Critical Path Analysis: Its Use and Limitations Essay

Introduction As firms begin to realize the need to improve on their project management capabilities, many companies and software developers have charged to fill this need by offering tools and techniques for a variety of projects. Some are tools for portfolio management, and some focus on particular disciplines within the project management field. Tools for resource planning, task and time management, communications management, resource allocation, or other project needs abound. Being a mature academic and practical course, Project Management has developed many tools and methodologies to assist in the planning, execution, evaluation and closeout of various types of projects. Varied tools can be used throughout many categories of project needs, while some tools are specific to certain types of projects. Some of the benefits of using project management tools and techniques as opposed to general management procedures, as mentioned in this week’s lecture, are that they have been proven to work particularly in a project environment and the uniformity of terms and approaches allows for better understanding and communication between members of the project team and the stakeholders. Tools such as Decision Trees, Cost-Benefit Analysis and programs such as Agile and Prince2 have proven to be particularly useful in producing best practice and expert results for projects that have employed them. CPA Utility and Limitations Critical Path Method (CPM) or Critical Path Analysis (CPA), as a project management tool, operates as the basis for a project work schedule, and likewise of resource planning illustrating shortest possible time to complete a project. The tool outlines critical events noting their sequencing, precedence relations, and strict timing requirements (Shtub, Bard and Globerson, 2005:395). The authors further note that PERT and CPA approaches treat ‘Finish to Start’ precedence relations using ‘zero’ as lag time between finish of last activity to start of next task along the critical path. The CPA map shows what activities cannot begin without accomplishing the preceding task, it is dependent on and also defines parallel tasks or ‘non-dependent’ tasks which can be performed simultaneously. By plotting activities using circles to represent activities noting earliest start (EST) and end times (LFT), and arrows showing sequencing of tasks, CPA clearly defines the flow of tasks, timings and therefore resources that must be allocated to accomplish activities and timelines. CPA has similarities to a GANTT chart as both tools show tasks that need to be done and the corresponding time to accomplish each. However, unlike a GANTT chart, CPA activity timings are not drawn to scale in that arrows represented with the same length may correspond to differing measures of time (e. g. same size arrows may represent 1, 2 or 4 weeks). A GANTT chart will have the tasks on a vertical axis while the time required for each task is easily identified along its horizontal axis. For both GANTT and CPA, the plan’s ‘critical path’ is the longest and has no spare time or ‘slack’/’float’ in any of the tasks. If any delays between dependent tasks in the critical path are encountered, the whole project will be delayed unless the manager makes changes to bring the plan back on track. Bringing a project back on track may be done by possibly adding resources to cut delivery time of tasks (‘crashing’) affected by the delay. Obviously, adding or re-allocating resources usually mean additional costs to the project. A sample for a 10-week computer project using a CPA map is as below. Upper left numbers within nodes represent the EST and lower left numbers on nodes represent LFT. Number on the right is the activity number and task description and duration is along the arrow lines: Source: www. mindtools. com In managing a project, a CPA map allows the project team to monitor attainment of goals and assists the project manager to see where corrective action is required to get the project back on course. Shtub, Bard and Globerson (2005:381) reiterate preparation and use of the tool requires a complete understanding of the project’s goals and structures. As most projects will have a number of stakeholders with different requirements, it must be assumed that a thorough knowledge and understanding of all these requirements are known and considered by the project manager in order to utilize a CPA approach. Moreover, considerable expertise is required in order to estimate the duration of each project task as performance and resource allocation are dependent on the accuracy of the ame. While CPA is recognized as an important part of project management, projects which may not benefit from use of this tool are those where there is a requirement for high flexibility in project tasks and schedules. ‘Project Flexibility’ is described by Maylor, (2010:86) as the capability of a project to adjust to changes. As CPA assumes that activity times are ‘deterministic’ – having a predictable outcome as all of its causes are clear and rigid, it is unlikely that the CPA tool can easily take in many adjustments during the execution stage without jeopardizing the project. Since only parallel tasks are afforded time slack within the plan, a project may experience detrimental delays and spiralling costs should situations arise where the schedules are not met, or resources cannot be re-allocated to a later or earlier timeline. In particular, R&D projects, where results of new technology or a new drug cannot be easily predicted, or may need further testing and numerous changes, may suffer from a very rigid CPA map. Moreover, project work on innovations will not have the benefit of historical basis for correctly estimating time requirements of many tasks involved which is ssential in using the CPA. The United States Food and Drug Administration (2004) comments, â€Å"A new product development toolkit — containing powerful new scientific and technical methods such as animal or computer-based predictive models, biomarkers for safety and effectiveness, and new clinical evaluation techniques — is urgently needed to improve predictability and efficiency along the critical path from laboratory concept to commercial product†. This lack of knowledge and systems in drug research and development negatively affects the proper implementation of a CPA as a project management tool. Conversely, Construction industry projects benefit widely from the use of CPA maps as there is a considerable body of knowledge, experience, and repetition in many of the tasks performed in such projects. Another weakness in the utilisation of the CPA tool highlighted by Woolf (2008) is the observation that there is as yet no â€Å"universally accepted definition of the term ‘critical path’†. He argues that this lack of consensus poses a problem in determining what is critical, nearcritical, or non-critical in nature when preparing a CPA map. Since parallel tasks falling outside of the critical path can still have grave effects on the total project should they fall behind in schedule, Woolf argues there is nothing ‘non-critical’ about a parallel activity which has -17weeks as float. It is suggested ‘criticality’ must be measurable and objective, free from comparisons which will make it subjective. Moreover, as a completed project is one unit, it is contended all tasks within the project are important/critical and contributes to its completion. This agreement in understanding and measure of terms is an important issue as one of the advantages of utilising tools and methods is its universality of understanding. In the case of R&D and highly innovative tasks in projects, this question poses an issue as unknown tasks at the start of the project which may arise and have significant implications on the project would not have been accounted for in the ‘critical path’. Shtub, Bard and Globerson (2005:382) cite overdependence on the CPA as a potential threat to project success. When pressure in sequential schedules is the primary focus, a team may cut short or totally exclude certain tasks in order to stay within timelines. This negative manner of management can be harmful to the project’s final outcome. This last observation though is not a weakness of the tool itself but is a case of weak project management. Conclusion and Recommendation: As with any tool, the user’s skill is key to its effective employment and management. CPA has been proven to be a valuable tool in project management for determining: Activities which must be performed, sequencing, prioritising, and timing Tasks which can be performed parallel to save time. The shortest time a project can be successfully delivered What and when resource will be required Remedial measures will be required and when during the performance of the project. As such, it is an integral part of the project management toolbox which can be harnessed efficiently in a variety of complex projects with proper inputs derived from experience, research, modelling and sound judgement.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 THE LOCAL GIRLS HAVE A WAY ABOUT THEM The Warrior Babe of the Outland steered her Honda station wagon down Cypress Street, stopping every ten feet or so for tourists who were stepping into the street from between parked cars, completely oblivious of any automobile traffic. My kingdom for a razor-blade cowcatcher and Cuisinart wheel covers to cut my path through this herd of ignorant peasant meat, she thought. Then: Whoa, I guess I really do need the meds. So she said, â€Å"They act like Cypress Street is the midway at Disneyland – like no one actually has to use the street to drive on. You guys wouldn't do that, would you?† She glanced over her shoulder at the two damp teenage boys who were huddled in the corner of the backseat of the car. They shook their heads furiously. One said, â€Å"No, Miss Michon, no we'd never. No.† Her real name was Molly Michon, but years ago, as a B-movie queen, she'd done eight movies as Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland. She had a wild mane of blond hair shot with gray and the body of a fitness model. She could pass for thirty or fifty, depending on the time of day, what she was wearing, and how deeply medicated she was. Fans agreed that she was probably somewhere in her early to midforties. Fans. The two teenage boys in the backseat of the car were fans. They'd made the mistake of taking part of their Christmas break to go to Pine Cove in search of the famed cult-film star, Molly Michon, and get her autograph on their copies of Warrior Babe VI: Revenge of the Savage Skank, just released on DVD, with never-before-seen outtakes of Molly's boobs popping out of her gun-metal bra. Molly had seen them skulking around the outside of the cabin she shared with her husband, Theo Crowe. She'd snuck out the back door and ambushed them on the side of the house with a garden hose – sprayed them down good, chased them through the pine forest till the hose reeled out of its cart, then she tackled the taller one and threatened to snap his neck if the other one didn't stop in his tracks. Realizing at that point that she might have made a public relations error, Molly invited her fans to come along to help pick out a Christmas tree for the Santa Rosa Chapel Christmas Party for the Lonesome. (She had been making more than a few minor misjudgments lately, as she'd stopped taking her meds a week ago in order to save money for Theo's Christmas present.) â€Å"So, where are you guys from?† she said cheerfully. â€Å"Please don't hurt us,† said Bert, the taller, thinner of the two kids (She had been thinking of them as Bert and Ernie – not because they really looked like the puppets, but because they had the same relative shapes – except for the big hand up their bottoms, of course.) â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you. It's great to have you along. The guys at the Christmas-tree lot are a little wary of me since I fed one of their coworkers to a sea monster a few years ago, so you guys can sort of act as a social buffer.† Damn, she shouldn't have mentioned the sea monster. She'd had so many years of obscurity between the time she'd been pushed out of the movie business until the revival to cult status of her movies that she'd lost most of her people skills. And then there was that fifteen-year disconnect with reality when she'd been known as Pine Cove's crazy lady – but since she'd hooked up with Theo, and had stayed on her anti-psychotics, things had been a lot better. She turned into the parking lot of Pine Cove Hardware and Gift, where a half acre of tarmac was corralled off for the Christmas-tree lot. Upon spotting her car, three middle-aged guys in canvas aprons quickstepped their way into the store, threw the bolt, and turned the  «Open » sign to CLOSED. She'd thought this might happen, but she wanted to surprise Theo, prove that she could handle getting the big Christmas tree for the chapel party. Now these narrow-minded minions of Black & Decker were foiling her plans for a perfect Christmas. She took a deep breath and tried to exhale herself into a calm moment as her yoga teacher had instructed. Well, she did live in the middle of a pine forest, didn't she? Maybe she should just go cut a Christmas tree herself. â€Å"Let's just go back to the cabin, guys I have an ax there that will work.