Essay on the Nature of Trade in General’

In the excerpt from R. Cantillion ‘Essay on the Nature of Trade in General’ relationship between price and costs of production are being described and explained. Author emphasizes that price of a commodity is a ‘measure of the Land and Labour which enter into its Production’. In other words, price consists of labour and manufacturing costs and should reflect the quality of these two factors. In the excerpt, author makes some accurate assumptions.Firstly, he notices the difference in value of land and labour: ‘One Acre of Land produces more Corn or feeds more Sheep than another. The work of one Man is dearer than that of another’. I am interpreting land as the quality of materials to produce a commodity and consider only labour included in manufacturing. So the fertility of land (which is equal to the quality of the good, as the more fertile land is, the tastier, nicer and bigger fruits it will produce) and quality of labour should be included in the price.Author uses example with wool suite to illustrate his observations : ‘If the Wool of the one Acre is made into a suit of coarse Cloth and the Wool of the other into a suit of fine Cloth, as the latter will require more work and dearer workmanship it will be sometimes ten times dearer’. So the suit of fine cloth will be more expensive than the one from coarse cloth even thought the price of materials used for these suits are the same. It means that price difference of the costumes is determined by the price of labour. Fine cloth suit requires more skilled work and at the same time more expensive work.Skilled workers, with more knowledge are more efficient so their labour costs more. Same relationship between price and quality of materials exist: ‘the price of the Hay in a Field, on the spot, or a Wood which it is proposed to cut down, is fixed by the matter or produce of the Land, according to its goodness’. Author uses phrases such as ‘land fertility’ and ‘quality of the produce of the land’, but for simplicity, let’s assumes that it is the quality of materials used for production or the quality of the good itself it is a raw material.The price of billets is determined by the quality of timber, the price of hay is determined by the quality of the grass cut. In this case the difference between two identical piles of wood or two rolls of hay is determined by the quality of the materials. This given example proves that relationship between the price and quality of the materials do exists. Another accurate observation was made about the surplus and the shortage influence to the price. Author used an example with corns: ‘If the Farmers in a State sow more corn than usual

Experiment on Animal Should Be Stopped

The issue on whether we should allow or not in Experimenting animals has been widely debated in our community recently. It is an important issue because it concerns misunderstanding and misleading data. Varity of different argument have been put forward about this issue but it is strongly agreed by most of the community that experiment on animals should be stopped.Scientist researches say that animal testing is the future to finding cures and helps them figure out what will work and not work on humans. Hence, it can help find cures faster and prevent more human death. Although some people believe that is true; I, therefore have different opinion. Reading through articles from different doctors made me realize that using animals in medical area hasn’t helped humans as what people think it has. In fact, their systems are not anything like ours.First and simplest statement is that animal experiments provide misleading data. At best, they tell us a good deal about how animals expe rience disease, but they rarely tell us something of value that can be applied to humans and it provides additional data, but not a higher level of accuracy. Another statement is that animal tests do not accurately predict how dangerous a drug will be in humans. In other words, drug tests on animals do not protect humans from harmful medications.It is hard to believe that after the horrible instances which have occurred, that they would continually use this procedure. Especially where it does no good, and harms defenseless animals as well. In addition to that, an animal virus can be 99. 9% similar to its analog in humans and still be completely different. To sum up, animal testing isn't helping us progress and if anything it is slowing us down. This, it is not necessary, nor helpful to continue to practice our medicines ; questions on helpless animals.

Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Paper - Assignment Example The government gave a report, and estimated the number of the gas leakage victims was five hundred thousand people (Ferrara, 2012). Three thousand eight hundred of these people had partial injuries, while three thousand nine hundred were permanently injured. There are numerous reasons advanced by scholars as to the cause of the Bhopal disaster. However, most agree that the immediate cause of the disaster was poor management and negligence by the managerial team of Union Carbide India Limited. This paper analyzes the causes of the Bhopal Disaster, in relation to poor managerial and communication skills (Ferrara, 2012). With concrete examples, and well supported facts, this paper looks at how the disaster occurred, and the failure of the management to initiate preventive measures that will protect its workers, from risks emanating from the plant (Rosencranz, 1988). This paper takes a stand that poor management and communication policies at Union Carbide India resulted to the occurrence of the disaster. Failure in communication, before, during and after the Bhopal disaster led to the death of thousands people. In 1984, the Indians comprised of the entire employees at the company. It is the Indians who controlled the machines, and they were involved at virtually all the operations of the company (Dhara et al, 2002). This is because the company implemented its agreement with the Indian government of promoting self-sustenance. On this note, language was a barrier in effectively conducting the affairs of the company. This people lived with their families near the company, and they were the first victims of the gas leakage. Despite this language barrier, the company printed the operating manuals for their equipment’s in English. This was an aspect of mismanagement and negligence; this is because the local community was not proficient in English, and had no idea on know how to react to the warnings contained in the manuals,

Power and Privilege Observations of McIntosh and Flagg Essay

Power and Privilege Observations of McIntosh and Flagg - Essay Example There are two major problems with Ms. McIntosh's ideas. First, she projects her own world on that of everyone else. While her 46 conditions are insightful, they are not representative of whites; because whites, like every other race and culture, cannot be summed up into a generalized expression. If someone were to make such sweeping observations about Hispanics, they would be racists; yet apparently McIntosh believes that it is okay to racist as long as your prejudice is directed at yourself. Take some of the language of the list, e.g., arguments with colleagues absent advancement limitations based on race, and apply that to whites living in Appalachia; there is no comparison at all. Under her analysis, McIntosh is failing to add the privileges relative to a highly-educated and moneyed academic. Secondly, McIntosh's own list evidences the contradictory nature of self-projection. For example, number 35 refers to employment. In reality, there are many places where the hiring of a white female academic would be complete tokenism; say, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The point is that making racial generalizations, even on oneself, is an illogical and inaccurate approach to power or privilege. That which is observable is not necessarily causative. Discussion Point Two.

Cased based essay- Treatment, rationale and management of the iskemic Essay

Cased based - Treatment, rationale and management of the iskemic ulcer - Essay Example Other important findings in the history include presence of intermittent claudication of the left lower limb since one year. John is a chronic smoker. He decreased smoking since one year after onset of claudication symptoms, following advice from a physician. However, he has not been able to completely quit smoking. During the current visit to the hospital, there is no history of fever or any other symptoms. The patient complains that the onset of ulcer started after he began to wear new slip-on shoes with narrow toe box. The patient reported being allergic to penicillin. There is no history suggestive of occupational injury, trauma, varicose veins, previous history of lower limb wounds/ulcers/gangrene, history of amputations and history of any other surgeries. There is no family history of similar ulcers either. The patient is not suffering from any collagen diseases. He is not on any anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids. The condition of the patient is stable. He is afebrile. He looks well nourished. Vitals signs are stable. Systemic examination is within normal limits. The ulcer is located over the lateral malleolus of the left leg. The size of the ulcer is 3cm in length, 2 cm in width and about 0.5 cm in depth. The borders are regular and the wound appears punched out and clean. The color of the ulcer is yellowish. There is minimal granulation tissue. The exudate from the ulcer is mainly serous and minimal. The surrounding skin appears pale, non-edematous, shiny and has decreased hair. Dorsalis pedis pulsation appears normal. Lower extremity ulcers are very common in patients with diabetes and infact, these are the most common causes for limb amputation in diabetic population (Armstrong and Lavery, 1998). Factors which contribute to the development of ulcers in the diabetic population are diabetic neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease and structural deformity (Armstrong and Lavery, 1998). From a podiatrician perspective, it is very

Parenting Capacity and Substance Misuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Parenting Capacity and Substance Misuse - Essay Example Because these effects within the children have a strong potential to be carried into the next generation as well as to impact the public health, it is necessary for the social worker to learn how to recognize these signs and develop means of providing the children with the needed elements they are missing within the home. While this seems a nearly impossible task without the investment of vast resources and time into each family unit, there are some tools and practices that may help. It is the purpose of this study to examine the prevalence of these issues within society and to illustrate the importance of understanding on the part of the social worker in bringing about positive effective change within the home. It seems to be almost common knowledge that substance abuse/misuse can have serious detrimental effects on the care and raising of children within the home where one or both parents are involved in substance abuse activity. The tendency of this thinking holds that all children living within homes in which substances are used or abused are the victims of domestic violence. However, children living in these types of situations may not have any experience at all with the concept of violence within the home, yet may have numerous other issues to deal with as a result of neglect or other forms of abuse. Parents engaging in substance abuse may not have enough time or attention to provide their children with the necessary skills and attention they require to thrive while the parents may also be spending much-needed time and money away from the home as a means of supporting their habit. Children living in this sort of environment may find themselves needing to survive without adequate cloth ing, food or housing while also being required to essentially raise themselves without the benefit of parental guidance or support. This situation can have serious public implications as teenagers, having grown up in this sort of environment, tend to have

Reflection of how I have put principle of nursing - principle E Essay

Reflection of how I have put principle of nursing - principle E effective communication into practice in the placement - Essay Example When I began to inculcate Principle E in my practice, the strongest motivator to do so was poor patient outcomes. Communication difficulties affect patient outcomes (Casey & Wallis 2011, p. 35). So, when things started going wrong, I used Principle E to control situation. The most important concern for me when I started to use Principle E was related to lack of confidence among nurses. I noticed that my fellow nurses lacked basic skills of communication which restricted them from confidently reporting patient information to doctors. Because there was no confidence in their reporting, there was also the problem of poor documentation. Reporting and documentation should be both perfectly clear to improve patient outcomes because they directly affect patient health (Bell & Jones 2007, p. 487). I realized that communication difficulties were at the root of both problems. This practical experience helped me in getting acquainted with the efficacy of Principle E. Patients report dissatisfaction with the way they are provided care when errors are not reported by nurses. Fear inhibits reporting (Barnsteiner 2011). I noticed that without proper implementation of Principle E, patient privacy also becomes a big concern. This is because I came across breaches in patient confidentiality sometimes, but tracking them down revealed to me that they never got reported. This was due to unprofessional execution of duties. I used Principle E to solve this problem because it stresses that patient information should be handled very sensitively and discreetly (Casey & Wallis 2011, p. 36). It is the subtle deficiencies in the way we communicate which go on to present the biggest challenges to nurses. There are confusions and misunderstandings. I dealt with them by practicing Principle E in accordance with NMC standards. For example, one NMC standard promotes that a nurse should become an advocate for people in his/her care and should hasten to

