Comprehensive Problem: Service Industry Essay

Objectives: Demonstrate application of accounting concepts pertaining to a service company, including the following: selection of business form,  journalization and posting of daily transactions,  creation of unadjusted trial balance,  adjustment of the accounts to properly report changes in balances, creation of financial statements,  completion of the closing process with appropriate closing entries and posting to T accounts, determination of book value for fixed assets, and  discussion of company’s financial position. As you work through this problem please refer to the Penn State rules regarding Academic Integrity. It is very important that you cite your sources. Part 1: 5% of Assignment Grade Monica Porter loves photography and wants to start her own company. She is single, 26 years old, and lives in an apartment in Nicetown. She has a job as a clerk in a grocery store that currently pays her living expenses. Her dream is to be a portrait photographer specializing in events such as weddings, birthdays, graduations, etc. She has saved $10,000 to start this endeavor. She knows nothing about accounting and has hired you to provide her with accounting services as well as guidance in starting this business. This first task is to determine which business organization entity she should choose. Please explain the different business formats and which one you would suggest for her business, which will be named â€Å"Portraits by Porter† (PBP). Part 2: 85% of Assignment Grade Monica has followed your advice and on January 11, 2012, she deposited $10,000 into a business bank account for PBP and started pursuing her dream. It has been a hectic year, and in June Monica contacts you to ask your advice in helping her to determine whether she can leave the grocery store and work the photography business full time. She provides you with a list of the things that have happened during the past 6 months. She has applied for a small business loan of $25,000 and has been told by her banker that she  needs a set of books (whatever that means) and financial statements (?) along with a listing of her fixed assets at book value. The banker told her that the books should be closed for the year as ended June 30, 2012, with corresponding financial statements. 1. Create the journal for the transactions and post these to the T accounts (45 pts). 2. Create the unadjusted trial balance (5 pts). 3. Make the necessary adjusted journal entries (6 pts). 4. Create the adjusted trial balance (5 pts). 5. Complete the financial statements: income statement, retained earnings, and balance sheet (15 pts). 6. Close the books using appropriate journal entries with T accounts (5 pts). 7. Determine the BV of the fixed assets (4 pts). PART 3: 10% of assignment grade Discuss the economic position of BPB and what you would advise Monica concerning her job at the grocery store.

Brand Equity to Customer Loyalty Essay

An examination of brand equity leading to customer loyalty in the clothing industry using the Loyalty Ladder model. Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine if there is a correlation between brand equity and brand loyalty. The author will research the sources of brand equity for three international clothing companies: Abercrombie & Fitch, Marks & Spencer, H&M and apply each company to the Loyalty Ladder. Methodology – Secondary literature was used throughout this study, mainly including; Annual Reports, Academic Journals & Datamonitor reports. Findings – All three companies have a strong brand image and they do have many customers’ who are loyal to their products. All companies experienced growth in revenue in 2010. The companies examined are now in the process of growing their businesses in emerging markets. The loyalty of customers does remain but it is mainly due to the companies innovative marketing strategies, which have resulted in increased revenues within the companies. Constant brand re-enforcement is extremely important to keep customers loyal to a brand. 1.0 Introduction Keller (1993) recognised two reasons to study brand loyalty; for financially based reasons and to improve marketing productivity. Tolba & Hassan (2009) studied the correlation between brand equity and customer loyalty which has seen significant research over the years. The authors conducted an in-depth study of 17 brands within the automobile industry. The findings showed that loyalty and satisfaction were the strongest predictors of brand preference and intention to purchase. The research was broken down into three areas; those who had never tried the brand, those who had tried once and those who had purchased the product. (See Figures 1.0-1.2). For those who had never tried the brand, they would not have been satisfied or loyal to a brand as they had never tired it. Perceptions of the brands image and value towards the brand impacted the results, therefore branding is fundamental in creating a personality and image of the brand that the customer can relate to. Patwardhan & Balasubramanian (2011) have taken brand equity one step further and discuss consumer â€Å"attraction† to brands. The authors believe that attraction and romance with a brand will increase loyalty to a higher level; a deeper and more intense level. The customer will experience security and trust the brand. â€Å"We define brand romance as a state of emotional attachment (evoked in response to the brand as a stimulus) that is characterized by strong positive affect toward the brand, high arousal caused by the brand, and a tendency of the brand to dominate the consumer’s cognition. Brand romance is subject-specific. Different consumers may enjoy different levels of romance with respect to the same brand†. Pawardhan & Balasubramanian conducted a study on numerous undergraduate students and asked them specific questions in relation to brand loyalty. The outcome of the study found that brand romance did exist even though the feelings and emotions behind the romance were not explained. There were a certain brands which kept re-occurring as brands with which students felt romantic about. These were Nike, Ford, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, Cingular, Sprint and Abercrombie & Fitch. The author of this paper believes that if marketing managers could harness this idea and â€Å"connect† customers’ emotions and feelings to their brands, it may increase loyalty; especially in such a competitive market it could help to retain more customers. If a customer experiences â€Å"romance† they may have a longer lasting relationship with a brand. Marketers have created the concept of the â€Å"The Loyalty Ladder†. The rungs on the ladder represent; prospect, customer, client & advocate. (See Figure 2.0).The idea of the romance being that a customer would remain on the top rung of the ladder for longer if the relationship was on a deeper level. 2.0 Abercrombie & Fitch Aaker and Mc Laughlin (2007) highlight the sources of brand equity (See Figure 3.0); brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality & brand loyalty. Brand awareness relates to the presence of the brand in the mind of the customer. Brands with high visibility tend to be purchased more frequently and also need to be maintained in the marketplace to re-enforce the brand awareness. As stated above, Abercrombie & Fitch is a brand name which people felt strongly about; it has international brand awareness and brand association. The brand is perceived as high quality, trendy and â€Å"American†. Abercrombie & Fitch have a huge loyal customer following. Lane (2007) describes the brand as being targeted at 18-22 year olds, mainly college students. The company was established in 1892 and went bankrupt in the 1970’s. The company was re-branded in the 1980’s to become a huge success. The annual report states that â€Å"The Company considers the in-store experience to be its primary marketing vehicle. The Company’s marketing strategy emphasizes the senses to reinforce the aspirational lifestyles represented by the brands. ..The Company also engages its customers through social media and mobile commerce in ways that reinforce the aspirational lifestyle of the brand†. Abercrombie & Fitch Annual Report 2010. Abercrombie & Fitch advertisements are all very consistent; black and white, topless men, beautiful males and females and often very sensual. (See Figure 4.0).Abercrombie and Fitch are famous for having had many controversial pieces of clothing and advertisements in the past but this has added to their brand image and increased media awareness. When the recession threatened many companies, Abercrombie & Fitch did not reduce sales prices, as they did not want to take away from the brands image and perceived high quality. The company did suffer a reduction in sales, however, to overcome this, management opened stores in new and emerging markets as the American market was maturing. Abercrombie & Fitch opened their first store in London in 2007 and have opened their doors in Japan to a new loyal market of young advocates. (They also sell online to the Chinese market). In the past few years there has been a shift in Chinese and Japanese culture. Teenagers in particular have become â€Å"Americanised†. Abercrombie & Fitch is a very popular brand in these countries as it represents the â€Å"American way of life†. In a study conducted by Parker et al (2004) it was found that the three most important aspects to a teenager were style, look and fit. Abercrombie and Fitch certainly contain these three elements. Tully (1994) supports the idea that it is relatively easy to form a â€Å"global teen strategy† & suggests that it is â€Å"†¦easy to form a global teen strategy, as teens around the world tend to have similar attitudes†. The research conducted by Parker et al (2004) showed this to be slightly untrue as US and Japanese teenagers tend to have more similarities towards the Chinese teenagers, as teenagers in China have less disposable income. However this is changing as China is an important emerging market. The Abercrombie & Fitch annual reports state that stores across China and Hong Kong are due to open in 2012. The author of this paper believes that the Abercrombie and Fitch brand is a perfect example of a brand romance. There are no loyalty cards or personal accounts to entice customers to climb the ladder. The famous brand and its image is enough to create an intense and emotional feeling within teenagers and young adults to become advocates of the brand. The loyal advocates (mainly 18-22 years old) of the brand remain perched on the top rung of the ladder until the next generation takes its place. The loving relationship lasts for approximately four years, until the customer topples from the top rung of the ladder. Abercrombie and Fitch also have other brands (Hollister & Gilly Hicks), which are not discussed in this article. What