Ethics in counselling Essay

Issue One: Breaching Confidentiality in Counseling Minors Before we move into the topic, we want to explore the issue of confidentiality in counseling. This is applicable to not just minors but also all age groups, religions, cultures and genders. Remley (1985) stated that confidentiality is an ethical standard that is a rule of practice set forth by a profession. The American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice require that counselors respect their clients’ right to privacy and avoid illegal and unwarranted disclosures of confidential information. The ACA code lists the exceptions to confidentiality as when disclosure is required to prevent clear and imminent danger to the client or others or when legal requirements demand that confidential information be revealed. When counseling clients who are minors or individuals who are unable to give voluntary, informed consent, parents or guardians may be included in the counseling process as appropriate. Counselors act in the best interest of clien ts and take measures to safeguard confidentiality. Confidentiality should exist for the benefit of the client be it whether the client is a minor or not. Should parents or guardians be involved in the counseling process, the counselor must act with exceedingly professional expertise when disclosing confidential information. There is an ethical responsibility to obtain the minor’s permission before releasing information. For counseling to be effective and to provide an environment in which the client feels free to share concerns, the counselor must be able to assure minor clients that personal information will be kept confidential to build trust between them. There are vacillating priorities between the rights of the child, school policy, guardians’ rights, and dictates of laws and ethical codes (Glosoff & Pate, 2002; Lawrence & Kirpius, 2000). There is a tenuous balancing act among the parents who desire autonomy in raising their children, the governmental agencies safeguarding public welfare, and the minor who deserves both privacy and protection. The ACA Code of Ethics (1995) highlights the needs for the counselor to clarify client relationships in  families to directly address any possible conflicts, and to promote flexibility in the decision to involve a guardian in the counseling process as long as confidentiality and the client’s best interests are safeguarded. Recognition of the need for a thorough understanding of ethical and legal requirements also applies to the issue of duty to warn. A counselor with a flexible orientation toward confidentiality will usually make an independent decision based on merits of each separate case that promotes the moral principle of fidelity in which the child’s trust is protected by keeping the promises inherent in confidentiality issues (Glosoff & Pate, 2002). An evaluation of what is in the child’s best interest will predominate, which underscores the moral principles of beneficence. This is seen as an ambiguous process that is influenced by the counselor’s cultural background and personal values and biases. Conversely, no guarantee of confidentiality erodes the foundation of trust in therapy, leading to increased client resistance and premature termination. In this situation, from the outset an adolescent will be reluctant to enter a counseling relationship with a professional who apparently views the referring agency, court, school, or guardian as the real client rather than the teen. An attitude of flexibility toward confidentiality offers the ability to be adaptable to various situations, but throws the counselor into the nebulous area of trying to negotiate the balance of ethical and legal dictates. A more moderate stance embraces the advice of the ACA Code of Ethics regarding clarification of counseling relationships and can draw the adolescent into the decision-making process, which strengthens therapeutic rapport. Similarly, a counselor asking the child’s permission before disclosure gives the minor a sense of control and helps diminish damage to trust when sharing informa tion is necessary. In the course of work when working with minors, I sometimes can be unclear about my ethical obligations concerning confidentiality, especially with adolescents. When they mention activities such as shoplifting, alcoholism, drug experimentation and the most tricky case of sexual habits, it becomes a difficult issue. The question of confidentiality in ethics come into question and the counselor, or myself in this case, will struggle with  building trust with the client and involving the parents in the counseling process. Let’s consider a case study. Joseph’s parents divorced when he was 5 and he has been living with his mother since. His mother used to attend therapy with him when she noticed he was very withdrawn and didn’t communicate very much since the incident. The therapy went on for a year. Now at age 16, he has been sent to his counselor after his form teacher has noticed his constant late coming to school and also looking listless and distracted during lessons. His grades have also taken a sharp dip. His close friend, Kenneth, tells the teacher that Joseph has been attending all-night parties and has started to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Joseph doesn’t say much during the counselling sessions except mentioning that he has got a girlfriend now, who is 7 years his senior, and wants to move in with her. They met at a party and got sexually involved with each other and he now feels responsible for taking care of her. He insists the relationship is built out of love and that his parents should no t hear or have a say in any of this. His counsellor has shared her concerns with Joseph and is struggling with whether she has an obligation to disclose anything to his parents. It would be helpful to consider this case from three perspectives: that of law, clinical practice and ethics. The law generally states that minors cannot consent to treatment and a parent or guardian will consent on the minor’s behalf. The parent who consents on the minor’s behalf generally has the right to know the content of the child’s treatment until the minor reaches the legal age of (usually) 18. From a clinical perspective, the situation is more complex. An important aspect of treatment is to foster an individual’s autonomy, and a great pleasure of treating adolescents is to watch as they come to enjoy their growing independence. One aspect of independence is privacy. As a child grows into adolescence and adulthood, the surrounding zone of privacy should increase, thus making room for a more defined sense of se lf and a greater sense of autonomy. A paradox thus arises: Good clinical treatment may require what the law generally refuses, that is, a zone of privacy. I feel that early in the relationship the counselor should make clear what relationship she will have to each of the parties (the minor and the parents/guardians). It should be accompanied by an explanation of how information-sharing will work, what  information will be shared, with whom and when, in a manner appropriate to the minor’s age and understanding. As the child develops and grows up, the structure of the therapy may change for clinical reasons and this will have ethical implications. The minor’s greater sense of self and enhanced capacity for autonomy may require greater respect for the child’s need for privacy. The counselor will thus need to revisit earlier discussions and explain that, for clinical reasons, the structure of the therapy should change. Such boundary renegotiation is clinically and ethically indicated. However, a coun selor cannot promise a minor that information will be kept from a parent who has legal custody. A parent with the legal right to treatment information may choose, however counterproductive in the counselor’s eyes, to exercise that right. Clinical judgement will also be able to indicate to what extent maintaining an adolescent’s privacy is central to the treatment. A counselor may conclude that an adolescent’s wish not to have information shared reflects an appropriate separation and so should be honored or he may also conclude that sharing certain information would be helpful. If so, the ethical standards from the section on â€Å"Privacy and Confidentiality† gives the counselor permission to do so. Nonetheless, regardless of whether an adolescent assents to have information disclosed to a parent, it makes both clinical and ethical sense to tell the adolescent beforehand, what information will be shared, and when. Ideally, the adolescent would be part of such conversations. There may also be times when a counselor will be mandated to disclose information. Serious threats of harm, neglect and abuse falls under mandatory reporting laws and must be disclosed in many states. Adolescents should be told that serious threats of harm to self or others will also not be kept confidential. A counselor may feel strongly that revealing information to a parent could harm the minor or be destructive to the treatment. Refusal to disclose in such a case, even in the face of a parent’s request, may be legally supportable. A counselor in this position should se ek both legal counsel and consultation from colleagues. Joseph’s therapist revisited the issue of confidentiality when Joseph expressed a wish that she not speak with his mother. A compromise was reached whereby the therapist would speak to Joseph’s mother only with Joseph present. The issue of confidentiality became more complicated when the therapist felt that certain information should be shared and Joseph  refused. The therapist should gently explore with Joseph the reasons behind this refusal. During some sessions, the therapist should be direct with Joseph about her discomfort with his behavior, especially the illegal activities, and point out the kinds of risks he was taking. Hopefully, over time, they would agree that Joseph himself would begin to speak to his mother about these issues, and that the therapist could follow up with a phone call. It is important to discuss each and every contact between the therapist and mother thoroughly with Michael, as well as to support his independent use of psychotherapy. Issue Two: Transcultural Issues in Counseling As a counselor, we will be working with clients from various cultures. In order to work effectively with culturally diverse individuals and groups, it is important to know what culture means in people’s lives and to recognise differences that might be culturally-based. The idea of culture is interesting and important, but can be very hard to define and understand. Culture is a set of meanings that provides a sort of blueprint for how we should think, feel, and behave in order to be a part of a group. It includes patterns of traditions, beliefs, values, expectations, and symbols; in fact, every aspect of who we are that isn’t biological in origin. Often people are part of more than one culture; for example, we may belong to a professional group, a religious group, and social groups each of which has its own way of speaking, dressing, and behaving. Often we don’t recognise aspects of our culture until we encounter cultural ideas or practices that are different from ours. Knowing our own culture is an important aspect of self-awareness, however, because we need to be able to recognise culturally-based differences. Some cultural differences that affect counselling relationships include communication styles, for example the way words and phrases are used, the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication, and the appropriate degree of assertiveness in communicating. Different attitudes toward conflict, for example whether conflict is positive or should be avoided, whether conflict should be resolved in face-to-face meetings. Different approaches to completing tasks, for example whether or not it is important to build a relationship with another person in order to work with him or her on completing a task. Different styles of decision-making, for  example majority rule or consensus. Different attitudes about open emotion and personal matters. Different approaches to knowing, for example through symbolic imagery and rhythm, library research, visiting people who have had similar challenges. As a counsellor, we will be working with children and families from various cultural backgrounds. One of the most important things to remember is not to assume that another person has the same values, beliefs, and practices that you do. We have to use our observation, listening, and questioning skills to learn what is important to the other person and how they see the world. We need to be open to learning about other ways of seeing and living in the world. Counselors need to be aware of their own ethnicity and how it influences their interactions with other cultural groups. Problems need to be understood within the context of the person’s ethnicity. We learn from our culture, appropriate ways of responding to illness. For example, one group of people may tend to complain about their physical problems, while another may deny having any pain and see it as a form of punishment. Attitudes towards seeking help also vary from one ethnic group to another. It is important to clearly spell out the tasks of the first session to all family members and explain in detail the client-counselor relationship. The expectations the family may have about the encounter might be based on its experience with the medical profession. The family may expect the counselor to take charge and provide advice. By being direct, active and using a structured approach, the counselor establishes rapport with the family. The ethnic group may perceive the family as the primary source of support for its members. If this is the case, the family may be experiencing shame and guilt for not being able to solve its own problems. For example, an individual may turn to the family for support and seek our outsiders for support as a last resort. In some cultures, it is not acceptable to express personal concerns with a stranger; therefore, the clients adopt the counselor into their family. There may be fears and embarrassment about not being able to speak the language of the dominant culture well enough to express difficulties. As a result the counselor may view the client as passive and resistant. Culture influences the family’s orientation toward being internally or externally controlled. An internally oriented family has the belief that their achievements, or lack of achievements, are determined by their own actions, thus shaping their destiny. On the other hand, an externally oriented family has the belief that achievements and non achievements occur independently of their actions and that the future is predicated on chance. An externally oriented family may be interpreted by an internally focused counselor as procrastinators. Another important dimension when working with the people who are from cultures different than our own is the locus of responsibility. Locus of responsibility assesses the amount of responsibility or blame given to the client or the clients system. Determining if the individual or the system is the cause of the behavior is important when making an assessment and determining interventions. In Canadian culture often the individual is seen as being responsible for his/her actions. Racial and ethnic minorities whose behaviors deviate from the middle class are labeled as deviant. Be aware of ethno cultural roles and hierarchy. If the father is considered the authority figure, make sure you address him, first showing respect for his cultural positions. In attempting to seek information from the children, it is important to acquire permission before proceeding with