High School and Extracurricular School Food Essay

This brief addresses â€Å"open† or â€Å"off † campus policies that allow high school students to go off campus to purchase and eat food during their lunch periods. The brief highlights issues related to open campus policies and complements the separate Legal Notes: Open Campus Lunch, which highlights some of the legal issues related to off campus lunch and the creation of effective policy addressing this matter. OPEN CAMPUS LUNCH POLICY DECISIONMAKERS Copies of Legal Notes: Open Campus Lunch, Mapping School Food, and other related materials are available on the Public Health Advocacy Institute website at: www.phaionline. org/schoolfood. For more on Potter Boxes, please review Mapping School Food. A quick primer, Potter Boxes at a Glance, is also provided near the end of this brief. This issue brief and the legal notes will help you craft your own Potter Box—a decision-making matrix—that provides a legal and social framework and helps identify key legal access points directed towards reaching your policy goal. This brief defines an open or off campus policy as one that allows select or all students to leave campus during the lunch period to purchase or consume food and beverages. Therefore, a school with a â€Å"modified† policy that only allows certain students who meet specified requirements to go off campus is considered to have an open campus policy. This brief defines a closed campus policy as one that does not allow any students to leave campus during lunch or any other time during the school day. The focus of this brief is on high schools, although research and data that extend to elementary and middle school students were evaluated in preparation of this brief. Open and closed campus policies can be set at the state level by a state board of education or by the state’s education code. Typically, policies are set at the district level by the school district board. The district can create base guidelines establishing an open campus, but it can additionally allow the principal at each school the authority to make provisions or decide under certain circumstances whether or not to allow off campus privileges. In California, for instance, the Stockton Unified School District board policy makes detailed provisions for open campuses but gives the school principal the power to completely close campus if there are specific reasons to do so. In addition to board members, the superintendent is a key decision-maker because he or she must implement the board’s policies. Off campus policies can also be set at the school level by the principal. See legal notes, School Structure, Power, and Responsibility: From State Laws to High School Handbooks, for additional information. Open campus lunch laws and policies do not exist in a vacuum. Policy goals, community support, and specific situational facts must be taken into consideration or the law or policy can be rendered useless, harmful, or ignored. OPEN AND CLOSED CAMPUSES BY THE NUMBERS High schools tend to have unhealthier school food environments than elementary schools. Open and closed school campus policies have the potential to affect students’ health, safety, and security, as well as to influence the school environment itself in these 1 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food areas. The 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study showed that nationwide 71. 1 percent of high school districts and 73. 1 percent of high schools had a closed campus policy where students could not leave campus during lunch or at any other time during the school day (compared with 65. 9 and 73. 4 percent, respectively, in 2000). This is similar to a finding of about 25 percent of high schools having open campuses obtained in spring 2005 by the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III). Percentages can vary by state and study. A 2003 survey of California high schools found that 46 percent had open campuses, the same as it found in its 2000 survey. We conducted a small, informal survey with people who provided input for Mapping School Food and who impact the school food environment in Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, and Mississippi. We also reviewed notes from interviews conducted in 2007 in preparation for Mapping School Food. The results of the survey are anecdotal evidence to enhance this brief and cannot be generalized. A little under one fifth of those surveyed stated that the school or district they worked with had an open campus policy. Some did not have open campuses because they worked primarily with younger students not yet in high school. There is a strong link between a student’s dietary behavior and his or her risk of becoming overweight. Students should eat less low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages and more fruits, vegetables, and low- or no-fat milk. A study of Minnesota secondary school students found a strong link between frequency of eating fast food and â€Å"poorer food choices,† resulting in more fatty and sugary foods—and less fruits, vegetables, and milk—consumed. Most of those we surveyed felt that food and beverages obtained through concession stands, fundraisers, school stores, and off campus lunch periods were unhealthy, and over half believed that students would purchase healthier foods if they were available. They thought that most of their students who bought food and beverages near campus did so at chain fast food establishments and minimarts with prepared foods. Depending on what is offered in the cafeteria and school, closing the campus for lunch could eliminate the fast food option and help strengthen good food choices. Foods subsidized by federal programs must comply with certain nutrition regulations and generally are called program foods, while all other school food generally can be considered non-program or competitive foods. For more information, see Mapping School Food, particularly Appendix: Federal School Meal Programs and its Legal Practitioner’s Point. The United States Department of Agriculture’s SNDA-III found that students who participated in  the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) were more likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and milk. Correspondingly, non-participants were more likely to consume snacks, desserts, and beverages like sodas during the lunch period. Policy changes that restricted non-program foods, meaning food obtained through school stores, snack bars, and a la carte options, resulted in a reduction of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed by middle and high school youth. Closed high school campuses also were linked to an increase in eating vegetables. However, these initial analyses from the dataset collected during the 2004–2005 scholastic year must be taken into consideration with one finding of no strong association between school food policies and high school students’ obesity risk. Continued research into this rich data set is necessary to clarify and further inform these analyses. Policymakers should explore if closing campuses for lunch will improve healthier choices and eating habits. The 2003 California High School Fast Food â€Å"The food environment surrounding schools could easily negate school food policies and health education in the classroom, especially in high schools with an open campus policy that allows students to leave campus during their lunch break. † STURM (2008) STUDENT HEALTH, NUTRITION, EATING PATTERNS, AND SCHOOL FOOD The school environment is an important sphere in the development of dietary behavior. Policymakers should craft school food laws or rules that encourage healthier options while restricting unhealthier options. They also should assess open campus lunch policies because these policies can affect policy goals regarding the school food environment. 2 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food Survey found indications that schools with an open campus lunch policy reported less participation in the NSLP compared to schools with closed campus policies. The SNDA-III reported that 14 percent of high school students who were interviewed about what they ate on a certain day reported that they did not participate in the NSLP because they went off campus to eat lunch. Thus, there is the possibility that closed campus policies could encourage increased NSLP participation and healthier eating habits. Open and closed campus lunch policies must be examined further in the context of their relationship to school food and student health. There is also a perception issue that demands attention. Regarding open campus lunch policies, one Massachusetts Food Service Director commented, â€Å"It sends the message that school food is not as good as fast food and also there are a great deal of safety issues involved with leaving and returning. † Some students may perceive a certain stigma with regard to cafeteria food—particularly program foods—which must be corrected. CLUSTERING OF FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES food or other establishments clustering around the school should evaluated. School policy must also consider student subgroups that could be disparately impacted by the clustering of fast food establishments and/or the adverse health effects of overweight. Studies show that fast food restaurants cluster within easy walking distance around schools. A recent study of middle and high schools in California found a direct relationship between fast food establishments being near those schools and the students being overweight. It also found that students within walking distance of fast food restaurants were significantly less likely to say they had eaten fruits or vegetables and more likely to have consumed soda. The study did find a larger association of overweight being associated with fast food proximity for Black students which it did not find with other racial and ethnic minority student populations. It also found the same increased association for students in urban schools. Overweight is a health indicator displaying significant disparities amongst racial and ethnic minority youth, as certain groups have higher risks of obesity and resultant health problems compared with others. Studies also have indicated that low-income and racial minority students can tend to live in communities with less safe streets, poorer facilities, and/or greater access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and less access to healthy foods. One study examined high and middle schools and their proximity to restaurants, convenience stores, snack stores, and liquor stores. Observing racial and socioeconomic variances, it found that Hispanic students are more likely to go to schools within close Open campus and other school policies should aid student development in all areas including nutrition and health. Fast food availability around schools encourages consumption of low-nutrient, energydense food and could influence students’ developing decision-making skills and habits regarding nutrition. When crafting school policy, the significance of fast â€Å"While it is important to respect adolescents’ increasing autonomy and decisionmaking skills, research clearly shows that food availability is one of the strongest correlates of food choices in adolescents. † NEUMARK – SZTAINER ET AL . (2005) In study results published in 2005, over a thousand, mostly suburban, high school students were surveyed across twenty high schools in a region in Minnesota. At least six of the high schools had an open campus policy. The study found that students on an open campus were â€Å"significantly more likely† to get their lunches from fast food establishments and convenience stores. It also found that students in upper grade levels purchased lunch from convenience stores or fast food restaurants with greater frequency than students in lower grade levels. The study concluded that school food policies that limit access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages are linked with students purchasing these types of food and beverages less frequently. 3 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food walking distance of those types of establishments. That particular study did not find such strong associations among other racial groups, except with regard to liquor stores. Another study published in early 2009 found that fast food restaurants in New York were concentrated in commercial areas and in predominantly Black communities in both low-income and more affluent areas. More data and studies are needed to clarify the relationship between different establishments’ proximity to schools and student eating patterns—and how racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other factors are related to fast food establishment clustering, overweight, and health risks. Still, these factors newly have been considered in local land use law, and they should be considered when crafting current school policy. In Los Angeles, an ordinance recently passed that puts a one year moratorium on building new fast food establishments in areas of South Los Angeles, which have large Latino and Black communities. The ordinance was significantly motivated by the city council’s concerns about how the proliferation of fast food restaurants escalate socioeconomic problems in low-income neighborhoods—and this proliferation’s impact on food security and children’s health and nutrition. Hopefully, the moratorium will provide time for more permanent regulatory controls to be put in place. See legal notes, Legal Interventions—Holistic Considerations, for additional information. LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ENVIRONMENT go off campus for lunch, said that local businesses donate money to the school, and a closed campus policy would likely cause the loss of those donations. However, in our informal survey, the few people that did work with schools that received donations from local businesses that sell food or beverages did not feel that those donations were a necessary part of the school’s overall budget. When constructing your Potter Box, the facts of the situation will clarify specific concerns, such as local establishments’ reliance on youths’ lunch money and whether these businesses donate or contribute to the high school(s) to an extent that it could impact policy decisions. Local businesses therefore can be attuned to the school’s schedule and policies. â€Å"We always know when kids aren’t going to be in school,† a pizza manager told a newspaper. â€Å"When kids are home from school they’re ordering pizzas, so we schedule another driver. † Local businesses also may contribute to the schools in non-monetary ways like monitoring and reporting student behavior. Antioch Unified School District in California is starting a â€Å"We Tip† program where local businesses are encouraged to report truancy. Improved average daily attendance results in more monetary support from the government. Programs like â€Å"We Tip† have to be measured against closed campus policies to see which is—or if both applied together are—more effective and beneficial to the school. Most of those we surveyed who had experience with off campus policies felt that such policies were popular with local businesses and students and, conversely, not popular at all with cafeteria staff and food service directors. They also thought their location and community could not accommodate an open campus lunch policy. The outflow of students during the lunch period may cause problems or potential hazards in the local area. Residents may be worried about students bringing large groups of their peers and congregating in homes or complexes. Schools in rural areas may not have businesses nearby. Off campus lunch can be viewed as a valuable revenue stream for local businesses. One â€Å"highly profitable† fast food location up for sale advertised in 2007 as a factor in its value that it is located next to â€Å"a high school which allows off campus lunch time to their students. † These businesses may in turn make donations or otherwise support the school. The school’s perception of the value of these local business donations could conflict with instituting healthier school food initiatives. A principal from Modoc County, California, who estimated that 80 percent of students 4 Open Campus Lunch. Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food SAFETY ISSUES, TIME, AND CAR ACCIDENTS Safety issues also factor into determining open and closed campus policy. One Californian who works in nutritional education emphasized that safety issues were concerns â€Å"especially at the high school where there is an open campus. † Newspapers report incidents like fighting, fatal car accidents, mugging, substance abuse and arrest, and sexual assault as occurring off campus during lunch periods. Although these incident rates may be relatively small, each incident can have a significant impact on the school and its students. Time is a considerable factor in evaluating a policy’s safety and feasibility. The lunch period may be too short for students to reasonably go off campus for lunch. An overwhelming number of those we surveyed thought that there was not enough time for students to go off campus, buy and eat lunch, and return on time. Some of those surveyed reported having as little as twenty minutes allotted for lunch, and a student article, discussed below in Student Input and Support, averaged a 37 minute high school lunch period. Schools with open campus policies should monitor whether or not the policy affects afternoon tardiness or truancy. Also, time issues may encourage unhealthier eating off campus. One Virginia public high school has an â€Å"Off-Site Lunch Contract Senior Privilege Form† as part of its off campus lunch driver permit. The contract stresses that this is a privilege, limited to seniors and extended lunch days. It requires students not to travel alone, sets area restrictions, and states, â€Å"There is plenty of variety in fast food establishments within the boundaries provided. Students should choose establishments that can serve within five to ten minutes of your arrival. You should allow at minimum 15 minutes of driving/parking time. † In granting the privilege to go off campus for lunch, the school policy seems to encourage students to eat fast food in order for the policy to operate smoothly and for students to return on time. Traffic accidents are a major concern for many high schools. Student drivers add to lunchtime traffic congestion, and students driving to pick up lunch may rush back to class. A study of three North Carolina counties over four years found that there was a â€Å"significantly higher† rate of risk for car accidents during open campus lunch periods compared to any other time of the day and compared to a county with closed campus lunch. There were also more passengers in the cars during lunch period accidents. Safety concerns and student fatalities during lunch periods have resulted in the proposal of two New York State assembly bills designed to regulate off campus policy. Student injuries and death that occurred while the students were off campus during the lunch period also have resulted in lawsuits being brought against school districts and officials. See legal notes, Open Campus Lunch Tort Concerns and School Structure, Power, and Responsibility: From State Laws to High School Handbooks, for more information. CAFETERIA AND CAMPUS CONCERNS— ADEQUATE TIME, FACILITIES, SUPERVISION, AND BUDGET Closing an open campus may give high schools the ability to refocus school food issues like cafeteria breakfast, lunch, vendors, and water fountains. One Arkansas School District Nurse commented, â€Å"My districts do not want anything on campus that competes with the federal lunch program. † A closed campus could assist in a comprehensive approach to improving school food and offering healthy food choices on campus. What are the practical considerations when closing an open campus? About half of those surveyed who had experience with open campus lunch policies thought their school or district, as it stood, could provide lunch to all its students. A few specifically suggested that schools would need to improve food options in cafeterias, extend the lunch periods, and expand and renovate facilities for food preparation. A school or district deciding to close a campus for lunch needs to ensure the necessary resources are in place before the policy is implemented. 5 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food. The high school or district needs to determine whether the cafeteria and campus can adequately handle a closed campus. For example: What kinds of burden will the additional students who used to go off campus for lunch put on the cafeteria? Factors include: Time. Adequate time to eat lunch is a concern in the cafeteria just as much as it is off campus. One California food services staff exclaimed, â€Å"30 minutes to serve 3,000! † Some cafeterias have to stagger their lunch periods, with students eating lunch anywhere from 10:30 a. m. to 2:00 p. m. The 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study found students on average have 22. 8 minutes to eat lunch once seated. It also found an increase in school districts that required a â€Å"minimum seating time† for eating lunch once seated. Facilities. This includes cafeteria space, kitchen and food production capacity, etc. The school might want to consider renovations that would help accommodate more and even healthier food options or improve the flow of students getting their food. Facilities also include fences and other structures that may be necessary to control a closed campus. A California principal anticipated, â€Å"All 1,200 students eat at the same time and it would be a nightmare to serve all of these students with the current setup. † A California Nutrition Educationalist stated, â€Å"Closing the campus at the high school has been discussed numerous times in the past with the results always being that it would be too difficult to close campus and we are lacking in facilities to accommodate the students. † Supervision. School officials have a duty to supervise the students on campus. When deciding whether to close a campus, it should be deter-mined whether there are enough resources and staff to adequately supervise the students during the lunch period. Also, can students leaving and entering the campus be adequately supervised? Budget. Foreseeable costs incurred by staff or facilities changes need to be supported by already overextended school budgets. Among the school food decision-makers we informally surveyed, the top two concerns to their district or school were the school budget and the school food budget. This could be a potential barrier to closing a campus. However, closing a school’s campus could be seen as an investment in student health, safety, and perhaps monetary return. Most of those we surveyed with open campus lunch policy experience thought that a closed campus would increase cafeteria profit, and none of them thought it would decrease profit. Specific research may be needed for an advocate to determine whether and by how much a closed campus policy could increase cafeteria revenues. Potential impact on student health should also be evaluated. For example: How will closing campus affect students’ eating patterns both on campus and outside of school? What are the choices on a closed campus and how healthy are they? What changes can be made to offer a variety of healthier, appealing food choices? One high school in Missouri was able to close its campus after it moved into a newly built structure that could accommodate serving food to all the students and staff. Yet closing a campus for lunch does not necessarily keep fast food away, as the food services supervisor contemplated using vendors such as Pizza Hut and Quiznos—in part because â€Å"it helps out the community merchants. † â€Å"Our food service program operates in the black now, whereas it never did before,† said Kevin Ivers, Bridgman’s superintendent, noting that the high school had added a second lunch period to reduce lines, and overhauled the menu to introduce quesadillas, yogurt, salads and fruit. â€Å"That enables us to put more money into the classrooms. † NEW YORK TIMES ( MAY 2008) A 2008 New York Times article noted that school districts in New York and nationwide were instituting closed campus lunch policies due to car accident-related deaths, injury, and truancy. The Times also anecdotally interviewed specific high schools where closing campuses for lunch had improved attendance for post-lunch classes, increased cafeteria sales by in some cases over 10 percent and 22 percent, and turned a food service program operating at a loss into a profitable one. However it also cited concerns that closed campus lunch policies were part of a trend in restricting youths and hindering their decision-making experiences. 6 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food STUDENT INPUT AND SUPPORT. Student input and support are critical to a successful closed campus lunch policy. School lunch is a popular topic for high school students. LA Youth, an online student journal that reaches half a million Los Angeles County youth, published an informal survey a few years ago where student reporters found out â€Å"What’s for Lunch? † in their high schools. Examining twenty four public and private high schools in Southern California, it found that lunch on average lasts thirtyseven minutes. About two thirds of schools had vendors in cafeterias or push carts, and most schools had open campus policies for seniors. Only about four schools had a fully closed campus. The survey also noted types of vendors (Subway, Pizza Hut, and Dominos being the most common), cafeteria menus (Mexican food and sandwiches being popular), and cafeteria food prices. Many students may balk at a closed campus policy, seeing it as restricting their freedom and taking away a reward for good grades, attendance, or other open campus policy requirements. A Californian nursing manager described the toughest obstacles to changing open campus policy as the â€Å"objections of community stores and restaurants and student protests. † Students may be more likely to advocate for open campus policies. After two high school students approached the School Committee, a Massachusetts high school started an off campus pilot program open to only seniors in good standing. At the time, key issues or concerns with the program were safety, student initiative/input, incentives for students to improve grades and behavior, monetary impact on school food, student nutrition, â€Å"rewarding children with junk food,† and potentially teaching responsibility and time management. While the pilot program and these issues were being discussed in 2004, the high school currently allows seniors who meet certain requirements off campus lunch privileges. Other students have opened up online forums such as MySpace message boards to discuss and protest their school’s attempts to close their campus for lunch. An advocate seeking to change a high school or district’s off campus lunch policy may consider surveying or interviewing students to find out what is important to them so as to determine potential sources of student support. These tools also could be useful in  finding what influences students’ food and beverage choices—such as cost, certain tastes, convenience— in order to make healthy choices in school food more appealing. Another LA Youth article discussed a student having informal weekly potlucks with friends that focused on â€Å"food adventure† and not on eating healthier foods. This could nonetheless spark ideas and discussions about using similar methods to promote healthier eating programs and deciding what types of equipment could be helpful, such as microwaves and secured refrigerators. Other student newspapers have covered open campus policies. One student reporter, who found that fifteen out of twenty students surveyed ate daily at Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, or McDonald’s, recommended that her high school â€Å"ban off-campus lunch, and improve the food in our school cafeteria. † Most of those we surveyed were involved with schools that had nutrition education programs. Perhaps encouraging student-led nutritional education projects to supplement or strengthen existing nutrition education programs could lead to some innovative ideas, positive results, and student support for policies like closed campus lunch. LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND LEADERSHIP The number one obstacle to implementing the type of food program desired by those surveyed was lack of enforcement of school food policies. The next two obstacles were lack of resources and time constraints in the budget’s timeline. One person surveyed recommended to â€Å"put in policies a way of enforcing any regulations that are mandated. † Another who worked in food service in California suggested â€Å"tougher penalties. † A community health nurse specialist in Arkansas pointed to the relationship between leadership and enforcement: â€Å"Leadership in schools has to enforce the school’s policies or the policy is ineffective. † A food service director in Massachusetts stated, â€Å"Lack of funding has resulted in lack of good leadership for the district. Policies on safety, wellness, etc. , have taken a back seat to teacher loss and budget cuts. With our school budget in a deficit and no town support for an over-ride, my personal feeling is we will keep losing students to school choice and private schools. † For legal analysis on building enforcement and accountability into school policy, see legal notes, Enforcement Issues and Possible Enforcement Mechanisms. 7 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food. OTHER POLICY CHANGE CONCERNS Sources describe open campus lunch for students as a â€Å"privilege. † Policymakers and advocates should stress that off campus lunch is not a right or requirement. If the policy has academic achievement, attendance, and/or other requirements, this policy is also characterized as a reward for students. Advocates may want to consider suggesting alternate rewards. While wellness policies generally do not address off campus lunch policies, perhaps the two should be integrated in order to frame the off campus issue as one of student health. One superintendent told a newspaper that it was â€Å"hard for one campus to have one rule and another campus to have another. ‘We don’t want advantages or disadvantages to going one way or the other. ’† Students also have stated that it was unfair if their campus was closed and neighboring high school students could go off campus for lunch. Perhaps consider a comprehensive district ban. Tradition or culture may be obstacles to changing the policy. As a food service director from Massachusetts noted, â€Å"Change is never easy. We do not have off campus lunch. However, I worked in a school that did previously and it was very difficult to change even though it was discussed every year! † YOUR NEXT STEPS To help you with your next steps, this issue brief provides factors that will help you construct your own Potter Box about off campus lunch policy. Hopefully, this brief, the accompanying legal piece, and Mapping School Food will provide you with a strong foundation upon which to construct policy that fulfills your own goals. A blank Potter Box for you to fill out is provided on page 12 of Mapping School Food, or you can make your own. You may also want to consult the Model Decision-Maker Potter Box on page 13 and the other filled-in Potter Boxes in Mapping School Food. POTTER BOXES AT A GLANCE BOX 2 Values and Tools BOX 1 Excerpts from Mapping School Food: The Potter Box is a four-part square that can help you make informed decisions. While the Potter Box cannot make a decision for you, it can help clarify your options and why you would choose one option over another. We have adapted the Potter Box to help you clarify the interactions between the many factors that affect school food decisions and critique the different factors that affect your own decision making. This modified version of the Potter Box can†¦help you understand the law and to identify key decision-makers. It also demonstrates how the law plays out in real-world situations and the assumptions and concerns that various decision-makers bring to bear on school food policy. Facts List all the facts known about the situation or problem. List the factors that drive your school food decisions. What are the elements that you need to consider when making decisions? What tools do you typically use? How are the solutions to the problem evaluated?