The Holiday of Yom Kippur, and Ramadan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Holiday of Yom Kippur, and Ramadan - Essay Example Despite the international tension and dividing events, some people among the Muslim and Jewish community still attempt to seize this occasion of similar holidays to narrow this gap in order to reach across the political divides to find a common ground, even if it is through the spiritual links between the religions of both communities. The Holidays of Yom Kippur and Ramadan both have spiritual roots, yet for different religions. Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday whereas Ramadan, which ends with eid-ul-fitr, is for Muslims (Blass 22); both of these involve fasting but in different patterns. Each of these holidays is in a period which is not fixed in the Gregorian calendar; rather, it has roots in their traditional calendars. Both Muslims and Jews follow a lunar calendar, yet their calculations are not the same. This determines the fact the Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday for Jews, falls during the Muslims holy Month of Ramadan only once in almost three decades. The literal meaning of word Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. This Jewish holiday begins 10 days after Rosh Hashanah. The Biblical reference to this holiday is â€Å"You should do no work throughout that day. For it is a Day of Atonement ("Yom Kippur") on which expiation is made on your behalf before the Lord your God. Indeed, any person who does not practice self-denial throughout that day shall be cut off from his people " Leviticus 23:27. Ramadan, on the other hand, is the 9th month of Islamic calendar (Cornell 21). It is compulsory for all adult Muslims as the month of fasting. It is said in the Quran: â€Å"O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation† Al-Baqara [2:183]. Yom Kippur is a 25 hour fast, this holiday ends in a day (Escobar 53), whereas Ramadan is a whole month of fasting from dawn till sunset everyday. Both of these, although, are celebrated according to the Jewish and the Islamic calendars. Since both of these

Final Paper African Americans Essay Example for Free

Final Paper African Americans Essay Through out history there has been a struggle for African Americans to be accepted in our society. An African American endures many more disadvantages than most white people. The media and other sources have made blacks to look the same and has portrayed them in a certain light that may not be fitting to all blacks. There are many misconceptions that people have of blacks. Many people and organizations have had a part in bringing equality and fighting for equal rights for black people. African Americans have been at a huge disadvantage in America from the beginning. Unlike many other minority groups in America, African Americans in many cases were brought here by force and not by there own will. (000000) The first African Americans came to America in the seventeenth century and were immediately forced to work for Whites. After much turmoil and even a civil war Blacks were finally given there freedom with the Emancipation proclamation signed and ratified in 1863. Even after the proclamation some blacks were still enslaved and freed blacks had little to no opportunity. The struggle continued into the next century as blacks finally received the right to vote with the ratification in of the 15th amendment. The 20th century contained a world filled by a segregated America between whites and blacks through jim crow laws that existed that restricted blacks from interacting with whites. With a history like that it is no wonder that African Americans still have disadvantages in our modern day. America today is known as the country of opportunity. Although there are many opportunities out there it seems that there are more opportunities for some groups more than others. Many companies and corporations still use race as a indicator for hiring employees. In one study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, people with common black names were less likely to be called back for an interview based on there application alone then black people with common white sounding names. Job applicants with white sounding names needed to send out ten applications to get one call back while applications with common black names needed to send out about fifteen to get one reply. (Francis, www. nber. org/digest.com). The research was done withe resumes of the same qualifications. It is easy to see that Black people are constantly bombarded by inequality in the work force. If there were inequalities just based on names of applicants just imagine the inequality when employers actually see the race of the applicants. Black Americans have been stereotyped for years and continue to be today. The media is one great source of portraying African Americans in certain roles. African Americans are portrayed as criminals, drug dealers and sex offenders in many instances. Many Africans are outraged at how they are portrayed in the media. Protest groups such as the Young African Americans Against Media Stereotypes have done what they can to show there stance on stereotypical media portrayal. Majority of the time you see a young African-American male in the media he is singing, rapping, scoring a touchdown, dunking a basketball or committing a crime( http://www. yaaams. com/) Many stereotypes about black people are incredibly false. Many people still think that black people are only good at certain things like music and sports. This is a very false belief and black people have contributed heavily to all different sorts of fields. Many vital inventions that we use on an everyday bases were invented by black people. The dust mop, pencil sharpener, typewriter, and elevator were all invented by black people. (http://www. black-network. com) Our society would not be what it is if it were not for Garret Morgan, the young Black man who invented the traffic light. http://www. infoplease. com/spot/bhmcensus1. html.

Portable Players Essay Example for Free

Portable Players Essay The innovation set by the Walkman has lead to the creation of different portable media for music listening. This paved the way for the consumers to forever change the way they listen to music (Bellis 1). In fact, the Walkman is considered to be the main catalyst which prompted many companies to re-invent their products to become handy and mobile. Previously, music and news were only confined in big mechanical boxes sitting inside a living room. No one ever imagined that a bulky listening device can actually be turned into something which will fit right into one’s pocket. The Walkman, with an offshoot of portable CD players, has greatly modified the way people establish their lifestyles. The establishments of portable media players, especially those which can play music, have increased a form of mobility for consumers. Practically, it is very obvious that people are now freer to work on other matters even while listening to their favorite tunes. For most cases, this can equate to greater productivity values in day to day activities. Moreover, having a portable listening device such as a CD player makes one’s feelings more invigorated. This can deliberately affect his outlook towards the tasks he is going to do. Aside from that, it is very likely that the convenience of having a portable media player can increase the ability of a person to interact with other people. On a personal note, the presence of portable listening devices is actually a two-faceted situation. On the positive side, people now have the option to bring along the music wherever they go and whenever they may demand for it. Portable media have truly become one convenient way to integrate an entertainment platform defying the limits of previous generations of bulky and impractical music devices. This enriches a person’s point of view because of the fact that he can actually make his life enjoyable by listening to his favorite music anytime. On the other side however, having portable media can actually spell some drastic effects towards an individuals’ personality especially when the use of such devices become uncontrollable. One reason why mobile music players have a positive effect to a person’s social life is the fact that they can satisfy the personal needs of people. For example, if one needs to relax a bit out of the daily routine work, then a simple click and popping of headsets to the ears would sustain a change in mood for the better (Weinberger 1). However, it is also possible that such person, with the right addiction level towards music, may forget that he is still actually a part of the greater social structure. It is very possible that he will tend to interact less and less with other people, become unproductive at work or even modify an attitude towards obsession. Add to that the fact that portable music players pose a certain degree of health risks. Personal stereo systems may actually induce hear loss with extended use according to Canada’s Minister of Health. Even the Media Awareness Network is concerned about having music which promotes racism, discrimination and violence which makes it more available to portable players. Technology is one of the main factors for the development of human society. But sometimes, there are also some consequences that it may induce for people to change their outlook in life, personal feelings and overall philosophy. In such a case, it is important that each person has the capacity to limit himself towards becoming a slave for technological advancement in which social interaction perspectives maybe compromised. As of the moment, the portable music players are still doing its job to satisfy the entertainment hunger of the people. It is only a matter of personal evaluation to help an individual look beyond the excitement of having a mobile music treasure box and see other consequences it may bring. Works Cited Bellis, Mary. Sony Walkman. About. com. 2008. 27 Feb 2008 http://inventors.about. com/od/wstartinventions/a/Walkman. htm. Health Canada, Its Your Health. Minister of Health. 2006. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. 27 Feb 2008 http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/iyh-vsv/life-vie/stereo-baladeur_e. html. Media Awareness, Inappropriate Content in Music. Media Awareness Network. 2008. 27 Feb 2008 http://www. media-awareness. ca/english/parents/music/inappropriate/negative_effects_music. cfm. Weinberger, Norman. Musica Research Notes. Musica. uci. edu. 1996. 27 Feb 2008 http://www. musica. uci. edu/mrn/V3I1S96. html#coloring.

