Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example Like men, women employees are important for organizations as they have different perceptions about managing business activities and they definitely help them in achieving their business goals and objectives. In the last couple of years, the number of female employees has increased drastically and policies have been changed to ensure that there is equality among the workforce and women are not deprived of their rights. The biggest advantage of having women as employees is that there is discipline in organizations and business activities are conducted in a proper and strategic way. In addition to having a positive work atmosphere, involving women in business decision making has helped various organizations to achieve success in a short span of time. Women’s work capabilities are totally different from men and they differ in terms of managing business activities, compliance with rules and regulations and critical thinking in business decisions. Since women tend to abide by organi zational policies more than men, the organization’s culture is disciplined and every business activity is properly managed. Along with these aspects, women do a lot of analysis and thinking when involved in any decision-making process and they prefer to evaluate every option from all critical aspects so that resources are efficiently allocated and organization is able to earn proper return on its investment. They need to ensure that they have an appropriate number of them within their work environment.

Article Critique Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

Article Critique Genetically Modified Food Essay The article by Amin, Jahi and Nor was conducted in Malaysia to find out the stakeholders attitude to genetically modified foods and medicine (1). In particular, the investigators were interested to know the attitude towards GM insulin/medicine, GM palm oil and GM soybean. They designed the study as a survey with 1017 respondents. They found that the Malaysian stakeholders are cautious about the genetically modified foods. They agreed that genetically modified foods have perceived benefits but at the same time they were concerned about the moral aspects and risks associated with the GM Foods. A closer analysis revealed difference stakeholders attitudes towards GM foods. Title The title â€Å"stakeholders attitude to genetically modified foods and medicine† was precise and clearly thought out. Readers are well informed of what to expect as they engage with the study findings. However, the title missed on the study area. A good title must inform readers where the study is conducted. Abstract The researchers adopted non structure abstract. They were able to point out the background leading to the study, the purpose of survey, research approaches they used trough the study and the findings. With regard to this they managed to give a brief overview of the research Jones 2 and further letting readers know what their study entailed and what they found out. A structured abstract would have been more desirable as it enlists each of the study sections. However, depending with the journal requirements and authors’ interests they preferred non structured abstract to one that is structured. Purpose of the Study The investigators clearly pointed out the aim of the study. They assessed and compared the attitudes of the Malaysian stakeholders living in the Klang Valley towards genetically modified insulin, palm oil and soybeans. This was influenced by the findings from the other studies. For instance, other studies revealed that the advancement in technology led to increased production of GM Foods. In addition, they found that biotechnology is one of the five major technologies that are planned to speed industrialization in Malaysia. However, owing to the divisive debate on genetically modified foods, the researchers saw the need for this study. Therefore, it has clear cut intent of telling where Malaysians attitudes leans and what measures should be put in place to better their attitude. Research Approaches The investigators adopted a well defined research approach. They designed the study as a survey which was conducted from June, 2004 to February, 2005. The sample size was 107 respondents above 18 years. They were selected through stratification sampling which enabled the generalization of the findings and minimized biased that could result from sample selection. In addition, they collected the data through administering questionnaire and ensured that reliability and validity of the study are all accounted for. However, the researchers did not tell the readers how they met the ethical principles, especially principles of ethics of beneficence and Jones 3 justice. They didn’t point out whether they consulted any ethical institution or whether they sought consent before recruiting the respondents. Results The study findings were consistent with the objective. The findings centered on six dimensions of the stakeholders attitudes including moral concerns, perceived benefits, familiarity, encouragement, risk acceptance and perceived risks. From the findings it was clear that majority of the stakeholders were not familiar with