Class Prophecy 2012 Essay

Having stayed for five years in France for my masteral studies and job as historical journalist in CNN, made me long to go back to my country. I wanted to stay with my family, reunite with old friends, and render my hard work to my countrymen. I know that my studies and my work have led me to different places across the globe, meet new peoples, and lead a wonderful and meaningful life. However, as the rugged saying goes â€Å"there is no place like home†. Upon the completion of my thesis my concluding documentary, and my book about the Philippines in France, I bade everyone â€Å"au revoir† â€Å"until next time† and happily went back to Philippines. Inside the plane we were given all the luxuries that we can afford in this long ride home, that almost always include a newspaper. As I browsing through the pages of the newspaper, I was awestricken by the names that I saw in the bylines. They were of Jenzen Anzano – writing news for the Metro; and Valeriano Onia – reporting about the recent battle of Ginebra versus Rain or Shine. But the good news doesn’t just end there, Mila Mary Lyn Maralit’s chemical invention have earned her an award from the President of the Philippines, Alyssa Mae G. Daraog. Then on the Health and Fitness Section was the full-page length column of the famous psychologist Richard Sanchez. With all their abilities and talents way back our high school years, we knew that these former classmates would indeed become successful and it is heartwarming to learn that these Lucians were pioneers in adhering to the CORE values that we cherished in our high school years. Many hours passed and the song in the plane shifted from The Beatles; to the Lady Antebellum’s; to SNSD’s; to the Hotdog’s Manila. By then we knew that we are approaching the Philippine territory and in no more than an hour we shall be landing. Suddenly, a lady in black dress approached me. It was Mara Cassandra Gomez! She told me that she was in France for two weeks to attend for an international conference in Psychology. We talked and talked until we are notified to go back our seats and fasten our seatbelts for our landing. I can feel the plane slowly going down and sudden gosh of excitement and relief that embraced my being when I finally felt the bump of the wheels in the land of my country. I’m finally back! My first two weeks were spent in countless reunions and homecoming then I wondered where are my high school schoolmates, classmates, friends? I hope to meet them again. However, now is not the time to think about those, we will soon find our ways. By now, I have to work-on my job in the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Right there and then, I was accepted and given projects. First on the list was the Bangon Tribe in Mindoro. I am thrilled because I am the one in-charge of such meticulous and comprehensive task that we shall carry-on. I decided to go to the bookstore to enhance my knowledge and to at least familiarize myself with their environs. As my car was driving along EDSA the billboard of Rowielyn Singh and Jaypee De Castro, the hosts of WilTime Big Time was prominently displayed, then there is also another billboard of pop star singers, Ma. Diana Derpo, Binna Azucenas, and Ericka Faye delos Santos inviting everyone to join in their concert at the Mall of Rommel Concepcion’s Concert Grounds. Lucians of batch 2012’s progress can’t be stopped. From De Castro to Rosario Village/Tramo ; now Lucians are domineering EDSA and filling up the key positions in our society! As I went inside the bookstore, my attention was caught by the book at top of the best-sellers list. That was the name of Rhoxanne Villasin, she is the author of this year’s bestselling book. I grabbed my copy of her book then bought the materials that I needed for my work. Nearby I saw a new mall named Von’s. I went inside and I was really amazed with the beauty and intricate details of the place. While strolling along I heard someone shouted my name. Few steps away from me was Glenn Rose Baculanlan! Dressed like a Parisian doll, she and four other ladies in office attire went to me. Glenn Rose is now a model and the four ladies with her are Roselyn Monforte, Louise May Mackay, Cynthia Mae Pama, and Angel Mae Bahay were the accountants at Von’s the mall that Christian Von Geminiano owns. We went inside the pub named Muppets and had some coffee. While having our funny chats, we reminisced the good-old days wherein being a historian, an accountant, and a model were just a confusing dream†¦ a vague possibility. Just when we are about to part ways a lady appeared before us and introduced herself as Shirlyn! Indeed it was she†¦ Shirlyn Alvario the owner of Muppets restaurant. She informed us that Lucians are involved in the foundations of her restaurant with Bhenz Benig (now a food technologist) as her business partner. Joseph Perez and Rances Marticio were in charge of the place’s architectural design, Bernardino Rodelas for the engineering plans and construction, and the famous artists: Cedrick Caguing, Cyril Flora and John Paul Dogillo for the details and designs. Neither one of us wouldn’t want to end our girl talks and reminisces but then we knew that we have works to do so we exchange contact numbers and promised to meet soon. Back to work, I indulged myself with my project. Busy all day studying, preparing, preparing, studying. One day, three days before my five-member team went to Mindoro, I was informed that certain groups would like to join our trip and they all had their recommendations. Of course, I do not like them to go with us because our work might be exploited by their presence. But then, I couldn’t just discredit their requests so I immediately called my assistant to call their representatives to explain their intentions at exactly two p.m. today. After an hour, my secretary informed me that all the persons that we’ve been waiting to talk to are already inside the conference room and they are quite noisy. I immediately went inside my conference room and . . . it seems like I’m a high school student once more! The faces inside are all my high school classmates and friends. Indeed all of them, wow! Aarone Jhone Julian is now the managing president of the Apple Company in the Philippines; Jennelyn dela Cruz, Ma. Kathleen Adona, and Mark Anthony Borja are now the Division Supervisors of Pasig City; Kimberly Mae Chua, Stefany Cabantog, and Mharianne Yalega, are now head doctors of Lucia General Hospital; Francesca Ann Balmonte, is recognized as one of the bests photographers in country; and Sir Eljun Velga is now the Principal of Sta. Lucia High School. They explained to me that they wanted to join to help and contribute something for progress that has always been OUR dream. Right there and then, I agreed and we’ve planned the flow of our own respective missions consecrated towards the fulfillment of one goal. At home, I packed my things for our mission then watched the news anchored by Merleen Mercolita. News about Ramlou Demegillo’s outstanding performance in the International Dance Sport Competition; Nigel Paulino, Renmar Moses, Julius Caesar Brutas, and Marcelino Loza’s gold in the recent Olympic games; Jovy Ann Sta. Ana, manager of SNSD; Arjay Gervacio-Ventura, the new business tycoon; Ronnel Villamar tops the Bar Exams; and Shelly Ann Ruales’s proclamation as the Philippine Ambassadress to the USA.