Geophysical Methods Used In Groundwater Exploration

Geophysical Methods Used In Groundwater Exploration The role of geophysical methods in Groundwater Exploration is imperative. Its chief aim is to understand the hidden subsurface hydrogeological setting correctly and effectively. As the base of any geophysical methods is the contrast between the physical properties such as the features, objects, and layers and the surroundings. Parker et al, (2009) indicated that object are only confirmed when the contrast is sufficiently large enough to change the geophysical signal depicting the anomaly as an alien feature of the subsurface i.e., different physical and/or chemical properties than the surroundings in which it is located. They also indicated that geophysical method does not only characterise the subsurface but also spot inhomogeneous features or target that are not characteristics of the surrounding host material in water, water-covered, soil or sediments. Thus the better the contrast or anomaly, the better would be geophysical response and hence the identification. So, the efficiency of any geophysical techniques lies in its ability to sense and resolve the hidden subsurface hydrogeological heterogeneities or disparity. For groundwater exploration a cautious appliance or combination of techniques is most vital to become successful in exploration, technologically as well as cost-effectively. It is undeniably conceptualized that groundwater cannot be detected directly by any one of the geophysical methods and therefore the interpretation is appropriate and a broad understanding of the subsurface hydrogeological condition or setting is a must. Hubbard S.S et al., (2000), Ugur Yaramanci et al., (2002) and Ramke L. Van Dam (2010) emphasizes the use of two or more complementary geophysical methods to enhance data interpretation. With multiple collocations of geophysical data available, excellent results will be produced with significantly better interpretations than when with a single method. Conventional geophysical methods have often been used to map the geometry of aquifers such as seismic, electrical and electromagnetic methods (Wattanasen et al (2008)). These methods have been used to determined and estimate locations, transmission properties, storage and the aquifer materials despite the ambiguity of the interpreted results due to limitation in each method and the site dependence. But with the improvements in instruments, the development of better methods as resulted in a widening of its applications. Surface Electrical Resistivity The primary purpose of resistivity method is to determine the subsurface resistivity distributions by making measurements on the ground surface. There by measuring the potential difference on the surface due to the current flow within the ground. From this measurement the true resistivity of the subsurface can be estimated. The mechanism responsible for the fluid flow and electric current and conduction in porous media according to P.M Soupious et al., 2007, are generally governed by the same physical parameters and lithological attributes, thus the hydraulic and electric conductivities are dependents on each other, while H.S. Salem et al., 1999, indicated that electric-current conduction is affected by various mechanisms in a saturated systems and can be represented by a two-phase model (grain-matrix conductance) known as dispersed phase, and pore-fluid conductance also known as continuous phase. The two-phase model can further be developed into a five-phase model, consisting of sur face conductance occurring at the charged fluid-solid interface, ion-exchange conductance, Maxwellian-effects conductance of both solids in the matrix and those suspended in the pore fluid, grain-matrix conductance and pore fluid conductance. The electrical conduction in the subsurface is mainly electrolytic because most minerals grains are insulators, therefore, the conduction of electricity is through the interstitial water/ or fluids in the pores and fissures. These pore space and fissure of rocks are filled by groundwater which is a natural electrolyte. The factors responsible for the flow and conduction of electrical resistivity in soil and rocks are extremely variable and can vary by several orders of magnitude. These factors according to Loke, 1999 are porosity, degree of water saturation and concentration of dissolved solids, O.A.L. de Lima et al., 2000; tortuosity and porosity, P.M Soupious et al., 2007; lithology, mineralogy, size, shape, packing and orientation of mineral grains, shape and geometry of pores and pore channels, permeability, compaction, magnitude of porosity, consolidation and cementation and depth and water distribution. The resistivity of sedimentary rocks, which are usually more porous, with high water content is highly variable with low resistivity and depends on its formation factor. Formation factor is a very powerful tool in resistivity surveys as it allows pore fluid resistivity to be calculated directly from bulk earth resistivity measurements. This relationship can also be used to convert earth resistivity contours in to fluid conductivity or TDS contours. Bulk resistivity of the ground is measured from direct current resistivity and it obeys an empirical law within an aquifer. This was first proposed by Archie (1942) and the relationship may be expressed as: à Ã‚  = a à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- m S- n à Ã‚ f Where à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ is the porosity of the rock formation, S is the degree of saturation, a, m, and n are constants that depend upon the formation, à Ã‚ f is the resistivity of pore fluid. Archies Law shows that bulk resistivity à Ã‚  of fully saturated formation of a granular medium containing no clay depends significantly on the resistivity of the pore fluid à Ã‚ f. This is mainly as a result of the resistivity of the fluid much lower than that of the solid grains in the matrix. Given that, matrix conduction is negligible and the electric current passes almost entirely through the fluid phase, thus making resistivity methods much more important for hydrological studies. (S.R Wilson et al., 2006). Archies law can thus be expressed as: à Ã‚  = a à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- m à Ã‚ f, assuming that at saturation, S is1. where à Ã‚  is the bulk resistivity, à Ã‚ f is the fluid resistivity, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ is the porosity of the medium, m is known as the cementation factor and a, the tortuosity factor, cementation intercept, lithology factor or lithology coefficients is associated with the medium and its value in many cases departs from the commonly assumed value of one. It is meant to correct for variation in compaction, pore structure and grain size. According to H.S. Salem 1999, the cementation factor of Archie;s equation has specific effects on electric conduction processes in porous media and exhibits extensive disparities from sample to sample, formation to formation, interval to interval in the same medium and from medium to medium. Because of its dependence on various properties, m has been referred to as cementation factor, shape factor, conductivity factor, porosity exponent, resistivity factor, and cementation exponent. The dependence of m on the degree of cementation is not as strong as its dependence on the grain and pore properties (shape and type of grains, and shape and size of pores and pore throats). Therefore it is more appropriate to describe m as shape factor instead of cementation factor. Resstivity survey has been used for a number of geological purposes. S. Srinivas Gowd, 2004, J.O. Oseji, 2006, A.G. Batte et al., 2010, used surface electrical resistivity surveys to delineate groundwater potentials, A. Samouelian et al.,2005, used electrical resistivity survey in soil, S.R. Wilson et al., for saline interface definition, M. Arshad et al., 2006, for lithology and groundwater quality determination, A. Turesson, 2006, for water content and porosity estimations. S.R Wilson, et al, (2006) applied earth resistivity methods in defining saline interface in Te Horo on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand. They used vertical electric sounding (VES) and direct current resistivity traversing which has been mostly successful in defining subsurface areas of higher salinity by providing a two-dimensional image of the bulk resistivity structure. A VES technique has been used most frequently to locate the extent of saline interface using the Schlumberger array geometry. It shows variation in bulk resistivity with distance from the coast and this could be related to the degree of saline mixing but fails to give in depth picture of both the location or structure of the saline interface. However, with the location of the estimated saline interface known, resistivity traversing can be used to improve its location and shape. They result clearly show the potential of resistivity traversing in mapping and in understanding the structure and progression of saline interface in coastal aquifers. Even though VES data may resolve one-dimensional resistivity structure beneath a sounding location, any two- dimensional interpretation of the data requires interpolation between discrete measurements. In contrast, resistivity traversing data provide continuous two-dimensional image of both lateral and vertical variations in resistivity. The important contrast in the electrical resistivity of saline and fresh water allows direct imaging of a sharp saline interface. However, they used formation factor to interpret resistivity data from a much wider area. The formation factor for an aquifer is defined from Archies Law with an assumption that at saturation S is 1, as F =p/pf=aà Ã¢â‚¬ ¢-m Sharma et al (2005), carried out an integrated electrical and very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic surveys to delineate groundwater- bearing zones in hard rock areas of Purulia districts, west Bangal, in India for the construction of deep tube-wells for large amounts of water. The location of potential fractures zones in hard rock areas to yield large amounts of groundwater is very difficult and therefore cannot be easily done using one approach. Hence groundwater potential of any location in hard rock areas requires several approaches, geophysical as well as hydrogeological techniques to increase groundwater yield. Electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods have been extensively used in the search for groundwater as a result of good correlation between electrical properties, fluid content and geology. Groundwater in hard rock areas is normally found in cracks and fractures and therefore the yield depends on the interconnectivity and size of the fractures. The combined use of DC resistivity soundings, SP measurement, Wenner profiling and VLF electromagnetic were used to map the fractures in hard rock areas. VES method was used to determined resistivity variations with depth but cannot be performed everywhere without the priori information. The VLF was successful in mapping resistivity contrast in boundaries of fractures with high degrees of connectivity and also as a result of their high resistivity they have been proved to yield a higher depth of penetration in hard rock areas. Additionally, VLF data is useful in determining suitable strike direction to perform resistivity sounding i.e. parallel to strike and thus improving the chances of success. Resistivity profiling and SP measurement also give important information about the presence of a conductivity fracture and groundwater movement. They concluded that VLF measurement only give indications of the presence of conductive zone but cannot differentiate between deep and shallow sources. Hence, it is essential to follow the location of these VLF anomalies with a technique that investigate the depth of these conductive sources. Consequently, the Schlumberger sounding technique was proved to be effective in determining resistivity variation with depth. A review on the use of electrical resistivity survey as applied to soil was carried out by Samoulian et al, (2005) to re-examine the basic concept of the method and the different types of arrays devices used (one-, two- and three-dimensional arrays), the sensitivity of electrical measurements to soil properties which includes the degree of water saturation i.e. water content, arrangement of voids such as porosity and pore size distribution connectivity and the nature of the solid constituents such as particle size distribution and mineralogy and the main advantages and limitations of the method. They review indicated that electrical resistivity is non-destructive and can make available continuous measurements over a large scope of areas as compared to the conventional soil science measurements and observation which disturb the soil by random and or regular drilling and sampling. As a result of these temporal variables such as water and plant nutriment, depending on the internal structure can be monitored and quantified without changing the soil structure. Thus the application is numerous which includes; determination of soil horizonation and specific heterogeneities, follow-up of the transport phenomena and the monitoring of solute plume contamination in a saline or waste context. However, they suggested that electrical measurements do not give straight access to soil characteristics that is of interest to the agronomist and therefore preliminary laboratory calibration and qualitative or quantitative data interpretations must be carried out in order to connect the electrical measurements with the soil characteristics and function. Direct and indirect method of groundwater investigation was carried out in southern Sweden using magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) and vertical electrical sounding (VES) by Wattanasen et al, (2008). The aim of the survey was to compare MRS with VES and other geophysical methods. The MRS results were consistent with VES. It is a successful tool in groundwater exploration particularly in an area of sedimentary rocks of high magnitude of earth magnetic field. A good quality data was obtained as a result of low ambience noise, low variation in the earth magnetic field and high level of MRS signal. The MRS was effective in determining the depth to water layers, water content and their thickness. It can also detect water in areas with high conductive clay layer that is close to the surface, a factor that limits the penetration depth of other geophysical methods like GPR. Hydraulic properties are essential parameters in hydrogeology for accurate modelling of groundwater flow and rate of movement of contaminant or pollution. These properties; hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity and storage coefficient are used to describe and quantify the capacity of the materials composing aquifers and confining units to transmit and store water. The hydraulic conductivity and storage coefficients (storativity) are aquifer properties that may vary spatially because of geologic heterogeneity. Traditionally, pumping test or laboratory techniques when core samples are available have been used to determine the aquifer hydraulic parameters. These methods have been proved to be invasive and expensive and provide information only in the vicinity of the boreholes and the sample locations. The application of geophysical techniques could be seen as a means of providing important complementary information that might help to reduce the costs of hydrogeological investigations. Aristodemou et al., (1999) and Soupious et al., (2007) also applied surface geophysical techniques to determine the hydraulic conductivity values using both Kozeny-Carman-Bear equation and the Worthington equation. According to Worthington equation: Fa=Fi .