Public Budgeting- Revenue Sources

Three revenue sources in public budgeting Property Tax: Property tax can be defined as a levy that the government issues on a person’s property. The value assessed to the property is taxed. Revenue of local governments like cities and counties are derived from property taxes. The revenue is used for administration in government and expenses concerning law enforcement, paramedics etc. ; and also to fund courts in local governments and helps for the payment of services which include civic centers, community programs, libraries, parks and recreation, and schools.Property taxes are also often used to pay some state programs such as Medicaid (in New York for example) and also to provide public assistance such as assistance to needy family (TANF), child welfare services and other social services such as supported employment, adult protective services, domestic violence and personal care assistance. This revenue can also be tracked in public safety like in juvenile detention, probati on services and other mandates (corrections/ county jail, law library in county jail, staffing for state and county court, prosecution services, community colleges etc. ).Property tax revenue can be tracked in many ways, it depends on each state but all states generally use these revenues to fund almost the same programs. Intergovernmental Revenue: Intergovernmental revenue is the funds obtained from other governments. These funds usually include grants, taxes which are shared, and contingent loans and advances. Here, funding emanates from all governments (federal, state and local governments). â€Å"Financial arrangements for funding and delivering intergovernmental services can be complex according to the variability of government structure, organization, roles and responsibilities.For example, government support concerning elementary and secondary schools includes direct funds from the federal government that are passed through state and local governments to local educational ag encies† (www. gao. gov). There are also funds allocated to cover costs for elementary and secondary education, these funds include the rent on school buildings for example. Charges for services: Charges for services are defined as customers’ charges and others charges coming from governmental and business activities. Charges for services within the governmental activities category include items such as licenses and permits (for example, business licenses and building permits), fines and forfeits, and operating special assessments sometimes charged for services provided outside the normal service area or beyond the normal level of services. Charges to other governments for services such as incarceration of prisoners also are reported in the Charges for Services column† (Kattelus & Reck, 2007).These charges include various services rendered within the states for example park entrance fees, document fees, court-filling fees etc. It also implies any government which p urchases, uses or benefits from goods and services provided. References Wilson, E. R. , Kattelus, S. C. , & Reck, J. L. (2007). Accounting for governmental and nonprofit entities. (14th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. http://www. gao. gov/special. pubs/longterm/state/intergovrevenue. html

Butterfly

Butterfly There is a man in my neighborhood that plays the bagpipes. He sits under his tree and allows his music to rise above the drone of the coming and going traffic. The song is Amazing Grace—the only song he knows. I am a musician; I have played the viola for nine years. But music can still amaze me. A brass tube with holes in it, costing $11.50, taught me that. A penny whistle. It could transport me to a place that was entirely my own. The first time I placed my fingers over those empty holes, my dog tilted his head in surprise at the resulting sound. Days later, determined to produce a pleasing tone, I wandered into my room while punching notes out on the way. Setting up my chair in front of the mirror, I sat down and watched my clumsy fingers try to learn a new dance. My mind wandered and I could hear my friend’s mildly accusing voice. â€Å"So why aren’t you going to the football game?† I hit a high, shrill note. â€Å"I dunno,† I heard myself say, â€Å"I’m too busy, I guess.† The second time the note sounded clear and deep. Here in my room, I did know. An unexpected calm trickled over me like a sticky-sweet syrup, slowly pulling at the worries that had cluttered my mind. I knew why I wanted to be here and not in a crowd of faces. My grandmother’s condominium overlooks the Ohio River. So it was surprising to see, nine stories above the earth, a burning orange butterfly pass by the window. It fluttered along lazily, as if not aware it was climbing above buildings created to place holes in the sky. The girl in the mirror smiled. My stress floated away; I felt content for the first time that day. After a little practice, the pitches began to march in harmony. Melodies poured from my little penny whistle. My fingers cautiously hammered out the notes that formed Amazing Grace and I was lifted above the commotion of the week. My friends may think I am a lost cause, but it is they who will never understand how wonderful the view is from up here.

Texas Instruments Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Texas Instruments - Case Study Example Despite the sceptical outlook that a majority of executives had with respect to ERP, it was chosen as the methodology that could bring answers to the issues Texas Instruments faced in the late 1990s. As the case study outlines, the executives at TI felt that granted the fast paced trend of information technology, it was necessary for the company to make some considerable changes as to their methods and processes, in a manner that would allow them to compete more favourably in their market. According to the authors Sarkis et. al, TI was facing some serious issues in handling large international orders and delivery demands. For instance, the study refers to a Taiwan customer asking for product orders to be made in California and delivered at a given location to be decided just before delivery time. Such procedural complications in the ordering procedure would cause logistics issues that would eventually impact delivery time. As pointed out in the study, TI was facing several similar pr oblems where the customer requests would be delayed as the information system in place was not flexible enough to streamline the ordering process or to meet customer demands adequately. The executive decision to invest 250 million dollars in a brand new web based ERP system was made to help address the several issues caused by the internal and incompatible information systems used for inventory, manufacturing, and sourcing. Consequently the overall decision to implement a novel IS strategy to better meet customer demands was handled properly. In implementing a web based ERP system, the company would help reorganize the many processes that tie suppliers, manufacturers, and resellers on a worldwide scale, and thereby meet market demands in a preferred fashion to become competitive again. In upgrading their internal information system, I believe TI executives made the right choice in partnering with Andersen Consulting for their consulting expertise in the area. Considering the size and impact of the project in the long term, it makes perfect sense to consider that managers would employ significant resources to plan and execute this strategy for an up-to-date information system capable of handling customizable orders in an effort to enhance overall customer satisfaction and loyalty to the company. The team in charge of the project, after meeting and evaluating the solutions of several vendors, eventually choose the SAP solution for its ability to handle large amounts of data. Due to the widespread nature of the project, reli ance and pragmatism of the solution become imperative to make the transition to a more productive system. In considering the processes involved in the decision making for the adoption of the SAP based ERP system; there are few objections when taking into account the pre-established goals of the company. However, in considering the results that came off the newly implemented system, there were some methods and processes that could have been considered for a better turn out. In fact, Texas Instruments experienced issues of delivery and lower productivity immediately after product launch within their enterprise. As reported in the study, it appears that the 13,000 thousand users of the ERP system were not properly trained on the new system prior to its implementation. The previous reasoning would explain in part the apparent low productivity pattern which occurred during the "go live" phase of the ERP system. The report

Visit to a place of worship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visit to a place of worship - Essay Example In this way we can ease our minds of anxiety, fear, and care. Although salvation does not depend on going to church, and a Bible is not necessary to get to heaven—a personal interest in Christ is the one thing needful; yet there is no denying that our edification in public worship depends greatly on the kind of prayers that are prayed. for what we require for our physical and spiritual well-being. It is true, as our Lord says, that our heavenly Father knows all our needs before we pray, but he likes to hear us ask him and turn to him with our petitions. The Bible teaches us that â€Å"every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning† (James 1:17). God is the source of every blessing and is unchanging and faithful. Since that is so, then it is clear that we must go to him for what we need, and we may go with confidence for he bids us come, and because we come in the name of his dear Son, Jesus Christ. The church main service started a little bit late than their usual time because there was a baptismal ceremony. For one to qualify to be Baptist in that church, one had to be born again and had to go for a three month course. The pastor said that those who brought their children to be baptised, they brought them as believers. The infants were baptised as the seed of godly parents, and the godparents and parents are exhorted, as believers, to pray that the child may be born again and encouraged to lay hold on the promises made. And as the child of believers, the infant when baptised, is pronounced â€Å"Regenerate†, and thanks are given for it. On that day, I realised that one of the delightful parts of worship is the singing of God’s praises. Praise is different from thanksgiving. We praise God for what he is, holy, almighty, gracious, merciful, wise, all-knowing. These are some of the attributes of God. We praise