Art Appreciation Essay

Whatever form of art we see, its main characteristic is to please our senses. Art expresses the feelings of the artist that can be interpreted by us in various ways. This lesson will discuss the different forms of art, its elements and principles of art design that make our life more enriching. Objectives At the end of the lesson, you will be able to: 1. discuss the different forms of art; 2. distinguish the functions of art; and 3. reflect on the functions of art with regard to their personal contributions to the development of art. Topic Scope of Art There are different forms of art that affect our feelings and emotions. We may define art as a medium through which we express our thoughts, feelings and emotions. It is through art that we can reveal to the world our creativity that exists in our mind and also our deepest feelings. The artist or the doer of the art through his artwork tells a story and conveys a meaning with another human being indirectly but deeply felt. Art has a silent power to move our soul and enlighten our spirits as evidenced when we see displayed artworks elsewhere. Many civilizations are considered great because of their advancement in art. There are different forms of art. In this lesson, we consider these two classes: visual art and performing art. Visual art includes paintings, sculpture, literature, calligraphy, photography and architecture. 1 Manual Title MODULE OF INSTRUCTION Performing arts are all forms of dance, music, theater and films. Art can also be classified as fine art, commercial art, and applied art. Visual Arts Visual art can be explained as a form of art that uses any medium to represent the artist’s idea, emotion and imagination. They are those creations we can look at. Visual arts can be further classified as: Drawing –It is a representation of any form or object by hand. Painting – Paintings are classified according to the style in which they are made as well as the genre and main object of the painting. Still life, landscapes, seascapes, abstract and pop are the different types of painting genres that are popular among artists. Sculpture – Sculptures are also among the different forms of art that falls under visual art that are made in two ways, either chiselled or carved. Calligraphy – The art of writing letters in a manner that it looks visually appealing. It is a form of visual art that has great commercial value and is much sought after Photography – Photography is the art of producing an image of an object on a photographic film. The way the image is captured with the use of light differs from photographer to photographer. Performing Arts There are many forms of arts but the performing art is much appreciated and enjoyed by us – dance, music, films, theatre and drama. Artists that perform these are known as dancers for those who perform dance, musicians for music, actors for films, theatres and drama etc. 2 Manual Title MODULE OF INSTRUCTION Performing arts may be classified as: Dance – It is a non-verbal communication and movement of the body with the accompaniment of music which is delightful and harmonious that conveys the artist’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. Singing – This is an act of producing sound with the voice in a rhythmic manner that is pleasing to the ear. It is often accompanied by the use of musical instruments. Films and Theater – These are forms of art that use stories that capture our imagination. They are performed by artists in front of an audience. Music – It is one of the most admired form of art and is difficult to define. It is any harmonious sound from human voice or musical instrument. It has the power to change our mood, and lift our spirits and move our emotion Applied Art Applied art is a part of visual art that has practical application and functionality. Let us discuss the different types of applied art. Architecture – Architecture is a form of applied art that concerns with designing and building any construction. Fashion Design – Fashion design is the art of designing apparels that are aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. It involves working with different types of fabrics and patterns which are then designed into garments. Great fashion designs are illustrated by the uniqueness and perfection of created styles. Jewelry Design – Jewelry design is also a different form of art and it involves the design of complicated pieces of jewelry from metals, wood or plastic. Wood Crafts – Any object that is made with wood that is beautifully pleasing to the eye and is functional is called wood crafts. Furniture and decor items are examples of woodworking. 3 Manual Title MODULE OF INSTRUCTION Interior Design – The art of planning the design, layout and style of an architectural space, be it home or office is called as interior design. Home furnishings are examples of this. Fine Art Esaak(Arthistory. About. Com) said, Art knows no boundaries and the different art forms are always of help whenever we feel the need to stimulate our senses. Fine Arts are called fine arts because, only the â€Å"fine† people – those who did not do manual labor- studied them. Fine arts are those which have primarily to do with the imagination and taste, and are applied to the production of what is beautiful like painting, sculpture, music, theatre etc. Commercial Art Commercial art is a form of art that includes designing books, advertisements, signs, posters, and other displays to promote sale or acceptance of products, services, or ideas. It is really very confusing for us to distinguish the forms of art because some overlap. For example, some people classify painting as visual art, while others say it is â€Å"fine† art. It is also classified as commercial art because it is created for the purpose of generating sales and income. However, for us to have a common understanding about the arts, we rather consider the arts as visual or performing arts. Functions of Art Every art has definite functions as it satisfies particular needs. To the ordinary man, art may not have much function. For him, he finds art meaningful if it is useful and can serve the purpose of which it was designed. Evidently, architecture is an art that is directly functional because of the usefulness of the buildings that are constructed for a special purpose. In here, architecture allows the artist to express his compassion for beauty. In a building, the function of the building is very clear that it serves to shelter man from harm. Music is used entertain people, soothe their feelings, worship the gods and for rituals. Sculpture and paintings are used to narrate and commemorate events and portray people. Arts and crafts like jewelry, lamps, weapons, tools, ceramics, glassware, electronics, etc. are made for specific purposes.

