating that Gc (crystallised intelligence) primarily consisted of representation of measurable outcome of additional environmentally infl uenced factors such as experience and acculturation (Alfonso, Flanagan Radwan, 2005. Cited in: Flanagan Harrison (Eds)). According to McGrew (2004), the theory was further expanded by Horn to include various aspects of human cognitive abilities that comprised of eight broad abilities: Fluid Intelligence (Gf), Crystallized Intelligence (Gc), Short-Term Acquisition and Retrieval (SAR or Gsm), Visual Intelligence (Gv), Auditory Intelligence (Ga), Long-Term Storage and Retrieval (TSR or Glr), Cognitive Processing Speed (Gs), Correct Decision Speed (CDS), and Quantitative Knowledge (Gq). (Horn, 1991. Cited in McGrew, Werder Woodcock (Eds)) proposing that the correlation between Gf -Gc is the result of an individuals investment in Gf through the acquisitioning of the variety of information and cognitive skills that represents Gc (Jensen, 2002. Cited in Sternberg Grigorenko (Eds)) as well as suggesting that over the period of interaction with the total environment, individuals who are more highly endowed with Gf attain a higher level of Gc (Fogerty Stankov, 1988) . Evidence in further support of the model relates to Carrolls (1993) seminal work Human Cognitive Abilities: A Survey of Factor-Analytic Studies, which implied that a distinct number of individual differences in cognitive abilities exist and the relationship amongst these factors can be obtained through classification into three different strata (Alfonso, Flanagan Radwan, 2005. Cited in Flanagan Harrison (Eds)). As such, Carroll (1993) represented the structure of intelligence as a pyramid where general intelligence (g) formed the apex as conceptualised by Spearman (Berk, 2000). He believed that g was the most important factor when determining intelligence and that general intelligence could be divided into many more sub-factors, thus he organised these sub-factors into domains of intellectual abilities representing three separate levels and listing these abilities in descending order of predominance (Carroll, 1993). Stratum III general intelligence factor, Stratum II included the a bilities of Fluid Intelligence (Gf), Crystallized Intelligence (Gc), General Memory and Learning (Gy), Broad Visual Perception(Gv), Broad Auditory Perception (Ga), Broad Retrieval Ability (Glr), Broad Cognitive CHC Theory of cognitive abilities Speediness (Gs), and Reaction Time/Decision Speed (Gt), including 69 narrow abilities within Stratum I that are subsumed by stratum II abilities (McGrew, 2004). Similarly, there is evidence to indicate that CHC has since been recognised as being the most thorough and well researched multiple view of intelligence to date ( McGrew, 2005; Evans, McGrew, Leforgee. 2001). More specifically, McGrew (2004) argues that contemporary psychometric approaches have resulted in an effort to present a comprehensive conceptualisation of human cognitive abilities based on factor analytic studies. However, McGrew (2004) concede that although psychometrics had been highly recognised within the field of applied intelligence research it had been a much slower acceptance within the field of intelligence testing. Noting, diversity in test measures as the disparity in the advancement of the CHC theory particularly in defining and interpreting cognitive abilities construct, as well as the non inclusion of fluid and crystallised intelligence along with the exclusion of corresponding research base as a means to the development of intelligent testing (Alfonso, Flanaga n Radwan, 2005). The author argued that the impetus of change within this sphere was due to the revise model of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJ-R) based on Horn-Cattell Gf Gc theory as a cognitive model for test development which included two measure of each eight abilities. Moreover, that the amelioration of the WJ-R resulted in the foundation for the first major theory-to-practice bridging with major impact being on the applied measurement of intelligence. This approach of Woodcock (1990) became a blueprint for future intelligence test development thus, substantially influencing narrowing the contemporary psychometric theory and applied practice gap (Alfonso, Flanagan Radwan, 2005). CHC Theory of cognitive abilities McGrew (2004) postulated that as a result of Woodcock (1990) confirmatory factor analyses findings of major