the three GM products. It was more surprising when the findings indicated that biology students were more familiar with the GM palm oil and GM soybeans than religious scholars. The findings further established that stakeholders are moderately concerned with the moral aspects of the GM products, moderately perceive the products as risky and moderately perceive the GM products as beneficial. All the same they encouraged the use of the three products, with most stakeholders supportive of GM palm oil. These findings were consistent with the other studies. For instance, in China, study by Zhang et al. (19) indicated that consumers were not familiar with GM products yet domestic consumption of GM soybeans was about 18% of the interviewees that were consuming soybeans. In addition, the findings were consistent with earlier studies by ISAAA-UIUC (14-15) which found that Asians accept GM foods but at the same acknowledge the risks they pose to health. Based on these consistencies, the study met the rigor of trustworthiness, applicability and reliability. The conclusions were drawn from the study. The investigators concluded that the Malaysian stakeholders’ attitude on GM products was cautious. Indeed, this is in tandem with the findings that the stakeholders moderately perceive the GM products as both beneficial and Jones 4 detrimental to health. In addition the implications of the study were reported in the conclusion. They noted that the biotechnologists should assess the moral aspects, risks and benefits of the GM foods and thereafter engage the public on acceptance of the products before considering commercialization of the products. However, the researcher failed to point out the limitations of the study as well as the areas that need further research. Work Cited Amin, Latifah; Jahi, Jamaluddin and Nor Abd. â€Å"Stakeholders attitude to GM foods and medicine. The Scientific World Journal. 2013. Jones 5 International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), â€Å"The social and cultural dimensions of agricultural biotechnology in Southeast Asia: public understanding, perceptions, and attitudes towards biotechnology in Phillipines†. ISAAA. Publications. Zhang, Xi; Huang, Jin; Qiu, Ha and Huang, Zheng. â€Å"A consumer segmentation study with regards to genetically modified food in urban China†. Food Policy. 35:5. 2010.

Physicochemical Profile of Synthesized Ferulate Esters

Physicochemical Profile of Synthesized Ferulate Esters PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SYNTHESIZED FERULATE ESTERS INTRODUCTION Today, there are ongoing attempts to use ferulic acid derivatives in several different areas of food (Manore et al. 2011), cosmetic (Di Domenico et al., 2009) and pharmaceutical (Shanthakumar et al., 2012; Suzuki et al., 2007) products due to their effective antioxidant properties by trapping and stabilizing radical species (Ergun et al., 2011). Transesterification with lipophilic molecules allows a better transportation of the compounds in different medium (Scapagnini et al., 2004) whereas selection of olive oil may improve the medicinal and cosmetic values (Viola Viola, 2009) of the synthesized products. Considering the promising results, this study was designed to delineate the profile for the synthesized ferulate esters. Mandloi et al. (2004) proposed that one of the most important stages to accomplish in the development of a new compound is the adequate physicochemical characterization, in order to determine the quality and help to describe the present conditions. Therefore, the physicochemical properties of synthesized ferulate esters were studied in term of sun protection factor (SPF) value, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value. MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Solvents and chemicals (ethanol, chloroform, potassium iodide, acetic acid, sodium thiosulfate, starch, potassium hydroxide, phenolphthalein, hydrochloric acid, Wij’s solution) were purchased from Merck, Germany. SPF Value The procedure has been previously described by Dutra et al. (2004). 1.0 g of sample was weighed, transferred to a 100 mL volumetric flask, diluted to volume with ethanol, followed by ultrasonication for 5 min and then filtered through cotton, rejecting the ten first mL. A 5.0 mL aliquot was transferred to 50 mL volumetric flask and diluted to volume with ethanol. Then a 5.0 mL aliquot was transferred to a 25 mL volumetric flask and the volume completed with ethanol. The absorption spectra of sample in solution were obtained by using UV/Vis spectrometer (Perkin Elmer, Lambda 750) in the range of 290 to 450 nm using 1 cm quartz cell, and ethanol as blank. The absorption data were obtained in the range of 290 to 320, every 5 nm, and 3 determinations were made at each point, followed by the application of Mansur equation: SPF spectrophotometric value =CF x ∑ EE x I x Abs (Equation 4) Where,CF = correction factor (=10) EE = erythemal effect spectrum I = solar intensity spectrum Abs = absorbance of the sample The values of EE x I are constants and showed in Appendix D. Peroxide Value About 5.0 g of sample was weighed into a 250 mL conical flask. 