Grand Theft Auto VS The Power-Go-Round Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Grand Theft Auto VS The Power-Go-Round - Essay Example In this case, what Finn is trying to emphasize is the fact that most of the agencies responsible for the monitoring and regulating of video games (in Australia, the Office of Film and Literature Classification), especially on video games with a violent and interactive content, usually fall short in properly classifying games that is to be played and not to be played by the Australian public; given that the game GTA3 has already been generating much sales on the video game playing public, and have already become one of the most popular games played by video game enthusiast before it was banned by the said agency (Finn 2006). The fact here is that the violent game Postal 2 also shared the same experience, and even worse, wherein despite being involved with controversy due to its violent content, even gaining opposition from the American politician Senator Joe Lieberman, who decried in it Congress (Wolpaw 2003), the game was not banned in the United States (although it was banned in oth er countries) (Wolpaw 2003). Another important concept that was revealed by Finn in his essay is the fact that the reason why the Office of Film and Literature Classification actually bans video games is because if the fact that it actually â€Å"exceeded limitations† of how games are going to be classified; that is, according to â€Å"the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults; the literary, artistic or educational merit (if any) of the publication, film or computer game; the general character of the publication, film or computer game; the persons or class or persons or who amongst whom it is published or intended or likely to be published† (Finn 2006) From the said standards, it can be seen that the game Postal 2 certainly exceeds the limitation of these classificatory descriptions. With regards to the â€Å"the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults† (Finn 2006), Posta l 2 ultimately fails, given that the game actually shows and encourages players to â€Å"†¦drop-kick grenades and whip scythes at unsuspecting civilians if they refuse to participate in your everyday life story (which is, after all, the plot behind the game). Of course, this includes using cat carcasses as silencers on your gun, hitting people with anthrax-laden cow heads and playing ‘fetch’ with dogs using the severed heads of your dismembered victims† (Chomick n. d.). Of course, such kind of behavior does not pass any standard of morality or decency of reasonable adults, given that such kind of behavior, which expresses and encourages cruelty, murder and defamation are considered totally unreasonable and unacceptable. In no way can drop kicking grenades and whipping scythes to â€Å"

