Kindergarten Readiness Skills Promotes Academic Achievement Essay

Potential Questions * Does attending Pre-Kindergarten lead to a greater success rate in Kindergarten? * Is academics more important than developing the whole child? * What advantages are achieved by students who attend Pre-Kindergarten compared to those that do not? * Why do some parents prefer not to allow their child to attend Pre-Kindergarten? * How does pre-kindergarten lottery selections affect readiness skills? Keywords Success rate Academic success Public Pre-Kindergarten Public Kindergarten. Readiness skills Parent educational level Educational Significance The researcher will use the qualitative methods approach, which would be most beneficial to support the topic. In qualitative research, the numbers and types of approaches have also become more clearly visible during the 1990s and into the 21st century. Books have summarized the various types (such as the 19 strategies identified by Wolcott, 2001), and complete procedures are now available on specific qualitative inquiry approaches. Case studies are a strategy of inquiry in which the researcher explores in depth a program, event, activity, process, or one or more individuals. Cases are bounded by time and activity, and researchers collect detailed information using a variety of data collection procedures over a sustained period of time (Stake, 1995). Background/Need for the Study Most of the long-term research on the effects of preschool focuses on low-income children. There is very little data on any long-term benefits for middle-class children. A growing number of states have started to fund preschool programs offered at public schools, called pre-kindergarten (or pre-K) programs. Reason for interest in topic As a Kindergarten teacher in the public school system for over ten years, it has amazed me that some students enter Kindergarten ill prepared. Readiness skills are a key factor in a child experiencing academic success during the early years of school. The achievement gap is gradually closing within our school district. However, outreach to parents is still vital in order to help them understand the importance of early childhood learning. References Creswell, J. W. (2008). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. (3rd ed. , p. 13). Sage. Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Wolcott, H. T. (2001). Writing up qualitative research. (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. healthofchildren. com/P/Preschool. html.

Funding my used book store Essay

This will be an outlet that deals in second-hand or used books. Literacy of a people is the foundation of a nation. We wish to encourage the culture of reading in order to eliminate illiteracy. We have chosen to go this route due to affordability. The shop’s name â€Å"Daily Books† is bound to be a crowd puller. The service will be targeting the thousands of shoppers and those whiling away window shopping or taking casual walks. Considering the hard economic times we are going through as a nation, this idea could not be timelier. Concept Funding my used book store Business Statement SBA loans are available and we are going for the lowdoc that addresses needs below $150k. This is part of the 7(a) loan program. The loans not only come with low interest rates and minimum hassles but also with entrepreneur education. This is a very helpful resource. Since some banks allow one to access funds for the business from relatives, then your proposal is well within all legal requirements. Competitive edge Products and services: – Ease of getting classical novels and writings which may not be available from the conventional book shops. These may as well be collectors’ items. Inexpensive: – All our books will be way below the market prices. Organization: – The arrangement and placement of books will make it easy for shoppers to locate what they want and hence save valuable time. The lighting will be artistic and professional. Location: -. The shop’s strategic location is a sure winner. The university and schools’ readership will come in handy. Public relations: – This is one of our greatest strengths as my partner is deep and wide reader, not to mention that I am an excellent people person and marketer. We have been careful to hire committed staff whose vision is similar to ours. Market / Industry information While the knowledge search continues to expand, there is stiff competition in the horizon. New players are joining the market not to mention new technology. The government is putting in place structures that will aid in the growth. Product/Service Information The crucial service on offer is the provision of an accessible, unique product, convenient, and a cheap service facility which promises easy access to the avid reader. The county council has been of great support since we shared our idea with them. On the launch, they have offered the parade grounds at no charge at all. They will also be sending word out to the local dwellers. Goals and strategies In the short term, we will be focusing on getting people to see the big picture. What has all along been thought of a rich man’s hobby that owning a rich home library is their preserve will now be common place. Due to our strategic location, we are assured of traffic. Our goal then, will be to focus on those walking in and around the complex. We aim to serve at least 50 walking customers per day. The tills in the stores around the town will be offering discount vouchers to all their customers in the first month after launching. The next level and secondary goal will entail advertising by use of flyers and banners. We shall also do rounds in the offices. Our marketers will visit every school in the area and the university as well. For these students, we intend to offer a discounted price especially for the course books. We shall introduce membership to all our customers with an aim of giving away bonus gifts and discounts. This will see our customer base grow from 50 to 100 after 6 months of business. In the long term, we are looking at electronic sales. This will entail a website that will advertise as well as offer on-line sales. A delivery van will come in handy for those members who may be a little out of town. The bookshop should have a readability of 500 plus faithful customers after a period of 2 years. As a backup plan for the above strategy, we will be liaising with the local bookshops as well as those in the nearby towns. We shall introduce a partnership programme that should see their sales soar as well. The idea is to bring about symbiosis and cut unfair competition. We plan to have stock lists of al the other outlets and when customers make enquiries, referential sales will be seamless. We shall encourage book owners to exchange or deposit old books that they no longer use. This idea will go along way in reducing our capital requirement for re-stocking. Payback As per the bank’s requirements, we have negotiated a very low payback interest rate. We have a 60 days initial grace period after which we shall be required to pay only 1. 5% PA on a reducing balance. This arrangement will go along way in helping us repay you within a comfortable period. It will not stretch the business neither will you be strained financially while it gives you peace of mind that your investment is secured. References Advani, A. (2005). SBA loans for your startup. Entrepreneur. com. Retrieved November 18, 2008 http://www. entrepreneur. com/money/financing/startupfinancingcolumnistasheeshadvani/article79254. html

Ethics and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethics and Marketing - Essay Example Ethics in marketing are very important because marketing is a discipline that interfaces with diverse stakeholders in a society. Marketing is a pivotal aspect of any business that not only extends a discernable and visible interface with customers, but also with a plethora of other entities such as dealers, business associations, shareholders, investors, trade unions, media, etc (Houston, 1994). Hence, marketing is a facet of commerce that has three vital dimensions that are individual, organizational and societal (Houston, 1994). In that context, to talk about ethics in marketing is utterly unfeasible from any singular or narrow perspective. A true understanding of the ethical domain of marketing necessitates a broader and holistic perspective. There exist multiple crucial reasons to facilitate an understanding into and development of most relevant approaches as to inculcate ethics in marketing operations. Most of the organizations existing today are vulnerable to committing ethical foibles and to face an ethical misconduct perpetrated by staff and managers. Even the most well intentioned marketers do face the possibility of taking steps that appear to be ethical on the surface, but are in fact replete with ethical scandals and repercussions, giving way to infamy and legal hassles (Andreasan, 2001). So there exists a dire need to identify the possible risks and chances of misconduct inherent in the marketing operations. At the same time there must exist an attitude of ethical propriety and a commensurate infrastructure within organizations to challenge the ethical misconduct as it springs up, rather than covering up or hiding ethical scandals (Andreasan, 2001). ... The purpose of this paper is to delve on the existing and emerging definitions of marketing and the way they cater to the scope and need for an ethical conduct in the marketing operations. The paper also delves on the ways and means in which the marketers can quantify and evaluate the ethical conduct in the strategies adopted by them. Origins of Marketing Traditionally speaking, marketing is associated primarily with trade or exchange. To put it in simple words, marketing in a way existed since the time mankind learnt to or managed to produce a surplus (Bartels, 1976). Again in a historical context, in the beginning, the generated surplus existed in the form of agricultural produce that was mostly exchanged or bartered for manufactured goods like pottery or textiles (Bartels, 1976). Eventually this exchange of goods got centred on certain specific locations that eventually evolved into what is today known as markets. The concept of trade, as it evolved, allowed and stimulated people to specialize in the production of specific goods and services that they could take to markets to exchange with goods and services required by them (Bartels, 1976). The concept of trade got further transformed with the onset of Industrial Revolution. The economies started to rely less on agricultural produce and the emphasis gradually begin to shift towards industrial production (Bartels, 1976). In the pre Industrial Revolution era, the goods and services were produced on a small scale. However, industrialization resulted in a tremendous boost in productivity due to the mechanization of production operations (Bartels 1976). As a result of these developments, the producers were placed in a position

MF Global Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MF Global - Assignment Example A financial audit is therefore one of the assurance duties conducted by auditing firms. In case an organization engages external auditors, the level of responsibility of such auditors goes beyond the duties of the internal auditors. More importantly, the extent of the responsibilities of the auditors is defined by the International Standards on Auditing (ISA) (Haas, 2012). A fraud audit is conducted in instances where fraud is suspected in the financial statements and such auditing is therefore meticulously conducted by thoroughly reviewing the statements. In most cases, organizations conduct fraud audit just to ascertain that nothing suspicious occurs within the financial statements and to discover any misdealing before it is too late (Haas, 2012). An auditor conducting a fraud audit does not really conduct an investigation as might be supposed. Rather, it is just a way to identify any fraudulent transactions. The auditor traces each transaction in the statements for accuracy. Their duty transcends the ledger records in looking for fraudulent transactions in the financial statements. Any form of inconsistency in the financial statements can therefore help towards uncovering fraud in the organization (Haas, 2012). 2) Indeed, there is always a major issue regarding the responsibility of corporate CEOs on the financial activity of their organizations. In the case of MF Global, it was realized that several issues relating to accounting partly accounted for the bankruptcy of the organization. As the overall executive of an organization, it is imperative that the CEO is much abreast with all the financial activity in the organization. Considering that such financial scandal can lead to the collapse of the organization, it is important for the CEO to be much aware of the financial activity of the organization. The stakes