† â€Å"Noooooooo!† screamed Ernie as he reached across his damp friend, threw the latch on the Honda's door, and rolled them both out of the moving car into a pallet of plastic reindeer. â€Å"Okay, then,† Molly said, â€Å"you guys take care. I'll just see if I can cut a tree out of the front yard.† She swung around in the parking lot and headed back home. Slick with sweat, Lena Marquez slid out of her Santa suit like a baby lizard emerging from a fuzzy red egg. The temperature had risen into the high seventies before she'd finished her shift at the Thrifty-Mart, and she was sure she'd probably lost five pounds in water in the heavy suit. Wearing only her bra and panties, she padded into the bathroom and jumped on the scale to enjoy the surprise bonus weight loss. The disk spun and settled on her usual preshower weight. Perfect for her height, light for her age, but dammit, she'd fought with her ex, been pounded with ice, rang out good cheer for the less fortunate, and endured the jolly heat of the Santa suit for eight hours, she deserved something for her efforts. She took off her bra and panties and hopped back on the scale. No discernible difference. Dammit! She sat, peed, wiped, and jumped back on the scale. Maybe a third of a pound below normal. Ah! she thought, brushing her beard aside so she could read the scale more clearly, this could be the problem. She pulled off the white beard and Santa hat, flung them into the nearby bedroom, shook out her long black hair, and waited for the scale to settle. Oh yeah. Four pounds. She did a quick Tae Bo kick of celebration and stepped into the shower. She winced as she soaped up, hitting a sore spot there by her solar plexus. There were a couple of purple bruises developing on her ribs where the ice bag had hit her. She'd had more pain after doing too many crunches at the gym, but this pain seemed to shoot on through to her heart. Maybe it was the thought of spending Christmas alone. This would be her first since the divorce. Her sister, whom she'd spent the last few Christmases with, was going with her husband and the kids to Europe. Dale, total prick that he was, had involved her in all sorts of holiday activities from which she was now excluded. The rest of her family was back in Chicago, and she hadn't had any luck with men since Dale – too much residual anger and mistrust. (He hadn't just been a prick, he had cheated on her.) Her girlfriends, all of them married or paired up with semipermanent boyfriends, told her that she needed to be single for a while, spend some time getting to know herself. That, of course, was total bullshit. She knew herself, liked herself, washed herself, dressed herself, bought herself presents, took herself out on dates, and even had sex with herself from time to time, which always ended better than it used to with Dale. â€Å"Oh, that get-to-know-yourself stuff will send you full-blown batshit,† said her friend Molly Michon. â€Å"And believe me, I am the uncrowned queen of batshit. Last time I really got to know myself it turned out there was a whole gang of bitches in there to deal with. I felt like the receptionist at a rehab center. They all had nice tits, though, I gotta say. Anyway, forget that. Go out and do stuff for someone else. That's much better for you. ‘Get to know yourself' – what good is that? What if you get to know yourself and find out you're a total harpy? Sure, I like you, but you can't trust my judgment. Go do something for other people.† It was true. Molly could be – uh, eccentric, but she did make sense occasionally. So Lena had volunteered to man the Salvation Army kettle, she'd collected canned food and frozen turkeys for the Pine Cove Anonymous Neighbors food drive, and tomorrow night, as soon as it got dark, she was going to go out and collect live Christmas trees and drop them off at the homes of people who probably wouldn't be able to afford them. That should take her mind off herself. And if it didn't work, she'd spend Christmas Eve at the Santa Rosa Chapel Party for the Lonesome. Oh God, there it was. It was Christmastime, and she was in the Christmas spirit – she was feeling lonesome. To Mavis Sand, the owner of the Head of the Slug saloon, the word lonesome rang like the bell on a cash register. Come Christmas break, Pine Cove filled up with tourists seeking small-town charm, and the Head of the Slug filled up with lonesome, disenfranchised winners seeking solace Mavis was glad to serve it up in the form of her signature (and overpriced) Christmas cocktail, the Slow Comfortable Screw in the Back of Santa's Sleigh, which consisted of – â€Å"Well, fuck off if you need to know what's in it,† Mavis would say. â€Å"I'm a professional bartender since your daddy flushed the condom that held your only hope of havin' a brain, so get in the spirit and order the goddamn drink.† Mavis was always in the Christmas spirit, right down to the Christmas-tree earrings that she wore year-round to give her that â€Å"new-car smell.† A sheaf of mistletoe the size of a moose head hung over the order station at her bar, and throughout the season, any unsuspecting drunk who leaned too far over the bar to shout his order into one of Mavis's hearing aids would find that beyond the fluttering black nylon whips of her mascara-plastered pseudo lashes, behind the mole with the hair and the palette knife-applied cakes of Red Seduction lipstick, past the Tareyton 100s breath and the clacking dentures, Mavis still had some respectable tongue action left in her. One guy, breathless and staggering toward the door, claimed that she had tongued his medulla oblongata and stimulated visions of being choked in Death's dark closet – which Mavis took as a compliment. About the same time that Dale and Lena were having their go-round down at the Thrifty-Mart, Mavis, perched on her stool behind the bar, looked up from a crossword puzzle to see the most beautiful man she'd ever lain eyes on coming through Slug's double doors. What had once been a desert bloomed down under; where for years lay a dusty streambed, a mighty river did now flow. Her heart skipped a beat and the defibrillator implanted in her chest gave her a little jolt that sent her sluicing electric off her bar stool to his service. If he ordered a wallbanger she'd come so hard her tennis shoes would rip out from the toe curl, she knew it, she felt it, she wanted it. Mavis was a romantic. â€Å"Can I help you?† she asked, batting her eyelashes, which gave the appearance of spastic wolf spiders convulsing behind her glasses. A half-dozen daytime regulars who had been sitting at the bar turned on their stools to behold the source of that oily courtesy – there was no way that voice had come out of Mavis, who normally spoke to them in tones of disdain and nicotine. â€Å"I'm looking for a child,† said the stranger. He had long blond hair that fanned out over the rain flap of a black trench coat. His eyes were violet, his facial features both rugged and delicate, finely cut and yet with no lines of age or experience. Mavis tweaked the little knob on her right hearing aid and tilted her head like a dog who has just bitten into a plastic pork chop. Oh, how the pillars of lust can crumble under the weight of stupidity. â€Å"You're looking for a child?† asked Mavis. â€Å"Yes,† said the stranger. â€Å"In a bar? On a Monday afternoon? You're looking for a child?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"A particular child, or will just any child do?† â€Å"I'll know it when I see it,† said the stranger. â€Å"You sick fuck,† said one of the daytime regulars, and Mavis, for once, nodded in agreement, her neck vertebrae clicking like a socket wrench. â€Å"Get the hell out of my bar,† she said. A long, lacquered fingernail pointed the way back out the door. â€Å"Go on, get out. What do you think this is, Bangkok?† The stranger looked at her finger. â€Å"The Nativity is approaching, am I correct?† â€Å"Yeah, Christmas is Saturday.† Mavis growled. â€Å"The hell does that have anything to do with anything?† â€Å"Then I'll need a child before Saturday,† said the stranger. Mavis reached under the bar and pulled out her miniature baseball bat. Just because he was pretty didn't mean he couldn't be improved by a smack upside the head with a piece of earnest hickory. Men: a wink, a thrill, a damp squish, and before you knew it it was time to start raising lumps and loosening teeth. Mavis was a pragmatic romantic: love – correctly performed, she believed – hurts. â€Å"Smack ‘im, Mavis,† cheered one of the daytime regulars. â€Å"What kind of perv wears an overcoat in seventy-five-degree weather?† said another. â€Å"I say brain him.† Bets were beginning to be exchanged back by the pool table. Mavis tugged at an errant chin hair and peered over her glasses at the stranger. â€Å"Think you might want to move your little search on down the road some?† â€Å"What day is it?† asked the stranger. â€Å"Monday.† â€Å"Then I'll have a diet Coke.† â€Å"What about the kid?† asked Mavis, punctuating the question by smacking the baseball bat against her palm (which hurt like hell, but she wasn't going to flinch, not a chance). â€Å"I have until Saturday,† said the beautiful perv. â€Å"For now, just a diet Coke – and a Snickers bar. Please.† â€Å"That's it,† Mavis said. â€Å"You're a dead man.† â€Å"But, I said please,† said Blondie, missing the point, somewhat. She didn't even bother to throw open the lift-away through the bar but ducked under it and charged. At that moment a bell rang, and a beam of light blasted into the bar, indicating that someone had come in from outside. When Mavis stood back up, leaning heavily on her back foot as she wound up to knock the stranger's nads well into the next county, he was gone. â€Å"Problem, Mavis?† asked Theophilus Crowe. The constable was standing right where the stranger had been. â€Å"Damn, where'd he go?† Mavis looked around behind Theo, then back at the daytime regulars. â€Å"Where'd he go?† â€Å"Got me,† they said, a chorus of shrugs. â€Å"Who?† asked Theo. â€Å"Blond guy in a black trench coat,† said Mavis. â€Å"You had to pass him on the way in.† â€Å"Trench coat? It's seventy-five degrees out,† said Theo. â€Å"I'd have noticed someone in a trench coat.† â€Å"He was a perv!† someone shouted from the back. Theo looked down at Mavis. â€Å"This guy flash you?† Their height difference was nearly two feet and Mavis had to back up a step to look him in the eye. â€Å"Hell no. I like a man who believes in truth in advertising. This guy was looking for a child.† â€Å"He told you that? He came in here and said he was looking for a kid?† â€Å"That's it. I was just getting ready to teach him some –  » â€Å"You're sure he hadn't lost his kid? That happens, Christmas shopping, they wander away – ; â€Å"No, he wasn't looking for a particular kid, he was just looking for a kid.† â€Å"Well, maybe he wanted to be a Big Brother or Secret Santa or something,† said Theo, expressing a faith in the goodness of man for which he had little to no evidence, â€Å"do something nice for Christmas.† â€Å"Goddammit, Theo, you dumbfuck, you don't have to pry a priest off an altar boy with a crowbar to figure out that he's not helping the kid with his Rosary. The guy was a perv.† â€Å"Well, I should probably go look for him.† â€Å"Well, you probably oughta should.† Theo started to turn to go out the door, then turned back. â€Å"I'm not a dumbfuck, Mavis. There's no need for that kind of talk.† â€Å"Sorry, Theo,† said Mavis, lowering her baseball bat to show the sincerity of her contrition. â€Å"Why was it you came in, then?† â€Å"Can't remember.† Theo raised his eyebrows, daring her. Mavis grinned at him. Theo was a good guy – a little flaky but a good guy. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Nah, I just wanted to check with you on the food for the Christmas party. You were going to barbecue, right?† â€Å"I was planning on it.† â€Å"Well, I just heard on the radio that there's a pretty good chance of rain, so you might want to have a backup plan.† â€Å"More liquor?† â€Å"I was thinking something that wouldn't involve cooking outdoors.† â€Å"Like more liquor?† Theo shook his head and started toward the door. â€Å"Call me or Molly if you need any help.† â€Å"It won't rain,† said Mavis. â€Å"It never rains in December.† But Theo was gone, out on the street looking for the trench-coated stranger. â€Å"It could rain,† said one of the daytime regulars. â€Å"Scientists say we could see El Nià ±o this year.† â€Å"Yeah, like they ever tell us until after half the state has washed away,† said Mavis. â€Å"Screw the scientists.† But El Ni;o was coming. El Ni;o. The Child.