Coding Using NVivo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Coding Using NVivo - Assignment Example It was a whole new experience switching from the manual use of data analysis to digitized data analysis. Indeed for the fact that qualitative research makes use of non-numerical and unstructured data (Merriam, 2009), it was highly impossible to think of single software that could analyze data from as wide range of topical areas as possible. Using the NVivo was also another way of developing my personal skills as far as information and communication technology is concerned. Even more, my analytical skills were deepened because the software opens the researcher up to the critical analysis of as many sources of data that relate to the researcher’s topic as possible (Patton, 2002). Switching from the hand coding technique, which is more of a manual system of data analysis to the use of the more digitized NVivo certainly comes with a number of challenges. In the first place, the processes that the researcher has to go through to achieve reliable analysis of data is quite cumbersome as compared to the hand coding method, which is more straight forward and up to the point (Maxwell, 2005). For example the researcher is obliged to go through processes such as the application of fine tools, description of detailed analysis before the use of qualitative modeling (School of Human & Health Sciences, 2009). What is more, the user ought to have an understanding of the many different features of the software and this was not easy to achieve. Even though the tools help in guaranteeing reliability and validity, it could also serve as means of undermining the same if the researcher is not very familiar with the tools.For most researchers, the reason why they avoid the use of qualitative research method is the difficulty associated with achieving reliability and validity when this method this used (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This is because for most available research designs from which the researcher may select from, the use of randomized sampling of respondents is minimized. Meanwhile, much of the attainment of validity and reliability rests with random sampling. To this end, the introduction of the NVivo to guarantee validity and reliability is a major advantage and brings so much ease to researchers. Even more, there becomes an empirical status attached to the analysis that is undertaken (Gibson and Brown, 2009). Indeed apart from the use of such digitized software, researchers would have a field day on the use of subjective analysis to undertake data analysis that could hardly be questioned for opinions expressed.

Two paragraphs about me Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two paragraphs about me - Assignment Example I am also interested in scientific documentaries. I watch scientific discoveries to help me to understand show science influences life. My other interests include reading, traveling, and socializing. Science has always been my favorite subject. I have constantly wanted to be an engineer to contribute to evolution of the industrialized world. My major is industrial engineering. This type of engineering deals with improving the efficiency of processes in a system. By perusing this course, I will be able to contribute directly to improving industrial processes. I plan to graduate from the institution and join the manufacturing sector. The food sector will be a good choice because I will be able to increase food security in the country. I will poise my time to ensure that I study and participate in extracurricular activities. I also plan to make lifelong friends and network with people from different fields. I have high expectations and I believe I will learn a lot from the course. I expect to use various resources to learn and understand manufacturing history. I will be able to understand the origin and growth of manufacturing processes from the local and global industries. I expect to learn why manufacturing is vital to the development of the society. I expect to learn how things are made and the way they operate from the class. I will gain technical knowledge from the class concerning machines used in manufacturing. The class provides practical sections that will help me get a firsthand experience of manufacturing processes. I expect to understand various methods of manufacturing; this will enable me to determine the favorable method of production for any good. I am fervent to learn about innovative technologies and their mode of operation. New technologies have come up over the last decade and studying them will be exciting. I expect to learn about metallic and non-metallic material s used in the process of

(a)Explain why, in equilibrium, all assets must lie on or below the Essay

(a)Explain why, in equilibrium, all assets must lie on or below the capital market line, but must lie on the security market line.(b)To what extent does recent - Essay Example In real life, equilibrium is a constantly moving target. We cannot say that the stock market is in equilibrium at the end of the day or week or year. Prices move based on the perception of brokers and shareholders, driven by information (Fama, 1970), psychology (Kahneman and Tversky, 1982), or anything under the sun (Barberis, Shleifer, and Vishny, 1998). As investors try to maximise returns or minimise losses, they either push up or pull down stock prices, or keep it level, the differences between the demand of buyers and the supply of sellers being reflected in stock price changes. This is equilibrium, which is not a static point but more of a dynamic process where adjustments constantly take place, reflecting the free agreement of investors in the market that stocks are bought and sold at the right price. Of course, one side thinks the price will go up, while the other side thinks it will go down. By ‘assuming’ equilibrium as an ideal state towards which everything moves, finance academics have discovered a tool that allows them to pin down a moving target – the behaviour of stock prices over the last fifty years, for example – so they can study it, test their theories, develop a mathematical model, and see if the model explains reality. One such aspect of reality that is being studied for the last half a century is the relationship between the return of a stock price and the risk that the return will not be realised. Several years of observations have made academics ask: how should investors decide which stocks to buy? This is what Markowitz did in his paper (Markowitz, 1952), where he drew attention to the practice of portfolio diversification. After observing that stock prices move differently in relation to the general movement of the stock market, he showed that investors could reduce the unpredictability of returns by investing in a mixture or portfolio of stocks whose