10 mL of chloroform was added and swirled to dissolve the sample. The mixture was then mixed with 15 mL acetic acid and 1 mL potassium iodide solution. The mixture was further leaved for 5 minutes in a dark place. Then, 30 mL of distilled water was added followed by 1 mL of starch indicator. The solution was titrated with 0. 05 N of sodium thiosulfate until the blue color disappeared. The peroxide value is given by: Peroxide value =[(S – B) x N x 1000] / W (Equation 5) Where,S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank N = normality of sodium thiosulfate solution (mmol/mL) 1000 = conversion of units (g/kg) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) Saponification Value 2.0 g of sample was weighed into a 250 mL conical flask. About 25 mL of ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution was added. The mixture was then refluxed for 60 min. 1 mL of phenolphthalein solution was added and the mixture was titrated with the 0.5 N of hydrochloric acid until the pink color of the indicator just disappeared. The saponification value is given by: Saponification value =[(B – S) x N x 56.1] / W (Equation 6) Where,B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) N = normality of hydrochloric acid (mmol/mL) 56.1 = molecular weight of potassium hydroxide (g/mol) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) Iodine Value The sample for about 2.0 g was weighed into a 500 mL stoppered flask and 10 mL of chloroform was added. After that, 25 mL of Wij’s solution was pipetted into the flask, stoppered, and swirled to well-mix the mixture. The flask was then stored in the dark place for 30 minutes at room temperature and after that, 20 mL of potassium iodide (KI) was added followed with the addition of 100 mL freshly boiled and cooled distilled water. Then, the mixture was titrated with 0.1 N sodium thiosulphate solutions (Na2S2O3) until the yellow colour almost disappeared. 1-2 mL of starch indicator was then added and the titration was continued until the blue colour just disappeared. A blank determination was carried out under the same condition. The iodine value is given by: Iodine value = [(B – S) x N x 126.9] / W (Equation 7) Where,B = volume of titrant (mL) for blank S = volume of titrant (mL) for sample (ferulate esters) N = normality of sodium thiosulphate (mmol/mL) 126.9 = molecular weight of iodine (g/mol) W = sample (ferulate esters) mass (g) RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS SPF Value Level of sun protection on the skin has traditionally been estimated using the sun protection factor (SPF). Sunscreen products with high SPF value may provide more adequate protection against the sun (Latha et al., 2013). Gregoris et al. (2011) claimed that sunscreen products are classified in conformity with their SPF values as it follows: from 2 to less than 12 are defined as minimal sun protection products, from 12 to under 30 is moderate sun protection products while sunscreens with SPF values of 30 or above are defined as high sun protection products. UV-Vis spectroscopy has been reported as a simple, rapid, and economic method in determining SPF values in many cosmetic formulations. This in vitro method is very useful as a screening test during product development before proceeding to the in vivo tests. In general, the method can be divided into two types: method that involve the measurement of absorption/transmission of UV radiation through sunscreen product films in quartz plates or biomembranes and method in which the absorption characteristics of the sunscreen agents are determined based on spectrophotometric analysis of dilute solutions (Kaur and Saraf, 2010; Dutra et al., 2004). Khazaeli and Mehrabani (2008) have successfully applied this technique through dilute solutions in determining SPF values of sixteen plants dissolved in methanol; Dracocephalum moldavica and Viola tricolor are found to have SPF values higher than 20 and suggested to be used in future topical sunscreens. Several nonvolatile and volatile herbal oils also being evaluated for their SPF values, where olive oil and coconut oil were revealed to have the best SPF values of 8 for nonvolatile herbal oil. On the other hand, peppermint oil and tulsi oil showed better SPF values of 7 than other volatile herbal oils which can be a potential candidate of perfumes during the formulation of sunscreens (Kaur and Saraf, 2010). Peroxide value There are several methods for evaluation of antioxidative action of a sample (Becker et al., 2004). The present method was used for the assessment of early oxidative changes in the ester through formation of primary oxidation products (peroxides and hydroperoxides). Peroxide value is defined as the milliequivalents (mEq) of peroxide per kilogram of sample. It is a redox titrimetric determination. High quality of products will have a peroxide value of zero. Peroxide values >20 correspond to very poor quality which normally would have significant off flavours (Nielsen, 2003). Saponification Value Since the fatty acids are attached to the glycerol backbone with ester bonds, the saponification value reflects the number of ester bonds per gram sample. It is simply defined as the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to saponify 1 g of ester. Therefore, the saponification