Reflective Journal Essay

Before the main discussion of the reflective journal, the author would firstly like to identify that how the â€Å"organisational wellness† subject affected her. In the beginning, the author chose this subject due to the reqirement that she must choose six units of third-year level to complete her degreee. And she didn’t have any knowledge about this subject before she decided to choose it. When she attended the first lecture of â€Å"organisational wellness† , she only has abstract and vague concept of the unit learning objectives. After the ten weeks’ learning, she has clearer and better understanding of herself and she has known some important concepts which should be considered when addressing the wellbeing problem in the workplace. On the whole, the author will review the material that learned in this subject many times in the future. And the material that she learned in this subject may assist her to solve the relevant problems in her future working life. To achieve this goal, this reflective journal will concentrate on six topics that were covered in this unit. The author will present her understanding of these topics and how these topics can assist to address the wellbeing problems in the workplace. Moreover, the author will illustrate the reasons why these topics are memorable and helpful in the future. Farrell and Geist-Martin’s Wellness Model: The first topic which included in the reflective journal is quite positive to me. It helps me to know the fundamental framework of â€Å"Wellness Model†. And I had a clearer conception of â€Å"Organisational Wellness† after I attended week two’s lecture and read the relevant material about this topic. This is the first topic that covered in the reflective journal. And it is one of the important topic in this subject. It introduced the framework of wellness model and it montioned some concepts that would be covered in other topics. Farrell and Geist-Martin(2005) developed a model of working well. It includes two parts of identities which are organisational health ideologies and individual health ideologies. The figure below shows that Farrell and Geist-Maritin’s (2005) working well model. Figure 1: Model of Working Well The organisational health ideologies include the following four elements: 1) mission, vision, values, and goal statements that incorporate and communicate a working-well philosophy; (2) mechanisms that allow employees to provide feedback about the wellness program; (3) upper management to support the working-well philosophy; (4) a continuous system that allows employees to evaluate the financial, social, environmental, organisational and personal health of the wellness program. And the individual health identities involve four elements as well. It consists of psychological health, physical health, social health and spiritual health. The aim of the â€Å"Working Well Model† is to develop an efficient and accurate wellness program. And the organisations want to improve employees’ production and work efficiency through the â€Å"Working Well Model†. Moreover, as the figure above shows that organisational health ideologies should express their message and idea of wellness to the employees. And then, the employees would give some feedback to the organisations. For instance, employees’ view of wellness and health. The organisations can improve the wellness program according to the feedback of employees. Farrell and Geist-Martin(2005) claimed that the organisation need to know individual’s view of health and wellness and how they response to organisational health ideologies. If the organisation fail to negotiate with employees, the wellness model would not be successful. Therefore, it is important for the organisation to communicate with employees, otherwise they would not develop an efficient and accurate wellness program. However, the organisation’s view of health ideologies may different from the individual’s. For example, the health ideologies of Telstra focus on the economic and productivity goal. There were some news reported that some employees of Telstra can not afford the work stress and chose to end their lives in 2007. Cubby (2007) wrote that employees’ suicide were related to the extreme work stress in Telstra. According to the news, Greg Winn, Telstra’s chief operations officer said that â€Å"WE RUN an absolute dictatorship and that’s what’s going to drive this transformation and deliver results. † (Cubby, 2007) Furthermore, Greg Winn claim that the employees in Telstra must try any measures to persuade customers to accept the service that they offered. And Telstra were tracking employees’ productivity. If the employees don’t operate and satisfy the superior’s reqirement, they would be fired from Telstra. As such a workplace environment with extreme pressure to meet Telstra’s goal and get profit, some employees committed suicide. Hence, the organisation should not only focus on the economic goal, but also should know emloyees’ view of health identities. If they just focus on the economic goal and ignore employee’s health, the productivity of employees would lower than normal level or even worse. Also they may lead to negative effects on employees. In a word, the â€Å"Model of Working Welll† is important to the organisations and individuals. After I learned this topic, I realized that we should consider both perspectives of health ideologies. If the organisation or individual just consider their own benefit but ignore another party’s perspective, the wellness program would not efficient. Moreover, I consider I will apply these concepts to evaluate my health level in the future. If the organisation force me to fulfil an impossible target, I will speak up and do anything I can to protect my walfare and rights. In addition, when I work in a company, I need to consider the organisation’s perspective and my own perspective of health ideologies. It is important to think these two perspective of health ideologies instead of considering personal’s perspective only. Once the organisational’s perspective and personal perspective of health ideologies are quite different from each other, the two parties should communicate with each other to work out the problems. Thus, the â€Å"Model of Working Well† help me to develop an overview of â€Å"Organisational Wellness† and introduce some concepts which are useful to organisations to create a wellness program. And I knew the importance of thinking health ideologies by different angles. Physical Health Identities: This topic has been included in the reflective journal for reasons that helped me identify the symptoms of stress and gave me some idea to release my stress. Another reason for covering this topic in the reflective journal due to the great impact on my stress management and stress awareness. Also, it is the second topic which covered in the reflective journal. This topic is one of the most important and useful topic for me to cover. And the aterial of this topic is quite interesting. Furthermore, this topic can help me to aware the stress symptoms and stress level in the future. And it will allow me to manage my stress in a better method on the basis of stress symptoms and stress level. Before I knew that we should track our stressors for five weeks as an assessment of â€Å"Organisational Wellness†, I haven’t realized that this semester’s stressors have some impact on my study life. I took three compulsory units and one elective unit in this semester. And two of them are quite difficult. Though I knew in advance that this semester would be tough enough for me, I still think so positive and optimistic of these stressors. And I believe that I have got the ability to handle these challenges. Unfortunately, I overstated my ability to deal with the stressors. The stressors came too fast and I haven’t got enough time to deal with these challenges. Moreover, the stressors began to affect on my daily life and my physical health. When I started to record and track my stressors and the symptoms that raised by stress, I realized that the stressors have some impact on my physical health. During these five weeks, the major stressors included the class test, writing the assignment, overcommitted and difficulties with parents. Other stressors involves changing in sleeping habit, sense of overload in school, performing in front of a class, and lack of sleep. Moreover, there were a series of stress events which contained the relationship with friends became worse, family affairs, and the noncooperation among the group member when we planned to do the presentation. The class test and writing the assignment led to highly stressful in week 4. Because the class test was counted as part of my final result. And it was the first time that I took that kind of short answer test. The assignment was another major stressor in week 4 due to the degree of difficulty. I was so worry about that I couldn’t finish the assignment on time. In addition, other stressors led to moderately stress among these weeks. After few weeks, too many challenges were presented to me at the same time. And it beyond my capability to fulfil and operate these challenges. I began to feel the stress and the stress level became more and more higher. Thereafter, the symptoms of stress has appeared. They included powerlesness, depression, irritable, headaches, backaches, insomnia, anxiety, physical weakness and have sleeping difficulties. When I was tracking the stressors, I reviewed some materials which include lecture notes and reading on physical health identities. After I reviewed the materials of physical health identities, I found out that there was a similar pattern has appeared between the stressors and my physical health symptoms. In week 3’s reading from Halpern(2005), he mentioned that there was a relationship between physiology and job-related stress. And he also pointed out that the conflict between two aspects of one’s job would lead to job stress. For example, employees need to complete a hugh amount of work within a limited time and maintain the accuracy, or while other roles and responsibilities have conflict with job demands (Halpern, 2005). For me, the conflict between two aspects of one’s job may refer to my study life and my family affairs. Moreover, I believe that there were some conflict between my individual roles and responsibilities in these weeks. Because I have many assignments and tests to complete for my study and I also have some family affairs to resolve. There were some conflict between the roles. And I could not fulfil these tasks at one time. During the period of recording and tracking my stressors and stress symptoms, I tried some measures to release my stress. The methods included jogging, having a chat with close friends, watching funny movies, preparing the relevant materials that need to review and so on. These methods helped me to release some stress during these five weeks. Therefore, the physical health identities help us to realize the symptoms of the stress. And then we can try to manage our stress according to the symptoms of stress and stress level. If we know the extent of our stress, we can find out more suitable method to manage the stress. It will be useful in my future’s work life because there are more stressors in the workplace. Spiritual Health: The third topic has been included in this reflective journal is about â€Å"Spiritual Health†. I did not quite understand the real meaning of â€Å"Spiritual Health† before I read the weekly reading material and attended the tutorial. And I didn’t think about â€Å"Spiritual Health† so deeply before I attended the lecture. My understanding of â€Å"Spiritual Health† was only on a superficial dimension. Spiritual Health† is a quite abstract and difficult topic for me to understand. Because it can not be totally explained by words. In my own opinion, spirit is the thing that truely inside everyone’s heart. Mitroff and Denton(1999) stated that â€Å"spirit is the basic feeling of being connected with one’s complete self, others and the entire universe†. In other words, no one can force you to accept their point of view. Because everyone has his or her own value of the world, the society and other things. These values that people believe are shaped in people’s childhood. And the society that people stay would have an impact on personal value as well (Rokeach, 1973). Hence, once individual has formed his own value, it will be difficult to persuade him to change his value. When I was taking the tutorial of this topic, I began to think more deeply of my spiritual health. Especially, after I heard other classmates’ thoughts of the things that they experienced during the tutorial. Howell (2005) pointed out that spirituality is a continuous process to find its deeply meaning and purpose in our life. However, the problem that I faced on was I even didn’t realize the spirituality’s importance and I didn’t begin my process to find the meaning and purpose in my life. I grew up in a traditional family and my parents arranged all the things for me include the schools and the major I took in the university. Until now, I have entered into the second year of the course in the university, I still haven’t think about what kind of job would I take in the future. The one really inside me has not been discovered yet. I didn’t have got the things that I really want to do in the past few years. The truly me has not been concerned before I noticed the importance of spiritual health. Thus, I tried to dig out that who I really am. However, how to improve the current thought and understanding of spiritual health inside myself is an intractable problem. If you just simply object to others’ opinion, for example your parents, or escape from the current environment you live, that would not change anything. You just try to escape from the reality. The way of digging out your own spirit is to find out the things that you really want to do and the things that you worth to do. It is important to seek the meaning of our life. We don’t live for other people. We live for ourselves. If we couldn’t find out the things we want to do, the life would lose its meaning. And we might lose the purpose of living in this soceity. Everyone has his or her own value of their lives. It is difficult to evaluate whether other people’s spiritual world is happiness or not. One day, I was watching the news on TV and that news really impressed me. The content of the news was about some children in remote area need to tramp over mountains and through ravines to arrive at the school. The mountains that they need to climb are quite steep and dangerous. When the journalist asked them whether the study life like this is tough, most of them thought it was normal in their daily life. Though the road to the school was tough, they still feel happy because they can study lots of knowledge in the school. I was really impressed by these children’s words. They enjoy the things that they were doing and they think the things were worth to do, though that seems very tough to others. They satisfy with their daily life and feel very happy. But when we think about ourselves, we always complain the society and the daily life. Our lives are inundated with dissatisfaction. Maybe this is due to people who live in a better environment have gain too much and they still desire for more things. Based on this understanding, I decided that I need to work hard in the future and try my best to help the children in China who are in remote area. If I have the qualification to teach these children, I would volunteer to help them. It is a long and difficult process to dig out my own sense of spirituality but I’m trying my best to do it. Overall, the spiritual health is a very difficult topic to understand. Both organisational and personal spirituality are important to us. Though I didn’t metion the organisation’s spirituality in the discussion above because I haven’t got any experience of it. To an individual, if he know the meaning of his life and he has got the living purpose, he might live better in his life. Because he has the appetency to success in his life. For me, the spiritual health is important as well. And I’m trying to find out my own spirituality. Moreover, I have realized the importance of the spirituality in the workplace, and hope my better understanding of spirituality can help me to find a suitable job. And it may allow me to have a better performance in my future workplace.