Analysis of the integrated marketing communications mix strategies of Essay - 3

Analysis of the integrated marketing communications mix strategies of your chosen smartphone brand - Essay Example Apple should ensure consistency in the messages and slogans should focus on the unique selling points or the differentiated benefits. Apple should segment its market and select an appropriate media channel for each target audience in order to improve the effectiveness of marketing communication. The company must position the brand as innovative and premium brand that delivers added customer value. Apple Incorporation is a multinational company that designs, creates and sells consumer electronics, personal computers, computer software and smart phones (Arthur 2014). The company has attained consistent market growth and profitability due to its culture of product innovation that ensures that the company anticipates and meets the changing customer product requirements (Arthur 2014). Some of the innovative products that have attained global customer loyalty include the iPhone, iPad and iPod products that revolutionalised the technology industry (Arthur 2014). The mission of Apple is to bring the best personal experience to students, creative professionals, educators and consumers across the world through offering them with innovative hardware software and internet products (Arthur 2014). The report will analyse Apple Smartphone brand integrated marketing communication strategies with a focus on how branding and positioning strategies can facilitate the design and implementation of integrated marketing communications mix. The next part of the report will be an analysis of the Smartphone market in UK including the key competitors, market trends and environment factors that have influence on the strategic decisions. The report will also discuss the strategies implemented by Apple including the target audience, brand positioning, media selection and communication mix management. The last part of the report will be a recommendation that explains how Apple Inc can make the IMC

Parent-Child Relationships in a Diverse Society Assignment

Parent-Child Relationships in a Diverse Society - Assignment Example Living with a single parent will influence the growth and behavior of the child as well as the parent-child relationship. In case of a single mother, the responsibility of supporting the child’s growing up needs can result in less time being spent with the child as she might have to work outside the home for longer hours as a result of which the mother might also have some degree of frustration and depression. In case of single fathers, they would have to manage work in order to spend time with the child. When the children begin to live with an independent parent the household chores and other styles of living can undergo a drastic change, and the child would have to adjust to the lifestyle change. Reduced parenting can result in the child being more aggressive, preoccupied, and depressive with a feeling of insecurity and in some cases violent behavior. When such a behavior is left uncorrected the child’s social behavior is also affected leading to an unhealthy lifestyl e (Separation and Divorce, n.d; Divorce Effects on Children, 2008). From the legal point of view, it can be a stressful time for both parents and children while negotiating the custody of the child and divorce settlements. In addition, coping to live with the society can also be a big challenge for all those involved in the divorce. The single status of the parents will most likely make them enter into a new relationship in want of stability. All this could result in lifestyle changes for both the parent and the child (Separation and Divorce, n.d). Thus it is the moral duty of the parent taking custody of the child to ensure that the child has a normal growing environment and the other parent should also show equal responsibility towards the growth of the

Algabraic Functions, real life, and teaching them to your students Essay

Algabraic Functions, real life, and teaching them to your students - Essay Example Therefore, this problem can be modeled as creating a function in which the miles per gallon (MPG) is a function of the money in dollars spent annually powering the car. Context In trying to decide what type of car to get, Ryan is looking at what kind of car he can get for the right price. Since he is a college student, he is looking for a car that gets good mileage so that he can spend less money on gas and still be able to drive around. The car dealership gave him a guide in which he could compare the amount of money he would need depending on the type of vehicle he bought. The larger, inefficient trucks typically get about 10MPG and will cost approximately $2,700 in gas per year. The dealership has it listed in increments of increasing 5 MPG, ending with the most economically and ecologically efficient cars which get around 50 MPG and only cost $540 annually to drive around. Table MPG Cost per Year in Dollars 10 $2,700.00 15 $1,800.00 20 $1,350.00 25 $1,080.00 30 $900.00 35 $771.43 40 $675.00 45 $600.00 50 $540.00 Use of Words The lower the MPG of a vehicle, the larger the annual cost is to fund the gas for travel. The higher the MPG of a vehicle, the smaller the annual cost is to fund the gas for travel.