Identify an assesment tool analyse and critically discuss the validity Essay

Identify an assesment tool analyse and critically discuss the validity and reliability issues in relation to the tool - Essay Example The multitude of assessment tools, on the one hand, presents medical professionals with a unique opportunity to choose and use the tools that fit their needs and the needs of their patients. On the other hand, the multiplicity of tools creates conditions, in which variations in wound care practices may work against the principles of effective monitoring and measurement of ulcer healing. The Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) and the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT/ PSST) are the two most popular assessment tools in wound care, but it is more important and even interesting to reconsider the validity and reliability (if possible) of other wound assessment instruments. This paper will seek to evaluate and investigate the reliability and validity of the Sussman Wound Healing Tool (SWHT). Pressure ulcers or pressure sores present a ‘chronic problem of debilitated elders who are mainly bed or chair bound or unable to reposition themselves. The pressure ulcer is a localized area of tissue necrosis that develops when soft tissue is compressed against a bony prominence and an external surface for a long period of time† (Ebersole, Hess & Luggen 2004, p. 144). Pressure ulcers are usually the results of pressure, skin breakdown, maceration, or shearing (Baranoski & Ayello 2003; Ebersole, Hess & Luggen 2004). They can range from simple reddening to severe craters with exposed bone or muscle (Bluestein & Javaheri 2008). They are staged in four different categories: stage I can heal rapidly; stage II is treated effectively if patients avoid pressure and other risk factors; stage III requires using antiinfective agents and sometimes enzymatic debridement, whilst stage IV is associated with large and deep ulcers that often require surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue (Bates-Jensen et al 2003; Coleman et al 2002; Ebersole, Hess & Luggen, 2004). Given the importance of wound healing in different groups of

Health pyschology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health pyschology - Essay Example There are various reasons why patients fail to comply with medical treatment. One of the reasons involves the negative effects linked with certain medications. There are some medicines associated with an increase in weight and hence people fear that increased weight will impact negatively on their general well being. Others negative effects associated with certain medications that lead to non-compliance include a decrease in sexual drive, as well as other effects such as headaches and nausea. Non-compliance may also b caused by shame associated with taking certain types of medications. For instance, a HIV positive individual may fail to comply with treatment for fear of other people finding out of his or her status as it may lead to discrimination. The cost of medicines and medical treatment is also a major cause of non-compliance. Some treatments are very expensive and if the patient is unable to afford the medicine, then he or she is forced to discontinue with treatment hence non-c ompliance. Other factors that may lead to non-compliance include fear of developing dependence to certain medications, and also unavailability of relevant medicines (Mitchell and Selmes, 2007. There are a lot of intricacies associated with contemporary research on methods to measure compliance. Therefore, the methods currently used are considered conventional. These are grouped into direct and indirect methods. Direct methods comprises of laboratory techniques to measure the levels of certain chemical elements found in certain medicines in body fluids particularly blood and urine. The only limitation to this method is the fact that it does not detect the compliance to all types of medicines (Vermeire et-al, 2001). According to (Vermeire et-al, 2001: 334) "Indirect measures include process measures such as interviews, diaries, tablet counts, prescription filling dates and therapeutic and preventive outcome measures". According to a study

Two Kinds, short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Two Kinds, short story - Essay Example She did not understand that her child may not have the required talent or ability to progress at a faster pace. Instead, she just wanted her to produce the prodigy all by magic. She would scold her daughter when she argued that she simply wanted to be herself and did not want to become famous as per her mother’s wishes. At the show where Mei had to play Pleading Child, Mei introduced her boyfriend, Ali, to her mother. She was very shocked to see that her daughter had grown up to make her own decisions. She called Ali at home. During the meeting when she asked Mei to continue her piano lessons, Ali protested, and this enraged Mei’s mom. She said, â€Å"Ali! You are no one to interfere in our private matters. I already object your becoming my daughter’s boyfriend.† This was the point when Ali came to know about Mei’s mom’s aggressive nature. He said, â€Å"It was her choice,† to which she replied, â€Å"What my daughter should or should not do is my choice. So, you’d better stay away from

Comparision of the similarities and differences between Economic Value Research Paper

Comparision of the similarities and differences between Economic Value Added (EVA) and Residual Income as a measure of corporate performance - Research Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to discuss residual income and economic value addded approach in order to compare and contrast their differennces and similarities. EVA is a concept created by the consulting firm Stern Steward & Company (Keys & Azamhuzjaev & Mackey, 2001). EVA is a wealth metric that is commonly referred too as economic profits. In mathematical terms EVA is calculated by taking net operating profits after tax (NOPAT) and reducing NOPAT by your total cost of capital which includes the combination of borrowing and equity costs (Exinfm, 2009). EVA has become a very popular tool in the corporate world. Many multinational corporations have utilized the concept to increase the value of their common stock. After the inception of EVA Coca-Cola stocks rose 200% from 1987 to 1993; another example is CVX whose stock rose from $28 to $75 in a five year span after adopting EVA (Chen & Dodd, 2001). Despite the these sucesss stories there is not enough emperical evidence to support the claim that adopting the managerial practice to optimize EVA is correlated with price increments in stock valuation. EVA is a concept that is relalative new in c omparison with other financial metrics such as earnings per share (EPS) and residual income. The application of EVA and its support and validity may replace EPS in the future an indicator that is included in the income statements of public corporations.

Famine, Affluence, and Morality Essay Example for Free

Famine, Affluence, and Morality Essay By drowning, I mean those who are suffering help people. A few of the counter-arguments that Singer addresses are: One, that he government will be less likely to take responsibility because private organizations are organizing relief funds. Giving privately allows the government to escape their responsibilities of supplying aid. Singer does not believe that this assumption is plausible. He states: I do not, of course, want to dispute the contention that governments of affluent nations should be giving many times the amount of genuine, no-strings-attached aid that they are giving now. I agree, too, that giving privately is not enough, and that we ought to be campaigning actively for entirely new standards or both public and private contributions to famine relief. Indeed, I would sympathize with someone who thought that campaigning was more important than giving one- self, although I doubt whether preaching what one does not practice would be very effective. Unfortunately, for many people the idea that its the governments responsibility is a reason for not giving which does not appear to entail any political action either. Two, until there is an effective population control, relieving famine will postpone starvation. If we relieve suffering that is happening in the now, the future may end p suffering instead. The best means of preventing famine is population control. However, there are organizations who work specifically with population control. Therefore, this counter-argument is not sufficient enough to allow us to stand in the background. The third counter-argument would be how much we should be giving away. Should we be giving away more that would cause suffering to ourselves? Earlier in Singers article, he suggests that if everybody in his situation could donate E5, then nobody would be obligated to give more. He does not suggest that we give until we each the level marginal utility- the level at which by giving more, would cause as much suffering to ourselves or our dependents. Singers concept of marginal utility relates to his argument by explaining and understanding that there are some people who cannot afford to support relief funds. He simply states if everyone in circumstances like mine. This means that not everybody will be in the same circumstance to provide funds for relief. Duty and charity, according to Singer, should be redrawn or abolished. Doing good by giving money away is not considered charitable by Singer, but it is doing ood. We should refrain from buying clothes for fashion if we have old clothes that are suitable to keep us warm and give the money away instead. He says, We would not be sacrificing anything significant if we were to continue to wear our old clothes, and give the money to famine relief. By doing so, we would be preventing another person from starving. I t follows from what I have said earlier that we ought to give money away, rather than spend it on clothes which we do not need to keep us warm. This act is not considered charitable to Singer either. Our society, however, sees hese act as charitable because it is a voluntary donation. Personally, I do not completely disagree with Singers views but, I do not completely agree with them either. Jan Narveson (2004) wrote in her article Is World Poverty a Moral Problem for the Wealthy? That she does not think we owe the poor anything special. People may benefit for charities, but we should not be looked at as not the responsibility of another countrys government to take care of a poor country. It is the same as I do not think the wealthy should have to pay more taxes than the poor. We all start from somewhere and some millionaires and billionaires had to start from the bottom as well. We all work hard for the salaries we earn. On the other hand, I think that charities are used for a good cause that benefit others rather than ourselves. Singer definitely had some points that if we all give a little, the world may be a better place. Narveson also wrote in another article Welfare and Wealth, Poverty and Justice in Todays World (2004), each of us could do vastly more than we do to the needy. That we do not is a serious moral failing. This is completely true and upports Singers views as well. However, her statement is far more accurate in what we could do, rather than what we should do. My view would fall under deontological ethics. Mosser (2010) states that deontological ethics focuses on the will of the person carrying out the act in question, his or her intention in carrying it out, and, particularly, the rule according to which the act is carried out. For me this means that there could be different outcomes for Singers argument and that every aspect should be looked at. It doesnt make his view right or wrong, but it doesnt make the iews that counter his right or wrong either. Peter Singers article Famine, Affluence, and Morality, was written to convince people that our decisions and actions can prevent other countries from suffering. He suggests that people should do what is morally right by contributing financially to aid those who are starving, rather than purchasing wants for those who can afford it. Singer argues his position, provides counter-arguments, and explains his concepts for aiding countries in need. My views are not against Singers position, but they are not for his position either. References Mosser, K. 2010).