Hamlet by Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hamlet by Shakespeare - Essay Example the period from the 14th up to the 17th centuries, but also a series of works of literature and art with specific characteristics. The Renaissance literature in the west is discussed in this paper. Particular emphasis is given on Shakespeare tragedy and Elizabethan drama. It is proved that Renaissance literature is differentiated from the works of literature of other periods, probably under the influence of the social and cultural trends of the specific period. In any case, it is made clear that the expansion of Renaissance, as a social and political movement, has been strongly supported by the literature of the particular period, as proved through the analysis of the ideas and the trends promoted through the Shakespeare tragedy, the Elizabethan drama and other works of literature that were aligned with the principles of Renaissance. In order to understand the nature and the role of Renaissance literature, it would be valuable to refer to specific works of literature of the specific period. Shakespeare tragedy and Elizabethan drama represent the principles of Renaissance as they have been aligned with the political and social ethics of Britain in the particular period of time. At first level, the following issue should be made clear: western literature has been strongly affected by Renaissance literature as these two types of literature have been developed within the same geographical area. For this reason, Renaissance has managed to influence western literature more than other types of literature developed internationally, for instance the Japanese literature. This phenomenon is highlighted in the study of Moore and Moody (187) and seems to be quite logical, also in terms of the common political and social traditions of western countries. In accordance with Keenan, the Renaissance literature had to faced an important problem: most of the works of literature developed during the particular period proved as ‘not timeless’ (Keenan 38), as initially t hought. It is noted that since the 17th century, the reputation of Renaissance authors, like Shakespeare, started to fell (Keenan 38), a phenomenon that has lasted up to the late 19th century (Keenan 38). Then, the interest for the Renaissance literature and works of literature, like Hamlet, increased significantly. Regarding specifically Hamlet, the specific work of literature was considered as ideal for identifying information related to Elizabethan England of the Renaissance period (Keenan 38). Hamlet, a play that performed for first time approximately at 1600-1601, has been based on the Danish history, a tale initially developed by Grammaticus (Keenan 92). It is explained that Shakespeare has alternated the tale and added a series of events, such as the appearance of the ghost of Hamlet for increasing the elements of tragedy related to the particular story (Keenan 92). These events and dialogues have been considered as necessary in order for tragedy to be increased; at the same time, the response of Hamlet to the events showed the role of revenge, as a tool for enforcing justice, even if this tool is not legally and socially justified. However, given the fact of the development of court corruption in that particular period, as presented through Hamlet, the use of revenge for enforcing justice seems to be appropriate, as this support is reflected in the response of the audience, which tends to support Hamlet. Hamlet, like the other works of Shakespeare, emphasized on tragedy, a fact that has made

Cas study redbull Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cas study redbull - Outline Example re it takes brand protection very seriously and warns people against buying counterfeit goods since it is against government policies (Red Bull 2014, p. 1). Activities of various professional bodies, trade unions, pressure groups, and voluntary associations influence the market environment. For instance, the action of Morrison to ban the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to kids under 16years in the UK supermarket affected Red Bull since it also posed health fears over kids for having too much caffeine (BBC 2013, p. 1). Market classifications and competition standards influence the market environment and the level of competition in the industry. Monster offers great market competition to represents the Red Bull thus threatening its market share (Passport 2013, p. 6). Political stability affects the market environment as it defines the market conditions and political support on the industry (Team London Bridge 2011, p. 1). Subject to political stability in UK, Red Bull introduced the sugary drink in the country a decade ago and established permanent operations (Team London Bridge 2011, p. 1) and success (Arlidge 2004, p. 1). Government bureaucracy can also affect market environment by initiating customs or regulations to certain products. Indeed, lawmakers, Food, and Drug Administration in US are seeking to impose new restrictions in marketing Red Bull to children (Forbes 2013, p. 1). Market research derives significant market information that derives a better understanding of the market environment (FAO n.y, p. 1). Indeed, good market information helps entrepreneurs to make wise market decisions and establish effective market strategies (FAO n.y, p. 1). Planning also influences the success of a business in any market environment. For example, Red Bull adopted buzz marketing to create a brand image with a sporting culture to dominate the U.K soft drink market despite the eminent competition from established companies (Bized 2012, p. 1). Red Bull 2014, Brand

Medicare and Medicaid Module 4 (SLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare and Medicaid Module 4 (SLP) - Essay Example The program has been designed to provide affordable medical support and its clients benefit from a range of products, including regional care teams, social workers, registered nurses and the behavioral health specialists. Medical services in Texas are offered depending on the laid down policies. The Medicare system is ideally relevant and it involves a number of radical considerations. The Medicare supplement involves paying your taxes through 65 years and from here you can be able to get your payback. To qualify for Texas Medicare, the state offers enrolment requirements for the couples. For example in Texas, the core consideration for people planning to acquire the health plan would involve ideally ensuring that qualification for Part A hospital insurance scheme is achieved. This implies that must work for 10 years in order to qualify for the free cover. Other people would opt to buy the program. The rates vary considerably from about $32-$100 depending on the program. To enroll hence for Part B program or otherwise known as medical insurance, you will be required to pay $99.90 every month. Once enrolled, your details would be reflected in the Medicare systems database once you reach 65 years. The services take effect as soon as your information has been crosschecked for authenticity. Further, the medicare scheme could be automatically loaded depending on specific pay details. The next step is to classify your outpatient insurance program to be able to attain the relevant benefits. Part B insurance is critical and it is fundamental for people looking for treatments outside the hospital. If you have been successful in meeting relevant requirements, then it would be ideal to ensure that you proceed to create specific milestone for your spouse and your family. The monthly fee for Part B is $99.9 per month but this could be much less and this is classified basing your existing membership scheme or even when your premium has