the interview. Inquire about issues that may be specific to a particular ethnic group. Family members are often delighted to teach counselors about the key â€Å"insults† of their cultural group. If you experience resistance, check to see if you have violated a culture norm. We need to take note when the counselor becomes overly concerned about the family’s ethnicity to the point where one loses perspective as to their reason for seeking help. A major assumption for culturally sensitive counseling is that counselors can acknowledge their own tendencies and the limit of their cultures on other people. Thus, it is essential for counselors to understand their cultures and their worldviews before helping and assisting other people. According to Padilla, Boxley, and Wagner (1973), there is increasing evidence that the trained counselor is not prepared to deal with individuals who are culturally different from them. Cultural sensitivity remains as one of the  important characteristics of effective counseling. Padilla et al’s writing also shows that one of the characteristics of an effective counselor is the ability to recognize diversity and cultural differences. It is undeniable that the need to attend multicultural diversity of clients is more obvious when counselors and clients have different cultural backgrounds. Culture is the core of internal ways in which human beings develop their sense of self, including values, beliefs, thought patterns, perceptions, and worldviews. All these qualities help determine and shape one’s external culture – the ways in which one establishes and maintains a relationship with the environment and others through implicit norms, language, traditions, rituals, and loyalties that influence attitudes, behaviors, and customs (Gushue, 1993). While it is true that Singapore is a mix of different ethnic groups, each group has retained much of its individual unique cultural character. This is because Singapore’s policy has always been geared towards multiculturalism, where every ethnic group is allowed to preserve its own culture while peacefully interacting with others. In the light of this, counselling and intervention is always presented within the cultural context and constraints inherent in our cosmopolitan society. The understanding of a clientà ¢â‚¬â„¢s unique culture is necessary in order for a counsellor to effectively help the former behave and feel differently in a trusting relationship so as to achieve their goals. Psychological judgments are never free from the influence of therapist’s own cultural values. In intervention, counsellors need to be knowledgeable of the culture of their clients because each culture holds different ideas about what constitutes problems in living. As we have grown up in a cosmopolitan environment, we are immersed in various orientations of different ethnic groups. Our awareness of our own culture only increases when we go to places where our culture is not the norm. Similarly in a counselling room, when we are with our client from a different culture, our awareness of our own culture tends to increase too. We are aware too of the diversity existing within the same culture as people may communicate and interact in a whole range of ways. Our worldviews as ethnic majority are highly correlated with cultural upbringing and life experiences. There is a tendency to take for granted that the ethnic minority has full knowledge of our culture since it is pervasive in  the society. On the other hand, some of us harbor tinted views of the ethnic minority that cause us to unwittingly impose upon them stereotypes and preconceived notions. In my opinion, sensitivity includes respect and acceptance of who they are, the way they are and the ir beliefs. People of the minority race should be treated fairly and equally. There isn’t a need to treat them with sympathy; otherwise, it would only remind them that they are being differentiated. I learned from my Indian and Malay friends at school about their feelings as minority races in Singapore and that they prefer to be seen as equals. To be more effective counsellors, we have to first examine ourselves or be aware of our personal values, beliefs, prejudices and motives for helping people. For instance, my own cultural beliefs that men should be stronger and be able to take on the world and solve their problems rationally and efficiently make me more sympathetic toward my female clients. The curiosity to explore the deeper meaning of our own cultural behavior will certainly enlighten and make us more sensitive to the differences or similarities existing in different cultural groups. A wise counsellor would always try to transcend such barriers and enter into the frame of referenc e of his client and operate from there. The clients we see include students from as young as 6 years old, elderly patients at Nursing Homes/hospital. We also have couples with marital, family and financial issues. Their age group ranges from early 20s to the 70s. They are a mix of Singaporean Chinese, Malay, Indian and some immigrants. Our clients are mainly from low to average income group with basic education. English and Mandarin are the main languages used. Dialects are used when counselling the elderly folks. Each member in the group shared both common and unique cultural issues they face in counselling. The sexism issue Annie regularly encounters involves female victims of domestic violence in Indian family whose men predominate in positions of power. Most oppressed Indian women inevitably choose not to react for fear of being ostracized by their own family and community. According to Yeo (1989), Asian derives their identity from membership in a family and a community and focusing on the individual might well alienate the person from the family. Peter and Juliet shared about the common gender issue where parents think they must stay with sons only, while conflicts with daughters-in-law are common issues too. Some parents choose to stay on their own to avoid humiliating their sons. Medical and emotional problems may result from loneliness, poor self care and diet. Jennifer related her early experience: I’ve encountered difficulties on many occasions with clients of a different race, particularly Malay clients, in dealing with issues on pregnancy crisis. My early impression was that they were either not willing to share nor receptive to explore other options and alternatives pertaining to their decision to terminate their pregnancy. The session became more fruitful only after I acquired greater understanding of the Malay culture. For Magdalene, while she is competent in conversational skills with some dialects, attempting to apply counselling techniques or skills present a real challenge. Majority of the counselling approaches are western in origin. The concepts and explanation are all in English. It is easy to miss the deeper nuances when she attempts to apply or translate them into dialect or language which she is not fully competent in. Both Magdalene and Ruth observed that it is culturally the norm of the older generation to attribute crisis to some external causes and to seek help from temple mediums. The words of the mediums will then be accepted as truth. It can be a real challenge to counsellors from a different faith. Ruth, the youngest member in our group, perceives age as a stumbling block to effective counselling when her clients are much older. In the Asian context, age is a sign of maturity and wisdom. With elderly clients, we are expected to show respect and humility, not as someone to solve their problems. Annie faced the social-economic issue when she encountered Singaporean men who resorted to increase their socio-economic status by taking wives from the poorer ASEAN countries. The wives function more as domestic helpers or care providers to the elderly/invalid parents or young nephews and nieces within the extended family. The relationship is further strained by language barrier and other cultural issues. Western Counselling Models in Singaporean Context The group is pragmatic in our counselling approach, integrating different therapy models to meet the client’s unique needs. With cross-cultural interaction comes the possibility that the client’s intentions and actions may be misperceived, misinterpreted, and misjudged notably, when we employ the western counselling models on culturally different clients. We are aware that some of these models may not even fit people from western cultures due to within-culture diversity and other diversity factors beyond culture. (Egan, 2005) The second theme that emerged was the need to understand the worldview of culturally different clients in order to know how best to integrate the western counselling models in our counselling work. Magdalene commented that the concept of individuation in Bowen Theory is culturally not in tandem with many elderly Chinese clients, who come from an environment where the family, community, or clan takes precedent over self; hence differentiation of self can be alien to them. A person’s identity is formed and continually influenced by his or her context. Working effectively with clients requires an understanding of how the individual is embedded in the family, which in turn requires an understanding of how the family is affected by its place in a pluralistic culture. (Sue, Ivey & Pedersen, 1996). Bowen Theory encourages the therapist to look into the Family of Origin to examine the interlocking relationships. This can present itself negatively as in-laws or family members may not be forthcoming when it comes to talking about sensitive and conflicting issues inflicting the family. Juliet presumed Bowen Theory will be better understood and accepted by the  English-educated clients, but she found out to her dismay that some concepts contradict their cultural beliefs. Peter found Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) to be too confrontational in style. Telling a client that he is â€Å"horriblising† and â€Å"catastrophising† his life issues when he is seeking understanding from a counsellor in his moments of anxiety is not going to be welcomed. Asians generally seek familial help when they have problems. The concept of going to a counsellor who is a stranger is already a major deviation from their social norms. Facing a challenging counsellor may pose as a humiliating experience for some. Annie’s observation: Solution-focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) focuses on what clients want to achieve through therapy rather than on the problem(s) that made them seek help. The approach does not focus on the past, but on the present and future instead. This goes down well with the clients she sees who are pragmatic and time-conscious. However, Magdalene observed that asking the miracle question to a pragmatic elderly client may pose a challenge. Some of them have mindsets that have been deeply entrenched in their being; they do not see the need to change. Similarly, to challenge the Irrational Beliefs (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) of the elderly whose sense of self has been conditioned to adopt a resigned disposition can be an uphill task. The use of `hot-seat’ fantasy technique to help clients express their feelings where there is unfinished business may not be favored by the more ‘conservative and traditional’ clients as unleashing negative emotions towards the deceased is considered a taboo. Magdalene related her encounter: Using Gestalt approach, I encouraged him to imagine that the mother was present at the moment, and for him to tell her what was on his mind. He responded, ‘she is already dead, what is there to say?’ I realized later that while he might be bad mouthing and blaming her for his current plight, it was culturally not appropriate for him to confront her. Ruth felt incompetent when she encountered elderly people who often interrupted her during conversation to correct her. Her age and lack of knowledge in dialects made it difficult for her to express herself aptly. But she found Carl Roger’s Person-Centered therapy useful when working with clients who question her abilities. Multi-cultural Competencies The challenges we face as counsellors in a multicultural environment require that we know and understand the client’s culture so as to be congruent with the frame of the world that the client is in during counselling, i.e., individuals are best understood by taking into consideration salient cultural and environmental variables. Regardless of the therapist’s orientation, it is crucial to listen to the clients and determine why they are seeking help and how best to deliver the help that is appropriate for them. (Corey, 1996) In this pluralistic and post-modern age, no one helping approach has all the answers for the clients we see due to the complexity of human beings, as expressed by Sue, Ivey and Pedersen (1996). The third theme that emerged was the need for therapists to create therapeutic strategies that are congruent with the range of values and behaviours that are characteristic of a pluralistic society. Jennifer had this to say: Without a deeper understanding of the Malay culture and religion, my counselling sessions with the Malays would certainly be unfruitful. There are family and social pressure to learn within the context of religion and culture. The Malay clients who are pregnant out of wedlock find themselves opting for abortion as the only way to avoid violating family tradition. I have to work on interventions that are congruent with the values of the clients. It is a sign of respect that counsellor refrains from deciding what behaviour should be changed. Through skilful questioning on the counsellor’s part, ethnic minority clients can be helped. The process of internalizing a new culture is an on-going undertaking. Generally the group is willing to be exposed to all kinds of clients so as to open up our own world views of the different cultures in our society. This includes interacting with people of different races at social events and festive celebrations. We recognized that with the culturally-constraint client we have to go slow during the first counselling session. The clients can be invited to teach the therapists about the significant parts of their cultural identity. We all acknowledged the importance of supervision and guidance when we are unsure and need clarification. We also will be seen as more professional if we master the basic terminologies of counselling approaches in other languages/dialects. Having an enquiring and inquisitive mind about the different cultures will help broaden our perspectives. Formal education on the multicultural aspects of counselling will help to hone our skills. We can also gain insights by reading articles and books related to multicultural counselling. There are hefty handbooks offering the theoretical background, practical knowledge, and training strategies needed to achieve multicultural competence. (Pope-Davis, Coleman, Liu, & Toporek, 2004). In addition, there are highly detailed research studies offering further insights in multicultural competence. (Darcy, Lee, & Tracey, 2004). The greater our depth and breadth of knowledge of culturally diverse groups, the more we can be effective practitioners (Corey, 2001). Conclusion In summary, the qualitative inquiry has promoted self-awareness of our own personal culture as we develop a sense of the world. Courage, openness and humility are some important elements we identified to secure trust and acceptance by our clients of different cultures. Our group will certainly strive to integrate appropriate counselling approaches to create therapeutic strategies that are congruent with the client’s range of values and behaviours, without abdicating our own deepest beliefs and values.