intelligences test sparked by the amelioration of the WJ-R permitted the freeing up of practitioners from constraints of most single intelligence batteries. The realisation by practitioners of the provision of a set of principles and procedures consequently from a cross battery approach as suggested by Woodcock (1990), allowed for greater measurement of a wider range of abilities by way of, systematically traversing amongst test batteries that were considered sufficient both in breath and depth in assessing various aspect of the broad range of cognitive abilities (Alfonso, Flanagan Radwan, 2005). The assumption of McGrew (2004) of Woodcocks (1990) work provided a transition in intelligence testing has had ample evidence in the literature (see McGrew Flanagan, 1998; Messick, 1992; Sternberg Kaufman, 1998) to support such a postulation. In the cross batteries approach McGrew Flanagan (1998) proposed the present of the provision of empirically based set of terms that is a standard nomenclature may significantly reduce or eliminate data misinterpretation generally through the combination of cognitive test. Accordingly, Messick (1998) implied that the utilisation of cross batteries approach would safe guards against two ubiquitous sources of invalidity in assessment- construct irrelevant variance and construct under representation. Furthermore, the attributes of cross batteries approach has typically focused on organise assessment that generate and test hypotheses that pertains to an individuals functioning by which reliable and valid conclusions are draw in a systematic mann er (Alfonso, Flanagan Radwan, 2005). It was therefore logical that focus on the structure of human cognitive abilities was of a critical importance given that there were diverse interpretations and understandings of the CHC Theory of cognitive abilities   With the changes in intelligence test development a systematic taxonomic structure was required in the field of intelligence, McGrew (2004) claims Carrolls (1993) seminal work Human Cognitive Abilities: A Survey of Factor-Analytic Studies provided the development of a common nomenclature that is a common set of terms and definition for describing broad and narrow cognitive abilities above and beyond the effect of g (McGrew, 2009). In doing so, Carroll (1993) was able to further the understanding of communication and intelligence measurement amongst scholars and practitioners, integrate and compare individual test across an array of intelligence batteries (McGrew, 2004). Moreover, Carrolls (1993) taxonomy on the structure of human cognitive abilities is grounded by exploratory factor analysis of 461 selected human cognitive abilities datasets, drawn from decades of research by various array of dedicated researchers in the field of intelligence (McGrew, 2004). The influence of the CHC taxonomic framework in the use of applied individual batteries of intelligence had ignited the search for common ground between cognitive and psychometric developments; hence, in McGrew (2004) article he had introduced the term spreading of the assessment gospel suggesting in order to study individual differences in cognitive abilities there needed to be a single broad and narrow ability taxonomy by which the constructs of abilities could be measured in the individually administered intelligence batteries. For this reason, McGrew (2004) is further suggesting that broad abilities should be considered as clusters in the construct of intelligent behaviour and therefore should be considered separately, thus, a move from the concept of single unitary constructs. CHC Theory of cognitive abilities The CHC model in the past decade has seen a series of exploratory and/or confirmatory factor analysis studies investigating the validity of a wide range of CHC constructs indicators. McGrew (2004) claims since Woodcocks (1990) series of joint factor analyses the majority of intelligence test prior to this only measured two or three broad cognitive abilities sufficiently, conceding that Carrolls (1993) was amongst the array of studies. However, it seems clear that although such representations are evident, the CHC theory has had major impact on intelligence test development due to exploratory and/or confirmatory factor analysis investigations that substantially increases research base to provide empirical support for the broad strokes of contemporary CHC theory (McGrew, 2004). McGrews (2004) article elucidate