The Great Sphinx of Egypt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Great Sphinx of Egypt - Research Paper Example Others believe that the nose was removed by Sufi who considered it was blasphemous. According to Robert (48), arguments have been raised that the sculpture was built by Pharaoh Khafre at around 2575-2465 BC. This was during the old kingdom which was characterized by the building of pyramids. However, there are various arguments surrounding the construction of the Sphinx. History There are various mysteries surrounding the great Sphinx. The great sphinx is located close to the pharaoh’s Valley Temple and along the covered causeway that led to Mortuary Temple beside the pyramid. The great sphinx is made of limestone with lion’s body and a human head. It is situated at the Giza plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. It is one of the world’s largest monoliths. It is 73.5 meters (241 ft) long, 19.3 meters (63 ft) wide, and 20.22 meters (66.34 ft) deep and weighs around 200 tons (Robert, and McNally). It is among the oldest monuments in the world and it’ s thought to have been built by ancient Egyptians during the reign of Pharaoh Khafra around (2558-2532 BC). However, there have been controversies regarding who built the statue and when it was built. The Egyptians used the statue as a sign of divinity, and there is a belief that king Harmais was buried in it. The statue faces East which signifies security. The direction the statue is facing means that it guards the temple and the other pyramids that surround it. Egyptians use different names to refer to the Sphinx (Robert, 51). These include Hor-em-Takht (Horus in the horizon), Bw-How (Olacr of Horus) and Ra (Ra of two Horizons). The building of the Sphinx could have taken place during the fourth dynasty of Egypt in the 3rd millennium BC. Also, the statue could have been built by Pharaoh Khafre and the carved image of the face looks just like his face. Others suggest that the Sphinx was built by Pharaoh Khufu the father of Pharaoh Khafre, who also built the great pyramid of Giza. H owever, there is no conclusive evidence regarding who exactly built the great sphinx. Robert (49) states that Pharaoh Khafre ruled the fourth dynasty (2558-2532 BC) after having succeeded his brother King Djedefre. Khafre was the son of King Khufu and Queen Henutsen. He reigned for around 24-26 years and he is also appreciated for having built the second pyramid at Giza. He is also thought to have built the great Egyptian sphinx. During his reign, the Egyptian kingdom obtained great prosperity. Dimensions and Proportionality The head of the sphinx is smaller than the rest of the body which makes it disproportionate. However, this contradicts the facts that it was made by Egyptians since they were good at making proportionate items. The Sphinx was carved from limestone and the stones that were removed were used in the construction of pyramids and temple. The limestone that was removed around the head was stronger and was used in building pyramids while the weaker ones were used in bu ilding the temple (Graham, and Bauval, 17). There was also another suggestion that Sphinx would have been formed through water erosion. According to Manager (1993), the history of the great sphinx had long been forgotten and the monument suffered neglect. The story of the Sphinx began around 1400 BC when pharaoh Thutmose IV was told in a dream to unearth the Sphinx body. In his dream, he was promised to become the king if he carried out the errand.  

Global ,societal,and contemporary lssues Research Proposal

Global ,societal,and contemporary lssues - Research Proposal Example Regarding global economy, the engineering profession is likely to change in the next 20 years due to developments in the global economy. The energy consumption in the world is expected to rise because of rapidly increasing population. Thus, the major source of fuel that is fossil fuel may diminish and fail to provide enough energy to cater for the population. At the same time, more emphasis is on the development of energy from renewable sources in order counter the effects of global warming caused by use of fossil fuels (Wuestenhagen 2689). Therefore, electrical engineering will change to accommodate the need to produce energy from alternative sources other than fossil fuels. These alternative sources include solar energy, geothermal energy, and wind energy. Concerning societal impact, the electronic engineering profession has documented a number of inventions and technological developments that have had impacts on societies and cultures. For instance, cell phones have eased communication across places and countries, even in the remotest regions of the world. This faster communication is of great advantage because it enhance faster transfer of information, and allows individuals to connect with family members who are far. At the same time, cell phones have had negative impacts on communities including contributing to anti-social behaviors among friends and family members (Baron 5). Thus, interaction between individuals has become digital more than physical leading to introduction of digital culture. Contemporary technical issues in engineering include nanotechnology, which plays an important role in the society. Nanotechnology is a combination of science and engineering disciplines that deal with units larger than molecules and atoms, but fall in the range of 1-100 nanometers (BBC 2). Nanotechnology has been applied in several aspects of life including medicine to

MANAGING PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

MANAGING PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE - Essay Example 59). This, therefore, means that 70% of the BPR initiatives do not see the light after the fifth year of implementation. Several scholars have defined this strategy as a model of radical redesign of business processes sand organisational change that is primarily based on recognising and discarding current business operations and starting afresh again (Hammer, & Champy, 2009, p. 36). Business process reengineering is an important aspect especially in the ever-changing business environment. It helps an organisation to keep track of changes in its environment of operation (Hammer, & Champy, 2009, p. 33). Most organisations that have pursued this course are considered innovative since BPR efforts are geared towards change. This strategy has led to the emergence of Business Process Management model that has changed the way organisations are managed (DeToro, and McCabe 1997, p. 56). BPR is a good strategy for organizations that evaluates their productivity by closely looking at the business processes and thinking about the best way to streamline them for the better performance. This strategy consists of many drivers that are utilised during implementation. According to Zairi (1997, p. 76) the drivers include globalisation, advancing technology, stakeholders’ actions, organisational boundary erosion, and regulation. Some scholars who have provided useful insights into this strategy have argued that BPR lacks the relevant coherent theoretical framework that provides more insight on implementation. Today global competition brought change in the management styles of many organisations. It is one of the tools used in competition in the business environment. BPR creates one important advantage i.e. improving the measures of performance such as costs, service, customer satisfaction, speed, and productivity (Zairi, 1997, p. 78). This brings a major change internally and

Government Regulations - Propose Regulation Change Essay

Government Regulations - Propose Regulation Change - Essay Example The Coalition contends that per the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has jurisdiction and exclusive authority to regulate interstate faxes. In the 2003 TCPA Order the Commission determined it would consider state regulations and conflicting state and federal regulations on a case-by-case basis. The Coalition asserts that 50 different state laws would result in undue hardship and expense with respect to interstate business faxing. The Coalition has asked the FCC to exert its preemptive jurisdictional authority and enforce the Federal regulation and not consider the petitions on an individual basis. This would maintain consistency in the EBR exemption in all states as written into the Do-Not-Fax law of 2005. As a party with a vested interest in interstate fax communication, I oppose the Coalition's blanket approach to advocating preemptive FCC jurisdiction. It is my opinion that business would be better served by postponing a ruling on the petition to give the FCC ample time to draft a proposal to fairly regulate business to business faxing at the federal level. The FCC needs to offer an enforceable solution with definable and verifiable terms, reasonable opt out methods, and an acceptable expiration time of the EBR.

Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Example for Free

Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Continuous comprehensive Evaluation should be carried out in relation to learners’ cognitive, affective and psycho-motor growth. Cognitive growth refers to the intellectual development of learners (such as learners’ knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). Affective growth emphasizes learners’ attitude, interest and personal development. Psycho-motor growth deals with learners’ ability to perform some activity or do some practical work. Therefore, if you want the teaching-learning process to be really effective, you should evaluate the learners continuously and comprehensively Hence to bring about the improvement in the quality of education and the holistic development of the child who is tomorrow’s global citizen, evaluation process should focus adequately on both scholastic and non-scholastic areas of development. Hence the focus needs to shift to comprehensive evaluation. The comprehensive evaluation also needs to have continuity at regular intervals through out the academic year. This thought is further gets support from the fact that the National Progressive Schools Association has also recommended the scrapping of class X board exams This module focuses upon the various evaluation tools and techniques which can be used for decision making with reference to learners scholastic and non scholastic needs. By comprehensive evaluation, we mean that evaluation should not concern itself only with knowledge but it shall also take into account the factors that are inherent in students’ growth such as skills, understanding, appreciation, interest, attitude and habits. In other words, evaluation should cover all the learning experiences of the learner in curricular as well as non-cognitive areas. Need of Continuous comprehensive evaluation. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation is intended to provide a holistic profile of the learner through assessment of both scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of education spread over the total span of instructional time in schools. It helps to identify those positive attributes of the learner which are not usually assessed during the examinations conducted by the Board As it is spread over a period of two years in class IX and X it provides several opportunities for the school to identify the latent talents of the learners in different contexts.