Salmon Farming in British Columbia and Sea Lice Essay Example for Free

Salmon Farming in British Columbia and Sea Lice Essay British Columbia is lucky to have one the largest diversities of wild salmon on earth. There are about 8,000 races of wild salmon which are still surviving in British Columbia’s rivers today. For a long time, this population has been taken for granted and no one has been very keen on the preservation of the same. It is however emerging that this diversity is today being threatened by a host of human activities which are propelled by the financial benefit derived from them. The future of salmon on the coast of British Columbia is at risk if a sustainable solution will not be put in place (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). This paper seeks to analyze the situation in British Columbia and suggest sustainable solutions that should be implemented with an aim of saving wild salmon inhabiting this region. History Salmon farming in British Colombia started in the 1970s with small farms which were locally owned. These were concentrated more on the sunshine coast. The efforts for large scale farming of salmon at this time were curtailed by poor environmental conditions, market challenges and diseases. These challenges forced many out of business. The first voice to be raised against the impact of salmon farming on the wild species was raised by nations, local communities, environmentalists and fishermen in the 1980s. Apparently, they had realized the negative effect salmon farming was having on the ocean communities. They therefore called upon the concerned parties to act in order to ensure the safety of the wild salmon. The main player in the fisheries industry to whom these complains were raised was the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). In the year 1985, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) allowed salmon eggs from the Atlantic to be imported to the British Columbia. This move was in complete disregard of the dangers that were associated with such importation. Such included the issue of diseases and possible displacement of the wild salmon species. This was perhaps the first mistake the DFO committed in the management and protection of the wild species of salmon in the British Columbia (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). One year later, there was massive loss of farmed salmon in this region. An inquiry was set up to investigate this loss among other issues such as poor placement of salmon farms and the increasing number of complaints from the members of public. These events lead the government to impose a ban for one month against the setting up of new fish sites. Between the years 1985 to 1990, the salmon farming in British Columbia expanded rapidly from ten sites to more than one hundred and eighty sites. This was a great increment and was bound to bring problems in the future (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). In 1991, the first report was released explaining a case of Atlantic salmon trying to spawn in a pacific stream. The provincial government moratorium in 1995 prevented the formation of new farms but allowed the expansion of the existing farms. The number of tenures was capped at one hundred and twenty one. During this time, fish production increases tremendously. Between the years 1995 and 1997, a review of the environmental condition of the fish farming industry was initiated by the government. The main purpose of this review was to address the public concerns which by now had started to worry the government. The recommendations of this review were made public in 1997. These findings were supported by the provincial government. The British Columbia salmon farmers association also supported the findings and came up with a plan to implement them (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). It was in the year 2000 the an audit by Federal Auditor General identified conflicts of interest that existed between Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ promotion of farming of salmon and its mandate of protecting both wild fish and their habitat. This was followed by a senate committees report in 2001which revealed that DFO disregarded the mandate it had been given of protecting the stocks of wild fish. In 2001, a critique of the aquaculture industry that was funded by the David Suzuki foundation was conducted. The moratorium on new tenures that had been put in place in 1995 by the government was lifted in 2002 (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2001). The full picture of the extent to which the damage had been done on wild salmon came into public picture in 2002. During this year, there was a serious decrease in the stock of Broughton Archipelago pink salmon. This went to less than 5% of the expected returns. It was agreed by both the Department of Fisheries and Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council that the decreased numbers were particularly exceptional. Almost everyone, including First Nations, independent scientists, environmental groups and local communities suspected sea lice infestation as being the cause of this decline (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2001). The PFRCC released an advisory in the same year to the federal and provincial fisheries ministers. They were advised to order for the immediate removal of Broughton Archipelago salmon farms with the aim of protecting outward bound young pink salmon in the year 2003. However, Broughton Archipelago salmon farms continued to operate in 2003 disregarding the comprehensive media coverage on their effects and the opposition of the public against salmon’ farming (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2001). Salmon farming in British Columbia The origin of commercial farming was Europe. This then expanded up to Canada’s Maritime Provinces. The Atlantic salmon has been, and still is, the most liked species by the farmers. Reasons given for this include the fact that these types of salmon are more easily domesticated. They also have higher net-pen growth rates and are more stress resistant than their pacific counterparts (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). The British Columbia currently holds 121 tenures of fish farms. Of these, 80 are active. At this point, there is need to differentiate between fish farm tenure and a fish farm. â€Å"Tenure† is a legal term which is used to refer entitlement issued by British Columbia land and water and give directions on how the business of fish farming in these lands should be carried out. Fish farm tenures identify the number of fish farm sites that have been approved by the government. The capacities of fish farms here depend on the size and species of fish. A fish farm pen with an area of 1000m2 normally holds from 35000 to 90000 fish. For Atlantic salmon, stocking densities are normally from 8 to 18 kilograms per cubic meter. The range for Chinook salmon ranges from 5 to 10 kilograms per cubic meter. These stocking densities are normally varied by farmers as penned salmon grow with an aim of minimizing losses brought about by overcrowding and to maximize growth. (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). There are several species of salmon farmed in British Columbia. However, a large percentage (80%) of salmon farmed here are Atlantic salmon. The other species found here include Chinook and Coho, which are pacific species. These are the two species that farmers relied on most until 1985 but did very poorly. The Atlantic species are easier to raise and when the industry switched to this species, it prospered greatly. Despite there being a moratorium preventing the expansion of the industry between years 1986 and 1995, the production of salmon from the farms increased from and average of 400 to 68,000 tons (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). The problem of sea lice Serena Black in her article Sea lice hurting B. C. salmon that appeared in Capital News on April 1, 2010 compares the effect sea lice have on fish with the effect lice have on children. According to her, â€Å"sea lice to fish are like lice to a child. † According to her, lice are pests which can spread very quickly within close quarters. However, they do not normally cause much damage. This is however changing in the British Columbia especially with regard to wild salmon found along the British Columbia coast (Black, 2010). Black says that research carried out indicates that the farming of salmon in British Columbia is disturbing the life cycle of wild salmon and these cause outbreaks of diseases such as those caused by sea lice. This is a fact that that has for long been established by many scientists and organizations that have been doing research in the region about the effects of salmon farming in British Columbia. This has however been refuted strongly by the government. It has for long maintained that salmon farming in BC has much more benefit than the negative effects it brings on the environment (Black, 2010). A biologist by the name Alexandra Morton who is the director of the Salmon Coast Field Station in Simoom Sound in partnership with other scientists from all over North America carried out a research on the effects of sea lice to wild fish populations. These researchers were informed that there had been a case of increased catch of more diseased fish especially around the farms. This team came up with observations and they brought them to the provincial government (Black 2010). The government could however not act on the recommendations on the pretext that the researchers did not have sufficient scientific evidence to substantiate their claims. This prompted Morton to work with experts in the fisheries industry to ensure she gives professionalism to her research. The second research was published. This research addresses the impacts of sea lice from fish farms to wild fish (Black 2010). How sea lice affect salmon Sea lice feed and breed on the mucus covered membranes of fish. They mostly affect the young defenseless fish which have no scales. The fish farms are infected by sea lice through wild fish as they go back from migration. The lice are carried in the water by these wild fish and once they pass through fish farms, they leave them infected. The genesis of sea lice is therefore not the fish farms but wild fish (Black, 2010). Naturally, adult fish normally die before their eggs hatch. When the eggs hatch, the juvenile salmon are left defenseless and exposed to the attacks of sea lice. When the eggs hatch, the young fish enter the clean waters in preparation for their migration to the ocean. At this point they are not at any risk of infection (Black, 2010). Due to the large number of sea lice harbored by the fish farms, the young salmon pick them on their way back to the ocean. Once the lice attack fish, they leave large open holes that make it easy for the fish to be infected by other diseases. They also make them weak and therefore unable to withstand the challenge of the predators. This makes their death rates alarmingly high. The holes also make them unable to balance the salt levels in their bodies and those in the environment around them. Due to these reasons, juvenile fish die before they can reproduce and this reduces their numbers significantly. Black says that â€Å"Because there are no predators in the fish farms to get rid of the sick fish, they act as incubators to the disease. It spreads like wild fire† (Black, 2010). Adequacy of regulations on fish farming The farming of salmon in British Columbia is much like the farming of the same throughout the world. There are no special regulations put in place in terms of the manner in which this business is carried out. Fish are kept in large open net-pens and are mostly fed on commercial feed. They are treated with antibiotics and other relevant drugs according to the disorders the farmers want to treat. Harvesting is done at particular times when the fish attain a specified size and the harvest is sold the world over (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). The only differences are the regulations of the specific countries. The province has not come up with regulations beyond the control of pollution in its aquaculture industry. This seems inadequate considering the fact the British Columbia has to lose a lot. Despite the fact that British Columbia still boasts of maintaining most of its original races, this may not be the case in the near future if there is nothing that is going to be done urgently. This is because of the threats that are facing these races such as over fishing, habitat loss among other serious problems. The diversity in the Pacific has been as a result of many years of evolution. The six main species here include Coho, sockeye, pink, chum, steelhead and Chinook (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004) The available regulations are therefore not adequate to protect the wild species from the hostility of the sea lice so well bred by salmon farms in the region. Without such regulations, there lacks a framework upon which the government can work to ensure that nature is protected from man’s activities. It is also dangerous because the salmon farmers act without fear since there are no restrictions on their operations. Even when some restrictions had been put in place, it was only restricting the formation of new sites but not the expansion of the existing ones. This was the major reason why the production of farmed salmon was on the rise even with the moratorium in place. This shows that the government has not fully appreciated the effects farmed salmon has on the wild species (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). Government’s position The government clearly refutes the ‘claim’ that farmed salmon has any serious effects on the wild salmon. Its view is that the magnitude of the effect of farmed salmon on the wild species is so insignificant that the public should not worry about it. According to fisheries and oceans Canada, there are no fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago causing a dramatic increase in sea lice levels. According to the government, â€Å"there have been significant fluctuations in the number of pink salmon returns. This was long before salmon farms were introduced to the area in 1987† (DFO, 2010). DFO claims that the research that has been ongoing is showing that levels of sea lice affecting the wild pacific salmon have continued to decrease since 2004. It is of the opinion that sea lice do not only come from farmed salmon. They also have their sources on natural sources, that is, the marine environment (DFO, 2010). Solutions In looking for a sustainable solution to this problem, it is vital for everyone who is concerned to understand the magnitude of the problem. All the stakeholders must come together and decide on a way forward since protecting nature is paramount and is beyond personal interests. The government should take the lead and bring together the players in this industry for a round table discussion. Everyone must be willing to sacrifice for the sake of the environment (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). British Columbia should weigh the returns it gets from fish farming the damage this is doing to the environment for it to see how urgent this issue is. It is well known for example that most of the farms are not locally owned. They are owned by multinational companies and therefore the benefits derived from salmon farming here do not go to the immediate community which is suffering the effects of environmental damage (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). Chemical control of sea lice can not be a sustainable solution as the government claims. This is because these chemicals will also be harmful to the environment when they get to the ocean. SLICE, a pest control chemical, has been used for some time but has failed to offer a lasting solution. Farmers have been arguing that since their farms are seen as incubators to the sea lice, they can use chemicals to cure their fish and hence make it safer to farm salmon. They argue that they are not the ones who originated with the sea lice but the oceans. For this reason, they believe that they should not be blamed for any instances of loss of wild salmon. They believe that by using chemicals to treat their domesticated salmon, they are doing their part in the process of solving the problem of sea lice. More importantly, these farmers argue that they contribute a lot to the economy of British Columbia and they have a right to be spared by the government (Schering, 2010). It is therefore important to look for a way of making sure the farmed salmon and wild species do not interact at all. This may call for restructuring the whole industry especially on how the salmon is farmed. The farmers should come up with a way of ensuring that there is no chance of domesticated and wild salmon meeting (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). Meanwhile, it is important that fish farms are restricted from operation since the government cannot risk the loss of its wild salmon because of human activities. Whereas this may seem a violent approach to safeguarding the environment and in particular wild salmon, the benefits of the same go far and the returns will much better than the short term losses experienced (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). Any business in a country must be carried out in a sustainable way to ensure future generations enjoy the beauty of the environment enjoyed today. This is what is called for the fisheries industry in British Columbia. If the fish farms here cannot come up with a sustainable way of carrying out their business, they should not be allowed to operate at the expense of the environment (Watershed Watches Salmon Society, 2004). Conclusion Salmon farming in British Columbia has been going on for many decades. It has benefited many people ant the country at large. For a long time, this business went on in complete ignorance of the negative effects it was causing on wild species. However, today, it is evident that this business is very dangerous to the life cycle of wild salmon. This is evidenced by the researches done and the rapid decrease of wild salmon in the Coast of BC. It is time for all the stakeholders to find a lasting solution to this problem. This, as mentioned in the discussion above, must stem from the realization of the supremacy of nature above human selfishness and his thirst for wealth. References Black, S. (2010). Sea Lice Hurting B. C. Salmon. Capital news. Retrieved from http://www. capitalnews. ca/index. php/news/sealice-hurting-B. C. -salmon DFO, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2009) Facts about Sea Lice. Retrieved from http://www. dfo-mpo. gc. ca/aquaculture/lice-pou/lice-pou04-eng. htm Schering. (2010). SLICE For the control of Sea-lice. Retrieved from http://www. thefishsite. com/articles/9/slice-for-the-control-of-sealice Watershed Watches Salmon Society. (2004). Sea Lice and Salmon. Retrieved from https://docs. google. com/viewer? a=vpid=gmailattid=0. 2thid=128d00c4b32b7c67mt=application%2Fpdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmail. google. com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2%26ik%3D458390d2c6%26view%3Datt%26th%3D128d00c4b32b7c67%26attid%3D0. 2%26disp%3Dattd%26realattid%3Df_g9mvd2yl1%26zwsig=AHIEtbR6W7XWCSm6Ik_c7Scn1njQ8IQvlwpli=1a