is different about this brand is how the company do not offer cards, accounts etc. like many other companies. Through their website they offer the chance to work in their stores and become a â€Å"store model†. Another perfect example of how aspirational this brand really is. (Abercrombie & Fitch official website) 3.0 Marks & Spencer (M&S) As mentioned earlier Aaker and Mc Laughlin 2007 highlight the sources of brand equity (See Figure 3.0); brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality & brand loyalty.. Marks and Spencer (M&S) were famous for their fleeting sales even before the recession and were faced by a takeover bid by Sr. Philip Green. M&S did not reduce their premium prices and instead invested heavily in a marketing campaign which eventually proved to be a success. (Marketing Society UK 2010). The net profit was  £526.3 million in the financial year ending 2010, an increase of 3.6% over 2009. (See Figure 5.0) Campaigns to re-enforce the M&S brand included the â€Å"125 years campaign†, taglines included â€Å"quality worth paying for† and â€Å"quality worth every penny† (See Figure 6.0). These campaigns also feature famous celebrities such as Twiggy, Mylene Class & Danii Minogue. (Marketing Society UK 2010). Walshe (2008) discusses M&S in the marketplace (See Figure 7.0). He describes the market as â€Å"weak†, the business as â€Å"ok† and the brand as â€Å"strong†. If a marketing strategy can successfully increase awareness of the brand then sales will increase. M&S experienced a lot of volatility in the marketplace and discusses how it was the business that was â€Å"temporarily broken† and not the brand. Through a strategy of changing product ranges, motivating employees and reminding customers about the brand and what it stood for, the company increased its profits. Throughout the marketing campaigns, the message of quality and good value was kept consistent so the brand association remained the same. Different forms of advertising have been researched to identify which types can affect brand association. The discussions are mainly broken into two categories; price and non-price advertising. (Kaul et al 1989, as cited by Clayton & Heo 2011). Non-price advertising can be described as differentiation or reminder advertising (Mitra and Lynch 1995, as cited by Clayton & Heo 2011). In a study conducted by Clayton and Heo (2011) on whether advertising affects brand association, the study concluded that promotional based messaging lowers the brand image, attitudes and perceptions of the brand. The authors do state that value-oriented messages have the ability to deteriorate brand associations. M&S have also created their brand as an association to corporate social responsibility, including expenditure in areas of climate change, sustainable raw materials and waste. (Datamonitor 2011 (a)). Customers perceive M&S to be a brand of high quality which the company constantly communicate in advertising campaigns. Tresidder (2010) in an article discussing a food campaign by M&S describes how the slogan is â€Å"This is not just food†. The advert ‘‘directs perception’’ by creating/reinforcing ‘‘signposts’’ of the M&S experience. â€Å"Thus, the text directs perception while guiding the social and cultural significance of the images used;, a conversion process takes place in which meaning is guided by changing perception through various techniques such as the use of text, changes in context and the meaning of the gastronomic experience† (Marshall, (2005) as cited by Tresidder (2010)). As stated earlier the loyalty ladder consists of four components; prospect, customer, client and advocate. In Tolba and Hassan’s (2009) research discussed earlier, the research showed that people who never tried a brand based their assumptions on which brands they preferred based on the image and attitude. In relation to M&S, a prospect customer will rely on advertisements, word of mouth, physical outlook of store and any other media surrounding the brand. M&S are opening new stores in emerging markets and will have many more prospect customers as opposed to the maturing domestic market. Once prospect customers have stepped up the ladder from prospect to customer, M&S offer a M&S credit card which gives the cardholder points. A premium card is also available got frequent shopper who are clients and advocates which offers treble points. (marksandspencer.com). Clients and advocates of M&S tend to be of a mature age and trust the M&S brand. More recently M&S have used celebrities in their adverts to gain a younger market share. The company is also the leading department store retailer in the UK. The clothing and fashion segment is estimated to have led to such leadership. (Datamonitor 2011(a)) . Huang & Huddleson (2009) conducted a study on own brand products and concluded that own-brands can often have a product advantage over competition which creates a competitive advantage because the retailer is creating their own products, they put more effort into the production and image of the product. Marks and Spencer have launched an internet channel through â€Å"M&S Direct†. Customers can shop online and a new facility called â€Å"Shop your Way† enables customers to order online, in stores or over the phone. Products are delivered free of charge to the nearest store. Through M&S direct, customers can join discussions and see what is happening in their local stores. March and Quinton (2009) discuss viral communities and how they impact the on loyalty ladder. They state how impostant social networks are for marketers and how they act as a â€Å"conduit for intra customer dialogue†.The authors posited the idea of a â€Å"social network contributor ladder† for online users. â€Å"This understanding will enable marketers to communicate more effectively with both the influencers and other members of the social network ladder†. (See Figure 8.0) March and Quinton (2009) 4.0 Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) A prime example of a strong own brand image is the Swedish company H&M. Mc Coll & Moore (2010) conducted a study to examine own brands and product brands. It has been increasingly competitive in the past few decades with companies setting up stores internationally. The authors discuss that own brands such as H&M will be more successful if they reflect the corporate brand image which must also be strong in the marketplace. Own brands have more control over products which gives them a competitive advantage. (Mc Coll & Moore 2010). H&M is a global brand based on its â€Å"value creating retail concept†. H&M have built their powerful brand based on a business model of fashion and quality at the best possible price. (Ilonen et al 2010). H&M mainly create brand awareness through television, internet,and mobile phone. H&M have an iphone application and online game â€Å"Mytown†, where players can view â€Å"virtual goods†. (WARC news Sep 2010). In April 2011 H&M launched it’s free Android application. This enables customers to browse clothing, check out offers and watch exclusive videos. There is a huge international brand awareness of H&M, with stores operating throughout Europe, South Korea & Israel. The company is now focusing on new emerging markets such as Romania & Croatia and opened their first stores in these countries in 2011. H&M have sponsored celebrities in the past to create a strong brand association. They chose those who they perceived were most suitable to position H&M as an upscale fashion retailer offering clothing at best price, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo & Madonna are examples of celebrities who endorsed the H&M name. (Datamonitor 2011 (b)) H&M has a fast retail policy & quickly follows market tends to deliver merchandise to its outlets daily. The loyal customers of H&M tend to be young and fashion conscious. H&M has kids, women and men’s clothing shoes and accessories. The company has experienced revenue growth year on year even throughout the recession ( See Figure 9.0). In relation to the loyalty ladder, as discussed earlier by Tolba & Holsan (2009) a prospect customer will purchase based on perception and image of the brand. There is no doubt that this brand has a strong market presence. Also, as most of the customers are younger there will be more of an influence by friends, peers and the fashion industry to conform to trends. (Parker et al 2004) . Some companies’ have reduced mobile marketing communication during the recession but as mentioned earlier, H&M rely heavily on mobile marketing. They use technology to communicate discounts etc. very often people who receive these messages send them on to friends, this results in a usually a 50% increase of people in-store. H&M see this as a success in creating massive â€Å"footfall in their stores. (Carter 2008).This form of marketing is also useful as when people send on these messages, it can draw prospect buyers into the stores. Once the prospects have climbed to the next rung of the ladder and become customers, H&M offer an account. This account allows customers to have limited access to the â€Å"virtual dressing room† and other benefits such as communication via internet, mobile phone applications and offers which draw the customers back in-store time and time again, to eventually become clients and advocates of the H&M brand. 5.0 Conclusion All three companies discussed in this paper have strong brand images which are constantly communicated to the public. Customer loyalty does remain as a result of strong marketing strategies and constant brand re-enforcement. In relation to M&S and A&F, sales have slowed down as their domestic markets are maturing and people have less disposable income due to the recession. However, both companies have weathered previous recessions. Many customers still desire to buy these brands and the strong brand image will help increase sales in emerging markets. Both M&S and Abercrombie & Fitch had an increase in 2008, which dropped in 2009 but increased in 2010 again. H&M has a steady increase year on year. Abercrombie & Fitch is due to open in Dublin at the end of this year and also due to open in Paris and Milan. All three companies are concentrating on new and emerging markets as their domestic markets mature. (See Fig 10.0) The author of this paper has posited a new loyalty scale as opposed to the loyalty ladder, see (fig 11.0). The loyalty ladder does not account for customers who are dissatisfied or â€Å"anti† a brand. Customers begin as prospects and can go up or down the scale depending on their experience with the brand. The internet plays a crucial part in communicating with customers and creating relationships to strengthen bonds with them through social networking sites and discussion fora. With so many global brands in society, it is important to keep re-enforcing brands to keep customers firmly perched on the top rungs of the loyalty ladder.