studies findings that support the CHC frame work through a comprehensive depiction of the general and broad abilities and their interrelationship in determining human cognitive abilities, for example multiple group confirmatory factor analysis methodological framework (see Bickley, Keith and Wolf, 1995) found support for the developmental invariance , whilst Taub McGrew ( in press) findings were consistent with that of Bickley et.al (1995) in providing additional support for validity of the broad and general stratum abilities of CHC theory, moreover, small sample structural studies provided a strong support for distinct CHC cognitive factors, however, a depiction is also clear that no single intelligence battery effectively measures all the broad abilities delineated in the framework of CHC (see Kaufman Kaufman, 1993; Pallier and Stankov, 1996). Research using cross batteries intelligence test such as WJ-R and Woodcock -Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Third Edition (WJ-III) has demonstrated the importance of broad cognitive abilities in explaining domain specific knowledge for generalisation and correlations CHC Theory of cognitive abilities between construct indicators (McGrew, 2004). In his article, McGrew (2004) provides evidence based on major studies and it is easy to conclude from these findings the existence of these broad abilities. For instance, related cognitive abilities in which learning mediates the influence of fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallised intelligence (Gc) with cognitive constructs such as general sequential, reasoning (RG), language development (LD), listening ability (LS) with other broad abilities; processing speed (Gs) and basic skills (Grw) (reading and spelling, reading comprehension). A central point in much research interest in intelligence theories has been whether general intelligence is embedded in every cognitive task. The CHC theory represents one of the best examples of collective science in applied psychology (McGrew, 2009), with its core origin being able to be pinpointed back to Spearmans (1927) presentation of the g factor of intelligence. The seminal work of Carrolls (1993) three stratum theory has been a major influence in the framework of CHC theory based on factor analysis of 461 datasets. As previously mentioned in this paper, Carroll (1993) believed that g was the most important factor when determining intelligence, evidence of g is able to be obtained when 60 narrow factor abilities (visualization, visual memory, deductive reasoning) of the first stratum are correlated producing a set of eight second stratum factors (fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, general memory and learning, broad visual perception, broad auditory perception, bro ad retrieval ability, broad cognitive speediness, and processing speed) which are positively inter-correlated. When these second stratum factors are analysed, a single third factor stratum of general intelligence emerges, whereas, in the two stratum model of Cattle-Horn the second broad order factors constitute the apex and are based on over 40 first-order factors (primary mental abilities) that forms the lower stratum denoting that there is only two general factors (fluid intelligence, CHC Theory of cognitive abilities crystallized intelligence) hence, it does not support a third order g factor to account for correlations among the broad sector order factors (Jensen, 2002). Guided by structural and empirical evidence the CHC theory arbitrate well in relation to general intelligence that is, g is measured depending upon the statistical analysis of measures of human cognitive abilities in determining cognitive strength and weaknesses of an individual. This is evident in McGrew (2004) assertion that working memory (MW) is a source of complex cognitive activities and is a critical issue in future studies (see McGrew Woodcock, 2001) for postulation of constancy of relations of MW to exert a large causal effect on complex performance, particularly in understanding the rise and decline over the life span. Furthermore, McGrew (2004) argues that measurement of specific abilities within the CHC framework is mainly due to disparity of the CHC theory in describing a relatively complete taxonomy of cognitive function, however, excludes other processes, such as directly testing sensory modalities. In doing so, CHC theory neglect other abilities that have found