(1 + BQvà Ã‚ w)- 1 (1) where, Fa is the apparent formation factor, Fi is the intrinsic formation factor and the BQv term is related to the effects of surface conductance, mainly due to clay particles. In case surface conductance effects are non-existent, the apparent formation factor becomes equal to the intrinsic one. Thus, 1/Fa= 1/Fi +( BQv/Fi)à Ã‚ w (2) Where 1/Fa, is the intercept of the straight line and BQv/Fi represents gradient. Thus, by plotting 1/Fa versus fluid resistivity à Ã‚ w, we should in principle, obtain a value for the intrinsic formation factor, which will subsequently enable us to estimate porosity from the formula à Ã‚ o = a à Ã‚ w à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢- m where à Ã‚ o is the bulk resistivity, à Ã‚ w is the fluid resistivity, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ is the porosity of the medium and m is the cementation factor, although it is also interpreted as grain-shape or pore-shape factor; the coefficient of a is associated with the medium and its value in many cases departs from the commonly assumed value of one. The apparent formation factor Fa =à Ã‚ o/à Ã‚ w, where à Ã‚ o is the bulk resistivity obtained from the resistivity inversion and à Ã‚ w is the fluid electrical resistivity obtained from the borehole. These porosities were subsequently used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity through the Kozeny-Carman-Bear equation. K = ( ÃŽÂ ´wg / ÃŽÂ ¼) . (d2 /180) . [ (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢3 / (1 à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢2 ) ] Where d is the grain size, ÃŽÂ ´w is the fluid density, and ÃŽÂ ¼ is the dynamic viscosity. Andreas Hordt et al., (2006) and Andrew Binley et al., (2005) used spectra induced polarization to determine the hydraulic conductivity. There work was focussed on laboratory experiments in order to establish a semi- empirical relationship between complex electrical resistivity and hydraulic parameters and then applied the field technique to evaluate the feasibility of the method. Thus the hydraulic conductivity, k was then calculated from the Kozeny- Carman equation based on formation factor and inner surface area. K = 1/ F(Spor)c, The exponent c is an adjustable parameter. Complex electrical conductivity was used as a convenient means of hydrogeological applications; à Ã†â€™ = à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã†â€™Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡eià Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ = à Ã†â€™ + ià Ã†â€™ Where à Ã†â€™ and à Ã†â€™ denote real and imaginary part, and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ and à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ denote magnitude and phase, of the conductivity à Ã†â€™. Formation factor was calculated from the equation: F = à Ã†â€™ w/ Re(à Ã†â€™) Im (à Ã†â€™)/l where à Ã†â€™w is the pore fluid conductivity. The factor l is the ratio between imaginary and real part of the surface conductivity. The pore space- internal surface area, Spor is an empirically derived equation from laboratory. Anita Turesson (2006), applied ground- penetrating radar and resistivity independently to evaluate their capability to assess water content and porosity for saturated zone in a sandy section, since dielectric and the resistivity of rocks and sediments are very much dependent on moisture content. Archies empirical formula was used in the resistivity method to determine the relationship between resistivity and porosity (Andrew Binley et al., 2005) in the sedimentary clay free rocks based on the formation factor, which is the ratio of resistivity of the porous media to that of the pore fluid. The results obtained shows good agreement between the two methods in the saturated zone and they use of the independent methods greatly strengthen the results. Another subsurface geophysical techniques is the Induced Polarization (IP) technique which over the past years has been used successfully for mineral exploration by providing in situ information about rock mineralogy mainly disseminated ores and mineral discrimination. More recently the method has been applied in the field of environment and engineering studies to materials which do not contain conductive minerals but rather clay minerals for the mapping of polluted land areas, movement of contaminants and grain size distribution parameters in unconsolidated sediments (E. Aristodemou et al.,(2000); Andreas Hordt et al., 2006, 2007)). In theory, induced polarization is a dimensionless quantity whereas in practice it is  measured as a change in voltage with time or frequency. The time and frequency IP  methods are fundamentally similar, however, they differ in a way of considering and  measuring electrical waveforms. In the former, a direct current is applied into the  ground, and what is recorded is the decay of voltage between two potential electrodes  after the cut off of the current (time-domain method). In the latter, the variation  of apparent resistivity of the ground with the frequency of the applied current is  determined (frequency-domain method). In another type of frequency method, which is called Complex Resistivity (CR) method, a current at frequency range (0.001 Hz to 10 kHz) is injected in the ground and the amplitude of voltage as well as its phase with respect to the current is measured. That is a phase-angle IP measurement. Various studies have been carried out most recently to establish an empirical relationship between hydraulic properties and induced polarisation measurements, though only limited number of studies exists so far at a field scale. The reason for this is that hydraulic properties depend on both porosity and geometry of the pore space. Induced polarisation (IP), is the only geophysical methods that depends on surface characterisation and has been used in hydrology as the possible link to hydraulic properties. (Binley et al., (2005)). Semi-emperical relationships between IP and hydraulic properties have been extensively investigated. Andreas Hordt et al., (2007), estimated hydraulic conductivity from induced polarisation using multi-channel surface IP measurement over a sand/gravel aquifer at Krauthausen. Despite carrying out measurement over a broad frequency range called spectra IP, the hydraulic conductivity analysis was restricted to single frequency data based on the Borner model and Slater and Lesme model. They however, used two different approaches to determine the hydraulic conductivities from the IP results. The first approach is the Bà ¶rner method refered to as the constant-phase angle (CPA), where real and imaginary parts of complex electrical conductivity was sufficient to estimate the hydraulic conductivity from the Kozeny-Carman type equation; k=1/F(Spor)c, based on two parameters; the formation factor and the pore-space related internal surface area, Spor which was empirically derived from laborat ory measurements . The second approach suggested by Slater and Lesme was based on an empirical relationship between k and the imaginary part of conductivity at 1 Hz without using the real part and/or the formation factor: K=m/(b)n. This was based on the argument that hydraulic conductivity primarily depends on the specific inner surface. Andrew Binley et al. 2005, worked on the relationship between spectra induced polarisation and hydraulic properties of saturated and unsaturated sandstone. They tried to observe the spectra IP response of samples taken from the UK sandstone aquifer and compared the measured parameters with the physical and hydraulic properties. There result shows that the mean relaxation time, Æ ¬, is a more suitable measure of IP response for these sediments, with a significant inverse correlation existing between the surface area to pore volume ratio and the Æ ¬, suggesting that Æ ¬ is a measure of a characteristic hydraulic length scale. This was supported by a strong positive correlation between log K and log Æ ¬. There results revealed significant impact of saturation on the measured spectra, thus limiting the applicability of hydraulic-electric models in utilizing the SIP measurements. However, in contrast, they suggested new opportunities for development of physically b ased models linking unsaturated hydraulic characteristics with spectra IP data. The resistivity method was used to solve more problems of groundwater in the types alluvium, karstic and another hard formation aquifer as an inexpensive and useful method. Some uses of this method in groundwater are: determination of depth, thickness and boundary of an aquifer (Zohdy, 1969; and Young et al. 1998), determination of interface saline water and fresh water (El-Waheidi, 1992; Yechieli, 2000; and Choudhury et al., 2001), porosity of aquifer (Jackson et al., 1978), water content in aquifer (Kessels Induced Polarization Fundamentals The induced polarization (IP) method is an electrical geophysical technique, which measures the  slow decay of voltage in the subsurface following the cessation of an excitation current pulse. Basically, an electrical current is imparted into the subsurface, as in the electrical resistivity  method explained elsewhere in this chapter. Water in the subsurface geologic material (within  pores and fissures) allows for certain geologic material to show an effect called induced polarization  when an electrical current is applied. During the application of the electrical current, electrochemical  reactions within the subsurface material takes place and electrical energy is stored. After  the electrical current is turned off the stored electrical energy is discharged which results in a  current flow within the subsurface material. The IP instruments then measure the current flow.   Thus, in a sense, the subsurface material acts as a large electrical capacitor. The induced polarization method measures the bulk electrical characteristics of geologic units;  these characteristics are related to the mineralogy, geochemistry and grain size of the subsurface  materials through which electrical current passes. Induced polarization measurements are taken together with electrical resistivity measurements  using specialized IP instruments. Although the IP method historically has been used in mining  exploration to detect disseminated sulfide deposits, it has also been used successfully in ground  water studies to map clay and silt layers which serve as confining units separating unconsolidated  sediment aquifers. Advantages Induced polarization data can be collected during an electrical resistivity survey, providing the  proper equipment is used. The addition of IP data to a resistivity investigation improves the  resolution of the analysis of resistivity data in three ways: 1) some of the ambiguities encountered  in resolving thin stratigraphic layers while modeling electrical resistivity data can be reduced by  analysis of IP data; 2) IP data can be used to distinguish geologic layers which do not respond well  to an electrical resistivity survey; and 3) the measurement of another physical property (electrical  chargeability) can be used to enhance a hydrogeologic interpretation, such as discriminating  equally electrically conductive targets such as saline, electrolytic or metallic-ion contaminant plumes from clay layers. Limitations The induced polarization method is more susceptible to sources of cultural interference (metal  fences, pipelines, power lines, electrical machinery and so on) than the electrical resistivity method. Also, induced polarization equipment requires more power than resistivity-alone equipment   this translates into heavier and bulkier field instruments. The cost of an IP system can be  much greater than a resistivity-alone system. This, plus an added amount of complexity in the  interpretation of the IP data and the expertise needed to analyze and interpret this data may exceed  the resources of some contractors and consultants. Induced polarization fieldwork tends to be labor intensive and often requires two to three crew  members. Like electrical resistivity surveys, induced polarization surveys require a fairly large  area, far removed from power lines and grounded metallic structures such as metal fences, pipelines  and railroad tracks. Instrumentation Induced polarization instruments are similar to electrical resistivity instruments. There are two  different types of induced polarization systems. Probably the most common type of IP instrument  is the time-domain system. This instrument transmits a constant electrical current pulse during  which time the received voltage is sampled for an electrical resistivity measurement, acting like a  conventional electrical resistivity system. The electrical current is then shut off abruptly by the  system, and after a specified time delay (several milliseconds) the decaying voltage in the subsurface  is sampled at the IP receiver, averaging over one or more time windows or time gates. The  units of measurement are in millivolt-seconds per volt. The second type of IP instrument is the frequency-domain system. In this type of system,  transmitted current is sinusoidal at a specified frequency. Since the system is always on, only an  electrical resistivity measurement can be collected at a particular frequency. To collect induced  polarization data, two frequencies are used, and a percent change is apparent electrical resistivity  from measurements collected at the two frequencies is calculated. This number is called the  percent frequency effect or PFE, and the units are dimensionless in percent. Two frequencies  commonly used are 0.3 and 3.0 Hertz, representing low and high frequency responses, respectively. Other types of Induced polarization may be encountered, although not commonly in environmental  applications. These include spectral induced polarization, complex resistivity, and phase  systems. A detailed description of these systems is beyond the scope of this chapter and the reader  is advised to consult the literature for an extensive discussion of these systems. Electrical resistivity surveying is an active geophysical technique that involves applying an electrical current to the earth and measuring the subsequent electrical response at the ground surface in order to determine physical properties of subsurface materials. The general principle of resistivity testing is that dissimilar subsurface materials can be identified by the differences in their respective electrical potentials. Differences in electrical potentials of materials are determined by the application of a known amount of electric current to these materials and the measurement of the induced voltage potentials. Ohms law states that the voltage (V) of an electric circuit is equal to the electric current (I) times the resistivity (R) of the medium (V-IR). Resistivity surveys are conducted by: 1) applying a known amount of electric current (I) to the earth; 2) measuring the induced voltage (V) ; and, using these two measurements, 3) determining the resistivity (R) of the volume of earth being surveyed. Resistivity methods usually require that both current inducing and measurement electrodes to be pushed or driven into the ground. With connecting wires from the instruments to the electrodes, electrical current is introduced into the ground using the current electrodes and resistivity measurements are performed using different measurement electrode configurations and spacings. There are a number of standardized testing procedures, some of which are described in detail in this section. Resistivity surveys identify geoelectric layers rather than geologic ones. A geoelectric layer is a layer that exhibits a similar electric resistivity response. A geoelectric layer can, but does not always, correspond to a geologic one. For example, an isotropic homogeneous sand, which is saturated with a fluid exhibiting a single conductivity response, will appear to be a single geoelectric layer. The same sand, if filled with fluid layers containing different conductivities, (i.e., salinities) will appear to be more than one geoelectric layer. The interpretation of resistivity data is therefore best made in conjunction with other geophysical techniques (i.e., seismic refraction) or conventional subsurface investigations (i.e., soil borings Historically, it was the use of galvanic measurement systems that gave rise to the IP method which  demonstrated its high efficiency in resistivity surveys for mineral prospecting and structural applications. Induced polarization is a complex phenomenon controlled by many  physical and physicochemical reactions associated with passage  of current through rocks. The Induced Polarization method of geophysical exploration is something of a rarity. It is the only new geophysical method to come into use in over fift