Importance of Risk Management in the Adventure Leisure Industry

Critically illustrate the importance, and societal context of risk management within the adventure leisure industry In recent decades the emphasis on risks and risk management within the adventure leisure industry has been has been escalating and is now greater than ever. This emphasis is due to the introduction of more stringent legislation from the associated governing bodies, threatening more severe consequences if businesses do not practice within the regulated guidelines.The objective of this essay is to analyse risks within adventure activities and to determine the importance of the management of risk within this field of outdoor leisure. This will be achieved by researching past occurrences in the leisure industry that have resulted in accident or death, which could have been avoided had a thorough risk assessment been constructed. In addition, by exploring the motivation behind participating in such activities, this essay will uncover the degree to which risk is actually requ ired in order for an adventure activity to occur.As written by (Barton 2007:2) â€Å"We are exposed to risk from the moment of our conception to our death†. If this is the case, then undoubtedly there must be forces set into place in order to manage and assess these risks that we are subjected to in day to day life. If a risk is able to be assessed, the severity of it is able to be calculated. Consequently, the hazard that resulting from that risk is able to be determined and prevented. When planning a leisure activity, it is imperative that the organising party carries out an incredibly thorough and informative risk assessment.Hazards in adventure activities include falls from height, drowning, falling objects, lightning strikes, equipment failure, assault, cold injury, and many more (Barton 2007:12). The reason why a complete and logical risk assessment is necessary is so that leading personnel are able to provide proof that everything in their power has been done in order to prevent the activity resulting in any hazards or injuries to those participating.This will not only supply the organising body with a sense of comfort that the activity they are planning and instigating is safe so as to protect them from any potential legal involvement, but also the availability of a risk assessment is likely to be an appealing factor to prospective partakers‘. Risks are identified by reviewing historical information and industry standards; interviewing subject matter experts; conducting brainstorming sessions with the organising team, vendors, and key stakeholders; and some times through simulation and scenario forecasting (Silvers 2004:52).Wilks and Davis (cited in Swarbrooke, 2003) explain how all discovered risks are able to be rated in order to decide the way in which they should be tackled. This can be done by comparing the predicted frequency of a hazard, by its severity. Frequent incidents with slight consequences can, in most situations, be conside red an entirely tolerable risk, we might even say a trivial risk (Barton 2007:12). By rating a risk, it can be differentiated between a risk that has great potential to cause injury of death, and a risk that can easily be tackled and therefore will barely be influential in the construction of an activity.In March of 1993 four teenagers were killed in a canoeing accident in Lyme Regis whilst on a school trip. The deaths of the young students was widely put down to lack of supervision and negligence which consists in â€Å"the duty of care and consequent injury† (Scott 1993:45). When carrying out such potentially dangerous activities â€Å"One cannot overemphasize the importance of supervision† (Hronek et al 2002:255). The evidence that supported the Llyme Bay legal battle that followed was that ‘the coastguard owed the kayakers a duty of care and that they had conducted the search and rescue operation negligently’ (Fulbrook 2005:27-28).Being careful and pre pared are not only sensible attributes for activity co-ordination, it is ever more important for the organising personnel. This is progressively more significant as the management of risk is increasingly regulated into legislation and policy (Silvers 2004:170). The law is becoming much more focused upon the adventure leisure industry after such events as Lyme Bay illustrated above. Bradford (2000) explains that during the early 1990‘s, organisers of outdoor adventure activities were able to volunteer to abide by codes of practice set up by a variety of independent organisations.A company may have wished to have done so in order to improve their business. By stating that they were operating within an organisations health and safety regulations, they would have been able to project a sense of reassurance across to their customers. Following the tragedy in March 1993, the attitude of many changed dramatically and there was a wide spread belief that more needed to be done to encou rage safer organisations. This would help to prevent any further disasters and deaths. The first development of more enforced regulations being placed into practice was in 1993.The English Tourist Board brought together a group representing most of the voluntary approval bodies and other interested parties, who issued a code of practice for outdoor adventure leisure activities (Bradford 2000). Followed by the Activity Centres (Young Persons safety) Act 1995. The introduction of more intense and purposeful legislation has consequently placed evermore pressure upon the organisers of such activities. This has lead to leisure managers having to direct far more attention to the health and safety of those participating in the activities they are providing.As well as an activity organizing company wishing to protect their customers to the greatest extent for fear of the legal confrontation that may follow if accused of irresponsible and neglectful practice, there are other reasons why an o rganizing body may wish to carry out a thorough risk assessment. If an accident was to occur which involved a member of staff, the employer risks losing money through the provision of sick pay, as well as losing an employee for an undetermined period of time. Pro-active management helps to eliminate such an occurrence arising.In addition, the execution of the introduction of control measures helps to define areas of responsibility and communicates a standard for performance. Despite the owner of an organization having the most recognized power concerning any health and safety issues, authority is able to be un-officially segregated throughout the businesses personal hierarchy. This is determined by the position of power an individual is in within the organization: Manager, assistant manager, supervisor, and so on. The benefit of dividing up job roles and esponsibility in such a way is that every position of employment will experience a sense of responsibility; each to a different de gree, yet still the sensation of business involvement and therefore the motivation to excel in their field will be present. Pro-active management strategies can be the most effective strategies because they are implemented according to the planning of the organization, rather than because of a need to respond to outside pressure and expectations from the public or a governing body Smith (2005:82).Essentially this is the detection and managing of a problematic issue, before it has the opportunity to present itself within the business. Risk assessment therefore plays an intricate part of this process. Successful pro-active management within the organization will help to ensure that the customers along with the members of staff are constantly and consistently satisfied and comfortable. It is evident that the success of an activity regarding its safety and reliance is significantly related to the experience and awareness of the activities leader.Experienced leaders develop a sixth sense of when the odds are beginning to stack up against them and they will automatically see an activity in the wider context, Barton (2007:89). It is therefore imperative that that a leader of any nature of leisure activity is able to predict potential future hazards and subsequently learn from their previous mistakes. According to Barton (2007:89), leader of activities that are not so experienced are less likely to see the signals of an approaching risk, and tend to view minor set-backs as isolated incidents, rather than as bricks in a growing wall.Organisers’ must realise that these seemingly unimportant hindrances will gather pace and build up to a much larger scale problematic occurrence. Despite the increasing demand for safer and risk free activities, a balance must be established in order to keep within legislation created by the governing bodies, whilst still creating the same sense of adventure and possible danger that has lead to the success of an adventure activity. I f every risk in life was assessed and accounted for, and every hazard was liminated, the world would be an incredibly safe, organised, and trouble free place. However, risks cause excitement and adrenalin within one’s life. Without risk, there is no fear of risk, in which case there are no opportunities presented for one to take risks. As explained by Barton (2007:2) If we bring up children to believe that physical, emotional or intellectual risks are to be avoided, then we can hardly be surprised if the future does not bring great people; poets, artists, play writes, successors to Captain Cook, to Darwin, and to Shakespeare.Without some form of risk, engineers could never have designed the great bridges that span the widest rivers, homes would still be heated by fireplaces or parlour stoves, electric power utilities would not exist, polio would still be maiming children, no airplanes would fly, and space travel would just be a dream (Aven 2003:2) The word ‘Adventureâ⠂¬â„¢ implies that there is an element of risk involved in the activity that is to be undertaken.The reason why this is a positive attribute to the organising body is that many leisure seekers are in search of a sense of adventure, risk and an adrenaline rush. Despite the general consensus that every risk should be accounted for and every attempt should be made to ensure no hazards present themselves, without the lingering sensation in the very back of a participant mind that something may go wrong; a rope may break, a parachute may not open, the ‘Adventure’ is almost completely removed from the ‘Leisure Activity’.To conclude, when regarding the adventure leisure industry, the concept of risk management and assessment are fundamental aspects that must be constantly considered when running a business that provides such activities. The laws that have been introduced throughout recent years have placed increasing pressure on organizations to concentrate on the health and safety of their patrons to a much greater degree. Failure to do so, as has been seen in the past throughout such incidents as Lyme Bay, may well result in powerful legal consequences or even closure of their establishment.There is no doubt that risk and uncertainty are important concepts to address for supporting decision-making in many situations. The challenge is to know how to describe, measure, and communicate risk and uncertainty (Aven 2003:4). However, the popularity that adventure leisure activities hold derives from the exact concept of risk itself. Participants of such activities choose to take part in order to; gain a sense of personal accomplishment, face their fears, experience a surge of adrenalin, and ultimately test themselves to their physical and mental boundaries.A balance must be established within the process of managing risk. If this balance can be successfully determined, than the adventure leisure industry will be able to provide the same level of audacious activity, whilst staying within all governing guidelines’, and providing the highest degree of safety for all those that they accommodate for.