value is an important measurement to indicate the mean molecular weight of the sample’s triacylglycerols (Wrolstad et al., 2005). Iodine Value The iodine value of an ester is used to measure the degree of unsaturation. The test measures the reaction of the double bonds with halogen, in this case iodine. Ekop et al. (2007) has reported that the higher the degree of unsaturation, the higher the iodine value. It expresses the concentration of the unsaturated fatty acids, together with the extent to which they are unsaturated, in a single number, and therefore was a simple and very useful quality number parameter. The properties of ferulate esters in term of SPF value, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value are displayed in Table 6.1. Table 6.1:Â  Properties of ferulate esters No Test Unit 1 SPF value 16.0131 2 Peroxide value 17.52 3 Saponification value 191.3 4 Iodine value 88.02 CONCLUSION Physicochemical profile of synthesized ferulate esters was well examined where medium SPF value and peroxide value were attained. This indicates the products synthesized have a good antioxidant value for further used.

CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY Damen in his Culture Learning defined Culture as the shared patterns of behavior and interactions and affective understanding learned through the process of socialization (Damen, 1987). Psychology is simply a field of study that concerns itself with behavior. Cross cultural psychology is therefore the scientific study of human behavior and mental behavior and process, including both variability and invariance, under diverse cultural conditions, (Ho, Wu, 2001). It is a branch of psychology that studies the relationship between culture and human behavior (Matsumoto, 2000). This type of psychology delves in investigative studies to recognize cultural variation in behavior and such other variables as language and meanings. According to Walter J Loner while writing in the Journal: Eye on Psi Chi Cross, Cultural psychology is not an independent field within the entire sphere of psychology that revolves around in-depth examination of emotions, language acquisition, personality, social behavior, family and social relationship Eye on Psi SChi 4(3). 22-26.Cross cultural psychology not only encompasses studies in both the similarities and the differences in psychological functioning in various cultural and ethnic set ups but also the relationships between such key variables as psychological, socio-cultural, ecological and biological. It considers culture as necessary for functioning, development and behavior in a cultural context. Diverse forms of comparative research are the major actions/exercises in understanding cross cultural psychology focused at making any distinctions in cultural factors directly related to development and behavior. According to Berry et al 1997, these researches seek evidence of how culture can be taken as a set of variables, contextual or independent that affects various aspects of individual behavior. Cross cultural psychology need not to be confused with cultural. Though related to some extent, some distinctions separate the two. The relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology like any other comparative studies, the relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology entail differences and similarities. These comparisons are discussed below. Differences While cross cultural psychology studies strive to determine any possible shared behavior and mental processes in cultures, cultural psychology is a field within psychology that hold the view that human behavior is dependent on individuals unique culture. Differences in interpretation of culture account for the differences between cross-cultural psychology and cultural psychology. They differ in two ways, although they sometimes overlap and are taken as synonymous by some psychologists (Lonner, 2000). Cultural psychology focuses on various ethnic groups such as African-Americans. Cross-cultural psychology, in contrast, emphasizes differences between two or more cultures. Besides, cultural or ethnic psychology rooted in the United States has a briefer history than cross cultural psychology does. Similarities Despite the afore-mentioned evident differences in cultural psychology and cross culture, the two cannot be divorced from each other since they both share certain commonalities. Both studies are rooted from cultural studies of psychology which as discussed earlier, entail behavioral and mental analysis in context of varied cultural environment. While cultural psychology seeks to explore certain behavioral characteristics within a specific culture, cross cultural psychology compare these characteristic from one culture to another. These both studies focus on similar elements of culture. Also both studies employ similar techniques: quantitative and qualitative. For this reason most often the research approaches are almost similar. The role of critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology According to Shiraew Levy, critical thinking in cross cultural psychology is the most vital and indispensable component of learning. To describe a phenomena in a cultural contexts, social