Training and Development Methods in Organizations

Training and Development Methods in Organizations Introduction Many companies have taken birth during this course of time but most have not impressed to get noticed, at the same time there have been a few who have got noticed and risen to become an empire (INFOSYS, WIPRO etc). The secret behind the success of these companies to have sustained in both the phases (initial stage where companies saw an immature growth, later stages where the industry matured) of the industry growth is because of innovation and effective people management skills employed. Upon interaction and detailed study of corporate world it comes to our understanding that training plays a very essential part in bridging the gap between the employee skill sets and the skills associated with a particular job. As the new industry emerged there were other sectors which boomed along with the growth of IT industry namely manufacturing. During the growth of various industries players in each industry, in order to cope with the competition concentrated on having skilled manpower in their armory, this proved to be a very lethal weapon when they fired (launching new product, implement new technology, use new strategies etc.) Thus updating their employees with the necessary skill sets and knowledge became an integral part of an employees tenure in the organization. In this report lets try and understand on what training and development is all about and various methods adopted by various organizations to achieve the above said. Definition of Training Training may be defined as a Planned program designed to improve performance and bring about measurable changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) and social behavior of employee. It is as act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for doing a particular job. Features of Training Unable the employees to deal with the changing jobs and roles. Develop knowledge, skill and attitude for handling jobs most efficiently. Bridges the gap between the current level of employee KSA and the required level of KSA to handle job efficiently. Training is basically job-related and need-based. Short-term activity designed essentially for operatives. Role of organization in training and development An organization has a very close relationship with the trainee and the trainer because it is the first contact for both. The demand for the training in the organization increases when the organization wants; To hire new people training as a means of training new recruits. To Expand When the company wants to increase its headcount. To increase certain number of staff (in position) by a certain date. To enhance the performance of employees. Organizations name to be a part of training unit. Traditional and modern approach of training and development Traditional approach- Most of the organizations before never used to believe in training. They were holding the traditional view that managers arc born and not made. There were also some views that training is a very costly affair and not worth. Organizations used to believe more in executive pinching. But now the scenario seems to be changing. The modern approach of training and development is that Indian Organizations have realized the importance of corporate training. Training is now considered as more of retention tool than a cost. The training system in Indian Industry has been changed to create a smarter workforce and yield the best results Training Options There are four training options that an organization can consider before providing training to their employees;Outsourcing; Outsourcing exempts the organizations to concentrate on its core business. Also, with the availability of sufficient amount of know-how, proficiency in the market it does not make business sense for organizations to have a separate training division. One approach is to tic up with some reputed training or educational institutes and send employees for training. This way, company gets to avail the required expertise and high-quality training programs and saves money on content development, recruiting, and maintaining training team. The only issue in outsourcing training is that the quality of training has to be frequently tracked so as to ensure the trainers performance and training effectiveness. Internal Training: A lot of questions has been raised whether to go in for training outsourcing or setting up an internal division for training. Some companies recruit external trainers and call them to the company site make them use their tools to train employees. This alternative is generally for the new joiners who arc given the fundamental or job-related training in-house and then send outside for higher training. Product-related Training: The dealer who delivers (he apparatus or installs the system offers the initial training. The user may negotiate with the dealer tor a regular upgradation of product-related know-how or expertise in place of a one-time training. The apparatus dealer may choose to send their trainers or recruit outside trainers. Independent Professionals: Considering the emerging threats and opportunities, the professionals need to keep themselves updated of the developments. In this option, the responsibility of training is entirely on the individual and a better-trained professional will always have better market worth than others Training In an organizational setting Any organization has to opt for some or other type of training for increasing the knowledge and skills of its employee for performing a particular job. Training is mainly job-oriented; it aims at maintaining and improving current job performance. Training is needed to achieve the following purposes in an organization: Newly recruited employees require to undergoing structured training inputs so as to learn and perform their tasks effectively. The nature of training they receive determines their competencies in handling the job(s) assigned to them. Imparting need-based training to existing employees for grooming them to handle their current jobs better and to prepare them to handle higher level jobs. Existing employees require refresher training so as to keep them abreast of the latest developments in the concerned job-related operations. In the face of rapid technological changes, this is an absolute necessity. Training is also necessary when a person gets transferred from one job to another (job rotation) or when there is enhancement in this job domain (job enlargement). Training makes employees mobile and versatile. They can be placed on various jobs depending on organizational needs. Training improves overall job productivity / employee productivity. Training, when proactively and selectively imparted to employees(s) to prepare them to shoulder higher level jobs, is known as succession planning. Training Policy Every organization should have a declared training policy, which is understood and supported by employees at all levels. Training can be abortive it there is no commitment on the part of those being trained. Training should not be seen by employees as a penalty but as an opportunity for them to further their knowledge and expertise both in their own and the organizations interest. The climate needs to be created in which they are eager to seize such opportunities and in their enthusiasm may well be able to identify some their own needs. The Need for Training Good communications and consultation arc essential for efficient operation in any organization. However, their impact is often diminished by a lack of skill or knowledge on the part of the participants. It is important, therefore, to provide both managers and employees with training in the skills and techniques required for communication and consultation. Training can help employees better understand the information they are given and can encourage them to play a fuller part in the way the organization conducts its affairs. Training courses in particular can be a useful way of giving employees factual information about their employment because they necessarily include a substantial clement of explanation and provide opportunities for questions to be answered. Managers have an important role to play in communicating and consulting and good training can enable them to: Ø become more aware of the importance of good communication and consultation practice Ø understand their roles and responsibilities as communicators Ø Support those who are less outspoken and improve their ability to communicate. Training is particularly important for supervisors who have important communications responsibilities but often limited experience. Communication and consultation skills should have a place in any development program for them as well as for other managers. Trade unions should also ensure that they provide adequate training for their representatives to enable them to take a full part in employee communications and consultation. Wherever possible training should be participative and trainees should be encouraged to exchange views, take part in discussions and share ideas and experiences. Such participation not only makes for more effective training but also helps to foster the idea of employee involvement which is an underlying principle of consultation and communication. It is good practice to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of any training undertaken. Why training need analysis? Training need analysis is conducted to determine whether resources required are available or not. It helps to plan the budget of the company, areas where training is required, and also highlights the occasions where training might not be appropriate but requires alternate action corporate need and training need arc interdependent because the organization performance ultimately depends on the performance of its individual employee and its sub group. Organizational Level Training need analysis at organizational level focuses on strategic planning, business need, and goals. It starts with the assessment of internal environment of the organization such as, procedures, structures, policies, strengths, and weaknesses and external environment such as opportunities and threats. After doing the SWOT analysis, weaknesses can be dealt with the training interventions, while strengths can further be strengthened with continued training. Threats can be reduced by identifying the areas where training is required. And. opportunities can be exploited by balancing it against costs. For this approach to be successful, the HR department of the company requires to be involved in strategic planning. In this planning HR develops strategies to be sure that the employees in theorganization have the required Knowledge. Skills, and Attributes (KSAs) based on the future KSAs requirements at each level. Individual Level Training need analysis at individual level focuses on each and every individual in the organization. At this level, the organization checks whether an employee is performing at desired level or the performance is below expectation. If the difference between the expected performance and actual performance comes out to be positive, then certainly there is a need of training. However, individual competence can also be linked to individual need. The methods that arc used to analyze the individual need are: Appraisal and performance review Peer appraisal Competency assessments Subordinate appraisal Client feedback Customer feedback Self-assessment or self-appraisal Operational Level Training Need analysis at operational level focuses on the work that is being assigned to the employees. The job analyst gathers the information on whether the job is clearly understood by an employee or not. He gathers this information through technical interview, observation, and psychological test: questionnaires asking the closed ended as well as open ended questions, etc. Today, jobs arc dynamic and keep changing over the time. Employees need to prepare for these changes. The job analyst also gathers information on the tasks needs to be done plus the tasks that will be required in the future. Types of Training A. On-site training Ø On-the-Job Training On-the-job training (OJT) is one of the best training methods because it is planned, organized, and conducted at the employees worksite. OJT will generally be the primary method used for broadening employee skills and increasing productivity. It is particularly appropriate for developing proficiency skills unique to an employees job especially jobs that are relatively easy to learn and require locally-owned equipment and facilities. Morale, productivity, and professionalism will normally be high in those organizations that employ a sound OJT program. An analysis of the major job requirements (identified in the position description and performance plan) and related knowledge, skills, and abilities form the basis for setting up an OJT plan. To be most effective, an OJT plan should include: The subject to be covered. Number of hours. Ø Apprentice Training Apprenticeship is the process of learning a skilled occupation through both on-the-job training (practical, paid experience) and learning the related technical knowledge in a classroom. You must be 18 years old, or be 16 years old with parental approval. The length of training varies from one to six years, depending on the occupation. Training is given under the guidance of experienced master workers. Apprenticeship training is a method that combines actual work experience with classroom related instruction and produces a worker skilled in the occupation, who is capable of exercising independent judgment and who subscribes to the highest standards of professional conduct. There is a written agreement between the apprentice and the employer, which acknowledges their joint commitment to the training process. This agreement is approved by the New York State Department of Labor. Registration of your apprenticeship training program guarantees that your workforce will be consistently trained at the highest skill levels, that your program will be nationally recognized, and that you are entitled to the benefits of registered apprenticeship under Department of Labor laws and regulations. Mentoring principles and techniques Rather than simply give the answers, the mentors role should be to help the mentors find the answers for him/here. While giving the answers is usually better than giving no help at all, helping the mentor to find the answers for him/herself provides far more effective mentoring, because the process enables so much more for the mentored in terms of experience of learning. Give someone the answers and they learn only the answers; instead mentors need to facilitate the experience of discovery and learning. The mentor should therefore focus mentoring effort and expectations (of the person being mentored especially, and the organization) on helping and guiding the mentored to find the answers and develop solutions of his/her own. If a mentor tells a mentored what to do, then the mentored becomes like the mentor, who is neither right nor sustainable, and does not help the mentored to find his/her own true self. The mentors role is to help the mentored to find his/her own true self: to experience their own attempts, failures and successes, and by so doing, to develop his/her own natural strengths andpotential.(his relationship between a parents and a child. If a parent imposes his or her ways, methods and thinking upon a child, the child becomes a clone of the parent, and in some cases then falsifies his or her own true self to please and replicate the model projected by the parent. The true self might never appear, or when it begins to, a crisis of confidence and purpose occurs as the person this to tend and liberate his or her true self. Ø Job Rotation This kind of training involves the movement of trainee from one scat to another, thus helping him to have a general understanding of how the organization functions. Apart from releasing boredom, job rotation allows workers to build rapport with a wide range of individuals within the organization, facilitating future cooperation among departments. This personnel strategy offers a great amount of flexibility for organizations when transfers, promotions or replacements become Inevitable. Job relation may pose several problems, especially when (he trainees arc rolled on various jobs at frequent intervals. In such a case, trainees do not usually spend long enough in any single phase of the operation to develop a strong degree of expertise. For slow learners, it does not give enough room to integrate resources properly. Trainees can become confused when they are exposed to rotation, with contrasting style of operation. Ø Refresher Training The purpose of this training is to make the trainee undergo the steps / activities of the job with some updated inputs so as to brush up the knowledge of the trainee on the basic principles and theory. By organizing short term courses, which incorporate the latest developments in a particular field, the company may keep its employees up-to-date and be ready to take the emerging challenges. It is conducted at regular intervals by taking the help of outside consultants who specialize in a particular subject/process. Ø Brainstorming Brainstorming is a practical exercise to stimulate creativity in a group, and is a very useful training technique. Brainstorming is based on the premise that it is possible to generate more ideascollectively than the sum of the ideas, which would be produced individually. This arises from the interaction among members, which enables once member to trigger off new ideas in another. The process of brainstorming demands discipline by the group and not to succumb to the temptation to pass judgment on ideas as soon as they arc read out. The subject of the session having been decided, the members are required to write down a many ideas as possible for dealing with the problem without attempting to evaluate them. They should let the ideas flow freely and write them down even if they at first seem impractical. After a suitable period of time, each member reads out his list and the other members arc asked not to criticize, however impractical a suggestion might be. A combined list is produced and the group is then encouraged to evaluate each item. The cross-fertilization that lakes place at this stage leads to the development of new ideas, which may or may not be directly related to the original ones. How the process develops from this point depends on the purpose of the exercise. The final list of ideas is prepared by taking cues from all members who are totally practical suggestions and acceptable to all concerned in the group. B. Off- Site Training Ø Lectures/Seminars A lecture is the method learners often most commonly associate with college and secondary education. Yet, it is also considered one of the least effective methods to Use for adult learners. In this method, one person (the trainer) does all of the talking. He or she may use handouts, visual aids, question/answer, or posters to support the lecture. Communication is primarily one-way: from the instructor to the learner. Pros: Less time is needed for the trainer to prepare than other methods. It provides a lot of information quickly when it is less important that the trainees retain a lot of details. Cons: Docs not actively involve trainees in training process. The trainees forget much information if it is presented only orally. Ø Role Playing During a role play, the trainees assume roles and act out situations connected to the learning concepts. It is good for customer service and sales training. Pros: Trainees can learn possible results of certain behaviors in a classroom situation. They get an opportunity to practice people skills. It is possible to experiment with many different approaches to a situation without alienating any actual customers. Cons: A lot of time is spent making a single point. Trainers must be skilled and creative in helping the class learn from the situation. In some role play situations, only a few people get to practice while others watch. Ø Simulations Trainees participate in a reality-based, interactive activity where they imitate actions required on the job. It is a useful technique for skills development. Pros: Training becomes more reality-based, as Trainees arc actively involved in the learning process. It directly applies to jobs performed after training. Simulations involve yet another learning style, increasing the chance that trainees will retain what they have learned. Cons: Simulations arc time-consuming. The trainer must be very skilled and make sure those trainees practice the skills correctly. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Ø Computer based training Content for the training experience comes primarily from a videotape or computer-based program. Pros: It is easy to provide this training and the trainer can follow-up with questions and discussion. It is also easy to assure that the same information is presented to each trainee. o Cons: It is expensive to develop. Most trainers choosing this option must purchase the training from an outside vendor, making the content less specific to their needs. Conclusion Finally when we have reached the last stages of our journey to understand and interpret the training practices adopted by organizations, it comes to our understanding that training is a very essential part in any organization for its development along with its employees, basically it is them who run the organization at the end of the day. Employees in any organization arc considered as a vital asset, who arc initially chosen from a select group of individuals aspiring to serve the organization, after selecting the right candidate for the right job, they are given adequate training to make them familiarized with the job, upon which they resume their jobs. During their journey in that particular organization, periodic training sessions are held to extract more mileage from them. During this journey we have also encountered many individuals working for organizations who share similar views on the cost and time incurred to organize periodic training sessions, but ultimately only the knowledge and the skill set possessed by an employee through these training sessions took over (he cost and time factors. In the present day competitive world every organization is trying to make a mark for itself by trying to be unique in their own way which in turn would be beneficial to maintain their stature in the market and the society. In trying to attain the uniqueness organizations go all guns blazing in using their manpower in the most effective and efficient way. Ultimately that is where they look back if a new technology or strategy has to be implemented. In order to achieve above said, organizations have to keep updating their employees about new technology which exists and the ones in the years to come by means of training sessions at additional cost. This in turn becomes an investment for the organization called Return on Investment. Return on Investment: when an organization invests on its resources (employees) it expects some return out of its investments which would be more than the amount invested. Return on Investment: when an organization invests on its resources (employees) it expects some return out of its investments which would be more than the amount invested. There are two way handshake happening between the organization and their employees where one on side the organization believes in empowering its employees with skills and knowledge to achieve its objectives and on the other side aspiring employees accept the training program given to them with an objective to scale up in their respective careers hence the objectives of organizations and employee arc met on a single platform.