Hitler Able to Establish a Dictatorship

Was Hitler Able to Establish a Dictatorship Because He Banned Other Political Parties? BY 002910 â€Å"Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship because he banned other political parties†. Do you agree? Explain your answer. The rise of Hitler as a dictator was one Involving many deferent factors. The political parties caused him a very challenging problem, and by banning them it undoubtedly helped him secure all-out rule. But was It the only reason why Hitler managed to establish himself as a dictator, and If not, Is It the main one?Hitler knew that the many opposition parties would pose him ND his government a real threat. He Instantly acted against them by getting Hindering to pass a decree stating they had to be Informed 48 hours In advance If a political meeting was to be held. This let Hitler take control of his political surroundings as It meant he would know when and where to go to break up a political meeting. It gave the Mans a strong foothold In the election that w as approaching and a good starting point to establishing his dictatorship as he was already limiting what others could do and was getting his way.However, he only got 4% of the vote at the election. With other political parties still around to vote for Hitler could never have had a dictatorship as he did not have a mandate to rule. Therefore, eradicating the other parties would appear to be how he became a dictator. We must consider what it is to be a dictator, and with any sort of political opponent around a dictatorship is implausible to establish. First, all choice of opinion must be taken away. In this way, banning political parties has to be a good reason why Hitler managed to become Germany's all out ruler.On top of this clear idea that e could never have absolute power with political parties still around is the fact that the Enabling Act, which to an extent was the blockage of power for any other party, really sealed Hitter's position as Germany's next dictator. What he said now became law, and he could do whatever he wanted as long as it didn't anger Hindering, the Industrialists or the Army too much. In this sense, it looks like when Hitler finally banned the formation of political parties on 14th July it was this that gave him the status as a dictator of Germany . He made the laws, and there was no other view to go against his.However, we must look at the other reasons why Hitler secured this power. By no means was banning political parties the only reason why he became an all-out ruler. Even if he had banned the political parties, without the support of the other groups which got him into power he wouldn't last long as Chancellor. The Night of the Long Knives is one of the main reasons why he became a dictator as It kept on side those who had the power to overthrow him. Room's proposals to take over all German businesses did not sit well with the Industrialists as they would lose all their rower, money and influence.He also wanted to merge the Army Into the S. A. , onto popular move with the Army generals. By choosing to arrest and kill Room Hitler made sure that he held onto power; without sling with these groups they could well have forced Hindering to sack him as Chancellor. But by choosing the Army and Industrialists over his own party he showed that, although there were no longer any political parties, Hitler was still not the dictator of Germany as he was being forced to but did still have outside factions to impress.Therefore, it was also the death of Hindering and the oath by the Army which made Hitler the dictator of Germany. With no one above him to get rid of him, Hitler could then declare himself F;here and make the Army swear an oath to defend him. Now the outside groups had no one to complain to if they didn't like what was going on. They were also now bound to follow him; the Army had to give their lives to him, which meant no threat of any military coup, and the Industrialists could not speak out against him as they could be arrested and sent to concentration camps.Yes, the banning of political parties gave Hitler the opportunity to declare himself ruler, but that opportunity could have been taken away if he hadn't managed to keep them onside throughout. Hindering could still have been pressured into sacking Hitler as Chancellor (he had done this to others many times before in the previous years), thus stopping Hitler getting the chance to become supreme ruler all together. As well as this, Just banning political parties would never have been enough to become a dictator due to one very obvious blockage; the Reichstag.With it still in the country the country was still democratic as the parties had a say in how the country was run. Hitler could not ban any political parties without getting rid of the Reichstag first. It was this that the Enabling Act actually got rid of so that Hitler could start to rule the country on his own. It was not actually the banning of political parties in Germany that set in motion the wheels of dictatorship but the demolition of democracy and the Whimper constitution.But at the same time this could also be seen as a reason why the banning of political parties as the reason why Hitler established himself as F;here. In reality, the Reichstag is made up of political parties, so getting rid of it could be seen as getting rid of the parties. This could be both for and against the statement in the question, but I believe that the Reichstag has to be treated as a separate thing. In conclusion, I think that although Germany's political parties did pose a major problem to Hitler and that banning it did help him to become a dictator, by no means is it the sole reason why he became one.Really, the Night of the Long Knives is more important as it is the point when everything could have collapsed for the Nazis. The start of Hitter's rule was all about pleasing those around him and trying to stay in power. Therefore, keeping the Army and Industrialists on side at this point was key to making sure he lasted out Hinderers life. The Reichstag is a mixture of both sides of the argument, but it still backs up the point that banning political parties was not the only reason why Hitler became a dictator and isn't the main reason why either.

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Art - Essay Example The roofs of churches were vaulted and supported by thick stone walls, rounded arches and massive pillars. The creation of large churches during the Romanesque period was propagated by the strong devotion to Christianity and the church. There was a common belief among the Christians that the world was going to end a thousand years after Christ’s birth. This made people to have more commitment and devotion to church and so the churches had to be increased in size so that they could accommodate the large masses. The increase in size was also caused by political and cultural reasons. Flying buttresses is a masonry structure which typically consists of an inclined bar on an arch that extends from the top part of the wall to the pier which is some distance from the wall. Its main function is to carry the thrust of the vault. The pier is often crowned by a pinnacle which adds weight and enhances stability. The buttresses evolved during the gothic era as they allowed the building of high ceilinged churches (Kleiner 267). This changed the Notre-dame in Paris church architecture in general; it made the churches to have high vaults as they were strongly supported by the buttresses and pinnacles. They made churches to be bigger with high

The Current Health Status of Aboriginal Australian Population Essay

The Current Health Status of Aboriginal Australian Population - Essay Example It has constantly been emphasized that the poor health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians is brought about by economic and social factors such as higher unemployment levels, poor nutrition and sanitation, congested housing, lack of access to education, and poverty. As a result, it has been proposed that the additional health risks of obesity, diabetes, and substance misuse make mortality rates among Aboriginal Australians significantly higher than that of the overall non-Aboriginal Australian population (Lawrence & Worsley, 2007). This paper discusses the factors that contribute to the current health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians, factors that increase the prevalence of diabetes, and potential community-focused solution. Contributing Factors to the Current Health of Australian Aboriginal People As stated in the National Aboriginal Health Strategy Working Party report, â€Å"health to Aboriginal peoples is a matter of determining all aspects of their life, including co ntrol over the physical environment, of dignity, of community self-esteem, and of justice. It is not merely a matter of the provision of doctors, hospitals, medicines or the absence of disease and incapacity† (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001, 210). Customarily, in Indigenous communities there was no term or word for ‘health’ as recognized by non-Indigenous people, and it would not be easy for Aborigines to view ‘health’ as part of their existence (Eagar & Garrett, 2001). This traditional belief is one of the major determinants of Aboriginal health. Health advocates engaged in programs for Aboriginal communities should be sensitive to this culturally oriented perception of health. Apparently, the Aboriginal perception of health should shape the context for any program supporting Aboriginal health. Second contributing factor is social disadvantage. It is well documented that social disadvantage has the ability to endanger individual health and wellbeing. The connection between poor health and social disadvantage is demonstrated in the health condition of Aboriginal people (Larkin, 2006). As revealed in the National Health Strategy Research paper No. 1, and substantiated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Health and Welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples research in 1999, there have been several improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on wider social determinants, especially education (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001, 210). Nevertheless, according to Larkin (2006), on determinants of housing, economic standing, and employment status, these people were below Australian standards. Several scholars, like Thomson (1991) and Couzos and Murray (1999), claim that considerable economic and social disadvantage, political subjugation, and a history of cultural displacement and bigotry lead to seriously poor health and wellbeing for Aboriginal Australians. Matthews (1992) argued that a diverse paradig m that recognizes both the medical and social aspects of poor health is important. Where social circumstances are most unfavorable, the necessity for useful healthcare initiatives is