Tell About the Time When You Gained Something Precious

It was cold that October morning in Elizabeth City, NC. I hardly slept at all the night before and 4a. m. had come very early. It didn’t matter; I had to be at the hospital at 6a. m. It was finally time for the world to meet baby Valarey and for baby Valarey to meet the world. It was time, time to have my precious baby. By 7a. m. I was hooked up to my IV. By 9a. m. the nurses had me hooked up to a fetal monitor that monitored my baby and my contractions. I was now stuck in this not so comfortable bed until after my baby was born. My labor had started on its own but my doctor decided to start a Pitocin drip to induce my labor and make it go a little faster. It was now 4p. m. and was time for the epidural. My husband almost passed out after watching the elongated needle go into the small of my back! It took everything in me to whisper â€Å"Something’s wrong† to the nurse. Everything went dark and I could hear a beeping noise that sounded like it was fading in the distance. I was dying, slowly slipping away from this world. When I finally regained consciousness I looked at my husband in dismay. The look on his face was complete trepidation. He told me that my blood pressure had plummeted and they had almost lost me. The nurse asked me how I was feeling and I told her I was ok. It seemed like I had been out for a very long time but my husband said it was only seconds. He said that the nurse had to inject me with some emergency medication to bring my blood pressure back to normal. It was now about 9p. m. and the nurse told me it was time to have my baby. It was pushing time! You could see the excitement is my husband’s face. I was just as excited! We were about to meet our second baby. To finally see what she looked like, to hear the sounds of here cries and to feel her soft skin. The pushing began but the doctor was not in the room yet. My knees were up to my ears and my chin was on my chest as I pushed with all my might, bearing down as hard as I could. After pushing really hard three times everyone in the room started to yell stop! Stop pushing! I thought something was wrong. The baby’s head was out. Her beautiful mystical blue eyes were fluttering like a butterflies wings. Soft, fine almost white, blonde hair and ivory fair skin was the first thing we saw of her. The doctor walked in the room all suited up and the pushing began again. After just a few more pushes our second baby girl was delivered. She was 8lbs even and 19 1/2in long. Valarey Joyce Hunter was born at 9:45p. m. on October 30th, 2001. She was the most beautiful and inestimable thing I had ever seen.

Strategic Marketing Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Marketing Managment - Essay Example An evidence of modification in strategies is that Steve Jobs introduced the idea â€Å"to transform merchandising outlets into miniature theme parks for children† (Clark, 2009). The idea has proven successful since it helped enhancing customer base. The young customers appreciated and welcomed the surprising / fascinating change in display and internal outlook of stores, which then resulted in an overall increase in number of customers that showed up at outlets for purchase of toys, games, videos and costumes. The retail segment that plays the important role in growth of Disney has become a successful and sustainable contributor to revenue streams primarily because of Jobs. In simple words, Steve Jobs has contributed to Walt Disney his experience and strategic initiatives he took at Apple, thereby turning Disney a highly profitable conglomerate. As far as the vision is concerned, it is justified to argue that Steve Jobs has encouraged the strategic planners and policy – makers of Walt Disney to take new risks for business growth and sustainable development. Nonetheless, Jobs made Disney realised the fact that risks and decisions when taken rationally and prudently always lead to expansion, consumer acceptance and competitive advantage even in a challenging environment (Clark, 2009). 2) How and to what extent are Disney’s new products planning initiatives likely to benefit from Jobs’ successes at Apple Computer? As far as the successes of Apple Computer are concerned, it should be pointed out that CEO and Board member Steve Job is the actual contributor towards the internal developments and growth in brand value of Apple. Indeed, Steve Jobs highlighted the importance of innovation and differentiation across Apple; therefore, he specifically focused on Research & Development function to produce new products such as Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, and other digital devices etc. In this way, he identified the gaps in music and entertainment industry that have been met through product and market development strategies. Apple has now become one of the major competitors of Nokia because of phenomenal growth in sales of cellular phones. Similarly, Steve Jobs could also contribute the similar experiences to Disney by identifying the gaps that exist to be utilised for media conglomerate. Jobs has already initiated the display changes in existing retail outlets and he could contribute in new product planning initiatives, especially those related to recreational activities at display centres. Nonetheless, Jobs is aware of the fact that Disney’s core target market is children (tween agers) so introduction of activities for children such as â€Å"watching film clips, pressing buttons to operate displays, chatting with animated characters and participating in karaoke contests† (Clark, 2009) will actually be quite beneficial for Disney. In this way, Jobs will have significant contribution in Disney’s product developme nt initiatives on the basis of aforementioned reasons. 3) What are the changes that may occur in Disney’s marketing strategies resulting from Jobs’ influence? According to my understanding after reading the case and information obtained from relevant magazine and newspaper articles, the appointment of Steve Jobs may