to be important in the construct of intelligent behaviour and achievement. Support for contemporary CHC theory is grounded in the extent of factor analytic research that produced the Gf Gc model and the three stratum model with the necessity of further research (heritability, neurocognitive, outcome criterion) to continue the validation, refinement and extension of the CHC taxonomy being evident in McGrew (2004) article suggesting human cognitive abilities is clearly multidimensional. As such, McGrew (2004) makes clear that Carrolls (1994, cited in McGrew) approach of open-ended empirical theory is a pathway to which future research are able to provide yet unknown and unmeasured factor abilities upon one or more levels of the CHC model. CHC Theory of cognitive abilities

Flowers For Algernon - Comparing And Contrasting Essay -- essays resea

Many popular novels are often converted into television movies. The brilliant fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes, was developed into a dramatic television film. Flowers for Algernon is about a mentally retarded man who is given the opportunity to become intelligent through the advancements of medical science. This emotionally touching novel was adapted to television so it could appeal to a wider, more general audience. Although the novel and film are similar in terms of plot and theme, they are different in terms of characters. The plot of both the novel and film version of Flowers for Algernon share common similarities. They both feature a retarded middle-aged man, Charlie Gordon, who receives an operation to heighten his intelligence. Charlie’s IQ eventually surpasses human normalcy to reveal that the experiment did prove successful. In both the film and novel, Charlie became even more intelligent than the professors who worked with him. In the film, Dr. Strauss was embarrassed to reveal that Charlie was smarter than him. That played a milestone event in Charlie’s identification of himself. Slowly his intelligence began to decrease and he eventually returned to his original state of mind. Throughout the story, Charlie encountered many different emotions that he had never experienced before because he didn’t have the common knowledge to understand them. The episode when he was at the nightclub with his co-workers gave him the opportunity to experience betrayal and anger. â€Å"I never knew before that Joe and Frank and the others liked to have me around just to make fun of me† (Keyes 30). The plot for both versions also carefully depicted Charlie’s psychological traumas that he suffered after his operation. These outbursts were often caused by romantic anxiety and the painful memories he would recall. Whenever Charlie got intimate with Alice he would tend to get extremely nervous or have a hallucination, causing him to ruin the moment. â€Å"I dropped a fork, and when I tried to retrieve it, I knocked over a glass of water and spilled it on her dress† (56). One of Charlie’s most painful memories was the one about the locket incident. Both versions did a great job of emphasizing this particular moment. â€Å"His clothes are torn, his nose is bleeding and one of his teeth is broken† (38). These flashbacks occurred many times in the novel yet the f... ...n the woman at the bar in the movie. Norma, Charlie’s sister, was another important character who wasn’t featured in the film. She was part of the reason why Charlie was sent away. As a child she hated Charlie because he would constantly ruin things for her, like the ‘A-Paper’ incident. â€Å"Not you. You don’t tell. It’s my mark, and I’m going to tell† (81). She always felt like Charlie was a nuisance as well â€Å"He’s like a baby† (81). In the film, Rose wasn’t as senile as the novel portrayed her. She seemed to have Norma’s sense of compassion from the novel which made her character rather puzzling. In conclusion, there was a difference of characters in the film. Although the novel and film are similar in terms of plot and theme, they are different in terms of characters. Charlie’s emotions and personal trials were a large part of both plots because the whole story is about his personal maturation and experiences. Intolerance was an important issue in the life of Charlie Gordon because it was hard for him to be accepted anywhere else but the bakery. Although some of the original characters were removed from the film, their personalities were incorporated into that of another character.