Essay on Role of Rulers in Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Shaw’s Saint Jo

Role of Rulers in Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Shaw’s Saint Joan  Ã‚   Rulers, by definition, play a crucial role in a society. They choose the direction that the society will move, how it will move (whether it be imperial, economic, or militaristic in nature), and allocates the resources of the nation towards these goals. These leaders come to power in many different ways. Some are elected, some are appointed, and some seem to gain the position by strange strokes of fate. In literature, these individuals, their goals, and how they attained their position make a statement about the society they represent. In "Saint Joan," by Bernard Shaw, and "Lysistrata," by Aristophanes, the governing individuals, although their positions and goals are very similar, have extremely differing personalities. The reason for this difference lies in the goals that each author has for these rulers, and the points the author wishes to convey. The first and most technical difference is how each ruler is brought into the story. In ement about the society they represent. In "Saint Joan," by Bernard Shaw, and "Lysistrata" the governing official is the Magistrate. He appears shortly after the women take control of the Acropolis, totally unannounced. He immediately begins commenting on the situation, the first male in the play to intellectually react to the women. Moments before,the old men were trying to burn down the Acropolis to flush the women out. The Magistrate arrives and begins to assess the situation. On the other hand, in "Saint Joan," the Dauphin (Charles) is introduced with much more description and anticipation (he is even announced by a page). He is described in great detail, giving the reader the impression that the future king ... ...e fighting. Rather than agree with her or compromise, Charles simply dismissed her as a silly girl who needed to go back home. While the Magistrate's actions towards the conflict prove that women can accomplish great feats, Charles' actions show that firm leaders are only wanted when useful. Beyond that, they are a mere annoyance. The basic difference between these two characters (Charles and the Magistrate) is their depth. The Magistrate serves to provide an intellectual and serious male point of view in this comedic play; this is all. Charles serves many purposes; a contrast to Joan, an example of Joan's persuasiveness, and mainly a satire of politics. Each author developed the character as much as necessary in order to get their point across, which can vary from practically none at all, or filled with details, down to the shape of a character's nose.      