The Beginning Of Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Beginning Of Civilization - Essay Example Native- Americans were not civilized before colonization by Europeans. As written by Vitalis, that Dodge played a vast role in separating Indians and whites. Dodge was part of the Indian Commissioners Board that ensured that Native Americans were evacuated from the lands. This was seen as a way of clearing the path for expansion towards the west as well as forcing the Indians to adopt a settled lifestyle. This, according to Vitalis, would lead to an eventual civilization of the Indians. Missionaries would introduce industrial arts, as well as the rudiments of writing and reading to enhance civilization. (Vitalis, 2007 pp38, 39)The Europeans also argued that the Native Americans did not have proper housing and that they had ‘heathen’ rituals. Other areas from which the Europeans came up with their conclusion was the Native Americans’ military tactics, governance, economies, and families. The English, by the 18th century, had specifically a way of ranking human soci eties in terms of their cultural complexity. They had the tendency of defining cultural complexity on the basis of economic terms.Native- Americans were not civilized before colonization by Europeans. As written by Vitalis, that Dodge played a vast role in separating Indians and whites. Dodge was part of the Indian Commissioners Board that ensured that Native Americans were evacuated from the lands. This was seen as a way of clearing the path for expansion towards the west as well as forcing the Indians to adopt a settled lifestyle. This, according to Vitalis, would lead to an eventual civilization of the Indians. Missionaries would introduce industrial arts, as well as the rudiments of writing and reading to enhance civilization. (Vitalis, 2007 pp38, 39)The Europeans also argued that the Native Americans did not have proper housing and that they had ‘heathen’ rituals. Other areas from which the Europeans came up with their conclusion was the Native Americans’ mi litary tactics, governance, economies, and families. The English, by the 18th century, had specifically a way of ranking human societies in terms of their cultural complexity. They had the tendency of defining cultural complexity on the basis of economic terms. The English concluded that hunting, as well as gathering, was the least complex basis of economies for societies. The herding of livestock, farming and lastly, the mixed economies of manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture followed suit. By this, they meant that the mixed economies characterized by commerce and agriculture were the most economically complex societies. Therefore, this portrayed cultural complexity too. Thus, the people who were ‘uncivilized’ and ‘heathen’ did not have an absolute title to the land they occupied. (Perdue and Green, 2007 p12)Â   Therefore, while forming the most comprehensive conclusion, according to these views by authors, thus, the Native Americans were not civilize d. Thus, it was the European colonization that changed them into a civilized society.

East Asia Past and Present Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

East Asia Past and Present - Essay Example The membership has expanded to ten countries that include Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Brunei and Vietnam. East Asia had experienced decades of internal conflicts and economic depression, but the formation of ASEAN enabled sub-regional cooperation and trade liberalization (Borthwick 71). The main three pillars include economic growth and cooperation, social progress, and political-security. The model of security and stability in the region attained high success and ASEAN started playing a major security role in even beyond Southeast Asia. The security matters in Southeast Asian countries encompass various political, economic, social, cultural and military dimensions and ASEAN has utilized regional cooperation in order to further peaceful external environment and allow the member states to concentrate on their domestic development priorities (Borthwick 29). ASEAN was a focus of rivalry and competition between the US and Soviet Union, but ASEAN preferred regional solutions by declaring the r egion as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in 1995 (Holcombe 241). ASEAN rise to greater importance in East Asia affairs has been facilitated by the ASEAN Free Trade Area that aims at enhancing the competitive advantage of local manufacturing. The region has signed free trade agreements with China, Japan, Australia and India that aim boosting economic growth in the community. The free trade agreements have led to consistent growth in member states GDP by between 4 percent to 7 percent since the end of Cold War. The region has benefited from technology transfer and e-commerce evolution since member states like Malaysia and Singapore account for more than 50 percent of e-commerce transactions in the entire region (Borthwick 81). The economic community is committed to equitable economic development and integration with the global economy as demonstrated by the consistent reduction in import duties (Borthwick 112). ASEAN member states

Using Scientific Method Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Using Scientific Method - Research Paper Example the addition of nitrogen into non-arable soil to make it arable, there are other ways carried out to make it arable, they include; digging and installation of wells and canal, and addition of tree for shading purposes. As the experiment progress, we will record differences when nitrogen fertilizers added to maize into two different soil samples.( Brady & Weil ) The experiment was called mineral nitrogen fertilizer. Various kilograms of nitrogen fertilizers per 100 acres used to get result, fertilizer statistics composed in an increase of 20kg at each acre. In addition to that, a nitrogen fertilizer per 100 acres was added to the yield per every year. As the experiments proceed maize at non-arable soil, grow at higher late than that in arable soil.( Brady & Weil ) According to my hypothesis, I was correct that maize in the soil, which is non-arable, it would grow at a higher rate than on arable soil.( Berlin De Gruyter. ) As the experiment progress, we have noticed that maize in the non-arable soil grow at higher rate than in arable soil, every time nitrogen fertilizer added on it. On the other hand, as the fertilization process came close to 180kg per 100 acres, both were at the equal produce of 20.1mg of dry mass. Perhaps this happened because arable soil has been in use for many years.( Berlin De Gruyter.

Issues in corrections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Issues in corrections - Essay Example According to research, the correctional systems are running out of ideas on how to manage the issues affecting the correctional systems. The United States of America correctional systems are believed to be one of the most advanced prison system globally. This is because of the increased crime rates in the country. However, like other countries globally the American correctional system faces many issues that tend to be hard for the legal system to handle. There is one major issue of overcrowding in the prisons that have been caused by high crime rates, harsh laws made by the legal system for certain offenses, high rate of criminals returned to jail for committing felonies and long term sentences for certain offenses (Scott, 2010). The rate of the population of inmates is growing faster making it hard for the prisons to hold the capacity. The issue of high population in prison has pushed the legal system to set free the well-behaved criminals in prison, which has posed a threat to society (Scott, 2010). The law is forced to release the criminals to create space for the other criminals. Criminals serving long sentences are freed through good behavior and presidential pardons. Alternatively, according to researchers, some prisoners are pretenders who only pretend to behave well so that they are set free and proceed to carry out their vengeance on the witnesses who testified against them in court. The problem for the correctional system not being able to accommodate the criminals until they are has posed a major threat to society. Over population in the correctional system has also led to various problems to the inmates. The inmate’s health is at risk due to various airborne diseases caused by overcrowding. Diseases can also emerge from the dirty toilets shared by the large number of prisoners. Prisoner’s health has also in turn affected the economy of the country trying to treat various diseases that arise among prisoners like HIV/ AIDs,

Internet Resource Guide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Resource Guide - Essay Example Furthermore, the Civil Engineering discipline attracts very few students due to its technicality. However, once the guide is made public, interested students will feel comfortable to join Penn State University and pursue the degree. The contents of this guide include Electronic indices that include periodical literature in Civil Engineering and professional journals from renowned scholars in the Civil Engineering discipline. The guide gives a summary of the journals and describes in details the relevance of the journals to freshmen students and students in the sophomore year. The scope of this guide further includes enlisted government sites approved by Penn State University whose content is crucial to Civil Engineering students as professionals in the field laid it down. There are other internet sites in the guide that have been proposed for subtends and other individuals with interest in the field of Civil Engineering. It is definite that the information available in this guide wil l be helpful to the freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. The scope is broad and students who have problems in locating the internet resources will now find it easier as the guide is precise and elaborate. Students with interests of pursuing a Bachelors degree in this field and have fears over resources will be highly encouraged to join the course. Whom this guide is for This guide is prepared at Penn State University for students pursuing a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. It particularly aims at freshmen students and those in the sophomore year. Other students with interests in the field of Civil Engineering will find this guide very useful. Researchers in the Civil Engineering field will make use of this guide as a link to internet sites they deem necessary for use in their research. This being a guide to the internet resources, it will crucial to any other person with problems in searching for the appropriate sites that they need to get information and use. Be ginners in the course who try to find ways of starting the degree in the right way will find this guide an indispensable partner throughout their stay in the course. The guide will be a remedy to their teething problems at the beginning of their research and studies. It should be remembered here that though the guide specifically targets fresh and sophomore students, the civil engineering knowledge is technical therefore, other students including continuing and finalists in the bachelors’ degree will have to use it. Knowledge and skills in technical areas is always interlinked. Information learned at the beginning of the course will remain relevant until the student comes to the end of his or her course. The guide because of this will be important to all the students in the course (Hido and Leon 123). Assumptions of the Guide The guide takes several presumptions among them those students pursuing the bachelors’ degree in Civil Engineering at Penn State University are f ull time learners. The guide assumes that having enrolled in a technical course and at that level; the students already have necessary computer skills to use the interne