Haemon’s Speech Analysis

Haemon’s Speech Analysis Pride and stubbornness can be harmful things, and Haemon touches upon this within his speech to Creon as he attempts to dissuade his father from taking Antigone’s life. Using rhetorical devices such as tone, ethical, emotional, logical appeal, and metaphor, Haemon manages to make an impact on Creon’s eventual decision as he speaks in Antigone’s defense.Starting at the beginning of his speech, Haemon ventures to convince Creon to change his mind about his harsh ruling against Antigone, not by raising his voice or attempting to beat his â€Å"earnest† views into his father, but by using great tact and endeavoring to find a common ground with Creon, possibly trying to understanding his father’s position on the matter at hand. First, Haemon alleges that reason is â€Å"God’s crowning gift to man†, and that his father is â€Å"right† to â€Å"warn [him]† against losing that reason.He even keenly asserts that he never wants to say that â€Å"[Creon] has reasoned badly†, continuing on to make other mindful concessions. However, when this thoughtful mode of speaking doesn’t take any immediate effect, Haemon starts to become more candid with his words, implying (although not directly) that Creon’s actions are unjust and stubborn, taking care to adopt a point of view that is constructively criticizing as opposed to being completely insulting. He rationally cautions his father against the mindset of him having all of â€Å"the power†, noting that if Creon continues upon that path he will eventually â€Å"turn out† an â€Å"empty† man.He states that even people like his father must be able to stop, listen, and learn from others—not be completely fixed and â€Å"unchangeable†, because no man in the world is completely infallible. A few lines later in the speech, in addition to his amiable tone, Haemon also begins to use some emotional appeal, acknowledging his love and respect for his father, affirming that â€Å"nothing [is] closer to [him] than [his father’s] happiness†, and that he â€Å"values his father’s fortune† as much as his own.Haemon also logically recognizes his youthfulness and lack of wisdom as well, although he astutely uses what the people of Thebes have been â€Å"muttering and whispering† to support his argument, using aspects of ethical appeal to attest that Antigone’s innocence is what the people of his father’s city would want, realizing that while Creon would like first and foremost to be a good ruler, e also wishes to be well-liked by his people. Then coming to closing lines of his speech, Haemon begins to weave in clever metaphors here and there, first comparing a â€Å"stubborn tree† being â€Å"torn up† and then a â€Å"fast† and â€Å"never-slackened sail† going â€Å"head over heels and under† the water to his father, indicating that this is the type of thing what will happen if Creon thinks that he alone â€Å"can be right†.And in the very end, Haemon leaves his father with some loaded words, advising that Creon listen to him, because while â€Å"men should be right by instinct†, â€Å"[they] are all too likely to† be led astray, and that the smartest thing would be to learn from those who can are willing to teach them how to stay, or even make their own paths, in life.

Decriminalization of Prostitution

Prostitution has been around since the time of the early European settlers. It has been considered a social norm in many countries, while in others; it has been considered to be morally wrong and taboo. Canada, for example, has decriminalized prostitution, but the activities relating to it, such as soliciting, communicating and procuring, are illegal. Many parts of the United States have criminalized prostitution. Regulating prostitution through the state would eliminate many of the harms associated with prostitution.Also, prostitution provides a means of financial income and sexual gratification in cases where it cannot otherwise be acquired. Lastly, people have the right to work as they please, and this includes selling one’s body if they so choose. With all of this being said, the decriminalization of prostitution positively affects Canadian society, and it would likely benefit other countries which have not yet decriminalized it. The conception that prostitution is highly dangerous is partially due to the fact that it has not been decriminalized in many places.Alarming stories of rapes, robberies and STD transmissions have lead people to believe that prostitution is an evil and harmful act. However, this ‘dark side’ of prostitution can be alleviated if prostitution is controlled and monitored. Decriminalization of prostitution will help ease the amount of people partaking in transactions in shady, unsafe areas. With regulation comes the alleviation of organized crime and underage individuals prostituting themselves. Legal prostitution between consenting adults does not pose any direct threat to themselves or society.Exploitation, abuse, diseases, and many other negative factors can be safely managed if the state treats prostitutes as real workers. Prostitutes would be protected by the state by having regular STD checks, being taxed, and being protected by a regulated system. In places where prostitution has already been decriminalized: S ex work is officially recognised and dealt with as a legitimate occupation: sex workers are entitled to a number of