The Munich Agreement of September 1938 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Munich Agreement of September 1938 - Essay Example This has made these states consider the agreement as a Munich dictate, whose aim was to allow the Germans to continue with the occupation of the Czechoslovakia land. The paper will discuss the reasons why Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement. Why Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement Neville Chamberlain was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time the Berlin agreement was signed in Munich Germany. He is seen as a conservative politician who operates under the appeasement policy. Throughout his tenure in office as British Prime Minister, he is portrayed as a leader who practiced anti-war policies and would do everything possible to ensure that peace prevail. This saw him sign the Munich Agreement despite being ridiculed and branded as a coward. This is because, Chamberlain considered the matter that was bringing disagreement between Germany and Czechoslovakia as something which could be solved diplomatically (Caputi 2000 p.187). He, therefore, sought f or a diplomatic course by trying everything possible to convince Hitler who was much opposed to the agreement to concede, sign the agreement, and avoid war ((McDonough 1998). One of the main reasons Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement was to ensure that Britain maintained super power status in Europe, both in terms of the economy and imperial power. McDonough (1998 p.4) argues that chamberlain was an assertive politician who was realistic and able but was much aware that Britain was not in a position both military or economically to maintain control of the world. He, therefore, wanted Britain to retain its influence in Europe and retain the independence of Britain. For Britain to achieve its mission, Chamberlain felt that the best way to do this was by avoiding a world war, which was eminent (Parker 1993 P.48). He was, therefore, obliged to sign the agreement so that Britain can remain super power both economically and imperially. For a country to go into war, it needs to get su pport of the nation for it to be successful. Chamberlain signed the agreement because he was not sure as to whether he could get the support of his country in case he accepted to go into war (Grayson 2001). Before the signing of the agreement, Chamberlain kept seeking for the nation and cabinet support in his plan Z strategy in case war was unavoidable. He, however, did not get the kind of support, which made him doubt whether his nation would follow him into war. This prompted him to sign the agreement to avoid criticism from his nation (Caputi 2000 p.187). War is always associated with high costs, as it requires use of resources, arsenals and the army (Rowe 2004). Chamberlain felt that it was noble to for him to consider signing the Munich Agreement, which would prevent Britain from incurring such heavy costs associated with war. This shows that Chamberlain was not opposed to war as some historians branded him as a coward but instead he was being guided by moral values. It is only Germany that was prepared to pay these costs by ensuring that the fight for the annexation of Nazi Germans in Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain and government of France were however much opposed to subjecting their nations to these costs since the matter at hand to them was not worth the costs. This is seen in the Munich riddle that going to war need concrete cause, willingness, arsenals and the men, which to Chamberlain and Daladier were lacking according to Caputi (2000 p.192). Therefore, Chamberlain had no choice but to sign the Berlin Agreement. It is

Assignment one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment one - Essay Example It has been observed that currently, tax laws are drafted in such a manner that they can reduce possibilities of tax avoidance. However, tax planning also paves way for lessening tax liability. The difference between tax avoidance and evasion is highlighted in the report along with appropriate examples. The report also elaborates on failure of the UK tax system, which attempted to equalise tax policies for all income group. The reason why taxation policies of UK are influenced by international and EU policies are depicted in the report. The methods are practised for reducing amount of tax paid by people. The main difference between the methods is that one employs legal means; whereas, the other is illegal and can be referred as tax fraud. The professionals, who are engaged in the documentation, help individuals in employing such illegal means for cutting down tax liability, which is highly penalized. Tax avoidance is referred as the â€Å"legal exploitation of tax regime to ones own advantage† (Azimuddin Law Associates, 2013). The attempt is undertaken in order to reduce tax amount, which are payable as per the tax laws and are fully disclosed in documents to tax authorities. The examples of tax avoidance can be cited as tax deductions and modifying business structure by incorporating or establishing an offshore for a company in tax haven (Simplified Finance, 2014; Azimuddin Law Associates, 2013). Tax evasion is referred as illegal practice for escaping tax. In this process, taxable income, profit that is liable for tax or other activities for taxation is hidden. The amount of income is misrepresented or the tax reducing factors like, exemptions or credits and deductions, are purposely overstated. The method can be regarded as an isolated incident within legal activities. Tax evasion occurs in informal economy, where illegal activities are extensively prevalent. This indicates the fact that the

Computer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Computer - Assignment Example From the depiction, it is clear that technology has to be employed in order to provide a superb solution for the bad designing concept. Therefore, that objective was well met. Besides, the other important concept is the description of the image that proves the depiction characterizes a bad design. The essay clearly explains the picture describing the four buttons on it. It talks about the two lights, which are switches and two arrows, which give information about the direction of turning on and off (Ursula 2007). The fact that the description of the picture has a direct association and is consistent with the picture makes it incredible. The explanation also brings in the concept of technology because the aspect of light and arrows on switches it is all about advancement of technology. Therefore, this objective was also well met and clearly brought out. The last and quite important concept is the fact that the essay provides the solution for the bad design. There is no way, for example, a doctor can examine a patient, make a diagnosis and then explain the entire issue of illness to the patient but fail to treat him. Once a problem is identified and examined well, there must be a way to find solution for the problem. As a matter of fact, that the essay identified the problem of bad design and illustrated it well, thus, it had to come up with the solution to the problem so that the same mistakes are not repeated (Ursula 2007). Therefore, the objective was well met. The analysis is clear enough as it addresses the concept of Bad Design essay. It begins from looking at how the issue of technology was implemented on the picture. The fact that the device can light up by just pressing a button clearly implies that technology was used in making it. In order to come up with a good design in a mechanical device requires a lot of research and involvement of

Slavery in latin america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in latin america - Essay Example Despite everything, this paper seeks to identify the context in which this book was produced and determine its implication on the study of Africans in Latin America. The journey for Africans, who were captured and enslaved in America, involved eleven million Africans, but only four hundred and fifty thousand of them, went to America; actually, the other millions went to Caribbean and Latin America1. In this case, the book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates explores changes in events during the history of slavery in the West and its implication to culture. Moreover, analysis of this book gives substantial insights on the newly created and vibrant culture by Africans and understanding of influences caused by Africans, Portuguese and Spanish cultures. Context in Which the Book Was Produced The book â€Å"Black in Latin America† by Henry Louis Gates was produced in year 2011 to mark a celebration and the will of numerous Haitians and Dominicans to assert the ir African ancestry. Moreover, the book was produced during a period attributed to denial of African heritage by numerous Dominicans. In fact, the author of this book established an organization in Dominican Republic, which was referred to as Kong Brotherhood. Furthermore, the book was produced due to the assertion of African heritage in Haiti, which was denied by many Haitians. ... Moreover, it is written in a context that relates to events in the modern world, which are compared to the past to foster understanding of the influence caused by slavery. Furthermore, this book depicts facts related to race and African ancestries focusing on acknowledgement or denial of their past and the way these African ancestries interrelate with other cultures in a multicultural world of Latin America. The history of Africans in Latin America is unveiled by the author in this book, whereby ideas gathered from slaves’ experiences are extended to the present; in fact, this involves an illustration of the history of Africans in six Latin American countries, which include Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Moreover, these experiences entail art, music, dance, politics and religion, though it also focuses on presenting the anti-black racisms, which was aimed at expunging African culture2. Brazil has the world’s largest slave economy; thus, th is book sought to explore ideas that facilitate understanding of the way a country such as Brazil attained this status by enslaving Africans. Furthermore, there is a correlation identified between slavery and other aspects of life such as culture, religion, music and politics in a country such as Cuba. In fact, the book points out that this correlation is attributed to the amount of labour supply offered by the slave imported to Cuba with aims of generating significant profits during the nineteenth century in the sugar industry. Nevertheless, there are other ideas in this book, which are based on the context of communist revolution that occurred in 1959. In fact, that was a period when racisms instilled fear among numerous

A scientific report about air pollution due to automotive emissions Lab

A scientific about air pollution due to automotive emissions - Lab Report Example Nevertheless, the increased levels, even in converters that are 10 years old, are still lower than the emissions of engines that do not have converters. The world’s population doubled from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999 (International Data Base, 2008). This rapid rise has led to increased demand and use of modern transportation, majority of which, run on the fossil fuels petroleum and diesel. The burning of fossil fuels to power automotives results in production of compounds that do not burn completely to their elemental forms. These products are carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxides. Carbon monoxide is toxic even in small amounts. Carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas, contributing largely to global warming. Nitrous oxides react with water in the environment and are a major contributor to acid rain and the consequent problems associated with acid rain (Driscoll, 2001). Reducing vehicular emissions can be achieved by the use of a catalytic converter, which first came about in 1975 (Environmental Protection Agency, 1994). This simple device is used to reduce harmful emissions to less harmful forms and amounts. As the name implies, the catalytic converter acts by mediating the conversion of nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons to nitrogen gas, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The converter has both reduction and oxidation catalysts consisting of a ceramic structure coated with the metal catalysts (platinum, rhodium and/or palladium, and recently, gold). Gold, aside from being cheaper, increases oxidation by up to 40 percent (Kanellos, 2007). Exhaust coming from the engine passes through the converter and is released after the gases have been transformed to less harmful compounds. The objectives of this experiment were to compare the emission levels of automotive that are run by diesel and petrol without catalytic converters, and to test the effect of converter age and speed of the vehicle

Ielts Preparation Essay Example for Free

Ielts Preparation Essay Onam is one of the greatest festivals of INDIA. It is celebrated with Joy and enthusiasm all over the Country by all communities. It is celebrated in the beginning of September. It is a celebration of 10 days. The Legend of ONAM is, It is celebrated to welcome the King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit India at the time on ONAM. The story goes that, the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by a Demon King , Mahabali. The king was greatly respected in his kingdom and was considered to be wise, judicious and extreamly generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in his kingdom and there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in the kingdom, there was no poverty sorrow during his reign and everybody was Happy. Looking at his fame and growing popularity, Gods became jealousy on him, and send him to an unknown world(nether world), Since Mahabali is o attached to the people of India, before send him to the nether world, the God gave him a boon to visit India once in a Year. During his visit India celebrate as ONAM. During the 10 days festival, The government declared as a Public holidays for School and colleges. During the festival; all the families gather together and celebrate. There are various sports loke Snake Boat rice, Elephant race, tug of war etc are celebrated. People bun w dresses, and it is festival of unity and happiness.