Group Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Group Decision Making Essay Abstract Group decision making is imperative for deciding what action a group should take. This paper aims to define the process of group decision making and examine the discipline, theory, paradigm, and methodology that dominate approaches to group decision-making research. Furthermore, it provides an outline of the research’s perceptual process and endeavors to address an appropriate alternative approach to this research problem, and an evaluation of qualitative and quantitative research designs for this area of research. These are discussed in connection with selected empirical data. Critical Review of Group Decision Making Research Group decision making is one of the most significant and methodological ways of overcoming and/or resolving certain conflicts with the aid of other individuals. It becomes a more controversial in deciding what action a group should take due to the varieties of systems, which are acknowledged in order to solve a particular conflict. Decision making in a certain group is frequently evaluated in a separate manner, as the issue with regard to the process and outcome is concerned. While such a process of group decision making refers to how every member of a group interacts with the others, the outcome is the result of preferred method or action that the entire group has taken. A number of masters from prestigious universities have been arguing with regard to the critical review of group decision-making research since the 19th century. One of the world-renown masters of that time was James Stoner who observed that group decisions are more speculative than the earlier exclusive decisions of the members of a particular group or organization (Stoner, 1961). During the period subsequent to the time when he released his masters’ thesis and scholarly articles concerning the critical review of group decision-making research, numerous researched studies with empirical bases have shown that such a perilous modification is omnipresent or ubiquitous occurrence. Moreover, there is the presence of judiciousness on certain group decisions than the members (Moscovici Zavalloni. 1969; Myers Lamm, 1976). However, the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, will take place as a commencing disposition of an individual group members toward a specified way is increased subsequent to the given group decision. For instance, a group of pro-feminist women will be more powerfully pro-feminist subsequent to the given group decision (Myers. 1975). Therefore, on decisions that present to every individual group and/or member, a reasonable disposition in a specified way comes along with a group decision, which belongs to a more reasonable disposition in the same way. Critical Review on a Group Decision Some other conceptualization with regard to the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, will be superfluous due the number of outstanding reviews and/or conceptualization until 1970s (Myers Lamm, 1976). Throughout this time, the arguments concerning such a conceptualization have become remarkable. Hence, numerous researchers contributed various ideologies and significant contributions to produce group decisions, which are more speculative than the earlier exclusive decisions of the members of a particular group or organization. In latter years, vehemence for group research with regard to disposition has begun to lessen; it has believed that a thorough retrospective view or survey will contribute to the reorientation of research in such a field. In addition to this view, reassessment will also incorporate the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, with other gregarious or communal imaginary and cognitive phenomena. Thus, this research concludes by proposing a few significant matters of desegregation. Moreover, basic cognitive process will be involved in obtaining and storing more knowledge and insights upon demonstrating convincing disputation and communal distinction intervening the doctrine that all natural phenomena are explicable by material causes and mechanical principles within the bounds of group decision making. Study of this consequence shows that subsequent in time of taking part in a discussion group, every member tends to propose greater whereabouts; the demand for more perilous procedures of exploit than individuals who do not take part in any such discourse becomes inevitable. This incident has given birth to the perilous modification of group decision making. Moreover, the tendency of people to make decisions, which is extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently, is used in order to explicate and give light to the decision making of a panel or a group of people legally selected to hear a case and to decide what are the facts. Contemporary studies of world-renown scholars and savants show that subsequent in time to meditating into a single group, simulated panel of experts frequently determines retaliatory impairment prior to deliberation. Hence, the studies showed that when the favor of the panel of experts is given to an individual that bears insufficient facts and/or explications with regard to the extant issues, matters of argumentation might lead to a more compassionate outcome. While the panel of experts is influenced to ordain an efficacious or disastrous treatment, such contemporary discourse could yield severe and arduous circumstances to cope with. Progress in Analysis of Group Decision Making Brown’s (1965) innovative discourse of such a perilous modification, one of the vital vindications of selected changes, has been a communal juxtaposition. Based on the entire view of this conceptualization, people are regularly encouraged both to identify and to introduce themselves in a gregarious suitable illumination. To do this, every individual should be constantly preparing knowledge and insights with regard to how other groups of people introduce themselves, and changing his/her personal investiture. Some adaptations of social comparison theory shows that the number of people wishes to be understood as more advantageous than what other groups of people comprehend to be the standard movement. In one case that every individual distinguishes how most other people demonstrate and/or introduce themselves, he or she present him/herself in a reasonable illumination or awareness. Whenever all members of a colluding group involve in the same examination of such a methodological or systematic procedure, the outcome, therefore, is a mean modification in a way of valuable community. There is the presence of two fluctuations of the said temporal arrangement; one is that highlights the displacements of cognitive contents, which have multiple numbers of aspects, while the other one concerns the practice of keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor. Based on the studies of such a pluralistic ignorance, every individual or group of people introduces itself and/or its own positions as a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions in the interval of two different proclivities—the petition to be bound by mutual interests, loyalties, or affections to an individual’s own conception of absolute perfection. In addition to this view, the desire not to be aberrant from the notion of the inner direction of a certain group is also acknowledged. Thus, prior to group discussion review or argument, every member of a particular group trivializes the standards of the group ab initio. Evaluation from the primary valuations of their personal standards becomes distant to some extent or degree. Throughout the argumentations, which are unfolded by the entire group, every individual or member of the group is acknowledged nigh to the right standards; hence, an instance of divergence or disagreement by the common action of how good a group member is and how he or she likes to be ostensible. On delving into the second set of options, a group member directly changes to a more idealistic thought or matter of argumentations. As such, the strategic method of group decision making with most group members is acknowledged. Therefore, the theory concerning pluralistic ignorance is that it prevails for the mere reason of precise exchange of information with regard to the true beliefs of most members of the group in spite of the fact that it might be due to the preconception, which has a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge (Jones Nisbett, 1972). Other evaluators made a thorough explication concerning the possible outcomes of procedures in relation to the social comparison. These evaluations have become a more controversial along the issue concerning such matters of argument in which the group of people are encouraged by an aspiration to be unique from the other groups of people in a more precious and significant way or direction of feelings and/or thoughts (Fromkin, 1970). Moreover, these people are also encouraged to introduce themselves in a more advantageous way than the other groups of people. Briefly, such a group of people desires to be unique and become better than other groups of people. As an analogy, Brown expresses his own feelings by acknowledging the fact that when creating pre-valuations in a certain aspect, every individual member of the group gives him/herself a valuation, which is moderately advantageous than the valuation that he or she takes for granted—the norm or standards the mean group member will share. For a better comprehension with regard to this conceptualization, when a member directly or indirectly deducts the precise standards, he or she then develops his or her personal valuations; hence, making the general options with regard to the perilous modification becomes inevitable to acknowledge. Inasmuch as the technical aspects of making the perilous modification in cognitive contents, which have multiple aspects, the technical aspects concerning a current or fashionable trend is a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions by the common action of self-enhancement and self-abasement. Indeed, however, it may be quite arduous to acknowledge these two technical aspects theoretically. Nevertheless, there are respective imbrications on the pluralistic ignorance and current or fashionable trends. To support such an argument, the general reference for social comparison comes from presentations that coherent knowledge and insights with regard to the standards of other group members is able to make conformation bias. It takes place when combined or neutral vestige is used to reinforce an already made and intelligibly one-sided point of view. Consequently, every member of the group on both sides may therefore make an action or any movement farther apart, when he or she is presented with the same combined vestige. Such e strategic effect is called ‘mere exposure’ effects in which numerous researched studies have tried creating this terminology for further explication of the denotations of the perilous modification within the group decision making. Processing the Information that Affects the Group Decision Making A number of scholarly studies with regard to the group decision making from different pats of the world have been published; now, it remains one of the global contemporary issues. The original perilous modification research of Stoner (1961) has been globally recognized upon the use of certain outlines of the summary with a dramatic or literary work—the scenario, which shows the value of perils that a group member thinks what action he or she should take. For a better comprehension, it is explained with the best example, which Stoner used. He shows such a perilous modification through playing with a chess—the moves, careers shifts, professional shifts etc. In addition, other studies concern the probability of such a perilous modification. It is showed through the frequent exposure of conditions in which it is more likely to be substantial than any moderate exposure of such conditions; mixed with non-significant. Some studies argue that a certain member’s option or a standard on the matter of argument is methodological function of numerous pro and con debates. It is acknowledged as an individual calls back the memory when hypothesizing his or her personal thought or standards. Therefore, in forming an opinion or estimation of the guilt or innocence of an accused person after careful consideration, a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law comes to pre-deliberation decisions in accordance with the respective number and strength of the pro-guilt and pro-innocence statements. Consequently, a formal discourse on a topic or an exposition becomes the cause of an individual’s modification of his or her thought with regard to the running skepticism in the court. During the period subsequent to the time when the conceptualization of the power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty is acknowledged, a number of studies distinguish the characteristics of statements, which lead them into being convincing. Moreover, some studies express the denotations of perilous modification. They show this through presenting deputations on the statements within the group members. For a better comprehension concerning this ideology, a specified group may or may not change the way, which has given to it. While every member thinks of producing a good outcome, the arguments take place from the other members of the group. Thus, the function of originality is certainly and specifically determined. However, if such statements or arguments are given from the fact that the individual member is already acquainted with such matter of argumentations, he or she then cannot modify or change his or her position or standards of thinking or sharing his or her thoughts with the other members of the group of choice (Kaplan, 1997). Evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Designs As such, if new convincing arguments are given, but opposing the way that has been pre-approved by the group member, their standards will be modified reversely. Hence, a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law who pre-approved one who is justly chargeable with or responsible for a usually grave breach of conduct or a crime will come to regard a more guilty opinion or treat him or her with favor. This occurrence takes place only if he or she is liable to the new statements, which give favor to the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penal. The condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group, as the issue with regard to the process by which other studies or scholarly researched articles produce, accommodates two general empirical bases. One is that concerns the given correct information. To understand better, such studies or scholarly articles anticipate the methodological system and extent of selecting the thought to be unfolded on the matters of argumentation whether they are breaking up into opposing factions or grouping, or causing to become partially or wholly unbroken up to opposing factions. In addition to this statement or argument with regard to the critical review of group decision making, the number of studies make it easier to bring out the conceptual coordination of mental processes into a normal effective personality or with the individual’s environment, or the operation of finding a function whose differential is known and/or solving a different equation. In view of that fact, the fundamental technical aspect is the same for statements, which have been processed in a more advanced and secure system, or in a mutual or reciprocal action or influence with the other people or group members. Therefore, to support the entire conceptualization of this view, the vestige for the proposition that convincing statements alone may yield choice modification and a position of polarization, which has been assumed for a specific purpose—boldly supported by advanced explications of polarization (Pruitt, 197la. 1971b). Conclusion I have learned substantially from the said research and conceptualization of contemporary argumentations with regard to the critical review of group decision making and it impelled me to seek various means to learn the more advanced and methodological process of critical thinking and evaluation on the group decision-making. First, I have learned to perceive more contemplatively. This means, prior to making decisions or establishing beliefs, a group member must be aware that he or she has personal biases about certain things and he or she should not let this get in the way of arriving at an accurate perception and wise decision. Second, I have learned that by being more involved and by listening to and observing people a particular member of the group, who joins the arguments while discussing the best things to gain favorable outcomes, would be able to gain a broader perspective, if not a holistic view, of people and circumstances as a whole. This means that he or she should not only be satisfied with what he or she sees or wants to see but endeavor to look further and probe deeper into what is actually happening that he or she could not directly sense. Moreover, he or she should also verify his or her perceptions and the conclusions he or she has reached through critical thinking by communicating and learning more about the entities involved. These helpful hints have caused substantial improvement in my critical thinking process relative not only to the office works but to all the other daily activities as well. They have led me to perceive accurately, think critically and gain greater understanding of people and contemporary events. References Brown. R. (1965). Social psychology. New York: Free Press. Fromkin. H. (1970). Effects of experimentally aroused feelings of indistinctiveness upon valuation of scarce and novel experiences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 16. 521-529 Jones, E. E.. Nisbett R. E. (1972). The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions of the causes of behavior. In E. E. Jones, E. E. Kanouse. H. H. Kelley. R. E. Nisbett, S. Valins. B. Veiner(Eds. ). Attribution. Perceiving the causes of behavior. Morristown. NJ: General Learning Press. Kaplan. M. F. (1977). Discussion polarization effects in a modified jury decision paradigm: Informational influences. Sociomeir): 40, 262-271 Moscovici. S. , Zavalloni. M. (1969). The group as a polarizer of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 12. I25-135. Myers, D. G. (1975). Discussion-induced attitude polarization. Human Relations, 28, 699-714 Myers. D. G. , Lamm. H. (1975). The polarizing effect of group discussion. American Scientist, 63. 297-303. Pruitl, D. G. (197 la). Choice shifts in group discussion: An introductory review. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 20, 339-360. (197lb). Conclusions: Toward an understanding of choice shifts in group discussion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 20. 495-510. Stoner, J. A. F. (1961). A comparison of individual and group decisions involving risk. Unpublished masters thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, MA.