Waging a Revolution :: essays research papers

Waging a Revolution A poor, twenty eight year old shoemaker named Ebenezer Macintosh led the Hundreds of people. Many people where mad about the Stamp Act and stormed the street in protest. They attacked Andrew Oliver a wealthy Boston merchant who had recently been made the Stamp officer for Massachusetts. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paying for Security Britain’s leaders celebrated the end of the war in Europe and North America as heartily as did the Colonists. The British victory ended more than 70 years of fighting with France in North America. There was a treaty signed in February 1763 and king George III took possession of all French territory east of the Mississippi river, including lands in Canada. a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Proclamation of 1763 In May 1763, Indian resentment erupted in a bloody uprising led by Pontiac, an Ottawa chief. Within a few months, Indians captured or destroyed most of the British forts on the frontier and killed many settlers. In 1763, king George issued the Proclamation of 1763, in order to prevent another war, which Britain could not afford. The proclamation issued that all land west of the Appalachians were reserved for the Native Americans. The colonists resentment grew when Parliament demanded that they help pay for the army that was to defend the frontier. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sugar Act In 1764, Parliament tried to collect a series of taxes from the colonies to ease war debt and strengthen the British Empire. The Sugar Act hurt Boston especially, since that city depended on shipping and trade. The new duties caused an increase in the price of goods in the colonies. These duties hurt business and customers as well. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Stamp Act In 1765 Parliament passed on a tax on all official documents and publications in the colonies, like marriage licenses, mortgages, diplomas, bills of sale, and newspapers. The Stamp Act affected everyone and most colonists hated it. Colonists agreed that Parliament had the right to levy and external tax, one to regulate trade in goods that came into colonies. The Stamp Act was an internal tax, one levied on goods within the colonies, designed only to raise revenue. Colonists argued that only their elected representatives should have the right to levy internal taxes. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Coming of the Revolution The Taxation crisis of the 1760’s heated the debate between Britain and its American colonies. The Colonists argued that Parliament violated their cherished right as British subjects to consent to all taxes levied on them.

Organizational Change Process Essay

Organizations need tactical responsiveness to external dynamics to bring strategic renewal within the continuum, which organizations need to create and maintain outstanding performance (Spencer, 2010). Through strategic renewal the organization alters its operational strategy to gain economic advantage. Successful of implementation of change should be a long-lasting occurrence often determined by readiness, resources necessary to implement change successfully, how the organization monitors such change (Whelan-Berry, Karen, Somerville & Karen, 2010). Gaps or omissions in the process of change often lead to disastrous outcomes. This paper will focus on the Lewin’s phases of organizational change reflecting on Concord Bookshop conflict and its effect on organizational failure. Lewin’s Phases of Organizational Change According to Lewin’s theory in studying human and organizations it is imperative for managers to understand change as forces working in different direction, for change to happen there should be a driving force with less counteracting resistance (Borkowski, 2005). Borkowski further states the importance for managers to understand the external and internal environmental influence and differentiating between forces that need to stay status quo and those that require change. Lewin stated three important steps of change that managers need to follow to attain successful transition to change. Unfreezing Schein as stated in Spector (2010) for effective learning and change to happen some sort of dissatisfaction should be created, to bring discomfort to the members. Underperformance does not necessarily create change because when people are comfortable with a status quo they are unmotivated to change. Instilling discomfort will force employees to change and unlearn current norms to learning desired new practices. Change The need for change should be communicated and parties involved must be part of the change process. Dictation by upper management at this phase will meet with resistance. Once employees are open to change, implementing new protocols will not have much resistance, during this phase retraining and education should take place to eliminate the fear of inadequacy and uncertainties. Employee’s involvement will give them sense of ownership and feeling of adequacy, and they will be willing to move from one set of behaviors to another (Spector, 2010). Refreezing Companies invest a substantial amount of money to process change within the continuum through training, retraining, and staff development. Therefore, the new learned behaviors should be permanent. â€Å"Refreezing stage is where a newly created equilibrium is made relatively secure against change† (Spector, 2010, p. 29). It is important that the management keeps tabs on the implementation phase through monitoring and evaluation process. Concord Bookshop Conflict Concord bookshop was facing economic turmoil created by the change in customer preferences and tight completion from its rivals. Therefore, it was imperative for management to revise both marketing and operational strategies to save the organization. The decision of hiring a manager without consulting with its departmental management was a serious mistake by the owners. They failed to create the discomfort needed for change. If the managers were put in that predicament they would have responded differently from resigning. The owners omitted unfreezing stage to change process, which did not involve the employees. For change to be successful employees should be part of the change, and they should believe they are indispensable. Announcement by management of hiring new manager brought fear, uncertainty, and inadequacy to the employees. Their job security was at stake, they also feared the unknown. Working for that many years demotion brought a feeling of shame and ambivalence accompanie d by loss of status and power. The combination of all these factors brought resistance to change. The Concord management failed participative decision making, delegation, team building, and employee involvement in its organizational transformation, which met with resistance from both employees and the public (Elie-Dit-Cosaque, Pallud & Kalika, 2011 ). Creating a driving force for change, avoidance or elimination of resistance ensures successful strategic transformation in meeting and implementing new goals. Awareness of internal and external factors that influence change is of paramount importance when dealing with organization strategic transition. Knowing and applying Lewin’s phases of organizational changes empowers the managers with essential skill to process change within the continuum and ensure smooth transformation to new ideas and behaviors. Concord Bookshop failed to follow Lewin’s phases, which led to resistance and conflict from both employees and the publi c. References Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Elie-Dit-Cosaque, C., Pallud, J., Kalika, M. (2011). The Influence of Individual, Contextual, and Social Factors on Perceived Behavioral Control of Information Technology: A Field Theory Approach. Journal of Management Information Systems,28(3), p201-234. Spector, B. (2010). Implementing Organizational Change: Theory into Practice (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Whelan-Berry, Karen S., Somerville, & Karen A. (2010) ‘Linking Change Drivers and the Organizational Change Process: A Review and Synthesis’, Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 175-193.

Freedom of speech from the perspective of mass media, to what extend it has been practiced in Malaysia? Essay