Effect of Green and Black Teas Essay Example for Free

Effect of Green and Black Teas Essay Determining the efficiency of various types of teas and its components, and the binding of tea with lipoproteins as for prevention of the occurrence of coronary heart diseases, is the primary objective of the study. Based on established scientific researches, one of the components of tea called phenols, are responsible for producing the antioxidant attributes of tea. Further studies prove that both black and green teas have almost the same phenol content. Thus, their antioxidant strength is also the same, as gauged through the use of the phenol antioxidant index (PAOXI). Moreover, the study establishes the idea that a combination of tea catechins and lipoproteins produce stronger antioxidant qualities. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998a) To accomplish the objective of the study, teas that were used for samples were prepared using the same process. These samples were then compared to other types of antioxidants and other beverages with phenolic content. Moreover, the teas were studied in order to find out the threshold for the production of antioxidant properties, and also the binding of antioxidants with lipoproteins. Vinson Dabbagh, 1998a) The results of the study revealed that green tea produces higher antioxidant activity than the black tea, the green tea and black tea were stronger antioxidants than other beverage samples, the PAOXI of both green and black teas do not exhibit significant differences in terms of antioxidant strength, and the lipoprotein binding for both teas remain the same. Moreover, the catechins found in teas were more effective than vit amins C, E and beta-carotene in binding with lipoproteins to complete oxidation. Therefore, teas are more efficient in lowering the risks of coronary heart diseases. Green teas were found to bind efficiently with lipoproteins of high amounts, and on the contrary, black teas were said to bind efficiently with lipoproteins of low amounts. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998a) Secondary Source The discovery of the connection between oxidation and atherogenesis has incited research studies about the effects of antioxidants found in teas to lipoproteins. Moreover, studies conducted on flavonoids, which is one of the components of tea, and its contributory effects to the prevention of the occurrence of coronary heart disease, has led researchers to speculate that catechins that are found in tea might be instrumental in promoting health and wellness due to the antioxidant attributes produced by teas. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998b) This particular research study aims to identify the efficiency of teas as a source of antioxidants as compared to other beverages with the same phenolic content, and the maximum threshold of the production of antioxidant mechanisms in teas. Moreover, research was conducted on the effects of binding antioxidant with lipoproteins to an individual with low antioxidant intake. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998b) The results of the research reveal that catechins that are found in teas are more effective antioxidants as compared to other vitamins that claim to be a good source of antioxidants, such as vitamins E, C and beta-carotene. Moreover, the research also discovered that teas bore the most amount of phenolic content as compared with other beverages that were tested, and that among the tea samples that were tested, green tea bore the most amounts of phenolic content. In addition, antioxidant binding with lipoproteins was most efficient with black teas as compared to other teas, although there was not any significant difference as to the effect when comparing it to the results of other teas. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998b) In conclusion, the research study reaffirmed the fact that teas are a great source of antioxidant and that they are effective in producing high levels of antioxidants that are needed by the human body. Therefore, an individual’s regular intake of tea prevents the onset of lipoprotein oxidation within the body. (Vinson Dabbagh, 1998b) Personal Opinion about the Topic The results of the study has proved the effectiveness of teas as a source of antioxidant, therefore supporting previous studies conducted about the relationship between catechins and phenolic acid that are found in teas and its binding with lipoproteins as instrumental in the lowering of risks caused by coronary heart diseases. If this is the case, then regular intake of green and black teas should be recommended to people who are at risk for coronary heart disease and should be recommended as part of the average person’s diet in order to avoid the occurrence of the said disease. Although plants where tea comes from are widely grown all over the world, and according to the study, tea is the most popular drink in the world, people still do not realize the importance of its content and the regular intake of tea as a protective instrument against coronary heart disease. Moreover, people are not aware that the beverage that they enjoy the most has health benefits that might save them from suffering heart diseases. Promotion and recommendation of teas that are based on research study results and information dissemination might help in encouraging people to drink tea as part of their diet in order to stay fit and healthy. Aside from advertising and promotional activities, the government should support or fund the horticultural industry in order to produce more sources for green and black teas. Not only will the people benefit from this, but the government will also gain profit for the tea industry and agriculture. Moreover, the government should look into the processes of preparing teas. As the research study suggests, that the amount of phenols within the tea leaves, which are said to be the ones responsible for producing antioxidants, are dependent on the weather and climate, age of the tea leaves that will be used, and the horticultural processes that the leaves underwent. Therefore, the government should further look into the processes from which tea leaves are produced. Desirable and specialized horticultural processes should be employed in growing plants in order to ensure the quality of tea leaves that will be grown from it. In order to accomplish this aim, the government should be able to conduct research studies that would prove to be instrumental in the efficient and productive growth of plants. Moreover, with further studies and in depth research, the government should fund the inclusion of teas in the diet of patients in the public health care system, especially those who are suffering from coronary heart diseases, patients who are at risk, and even all the patients in order to keep strong and healthy. However, further studies should be done independently in order to avoid judgments of researches that are tainted by underlying motives such as advertising. In the research study conducted by Vinson Dabbagh, it was funded by the Lipton Tea Company. Since the Lipton Tea Company is a business organization, which produced tea all over the world, I cannot help but think of the politics between business and advertising that is concealed in the research. Most especially because the results of the research promoted the efficiency of green and black teas among other beverages and its importance as a prevention scheme against coronary heart diseases. In order to invalidate speculations that might arise from the influence of Lipton Tea Company and the research, independent studies should be conducted by professionals and scholars alike from different fields related to the issue such as representatives from the health care industry, agriculture, government, universities, and scientists alike.