The Cleaning And The Maintaining Skylight Construction Essay

The Cleaning And The Maintaining Skylight Construction Essay Nowadays the government keep on introduce sustainable building or green building. Skylight is one of the components of day lighting and day lighting is one of the components in green building. The function of Skylight basically is to let the natural light to emit into the building through the glazing of a skylight. There are various types of skylight in the market, but the most used skylights are Ventilating Skylight, fixed skylight, tubular skylight. Some of the skylights are design for aesthetic purpose, and more and more Designer and Architect is designing their building with skylight. There are many benefit that get from skylight such as energy- efficiency, it will provide more light into house so the user inside the house can switch on less light or install less artificial light. This will also save more energy consume as compare to the normal lighting install. In addition to the energy- efficiency, skylight also can be part of green contribution to the planet. The aim of this dissertation is to find out the importance and method of maintaining a skylight shopping mall. And with the objective of To investigate whether the lack of maintain of a skylight will affect the occupants inside the shopping mall and To find out the methods used to maintain skylight in shopping mall. In the research methodology, this dissertation is going to conduct by using both two method of Primary data collection and secondary data collection. For primary data collection, going to use observation, interview and distribution of questionnaire. For secondary data collection, is going to find by using internet, magazine, and books. Table of Contents Introduction Background Skylight is a special type of window which built into the roof of a house or building in order to let the natural daylight come into the house directly. A skylight may be installed for aesthetic purposes, or as part of a general passive-heating strategy. Skylight allows approximately eight times as much light to enter the house as a comparably sized wall window. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) At the old days Skylight were leak, due to the limitation of contemporary construction and sealing materials. The glazing of the Skylight was leak and allowed heat to escape, the user felt uncomfortable with the temperature and cause them to heat during the winter, it will cause them a fortunes, and the Skylight n were not the demanded after the few problem occur. (Christopher J V Cooper, 2009) Today in this modern world, we have the benefit of modern dry double glazing techniques, an advanced sealing compounds and automatic electric mechanisms for opening and closing skylight windows. These improvements, together with the use of sealed double glazed panels ensure that modern skylight can maintain a traditional appearance while offering, structural Integrity and durability together with good insulation properties. The use of durable hardwood timber and high quality micro porous paints and stains ensures that a modern Skylight will last for many years with minimum maintenance. (Christopher J V Cooper, 2009) Problem Statement and Research Question Nowadays there are more and more designer or architect will include skylight into their design for shopping mall. Skylight in a shopping mall without proper maintenances, it will affect the occupant inside the building. In this case study, I quoted two questions, there are Does lack of maintenance or cleaning will affect the occupant in shopping Mall? And What are the methods used to maintain a skylight? Aim and Objective In this dissertation, the aim is to find out the importance and method of maintaining a skylight shopping mall. The objectives of this research are to be achieved is listed as below: To investigate whether the lack of maintain of a skylight will affect the occupants inside the shopping mall. The objective of this research is to investigate the occupants in shopping mall feels when the management is not performing the maintenance regularly. In the manner of aesthetic view or the disturbance (such as leaking) cause by skylight. Besides that, will the cost for cooling down the temperature will be increased while the skylight leaks the cold air inside the building. To find out the methods used to maintain skylight in shopping mall. The objective of this research is to find out the method and procedure used for maintaining skylight in shopping mall including the material for sealing the joining between skylight and the frame. Besides that, for performing maintenance procedure, does it have to do it in time frame and how long usually takes while doing maintenance. Scope of Study This study will be conduct in shopping mall at town area of Kuala Lumpur which is located at Jalan Ampang for KLCC and Bukit Bintang for Pavilion. In this dissertation, mainly is to study the method used for maintaining Skylight. Identify the various method and analysis which method is better with the consideration of the time and material consume for doing maintenance and the frequency of maintenance have to conduct for a skylight. Besides that, the lack of maintenances of a skylight will affect occupant will be study also. It studies about the aesthetic view for occupants inside the building and the disturbance cause by skylight such as leaking. Hypothesis To propose the correct and suitable method to conduct the maintenance of skylight. Research Methodology This research is going to use three methods for primary data collection they are Case studies by doing Observation, Interview and Questionnaire. First method for getting primary data is Case Study through Observation in shopping mall. In this research, the observation is going to conduct in Kuala Lumpur (KL) is because KL have shopping mall that always occupied with lots of occupants. The observation will be conducted in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) which is located at Jalan Ampang Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Pavilion which located at Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The design, type and pattern of skylight will be noted by sketching and will be added with the condition of skylight such as the visible leaking, banding frame, and the cleanliness of skylight. Second method for getting primary data is Interview, The interview will be conducted with interviewee who is the person in charge of doing the maintenance or the management of the shopping mall and ask them about the common problem occur in skylight and how they managed to solve the problem. Besides that, the management will be interviewed with the question of maintaining the skylight and cleaning the skylight. Third method is through Questionnaire, the questionnaire will be distribute to the people who cant entertain the interview and the people who work, or shops in KLCC and Pavilion is because they spend long hours in that building, so they surely will notice the condition of skylight. In the Questionnaire will ask how they solved the problem when leakage occurred for the people in the management. For the people who work there I will ask their opinion about the skylight and have they seen a skylight leaking or other defects while they work and how the management people overcome the problem. Secondary data collection, the information will be getting from three main sources Interne, News Paper, and Books. Internet there are a lots of website providing information but we our self have to be smart to search for the information. In this research will search for the information related to this research such as, the methods used to maintain skylight, lack of maintenance of skylight will affect the occupants, causes of leakage in skylight and, cost saving of skylight with a proper maintenance in shopping mall. Library is one of the best place to look for information, regularly check for the News Paper, magazine, journal will be better if there is any update. The article or information search must be under the objective of this research, the research scope will be the same as above. Book in the library can provide information about skylight, and in this research will look for the book any data which related to skylight, but most of it the title will be Day Lighting, Green Building, and Sustainable building because skylight is a part of day lighting, and it often appear in Green Building and Sustainable building. Literature Review Definition of Skylight Skylight can be consider as a part of Day lighting, Skylight is a special type of window which built into the roof of a house or building in order to let the natural daylight travel into the house or building directly. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) Skylights are also literally windows in the roof that bring a bit of blue sky into the building or house. In the night time skylight also can display the stars and the moon. (California Energy Commission) Skylights also provide the interior of a house with the warmth and brightness of natural daylight. They also reduce the number of artificial light. They will brighten up dark corners and let in lots of warmth. Besides that, they can also provide ventilation when it is needed. (California Energy Commission) Skylight may be installed for aesthetic purposes, some of it maybe for general passive-heating strategy. There are many types of skylight in the industry, with differing designs, materials, and added components. Most of the people end up choosing a skylight that is far too large for their house is because they want more light as possible. Unfortunately, even the best skylights have much poorer insulation than a comparable space of roof, so a large skylight allows large amounts of heat to escape during cold weather, and too much heat to enter the house during warm weather. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) Types of Skylight There are various types of skylight being use in these days, the most widely used Skylight are Ventilating Skylight, fixed skylight, tubular skylight. Ventilating Skylight is to allow air to pass through into the building normally use in bathrooms and kitchens which helps to relieve excess moisture and keep the flow of air steady. Fixed skylight is a skylight that cannot be opened it is solely to allow the natural daylight to pass into the house. Tubular skylight is a very small skylight, intended mainly for hallways and small rooms where a traditional skylight wouldnt easily fit. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) There are some skylight is for aesthetic purpose. The most common skylight is Flat Skylight, consisting of a square or rectangular piece of flat glass or acrylic that may be fixed or ventilating. Next is Round Skylight, if we view from the roof it is like half-sphere bubble. Next is Polygon Skylight, is a skylight which is looks like polygon that juts out of the roof with a number of glass or acrylic. Besides that, Pyramid Skylight is a simple four-triangle pyramid that juts out of the roof. Finally, Dome skylight is similar to a flat skylight but the glass is rounds up past the surface of the roof. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) Furthermore for the residential, there are four type of skylight more often associated with large buildings. First is Hip Ridge Skylight is a long rectangular skylight which peaks up above the roof surface to a central ridge, with a sloping triangular piece of glass on either short end. Next is Ridge skylight is a simpler version, with two long triangles sloping in towards one another, and straight triangles closing off either end. Besides that, Lean-to Skylight is a simple slope which rises from the roof of one story and ends by leaning against an upper wall of the next story. Last, Barrel Vault Skylight is a more complex form of the lean-to, which consists of a half-sphere against an upper wall, often seen in large arboretums. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) Common Problem of Skylight The most common problem of skylight is leak, mostly due to the limitation of contemporary construction and sealing materials. The glazing of the Skylight was leak and allowed heat to escape, the user felt uncomfortable with the temperature and cause them to heat during the winter, it will cause them a fortunes, and the Skylight were not the demanded after the few problem occur. (Christopher J V Cooper, 2009) Heat loss A skylight in the roof of a building will lose about 35% to 45% more heat during cold weather than the normal window installed on the side of the building with the same glazing that install in both Skylight and normal window. That is because hot air rises. As the hot air in the building rises toward the ceiling, it comes in contact with the cold surface of the skylight. The same theory but in the other way round the cold air falls, it will form a large draft loop which will decrease comfort of the occupants. If the skylight is more horizontal the effect will be more significant, the more significant. This type of heat loss is caused by convection. Even in dual-paned installed in skylights the warm air between the panes rises upward to meet the large, cold, nearly horizontal glazing. This hot air then falls and replaced by more hot air from below. (California Energy Commission) Heat loss in building through convection is not as great through windows installed on the side of a building. That is because the direction that heat flows through them is primarily horizontal, not vertical, and because the side windows are not generally placed near the ceiling. Besides that, skylights also lose heat through radiation. As normal windows are often shaded by exterior shutters, trees and shrubs and overhang, but skylights are exposed to the cold night sky. (California Energy Commission) Heat gain In hot weather Country, heat gain will become a problem because additional cost for cooling down the building is required. Skylight is more exposed to the sun than normal vertical windows, it can let the heat pass into building as much as four times the amount of heat as a normal window. Unless the user or house owner can manage the heat gain or else the building will be uncomfortable during hot weather and have to switch on air conditioner overtime. Energy experts estimate that a 2-foot by 4-foot of skylight made with a single panel of clear glass will allow heat into a home to make a typical air conditioner use an additional 240 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. (California Energy Commission) Besides that Brendan McGuigan also stated that, Skylights also have the potential to cause drafts, making the room uncomfortable. During rainy weather it will leak if the seal not good in quality. Although skylight can reduce the amount and cost of energy consume for artificial light inside the building but they can let in extra and unwanted heat that will make the air conditioner work harder during the summer and in the winter they can allow precious heat to escape. (Brendan McGuigan, 2003) Cleaning problem After quite some time the glazing panel of skylight will become dirty and most of the people will think is the skylight problem, a malfunction other type damage, or the life span of the skylight is near. Skylights are installed around the roof or on top of the house so it is hard to reach. That is made the skylight cleaning more difficult, it will consume lots of time to clean a skylight than normal window because it needs people to climb up to the roof and clean the skylight. If hired a cleaning service provider it will cost the house owner a fortune. If a skylight without the cleaning it will accumulate dust, sooner or later the skylight will eventually block the sunlight and the main purpose of installing skylight will be defeated. (Jon Nunan, n.d.) Cleaning and maintaining skylight The main purpose of skylight is to bring in additional day light from outside of a building into the building. In the same time skylight also can add for the aesthetic purpose, besides that it also can provide a great view from room inside. The occupants inside only can enjoyed if the skylight is clean. (Skyler Carpenter, 2005) Skylight is installed outside and it will expose to outside weather such as rain, snow, bird droppings, moisture, dust and leaves. The view of a blue sky will be blurring because the dust let the skylight emit less sunlight passing through and that is good time for cleaning. (Skyler Carpenter, 2005) Skylight is not hard to maintain and clean, and there is no need clean the skylight very often if it in a rainy climate, because the rain will wash away the dirt on the skylight. However, the skylight should be cleaned at lease twice a year to protect, from scratches. And it does also will bring maximum amount of light into the building. (Skyler Carpenter, 2005) Cleaning from the inside, inside of the skylight does not get as dirty as the outside of skylight. If using a wet cloth to clean away the dust is normally sufficient. Cleaning from the outside will be more effort, First have to go on top of the roof and with a bucket fill with some detergent and water, a sponge, a couple of dry cloths, some car wax for polish, and a garden hose. Second have to rinse the skylight and wipe the dirt off using a detergent-soaked sponge but not knife or scrapper as it may scratch the glazing or acrylic panel. Last is to polish the skylight panel by using the car wax. Wax can cover minor scratches and as well as to protect the glazing from damage caused by outside elements, besides that wax will cause the rain to drain off or slide off easily. (Skyler Carpenter, 2005) Skylight Glazing The material of skylights glazing are mostly made of either plastic or glass, depends on the choice and several factors such as weather, location within the home and price. Manufacturers may refer to the types of skylights by their  glazing. Plastic glazing is less expensive as compare than glass glazing but yet its still fairly durable. Plastic glazing has the disadvantage that are it will scratch, discolour or warp easily, unless the glazing is coated with a special film, these kinds of glazes will let in dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, it will harm the occupants skin and furniture. Most of the dome or bubble shaped skylights are plastic. (John Fuller, n.d.) In other way, the glass glazing is more expensive than plastic, but its preferable by most of the people is because it is more durable as compared to plastic, glass glazing doesnt discolour and it will have better appearance than plastic glazing for a long time period. The glass glazing must be made of safety glazing material, it has to be tempered or laminated.  Tempered glass  is a glass that has gone through a process of heating and rapid cooling to make the glass much harder than normal glass. If the glass breaks it will shatters into small pebble-like pieces with no sharp edges.  Laminated glass  is made with a thin layer of plastic sandwiched between two pieces of glass. (John Fuller, n.d.) Skylights Benefits Skylights are the one of the best solution for adding lighting in the building, besides from providing natural day light, skylights also help in minimizing heating, cooling, and lighting costs. Skylight is mostly used for energy-efficiency purposes, for the residential used, it is more commonly used as simple lighting and the appearance of the overall building as well. Nowadays, skylights had become much popular mostly due to the current research stated that natural light or sunlight not only helps the occupants concentration, but raises the spirits of occupants, increases the productivity, and aids the healing process. (Roof 101, n.d.) Skylight contribute in Productivity Skylight provides natural daylight from outside the building into inside of building. It will bright the building during the daytime, the glazing will allow sunlight to enter the building to illuminate for occupants to see. (Consolidated Roofing System) According to scientific experts stated that natural Light can boost energy up to 24%, this is show that increasing in productivity. The National Commission estimates that, businesses lose more than $150 billion a year in America because of employee fatigue due to lack of daylight. Lockheed Martin also claims that after adding skylights to hes building, the company have increased 15% higher productivity. (Velux, n.d.) Skylight contribute in House value Skylight take illumination to another level, it is important because it helps the building owner and real estate agent, because the skylight will makes the home brighter and it will looks much larger than it is, and benefit the people who trying sell house in this tough real estate market, the presence of a few skylights can affect the potential buyer by viewing the space inside the residence. (Consolidated Roofing System, n.d.) Skylight will increase the overall value a houses. House owner or investor can always count on getting back the money that they had invested in installing skylights. Mostly its because skylight has become a part of current trend in this modern society. Besides skylights have modern appeal, it also has energy-efficiency and this will add some point to the house value. (Jenny Schweyer, 2008) Skylight contribution Green and Energy efficiency Skylight not only provides natural day lighting it also will lower the electricity bill. If skylights are strategically place it will replace the artificial electric lighting in a building during the daytime. Skylights are as part of green, since the occupants are saving electricity they are helping to preserve the environment. Nowadays skylight has become is latest trends in building that is green building, that is building built with maximizing efficiency and preserve that nature or planet. Most of the people cannot afford other green home technology because it too expensive but skylights is affordable as compare to solar panel when consider about the energy savings and cost saving. Besides that it also will reduce our carbon footprint. (Jenny Schweyer, 2008) Skylight contribute in Health Skylight let the sunlight to emit into the building, through its glass glazing. The natural sunlight that emitted will provide the occupants inside the building. Natural sunlight will helps to regulate the occupants bodys circulation rhythm and have better sleep at night. (Jenny Schweyer, 2008) Besides that, natural sunlight will give us the Vitamin D, but with the skylight, it can partially reflect or filter the UV ray and it will benefit the occupants with natural sunlight from the sun and the occupants without getting burn.