Suicide: Facts, Misconceptions, Causes, And Prevention :: Suicide Essays

A sixteen-year old boy sat in his fourth period class crying because he had just broken up with his girlfriend. As he sat there, he tried to think of a way to ease the pain in his heart of the whole situation. His only conclusion was to try and take his own life. This is an attempt of suicide, which was luckily stopped because of a note that he had given to his girlfriend describing his plans that she, in turn, had given to the Guidance Counselor of the school. The truth is that an attempt of suicide is not always the person’s fault, there are several factors, which are contributed to the cause of suicidal thoughts, or feelings that lead to suicidal attempts, and with various treatment methods these conditions can be controlled not necessarily eliminated. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages fifteen through twenty-five. After making that statement one would come to the conclusion that this age group is responsible for the most suicides, but that is not true the elderly ages sixty-five and older account for more then twenty-percent of all suicides. Considering on average eighty-four people die a day from suicide, that means, that there is an elderly person dying every ninety minutes from suicide, and fifty-four percent of all elderly suicides are committed with a firearm, but after saying that consider this that the elderly only account for thirteen-percent of the U.S. population, and suicide is the eighth leading cause of death among the U.S. population (SAVE). Sixty-percent of suicides among young people are committed with a firearm, and more young people die from suicide than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined (Centers for Disease Control). There are plenty of misconceptions and myths, when it comes to understanding if someone is suicidal and if they already are what makes them that way. One myth is that someone who talks about suicide or jokes about it will not commit suicide. This is not true most of the time; someone who is going to commit suicide will give hints that they are going to do so. These hints are not necessarily as clear as we think they should be, but maybe that is because we are too ignorant to see the warning signs that are put right in front of our face.

Employee Privacy In the Workplace Essay -- Business Managemant

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace For many years, there has been an ongoing fight between employers and employees pertaining to employee rights. The main thing that they have fought about is computer and email monitoring. Many employees don’t seen to understand exactly employers do this. Employers monitor email accounts and company computers mainly for two reasons. Reason one is that they don’t want their employees wasting company time for personal use. In most places, that is considered a very good reason, because if an employee is using company time for personal things, then work isn’t being done. Then it causes problems for everyone. Reason two is that employers want to make sure that employees aren’t doing anything illegal through either email or other internet sites. ..