Ancient And Historical Town Of Harar Tourism Essay

Ancient And Historical Town Of Harar Tourism Essay Harar is an ancient and historical town of Ethiopia, which is located in the eastern part of the country and about 525 away from the capital city, Addis Ababa. According to the current regional Administration set up it is the capital of Harari National Regional State. In 2008, Harari Region had a total population of 188,173 of which 94,688 were males (51.6%) and 93,485 were females (48.4%) Currently the population of Harar city is estimated to be 199,321. The area of town is about 1720 hectares (17. 29 Kms). The city has two distinct sections, the new and the old parts of the city. The old city comprises the walled part, popularly known as Jegole is far more densely populated than others areas of the city. The town has got five gates namely Erer Ber, Buda Ber, Senga Ber Felana Ber, and Shewa Ber. At present, the town has six Kebele Administrations (KAs) and nineteen sub Kebeles. Harar has been and remains the major trade center in the eastern part of Ethiopia. Its commercial orientation dates back to the older times, when it had contacts and strong trade links with India, Greece, Turkey, Italy Yemen, Egyptian and other Arab Nations. The Jegol with its five main gates represents a unique historical and religions place for residents and an attraction for tourists. The hyena show is a unique phenomenon in the country and perhaps in the whole world. The cultural heritages including the Mosques, Shrines, Harari National House, traditional handicrafts and tools make Harar one of the most important places and centers of attraction in the country. Recently the UNESCO had included the city in its list of world heritages. In such a place SWM gains importance as people from all walks of life from all over the world pay visits to know more about the city. Hence, this project is quite relevant to make the city cleaner and the population healthy and productive. Moreover, the migration adds woe to SMW in Harar city. It adds number to the existing population and contributes to the rapid increase in garbage accumulation which negatively influences MSWM in the city. Migration is one of the components of population dynamics that can affect the population size of an area when its volume is significant. People move towards areas which are believed to be desirable for either economic or non economic reasons through interplay of push factors at the place of origin and pull factors at the place of destination. The following are major push factors that face people to leave rural areas in the region and come into Harar city. Scarcity of agricultural land in rural area, Poverty of rural people due to various socio-economic crises, and Existence of trade in Harar town especially, large scale contraband trade, illegal smuggling of cattle and chat from the region to neighboring counties As population increases all over Sub-Saharan Africa, the quantum of garbage accumulated on each passing day also increases multifold. Many countries in African Continent are in the stage of development and the problems they face in all spears of life are numerous. Among them collection of garbage accumulated, mange the collected garbage and its disposal are of paramount importance as it affects the day to day life of almost every household with respect to Sanitation, Health, Economy, Livelihood and Socio-Cultural Phenomenon. Ethiopia is not an exception in this regard. There exists a system of garbage collection and disposal in the capital city Addis Ababa. Although it might be as efficient as it should be, the public gets some support and help from the municipal administration to live in a related clean environment. Moreover, there are mechanisms and devices in place in Addis Ababa metropolis to handle and manage of solid wastes accumulated. On the other hand, elsewhere in the count ry including the Historical city of Harar, one can find no established system exists with regard to garbage collection and disposal in general and solid waste management in particular. Hence, this study had looked into the factors that affect the solid waste management of the Harar municipality form different angles. On one hand Garbage management in general is a huge task to a developing country while its population and social participations is increasing rapidly. On the other hand, solid waste management in particular poses a great threat to its population challenging the health, economic, educational and socio-cultural fronts. Further, in the modern times occupational migration takes places, especially in developing countries, at a faster rate than ever before. This brings along with it economic strains, environmental population and various diseases. This is quite true to Harar city in Ethiopia as urban migration is in full swing as the city develops fast. There are umpteen numbers of constraints with regard to solid waste management. It varies from financial to sc social constraints. Some of them are geographically influenced while others are caused by negligence of personal and environmental hygiene. Hence , this project aims at bring to the notice of the policy makers of the country in general and to the Harar municipal administration in particular to take necessary actions and prepare interventions so that the solid waste management in Harar city soon becomes effective and this Historical City becomes a green and beautiful city. Moreover, this project may forward some input as the inclusion of direct water supply and sanitation targets are directly included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the nation. It was basically hypothesized in this project that demographic, institutional and socio-economic factors of the household were playing key roles with regard to SWM of Harar city. However, these factors were greatly influenced by the following broad based phenomena with respect to municipal SWM system. In any given country solid waste management system displays several problems, including low collection coverage by concerned authorities besides, poor collection methods. The garbage collected is not properly stored and eventually disposed. Consequently, disease spreading micro-organisms spread at alarming rate and speed. Several factors are responsible for this situation. They can broadly be grouped as institutional, social, financial, technical, economic, and constraints as explained below. Technical Constraints Lack of Human Resource This is a major problem in developing word. On one hand, people do not want to be sanitation workers as they believe that are looked down by the society; the compensation for such workers is indeed very low, on the other. Consequently, there is enough manpower to so the job. Therefore, the development of human resources is essential Ineffective Planning Another important aspect is planning with regard to SWM. In the absence required resources even an effective plan fails more often than not. Moreover, experts in SWM planning are few. Even those very few experts available in this filed are not given any skill upgrading training. This results in inefficiency as they could not plan as per the demand of the situation. It is fact in many countries in Africa that SWM planning is always linked with general planning. Lack of Research Activities Almost all countries in Africa lack funds for all- round development in general and SWM in particular. In the absence of required funds, research activities can not be initiated. In the absence of research, any development in this filed is impractical. Hence, more research activities are to be carried out in this regard. The current project is a step forward in this regard. (b) Financial Constraints Funds Provided by Central / State Governments MSWM is not given priority in many parts of the world, especially in several developing nations. The annual budget allotted for MSWM could not meet even 6 months need. Lack of funds is indeed a great barrier in MSWM. Willingness to Pay by the Users/Households The problem is indeed great at the local government level in many developing countries. People in many countries in the developing world believe that MSWM is the total responsibility entrusted with the central, regional and local authorities and the individual citizen has nothing to do with it. Hence, the willingness to pay by the citizens is very low and it gets worse as the income of majority of the people in the developing world is bare enough to make both the ends in their day-to-life leave alone their willingness to pay for MSWM. Lack of Industrial Development It is needless to say that industrial development in the developing world is slow and it faces several continuous constraints. The governments, hence, are forced to import spare parts and machines from abroad using their hard earned foreign currencies. This has a negative impact in the development of the nations concerned. The lack of industry is responsible for several bottlenecks in MSWM as the municipalities could not get needed implements and machinery to collect, store and dispose the garbage safely. Moreover, due to lack of industries, the solid wastes could not be recycled and reused. (c) Institutional Constraints Lack of Coordination between Institutions Communication between and among institutions that have stakes in MSWM is matter of concern. There exists lack of coordination among them and this creates hindrances in effective MSWM. The sanitation workers may not receive timely instructions form the MSWM controlling body and the MSWM controlling body itself may not receive any communications or instructions from health institutions, hospitals, industries and the like on the nature and amount of SW available for collection and disposal. Difficulties in Enforcing SWM Laws No laws were enacted in many countries in the developing world with regard to MSWM. There are several social and tradition al constraints in enacting any law in MSWM. Although a few countries enacted laws in this regard, they could not effectively enforce them due to financial constrains, lack of manpower and public cooperation. Moreover, there is lack of clear legal authorization to local governments from the federal level with regard to MSWM. (d) Social Constraints Households Attitude towards SWM Personnel Even in the current 21st century, some people still believe that a sanitation worker is doing an inferior job such as collecting industrial and human waste. This taboo prevents many from joining the sanitation team paid or unpaid. Absence of Social and Economic Incentives It is a fact that the educational level of the people is far below in the developing world in comparison with industrialized countries. Hence, social attitude towards MSWM is not encouraging. People do not come forward to participate in any cleaning activities proposed by local administration or Non Governmental Originations or Environmental Activists. Although some people may come forward to participate in such activities, they may not get required devices to perform the job such as a broom-stick, a fork and a garbage collection container. Moreover, scavenging from waste disposal is a livelihood strategy to many people. They collect materials from the garbage that they could sell in the market or individual and earn money. Large number of people involved in this activity. They have no training for change of profession and to become creative citizens. Thus, this project looked into the factors mentioned above aggregately focusing on the demographic, institutional and socio-cultural realities related to the households in the selected study areas of Harar city with regard to SWM. Statement of the Problem We discussed above several factors that have direct relationship with and influence on SWM in Harar city. Any onlooker in the main streets of the city can easily say that the current SWM system in the city is quite wanting. One could see garbage is spilled on the road sides, corners and in front of dwelling premises. There is municipal overseeing in the city with regard to garbage collection and distribution. Yet, there are several factors that make the SWM of the city poor and inefficient. The following illustrations illuminate the problems of SWM system of Harar city. The following snapshot clearly shows that SWM is not in a desired level. Rubbish and refuse are thrown indiscriminately all over the place in the city. Although there are garbage containers placed at different locations in the city, there is no controlling mechanism to see that they are properly maintained. People and animal alike live together in the place very close to garbage collection containers. To make matters worse materials for human consumption such as vegetables are kept for sales in close proximity of garbage containers that may result in environmental pollution and health havoc. Photo 1 Proximity of Public-Business- Animal to Waste Containers Source: Own Photography, 2010 Another snap shot taken a few days ago at the study area depicts the awful situation in which human and mammal make day-to-day living along with the garbage as if nothing unusual is happening. It is evident from the picture that the garbage container is very much in place; nevertheless, the hazardous garbage is spilled all over the place where human and animal walk on that. This may eventually result in epidemics and environmental degradation. It is evident from the picture above and the one below that garbage collection is erratic and the socio economic condition of household living in the vicinity plays its own role towards this environmental condition that prevails in the study area. Photo 2 Animal Human- Business Garbage Together: a Health Hazard Source: Own Photography, 2010 From the picture below one can get a horrible sight adjacent to the city limits. People who make their living from collecting materials that they can sell from the rubbish are doing their job in a condition that might infect them and eventually make them unproductive citizens. Here also man and mammal are close to each other. The pickers do not wear any protective gears- not even gloves. This is due to the fact that the collected refuse is not stored properly and the disposal system is indeed alarming. The rubbish may decay in very short time due to humidity and spill into waterways and water points nearby. The wind plays its part in bringing the garbage back into the city. Neither sanitary workers nor municipal guards are seen anywhere near the dump. Photo 3 Waste Pickers- Young and Old with Animal- A Risky Survival Source: Own Photography, 2010 In the following illustration we could see that the municipal sanitary worker collects the garbage into a small mobile container. Although the container is already filled to its capacity, the worker is on the process of filling it with more garbage only to make it fall on the road reroute. The mobile container is small that it may not suffice the need in comparison with that the total amount of garbage collected in the area that is thickly populated. A single sanitary worker is in action in a place where hundreds of kilos of rubbish generated in a single day. Moreover, the sanitary worker uses a broom stick made of local grass and has no spatula nor other devises that are needed to handle the rubbish. Photo 4 Ill-equipped Sanitation Worker Source: Own Photography, 2010 We shall now look at the final destination of the garbage collected from the city. They are brought to a place just outside the main settlement area of the city and dumped in an open field without any protection or fence. The garbage is piled over and over and eventually they fall into the waterway underneath and reach the households nearby. They are highly contaminated and for sure put the members of the households in risk that come into contact with the rubbish. More importantly, this dump is the breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes that spread diseases of different kinds. The vegetation near the dump site dwindles due to the toxic soil caused by the chemical reaction of the rubbish stored for unlimited number of days and months. Above all the dump site is certainly not an attraction to any visitor to this historical and UNESCO preserved city. It is evident from the description and illustration above that the SWM system is not upto the desired level at Harar city. There are several factors that make SWM not effective elsewhere in the country in general and in Harar city in particular. The current SWM system in the city puts the households at the risk of getting exposed to health hazardous and socio-economic debacles. Moreover, neither any survey researches nor project works were carried out in the city on this thematic area although some reports were submitted by appointed consultants to the local government on SWM in Harar city. The researcher, thus, feels there is gap in this regard and he believes this project can fill to a given extent. Project Purpose Solid waste is generated more and more at the end of each day throughout the world. Therefore, the space needed to store it and its handling techniques decrease fast. Yet, there are people who are really concerned on this issue. Our households and industries create waste; hence, it our duty to device a mechanism to solve this problem. We have to reduce the refuse, reuse the remaining, and recycle the rest. It is obvious that it is easier said than done as many people live in cities of REFUSE. To make matters worse, the wealthier nations are bargaining with the needy nations to accept their waste, both civil and nuclear. However, the problems and short comings in SWM may not be similar in all countries although it is indeed a challenge to the world in general and developing countries like Ethiopia in particular. It is even worse in place like Harar- a historical city in Ethiopia due to the combination of several problems. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to look into some factors that the researcher believes contribute towards the poor and weak SWM in the city. 1.4 Objectives of the Project The general objective of this study is to look into factors that negatively affect SWM in Harar city The Specific objectives are: The current level of SWM in Harar city, and Factors that effect the SWM service delivery in Harar city It was hypothesized for this project that the prevailing municipal SWM system at Harar had several challenges and threats influenced by demographic, institutional and socio-economic factors. Based on this hypothesis the following questions were addressed for this project What is the current Status of the Solid Waste Management by the Harar municipality? What are the challenges faced by the municipality and the household members with regard to garbage accumulation, collection and disposal in the study area? What are the threats that face both the municipal administration and the household members in this regard? What could be the solutions to mitigate the challenges and threats so faced by the municipality and the household with regard to Solid Waste Management? Methodology Harar city is situated 525 Kms away from the capital city Addis Ababa to the east. It is a historical city dated back to several centuries. It is one of the holy places for Muslims all over the world. Harar is also known as Walled City as the entire city was circled by a long wall then. Presently, the city is extended out side the wall limits. It is a city known for trade. Almost all types of trades are carried out here. There are six Kebele Administrations (KAs) in Harar City. In addition to these PAs there are nineteen sub-Kebeles in the city. The following is the map of Ethiopia that shows the location of Harar city. Figure 1 Map that Shows the Location of Harar City in Ethiopia Source: Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, Harari Regional State For this study two Kebele Administrations viz. Amernur Kebele from within the Jegol and Jinela Kebele outside the Jegol were purposively selected based on the fact that they are larger Kebeles in population and size. Moreover, these two KAs contribute the largest share to the daily garbage accumulation of the city as per the available information from the Municipality of Harar. Both Amernur and Jinela Kebeles are inhabited by households who are involved in trade, civil service and skilled and unskilled jobs. Jinela Kebele has the largest open market of the city with household population. In Amernur Kebele the SW generated included both household rubbish and trade refuses whereas in Jinela Kebele the SW generated included both market refuses and leftovers and household rubbish. Thus both Kebeles were similar in SW generation. Moreover, the modes garbage accumulation and collection processes were quite similar in both the Kebeles. Hence, fifty households from each Kebele were randomly selected as samples. The samples were selected randomly for the reason that the numbers of households live in both Kebeles were near similar although Jinela Kebele has the largest open market of the city. Besides household samples 20 municipal workers, who involved in SWM were selected on voluntary basis. Additionally, Garbage pickers numbering 5 (two elderly men, one elderly woman, one young lady and two boys) who were present collecting materials at the time of visit of the researcher to the dump sites were selected. This was because of the fact that those garbage pickers did not have any permanent address nor contact details. Aggregate case studies collected from both the municipal workers involved in SWM and the garbage pickers were presented in the result and discussion chapter. Further, the ethics of social science research were strictly followed for this project and the rights of the sample participants with special reference to sample selection, data collection procedure wer e adhered. Five enumerators, besides the researcher, were selected who had experience in conducting research projects/surveys and who could communicate in the local vernacular Harari and Afan Oromo besides the countrys official language Amharinga. The enumerators were given training for a week before data collection on the nature of the project and ethics of data collection in social science related projects. A checklist was prepared for the interview and group discussion and a semi-structured mini-interview schedule was prepared to elicit information from Households on SWM. Both the interview checklist and mini interview schedule were pre-tested with non-sample population in the study area and needed amendments/modifications were incorporated in them. The data so collected were interpreted in words supported by relevant tables, figures and individual case studies. 1.6. Delimitation of the Project The study was conducted only in two Kebele Administrations of Harar city viz. Amernur and Jinela Kebeles were selected due to time constraints and for the reason that the researcher lives and works in the proximity of these Kebeles ,visiting these Kebeles almost two to three times daily either for professional or for personal reasons or for both. Thus, he is well aware of the challenges of SWM in these Kebeles. Moreover, the facts emerged from this project with regard to SWM in these Kebeles are, more or less, true to other areas of the city. 1.7 Limitations of the Project The major problem that the researcher faced in this project was the disinterestedness of the sample population to undertake any campaign with regard to weak and poor SWM right in their dwelling area although they are quite aware of the health hazards that non-disposed or improperly disposed garbage might bring on them. One could understand from the photographs exhibited above how man and mammal live together with the garbage disposed. Hence, the researcher had to induce interest in them by talking to them the need for a better SWM system in the city and how in turn it would make their day-to-day life more pleasant than it is now. Eventually, he could make them actively participate in focus group discussions and answer the questions raised for data collection. Accordingly all samples gave all information available with them with regard to SWM in the city. 1.8 Significance of the Project As far as the knowledge of the researcher goes, no credible research done at Harar City with regard to MSWM except for a few consultant reports as mentioned elsewhere in this project. Therefore, it is believed that this project could serve as a secondary for potential research to be carried out in the days to come.