Introduction Mass media are means of communications (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach the mass of the people1. Besides playing the role to inform individual with news, the media together with a sound legal system and an independent judiciary is part of a triumvirate that is essential for a well-functioning democracy2. In a democratic system of government, mass media is performing a number of essential functions. First, they serve on information or surveillance function. Second, they serve an agenda-setting and interpretation function. Third, they help us to create and maintain connections with various groups in society. Fourth, they help us to socialize and to educate us. Fifth, they persuade us to buy certain items or accept certain ideas. Sixth, they entertain us. Freedom is the power or right to act, speak or think freely. We are now living a media culture and its influence is become very pervasive. The number of hours we spend on the media is mind-boggling. Although the freedom of the media should not be in toto, yet the degree of the freedom of the media will affect the function of the media. Citizens of countries that are democratic see media freedom as a right, not a privilege. Nevertheless, there is no mention of freedom of the press or freedom of the electronic media in our Constitution. However, freedom of media to exercise its role and functions in society has been enshrined as a fundamental human right by way of recognition for the right to freedom of speech, expression and opinion.3 Pre-independence In 1930-1940, there are nearly 80 newspaper and magazines published in the Malay State, such as Utusan Melayu, Saudara, Warta Malaya and Majlis. In Warta Malaya, it published article that talk about the social and economic problems faced by the Malay. However, it did not ask for the British to be chased out. The newspaper, Majlis, discussed the political issues. Majlis not only brings to the awakening and fights for Malays right, their office became the place for the nationalist to meet up and exchange their thoughts. In the newspapers Saudara, there was a column named ‘Persaudaraan Sahabat Pena’ where the Malay readers exchanged their point of view. British was worried on the development of this column and therefore took the step to  overseen those who involved in the said column. In view of the number of publications that existed during the time and the situation whereby those newspapers are free to discussed any issues, and the fact that the newspapers has played a vital role in the movement towards independence, we can conclude that under the administration of British, the media was enjoying the freedom of speech. The law on the freedom of speech became clearer during the time prior to independence. Certain law has been introduced to the Malay State. One of the laws which governed the freedom of speech at that time was the Sedition Act 1948. Section 4 of the Act makes it an offence to make, prepare, or to conspire, to do a seditions act, to utter seditious words, and to propagate or import any seditious publications. Section 3 provides that a seditious tendency is one which tends to (a) bring hatred or contempt to the government or excite disaffection against any Ruler or government, (b) excite the countrymen to revolt, (c) bring into hatred or contempt or excites disaffection against administration of justice, (d) raise discontent or disaffection among the countrymen, or (e) promote feelings of ill-will and hostility amongst the inhabitants of the country. Besides, there were two ordinances specifically deal with the printed media at that time, i.e. Printing Press Act 1948 (Ord 12 of 1948) and Control of Imported Publications Act 1958 (Ord 14 of 1955). The former deal with the publisher in the Malay State while the later governing the printed material from other country. Those laws were limiting freedom of speech of the media at the British colonial the light of the freedom of speech only shine at the colonial since 1956, when an attempt to draft a Federal Constitution started. The recommendations were submitted by Reid Commission in 1956-1957 Reports. In the report, there were two paragraphs provides under the title ‘Fundamental Rights’ 161. A Federal Constitution defines and guarantees the right of the Federation and the states; it is usual and in our opinion right that it should also define and guarantee certain fundamental individual right which  are generally regarded as essential conditions for a free and democratic way of life. The rights which are recommend should be defined and guaranteed are all firmly established now throughout Malaysia and it may seen unnecessary to give them special protection in the Constitution. But we found in certain quarters vague apprehension about the future. We believe such apprehensions to be unfound, but there can be no objection to guaranteeing these rights subject to limited exceptions in conditions of emergency and we recommend that this should be done†¦.. 162. our recommendations afford means of redress, readily available to any individual, against unlawful infringements of personal liberty in any of its aspects†¦ we further recommend (Art 10) that freedom of speech and expression should be guaranteed to all citizens subject to restrictions in the interest of security, public order or morality or in relation to incitement, defamation or contempt of court†¦ For the Malaysian citizen, the objectives of those who framed the Federal Constitution were but little affected by the epidemic of human rights in the Western world4. It has been observed that the commission’s recommendation on the freedom of speech has been vague, particularly on the importance of the rights. The commission only devoted two paragraphs. The reason why it was so was clear in the paragraph itself. The draft Article 10 in our Constitution was as follow: 10 (1) every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by federal law in the interest of the security of the Federation, friendly relations with other countries, public order, or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence. Mr. Justice Abdul Hamid on his note of dissent stated that â€Å"the word ‘reasonable’ wherever it occurs before the word ‘restrictions’ in the three sub-clauses of Article 10 should be omitted. Right to freedom of speech, assembly, and association has been guaranteed subject to restrictions which may be imposed in the interest of security of the country, public order and morality. If the Legislature imposes any restrictions in the interest of the aforesaid matters, considering those restrictions to be reasonable, that legislation should not be challengeable in a court of law on the ground that the restrictions are not reasonable. The Legislature alone should be the judge of what is  reasonable under the circumstances. If the word ‘reasonable’ is allowed to stand, every legislation on this subject will be challengeable in court on the ground that the restrictions imposed by the legislature are not reasonable. This will in many cases give rise to conflict between the views of Legislature and the views of the court on the reasonableness of the restrictions. To avoid a situation like that it is better to make the Legislature the judge of the reasonableness of the restrictions. If this is not done the legislatures of the country will not be sure of the state of the law which they will enact. There will always be fear that the court may hold the restrictions imposed by it to be unreasonable. The laws would be lacking in certainty.† Later, when the Constitution comes into force, the Article 10 provides that: (1) subject to clause (2): (a) Every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression; (2) Parliament may by law impose: – (a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of courts, defamation, or incitement to any offence; There are one case regarding to press reported prior to independence i.e. Public Prosecutor v. The Straits Times Press Ltd5 In this case, upon the application of the Public Prosecutor, the Respondents, who are the proprietors of the Straits Times Press Ltd, were alleged contempt in publishing a report of the trial of Tan Seng Ann of the Straits Times dated 5 August 1948. The report appeared which, it is now admitted, was misleading and inaccurate in that it gave the impression, contrary to the facts, that the first step in the proceedings in that case was a voluntary confession by Tan Seng Ann that he was in possession of a fire-arm and that his arrest was made solely as the result of such voluntary confession in the issue. The Notice of Motion having set out the terms of the letter complained of went on to allege inter alia that the criminal case referred to in the letter was sub judice when the letter was published in that an appeal was pending; that the terms of the letter did not constitute a fair or accurate account of the trial nor fair comment  thereon; and that its publication tended to prejudice the fair disposal of the proceedings and tended to bring into contempt the administration of justice by that Court. Spenser-Wilkinson J held that: â€Å"†¦I would hesitate to follow too closely the decisions of English Courts on this subject without first considering whether the relevant conditions in England and this country are at all similar. Quite apart from the present emergency in this country, I do not think it could be suggested that the development of the Press, the general standard of education or the composition of the general public in the two countries are at all comparable and it may, therefore, be necessary to take a stricter view here of matters which pertain to the dignity of the Courts and the impartial administration of justice than would be taken at the present time in England.† Newly Independence (1957-1980) At this period, Art 10 Federal Constitution has been amended twice. The first amendment was on 19636 where the words ‘Clause (2) and (3)’ had been substituted for the words ‘clause (2)’ of clause (1) with effect from 16 September 1963.and the words ‘or any part thereof’ were added to the Art10(2)(a). Further, clause (3) which provides that: â€Å"Restrictions on the right to form a associations conferred by paragraph (c) of clause (1) may also be imposed by any law relating to labour or education.† The second amendment was made on 19717 after considering the trouble of May 1969. This time, Clause (4) was added with effect from 10 March 1971. Article 10(4) provides that Parliament may pass laws prohibiting the questioning of four sensitive matters: right to citizenship under Part III of the Constitution; status of the Malay language; position and privileges of the Malays and the native of Sabah and Sarawak; and prerogatives of the Malay Sultans and the Ruling Chiefs of Negeri Sembilan. The constitutional changes enable Parliament to amend the Sedition Act of 1948 in order to add a new definition of ‘seditious tendency’8. The amended sections were: Section 3 (1) A seditious tendency is a tendency (f) To question any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III of the Federal Constitution or Article 152, 153 or 181 of the Federal Constitution Section 2 â€Å"seditious† when applied to or used in respect of any act, speech, words, publication or other thing qualifies the act, speech, words, publication or other thing as one having a seditious tendency; Official Secrets Act 1972 is a new law that be introduced at that time. This is the most important statute on government secrecy. The gist of the law is that ‘official secrets’ cannot be received, retained, released or used without prior authorization.9 The Act is drafted in the widest possible terms and is not limited in its operation to spies, saboteurs, traitors and mercenaries. The term ‘official secret’ is not defined in the Act. The courts have given the term the broadest possible definition, and on the generally accepted construction any communication pertaining to the Executive would constitute an offence.10 The right to free speech can be further eclipsed by the special provisions of Art 149 and 150 relating to subversion and emergency. Art 149 authorises legislative action designed to stop or prevent subversion, organized violence and crimes prejudicial to the public. Art 150 permits any legislative action required by reason of emergency. The grounds enumerated above permitting curtailment of free speech are so broad and comprehensive that in 49 years no Act of parliament even been found by the courts to have violated the Constitution. Besides printed media, television was introduced in Malaysia in 1963. The television was under the control of the Department of Broadcasting (RTM). What is apparent is that television and more generally broadcasting in Malaysia was form its inception closely aligned to the government. Both the RTM channel were established via decisions made by the then Alliance coalition government. Because of the circumstances at that time, there was no any specifics rule to govern the broadcasting. One of the cases that being heard at that time was Melan bin Abdullah v Public Prosecutor.11 The fact of the case was that On 6 April 1971 the Utusan Melaya newspaper published a report of a talk given by given by Inche Musa Hitam, a prominent Malay leader and member of Parliament, at the National Education Congress held in the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.. In the report was an editorial sub-heading, which in the English translation reads: â€Å"Abolish Tamil or Chinese medium schools in this country.† The first appellant was the editor-in-chief of the Utusan Melayu,  and the second appellant the author of the sub-heading inserted in the report. Sanction for their prosecution was given under s 5(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, and they were tried in due course in the special sessions court on a charge of publishing a seditious publication in contravention of s 4(1)(C) of the Sedition Act, punishable under the same section. The learned special president held the publication to be seditious, that the first appellant â€Å"was responsible for all publication in the Utusan Melayu†, that the second appellant was the author of the impugned subheading, and that consequently they were both guilty. They were convicted and fined the sum of $500 and $1,000 respectively, in default one month and two months’ imprisonment, both appellant appealed. CJ Ong, on hearing of the appeal accepted the first appellant evidence that he had organised seminars and discussions, relating in particular to the â€Å"sensitive issues† and had instructed his staff on the relevant law as he understood it. He had sponsored a talk to journalists given on this subject in February 1971 by the Attorney General as well as the Solicitor-General. Therefore, the first respondent appeal was allowed. But the court dismissed the second respondent appeal. Another case is Public Prosecutor v Straits Times (Malaya) Bhd.12 The Public Prosecutor applied in this case for leave to issue a writ or writs of attachment for contempt of court on the respondents for publication of articles in The Straits Times. The grounds upon which relief was sought was that â€Å"the publications of the said articles contain matters which are tendentious and constitute contempt of court, because they are prejudicing and embarrassing the applicant in the exercise of his statutory functions and also prejudicing a fair trial concerning the circumstances of the death of one Robert Lee.