U.S. Equal Employment Essay Example for Free

U.S. Equal Employment Essay 1.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overview Over the years, Human Resources has been affected by both social and demographic trends that significantly impact on Equal Employment Opportunity legislation and the entire Human Resource Management in general.   The research seeks to evaluate how effective and successful this impact has been, and what its future in Human Resource Management is. It seeks to describe the major conditions that led to the passage of each piece of EEO legislation that is, Title VII, ADA, and ADEA. In each section, we will look at legal, social, political, demographic and economic events. Secondly it will identify the problems these three pieces of legislation intended to remedy while comparing with the current status. Finally the research will look at the success of the legislations and consequently their future. 2.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature Review 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Title VII This deals with the refusal of employers to hire an individual as a result of his race, color, religion, sex and national background. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits such kind of employment discrimination. It covers all companies with 15 or more employees for more than 19 weeks. 2.1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major Conditions that led to the passage of Title VII legislation. Legal conditions include the Civil Rights Act of 1991 amendment of several sections of Title VII. This amendment made it clear that it would be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail to hire or to discharge any individual on the basis of his background. This bill was a landmark legislation in the United States that outlawed segregation in schools and public places. On political grounds, Title VII requirements were first initiated to help African Americans but later amended to protect women in courts, and explicitly included white people as well. It also started the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Secondly, if someone has a complaint and another helps the complainant, the company should not retaliate against either. Thus it gave employees the right to complain. Title VII bill divided and engendered a long-term change in the demographics of two political parties. However, both sides of the political divide voted for the bill, which won because it increased individual liberty. One of the key provisions by Title VII is the prohibition of unintentional discrimination by use of requirements which have an adverse effect on protected groups. This is for example the use of educational requirements, tests or other restrictions which are not related to the job or even required by business necessity. Demographic conditions include the fact that pregnant women also had problems getting jobs and this rose to Title VII act which prohibits discrimination due to pregnancy. It requires that pregnancy be treated the same as any other non-work-related disability. Sexual, racial, religions and ethnic harassment was another major condition for the rising of Title VII. Thus one major provision of Title VII is the prohibition of sexual, racial, religious, and ethnic harassment by supervisors, coworkers or even by third parties. Discrimination of employees under such conditions makes companies strictly liable, which results in tangible loss of job benefits. Economically, in order to circumvent limitations on the federal use of the Equal Protection Clause handed down by the Civil Rights Cases, the law was passed under the Commerce Clause. 2.1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚   Problems the law intended to remedy. The discrimination of employment was a major problem that this law intended to remedy, thus it prohibits discrimination due to race, color, religion, gender, and national origin in hiring, employment, and termination.   These various laws intended to enable the equal treatment of all people from different backgrounds to avoid social menaces such as riots and crime. Title VII aimed to increase individual liberty. 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ADA This means Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. However, the determination of whether any particular condition is considered a disability is made on a case by case basis. The employing company must modify performance standards to accommodate the disability of an employee. For example, if an employee is unable to meet a target because of disability-related absences, then his job must be reduced. If an employee with up-to-date job requirements suddenly starts having performance problems related to the disability, the company must assess the need for new accommodations such as job transfers. There is also the requirement of provision of extra leave in order to accommodate the disability of an employee. This is for instance by taking measures such as the adoption of an automatic policy of terminations after some leave expires, and even making an individualized determination as to the hardship which would be caused by extending the leave. However, the employee does not have the right to dictate which type of accommodation is chosen by the company, as long as the accommodation allows the employee to do the work. Similarly, the company may not force an employee to take an accommodation whereas by the refusal of that accommodation, if the employee is unable to do the job, the company is entitled to terminate him. 2.2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major Conditions that led to the passage of ADA legislation. Employers used to require disclosure of information from applicants including private information. This resulted into discrimination in case the applicant possessed information that favored him adversely. The ADA guidelines provide for job applicants not to be asked if they need accommodation to perform the job. They are only supposed to be asked this after the job offer or if they are to be asked, this may happen only in order for them to complete the application process. This prompts the company to ordinarily provide the requested accommodation to allow the applicant to complete the application process. Even though it seems completely futile to ask for some positions such as a deaf person applying for a job as a music judge, the applicant must still be allowed to go through the application process. It is unlawful to refuse to allow the applicant to make an application and go through the required applicant testing. As a result, companies seeking employees able to perform certain essential physical tasks may wish to consider including physical performance testing early in the application process. Legal conditions include circumstances whereby employees used to be discriminated upon and terminated as a result of not being able to do their duties, because of their conditions. In order to be considered covered by the ADA the employee does not need to mention the existence of any disability, or ask for any accommodation. All that is required is for the employee to give sufficient information to let the Company know that he may have a covered disability or may need an accommodation. Secondly, he does not need to propose any specific accommodation, but just identify the existence of an impairment and give a general description of the problems the impairment may be causing. Further, he does not need to provide a medical release to the company to allow a general review of all medical records, and may limit the release to records which apply to the particular condition at issue. A company has no duty to monitor an employee’s medications unless failure of taking the medicine by the employee causes the employee not to perform, in which case he should be disciplined. 2.2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚   Problems the law intended to remedy. Job applicants with disabilities found it difficult because of being required to give reports or mentioning the existence of inabilities. The results of such requirements led to failure to attain employment and this became a problem that needed to be remedied. Besides the reduction of employment opportunities to the disabled, this law also remedied the problem of the possibility of lost talent which could be possessed by Americans with disabilities. 2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ADEA This act is aimed at prohibiting age discrimination in employment. It is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older in the United States. This law also sets standards for pensions and benefits provided by employers and requires that information about the needs of older workers be provided to the general public. According to the ADEA regulations, it is unlawful for an employer to refuse to hire any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of his or her age. Employers should also not limit, segregate, or classify their employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of age. Reduction of the wage rate of any employee on the basis of age shall also be unlawful.   The ADEA specifically prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotions, wages, or layoffs. This includes statements or specifications in job notices or advertisements of age preference and limitations, and denial of benefits to older employees. An employer may reduce benefits based on age only if the cost of providing the reduced benefits to older workers is the same as the cost of providing full benefits to younger workers. Since 1978 ADEA has prohibited mandatory retirement in most sectors, with phased elimination of mandatory retirement for tenured workers, such as college professors, in 1993.   In the face of rising productivity and affluence, older workers find themselves disadvantaged in their efforts to retain employment, and especially to regain employment when displaced from jobs. The setting of arbitrary age limits regardless of potential for job performance has become a common practice, and certain otherwise desirable practices may work to the disadvantage of older persons. Long term unemployment, may result into deterioration of skill, morale, and the risk of an employer not accepting the job applicant on the basis of age and especially if the applicant is older than average. This is high among older workers and relatively low among the younger ones. 2.3.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major Conditions that led to the passage of ADEA legislation. There are some circumstances that would lead to the deprivation of employment opportunities to an individual, or limit such employment opportunities. Other circumstances would adversely affect his status as an employee or as an applicant for employment, because of age.   2.3.2  Ã‚   Problems the law intended to remedy. What ADEA seeks to remedy includes the reinstatement and back pay for employee or damages if reinstatement is not feasible, or if the employers violation is intentional. 3.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Current Status The three current EEO laws have been successful at achieving their intended purposes. As a result of the legislation of Title VII, any employer, labor organization, joint labor-management committee, or employment agency can bypass the unlawful employment practice for any person involved with any organization required to register as a Communist-action or Communist-front organization by final order of the Subversive Activities Control Board. Another positive outcome of the passage of Title VII is that an individual can bring a private lawsuit on discrimination. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any of his employees or applicants for employment, because such individual or applicant opposees any practice made unlawful by the ADA legislation, or because such individual or applicant for membership makes a charge, testifies, assists, or participates in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA legislation. The ADEA law does not forbid favoring the young over the old, but it prohibits having a discriminatory preference for the young over the old. This leads to giving all job applicants equal employment opportunities regardless of their ages. However, it does not apply to state employees because of the Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents. These laws have been successful because then employees become free in working or applying for jobs, It has worked in the US and currently employers are observing the rules. The effects of these legislations have been far reaching and have had tremendous long-term impacts in the US. Some of the effects include the prohibition of discrimination in public facilities, in the government, and in employment, invalidating the Jim Crow laws in the southern US. It became illegal to compel segregation of the races in schools, housing, or hiring. Powers given to enforce the bill were initially weak, but were supplemented during later years. Currently, there are many upcoming events suchas a case study that acts as a precedent for futre rulings. Demographic factors arise due immkigrations caused by economic integration and globalisation. All these need to be accomodated and necessay ammendments made to existing laws. The existence of age discrimination in employment because of age affects commerce, and burdens the free flow of goods in commerce. It is therefore the purpose of this chapter to promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment. 4.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Future Status None of these EEO laws need to be changed. Even though Title I of ADA was found unconstitutional by the United States in the Supreme Court in the case of Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett, and found to be violating the States Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution sovereign immunity rights, it allowed the states to be sued for money damages. This is an indication that the legislation is in force. Title VII and the ADA may be generally applicable when a charge challenges discrimination by a foreign or foreign owned employer within the United States. However, such a respondent may allege that it is protected by the terms of a treaty or international agreement that limits the full applicability of U.S. anti-discrimination laws. The 1978 Amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act will ultimately affect the future labor force. The retirement age policies have been hurting older workers, but changes that are expected to occur will ensure better terms for them. Pension benefits have also been affecting the older work force but the future holds better terms for them. It also leads to the urge of a linked employment or retirement policy. Companies and other employers are likely to respond quickly in the future to avoid legal charges, so that they may not be seen as having refused to adhere to a law. Finally, there would be more business as a result of a variety of intellectuals in the work force, both young and old, people of different backgrounds and even those with disabilities.    5.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Brauer, Carl M., (1983) Women Activists, Southern Conservatives, and the Prohibition of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sexual Discrimination in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 49 Journal of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Southern History. DeLeire, Thomas. (Autumn, 2000). The Wage and Employment Effects of the Americans   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   with Disabilities Act. Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 693-715 Fielder, J. F. (2004). Mental Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 2004 Loevy, Robert D. A Brief History of the Civil Rights Act OF 1964, in David C. Kozak   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and Kenneth N. Ciboski, ed., The American Presidency (Chicago, IL: Nelson   Ã‚   Hall, 1985), pp. 411-419.