Fight Club by Jack Palahniuk :: Movie Film Fight Club Jack Palahniuk Essays

Fight Club by Jack Palahniuk â€Å"You are not your job. You are not how much you have in the bank. You are not the contents of your wallet. You are not your khakis. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. What happens first is you can’t sleep. What happens then is there’s a gun in your mouth. And what happens next is you meet Tyler Durden. Let me tell you about Tyler. He had a plan. In Tyler we trusted. Tyler says the things you own, end up owning you. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. Fight Club represents that kind of freedom. First rule of Fight Club: You do not talk about Fight Club. Second rule of Fight Club: You do not talk about Fight Club. Tyler says self-improvement is masturbation. Tyler says self-destruction might be the answer.† The novel Fight Club, by Jack Palahniuk was published in 1996 and released as a motion picture starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in October of 1999. Both the novel and motion picture proved to be very successful in their release to the public for one simple reason: Fight Club is a reflection of the suffering experienced by the ‘Generation X’ male who feels trapped in a world of the grey-collar (or service) working-class, a world filled with materialism and distractions, a group of men raised in single-parent families often devoid of a male role-model, and a world where there is no great cause for the average North American male to fight for. Whether consciously, or subconsciously, the average ‘Generation X’ male of modern society can relate to and understand Fight Club, which makes both the novel and motion picture such an important proclamation regarding the state of our modern culture. In Fight Club, we meet our main character who comes to us without a name. He can be referred to as ‘Jack’ but his name is not important. He comes to us without a name because he represents ‘any man’, any one of those ‘Generation X’ males living in our society at present. Jack is a thirty-year old man employed as a recall coordinator for a major automobile company. He lives in a condo that is furnished with all the comforts of modern society, namely mass-produced furnishings that can be found in the homes of millions across North America. Jack owns a car and has obtained a respectable wardrobe for himself over the course of time.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay -- Ethical Issues, Religious Fanati

Fundamentalism is a strict adherence to a set of ideas or beliefs that are conservative in nature. It is a pejorative term usually associated with religious fanaticism. Usually, this is what comes to mind when there is mention of a fundamentalist. However, in Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist starring the protagonist Changez, a Pakistani Princetonian who is a top-ranked employee at a prestigious New York valuation firm, turns out not to be an Islamic fundamentalist, but a reluctant fundamentalist of US Capitalism. Hamid challenges readers to reevaluate their preconceived notions and prejudices of people different from themselves in post 9/11 America by employing the use of motifs, aphorism, and suspense, to create a conflation of corporate culture and violence in the form of an allegorical frame story. This story not only proves relevant in historical contexts pertaining to the United States and their involvements in past wars, but also in contemporary settings, as in the current ongoing wars. Simply put, history repeats itself. The story takes place within the span of a day, as Changez approaches an American in the district of Old Anarkali in Lahore, Pakistan. He invites the American to have tea with him, which eventually leads into dinner and continues on into the late evening while he recounts the events of his life which has led up to their fated encounter. The story is told in the second-person narrative, meaning the voice of the American is never heard, but his reactions are implied and guided by Changez. In this way, the audience plays an interactive part in the story, enabling the reader to identify with both parties and make judgements about the outcome of the story. The author constantly plays with the idea... ... by the hand. But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is the holder of your business cards† (Hamid 184). And with that, the author leaves us with a cliffhanger, for us to determine the ending however we see fit. Hamid has made clear that ideas and truths are all relative, that people should actively search for answers, instead of believing everything they are told. His characters allowed us to exercise our intuitions in search of hidden truths, and mostly to reaquaint ourselves with the elusive, common sense. The aphorism, focus on the fundamentals, is accentuated even further by the suspenseful ending and challenges us to ponder the wisdom of the story, when we consider whether or not the fully-bearded Changez has become another type of fundamentalist.

The Iran Hostage Crisis Essay -- Diplomacy

President Carter’s New Year’s 1979 toast to the Shah at a state dinner in Tehran, announcing that he was "an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world†, set the tone of the stance the United States had with the Shah which indicated support. This led to the trigger of The Iran Hostage Crisis that lasted 444 days, in which Carter allowed an ally, the unpopular Shah to flee to the New York to receive medical care for his cancer and escaping the Iranian Revolution. On November 4th 1979 student demonstrators raided the US Embassy in Tehran, capturing 66 Americans, in which 13 women and minority hostages were let go almost immediately and 1 ill man shortly after. The dislike the Iranian people had for the United States began in the 1950’s, whereas the United States became allies with non-communist regimes, regardless of their country’s people support. 1953 marked the US’s decision to become an ally with the Shah, the leader of Iran. The United State’s tie with the Shah involved using Iran’s oil wealth for economic development, furthermore he purchased billions of dollars worth of weapons of security from the US. In 1979 the monarchy was overthrown by radical Islams that were supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini, a Shia Muslim religious scholar. The motive of the Iranian students was to demonstrate their rebellion against the Shah, in which their demand was the return of the Shah for trial then execution, additionally they asked that the US stay out of their country’s internal affairs. Carter’s approach imposed the protection of the American hostages but also ensuring the alliance with Iran, this had a negative response that affected him being reelected. Carter entered office in 1977, a crucial time of America’s... ...Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute, 1985. Print. Smith, Steve. Policy Preferences and Bureaucratic Position: The Case of the American Hostage Rescue Mission. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-) Vol. 61, No. 1 (Winter, 1984-1985), pp. 9-25 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Royal Institute of International Affairs Article Stable URL: (JSTOR) Hollis, Martin and Smith, Steve. Roles and Reasons in Foreign Policy Decision Making. British Journal of Political Science. Vol. 16, No. 3 (Jul., 1986), pp. 269-286. Published by: Cambridge University Press. Article Stable URL: (JSTOR) Pbs. "WGBH American Experience . Jimmy Carter . The Iranian Hostage Crisis | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 1996. Web. 07 Apr. 2011. .