employment-related protections under the law and local authorities are required to ensure that brothels are suitably licensed, and operating in accordance with relevant health and safety requirements.The issue with prostitution being a criminal offence is that there are no institutions or programs that are enforced to protect prostitutes from the harms that they sometimes encounter. Governing the acts of prostitutes will ensure the safety of the prostitute, the customer, and society. Prostitution requires working shifts in exchange for income, which makes it a legitimate job. People within a society have the freedom to work in whichever profession that they wish to participate in.The Occupation Health and Safety (OHS) is an area of industrial relations that encompasses the fundamental right of employees not to have their health put at risk through the normal requiremen ts of their work. The application oh OHS to legal prostitution would eliminate the harms and hazards of the job. The decriminalization of prostitution can be justified by the ideology that it is a harmless act between two willing and consenting adults. While there are prostitutes who do not enjoy their work, there are far more who are quite content with the job because of the lifestyle and income it can provide for them.Although prostitution is frowned upon and viewed as a controversial topic, it can provide people with jobs who otherwise would have no means of financial stability. It keeps potentially homeless individuals from living in the streets. However, without legalization, these people often end up being fined or imprisoned for trying to establish an income for themselves. Jobs are very difficult to come by in today’s working world. In some cases, prostitution is the only job available to those who are lacking a necessary education.Women’s involvement in prosti tution demonstrates that prostitution is a gendered survival strategy often used by poor women trying to create a better future for them and their dependents. Denying people the right to work as they please is putting them in further danger by risking their safety, health and general well-being. With regards to the customers of prostitutes, they are often lonely individuals who have no other means of friendship or sexual gratification unless they use the services of a prostitute. Single men sometimes have low self-esteem, causing them to be lonely and unable to pursue non-prostitutes.For them, they look to prostitutes for company first, and for sex secondarily. This does not cause any harm to the prostitute or the customer, as long as the prostitute has valid protection and both parties have consented to the act. This is a positive outlet for both the prostitute and the customer to achieve the needs they are aiming to fulfill. The most eminent argument against the legalization of pr ostitution is that it is â€Å"morally wrong† for one to sell their body. Many religions have the belief that God owns a person’s body until they are married, at which point they may share it with their spouse.However, not every person is religious, and not everyone agrees with this. The reality is that every individual is responsible for their own actions and has the right to use their bodies for whatever purpose they see fit, whether it is child bearing, donating an organ, or prostitution. The concept of legalizing prostitution relates to the controversial topic of pro-choice abortion, which states that only the woman herself can decide what she wants to do with her body; it is her personal choice. With the regulation of prostitution through the state, underage prostitutes would be more closely monitored and detached from the profession.This means that only consenting adults – not children – would be legally allowed to prostitute themselves. Adults are able to understand the possible consequences of their actions – consequences that will not be as heavy of a burden once prostitution is decriminalized within a society. It is not the state’s position to become involved in what two adults choose to do in their spare time as long as no one is being directly harmed. The harms will never completely cease to exist; however, with regulation, many issues can be minimized.Everyone has different values and morals, and because prostitution is a victimless crime, there is no need to criticize these morals or criminalize the actions that go along with them. Whether prostitution is really a â€Å"moral wrong† is debatable, and perhaps in an ideal world, it would not exist at all. However, this is not an ideal world – there are issues that will continue to arise regardless of attempts to control and stop them. It is justified to believe that decriminalizing prostitution is beneficial to society, as it creates far more pros than cons.It would be in society’s best interest to keep prostitution under control rather than to keep it criminalized, because without legalization, people will continue to act upon their sexual and emotional needs in hazardous ways. Finally, human beings are at liberty to both work as they please, and treat their bodies as they please. The sex trade is something that has been around for a long time, and it will continue to exist as long as human beings have needs – therefore, it can be sustained that the decriminalization of prostitution allows society to be better off.