phenomena such as a peoples language reflects their personal values, biases, likes, prejudices etc. This results in their language coded in such a way that the language will reveals much about the cultures events, individuals or whatever group they are trying to describe (Shiraew Levy 2010). Through intuition, people automatically compare their own mental representation to identify or judge a given phenomena, i.e. they set their cultural values and believe systems as the standards to judge a given phenomena. This biased perspective results in lack of objectivity in assessing behavior and specific phenomena in other cultures. Psychologists claim that all cultures suffer from this problem. This explains intercultural conflicts in the society. Critical thinking in cross cultural psychology is not only a subject of study in examining cultures, but also a tool in analyzing and evaluating the way people think critically and behave in a given culture. The methodology associated with cross-cultural research Being a behavioral study, cross cultural psychology lacks a clear and scientific research technique which poses the study with a serious problem (Escotet, March 25-27 1973). While scientific approaches depict modern trends, the evaluation of cultures has become complicated and highly subjective. Matsumoto Vijver, (2010) argue that regardless of the method of measurement and approach, one of the basic issues researchers may become aware of is the relationship among cultural distance and the probability of generating differences Depending on the nature of the study, contextual factors such as education, age or socio-economic status of the participants affects the validity research approach and findings. Including such factors in a study will not only enhance the validity, but also help in eliminating any biases. Matsumoto Vijver (2010). Shiraev Levy advises purport there are two major divisions of research in these fields: qualitative and quantitative. While qualitative approaches uses median, mode, variance and standard deviation etc to describe human behavior, qualitative technique uses unobservable human behavior such as dreams. Shiraew Levy (2010). Conclusion In conclusion, to understand the heart of human behavior and cognitions across cultures, cross cultural psychology is perfect tool of evaluation. Differentiating cross cultural psychology from cultural is the stepping stone to evaluating cultures. While cultural psychology seeks to find out how culture causes variation in psychology, cross cultural seeks to justify or explain objective description and subjective evaluations of cultures.

What do you understand by the own-price elasticity of demand for a good

What do you understand by the own-price elasticity of demand for a good? 1. (a) What do you understand by the own-price elasticity of demand for a good? (b) Will a linear (straight line) demand curve have a constant own-price elasticity of demand? Explain your answer. (c) Following the terrorists attacks in the USA on 11 September, there was a marked fall in business travel. In respomse, many hotels cut their prices to business travellers; for example the Hyatt Hotel group offered discounts of up to 50 per cent off regular room rates. Under what circumstances would this lead to increased revenue for these hotels? Before we define the meaning of the own-price elasticity for a good we must understand elasticity and its concept in general. Elasticity is basically a comparison between the sizes of change in the quantity demanded, in the case of the own-price elasticity, of a certain good and in the variable that caused this change. According to Mankiwelasticity is a measure of the responsiveness of quantity demanded or quantity supplied to one of its determinants. The law of demand implies that an increase in a price of a good will subsequently lead to a fall in the quantity demanded for that good. The formulae which calculates this amount is the division of the percentage of change in quantity demanded by the percentage of change in price. The sign of price elasticity of demand, and elasticity as well, is always going to be negative due to the fact that quantity and price demanded are usually in opposite directions. Elasticity is going to be negative as well since neither the percentage change in price nor the the percentage change in quantity ar... ...sequent repurcusion this had in economy as a whole brought a downfall in business travelling. The hotels in order to manage this crisis effectively reduced their prices and offered discounts in order to increase the quantity of customers visiting them. If we consider the law of demand in this case, hotel reservations should increase in this period as well as the total revenue of the business but this would happen when the price elasticity of demand is elastic. This happens when the percentage change in quantity is larger than the percentage change in price. Concluding, we would easily say that it is assume that the hotels would increase their total revenue with discounts and better prices but this is not always the case. There are other factors influencing customer behaviour after these terrorist attacks that would not be easily predicted or affluenced.