Digi Employee Motivation

INTRODUCTION DiGi is a leading Malaysian mobile and Internet service provider. The company and brand are known for innovation and continue to challenge market norms in efforts to deliver what is relevant and easy to use for customers to enjoy the best deals in the market. DiGi is a primary mobile communications company providing a comprehensive range of affordable, convenient and easy to use wireless services to simplify and enrich the lives of its customers.They create value for their customers by selecting the most appropriate cutting edge technology so that users benefit from products and services that give them choice, convenience and control. DiGi. Com Berhad is recognised in the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad and is part of the global telecommunications supplier, Telenor Group. They have a well-known presence as a leader in voice and data prepaid services with a number of first that have set industry benchmarks for creativity and innovation.These services are o ffered under the DiGi Prepaid brand name. Their Post-paid services under the DiGi Post-paid brand name delivers high quality voice as well as value added mobile content and data services to both individual and corporate customers. MISSION 1. Provide customers specific solutions to meet individual needs for communications, connectivity, and access to information and security 2. Provide an environment where our employees can grow and be fulfilled 3. Provide superior returns to shareholders 4. Contribute to improving life in Malaysia VISIONTo be seen as stars in excellent customer experience which we think will be one of the few differentiators in the longer term given the rapid commoditization of mobile services. CONTENTS Employee motivation is defined as the key for the effectiveness of an organization as whole. An understanding of the applied psychology within a workplace, also known as organizational behaviour can help to achieve a highly motivated workforce. Frederick Herzberg, a behavioural scientist proposed two-factor theory which is also known as motivator-hygiene theory in 1959.According to Herzberg in hygiene theory, there are some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction. When a hygiene factor is provided to the employees who are not satisfied, it creates a favourable environment for motivation and prevents job dissatisfaction. It is not included as an intrinsic part of a job, but they are related to the conditions under which a job is performed for instance company policy and administration, wages and salaries, quality of inter-personal relations and feelings of job security.If these factors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work. The motivation theory shows that this factor motivates the employees for a superior performance which is called as satisfiers. It is involved in performing the job and employees usually find these factors as intrinsi cally rewarding. The factors include status of employee, opportunity for advancement, gaining recognition and responsibility of employee and sense of personal achievement.The motivators symbolized the psychological needs as an additional profit. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance. Digi’s working environment is built around openness, transparency and flexibility with excellent mobility which verifies that they practise hygiene factor. Previously the organization chart has 12 stages of hierarchy which starts from CEO until the junior technician. This makes the communication and decision making process to proceed in a very slow, tough and unpredictable situation.Hence, the higher positioned employees will have higher benefits such as medical & hospitalisation, travel, personal accident & term life coverage, number of annual leave and bonuses according to their ranking in the organization. Each employee has their own w orking desk to organize their work documents and settle their job. However, the current organization chart has only 6 stages of hierarchy from the CEO to the Engineer. This will enable the company for fast decision making and the communication will more efficient with better reliability.Hence, today, the company are among the most competitive players in the industry. DiGi selected for a flat organisation in order to remain true to its core values of simplicity, innovation and best value. Digi’s reinvention has enabled the organisation to be more transparent and streamlined. All DiGi employees, from top management down to the receptionists, have the same kind of benefits, regardless of level or job title which shows that they are placed in the same flat working environment. It  nurtures more open communications and innovative-thinking.There are no barriers for communication in this new organization chart where by all the employees will be operating in the same place with an open environment. They can always sit wherever they prefer in the office because there is no specific place assigned for each employee. They create a challenging and rewarding work environment for our people to excel to bring out the best in them and to stimulate a high performance culture. The DiGi Technology Operating Centre met the specifications of Green Building to motivate the employees through the hygiene factor.The new sustainable and energy efficient centre will incorporate eco design elements which will translate to significant lifecycle savings with intelligent systems, while providing employees with a healthier and more comfortable work environment. DiGi empower the employees to have a committed sustainable future. Part of DiGi Deep Green programme is to increase employee’s awareness about the impact of climate change with the aim to motivate them to take action, either individually or collectively to reduce their carbon footprint.With increasing awareness of the individual impact, DiGi realised that this sense of responsibility for the environmental satisfaction will slowly, but surely, being entrenched into a smooth management without criticizing the surrounding condition and encouraging employees to take small steps in making some working lifestyle changes. Changing people's mind sets about their lifestyle habits is the biggest hurdle, for instance, carpooling versus personal transport and fluorescent lights versus energy-savings bulbs.DiGi, as a responsible corporation, can only aim to reach out as many of its employees as possible to prompt them to think twice before making a decision that may impact positively on the working environment convenience. So, to reach out and educate its employees about climate change, a 3-week campaign was launched on 30 June 2008. The objective was to grow together with all those we connect with green environment and the work environment for a better future.The aim of Digi Deep Green programme is to create awareness among the employees about the effect of climate changes and encourage them to act individually or in a group to lower the carbon footprint. The other factor that is practised by Digi is motivation factors. The Digi Company has received two Merit Awards in Malaysian Business Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards in 2007 which are Best Innovation and the Best Overall Winner in CSR categories. This acknowledgement was received after winning three PM’s CSR Awards in Cultural ; Heritage, Best Workplace Practices and the Best Overall CSR categories in 2006.The employee was inspired by this reward to work even harder and to please the organisation. Educational cultural programs are conducted through workshops, seminars, lectures, training sessions, conference, symposiums and forums where it helps the employees to have a strong relationship between each other no matter what race are they in. They will not critique or misunderstand other cultures or races and they wi ll be able to tolerate and be respectful to each other.These award giving creates employees with higher level of creativity, motivation and productivity which cause them to have drastic changes through their behaviour and the soft skills. Digi was also selected by the Carbon Disclosure Project as the top 5 in Asia and the first company in Malaysia among the other awards in 2011. This is shown by reducing the use of printed bills, where the customer needs to pay an extra fee to get the bills. Customers are also provided with a special place to lend their used mobiles for the recycling purposes.Moreover they have to agree and sign up a code which instructs them to fulfil the environment friendly practices. This will influence the employees to be more responsible towards the goal of this project. FINDINGS In order to obtain data regarding this topic, a short survey was constructed to be specific about the information needed about the Digi Company to identify employee weakness. In this report, there are two types of data used to have a clear picture of the study which are primary data and secondary data. Primary data is the data that is collected for a specific purpose from original sources such as interview and surveys.The survey form and the pictures are attached in the appendix as the evidence. The other source of getting the data to complete this research is from online resources where the websites are cited in reference. Strength Digi D’house in Shah Alam quarters physically shows that it is environmental friendly building. It is because the glass windows are built from floor up to the roof that gives so much natural sunlight but breezy at the same time, allowing them to reduce the power consumption for lights and air conditioners. Dr. Ken Yeang designed the Digi Technology Operations Centre (TOC) which is located opposite the D’house.It is designed in a way that the external walls are covered with green plants to enhance the heat absorbance and increase the air quality inside the building. Lights in the building are controlled by the brightness of the natural lights outside where it will balance the brightness of the internal light of the building. It can also sense the presence of people in the room where it can turn off the light automatically. Digi employees experience balance working life which leads them to provide productive thinking and creativity.For instance, Digi staff mothers who newly delivered baby will have options to extend their maternity leave for almost two months total with the last 2 months at half pay beyond the mandatory 60 days. Nursing rooms are also provided by the management at Digi office to support breast feeding and also for the storage of breast milk. Flexible working time is offered but it depends on the nature of work responsibility. Moreover, important topics for the training are delivered to the employees in 2007 where over 30000 hours were spent to increase the performance level of the e mployees.The common topics used are Intellectual Property (IP) Training, Integrity! Programme, Radio Frequency (RF) Awareness Workshop, Telenor Global Trainee Programme, DiGi Internship Programme and â€Å"Digi Meets† Programme. Weakness Although the Digi Company provides a lot of benefits, some employees still have conflict in the organization’s management which leads to demotivation of employees especially if issues are not resolved properly. If an employee comes from a very good and higher educational background, they will expect appreciations and more benefits such as special working environment than thers who do not have the same education as them. Being treated as same as other employees will cause them to be demotivated. Based on DiGi’s flat organization, all DiGi employees from top management down to the receptionists have the same kind of benefits, regardless of level or job title where they are placed in the same flat working environment. These will ca use them to have dissatisfaction in the working place. When the employee is given more workloads he or she feels it’s too unrealistic. There are times where the employees will have to work more than their usual working hours but are given the same pay.There are now supervisors or managers in a ratio of 1 to 7 employees. The shift schedule is 12:30 pm to 9:00 pm or whenever shipping is done. They used to have a large day shift, but they cut that down and forced most people to work the other shift. Now whether they realize it or not, this has caused a lot of families hardships by not getting to spend time with each other. There is no increase in the pay even though they work for extra hours. In the end, their performance will be below their usual performance levels.When DiGi undergoes mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and retrenchments, they can have many nervous and anxious members of staff who have worked hard for the organization for years and suddenly they are told that the y may not have a job. This can put them in a very negative frame of mind and lead to the employee becoming very disillusioned with his or her current job. There may also be a lot of gossip going around in these organizations and employees may become demotivated out of fear of the unknown. If an employee feels that he or she is likely to lose their job anytime, that is there is job insecurity.Employees need to feel that their organization values them. Poor organizational skills, leading and control by upper management to all levels of employees is another cause of the employee being demotivated. The managers monitor the employees every minute. An employee is only given 30 minutes for lunch. They keep track of every time you are 1 min or more late. Still in the dark ages about how they treat part-time employees. Apart from that, some employees feel that very open communication will cause trouble in decision making process.This is because everybody will tend to give their ideas and whe n their ideas are not taken in count, it will create misunderstanding and distress the employees. Employees will be mentally distracted which will lower down the work productivity. RECOMMENDATION DiGi must treat their employees fairly in all the ways as well. Placing employees according to their educational background and what they deserve can satisfy them and it can even make employees more productive. Employees should be given the opportunity to voice an opinion on the matter and to discuss whether they think the management treating them right or not.There should a suggestion box so that for the employees who feel unfair and unsatisfied with how the management treats them, they can put in their comments, questions, and requests there. Teamwork is the way to go. Instead of giving the workload to one person, they can distribute it to a group of people. When the work is distributed evenly in the organization, the work can be done quicker and much easier without the need to force the employee to work for more hours. For the employee who’s working for more hours should be given extra pay compared to the one did lesser work.Simple praise and words of encouragement for a task well-done are always welcome. Employees should always be informed of changes, and even if they cannot be involved in the decision-making process, procedures should be clearly explained to them to ensure they believe that the decision-making process is fair. Employees who have worked hard for the organization for years should always be appreciated and the company should not just dismiss them from the company without giving them early notice if the company is under crisis. Company should always let people know of their plans and change of plans, if any.This makes life easier and better both for the employee and the organization. More time should be given to the employee to take their lunch. 30 min is too less for the employees. They have been working for hours so at least 1 hour should be given for them to relax their mind and thus they will feel refreshed to continue with their work. Employees should experience job rotation because this can provide them with more knowledge and working skills in different kind of environments. Part timers should not be monitored all the time as this will make them think that they are trusted.Hence, there are high possibilities for them to work better and in a productive way with high self-esteem. CONCLUSION In a nutshell, Digi Company acquires the employee motivation concept to improve their performance level by practising Herzberg Theory. However, employee’s motivation should not only rely on these factors as there are many others factors that promotes to employee motivation. Each manager should understand it clearly and know how to motivate their employee in order to produce better business output performance. Employee motivation is said to be a major factor in the success or failure for Digi Company.DiGi as the industry sh aper, has created many new innovations and more to come in the coming years. Digi is always the smarter choice. REFFERENCE 1. Farezza Hanum, R. (2012, June 5). DiGi spreads green practices among staff, clients. New Straight Times. Retrieved from http://www. nst. com. my/streets/central/digi-spreads-green-practices-among-staff-clients-1. 91120 2. Ching Thut, C. (2008, March  . It all starts from within for Digi. The Star. Retrieved from http://thestar. com. my/starbizicrm/pdf/0668389_2. pdf 3. DiGi’s Workplace – As they see it. (2008, January 16). Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://www. nugerahcsrmalaysia. org/2008/01/16/winner-workplace-practices-digi/ 4. About DiGi-Careers. (2011). Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://www. digi. com. my/aboutdigi/careers/index. do 5. Siti Sakinah binti Ab. Rahim (2009, August) . Factors Contribute To Employees Motivations Towards Individual Output Performance In Telco Company. Retrieved fromhttp://etd. uum. edu. my/1755/1/Siti_Sak inah_Ab. _Rahim. pdf APPENDIX EMPLOYEES SATISFACTION SURVEY FORM 1. MaleFemale 2. Permanent staffPart time staff 3. Are you happy with your job overall? If no, state why. Yes No __________________________________________________ . Do you like the policies, rules and the way your company treats you? If no, state why? Yes No __________________________________________________ 5. Are your works very stressful? Yes No ___________________________________________________ 6. Are you paid well for the work you do? Yes No ____________________________________________________ 7. Comments ____________________________________________________ The award ceremony was on Friday, 29 Feb 2008, with guest of honour, Dato' Dr Mohd Taib Hashim, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education representing the Minister.Best Overall CSR Winner in 2007, DiGi Telecommunications which had also taken home two awards that night – the Award for best Workplace Practices and the Award for contrib utions to Culture & Heritage preservation. Digi Deep Green 2009 Clean Tech Open  Malaysia became a success. This event has attracted 47 entries and I was made to understand that Clean Tech USA had praised this achievement. D’House, DiGi’s Shah Alam headquarters, is an environmentally sustainable building where natural resources are used efficiently Interview session with one of the employee working in Digi Telecommunication Company.