Ikea Children Labour

KEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) In May 1995, Marianne Barner faced a tough decision. After just two years with IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, and less than a year into her job as business area manager for carpets, she was faced with the decision of cutting off one of the company’s major suppliers of Indian rugs. While such a move would disrupt supply and affect sales, she found the reasons to do so quite compelling.A German TV station had just broadcast an investigative report naming the supplier as one that used child labor in the production of rugs made for IKEA. What frustrated Barner was that, like all other IKEA suppliers, this large, well-regarded company had recently signed an addendum to its supply contract explicitly forbidding the use of child labor on pain of termination. Even more difficult than this short-term decision was the long-term action Barner knew IKEA must take on this issue. On one hand, she w as being urged to sign up to an industry-wide response to growing concerns about the use of child labor in the Indian carpet industry.A recently formed partnership of manufacturers, importers, retailers, and Indian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) was proposing to issue and monitor the use of â€Å"Rugmark,† a label to be put on carpets certifying that they were made without child labor. Simultaneously, Barner had been conversing with people at the Swedish Save the Children organization who were urging IKEA to ensure that its response to the situation was â€Å"in the best interest of the child†Ã¢â‚¬â€whatever that might imply. Finally, there were some who wondered if IKEA should not just leave this hornet’s nest.Indian rugs accounted for a tiny part of IKEA’s turnover, and to these observers, the time, cost, and reputation risk posed by continuing this product line seemed not worth the profit potential. The Birth and Maturing of a Global Company1 To understand IKEA’s operations, one had to understand the philosophy and beliefs of its 70year-old founder, Ingvar Kamprad. Despite stepping down as CEO in 1986, almost a decade later, Kamprad retained the title of honorary chairman and was still very involved in the company’s activities.Yet perhaps even more powerful than his ongoing presence were his strongly held values and beliefs, which long ago had been deeply embedded in IKEA’s culture. Kamprad was 17 years old when he started the mail-order company he called IKEA, a name that combined his initials with those of his family farm, Elmtaryd, and parish, Agunnaryd, located in the ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Professor Christopher A.Bartlett, Executive Director of the HBS Europe Research Center Vincent Dessain, and Research Associate Anders Sjoman prepared this case. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discuss ion. Certain details have been disguised. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright  © 2006 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. bsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) forests of southern Sweden. Working out of the family kitchen, he sold goods such as fountain pens, cigarette lighters, and binders he purchased from low-priced sources and then advertised in a newsletter to local shopkeepers.Wh en Kamprad matched his competitors by adding furniture to his newsletter in 1948, the immediate success of the new line led him to give up the small items. In 1951, to reduce product returns, he opened a display store in nearby Almhult village to allow customers to inspect products before buying. It was an immediate success, with customers traveling seven hours from the capital Stockholm by train to visit. Based on the store’s success, IKEA stopped accepting mail orders. Later Kamprad reflected, â€Å"The basis of the modern IKEA concept was created [at this time] and in principle it still applies.First and foremost, we use a catalog to tempt people to visit an exhibition, which today is our store. . . . Then, catalog in hand, customers can see simple interiors for themselves, touch the furniture they want to buy and then write out an order. †2 As Kamprad developed and refined his furniture retailing business model he became increasingly frustrated with the way a tight ly knit cartel of furniture manufacturers controlled the Swedish industry to keep prices high. He began to view the situation not just as a business opportunity but also as an unacceptable social problem that he wanted to correct.Foreshadowing a vision for IKEA that would later be articulated as â€Å"creating a better life for the many people,† he wrote: â€Å"A disproportionately large part of all resources is used to satisfy a small part of the population. . . . IKEA’s aim is to change this situation. We shall offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function at prices so low that the majority of people can afford to buy them. . . . We have great ambitions. †3 The small newsletter soon expanded into a full catalog. The 1953 issue introduced what would become another key IKEA feature: self-assembled furniture.Instead of buying complete pieces of furniture, customers bought them in flat packages and put them together themselves at home. So on, the â€Å"knockdown† concept was fully systemized, saving transport and storage costs. In typical fashion, Kamprad turned the savings into still lower prices for his customers, gaining an even larger following among young postwar householders looking for well-designed but inexpensive furniture. Between 1953 and 1955, the company’s sales doubled from SEK 3 million to SEK 6 million. 4Managing Suppliers: Developing Sourcing Principles As its sales took off in the late 1950s, IKEA’s radically new concepts began to encounter stiff opposition from Sweden’s large furniture retailers. So threatened were they that when IKEA began exhibiting at trade fairs, they colluded to stop the company from taking orders at the fairs and eventually even from showing its prices. The cartel also pressured manufacturers not to sell to IKEA, and the few that continued to do so often made their deliveries at night in unmarked vans.Unable to meet demand with such constrained loc al supply, Kamprad was forced to look abroad for new sources. In 1961, he contracted with several furniture factories in Poland, a country still in the Communist eastern bloc. To assure quality output and reliable delivery, IKEA brought its knowhow, taught its processes, and even provided machinery to the new suppliers, revitalizing Poland’s furniture industry as it did so. Poland soon became IKEA’s largest source and, to Kamprad’s delight, at much lower costs—once again allowing him to reduce his prices.Following its success in Poland, IKEA adopted a general procurement principle that it should not own its means of production but should seek to develop close ties by supporting its suppliers in a 2 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) 906-414 long-term relationship. a Beyond supply contracts and technology transfer, the relationship led IKEA to make loans to its suppliers at reasonable rates, repayable through future sh ipments. â€Å"Our objective is to develop long-term business partners,† explained a senior purchasing manager. We commit to doing all we can to keep them competitive—as long as they remain equally committed to us. We are in this for the long run. † Although the relationship between IKEA and its suppliers was often described as one of mutual dependency, suppliers also knew that they had to remain competitive to keep their contract. From the outset they understood that if a more cost-effective alternative appeared, IKEA would try to help them respond, but if they could not do so, it would move production. In its constant quest to lower prices, the company developed an unusual way of identifying new sources.As a veteran IKEA manager explained: â€Å"We do not buy products from our suppliers. We buy unused production capacity. † It was a philosophy that often led its purchasing managers to seek out seasonal manufacturers with spare off-season capacity. There were many classic examples of how IKEA matched products to supplier capabilities: they had sail makers make seat cushions, window factories produce table frames, and ski manufacturers build chairs in their off-season. The manager added, â€Å"We’ve always worried more about finding the right management at our suppliers than finding high-tech facilities.We will always help good management to develop their capacity. † Growing Retail: Expanding Abroad Building on the success of his first store, Kamprad self-financed a store in Stockholm in 1965. Recognizing a growing use of automobiles in Sweden, he bucked the practice of having a downtown showroom and opted for a suburban location with ample parking space. When customers drove home with their furniture in flat packed boxes, they assumed two of the costliest parts of traditional furniture retailing—home delivery and assembly. In 1963, even before the Stockholm store had opened, IKEA had expanded into Oslo, Norway.A decade later, Switzerland became its first non-Scandinavian market, and in 1974 IKEA entered Germany, which soon became its largest market. (See Exhibit 1 for IKEA’s worldwide expansion. ) At each new store the same simple Scandinavian-design products were backed up with a catalog and offbeat advertising, presenting the company as â€Å"those impossible Swedes with strange ideas. † And reflecting the company’s conservative values, each new entry was financed by previous successes. b During this expansion, the IKEA concept evolved and became increasingly formalized. (Exhibit 2 summarizes important events in IKEA’s corporate history. It still built large, suburban stores with knockdown furniture in flat packages the customers brought home to assemble themselves. But as the concept was refined, the company required that each store follow a predetermined design, set up to maximize customers’ exposure to the product range. The concept mandated, for ins tance, that the living room interiors should follow immediately after the entrance. IKEA also serviced customers with features such as a playroom for children, a low-priced restaurant, and a â€Å"Sweden Shop† for groceries that had made IKEA Sweden’s leading food exporter. At the same time, the range gradually This policy was modified after a number of East European suppliers broke their contracts with IKEA after the fall of the Berlin Wall opened new markets for them. IKEA’s subsequent supply chain problems and loss of substantial investments led management to develop an internal production company, Swedwood, to ensure delivery stability. However, it was decided that only a limited amount of IKEA’s purchases (perhaps 10%) should be sourced from Swedwood. b By 2005, company lore had it that IKEA had only taken one bank loan in its corporate history—which it had paid back as soon as the cash flow allowed. 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Chall enge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) expanded beyond furniture to include a full line of home furnishing products such as textiles, kitchen utensils, flooring, rugs and carpets, lamps, and plants. The Emerging Culture and Values5 As Kamprad’s evolving business philosophy was formalized into the IKEA vision statement, â€Å"To create a better everyday life for the many people,† it became the foundation of the company’s strategy of selling affordable, good-quality furniture to mass-market consumers around the world.The cultural norms and values that developed to support the strategy’s implementation were also, in many ways, an extension of Kamprad’s personal beliefs and style. â€Å"The true IKEA spirit,† he remarked, â€Å"is founded on our enthusiasm, our constant will to renew, on our cost-consciousness, on our willingness to assume responsibility and to help, on our humbleness before the task, and on the simplicity of our behavior. † As well as a summary of his aspiration for the company’s behavioral norms, it was also a good statement of Kamprad’s own personal management style.Over the years a very distinct organizational culture and management style emerged in IKEA reflecting these values. For example, the company operated very informally as evidenced by the open-plan office landscape, where even the CEO did not have a separate office, and the familiar and personal way all employees addressed one another. But that informality often masked an intensity that derived from the organization’s high self-imposed standards. As one senior executive explained, â€Å"Because there is no security available behind status or closed doors, this environment actually puts pressure on people to perform. The IKEA management process also stressed simplicity and attention to detail. â€Å"Complicated rules paralyze! † said Kamprad. The company organized â€Å"anti-bureaucrat week† every year, requiring all managers to spend time working in a store to reestablish contact with the front line and the consumer. The workpace was such that executives joked that IKEA believed in â€Å"management by running around. † Cost consciousness was another strong part of the management culture. â€Å"Waste of resources,† said Kamprad, â€Å"is a mortal sin at IKEA. Expensive solutions are often signs of mediocrity, and an idea without a price tag is never acceptable. Although cost consciousness extended into all aspects of the operation, travel and entertainment expenses were particularly sensitive. â€Å"We do not set any price on time,† remarked an executive, recalling that he had once phoned Kamprad to get approval to fly first class. He explained that economy class was full and that he had an urgent appointment to keep. â€Å"There is no first class in IKEA,† Kamprad had replied. â€Å"Perhaps you should go by car. † The executive completed the 35 0-mile trip by taxi. The search for creative solutions was also highly prized with IKEA. Kamprad had written, â€Å"Only while sleeping one makes no mistakes.The fear of making mistakes is the root of bureaucracy and the enemy of all evolution. † Though planning for the future was encouraged, overanalysis was not. â€Å"Exaggerated planning can be fatal,† Kamprad advised his executives. â€Å"Let simplicity and common sense characterize your planning. † In 1976, Kamprad felt the need to commit to paper the values that had developed in IKEA during the previous decades. His thesis, Testament of a Furniture Dealer, became an important means for spreading the IKEA philosophy, particularly during its period of rapid international expansion. (Extracts of the Testament are given in Exhibit 3. Specially trained â€Å"IKEA ambassadors† were assigned to key positions in all units to spread the company’s philosophy and values by educating their subordinates a nd by acting as role models. 4 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) 906-414 In 1986, when Kamprad stepped down, Anders Moberg, a company veteran who had once been Kamprad’s personal assistant, took over as president and CEO. But Kamprad remained intimately involved as chairman, and his influence extended well beyond the ongoing daily operations: he was the self-appointed guardian of IKEA’s deeply embedded culture and values.Waking up to Environmental and Social Issues By the mid-1990s, IKEA was the world's largest specialized furniture retailer. Sales for the IKEA Group for the financial year ending August 1994 totaled SEK 35 billion (about $4. 5 billion). In the previous year, more than 116 million people had visited one of the 98 IKEA stores in 17 countries, most of them drawn there by the company’s product catalog, which was printed yearly in 72 million copies in 34 languages. The privately held company did not report profi t levels, but one estimate put its net margin at 8. 4% in 1994, yielding a net profit of SEK 2. billion (about $375 million). 6 After decades of seeking new sources, in the mid-1990s IKEA worked with almost 2,300 suppliers in 70 countries, sourcing a range of around 11,200 products. Its relationship with its suppliers was dominated by commercial issues, and its 24 trading service offices in 19 countries primarily monitored production, tested new product ideas, negotiated prices, and checked quality. (See Exhibit 4 for selected IKEA figures in 1994. ) That relationship began to change during the 1980s, however, when environmental problems emerged with some of its products.And it was even more severely challenged in the mid-1990s when accusations of IKEA suppliers using child labor surfaced. The Environmental Wake-Up: Formaldehyde In the early 1980s, Danish authorities passed regulations to define limits for formaldehyde emissions permissible in building products. The chemical compoun d was used as binding glue in materials such as plywood and particleboard and often seeped out as gas. At concentrations above 0. 1 mg/kg in air, it could cause watery eyes, headaches, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing.With IKEA’s profile as a leading local furniture retailer using particleboard in many of its products, it became a prime target for regulators wanting to publicize the new standards. So when tests showed that some IKEA products emitted more formaldehyde than was allowed by legislation, the case was widely publicized and the company was fined. More significantly—and the real lesson for IKEA—was that due to the publicity, its sales dropped 20% in Denmark. In response to this situation, the company quickly established stringent requirements regarding formaldehyde emissions but soon found that suppliers were failing to meet its standards.The problem was that most of its suppliers bought from subsuppliers, who in turn bought t he binding materials from glue manufacturers. Eventually, IKEA decided it would have to work directly with the glue-producing chemical companies and, with the collaboration of companies such as ICI and BASF, soon found ways to reduce the formaldehyde off-gassing in its products. 