An Introduction To The Philippines

An Introduction To The Philippines The Philippines is an island nation located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. It has 7107 islands. And has a total area of 300000 square kilometers. At the north side of Philippine the Taiwan is located. At the east side the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia and Malaysia at the south and South China Sea at the west. The capital city of Philippines is Manila which is located in the island of Luzon at the northern part. The total population of Philippines is 98 million. The climate of Philippines is tropical. The culture of Philippines is influenced by Spanish and Chinese. Most of the people having also Spanish surnames. It has generally west European culture, people of Philippines are Christian. Islam is more popular in island of Mindanao. The Philippines has developing economy with agricultural and service sector base. The poverty line is 40% it means 40% of the population remain be poor. The large trading partners of the Philippines are the US and Japan. Philippines is a presidential unitary republic with the president at the apex, as the head of state, the head of government and the commander in chief of the armed forces. He is elected by popular vote, every 6 years. Government policies are design to promote industrial development. 1.1 ECONOMICAL ENVIRONMENT : Economic environment of business has reference for economic systems to operate the business. The business sectors also continue economic relations with govt, capital market, worldwide and households sector. It would affect the trends and formation of the economy. The outer factors that influence with the following points. Economic Conditions :- The economic circumstances are safe in the country. Per capita income, national income, allocation of income and assets, Economic resources, economic growth etc are also affected to prepared the business strategies. Economic growth and business cycle are easily defined the economic environment. System :- The economic system also impact on business endeavor. Economic system of a Philippines also considered socialist, capitalists, mixed or communist. Economic Policies :- The government also decided budgets, economic planning, economic industrial regulation, law of business. Industrial guidelines to control on price and wages, trade and transportation polices the size of national income, demand and supply of different merchandise. Economic Growth :- The economic growth impacts the strategies of business. It helps in rising the economic growth and expenses in consumption. It provides opportunities to the industries for the expansion. v. Currency Exchange :- Current exchanges have direct impact on the environment of business. The rupee was devalued in1991. The Indian products cheaper in the world market and boost exports of India. ECONOMIC CONDITION 2.1 GDP of Philippines : The GDP growth rate provides an aggregated measure of changes in value of goods and services produced by an economy. The GDP growth rate of Country from 1998 to 2012 is average 1.08%. The domestic economy accelerated in the second quarter of 2012 to 5.9% from 3.6%. The earlier year boosting the first semester growth to 6.1% from 4.2%. The resilient Services sector remained the main driver of growth supported by the sustained growth of manufacturing and the return of construction. Philippines is a recently industrialized country in the Southeastern Asia. The most important industries of Philippines are food processing, textiles and garments, automobile parts and electronics. Philippines have also treasury of chromites, nickel, copper, coal and newly discovered oil. Philippines GDP Growth Rate This chart is all about the past data for Philippines growth rate. [Source: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/sna/2012/2nd2012/2012qpr2.asp] 2.2 Per Capital Growth in Philippines : In 2011, it was at 1.98% in Country and it was published by World Bank report in 2012. The Growth rate of GDP per capital depends on continuous local currency. The GDP Divided by Mid Year Population. The GDP of Purchasing Price is total of all resident products in economy (+) product taxes (-) any subsidies which is not included in value of the product. This is calculated without making deduction for depreciation of fictional assets. It includes a chronological chart, news and estimate for GDP. In Southeastern area of Philippines is newly industrialized country. Philippines Predicting food processing Textiles and Garment, Electronic and automobile parts and also significant reserve of Chromate, Nickel, Copper, Coal and Recently Discovered Oil. [Source: http://www.kedingeconomics.com/philippines/GDP.Per.Capitagrowth.Annual.Percentwb.data.html] 2.3 PPP Philippines : Philippine has long familiarity with public-private partnership, initiatives and serves as future investment with aggressive PPP promotion. The Government is to attract private partners to invest only in traditional infrastructure Projects like Power, Transportation and Water Sectors and in Non-Traditional Infrastructure similar to information and communications technology, health and property development. The Partnership addressed in 1990s and it help out to improve road network quality, transport linkages and social Services. [Source: http://www.ppp/gove.ph/] 2.4 International Reserve : Countys beginning gross global reserve is significantly increased up to US $79.3 Billion in July.BSP Governor Amando Letangco said that foreign reserve were US $3.2 Billion higher than GIR of US $76.1 Billion, The Level of GIR Increased in end of July, Due to Foreign exchange operations. The funds of the Country are deposited in foreign currency. The Philippines acquire income from investment in a foreign country of the BSP and gain revolution on BSP gold holdings arising from increase in price of Gold in global Market. The Import of goods and payment of services and income adequately cover in 11.7 months and also corresponding 10.7 times. Philippines short term outer debt based on original maturity. [Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breadkingnews/201208/] ECONOMY OF PHILIPPINES Population : 95.9 Million GDP (PPP) : $351.4Billion : 6.1% growth in 2012 : 5.5% 5-year compound annual growth : $4,700 per capita Unemployment : 7.3% Inflation (CPI) : 3.60% FDI Inflow : $1.7 billion for 1st Half Quarter 1 Peso : 1.3134 Rupee and 0.0243 Dollar The Philippines ranks 19thout of 41countries in the Asia Pacific region. And 44th the biggest economy on the earth. According to HSBC estimates. The stock market is one of the best performers in the region. The peso reached a 4 year high against the dollar about the same time. Economy has been on a solid path of economic expansion. The govt. has pursued a series of governmental reforms to increase the industrial environment and build up private sector for reduce unemployment. But regulatory efficiency has been not improved. And over last 5 year the economy has been develop at average annual rate of 5%. Rule of Law : The rule of law is not on level and authorized structure is poor in independence and efficiency. The judiciary is independent but there is political interference. There is some progress due to government anti corruption efforts to eliminate corruption and fix efficiently. Limited Government : Government spending Spurs on 6.4% growth in 1st Quarter. Taxable Income Tax Rate More than But less than 0 P10,000 5% P10,000 P30,000 P500 + 10% of the Excess over P10,000 P30,000 P70,000 P2,500 + 15% of the Excess over P30,000 P70,000 P140,000 P8,500 + 20% of the Excess over P70,000 P140,000 P250,000 P22,500 + 25% of the Excess over P140,000 P250,000 P500,000 P50,000 + 30% of the Excess over P250,000 P500,000 P125,000 + 32% of the Excess over P500,000 in 2000 and onward Corporate tax rate is 30% and Regional are taxed at 10% on taxable income. The VAT an environmental tax with overall tax is 12.8% of total domestic income. If any taxpayer fail to pay VAT component in the sales invoice or official receipts shall be penalized as : Fine of not less then P1,000 but not more than P50,000 and Suffer custody of not less than 2 but not more than 10 years. Regulatory Efficiency : The business regulatory environment has improved considerably. Although launching a business still takes more than the world averages of seven procedures and 30 days, the overall process has become less costly. The time and cost involved in dealing with licensing requirements have been notably reduced. The labor market remains structurally rigid, but existing regulations are not particularly burdensome. Inflation is modest. Open Market : The trade weighted average tariff rate is 4.8 percent, and layers of non-tariff barriers further inhibit more dynamic gains in trade. Despite a strong desire to attract longer-term foreign investment, systemic inefficiency exacerbated by heavy bureaucracy discourages dynamic growth in investment. The financial sector, which is gradually modernizing, remains relatively stable and sound. [http://www.heritage.org/index/pdf/2012/countries/philippines.pdf] ECONOMIC POLICIES 4.1 Monetary Policy The international Monetary Fund will look into the countrys progress on the monetary and fiscal policy and assess the 2 year old Aquino administration by short staff visit which is commence. The most accurate forecasters agree on that Monetary authorities are trying to control foreign investment in the Peso arguing that Asias best performing currency has strengthened too much. The economic momentum has built up from decreasing of monetary policy may boost the country is growth in2012 is 5.8% and up to 7 % is 2013. And the govt.s success in containing the budget deficit has been given monetary authorities considered liberty. In 2011 the govt. incurred a budget deficit of 197.8 billion which was less than two third of 2010. The size of economy in overspending in 2011 comprised only 2% less than 3.5% recorded in2010. The debt stock of 2011 settled at P4.95% trillion or 50.9% of gross domestic. [http://business inquirer-net/49369/bsp-monetary-policy-expected-to-push-up-ph-economy] 4.2 Fiscal Policy : The Philippines long term foreign currency credit rating raised from BB to BB+. It kept rating outlook at stable. According to Presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang the Philippines can still afford to undertake public spending without put in to danger its overall financial position. And the govt. doesnt want a strong peso to delay competitiveness of exports. The Philippines economy grew by 6.4% in 1st quarter, it is one of the highest in Asia and upgrade is a vote of confidence for the country. According to finance secretary Cesar V Purisima, that this gives more confidence to continue with the work towards macroeconomic stability, fiscal sustainability and inclusive economic growth. [http://www.philstar.com/Artical.aspx?article Id=824407 publication Sub Category Id=] 4.3 Deficit Policy : The Financial Secretary Cesar Purisima said that the govt. spent P19.90 billion and the deficit was manageable, expressing, confidence the full year fund shortfall would staying within 2.6% of GDP or P279 billion. The govt. continued rise in revenue collections so that the fiscal position remains under control. So this wide fiscal space will gives the advantage to finance infrastructure projects and social programs that curb poverty and promote equality. Jan-May deficit P22.79 billion. The govt.s self imposed 1st half ceiling of P109.34 billion and it spent P668.43 billion in 1st five month of year up 13.1% compared to last year. And revenues reached P645.64 billion. For May revenue grew 9.4% to 131.4 billion while spending reached P151.3 billion. Purisima said that the govt. is committed to reach its 5.6% growth in 2012 and recorded 6.4% expansion in 1st three month. The Philippines suffered a P 197.8 billion budget deficit last year which is equivalent to 2% of GDP. [http://business-inquirer-net /67459/Philippine-budget-deficit-shoots-up] 4.4 Foreign Trade Policy : According to the Global Enabling Trade Report 2012, the rank of Philippines is 72nd out of 132 countries. It measured the factors, policies, services, areas of market access, border administration transport and communication infrastructure and business environment. In the area of market access the Philippines jumped 14 from 64 and in terms of efficiency of import-export procedure it looks 48 spot from 55. And access to imported inputs at competitive prices identifying potential market and buyers corruption at the border and other concerns it places 62 out of 132 countries. The trade chief attributed the countrys improvement in ranking to the debt of Trade and Industrys effort to facilitate trade across borders like the Doing business in Free Trade Areas an awareness campaign has aimed to help stakeholders into understand new markets and instruments like free trade agreement. It reforms to improve the ease of doing business in country through the Philippines. Business Registry (PBR) and Business permits and license streamlining (BPLS) programs for local govt. [http://businessinquirer-net/63369/Philippines-climbs-20-nitches-up-in-business-destination-ranking] 4.5 Balance of Payment : The inflow of foreign currency exceeded than the outflow in Feb and