The Co-Operative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Co-Operative - Essay Example As the years go by, Co-operative food has continued to be versatile in strategy and approach. The company has also placed itself in a position where it is benefiting fully from the advent of technology. For instance it is argued that â€Å"The Co-operative Food will become the UK’s first major grocery retailer to introduce contactless payment in its stores nationwide after joining forces with Barclaycard† (The Co-operative Group, 2010). As a business strategy, the company focuses its strength on growing its smaller retail shops and ensuring fair-trade. Overview of the French food market The decision as to whether or not Co-operative food should enter the French market is one that comes with a lot of considerations before drawing any conclusions. The first of such considerations is a thorough examination of the French Food Market to ascertain the viability of the French Food Market to contain not just Co-operative Food but any other food company. The French market is rep uted for â€Å"better prices, finding more exotic items, and buying in bulk† (Mason, 2011). This means that the strength of the French Food Market hangs around the factors of price, variety and type of sales. Largely due to the fact that fair-trade is upheld and practiced in France, food producers barely have problems with the payment of deserving and fair prices for their food produce. This fairness is to a very large extent transferred to the larger France Food Market where the right of consumers to fair prices is always respected. To this effect, prices of goods are generally lower as opined by Mason (2011). What is more, France’s open market trade that is in place in France makes it possible for as many variety of food items as possible to enter the French market. To this effect, natives and foreigners (especially tourists) are offered an advantage of getting almost everything they want as far as food products are concerned. Lastly, both retail and wholesale food m arketing are in full force in France. Mason (2011) notes that most of the whole sale and in some cases retail sales are done by the farmers themselves. This approach ensures that it is only quality and affordable food products that are sold in the French Food Market. Potential benefits for Co-operative Food entering France Once Co-operative Food, UK finalizes its decision to enter the French food market and indeed enters it, there are a couple of advantages and benefits that the company is sure to tap. In the first place, The US Commercial Service

Demand and supply theory Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Demand and supply theory - Term Paper Example Thus, for the exchange of interests (expressed in terms of goods and services) to occur, demand and supply has to exist, but at some costs. From the field of academia to industrial circles, the basic premises of supply and demand are integrated into the daily actions of the society. To be sure, the theoretical mastery of economics depends much on the understanding of the theory at hand (Gandolfi, Gandolfi, and Barash 5-6). The theory of demand and supply is, therefore, an organization principle that coordinates the production of goods and services (in quantities, often referred to as output) to satisfy societal needs through the market (price) mechanism. Intuitively, the price mechanism functions in a perfectly competitive environment to maintain equilibrium of compensation to goods and services delivered by suppliers (supply side) and paid for by the consumers (demand side). The theory of demand and supply applies best to a theoretically free market structure in which no group of bu yers or sellers holds the power to set market prices. Accordingly, the theory has two sides: the demand side and the supply side, which both function in the interest of the social needs. For a given commodity delivered in the market for exchange, demand measures the quantity that buyers would be willing and able to acquire at a unit price (Gandolfi, Gandolfi and Barash 17). According to the theory, all consumers are rational decision makers who seek to maximize their utility by choosing the "best" bundle (in terms of quantity) of goods that their money (income) can buy (Silberberg and Suen 252–254). Noteworthy, the two units of measurements in the theory of demand are inversely related; a relationship that sums up the law of demand. That is, ceteris paribus, any increase in the price of a commodity in a purely competitive market environment lowers the number of people (buyers) willing to buy the product. Higher product prices in this case may cause a massive shift by consumer s towards more relatively cheaper substitute commodities; a scenario summarized in economics as price substitution effect. Conversely, consumers’ purchasing power acquired through a reduction in the price of a commodity offered for sale in the market increases their ability to buy the product with a possible consequential effect of a massive shift from other commodities considered expensive (income effect). It is important to note that the changes in product prices as well as the quantities along the demand curve occur with all other determinants predominantly held constant (constrained utility maximization) (Samuelson 79). That is, there are many other factors such as income, tastes and preferences, prices of substitute goods among others that occasionally come into play to affect demand of a given product or service. A change in the amount of income, for instance, shifts the demand curve either to the left or right depending on whether the change in income is negative or po sitive respectively. A sample shift in demand curve due to a decrease in income is shown in the diagram below. Supply on the other hand measures the quantity of commodities made available for exchange at a unit price in the market by sellers (Gandolfi,

There is no set topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

There is no set topic - Essay Example Goodman Brown’s decision to come to the forest and meet with the devil is, on the one hand, mystical and, on the other hand, courageous. The major concern of the man is not the fact of meeting itself, but the thought of how others would think of him after that. Religious beliefs of Goodman Brown are interesting from psychological perspective, because this faith is based on his conviction that people around him are also religious. Unfortunately, protagonist’s faith is too weak and can be easily influenced by other people. Therefore, when a man gets to know that his close people like father, wife, grandfather, Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin, the minister are in friendship with devil, he makes up his mind to join the majority as well. People who joined devil used to be pious and respected in their village. Thus, Goodman Brown does not even question rightfulness of his decision concerning religious and faith matters. The protagonist simply does the same as everyone he knows we ll. Being inherently corrupted Goodman Brown is destined to lose his innocence, which is a symbol of transgression from the God’s world into the world of devil. From the very beginning it was Goodman Brown’s choice to go to the forest and meet with the devil. No one tells him to do so. Such an order of events is very convenient to the devil and he even facilitates Goodman Brown in his decision.

Corporate Social Responsibility Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Research Paper Example Increased attention to CSR has been enhanced by the need for environmental protection, need for better corporate governance, globalization and intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations which have made various declarations on human rights and environmental protection. Factors of corporate social responsibility can be categorized in to both environmental and social factors. Environmental stewardship includes the need of efficient utilization of natural resources like water, reduction in energy consumption and recycling of waste materials. This will also include the need to avoid environmental pollution like carbon emissions and toxic waste in the environment (Jamali, Safieddine & Rabbath 850). Social factors include the respect and promotion of human rights, labor rights and ensuring diversity in employment. Other factors include community involvement in development projects like building schools and health care facilities. Anti-bribery practices and supplier relations are also cornerstones of corporate social responsibility (Sabir, Ahmed, Zaidi & Kalyar 14). The company is committed to efficient utilization of all natural resources in all locations of operations. The company will be able to conserve limited natural resources which are also shared with the community. The company is committed to using clean manufacturing technologies that save natural resources and reduce carbon emissions and toxic waste in the environment. This will ensure clean environments and reduction of emission-related diseases. The company is committed to respecting all employees’ rights and offering equal employment opportunities. This will promote diversity, equal employment opportunities and fair dismissals in the workplace. Corporate sustainability is concerned with the long term social and economic expectations of the stakeholders. The basics of sustainability in CSR include continual improvement, compliance with regulatory