7 A decade later, however, the formaldehyde problem returned. In 1992, an investigative team from a large German newspaper and TV company found that IKEA’s best-selling bookcase series, Billy, had emissions higher than German legislation allowed.This time, however, the source of the problem was not the glue but the lacquer on the bookshelves. In the wake of headlines describing â€Å"deadly poisoned bookshelves,† IKEA immediately stopped both the production and sales of Billy bookcases worldwide and corrected the problem before resuming distribution. Not counting the cost of lost sales and production or the damage to goodwill, the Billy incident was estimated to have cost IKEA $6 million to $7 million. 8 5 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A)These events prompted IKEA to address broader environmental concerns more directly. Since wood was the principal material in about half of all IKEA products, forestry became a natural starting point. Following discussions with both Greenpeace and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF, formerly World Wildlife Fund) and using standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council, IKEA established a forestry policy stating that IKEA would not accept any timber, veneer, plywood, or layer-glued wood from intact natural forests or from forests with a high conservation value.This meant that IKEA had to be willing to take on the task of tracing all wood used in IKEA products back to its source. 9 To monitor compliance, the company appointed forest managers to carry out random checks of wood suppliers and run projects on responsible forestry around the world. In addition to forestry, IKEA identified four other a reas where environmental criteria were to be applied to its business operations: adapting the product range; working with suppliers; transport and distribution; and ensuring environmentally conscious stores.For instance, in 1992, the company began using chlorine-free recycled paper in its catalogs; it redesigned the best-selling OGLA chair— originally manufactured from beech—so it could be made using waste material from yogurt cup production; and it redefined its packaging principles to eliminate any use of PVC. The company also maintained its partnership with WWF, resulting in numerous projects on global conservation, and funded a global forest watch program to map intact natural forests worldwide. In addition, it engaged in an ongoing dialogue with Greenpeace on forestry. 10 The Social Wake-Up: Child LaborIn 1994, as IKEA was still working to resolve the formaldehyde problems, a Swedish television documentary showed children in Pakistan working at weaving looms. Amon g the several Swedish companies mentioned in the film as importers of carpets from Pakistan, IKEA was the only highprofile name on the list. Just two months into her job as business area manager for carpets, Marianne Barner recalled the shockwaves that the TV program sent through the company: The use of child labor was not a high-profile public issue at the time. In fact, the U. N. Convention on the Rights of the Child had only been published in December 1989.So, media attention like this TV program had an important role to play in raising awareness on a topic not well known and understood—including at IKEA. . . . We were caught completely unaware. It was not something we had been paying attention to. For example, I had spent a couple of months in India learning about trading but got no exposure to child labor. Our buyers met suppliers in their city offices and rarely got out to where production took place. . . . Our immediate response to the program was to apologize for our ignorance and acknowledge that we were not in full control of this problem.But we also committed to do something about it. As part of its response, IKEA sent a legal team to Geneva to seek input and advice from the International Labor Organization (ILO) on how to deal with the problem. They learned that Convention 138, adopted by the ILO in 1973 and ratified by 120 countries, committed ratifying countries to working for the abolition of labor by children under 15 or the age of compulsory schooling in that country. India, Pakistan, and Nepal were not signatories to the convention. 1 Following these discussions with the ILO, IKEA added a clause to all supply contracts—a â€Å"black-andwhite† clause, as Barner put it—stating simply that if the supplier employed children under legal working age, the contract would be cancelled. To take the load off field trading managers and to provide some independence to the monitoring process, the company appointed a third-party agent to monitor child labor practices at its suppliers in India and Pakistan. Because this type of external monitoring was very unusual, IKEA had some difficulty locating a reputable and competent company to perform the task. Finally, they appointed a 6IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) 906-414 well-known Scandinavian company with extensive experience in providing external monitoring of companies’ quality assurance programs and gave them the mandate not only to investigate complaints but also to undertake random audits of child labor practices at suppliers’ factories. Early Lessons: A Deeply Embedded Problem With India being the biggest purchasing source for carpets and rugs, Barner contacted Swedish Save the Children, UNICEF, and the ILO to expand her understanding and to get advice about the issue of child labor, especially in South Asia.She soon found that hard data was often elusive. While estimates of child labor in India var ied from the government’s 1991 census figure of 11. 3 million children under 15 working12 to Human Rights Watch’s estimate of between 60 million and 115 million child laborers,13 it was clear that a very large number of Indian children as young as five years old worked in agriculture, mining, quarrying, and manufacturing, as well as acting as household servants, street vendors, or beggars.Of this total, an estimated 200,000 were employed in the carpet industry, working on looms in large factories, for small subcontractors, and in homes where whole families worked on looms to earn extra income. 14 Children could be bonded—essentially placed in servitude—in order to pay off debts incurred by their parents, typically in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 rupees ($30 to $300). But due to the astronomical interest rates and the very low wages offered to children, it could take years to pay off such loans. Indeed, some indentured child laborers eventually passed on t he debt to their own children.The Indian government stated that it was committed to the abolition of bonded labor, which had been illegal since the Children (Pledging of Labour) Act passed under British rule in 1933. The practice continued to be widespread, however, and to reinforce the earlier law, the government passed the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act in 1976. 15 But the government took a less absolute stand on unbonded child labor, which it characterized as â€Å"a socioeconomic phenomenon arising out of poverty and the lack of development. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 prohibited the use of child labor (applying to those under 14) in certain defined â€Å"hazardous industries† and regulated children’s hours and working conditions in others. But the government felt that the majority of child labor involved â€Å"children working alongside and under the supervision of their parents† in agriculture, cottage industries, and s ervice roles. Indeed, the law specifically permitted children to work in craft industries â€Å"in order not to outlaw the passage of specialized handicraft skills from generation to generation. 16 Critics charged that even with these laws on the books, exploitive child labor—including bonded labor—was widespread because laws were poorly enforced and prosecution rarely severe. 17 Action Required: New Issues, New Options In the fall of 1994, after managing the initial response to the crisis, Barner and her direct manager traveled to India, Nepal, and Pakistan to learn more. Barner recalled the trip: â€Å"We felt the need to educate ourselves, so we met with our suppliers. But we also met with unions, politicians, activists, NGOs, U. N. rganizations, and carpet export organizations. We even went out on unannounced carpet factory raids with local NGOs; we saw child labor, and we were thrown out of some places. † On the trip, Barner also learned of the formation o f the Rugmark Foundation, a recently initiated industry response to the child labor problem in the Indian carpet industry. Triggered by a consumer awareness program started by human rights organizations, consumer activists, and trade unions in Germany in the early 1990s, the Indo-German Export Promotion Council had joined up with key 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters and some Indian NGOs to develop a label certifying that the hand-knotted carpets to which it was attached were made without the use of child labor. To implement this idea, the Rugmark Foundation was organized to supervise the use of the label. It expected to begin exporting rugs carrying a unique identifying number in early 1995.As a major purchaser of Indian rugs, IKEA was invited to sign up with Rugmark as a way of dealing with the ongoing potential for child labor problems on products sourced from India. On her return to Sweden, Barner again met frequently with the Swedish Save the Children’s expert on child labor. â€Å"The people there had a very forward-looking view on the issue and taught us a lot,† said Barner. â€Å"Above all, they emphasized the need to ensure you always do what is in the best interests of the child. † This was the principle set at the heart of the U. N.Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), a document with which Barner was now quite familiar. (See Exhibit 5 for Article 32 from the U. N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. ) The more Barner learned, the more complex the situation became. As a business area manager with full profit-and-loss responsibility for carpets, she knew she had to protect not only her business but also the IKEA brand and image. Yet she viewed her responsibility as broader than this: She felt the company should do something that would make a difference in the lives of the children she had seen.It was a view that was not universally held within IKEA, where many were concerned that a very proactive stand could put the business at a significant cost disadvantage to its competitors. A New Crisis Then, in the spring of 1995, a year after IKEA began to address this issue, a well-known German documentary maker notified the company that a film he had made was about to be broadcast on German television showing children working at looms at Rangan Exports, one of IKEA’s major suppliers.While refusing to let the company preview the video, the filmmaker produced still shots taken directly from the video. The producer then invited IKEA to send someone to take part in a live discussion during the airing of the program. Said Barner, â€Å"Compared to the Swedish program, which documented the use of child labor in Pakistan as a serious report about an important issue without targeting any single company, it was immediately clear that this German-produced program planned to take a confrontational and aggressive approac h aimed directly at IKEA and one of its suppliers. For Barner, the first question was whether to recommend that IKEA participate in the program or decline the invitation. Beyond the immediate public relations issue, she also had to decide how to deal with Rangan Exports’ apparent violation of the contractual commitment it had made not to use child labor. And finally, this crisis raised the issue of whether the overall approach IKEA had been taking to the issue of child labor was appropriate. Should the company continue to try to deal with the issue through its own relationships with its suppliers?Should it step back and allow Rugmark to monitor the use of child labor on its behalf? Or should it recognize that the problem was too deeply embedded in the culture of these countries for it to have any real impact and simply withdraw? 8 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) 906-414 Exhibit 1 IKEA Stores, Fiscal Year Ending August 1994 a. Historica l Store Growth 1954 Number of Stores 0 1964 2 1974 9 1984 52 1994 114 b. Country’s First StoreFirst Store (with city) Country Sweden Norway Denmark Switzerland Germany Australia Canada Austria Netherlands Singapore Spain Iceland France Saudi Arabia Belgium Kuwait United States United Kingdom Hong Kong Italy Hungary Poland Czech Republic United Arab Emirates Slovakia Taiwan Year 1958 1963 1969 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1978 1980 1981 1981 1983 1984 1984 1985 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1991 1991 1992 1994 City Almhult Oslo Copenhagen Zurich Munich Artamon Vancouver Vienna Rotterdam Singapore Gran Canaria Reykjavik Paris Jeddah Brussels Kuwait City Philadelphia Manchester Hong Kong Milan Budapest Platan Prague Dubai Bratislava TaipeiSource: IKEA website, http://franchisor. ikea. com/txtfacts. html, accessed October 15, 2004. 9 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) Exhibit 2 IKEA History: Selected Events Year 1943 1945 1948 1951 1955 1 956 1958 1961 1963 1965 1965 1973 1974 1978 1980 1980 1985 1985 1991 Event IKEA is founded. Ingvar Kamprad constructs the company name from his initials (Ingvar Kamprad), his home farm (Elmtaryd), and its parish (Agunnaryd). The first IKEA ad appears in press, advertising mail-order products. Furniture is introduced into the IKEA product range.Products are still only advertised through ads. The first IKEA catalogue is distributed. IKEA starts to design its own furniture. Self-assembly furniture in flat packs is introduced. The first IKEA store opens in Almhult, Sweden. Contract with Polish sources, IKEA’s first non-Scandinavian suppliers. First delivery is 20,000 chairs. The first IKEA store outside Sweden opens in Norway. IKEA opens in Stockholm, introducing the self-serve concept to furniture retailing. IKEA stores add a section called â€Å"The Cook Shop,† offering quality utensils at low prices.The first IKEA store outside Scandinavia opens in Spreitenbach, Switzer land. A plastic chair is developed at a supplier that usually makes buckets. The BILLY bookcase is introduced to the range, becoming an instant top seller. One of IKEA’s best-sellers, the KLIPPAN sofa with removable, washable covers, is introduced. Introduction of LACK coffee table, made from a strong, light material by an interior door factory. The first IKEA Group store opens in the U. S. MOMENT sofa with frame built by a supermarket trolley factory is introduced. Wins a design prize. IKEA establishes its own industrial group, Swedwood.Source: Adapted from IKEA Facts and Figures, 2003 and 2004 editions, and IKEA internal documents. 10 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) 906-414 Exhibit 3 â€Å"A Furniture Dealer’s Testament†Ã¢â‚¬â€A Summarized Overview In 1976, Ingvar Kamprad listed nine aspects of IKEA that he believed formed the basis of the IKEA culture together with the vision statement â€Å"To create a better everyd ay life for the many people. † These aspects are given to all new employees through a pamphlet titled â€Å"A Furniture Dealer’s Testament. † The following table summarizes the major points: Cornerstone 1.The Product Range—Our Identity 2. The IKEA Spirit—A Strong and Living Reality 3. Profit Gives Us Resources Summarize Description IKEA sells well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA is about enthusiasm, renewal, thrift, responsibility, humbleness toward the task and simplicity. IKEA will achieve profit (which Kamprad describes as a â€Å"wonderful word†) through the lowest prices, good quality, economical development of products, improved purchasing processes and cost savings. â€Å"Waste is a deadly sin. † 4.Reaching Good Results with Small Means 5. Simplicity is a Virtue Complex regulations and exaggerated planning paralyze. IKEA people stay simple in st yle and habits as well as in their organizational approach. IKEA is run from a small village in the woods. IKEA asks shirt factories to make seat cushions and window factories to make table frames. IKEA discounts its umbrellas when it rains. IKEA does things differently. â€Å"We can never do everything everywhere, all at the same time. † At IKEA, you choose the most important thing to do and finish that before starting a new project. The fear of making mistakes is the root of bureaucracy. † Everyone has the right to make mistakes; in fact, everyone has an obligation to make mistakes. 6. Doing it a Different Way 7. Concentration—Important to Our Success 8. Taking Responsibility—A Privilege 9. Most Things Still Remain to be IKEA is only at the beginning of what it might become. 200 stores is Done. A Glorious Future! nothing. â€Å"We are still a small company at heart. † Source: Adapted by casewriters from IKEA’s â€Å"A Furniture Dealer†™s Testament†; Bertil Torekull, â€Å"Leading by Design: The IKEA Story† (New York: Harper Business, 1998, p. 12); and interviews. 11 906-414 IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) Exhibit 4 a. Sales IKEA in Figures, 1993–1994 (fiscal year ending August 31, 1994) Country/region Germany Sweden Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway North America (U. S. and Canada) Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia Australia SEK billion 10. 4 3. 9 7. 7 7. 3 4. 9 0. 5 0. 4 35. 0 Percentage 29. 70% 11. 20% 21. 90% 20. 80% 13. 90% 1. 50% 1. 00% b. PurchasingCountry/region Nordic Countries East and Central Europe Rest of Europe Rest of the World Percentage 33. 4% 14. 3% 29. 6% 22. 7% Source: IKEA Facts and Figures, 1994. Exhibit 5 The U. N. Convention on the Rights of the Child: Article 32 1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development. . States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social, and educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, States Parties shall in particular: (a) (b) (c) Provide for a minimum age for admission to employment Provide for appropriate regulation of hours and conditions of employment Provide for appropriate or other sanctions to ensure the effective enforcement of the present article.