International Actors in the Middle East Since 2000 Assignment

International Actors in the Middle East Since 2000 - Assignment Example The United States invasion of Iraq is one example serves as an example of the attention that the United States has lavished on the Middle East, despite the fact that the reasons they originally gave for doing so no longer appear to be true. As Stephen Zunes explains, â€Å"WITH THE MAJOR JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE U.S.-LED INVASION OF IRAQ †¦ NOW DISCREDITED, AND CLAIMS OF WANTING TO CREATE A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ HIGHLY DUBIOUS, THIS RAISES THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY MOTIVATED THE UNTED STATES† . Some theories suggest that economic factors played a role in this invasion, but another strong driving factor was to impose American interests on the country The American occupation is not without its costs. â€Å"OVERALL, THE INSURGENCY VIOLENCE BEGAN AS, AND REMAINS, A REACTION TO THE OCCUPATION† . Such violence can be compared to that during the American Civil War or the Vietnam War, simply speaking; the inhabitants of the country are trying to get the invaders to leave. Some analysts predict that if the United States were to withdraw their troops, the violence within the Middle East would significantly decrease, as motivation against the United States military decreases. Indeed, when the United States pulled out of a similar situation in Vietnam, much of the hatred and violence dissipated . Violence continues in Iraq among the various political factions, most prominent of which are the Sunni and the Shiite. The United States has primarily provided support for the Shiites, however this poses a potential problem as â€Å"THE SOUTHERN SHIITE REGION IS A POTENTIAL POWERFUL ALLY OF IRAN, WITH AT LEAST ONE MILITIA (MAHDI) FUNDED DIRECTLY BY IRAN† . Suggestions for the future outcome for Iraq include a proposal to divide Iraq into three distinct regions, which would function autonomously. However, it appears unlikely that any such decisions will be made soon . As can be seen from the above examination, the allocation of power within the

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay It is my absolute pleasure to write this statement of purpose to explain about my interests and to share my inspirations, career goals and professional qualifications. I think one of my most distinguishing characteristics is the diversity of experiences I possess. Belonging from a business background family I always had inclination towards managerial role in the organization. I am a man with professional aptitude and an interest in pharmaceutical industry. I also have a passion for traveling and understanding different cultures of the world. All these elements have given me a very broad outlook, with varying degrees of knowledge in a range of topics. I feel the greatest value in pharmacy studies is not so much the classes themselves but the accompanying thesis/practical work experience that you get in tandem with the coursework. Personally, I find the pharmaceutical training I will be getting to be an asset to my qualification, because I feel that I am getting a social and management perspective on the medicine I have studied managerial role in the health and social sector, and it does add something to the coursework. My pharmaceutical diploma has given a strong foundation to my analytical skills. Over the past one year, I have been working part time in pharmacy. More than what I have studied in school and college, it has been this experiences that have shaped the person that I am today. During the completion of my Diploma course I had always had great inclination towards health, social and community care. It was this inclination and interest towards this field that I always scored good marks. I consider it necessary to take Master’s or Bachelors program to improve my knowledge and expertise in the pharmaceutical sector. And I have diverse interests and am very dedicated to the idea of giving something back to society I believe that an opportunity for higher education in MSc./BSc. in health management from your University/ College, U.K would be a unique fortuity to test and prove my ability and also to enrich and broaden my keen with transition to a health and social care setting. I would like to conclude with the reasons for my choosing to apply to your esteemed university/college for my Master/Bachelor degree. Browsing through the information brochure and the Universitys home page I feel that the Study at your institution holds a lot of promise to me and it is the right place to embark upon my academic career. I feel that studies in your institution will be the most logical extension of my academic pursuits and a major step towards achieving my objectives.