Philippines balance of payments hitting a surplus of $588 million. BOP is recorded of the countrys commercial transaction with the rest of world. It helps beef up the countrys total reserves of foreign exchange or gross international reserves (GIR).It stands at a record high of $78 billion. According to economist the unfavorable global economy that investors have tendency to pull out funds from emerging markets like Philippines. So it create depreciation pressures on local currencies. But with enough reserves of foreign exchange the Bangko Sentral ng philipines can buy pesos and reduce its depreciation and it will hit a surplus of at last $2.8 billion by end of 2011. Due to increase in employment in US an economist said that it would lead to increase in demand for imported goods from Philippines. [http://bus.inquirer.net/50127/bsp-balance-of-payment-stood-at-surplus-in-feb] GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICAL GOVERNMENT 5.1 Import : Philippines import were worth 5101 million USD in June of 2002 until 2012,Philippines averaged imports 4155.20 million USD reaching an all time high of 5848.00 million USD in July of 2008 and low record of 2226.00 million USD in January of2002. Philippines imports mostly considered electronic products, mineral fuel, industrial machinery and equipment, transport equipment, lubricants, steel and iron. Mostly import partners are Japan, china, Singapore, South Korea, United States. Here we include the chart with historical data for Philippines import. Philippines Imports [http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/imports] Export : Philippines exports were worth 4314 million USD in June of 2012. From 2002 until 2012, average export of Philippines 3681.10 million USD reaching an all time high of 5325.00 million USD in September of 2010 and record low of 2506.00 million USD in February of 2009. Major exporter of electronic products like processors, chips, and hard drives (more than 50% of total exports revenue) and other major exports include apparel and clothing accessories, wood crafts, coconut oil and furniture. Philippines major export partners are United States, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, china. This page includes a chart with Philippines historical data of Philippines exports. Philippines Exports [http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/exports] 5.2 Corporate Income Tax : The domestic and foreign resident corporations income tax rate in Philippines is 30%, based on net taxable income. Domestic company payable company tax on all income derived from sources outside and within the Philippines. Foreign corporations, whether resident or non-resident are taxable on income derived from sources within the Philippines. Non resident foreign corporations are ,in certain circumstances, subject to a final withholding tax on passive (investment) incomes at rates higher than the applicable tax rates applying to domestic and foreign resident corporations. Resident companies are created or organized under the law of Philippines or foreign companies licensed to engage in business or trade in the Philippines. The corporate income tax rate for domestic and foreign resident corporations is 30%, income tax excluded from are dividend received from domestic corporations, interest on Philippines currency bank deposits and other monetary benefit from deposits substitutes and trust funds and arrangements and final taxes, interest income derived from the foreign currency deposits is include final tax of 7.5% ,other interest earned by domestic and foreign resident corporations is included 20% final withholding tax. Special economic tones enterprises registered with economic tone authority are taxed at the rate of 5% on gross income in lieu of national and local taxes and real property tax. Gross sales or gross revenue derived from the business activity within the Ecozens, sales returns, net of sales discount and allowances less the cost of sales or direct costs but before deduction made for expenses of administrative and losses during the taxable period. [http://www.quezoncity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=226Itemid=347] India 2005-36.59 2006-33.66 2007-33.99 2008-33.99 2009-33.99 2010-33.99 2011-32.44 2012-32.44 The corporate tax rate is 32.445% .Domestic companies tax rate is 30%, profits from life insurance business in India are taxed at the rat of 12.5%.foreign companies are taxed at the rate of 40%. A minimum alternate tax (MAT) is levied at 18.5% of adjusted profit of companies. The tax payable is less than 18.5% of book profits. Dividend distributed from domestic company. Surcharge and education cess is above taxes is applicable.5% surcharge in case of foreign companies is applicable. The total income is in excess of INR 10 million. Education cess of 3% is applicable on income tax plus surcharge wealth tax is imposed at a rate of 1% on the value of specified assets held by the tax payer in excess of basic exemption of INR13million.transaction tax of securities transactions in equity shares and units of equity oriented funds. [http://www.kpmg.com/global/en/whatwedo/tax/tax-tools-and-resources/pages/corporate-tax-rates-table.aspx] HOW ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF PHILIPPINE AFFECTS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS? The Philippines has certainly had a steady flow of positive economic news recently. On July 4, Standard Poors raised the countrys debt rating to just below investment grade, the highest rating for the country since 2003 and equivalent to that of Indonesia. The Philippines is the 44th-largest economy in the world today, according to HSBC estimates. But if current trends hold, it can leap to the No. 16 spot by 2050. The Philippine stock market, one of the best performers in the region, closed at a record high after the recent S. P. rating upgrade, and the countrys currency, the peso, reached a four-year high against the dollar at about the same time. With $70 billion in reserves and lower interest payments on its debt after recent credit rating upgrades, the Philippines pledged $1 billion to the International Monetary Fund to help shore up the struggling economies of Europe. The gross domestic product of the Philippines grew 6.4 percent in the first quarter, according to the countrys central bank, outperforming all other growth rates in the region except Chinas. Economists expect similarly strong growth in the second quarter. We have made a very bold forecast for the Philippines, but I think justifiably so, said Frederic Neumann, a senior economist at HSBC in Hong Kong. A high population growth rate, long considered a hindrance to prosperity, is now often seen as a driving force for economic growth. About 61 percent of the population in the Philippines is of working age, between 15 and 64. That figure is expected to continue increasing, which is not the case for many of its Asian neighbors, whose populations are aging. 6.1 Trade Economy : The GDP per capita growth (annual %) in Philippines was last reported at 1.98 in 2011, according to a World Bank report published in 2012. Annual percentage growth rate of GDP per capita based on constant local currency. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP at purchasers prices is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. This page includes a historical data chart, news and forecats for GDP per capita growth (annual %) in Philippines. Philippines is a newly industrialized country in the Southeastern Asia. The nations most important industries are food processing, textiles and garments, electronics and automobile parts. Philippines also has significant reserves of chromite, nickel, copper, coal an d recently discovered oil. In addition, the Philippians economy relies on remittances as a source of foreign currency. philippines gdp per capita growth annual percent wb data 6.2 Domestic Price : The Philippine domestic economy shrunk to 3.7 percent in 2011, after a stellar growth of 7.6 percent in 2010. Growth was mainly undermined by the severe state under spending as well as the frail external environment. Outlook for 2012 is relatively sanguine with the government hinging its optimism on robust consumer demand and a more vigorous public spending. However, downside risks to growth persist with the global recovery poised to remain slow and uncertain. 2011 domestic economy tepid at 3.7%. The Philippine domestic economy grew by 3.7 percent in 2011, almost half of its 7.6 percent growth in 2010. The growth is within the latest forecasts of the National Economic and Development Authority (3.6-4.0 %) and the International Monetary Fund (3.7%). However, the growth figure is well below that assumed by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (4.5-5.5%), Asian Development Bank (4.7%), and the World Bank (4.2%); and is significantly off the growth target of the Philippine Development Plan (7.0%). Notable is the countrys poor economic performance relative to its neighbors. Except for Thailand, most Asian economies registered higher gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates than the Philippines in 2011. Gross national income (GNI)1 likewise slumped to 2.6 percent from 8.2 percent in 2010. This resulted from the significant contraction of net primary income (NPI),2 which slowed to a negative 0.9 percent, a turnaround from the 10.0 percent growth in 2010 6.3 Labor Force : Unemployment down to 7%. The countrys labor force numbered at 61.9 million in 2011. Of this number, 2.8 million were unemployed registering an unemployment rate of 7.0 percent. Moreover, the service sectors share of total employment increased from 51.8 percent in 2010 to 52.1 percent. Agriculture accounted for 33.0 percent of the employed while industrys share was 14.9 percent. Although the economy managed to generate more than one million jobs in 2011, the quality of employment is still a concern given the substantial increase in the underemployment rate as well as in the number of unpaid family workers. Latest data showed that the underemployed numbered at 7.2 million 6.4 Inflation : Headline inflation is within target. Headline inflation averaged 4.8 percent in 2011, well within the 3.0-5.0 percent inflation target for 2011 but higher than the 3.8 average recorded in 2010. A rise in the prices of food items had been recorded mainly due to the adverse effect of typhoons on agricultural food supplies. Core inflation,3 on the other hand, averaged 3.6 percent The government is particularly bullish on having higher investments in 2012 as investment pledges registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority surged by 47 percent in the first two months of the year. The PSEis breaching of the 5,000 mark for the first time in March 2012 is also said to bode well for the equities market. Likewise, private construction, particularly in the property subsector, is anticipated to remain robust given the upward momentum in office demand and investments in low-cost housing. Demand for commercial spaces will continue to be buoyed by the BPO sector, the revenues of which are slated to grow even further this year by 20 percent. The residential sector is also expected to receive continued support by the robust demand from families of overseas Filipinos. Consumer spending will similarly be sustained by the favorable inflation outlook and the continuous inflow. 6.5 Unemployment Rate : Unemployment means the number of people actively looking for a job divided by the labor force. Unemployment depends on the number of non-employed people who found the job and the people who lost their current job. Unemployment related to labour force, participation rate and employment rate. The unemployment rate of Philippines is 7.2 % which we can show that in the graph. 6.6 Private Sector Development : The stimulus package presented by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is known as the economic resiliency plan. The package included personal income-tax relief for low- and middle-income earners, reduction in corporate income tax, higher social spending on cash transfers and job-creation schemes, as well as a series of infrastructure projects. Although the reforms were not entirely new, the package led the Philippines to being acknowledged as Asias more socially responsible stimulus plans thanks to its focus on agriculture and social services that directly benefit the poor population. The fall in agricultural commodity prices helped support personal disposable income. As a result personal household budgets were minimally effected. The social component in their reforms may be credited with the largest impact due to the focus on poverty. The Philippines must sustain the reform movement in order to spur investments, increase growth, generate higher employment, and alleviate poverty for the fast growing population. Their reforms have already generated 34 consecutive growth quarters, created 8 million jobs, and maintained the lowest inflation in a generation. Most importantly poverty has decreased while revenue increased and has allowed the nation to invest in human and physical infrastructure. With sustained reform and their economic resiliency the Philippines may soon be a prime investment opportunity in uncertain world economic and financial conditions.