The Application Of Theory To Practice Social Work Essay

The Application Of Theory To Practice Social Work Essay INTRODUCTION A community Development project should be able to demonstrate the public health practice in entirety, apply the public health theories and put into practice the community development principles. One of the principles is being able to address the priority need of the community with their full participation thereby empowering them and most importantly working within the social model of health. The social model of health is a theoretical frame work which considers the health of individuals and the community as a result of complex and interacting social, economic, environmental and personal factors. (Ottewill and wall, 2003). This framework operates on the belief that improved health and wellbeing is achieved by focusing on the social and environmental determinants of health in tandem with biological and medical factors. The social model of health says that 50% of our health is determined by wider determinants such as Housing, Income and educational level which affects not only the individuals but the community as a whole (CDHN, 2009), therefore a community development approach to health attempts to work upstream, concentrating on the root cause of ill health such as poverty and educational disadvantage. Kelleher and Marshall (2002) suggested that working within the social model of health permits individuals and communities to construct their own definition of health and therefore identify important factors that influence health depending on the specific context. The conception of a community is based on the thought that how people behave and their wellbeing is influenced by their interaction with others (SCCD, 2001). An evidence based definition of a community is a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share common perspectives and engage in joint action in geographical setting or location. This definition therefore qualifies the Muslim women in Glasgow North as a community. This reflective essay aims to give an explanation and in depth analysis of a non governmental Scottish charity project run by Muslim women for Muslim women in Glasgow, with a view of identifying good practice, relevance to public health practice development and the application of the theory to practice. The subject of the community placement will be referred to as the resource center through out this essay in order to protect the real names and identities of the center and its staff. The resource center handles social matters like racial harassment, bereavement, divorce cases, access to education, forced marriages, immigration matters, mental health issues, relationship matters, housing issues and domestic Violence. For the purpose of this essay I would be focusing on Domestic Violence. This write-up will go a long way to explain and critically analyse the extent to which the protection, provision and prevention of domestic violence against women project identifies with public health practice. A brief review of the literature of domestic abuse will be discussed thereafter. I will afterwards analyse the project while discussing issues like health need assessment, health inequality, partnership planning , monitoring and evaluation as good public health practices identified in the project. I intend to finally discuss the reflection and relevance of the study while making the necessary recommendations. Domestic Violence and Public Health Domestic violence could be defined as any incident of threatening behavior, violence, or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional) between adults who are or have been in intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. Gender-based violence includes a host of harmful behaviours that are directed at women and girls because of their sex, including wife abuse, sexual assault, and dowry-related murder, and marital rape, selective malnourishment of female children, forced prostitution, female genital mutilation and sexual abuse of female children. Vulnerable persons or a child in the environment where they are witnessing domestic abuse are also inclusive. (Scottish Executive central research unit, 2000) The British Medical Association (2006) explained in its publication that a child who has witnessed domestic abuse has an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems in adult live. Domestic Violence is associated with Health Inequality in the society especially towards the women and children. It constitutes the male abuse of power which occurs in all social groups not caused by stress, alcohol, unemployment, mental illness or by the women (Scottish Executive central research unit, 2000) Domestic Violence is a major public health issue affecting all age, socio- economic group and all sectors of life.. it is currently being recognized by the government not just as a criminal issue but also as a public health matter(Government proposal on domestic violence, 2003).Domestic Abuse is a housing issue, human right issue, child protection issue, mental health issue and all these according to the social model of health are determinants of health. A Recent report by the triennial maternal mortality (CEMACH, 2004) showed that domestic abuse is a risk factor for maternal death and for the year 2000- 2002 eleven new mothers were murdered within six weeks of giving birth by their partners. It also increases the chances of pregnant women drinking, smoking which then affects the life of the unborn child thereby increasing the infants mortality rate. The high prevalence of Domestic Violence impacts economically on the society. Support systems are overstretched; there is increased cost of providing medical care for about 100,000 women seeking medical help due to domestic abuse. A lot of women are homeless with about 7000 women and children looking for safety shelter everyday (Seymour, 2001) Violence against women has recently been recognized by the United Nations as a fundamental abuse of womens human rights. The sensitivities and stigma associated with domestic abuse, the conceptualization of it primarily as a judicial and legal issue, and the lack of data on the dimension of the abuse have hampered understanding and the development of appropriate intervention (Lori et al, 1994) Incidence and prevalence of domestic Abuse Domestic violence accounts for between 16% and one quarter of all recorded violent crime. (Home Office,2004; Dodd et al., 2004; BCS, 1998; Dobash and Dobash, 1980). According to Stanko, (2000) an incident is reported to the police every minute. Women are much more likely than men to be the victim of multiple incidents of abuse, and of sexual violence. 45% women and 26% men had experienced at least one incident of inter-personal violence in their lifetimes(Walby and Allen, 2004), however when there were more than 4 incidents (i.e. ongoing domestic or sexual abuse) 89% of victims were women. In 2004 according to Walby and Allen(2004) there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from partners or former partners making an average of 2 women a week killed by a male partner or former partner and this constitutes around one-third of all female homicide victims. (Department of Health,2005.) The British Crime Survey conducted in 2000 found that women are most likely to be sexually attacked by men who are known to them. 45% of rapes reported to the survey were perpetrated by current partners. (Home Office Research Study 237, 2002). One Scottish survey found that a majority of men who said that they were victims of domestic violence, were also perpetrators of violence (13 of 22), and on being re-interviewed, a further 13 later said they had actually never experienced any form of domestic abuse. (Scottish Executive Central Research Unit, 2002). On the international level consistent findings has been recorded. An analysis of 10 separate domestic violence prevalence studies by the Council of Europe showed that 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes, and between 6-10% of women Suffer domestic violence in a given year. (Council of Europe, 2002).Another study done by the World Health Organisation, domestic violence was found to be widespread in all 10 countries studied, though there was considerable variation between countries, and between cities and rural areas. (Garcia-Moreno, C., et al., 2005) .Krug et al (2002) found that internationally 40% -70% of female murder victim were killed by their partner and about 4% 8% of men. Domestic violence is internationally acknowledged to be one of the major health Inequalities affecting women particularly, and forms a significant obstacle to their receiving effective health care. (World Health Organisation,1997; United Nations, 1993). Different form of abuse is been experienced by women with partner abuse (non-sexual) being the most commonly experienced type of intimate violence among both men and women. 28% of women and 17% of men reported having experienced such abuse. (Coleman et al. 2007) stalking is also was com monly experienced with 9% of women and 7% of men reported having Experienced it in the last year with obscene or threatening phone calls being the common forms. (Coleman et al 2007). Nearly half of women (48%) who had experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 16 had experienced more than one type of intimate violence. Men were less likely to have experienced multiple forms of intimate violence (33%). (Coleman et al. 2007) Serious sexual assault was most likely to be committed by someone known to the victim (89% of female and 83% of male victims). Just over half (54%) of female victims reported that a partner or ex-partner had been the offender. (Coleman et al. 2007). Women also suffer from non sexual family abuse (coleman at al.2007) Domestic violence has huge impact both physically ,psychologically, and health wise on both the women and their children A study of 200 womens experiences of domestic violence commissioned by Womens Aid, found that 60% of the women had left because they feared that they or their children would be killed by the perpetrator.(Humphreys Thiara, 2002). In the same study, 76% of separated women suffered post-separation violence, and more than half of those with post-separation child contact arrangements with an abusive ex-partner continued to have serious, ongoing problems with this contact (Humphreys and Thiara, 2002).There are a greater risk of homicide by these women at the point of separation or after leaving a violent partner. (Lees, 2000).A study showed that 42% of all female homicide victims, compared with 4% of male homicide victims, were killed by current or former partners in England and Wales in the year 2000/01. This equates to 102 women, an average of 2 women each week (Home Office, 2001). Domestic violence was found to be the single most quoted reason for becoming homeless(Cramer and Carter 2002) . Violence against women has serious consequences for their physical and mental health, and women who have experienced abuse from her partner may suffer from chronic health problems of various kinds. (Stark and Flitcraft, 1996; Williamson, 2000; British Medical Association, 1998; Crispand Stanko, 2001) Abused women are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, psychosomatic systems, eating problems and sexual dysfunction. Violence may also affect their reproductive health. (WHO,2000). 70% of incidents of domestic violence result in injury, (compared with 50% of incidents of acquaintance violence, 48% of stranger violence and 29% of mugging.) (Dodd et al., 2004) 75% of cases of domestic violence result in physical injury or mental health consequences to women. (Home Office, 2001) The cost of treating physical health of victims of domestic violence, (including hospital, GP, ambulance, prescriptions) is  £1,220,247,000, i.e. 3% of total NHS budget. (Walby, 2004) The cost of treati ng mental disorder due to domestic violence is  £176,000,000. (Walby,2004). Between 50% and 60% of women mental health service users have experienced domestic violence, and up to 20% will be experiencing current abuse. (Department of Health , 2003). Domestic violence has been identified as a prime cause of miscarriage or still-birth (Mezey, 1997), and of maternal deaths during childbirth (Lewis and Drife, 2001, 2005).Children are also hugely affected by domestic violence. At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence. (Department of Health, 2002). And Children who live with domestic violence are at increased risk of behavioural problems and emotional trauma, and mental health difficulties in adult life. ( Kolbo, et al., 1996; Morley and Mullender, 1994; Hester et al.,2000) Nearly three quarters of children on the at risk register live in households where domestic violence occurs and 52% of child protection cases involving domestic violence. (Department of Health , 200 2; Farmer and Owen, 1995). COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT/SUSTAINABILITY Community development means a community involvement that helps people to help themselves by encouraging them to be involved in collective activities to ultimately solve a mutual problem and aim towards achieving common goal (Gilchrist, 2007). Barr and Hashagen (2000) described community development as a agenda that comprise of processes like empowerment, learning, democracy and outcomes, backed up by good funding, staff, information, proper evaluation and dissemination. Some of the key Qualities of a good community development project as suggested by the Scottish Government (SE, 2004) are, community involvement, community learning and development; the use of knowledge, skills, strengthening and improving communities, people led development and the role of the individual partner in decision making. Improving public services and providing assess to main stream services for both the high and low socio economic class is also very important (SE, 2004). The resource center follows a commun ity development approach having the muslim women as the target community and their projects of have the above defined roles as they are all community led projects which eventually empowers the people of the community. it is service user positive and involves full participation from people of the community. they center has drop in sessions for clients during week days ,free access to computers and a resource library containing an expanding range of books, leaflets, magazines, on different topics especially on Islamic topics particularly Focused towards women. Information on services and resources in Glasgow and rest of Scotland is also available in the library. They center is managed by both staff and volunteers who give high quality service to the community and in return receive training, work experience, make New friends and often increase their confidence , skills and knowledge. The sustainability plan for mwrc appeared to rely on the sponsorship of the partner organizations for both the training and running of the organization. Gray, (2007) suggested that the potential to contribute to sustainability is by direct action and by setting good examples of practice especially in the area of accountability. The Resource center being totally a voluntary organization, receives funding from the council, Voluntary action fund, Scottish community foundation , Gannochy trust, Culture and sport Glasgow, and womens Fund for Scotland for sustainability. This sustainability arrangement is not strong as it relies on uncertain financial targets and a limited timeframe to achieve those (Gray, 2007) and could lead to the abrupt termination of projects once the funding is no more. HEALTH NEED ASSESSMENT Health need assessment offers a good take off point for a community development project in order to have targeted projects which are very beneficial to the people of the community and it also helps in preventing health inequality (Arblaster