† Abdul Hamid J held that: ‘I do not think that it is reasonable to construe these words as having any special meaning. There is no dispute that the reports do reveal that there had been an assault, a commotion and firing of a shot and that allegedly, a police officer was involved. But these facts are not challenged. As regards the previous episode encountered by Robert Lee there is nothing to show that this was not true. Further it is not uncommon for newspapers to publish matters concerning scholastic achievement of and other good deeds rendered by a person on his death particularly if  the dead person enjoys a certain standing in the community or he is in one way or another related to any prominent personality. For that reason it is unreasonable to isolate certain passages from the reports and construe them unfavourably or to impute improper motive on the publisher. What may appear to be an embarrassment or prejudicial if that part is read in isolation may not be so if the reports are read as a whole taking into account the circumstances surrounding such publication particularly if it relates to a matter which will promote public sensation or a matter of unusual occurrence.† The application was therefore dismissed. Malaysia under Tun Dr. Mahathir (1981-2002) Over this period, more laws are introduced and come into force to govern the media. In 1984, Printing Presses and Publications Act came into force on the 1st of September 1984 as a consolidating Act, and in turn repealed the Printing Presses Act 1948 and the Control of Imported Publications Act 1958. The Act is designed ‘to regulate the use of printing, presses and the printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing and distribution of publications and for matters connected there with’. Through such control, the government uses it power to determine what it is the public has a right to know, or exactly what form freedom of speech should take13. This is an Act designed clearly to ensure that the press does not get out of line, imposes both a system of licensing and censorship14. Section 3 of the Act makes it mandatory to obtain a license to own a printing press. The Minister has absolute discretion on giving, refusing, and revoking a license15. Further, judicial review of the Minister’s discretion is not allowed16 and the Minister is not required to give the parties a prior hearing 17. The period of the license is 12 months or shorter period as minister specifies18. This means that all publishers in this country must suffer the pangs of uncertainty about whether their permit will be renewed for the following year. There is less control of what may be written in foreign publications, controls have been exercised through deliberate delay in distribution and sometimes outright ban on their sale where officials deemed reports to be offensive or inaccurate19. In 1988, another law governing the media came into force on 1st August i.e. The Broadcasting Act 1988. The preamble to the Act states: ‘An act to provide for the control of  broadcasting services and for matters connected therewith’. The Act is both stringent and inflexible. It bestows enormous powers on the government to determine the type of television made available to the Malaysian public. In the midst of the supposed ‘deregulation’ of broadcasting, the Act now gives the Minister of Information virtually total powers to determine who will and who will not broadcast and the nature of the broadcast material. Under the Act, any potential broadcaster would need to apply for a licence from the minister beforehand. Later, the Act was amended on October 1996. By the amendment, this already-stringent piece of legislation were aimed at taking into account the introduction of new services, such as cable and satellite television, satellite radio, pay TV and video-on demand. Due to the drastic development in the electronic media, the Legislature has to repeal the old Telecommunication Act 1950 and the Broadcasting Act 1988 and introduced a new law which is the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The Act’s breakthrough was to bring together the previously disparate industries of broadcasting, telecommunications and internet services combined under legislation and more importantly, one regulator the Communications and Multimedia commission.20 The Communication and Multimedia Act brings to the creation of Communication and Multimedia Commission Act 1998. the Communication and Multimedia Commission performing several functions including advising the Minister all matters concerning the national policy objectives for communication and multimedia activities and implementing and enforcing the provisions of the communications and multimedia law. Interestingly, Information Malaysia 1980-81 and Information Malaysia 1985 revealed that between 1981 and 1985 alone, the number of titles of local newspapers, magazines, and journals in circulation increased from 56 to 10221. However, the increase in number cannot be the proof supporting the allegation that during that time, the media was enjoying freedom of speech. There are some facts that we should not forget. In 1987, during the Operasi Lalang, a number of newspapers were closed by the government22. Later, Harakah being categorizes as publications of political parties meant for party members and there is law forbids the publication being openly sold to the public. Besides, Barisan Nasional owned and controlled major Malaysian media organization. Further, prior to Dato Seri Anwar’s sacking, expulsion, and detention, the editor of Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, and the  director of operations of TV3 were forced to resign because they were allied to Anwar. In 1990, there was a case of Aliran Kesedaran23 In this case, the respondents had applied for a permit under s 6(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to print and publish in Bahasa Malaysia a magazine under the name and style of Seruan Aliran. The application was refused by the Minister of Home Affairs. The respondents applied for an order of certiorari to remove into the High Court for the purpose of quashing the decision of the Minister and for an order of mandamus directing the Minister to hear and determine the application for the permit according to law. The High Court made an order quashing the decision of the Minister and ordered that the Minister shall hear and determine according to law the application for the permit. The appellant appealed. The court allowing the appeal and held that; ‘Section 12(2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 gives the Minister of Home Affairs ‘absolute discretion to refuse an application for a license or permit’. So unless it can be clearly established that the Minister for Home Affairs had in any way exercised his discretion wrongfully, unfairly, dishonestly or in bad faith, the High Court cannot question the discretion of the Minister.† One of the significant cases during this period was the case of Irene Fernandez. The facts were that in 1995, Tenaganita released a report documenting beatings, sexual violence against detainees by prison guards, and inadequate food and water in Malaysia’s immigration detention camp. Irene Fernandez was arrested and charged with malicious publication of false news under the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Magistrate Juliana Mohamed found Irene guilty and was sentence to one year imprison. Current Situation (2003-2006) Between these periods of time, there is no any new law designed to control the media. However, recently, Government has released the Media Council Bill (2006) which seeks to ameliorate some of the worst excess of the Printing Presses and Publications Act in regard to the local media. On page 4 of the Bill, it was stated: â€Å"An Act to establish the Malaysian Press Council for the purpose of preserving, promoting and protecting the freedom of the Press, of maintaining and improving the ethical and professional journalistic standards of newspapers, press publications and news/press  agencies in Malaysia.† Nevertheless, there is fear in public that this piece of legislation will create another unnecessary public body with wide powers to curb press freedom despite its apparent duty to uphold that right. It might also act as a censorship board, only dealing with complaints against the press organisations and journalists and not against denial of freedom of expression by other entities such as ministers or organisations whose actions effectively suppress the right of freedom of expression. Besides, bear in mind that all the laws governing the media before this are still firmly in place and the main stream media also continue to be owned by interests directly or indirectly tied to the main component parties of the BN, especially UMNO and MCA. Some incidents happened during this time of period, showing to us that despite of the changes of the head of the Government, the media are not freer compared to the years before. The government shut down the Sarawak tribune for the editors made a mistake of reprinting caricatures of Prophet Muhammad following Muslim protests of a Danish paper that first published them. Another incident was that the Minister of Information, Datuk Zainuddin had sought the sacking of top NST editor at a meeting of UMNO’s information bureau because he was unhappy with the way the NST had played up certain issues such as the religious rights of minorities and the government’s policy on bumiputras.24 The government also delays in reviewing the publishing permit of the Oriental Daily and censor certain news that the government were not comfortable with. Moreover, the debate on Ninth Malaysia Plan was given wide publicity in the media, but it was the official view and rationale for the Plan that enjoyed one-sided coverage. The leader of the opposition who spoke foe six hours on the Plan did not get any substantive coverage.25 Another issue was that Tun Dr. Mahathir had called a press conference to express his deep disappointment after Datuk Seri Abdullah dismissed the ‘crooked bridge’ project. However, the mainstream media hardly covered it. Conclusions The freedom of the media has seen become more restrictive from the time prior to independence until now. At the early day, the British Colonial has a freer media compare to the media after independence. This might be because of the British regarded the individual freedom as up most important. When came to the early day after independence, the laws being designed were more restricted. However, this was understandable as the situation at that time, where Malaysia was in an Emergency. Unmindful speech might cause riot to the nation. Therefore, the government had to take step to prevent this. In 1970-1985, there was more cases on freedom of speech, after the stand of the courts are clear in these issues, there was lesser cases. During the time frame from 1981 to 2002, many laws were designed and many existing laws were amended. Tun Dr. Mahathir tried to justify this by saying that: ‘the truth is that there is no absolute press freedom anywhere in the world, be it in a liberal democratic country or in countries governed by dictators.†26 He further claimed that journalists and foreigners read a few newspapers which support the government and immediately concluded that there is no press freedom in Malaysia. This was in conjunction with his view points that: â€Å"Malaysian newspapers are free. But this freedom does not mean freedom to criticize the government alone. It also means freedom to support the government.†27 Further in Tun Dr. Mahathir speech at the national union of Journalists dinner on 15th June 1990, he stated that: ‘According to an old English proverb, power corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. If there are restrictions on press freedom, especially pertaining to reports on violence, sex and obscenity, then they are imposed because no one should be given absolute power. This is to prevent the possibility of ‘absolute corruption’. This constraint no way suggests there is no press freedom in Malaysia. Government leaders in this country have no absolute power. The people can change the government while the courts can reverse government decisions. Therefore, newspapers in Malaysia must accept these restrictions. This is done in the national interest and not aimed at destroying press  freedom†. It is true that freedom of the media has to be limited but over limiting will only result to a closed society. Looking at the current situation, many are thinking that the new government would promote media freedom in view of the government transparency policy. However, one should bear in mind that since Datuk Seri Abdullah took over the government until today, it was only three years passed. It is unfair to judge him at this moment. Whether or not there is free media under Datuk Seri Abdullah, we shall wait and see. Comparing to our nearest neighbor, Singapore, media in Malaysia enjoy more freedom. Singapore as a police state, the press is mobilized to explain and support the policies of the Singapore government, as an aid to development rather than assuming a counter-checking posture. In Chee Siok Chin case28, the Singapore court held that: â€Å"it bears emphasis that the phrase ‘necessary or expedient’ confers on Parliament an extremely wide discretionary power and remit that permits a multifarious and multifaceted approach towards achieving any of the purposes specified in Art 14(2) of the constitution. In contrast to the Indian Constitution, there can be no questioning of whether the Legislations are ‘reasonable’. The court’s sole task, when a constitutional challenge is advanced, is to ascertain whether an impugned law is within the purview of any of the permissible restrictions.† As for electronic media, the media Corporation of Singapore, an evolution from a series of government owned broadcast Corporations, dominances the broadcasting media. The PAP government guards the broadcast turf with rigour, grudgingly allowing foreigner broadcasters to operate for commercial and public relations reasons but legislating them off local politics. Today, Malaysian society has an economic level of existence which provides for basic needs, health facilities, adequate housing and equal opportunities to education. Therefore, there is no reason why freedom of speech and free media should be restricted. Values of freedom of expression, exposure to  critical thinking and the importance of a civil society should be emphasizes. After 49 years of independence, Malaysian should not only concern with earning a livelihood and basic quality of life issues. Society shall have desire to acquire knowledge especially in social concerns such as freedom of speech. Bibliography: 1. â€Å"A Case of the Media Freedom: Report of the SUHAKAM†, Workshop on Freedom of the Media at Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 1, 2002. (Kuala Lumpur: Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia, 2003). 2. Abdul Aziz Bari, ‘Freedom of Speech and Expression in Malaysia After Forty Years’, (1998) 27.3 INSAF 149-161. 3. Abraham, C.E.R., â€Å"Freedom of Speech for Whom? The Malaysian Case†, (1998) 27.3 INSAF 1-8. 4. Asian Human Rights Commission, homepage, 10 Sept. 2006 5. Asian Human Rights Commission, homepage, 10 Sept. 2006 6. Broadcasting Act 1988 (Act 338). 7. Centre for Independent Journalism, 10 Sept. 2006 8. Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588). 9. Communication and Multimedia Commission Act 1998. (Act 599). 10. Constitution (Amendment) Act 1971 (Act A30). 11. Control of Imported Publications Act 1958 (Ord 14 of 1955) 12. Cyrus V. Das, â€Å"Press Freedom & Contempt of Court†, (1986) 19.3 INSAF 61. 13. Faruqi, Shad Saleem, â€Å"Access to Information†, [1993] 4 Malaysia Current Law Journal xxiii. 14. —, â€Å"Curbing Excesses of Free Speech†, Sunday Star, 10 Feb, 2002, Focus. 15. —, â€Å"Cyber Challenge to Freedom of Speech†, Sunday Star, 27 Jan, 2002, Focus. 16. —,†Keeping A Tight Lid on Official Secrets†, Sunday Star, 17 Feb, 2002, Focus. 17. —, â€Å"Life-blood of Free Society†, Sunday Star, 20 Jan, 2002, Focus. 18. —, â€Å"Pifalls for the Unwary Media†, Sunday Star, 3 March, 2002, Focus. 19. —, â€Å"Principles That Govern Free Speech†, Sunday Star, 3 Feb, 2002, Focus. 20. Federal Constitution. 21. â€Å"Freedom of the Press? A Quick Look At the Borneo Mail Affair and the Question: How Free Is the Local Press?†. 1994 (June) Malaysian Law News, 36-37. 22. 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