Air Pollution Essay Example for Free

Air Pollution Essay The use of automobiles in our society today is as normal as waking up every morning and taking a shower. We are so dependent on the use of automobiles that we could not see ourselves without them, but we might have to start to consider one day not using them. Driving a car is the single most polluting thing that most of us does today or may be this might not be so true anymore. Now this is not a new problem, we have been discussing automobiles causing air pollution for decades, but what is new is the amount of air pollution that is being formed from our automobiles. Since air pollution from automobiles is rapidly increasing people need to learn what we have done in the past to try and change it, what is coming out of our automobiles, have we done all we can to prevent it, or can we do more to help preserve our planet. Now people have been talking about cars and air pollution for years and years, and it may seem as if we are still in the same place we were decades ago, but what most do not know is that we have actually tried and accomplished to decrease it. In 1988 The Clean Air Act was passed. It was to decrease emission levels of Carbon Monoxide and other gases, imposes regulation onto businesses to meet certain limits of pollution output for the products they develop. Within the next several years, the Act’s primary goals were to: 1. Decrease automobile pollution by 60% 2. Decrease industrial plant toxic air emissions by 90%; 3. Supply cleaner gasoline in already –polluted cities; 4. Decrease sulfur dioxide (acid rain) emissions from coal;-burning electrical plants by 50%. In order to meet these limits, automobile manufactures had to try to make significant developments to decrease emissions and increase fuel-efficiency. They are still striving to produce vehicles with emission levels ranging from half the current average car level to zero emissions (Andrew Waterman). Cars do not just sit there on the road and cause air pollution; the emissions from the car while it is running cause it. The problem is, is that we resort to using gasoline for our source of power. When we ordinary gasoline ,which is what we all use when we will up our gas tanks, we are burning cheap, ordinary gasoline that gives off three primary pollutants : Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide(CO), and Nitrogen oxides (NO). These products contribute mostly to smog and the ozone in cities such as Los Angeles, California (Andrew Waterman). Now ozone is not in fuels and/or is it a by-product of combustion, it is formed in the atmosphere through a complex set of chemical reactions involving hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen, and sunlight. In typical urban areas (like Los Angeles) at least half of those pollutants come from cars, buses, and trucks. This is because it is so populated so the use of automobiles much higher than most other cities, and the cause of that is the city being covered in smog more than 70% of the time (Michael Bright). Now when most people hear the word hydrocarbon, or carbon monoxide, many would say that they do not know what they are or consist of. This is a problem because this is the stuff that is coming out of our Mercedes-Benz, BMWs, and trucks since we all drive those these days. Now hydrocarbon is any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene and methane that contains only carbon and hydrogen. Now it doesn’t seem like it would be bad, but carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline. And Nitrogen Oxides are NOx Chemical compounds of nitrogen and oxygen; produced primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels, they contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Now these three chemicals are the main chemicals that are causing air pollution and the word â€Å"poisonous gas† doesn’t sound like its helping our problem (Answers. com Those three harsh chemicals are not all that effect air pollution, smog is also another huge one. Smog’s unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. Smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in automobiles, and forms of transportation. The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities that are highly populated because the use of automobiles is a lot higher than other cities (answers. com) when major cites burned large amounts of heavy oil without control of the output, large-0scale problems were witnessed such as in 1952, even thought it was over 50 years ago, we still have problems due to it, in London, England 4,000 people died. They died as a result of that form of fog A. K. A Smog. Now the problem is better today, heavy oil is burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control and/or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem, but some major countries still burn large quantities of oil without using adequate controls (Tom Socha). Since we know what is coming out of our automobiles, we should also know that it is affecting our schools, elementary, middle and even high schools, especially those near highways even more. One in three U. S. public schools is in the â€Å"air pollution danger zone†. 30% of American public schools are within 400 meters, or a quarter mile, of major highways that consistently serve as main truck and traffic routes. The worst part about this study is that it is believed to be the first study of highly populated highways next to schools ever. This basically means that our children have been going to school where air pollution is at its highest, and no one has noticed or done anything about this problem. Major roads play an important role in the economy, but we need to strike a balance between economic and health considerations as we break ground on new areas. † It is almost as if no matter how we try to improve emissions coming out of automobiles, it doesn’t matter because populations keep growing, and major highways keep getting built (Amanda Harper). With the population increase daily and the growth of major highways taking place daily it is hard to imagine that air pollution from automobiles could be decreased. What most do not realize is that it has and is still decreasing. Today’s vehicles are 80 to 99 percent cleaner per mile that vehicles produced in the late 1960’s, even though since 1970, the number of vehicle miles traveled nationwide has increased by 159 percent, from 1. 1 trillion in 1970 to 2. 87 trillion in 2002 ( clean air program reports). Industries have been making significant improvements compared to the 1960’s, when no attempt was made to limit automotive air pollution before that. Even though the number of automobiles on the road is increasing by the year, still the emissions from cars have decreased the production of air pollution. Hydrocarbon emissions are down almost 98% from the 1960’s levels, while Carbon monoxide levels are down 96%, and nitrogen oxides are down 90%. Smog and air qualities levels are changing for the better in most major cities, but not 100%. The pollution from automobiles is actually coming from only a small group of â€Å"grossly polluting†, newer cars, however, as about 10% of cars on the roes are accounting for 50% of all harmful emissions put out by automobiles. Studies now show that, in fact, automobiles are becoming less of the major contributor to air pollution, but yet are still causing a lot of it (Andrew waterman). Though air pollution from cars has decreased by a lot over the last couple of decades, there are still things we can do to decrease it even more. Further exhaust emission controls for vehicles are approaching the limit of technology, and the only way to ensure healthy air is to markedly reduce our use of cars or to switch to cleaner fuels. Some fuels inherently cleaner than gasoline because they emit less nitrogen oxides or hydrocarbons that are less likely to react in the atmosphere to a form of ozone. These fuels include alcohols, electricity, natural gas, and liquid petroleum (propane). Basic changes in the composition of gasoline itself also can reduce emissions of most air toxics. Unless we dramatically reduce the amount of pollution that newer vehicles emit in actual use or drastically cut back on the amount we drive them, smog free is will continue to be non-existent in major cities (Michael bright). At the same time, with government legislation, increasing knowledge of the bigger picture, and the ability to profit from shifts toward less pollution, the harmful effects of emissions could/ will eventually be abandoned due to people wanting cleaner, safer, and more efficient means of gaining energy from nature (Andrew waterman). By every day that passes, automobiles pollute the air, may be not as much as they did decades ago, but they still do. The three major pollutants are hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, which are major reasons as to why air pollution is accruing. Now unless we completely change our form of gasoline or just stop using automobiles than we will keep having air pollution affects us. We now know what we have done in the past to try and change it, what is coming out of our automobiles, have we done all we can to prevent it, and the answer is that we have not done all we can to prevent it, because it we did than there would be no reason to talk about air pollution from automobiles because it would be known existent.

An Overview of Network Topologies

An Overview of Network Topologies A network topology refers to the way in which nodes in a network are connected to one another. The network structure defines how they communicate. It is the arrangement with which computer systems or network devices are connected to each other. Topologies may define both physical and logical aspect of the network. Both logical and physical topologies could be same or different in a same network. Point-to-Point Topology Bus Topology In this topology, all devices share single communication line or cable. This central cable is the backbone of the network and is known as Bus. Every point communicates with the other point through this Bus. This topology may have problem while multiple hosts sending data at the same time. Therefore, Bus topology either uses CSMA/CD technology or recognizes one host as Bus Master to solve the issue. It is one of the simple forms of networking where a failure of a device does not affect the other devices. But failure of the shared communication line can make all other devices stop functioning. Both ends of the shared channel have line terminator. The data is sent in only one direction and as soon as it reaches the extreme end, the terminator removes the data from the line. A signal from the source is broadcasted and it travels to all workstations connected to bus cable. Although the message is broadcasted but only the intended recipient, whose MAC address or IP address matches, accepts it. If the MAC /IP address of machine doesnt match with the intended address, machine discards the signal. A terminator is added at ends of the central cable, to prevent bouncing of signals. A barrel connector can be used to extend it. Below I have given a basic diagram of a bus topology and then have discussed advantages and disadvantages of Bus Network Topology Advantages Disadvantages It is easy to set-up and extend bus network. If the main cable (Bus) encounters some problem, whole network breaks down. Cable length required for this topology is the least compared to other networks. Proper termination is required to dump signals. Use of terminators is must. Bus topology costs very less. It is not suitable for networks with heavy traffic. Linear Bus network is mostly used in small networks. Good for LAN. Security is very low because all the computers receive the sent signal from the source. Table 1 Star Topology Ring Topology       Mesh Topology Tree Topology Hybrid Topology IP Addressing An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. Two versions of IP technology exist today. Traditional home computer networks use IP version 4 (IPv4), but some other networks, particularly those at educational and research institutions, have adopted the next generation IP version 6 (IPv6). Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) IPv4 is the fourth version in the development of the Internet Protocol (IP) and the first version of the protocol to be widely deployed. IPv4 is described in IETF publication RFC 791 (September 1981), replacing an earlier definition (RFC 760, January 1980). IPv4 Classes Class IP Start Range Purpose A 0 127 B 128 191 C 192 223 D 224 239 Multicast E 240 255 Research Table 2 Class A Class B Class C Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) IPv4 vs IPv6 Comparison Feature IPv4 IPv6 Deployed 1981 1999 Size 32 bits (4 Bytes) 128 bits (16 Bytes) Unit Allocation 8 bits X 4 16 bits X 8 No of IPs 232 = 2128 = 3.4 X 1038 Unicasting Yes Yes Multicasting Yes Yes Broadcasting Yes No Any casting No Yes Address Format Dotted Decimal Notation (192.168.1.1) Hexadecimal Notation (3FFE:F200:0234:AB00::) Table 3 : IPv4 vs IPv6 Network Models Network models define a set of network layers and how they interact. There are several different network models depending on what organization or company started them. The most important two are: ISO OSI Model The International Standards Organization (ISO) has defined a standard called the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. This is a seven-layer architecture listed in the next section. TCP/IP Model This model is sometimes called the DOD model since it was designed for the department of defense It is also called the internet model because TCP/IP is the protocol used on the internet. ISO OSI Model Layer No Layer Name PDU Description 7 Application 6 Presentation 5 Session 4 Transport 3 Network 2 Data-link 1 Physical VLANS Ethernet Network Standards No Tasks Week 1 Week 2 Week3 Week4 1 2 3 4 5 6 Table 5: Gantt Chart TutorialsPoint, 2017, DCN Computer Network Topologies. [Online]. Available at [Accessed on 18th February 2017]