et al 1996). Billings (2002) described health need assessment as identification of factors that must be addressed in order to improve the health of the population and as suggested by Twinn et al(1990) involves the collection data to identify health need of the community and its analysis to prioritise strategies in health improvement. They Local population could be involved to discern for themselves what they consider their priority needs (Billing 2002). They involvement of the local community is commonly employed in community development projects to ensure that priority projects are carried out and also to tackle health inequality. Bidmead and Cowley(2005) also highlighted the importance of client/professional partnership towards promoting a fruitful health need assessment. In practice the theory of health need assessment was applied in the resource center which started its journey in 1997 and opened its doors to the public in April 2002. It is a Scottish charity run by women with the purpose of breaking down barriers and enabling Muslim women to participate in all aspect of society without having to compromise their belief and values. Following the health need assessment which was done through the involvement of the Muslim community, the vital needs and concern identified are Lack of knowledge of help available leading to poor take up of mainstream services by Muslim women in need, Lack of confidence that they mainstream services will be able to understand the issues affecting them and institutional discrimination preventing uptake of services, Increase in Islamophobia and fear of discrimination and harassment leading to decreasing interaction with mainstream society at all levels and most importantly Family and marriage problems. In order to address these concerns, they operate at three different levels,Working with policy makers and mainstream provider to overcome the barriers to civic participation and access to services; undertaking development work to build the confidence of Muslim women, address their issues and promote social cohesion and providing a range of direct helping services to women in a way that meets their specific needs .As highlighted by Bidmead and Cowley(2005) the services of trained volunteers were employed to further enhance the client/professional relationship thereby promoting better assessment. PARTNERSHIP Partnership is a very important concept in community development and public health as a whole as it underpins both public health policy and practice. It is an essential tool being employed to tackle the social model of health. it encourages community involvement and individual roles and helps to co-coordinate the group activity in order to avoid overlap (Warren et al 1974). El Ansari et al(2001) saw partnership as an official relationships among people who usually have same purposive goal while Hudson and Hardy(2001) identified that partnership may not only be official as it also occurs between professionals and non professionals existing either horizontally or vertically between levels(Powel and Exworthy 2002). Bidmead and Cowley(2005a) defined partnership as A Respectful ,negotiated way of working together that enables choices; participation, and equity within an honest, trusting relationship that is based in empathy, support and reciprocity. Though argued by Challis at el(1988) that partnership is word difficult to give helpful meaning in practice ,partnership could be seen as an effective relationship between clients and practitioner geared towards achieving an aim through collaboration and active involvement(Warren et al 1974). Partnership is currently been acknowledged in both government policy and practice(Scottish Executive1998;secretary of state for northern Ireland 1998;secretary of state wales 1998) as there is a limit to what an agency working alone on its own can achieve(Huxham and Macdonald 1999). Major advance in health involves improvement in all aspect of living both socially and economically(Mckeown,1976) and this is only achievable through collaborative efforts of individual, community, organizations and Government (WHO 1991). Barnes and Sullivan also argues that partnership is a major tool in tackling health inequality as it enables government resources to be appropriately and evenly distributed to both the the rich and the ethnic minority to improve health services. Davis and Fallowfield (1991) suggested that partnership improves professional contentment and reduces stress though for effectiveness aimed goals should be made clear and professional skill and knowledge upheld despite complimentary expertise of the community(Bidmead and Cowley 2005a) . Partnership though very beneficial is not without some pitfalls some of which are issues with co-ordination, joining up goals and policy, accountability and participation (Sullivan and skelcher 2002) .Douglas, (2009) feels that partnership working can leave participants confused and unclear about their role once there is lack of clear leadership, guidance and support..He also stated that infrastructure built around some individual in partnership goes down once the individuals are no more. The risks and negative aspect of partnership working include partnership overload and partnership fatigue, the potential for overdoing it; hence there should be a limit to the number that constitutes a workable partnership (Bamford et al, 2003).Baginsky (2007) feels that most partnerships lack clarity and consistency in use of eligible criteria and there is need for clarity of roles and assigning of responsibilities. Inter-organizational partnerships is been seen as the key to better partnerships(Hudson and Hardy 2002). Despite these pitfalls, development of partnership approaches is encouraged by policy makers and the Government in community development projects In Practice, there are evidences of application of theory of partnership for example in order to further achieve its aim, MWRC is actively involved in partnerships and Advisory groups to enable community cohesion, and overcome stereotypes and misunderstanding between communities. They partner with both the community, local agencies, the government and international bodies to encourage community participation and ensure that more need based projects are carried out. They issue brought up by Hudson and Hardy (2002) is also being applied by the resource center as they are involved in inter-organizational partnership. As stated by Huxham and Macdonald(1999) a lot of achievement was made by the resource center through their partnership with the Government and some local agencies. Self employment opportunity workshop was organized in partnership with and delivered by Business Gateway Glasgow aimed at sensitizing the women on the need to be self-employed to enable them to be financially dep endent. Money Advice workshops organized in partnership with Glasgow city Councils financial inclusion team provided information about financial issues with the aim of empowering women to allow them to deal with financial issues and difficulties. The participants found the workshop very informative and educating. Support was provided for the singe mothers through the Single mothers workshop organised in partnership with REED with the aim of encouraging single mothers into the work force. They Muslim and ethnic minority women were through the Steps to excellence for personal success a programme built around the core concept of the pacific institute affirmed of the right of all individuals to achieve their God given potentials and empower people through education and training to allow them to recognize their ability to choose growth ,personal freedom, and personal excellence. The effectiveness of partnership involvement and individual roles(warren at el 1974) were very evident in the practice of the resource center. Having discussed the theories of Community development projects, health need assessment and partnership with their application in practice, I would then discuss Health inequality, Monitoring and Evaluation. HEALTH INEQUALITY Health inequality has been a universal problem though Darey Smith et al (2001a) described it as inequality in health experienced by black and minority ethnic groups. Health inequality has long been associated with ethnicity and socio -economic statue(Acheson 1998:11). . The international community emphasizes the importance of tackling inequalities as a matter of urgency (WHO, 2005) Baggort(2000) described health inequality as the inequity or the inequality that are seen as being unfair. Health inequality is a major issue for public health practitioner working at the community level and efforts are made to indentify what can be done at the local level. Arblaster et al(1996) and Gillies (1998a,b) commented on the effectiveness of inter-sectorial partnership as a way of tackling health inequality. public health practitioners can facilitate partnership with relevant agencies for specific health need of the people as well as advocate for those needs (Roberts 2000).Lobbying of policy makers at all levels to influence health policies has also been seen as way of tacking health inequalities (muir Gray 2001) and the use of media has been found very effective(Chapman 2001).Advocacy and Lobbying is one of the tools employed in the resource center for example through Advocacy the provides a voice for Muslim women that contribute to the government consultations, policy, and Strategy in adult learning issues. The advocacy programmes include professional advocacy, face to face with the service user and ongoing advocacy in family issues. Also through representations in the learning link Scotland policy and Executive committee, awareness is being drawn to the needs and issues affecting Muslim women access to learning and education Roberts(2000) stated that involvement of the people of the community to identify their health need and taking action towards solution through development of healthy living projects help to tackle inequality as well as make people of the lower socio economic status and minority group have access to the health care. Patterson and Judge(2002) also suggested that referral systems in health care and home visiting are also very effective ways of reducing health inequality. In Practice, there are evidence of the huge effort made to prevent health inequality and increase the accessibility to health care by the ethnic minority especially the muslim women. Information, Advice-Free, confidential faith and culturally non judgmental information and advice on Domestic Abuse and family issues is provided primarily through drop in sessions and also by appointment. Service users initially receive assessment and help on their first visit and as encouraged by Patterson and Judge (2002) referrals are ma de with their agreement for other services in the main stream or elsewhere. The service is provided in the service user preferred language as most of the staff and volunteers are bilingual and interpreters are also available. The social model of health considers how wider determinants than the presence or absence of disease have an impact on peoples health (Dahlgren Whitehead, 1991, CDHN, 2005, Graham, 2007) hence the provision of other services to help increase the quality of life of the women. Such services are Counseling provided by trained volunteer counselors and counseling approach is used with the service users to enable them make informed decision and choices. For many women this helps them to talk through personal issues while also receiving practical help, and for majority of the clients the find this approach very appropriate. Formal counseling using person centered approach is also provided where necessary, Provision of Helpline and Help mail service to offer information, advice and a listening ear in a faith and culturally sensitive way. The Helpline operators speak English and also have available interpreters and they use various mediums to reach out to the most vulnerable and isolated Musl im women in Scotland to ensure equality in distribution of health care. They helpline staff continue to strive to work in partnership with both mainstream and private sector organization to ensure that the Muslim women are able to engage and voice out their needs in the society. They Help mail is a dedicated confidential email address available for women who would prefer the mail .its receives over 200 mails and its increasing becoming popular with agencies seeking advice and information on issues concerning Muslim women. And the Provision of friends and support to isolated, lonely and abused Muslim women who lack confidence to do things alone. A huge effort is being made to ensure that health inequality is prevented. MONITORING AND EVALUATION The input in the PPP Project, the process, impact and outcome of the programmes of they project is monitored and evaluated most especially through the response of the people regarding all the activities, workshops and seminars. Monitoring and Evaluation was a continuous process relying heavily on feedback from questionnaires. The MWRC used these questionnaires to form a framework for monitoring and evaluation. This method of evaluation is qualitative and when compared to the LEAP (Learning, Evaluation and Planning, 2008) model led by need, focused on outcomes, participation, partnership building and knowledge enhancing, it has some similarities though does not follow it completely. This form of evaluation also help to carefully monitor the projects progress while focusing on the relation between inputs, outputs and process (Hashagen and Susan,2007). This method of evaluation also enables the identification of additional outcomes as LEAP is a framework that is designed to enable posit ive planned change to be made to the needs that have been identified. It is outcome focused because the primary purpose of community lead development is to make a real, and measurable difference to the quality of personal and community lives. In practice, planning for change in response to the identified need was done and an outcome focused evaluation carried out to assess the success of the action plan. A focus on outcomes is essentially a focus on results. As Stated by the Scottish Government (2010) for the purposes of reliable evaluation, the connection between the need identified, the action taken and the outcome achieved should always be clear. Project report is also written and sent to the funders, and policy makers to show which aims and objectives that are achieved and the extent to which the achieved objectives lead to the desired outcome..A financial report is also written at the end of every year and sent to funders to show accountability and how cost effective the programmes were. Using the LEAP model of evaluation, indicators are used to measure whether outcomes were achieved and evidence collected as the project goes along and in comparison the MWRC evaluation ultimately followed similar guidelines . Also in comparison with the LEAP model Health risk assessment was done prior to the onset of the project to identify potential risks and hazards. Some of the disadvantages of this method of evaluation is in the area of cost effectiveness which only incorporates QALYs as the health related outcome measure (Powell, 2007) and this as suggested by Powell(2007) could affect the sustainability of the project. With this method of evaluation the outcomes measured are individualistic and could be influenced by bias and memory and the individuals cannot show the impact of the project on the community especially in a short timescale(Hashagen and Paxton,2007) They major limitations or challenges encountered in the project are; lack of Funding or funding ending and leading to end of a project, having to deal with immigration issues of most of the clients, languages barrier , and training of all the staff and volunteer but despite these challenges ,achievements were made over t