Week 4 Example

Week 4 Example Week 4 – Assignment Example WEEK 4: PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT METHOD School: WEEK 4: PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT METHOD Once businesses introduce new products anddevelopment projects, it is required that they would put in place a number of strategic and dynamic decision making processes that will ensure that their products and projects are up-dates, revised and up to standard with the market in which they find themselves (Cooper, Edgett and Kleinschmidt, 2014). This dynamic decision process engaged by the businesses is what is referred to as portfolio management. With the popularity of portfolio management and its importance to the survival of businesses, there are a number of ways that companies have strategically approached it. From the experience of my country, there are three major methods that are commonly employed when it comes to portfolio management. These three methods are heuristic models, scoring techniques and visual or mapping techniques. Depending on the business orientation of a particular company, there are numerous ways that each of the methods has their own strengths and weaknesses. In a much generalized argument however, Evans (2006) noted that the use of scoring technique is currently one of the most common methods practiced. This paper therefore delves into the outlook of this method, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. The scoring technique of portfolio management has been explained to be a type of method used with the aim of arriving at precise investment needs. This means that the scoring method dwells much on the use of quantitative numeric indexes in arriving at very specific values that represent the current and future state of any investments made by the organization (Faulkner, 2006). According to Bodie, Kane and Marcus (2011), knowing the actual outcomes of new products and project developments is very crucial for the survival of any investment programme. In effect, when using the scoring technique, the focus and attention of portfolio managers is to ensure that particular methodologies are put in place to enhance profitability and assistance in numerous strategic planning (Sushant, 2014). Due to the complex nature of scoring technique, there are several divisional methods that come under it to ensure that different organisations can be selective according to methods that are easier for them to use and those that meet their specific investment needs. This is a very crucial thing because Bodie, Kane and Marcus (2011) warned on the potential failure that can be recorded when the wrong portfolio management method is selected. Under the scoring technique, Sushant (2014) identifies two major methods namely Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) and Weight Product Method. From personal experiences and the experience of the current business environment, there are specific strengths and weaknesses that can be associated with the scoring technique in general. These strengths and weaknesses have been generalised to apply to the two major methods that come under the technique. Writing on the strengths, Evans (2006) noted that scoring technique this method is highly beneficial as it does not rely on depend on the use of certain ratios that are commonly used in traditional ratio analysis. It would be noted that in traditional ratio analysis, there is much speculation, hypothesis drawing and assumptions in the making of investment forecasts and predictions. This is a problem that does not enhance accuracy and precision. Using the scoring technique, this weakness is overcome and thus the benefit of giving highly precise outcomes of portfolio management is guaranteed. What is more, the problem with the need to give each ratio an equal level of importance which causes delay in portfolio management is dealt with when scoring technique is used. This is because scoring technique only requires that each ratio will be weighted according to its ability (Faulkner, 2006). Regardless of the strengths that have been stressed above, there have been a number of criticisms about the weakness of the scoring technique. First and foremost, the need to optimise outcomes when there are mixed project scenarios is difficult. This means that in portfolio management, the scoring method is effective only for specific projects at a time. This situation causes much delay in most of the time because it makes is impossible to undertake combined portfolio management using different variables of studies (Evans, 2006). Meanwhile in portfolio management, efficiency has been noted to be an important tool for ensuring success (Bodie, Kane and Marcus, 2011). What is more, the scoring method has been noted to be highly demanding in terms of its statistical underpinnings. For example according to Sushant (2014), â€Å"It is imperative to have a sufficient large sample, accurate database and consistent long period in order to reveal trends in the company’s behaviour and m easuring its impact.† This means that there is no way accurate can be achieved while approaching the management of portfolio in a way other than statistical accuracy. Meanwhile, in behavioural business theories, there is room for investment trends to be predicted and worked with quantitatively. References Bodie, Z., Kane, A. & Marcus, A.J. (2011) Investments. 9th ed. New York: McGrawHill. Cooper R. G., Edgett S. J. and Kleinschmidt E. J. (2014). Portfolio Management: Fundamental for New Product Success. Product Development Institute Inc.: London. Evans, P. (2006). â€Å"Streamlining formal portfolio management†, Scrip Magazine, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 4-33 Faulkner, T. (2006). â€Å"Applying ‘options thinking’ to R&D valuation†, Research-Technology Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 123-143 Sushant (2014). Scoring Techniques. [Online] Available at portfoliomanagement.in/scoring-techniques.html [April 10, 2014]