Procurement And Inventory Management At Green Chilly Management Essay

Procurement And Inventory Management At Green Chilly Management Essay The Company GREEN CHILLY is a restaurant chain operating in the UK. It runs several restaurants for takeaway meals and for people that will stop and sit down for lunch or during any other time of the day. The special approach of that restaurant chain is that to a high extend they source healthy food from local suppliers so pointing out their environmental responsibility. On the other hand they use a lot of other products that will be sourced by the central procurement organization. The company has 53 restaurants all over the UK. Altogether they serve around 16.000 meals every day. In addition they have around 23.000 customers stopping for smaller snacks. The restaurant chain is facing certain seasonality due to holiday seasons and weather conditions influencing customer preferences. Green Chilly faces some issues due to their successful growth in recent years: There is no structured procurement process in place. Quality issues with some fresh products (e.g. salads, vegetables) due to different local supplier performance have been identified. Prices for raw materials are assumed to be significant above the average. Shortages of some promotion meals have been identified. 1. Procurement Process Develop a structure for the sourcing process that the company will define for the procurement process. Which processes are especially relevant for production material (e.g. supplier selection, volume forecasting). Give examples. Discuss which processes of the strategic procurement process would be very relevant for either for food or for non-food (e.g. MRO, restaurant equipment, facility management) supply categories. 2. Supplier Selection Develop a decision making example of the selection of a supplier for one supply category. Discuss the differences between monetary and non-monetary criteria and include this in your decision problem. Describe the steps of your calculation and discuss, how sensitive is your solution against changing supplier performance. Set up the data for potential suppliers. 3. Supplier Qualification How could the company improve supplier co-operation and what would you consider as a program for supplier relationship management. Thinking of the food business what could be done by the restaurant chain to qualify suppliers and create closer relations. Try to investigate and illustrate best practices e.g. from fast food chains. Table of Contents Procurement and Inventory Management 2 COMPLETION DATE 2 PLEASE NOTE 2 CASE GREEN CHILLY 3 The key facts are: 3 Green Chilly faces some issues due to their successful growth in recent years: 3 1. Procurement Process 4 Develop a structure for the sourcing process that the company will define for the procurement process. Which processes are especially relevant for production material (e.g. supplier selection, volume forecasting). Give examples. Discuss which processes of the strategic procurement process would be very relevant for either for food or for non-food (e.g. MRO, restaurant equipment, facility management) supply categories. 4 2. Supplier Selection 4 Develop a decision making example of the selection of a supplier for one supply category. Discuss the differences between monetary and non-monetary criteria and include this in your decision problem. Describe the steps of your calculation and discuss, how sensitive is your solution against changing supplier performance. Set up the data for potential suppliers. 4 3. Supplier Qualification 4 How could the company improve supplier co-operation and what would you consider as a program for supplier relationship management. Thinking of the food business what could be done by the restaurant chain to qualify suppliers and create closer relations. Try to investigate and illustrate best practices e.g. from fast food chains. 4 Table of Contents 5 Question 1 6 Introduction 6 1 Procurement/ Sourcing Process 7 Kasavana (2004) stated, that the procurement process is a demanding, elaborate process, which requires knowledge buyers, capable sellers and thorough set of inventory and audit procedures. This is especially true in restaurants where the procurement function should ensure JIT (just in time) deliveries and high quality standards since its primary product (raw materials) have a short life cycle. 7 2 Strategic Procurement Process and Production Material Processes 9 2.1 Procurement Strategy and Organizational Development 9 2.2 Make or Buy, Segmentation of Supply Categories and Strategic Planning of the Procurement Volume 10 Figure 3. Pareto Analysis 11 2.3 Supplier Selection Process 12 2.4 Strategic Alliances/Closing Contracts 13 2.5 Strategic Supplier Relationship Management 13 2.5 Supplier Qualification and Development 14 The sub processes include identification of strategic suppliers, gap analysis of requirements expected by suppliers, a program for training and improving suppliers and monitoring the performance of the suppliers. 14 2.6 Procurement Policies and Guidelines Definition, Organizational Effectiveness/Efficiency Improvement 15 3 Strategic Procurement Processes that are relevant for either food or non food supply categories 16 Conclusion 17 References 18 Bibliography 19 Question 3 19 Introduction 19 1 Improvement of Supplier Cooperation and Supplier Relationship Management Program 20 2 Supplier Qualification and Creation of Closer Relationships 26 Conclusion 27 References 28 Bibliography 29 Question 1 Introduction Purchasing has evolved in the past years from a passive buyer of goods and services to an active contributor that is essential to an organizations competitive advantage (Cavinato 1999). Procurement is viewed by organizations as the activity of purchasing goods/materials and services at minimum cost, transporting them and moving them towards the production process. Procurement also covers a wider area, and may include activities such as material supervision and management as inventory control, traffic receiving, incoming inspection, and salvage operations (Laakmann and KÃ ¶hler 2010). Procurement in organizations has evolved from its traditional transactional function towards a role that incorporates strategic partnerships, cooperative alliances and supply network planning. Therefore procurement strategies can be seen as means in achieving comparative advantage and long-term strategic goals (Tassabehji and Moorehouse 2008). The procurement process incorporates both primary and a support activity, such as the procurement of direct and indirect material and at the present time also involves strategic planning (Simchi-Levi and Kaminsky 2003). Consequently, procurement processes have developed in to strategic procurement process that aids the organization to achieve strategic and operational objectives. In the next section Green Chillys structure of its sourcing process that will be used by the organization as its procurement processes will be developed and elaborated as which processes of the strategic procurement process are relevant for either food or non food supply categories. 1 Procurement/ Sourcing Process Kasavana (2004) stated, that the procurement process is a demanding, elaborate process, which requires knowledge buyers, capable sellers and thorough set of inventory and audit procedures. This is especially true in restaurants where the procurement function should ensure JIT (just in time) deliveries and high quality standards since its primary product (raw materials) have a short life cycle. In order to maintain costs and increase productivity, purchasing practises in restaurants need to be controlled. An inefficient purchasing order could lead to inflated costs of goods that could have a negative effect on the organizations bottom line (Kim and Shunk 2003) For these reasons, Green Chilly should structure a procurement process that may result in the improvement of effectiveness and efficiency and also cost savings. Activities that are usually involved in the procurement function and could be incorporated by Green Chilly include (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998): Commodity analysis Market research Purchase order tracking and follow up Determination of needs and specification for inter -firm customer Transmitting forecast of future needs to suppliers Supplier performance measurement Management of suppliers quality Contract management and negotiation Management of inbound/outbound transportation Price cost analysis Employing best practices in procurement certifies that Green Chilly shall make the correct decisions. In order to do so Green Chilly should align the procurement process with the organizations strategic goals and objectives. These objectives if suitable, can be achieved by sourcing strategies that rely on a clear set of tactical procedures to ensure implementation (Sollish and Semanik 1999). The focus of the organizations sourcing strategies is to integrate supplier capabilities with the organizations process in order to achieve comparative advantage. The activities that are associated with sourcing strategies include (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998): Supplier identification Supplier evaluation and selection Supplier management Supplier development and improvement Supplier integration to ongoing processes Consequently, the procurement function covers both the operational procurement of materials and services and the administration management of sources of supply. Therefore, Green Chilly should take into consideration the critical importance of the links between the strategic and operational tasks of the procurement process, as indicated in figure 1 (Laakmann and KÃ ¶hler 2010). Figure 1. Strategic and Operational Procurement The strategic procurement system is based on two main pillars that are the sourcing system and the strategic partnerships. These pillars are the framework for the operational sourcing process that shall be based in developing the sourcing process which will later be expanded in Green Chillys procurement process, as indicated in figure 2 (Laakmann and KÃ ¶hler 2010). Figure 2. Main Pillars of Strategic Procurement 2 Strategic Procurement Process and Production Material Processes The strategic procurement process is adapted from Laakmann and KÃ ¶hler (2010) for the use of this report and the steps of the process that is proposed for Green Chilly to incorporate for its procurement process are further expanded in the following sections. All of the below processes are relevant for the production of materials as each of the processes such as supplier selection, evaluation, procurement strategy and so on, as shall be indicated, play a critical role in the decision making and execution of producing materials. 2.1 Procurement Strategy and Organizational Development The first step in the development of Green Chillys procurement process is the establishment of a procurement strategy. In order for Green Chillys procurement strategy to be successful it has to incorporate the needs of the organization and to be in consistency with their internal capabilities as well as the competitive advantage that is to be achieved through the overall business strategy (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998). Therefore Green Chillys procurement/purchasing activities need to be consistent with the business strategy and make a proactive contribution the creation of corporate values and plans. The sub processes that fall under this category are the identification of needs, the definition of the procurement task, and the purchasing business system. As already established, procurement arises when the organization recognizes the need for materials/services and so on. When the need is recognised the organization should then release a material requirement to its supplier. The organization should make sure that inventory is always restocked. An issue has already been identified, where Green Chilly is experiencing some shortages in its promotional meals. In order to solve this issue a more accurate forecast of demand could be embedded based on historical trends. Various procurement strategies are employed by organizations to deal with different situations. In the case of Green Chilly, based on the information given by the case study, where quality issues with some fresh products and above average prices on raw materials are experienced, the organization could take under consideration two types of procurement strategies: long term supplier relationships and the total cost of ownership. In accordance to the first strategy (which shall be further expanded in the following sections) Green Chilly could establish long-term relationships with selected suppliers following a supply base optimization process. The outcome of this strategy is the it could enable Green Chilly to increase volumes of raw materials to reduce product cost, improve quality (by cooperating with suppliers) increase delivery performance etc. (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998). In accordance to the second strategy, total cost measurement could lead to better decision making as it identifies all the cost associated with purchasing decision and with supplier non performance. Cost variances can be analyzed such as in the case of Green Chilly, increase in prices and quality issues and try to find solutions (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998). The output of this process is the functional procurement strategic objectives, definition of the procurement tasks and policies, where procurement tasks can involve supplier selection and negotiation of contracts, specifications of the quality and delivery arrangements and price for inventory for a given volume or period time etc (Bradbury et. al. 2010), supplier cooperation model, and the decision requests for the general management. 