Gang Leader for a Day Essay

In the book, Gang Leader for a Day, a rogue sociologist passionately dives into the lives of one of Chicago’s toughest housing projects in an attempt to develop an insight as to how the urban impoverished lived. Throughout the text it becomes clear that a conflict paradigm is being reflected. A conflict society is based on social inequality, in which some individuals benefit and thrive more than others, which tends to lead to conflict and thus change. This is evident both in the housing projects where a gang known as the â€Å"Black Kings† take over and also in the surrounding neighborhoods where the more elite citizens, including persons from the authors university, shy away from associating with the nearby poor black nearby public, thus creating unbalanced communities. In the text the author, Sudhir Venkatesh, observes how elites use their power to control the less powerful. This is evident in the Robert Taylor Homes, where the Black Kings profit from drug sales that control the community, while the rest of the families are struggling to survive. There even appear to be hierarchies within a hierarchy. For example, within the Black Kings gang there were leaders such as a man known as â€Å"J.T.†, who would make thousands in profits from commanding others and then there were young teenage men who actually sold the drugs and barely earned minimum wage (256). Aside from the drug sale employees, other workers such as those who ran shops or did menial work from their high rises were also controlled by the gangs, who would use fear tactics to implement various taxes upon them. Clearly the majority of the society is being controlled by the middle and upper-class from surrounding neighborhoods and also the gangs in the lower-class community, creating social inequality. However, conflict and change do appear by the end of the book when the Chicago Housing Authority along with President Clinton decides to demolish Robert Taylor Homes in hopes of eliminating the hierarchy of gangs and stimulating a more prosperous society (269-270). There are many different factors presented in the text that lead to the disadvantage of poverty, including social, institutional, economic, and political influences. The obvious social influences were the relationships between and within the gangs. Although members within the gang act as a family, always protecting each other, the members who weren’t as fortunate to be party of their inner circle were treated unjustly, such as C-Note (62). Since gangs took over the disadvantaged community, they had control over who was allowed to move up in the social ladder and who was not. Since the community was filled with violence, thefts, drug abuse, and prostitutes, people tended not to trust each other, which would explain why it must have been so hard for the citizens to keep steady relationships and jobs (105). If there was no trust within relationships, clearly it would be hard to make yourself known in the community as a decent and honorable person who can handle a job. I believe it was because of these unstable relationships that so many persons in Robert Taylor Homes had to succumb to menial work as their source of income. Institutions such as work, school, and hospitals also influenced the sustainment of poverty. For example, the police refused to patrol Robert Taylor Homes because they believed it was too risky and there were only â€Å"two social-service centers for nearly twenty thousand children† (37). Similarly, hospital’s rarely ever responded to shootings in the neighborhood and when children dropped out of school there wasn’t much encouragement to get them back in. The lack of public assistance was clearly a factor in creating and maintaining poverty since the citizens had a lack of resources to free themselves from their difficulties. Furthermore, even if the police or other institutions were present, they were extremely flawed. This is evident in the fact the certain police would raid gang parties and steal their belongings, openly violating the law themselves (231). If cops displayed law breaking, how could they expect their citizens to dutifully follow the law? Another flawed institution was the Chicago Housing Authority, which demolished public housing to replace it with recreation (262). Not only did they take away the only homes the poor had, but also ineffectively relocated them to a community where they could thrive. One of the main economic problems that many people, particularly gangs, in Robert Taylor faced was the fact that they didn’t want to trade in their status for entry-level jobs because in many cases, gang leaders made far more than they would have if they worked minimum wage jobs (72). Many of the gang leaders such as J.T. held the false belief that the drug economy was â€Å"useful for the community, since it redistributed the drug addict’s money back into the community via the gang’s philanthropy† (115). However, the drug economy is not a stable or lucrative economy compared to your average jobs because it was clearly very hard for people to get ahead in gangs, thus no one ever had a fair shot of earning more money in their life span. Nevertheless, the situation can tend to be a grey area of debate since a lot of the residents did attempt to hold blue-collar jobs but continued to get laid off (60). In this case, the underground economy of drug sales may have been the only choice for residents looking for an income. Another way the gangs play into the economic situation is when there are drive by shootings, in which case parents would have to take time off from work to stay home with their kids (105). This further goes to show the negative widespread effects of gangs on urban, poor communities in that their illegal drug sales or shootings sustained the low SES of parents with real jobs. The political economy of outlaw capitalism evident in the text is another flawed institution creating poverty (37). As touched upon earlier, if the government allows certain communities to run these underground social systems where only one group benefits, then the community will obviously continue to be poorly balanced. The majority of the community will be fighting for a means of income while the various gangs benefit from the only wealth available. Another political flaw is that members of the community were told how to vote. It appeared that the gangs had a misconstrued depiction of how to go about political reform. Their idea of responsible voting was to gather in meetings and choose the alderman who would best keep the police away from their drug economy, â€Å"there was no discussion of platform, no list of vital issues† (77). The lack of knowledge of real political issues was ultimately detrimental to the community as a whole, as the cycle of outlaw capitalism would ju st continue to rule Robert Taylor. As mentioned before, Robert Taylor was heavily run by gangs, leading to various social factors such as marginalization, alienation, disempowerment, and social Darwinism to overtake the community. Robert Taylor residents were marginalized by the gangs within their community and also as a whole by the larger community through government neglect and vicious rumors to alienate them from the more elite neighborhoods (36). This ties in to the disempowerment in Robert Taylor, which is highly evident in the gangs where there are leaders who control drug dealers, squatters, foot soldiers, etc. (50-51). In this hierarchy, if a member of the gang disobeys the rules, such as by withholding money, then the leader will disempower that individual, forbidding them to sell drugs for a week or even a month – in effect, decreasing their income. Similarly, social Darwinism is evident in drug dealers because the process is essentially based off of the idea that those who are â€Å"fittest† or most able will thrive while the so-called â€Å"weak† are left to die. For instance, if drug dealers are fearful they could be shot, if mothers refuse to sell their bodies, they could have no food for their children that week. Even residents with real, marketplace jobs are subjected to this theory, as none of their jobs are very stable and they could succumb to an absence of income at any time. I believe it is both a â€Å"culture of poverty† and a lack of resources that are responsible for the â€Å"deviant† behavior and poverty in Robert Taylor. Clearly there is a high lack of resources, such as the police or hospital who won’t respond to calls in the neighborhood (37, 48). For example, if there are no police then gangs can get away with beating each other up instead of letting the law handle it (226) . Yet at the same time it is the gangs who encourage the younger generation to become part of their culture, instilling violent behaviors in them from a young age (258). Due to the absence of government assistance programs for the poor, citizens grew up with the belief that they were infinitely bound to poverty. In effect, they developed traits that would benefit their lifestyle, such as the drug economy, but did not bother developing skills that would extend beyond their culture of poverty, such as an education. Even when residents had a chance to make a better life for themselves and escape the projects, they would become â€Å"lonely† and move back (248). It is because of this continual neglect from society that the residents develop feelings of helplessness and marginality, ultimately leading to a â€Å"culture of poverty.† In the text, the author was able to get a very personal insight into the lives of those living in the projects, something that definitely expanded the sociological depiction of poverty (43-44). However, the fact that he failed to inform the university of what he was doing or follow any reporting requirements was not very ethical of him in acquiring his research (119). Before becoming part of the lives of gang members, he should have become informed on the fact that there is no research-client confidentiality for academic researchers (186). His lack of pursuit of this knowledge was immoral because he could have jeopardized the lives of Robert Taylor residents if he ever had to testify against them. One line the author should not have crossed was becoming a gang leader for a day, making what was supposed to be a research-client relationship far too casual. It is the fact that he knowingly crossed the line from observer to participant on multiple occasions by â€Å"hearing jokes, shari ng a beer, and loaning someone a dollar† that made his methods unethical (107).