Major Themes in Faulkners Light in August :: Light August Essays

Major Themes in Faulkner's Light in August  Ã‚      Faulkner's Light in August is a metaphor. In fact it is many metaphors, almost infinitely many. It is a jumble of allusions, themes, portraits, all of them uniquely important, many of them totally unrelated. In fact no 20th century writer has even approached the sheer quantity of symbolism Faulkner packed into every page, with, perhaps, the exception of James Joyce who went so far as to surpass Faulkner in this regard. So obviously it would be foolish to attempt to trace every line, follow every branch to its root, one could spend a lifetime dissecting the book in this manner. Fortunately, in the midst of this menagerie of wonders, there are dominate themes. There are veins of meaning that permeate throughout. Chief among them; Faulkner's study of 20th century man's search for identity, and his compassionate portrait of the origins of evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have come from Alabama a fur piece (Faulkner, p.3). The reader begins the book in this manner, following the simple-minded and determined Lena as she travels, neither coming nor going, simply moving. Immediately the book draws into her past, relating events leading up to this point, explaining her motives. One gets a definite feel for her character, and settles into her narrative, but as soon as this happens, the book switches gears, turning instead to a vague character, Joe Christmas. With little introduction, or warning, the book reels into Joe's past, catching the reader totally unaware and throwing off the entire continuity of the book. Faulkner's desire for unity and coherence in the pattern is not as strong as is his desire for truth to individual response (Reed, p.123). Thus Lena is a frame, she serves only to accentuate Christmas's story, by contrast. Faulkner demands the reader follow, and realize this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So we now see Christmas's childhood. From the beginning, Christmas is two things. One, he is a totally clean slate in that he has no idea whatsoever of his past, his origins. He is neither predestined to good nor evil, simply born. By this same token, Christmas is left confused. Because he has no idea of his origins, he has no idea of self, even to the extent of not being sure of his

Politics in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Politics in Heart Of Darkness Anyone can read Heart Of Darkness and easily sense the attitude of Conrad toward English politics. Many times throughout Heart Of Darkness Conrad points out the pointlessness and savagery of English colonization. Conrad also comments a bit on society as a whole. With these two ideas added to the book, there is no wonder of why Heart of Darkness is such a touching novel. Through several examples, Conrad often shows the pointlessness and savagery of the English colonization in Africa. Probably the first instance of this is when Marlow comes up to the French-man who is "shelling the bush". In this scene, the French see something move and so they start shelling it for that reason. The shelling really does no good; if fact, it probably does not even kill what is out there. This represents what the English are doing in a way -- they are trying to conquer a land by shelling it to death and by trying to kill all the people who live there. The next example that Conrad gives is when he sees the black guard, who is leading the black slaves in a chain gang, straighten up when he sees a white man. What this shows is how everyone tries to look better than they are when they are in front of a supposed superior person. Also it shows that if a person can suck up enough -- and sometimes betray their own people -- they can move up in the world. Probably the biggest example of the pointless of colonization is when Marlow is walking around and he sees big holes just around, a train and tools rusting to pieces, and when he hears blasts that seem to do nothing. What this shows is that the English presence in Africa does no good but create a empty hole in it (the big hole), that the English are just was wasting their time and money on a needless project (the rusting objects), and that the English seem to do nothing in Africa (the pointless blasting). One the final examples that he gives is the manager. This manager is all dressed up in "proper" clothes, must have everything in a perfect order, and complains about the sick man in the corner of the room. This symbolizes how uncaring the English are in their pursuit for ivory.