2.2 Make or Buy, Segmentation of Supply Categories and Strategic Planning of the Procurement Volume In this category the sub processes include analysis of products, value chain and sourced volumes, make or buy strategy and strategic forecast of purchasing demand. Make or buy can apply to Green Chilly on the grounds that if the company would prefer to buy for example ready made packages of raw materials (salad package of various greens) or make it, based on whether it is financially profitable. Green Chillys forecasting demand can be based on historical volume trends and quantity as well as taking under consideration the seasonality that the restaurants operates, forecasts can additionally be made in accordance to last years sales to establish a pattern, when possible, of seasonality. As already established, Green Chilly is experiencing an issue with higher prices of raw materials and quality issues. In order to solve this issue, higher volumes of raw materials can be ordered (or based on the long term suppliers relationships better prices can be negotiated and quality standards) to decrease the unit cost. Since Green Chillys primary product are raw materials that have a short life expectancy the cost of carrying inventory is not advisable. Green Chilly could use the central procurement organization to negotiate better prices for such products. In regards the environmental responsibility the company wishes to maintain, it could attempt to source from local suppliers where economically affordable. In this category Green Chilly should take into account supply categories, demand forecasts, make or buy strategy, sales plan and product portfolio. The organization could use the Pareto analysis (figure 3) (Bradbury et. al. 2010) to aid them prioritise procurement activities and create a product portfolio by classifying products into A B C categories, and also decide which products can be sourced from the central procurement and which from the locals suppliers. Figure 3. Pareto Analysis Class A products are one-for-one basis, class C items can be ordered in large batches and class B products are somewhere in between. Green Chilly could for example, purchase class A products directly from local suppliers in order to ensure delivery and negotiate prices and let the central procurement organization purchase class C products to ensure better prices and vice versa. By using the Pareto analysis the organization can classify all its products and create a product portfolio that will aid Green Chilly in its decision making. The output of this process is that supply categories are defined, a structure is set, a make or buy decision is formulated and purchasing is forecasted as is the sourcing of demand. 2.3 Supplier Selection Process The sub processes of this category include supplier identification, supplier pre-selection, supplier selection and supplier contract. Figure 4 shows the funnel model of supplier identification and selection by Laakmann and KÃ ¶hler (2010) that Green Chilly could use. Figure 4. Funnel Model of Supplier Identification and Selection In this procurement process consideration should be applied to the supply market, the sourcing and procurement strategies/policies, suppliers cooperation models as well as the evaluation and audit of the results. Firstly, Green Chilly has to evaluate the requirements that are needed and also try to evaluate its sourcing requirements from suppliers that can include supplier quality (Green Chillys quality issues), cost competitiveness (increase in raw materials cost), potential delivery performances and technological capabilities (Zenz 1994). Then, Green Chilly has to gather and analyze information about potential suppliers. There are various methods to locate potential suppliers such as business directories, online search engines and many more. With the growing efficiency and increased interactivity provided by the web Green Chilly could establish e-procurement for a more effective product search, rapid data interchange from e-market places and e-hubs (Kasavana 2004). Once the research focus is established and suppliers are identified, a candidate list is created as well as a database with the information about the supply markets for future reference. A first cut based on the preliminary evaluation can then be performed to narrow the list of potential suppliers before conducting an in-depth evaluation. This can be based on criteria such as financial risk analysis, evaluation of previous and current supplier performance (Sollish and Semanik 1999). Additionally a further evaluation can be carried out based on criteria such as price, quality, delivery, responsiveness, capability and competitive value and many more (Zenz 1994; Lamming and Cox 1999). Suppliers ability to respond to specifications or the scope of the work can be investigated by an on site visit to inspect the suppliers facility and establish if the supplier qualifies to meet requirements. Additionally the suppliers operational capacity, technical capability and financial ability should be taken under consideration (Solish and Semanik 1999). Once the suppliers are selected and audited then negotiations can be conducted and agreements could be executed depending on the success of the negotiations and by providing performance feedback. 2.4 Strategic Alliances/Closing Contracts To create strategic alliances Green Chilly has to clarify its supply category and determine the required degree of cooperation. Establishing close ties with suppliers and increasing investment in value chain partners encourages trust, dependability and cooperation amongst the supply chain partners. Strategic alliances could lead to competitive advantage by revenue gains and cost savings (Chen, Paulraj and Ludo 2004). Furthermore, once the requirments are determineed, agreements should be negotiated and developed and measures of performance should be established. 2.5 Strategic Supplier Relationship Management The sub processes of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) include the types of relationships the organization has to decide, definition of the organizations processes for SRM and establish a communication system and IT solutions for collaboration. Working closely with a few selected suppliers and establishing collaborative relationships Green Chilly can gain performance advantages. By sharing information with suppliers and communicating knowledge competitive advantage can result. Buyer-seller communication could establish trust for Green Chillys supply base, which can result in minimizing suppliers costs (raw materials) due to better negotiations of prices because of long-term contracts, an increase in quality standards and better evaluation of performance to increase quality as well as technological insights (Chen, Paulraj and Ludo 2004). Green Chilly can use IT collaborative solution software to improve communication with suppliers and gain new revenue while reducing operational cost (Kim and Shunk 2003). By automating more SRM functions, Green Chilly could reduce the levels of transactional activities and gain efficiency. The output of this process is to establish the types of relationships with suppliers, the activities for SRM, availability of sourcing/supplier information and collaborative processes for procurement planning. 2.5 Supplier Qualification and Development The sub processes include identification of strategic suppliers, gap analysis of requirements expected by suppliers, a program for training and improving suppliers and monitoring the performance of the suppliers. Effective supplier development for Green Chilly could begin by determining the appropriate numbers of strategic suppliers; by performing a supply base optimization Green Chilly could identify those suppliers (Monczka, Trent and Handfield 1998). This should be an ongoing process that shall help the organization to evaluate the best suppliers and try to develop strategic alliances with. Additionally, by establishing a supply network Green Chilly could qualify the appropriate suppliers that it wishes to do business with and by setting appropriate performance indicators decide which suppliers are suitable for their development program. A development program for suppliers that Green Chilly could incorporate is to work directly with suppliers to improve performance since the organization is experiencing quality problems with the performance of suppliers. By working closely with suppliers Green Chilly could assist in quality improvements and measurement techniques on how to identify and eliminate problems. Additionally, performance improvements that could be established are cost reduction (raw materials), delivery and scheduling improvements (shortfalls in promotional meals. For example Green Chilly could work with suppliers to develop a JIT purchasing and manufacturing system since the primary product of the organization is raw materials that have a low life expectancy such a development will be beneficial. The outcomes will be a better understanding from both parties, improved processes and delivery performance. 2.6 Procurement Policies and Guidelines Definition, Organizational Effectiveness/Efficiency Improvement In this category the sub processes that Green Chilly should follow are the evaluation of the procurement tasks and processes as well as the corporate policies and the development of a standard for operating procedures by giving a detailed description of the functional duties or steps for a specific task. Additionally a continuing improvement program should be established, a skill matrix for staff should be developed and an internal and external communication. Significant procurement policies for Green Chilly are for example the quality issues it experiences from local suppliers performance and the above average cost with raw materials. For a restaurant quality issues are critical in maintaining the restaurants credibility and customer loyalty (Zenz 1994). As already mentioned by collaborating with selected suppliers Green Chilly can deal with such issues by development programs or cooperation and selection of new suppliers. The outcome of this process will be the operational policies and management ethics, training and continuous improvement structures and the established sourcing process. Figure 5 indicates based on the above already discussed Green Chillys sourcing process that will be used as its procurement process. Figure 5. Green Chillys Procurement Process 3 Strategic Procurement Processes that are relevant for either food or non food supply categories Green Chillys procurement can de divided into the procurement of direct and indirect products. Indirect products/services are commodity items that are used in the day-to-day operations (MRO, IT equipment, services, capital equipment, facility management etc), direct goods include raw materials that are used to create finished products (http://www.clarity-consulting.com Accessed: 01/03/10). In this section the above processes of the strategic procurement process relevant for food and non-food supply categories of Green Chilly will be indicated. In the procurement strategy process where the organization requirements are identified and policies and tasks of the procurement process are formulated, it does not seem to be very relevant for food and non-food supply category. However the procurement strategy is the base for the purchasing strategy and it is where Green Chily shall make decisions on sourcing, whether to pursue contracts versus spot buying and suppliers recruitment plan and model. Therefore it can be argued that it is relevant for both the supply categories. In the make-or-buy and strategic planning of procurement and volume Green Chilly has to decide which materials is going to produce in house or source, and at what volumes by forecasting demand, thereof it is the organizations sourcing strategy. This process is the most relevant for both food and non-food categories. Make-or-buy decisions are usually very simple. Most organizations source production equipment, MRO supplies, capital equipment and services because they cannot manufacture them as well as raw materials where in the case of Green Chilly the primary (direct) products is the latter. Furthermore, the suppliers selection process and the strategic alliances process are considered very relevant for the food supply category. This is due to the fact that in these sub processes Green Chilly has to select the appropriate suppliers based on performance requirements such as quality cost effectiveness, delivery performance etc and establish cooperative relationships and strategic alliances with the selected suppliers. Due to the fact that Green Chillys primary product is raw materials price, quality and availability are of critical importance and this is dependent on the suppliers. Moreover, supplier relationship management process and qualification and development of suppliers process where the company has to develop trust relationships where open flow of information should be established in aiding the organization achieve comparative advantage by developing and qualifying suppliers that would provide Green Chilly with quality products and no replenishments based on contingency supply plans, this sub process is considered very relevant for food supply categories. Finally the procurement policies and organizational improvement process is considered very relevant for both food and non food supply categories as it is the stage where the organization evaluates its processes and tries to determine if good practices were applied or if improvement of the processes is required. Conclusion Green Chillys issues with suppliers quality, above average prices of raw materials and shortfalls in promotional meals could be resolved with the appropriate procurement process as established above. By creating a procurement policy where the sourcing process can establish efficiencies and effectiveness to select, develop and control partnerships with suppliers and thus create strategic alliances and overcome the issues as well as decisions on which is the most appropriate solution for sourcing, either it be form the central procurement organization or directly from local suppliers, shall aid Green Chilly in accomplishing its strategic objectives and goals. Thus, a strategic procurement process is vital to the successful performance of the organization. Furthermore by clarifying which supply categories, food or non-food, are relevant to the sub processes of the strategic procurement process shall assist Green Chilly to improve operational performance by making procurement tasks more uncomplicated and repeatable. It is highly advisable that Green Chilly should engage in e-procurement to enjoy online economies such as effective product search process, improved needs matching, rapid data interchange, lower transaction costs, enhance productivity, vendor relations, improved pricing and customer relationship management (Kasavana 2004). References Bradbury, K., Hill, J., Whicker, L., and Malins,M. (2010), Logistcs and Operation Management, Module Notes, WMG Cavinato, L.J. 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