Criteria For The Project Success Management Essay

Criteria For The Project Success Management Essay Lundin and Soderholm (1995) illustrates the project as a temporary organization and assert the time conception as one of the four distinguishing features of temporary organizations from permanent organizations (task, team and transition are other three distinguishing features). Cleland and King in 1983 (cited in Cooke-Davies, T. J. 2001) adopted a similar approach by the following project definition: A complex effort to achieve a specific objective within a schedule and budget target, which typically cuts across organisational lines, is unique, and is usually not repetitive within the organisation. Moreover, recent definitions expanded the project definition to include the product and /or service as the project outcomes. For example Duncan (1996) defines project as A temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that the project has a definite ending point and unique means that the product or service differs in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services. However, as expectations from projects increase, the definitions for project evolved to reflect this. Thus, Turner and Mà ¼ller (2003) incorporate the idea of beneficial change that product of the project is expected to deliver, to the project definition. Thus, they define a project as a temporary organisation that aims to create a unique service or product that brings added value or delivers beneficial change (Turner and Muller, 2003). Eventhough, there are various project definitions that have been accumulated for almost 50 years, the review of literature revealed that defined start and end, a common objective and complex set of activities are the three most common features that are shared by every project and thus present in almost every project definition. 2.2 Project Success: Although project success is a core project management concept, a review of the project management literature reveals that there is no standardized definition of a project success in the project management literature (Baccarini, 1999). The success of a project is perceived differently by different success assessors (Shenhar et al., 2001). Therefore, as Prabhakar (2008, p. 3) noted the only agreement seems to be the disagreement on what constitutes project success. According to Pinto Slevin (1988) based on their study conducted with over 650 project managers, the project success is not only meeting cost, schedule, and performance requirements rather it requires satisfaction of more complex specifications, such as client satisfaction. Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1983, 1988 as cited in Prabhakar, 2008 and Cooke-Davies, 2001) discuss that client satisfaction has been achieved together with the end result has a vital influence on the perceived success or failure of projects (Prabhakar, 2008 ). In a similar fashion, Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1983, 1988 as cited in Prabhakar, 2008, p.4) states that In the long run, what really matters is whether the parties associated with, and affected by, a project are satisfied. Good schedule and cost performance means very little in the face of a poor performing end product De Wit (1988), on the contrary, defines project success as the assessment of project outcomes against cost, time and quality (as cited in Cooke-Davies, 2001 and Prabhakar, 2008). However, he points out to a distinction between the project success and project management success, which he defines as measurement of project outcomes against the overall project objectives that will be discussed by most of the researchers interested in this subject area. Furthermore, another attempt at developing a viable foundation for project success definition was by Baccarini (1999), who attempts to contribute to this gap in the literature by his logical framework method (LFM). The LFM model distinguishes between four levels of project objectives, namely goal, purpose, output, and input, provides a comprehensive framework for defining, as well as, comprehending the project success concept. Baccarini (1999), just as some of his colleagues, based his work on De Wits (1988) a decade old research. Similarl y, Baccarini (1999) differentiates between project management success and the product success, instead of project success. Product success is related with goals and objective, while project management success is related with the project outputs and inputs. On the other hand, another stream of researchers, including Pinto and Slevin (1987), Belassi and Tukel (1996), Lim and Mohamed (1999) prefer not to distinguish between project management success and project success as two distinct concepts rather consider project management success as being part of and contributing to project success. Lim and Mohamed (1999) took a further step and conducted a study to determine criteria for assessing project success by different stakeholders. Since as Baccarini (1999) notes that criteria for assessing project success has vital importance in preventing the project and its team members from holding different views on project success which contributes to project failure. Therefore, it is fundamental to determine and agree upon the criteria satisfying various stakeholders, who have different perceptions of project success. 2.3 Criteria for the Project Success: According to Lim and Mohamed (1999, p.243), Success criteria is defined as the set of principles or standards by which project success can be judged. Early research on project success criteria adopted the so-called Iron Triangle of time, budget and quality as the set of principles for evaluating the success of a project. Almost 40 years ago, Oisen (1971) proposed budget, time and quality as the project success criteria. Many scholars accepted this set of success criteria but also noted the necessity to take into consideration other criteria for the project Success (Turner, 1993; de Witt, 1998; Pinto and Slevin, 1988). More recently, this set of criteria has been evaluated as being insufficient for assessing the project success comprehensively (Turner, 1993; Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). To illustrate this point, according to Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005), assessing project outcomes only with respect to time, cost and, quality is to consider only operational level project management as o pposed to anything of strategic value. Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005) focussed on evaluating project success based on the organizational aspects that are internal to the project, leaving out external ones as being too complicated. Nevertheless, there are researchers, such as Pinto and Mantel (1990), who tend to include both internal and external aspects of a project organization, as well as, complex criteria in assessing project success such as, stakeholder satisfaction, stakeholder community benefits, organization benefits, etc. (Pinto and Mantel, 1990; Atkinson, 1999; Wateridge, 1998). Pinto and Mantel (1990) proposed two additional success criteria, namely, the quality of the project as it is perceived by the project team and an external performance indicator of both project and its team performance (e.g. client satisfaction) in addition to the efficiency of implementation phase criterion that assesses the project success in relation to internal performance indicators, and the Iron Triangle. Similarly, in a subsequent study, Andersen and Jessen (2000), who attempt to assess project success with respect to the task- and people-oriented aspects, defined project success criteria further into 10 elements. These elements, besides the traditional Iron Triangle components of time, budget, and quality, include the degree of importance of the products to the base organization, the results as perceived by all stakeholders, the learning experience, motivation for future work, knowledge acquisition, the final report preparation method, and the way of project termination (Andersen Jessen, 2000). Andersen and Jessen (2000) thus provided a more holistic picture for assessing the success of a project. Lim and Mohamed (1999), on the other hand, in their study attempted to justify this diversity in perception of project success criteria. They concluded different stakeholders perspectives on project success criteria, such as those of the project manager, the project team, the client, and the general public, as being the reason for different perspectives on project success criteria. In addition, Lim Mohamed (1999) note success criteria as one of two constituents of the project success. The other constituent of the project success are Critical Success Factors (CSFs), which will be reviewed in the following section. 2.4 Critical Success Factors: It was Daniel in 1961 (as cited in Amberg et al, 2005), who first coined the term success factors in management literature. In his study, he came up with a set of industry-related CSFs that are claimed to be relevant for any company in a particular industry. Anthony, on the other hand, in 1972 (cited in Amberg et al, 2005), discussed the need for adaptation of CSFs to a companys and its managers specific strategic objectives. Then, based on the both perspectives by Daniel (1961, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) and Anthony et al. (1972, cited in Amberg et al, 2005), Rockart (1979, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) conducted a study that involved three organizations. He found out that organizations despite operating in the same industry may have different CSFs due to differences in geographic locations, strategies etc. Then on, studies on identifying CSFs for different industry projects proliferated in the project management literature. According to Cooke-Davis (2002) researchers have been trying to find out those factors that are critical to project success since the late 1960s. Therefore, the review of literature on CSFs reveals several definitions. The following CSF definition by Rockart (1979, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) is one of the most cited: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the limited number of areas in which results, if they are satisfactory, will ensure successful competitive performance for the organization. In subsequent studies CSFs are defined as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ characteristics, conditions or variables that, when properly sustained, maintained, or managed, can have a significant impact on the success of a firm competing in particular industry by Bruno and Leidecker (1984, p. 24). Whereas, as factors which, if addressed, significantly improve project implementation chances by Pinto and Slevin in 1987 (p.22). Lim and Mohamed (1999, p. 243) define critical success factors (CSFs) as the set of circumstances, facts, or influences which contribute to the project outcomes. 2.5 Critical Success Factors and the Projects: During the 1970s-1980s, critical success factor requirements had been addressed rather as a response to the indicators of project success at the implementation phase, focussing on time, cost, and quality, as well as, stakeholder satisfaction (Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). It was Pinto and Slevin (1987), who first attempted to develop a comprehensive set of CSFs related to project implementation success. In their work, they propose a project implementation profile (PIP) model, which consists of 10 CSFs, namely, project mission, top management support, project schedule/plan, client consultation, personnel, communication, technical tasks, client acceptance, monitoring and feedback, troubleshooting, determining project success. Additionally, the PIP model of 10 CSFs, is claimed to be suitable as an instrument for project managers to measure those factors (Pinto and Slevin, 1987). Later, Pinto and Prescott (1988), take a further step by determining the relative importance of 10 CSFs over the life of a project and discover that the relative importance of several CSFs vary at different phases of the project life cycle. The generalized 10 CSFs of the project implementation process (PIP) have also been employed as a model for many project types in several studies (Pinto and Prescott, 1988, Finch 2003, and Hyvari, 2006). However, the factors identified by Pinto and Slevin are not likely to cover every aspect involved in project management. Finch (2003) indicates that the PIP model does not take into consideration a number of significant external factors that affect the success of a project, such as, competence of the project manager, political activities within the organization, external organizational and environmental factors, and responsiveness to the perceived need of project implementation. Nevertheless, subsequent research, conducted during the 1990s-2000s, i ncorporate the stakeholder issue, as well as, interactions between internal and receiving organizations as factors that are critical for a project success (Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). Moreover, in pursuit of providing a comprehensive CSF framework, there have also been attempts that integrate CSFs categorizations and frameworks with project success criteria. Belassi and Tukel in their study conducted in 1996, criticize previous studies, whose critical success factors are mainly focused on the project manager and project organization. They incorporate characteristics of the project and team members, as well as external factors, into their framework. Their framework, thus, provides a classification of project CSFs into four groups; namely, project manager, team members, organization, and external environment. Additionally, the framework by Belassi and Tukel (1996) provides an explicit and systematic way for examining the intra-relationships between factors in different groups. This scheme provides grouping of project success factors, however it is generic rather than industry specific. Another interesting study is by Cooke-Davies (2002, p.185), in which he introduce s a set of questions for the purpose of grouping of CSFs, such as; What factors are critical to project management success?; What factors are critical to success of an individual project?; and What factors lead to consistently successful projects? Moreover, he distinguishes between project management success and project success by claiming that project management success is the satisfaction of traditional criteria of time, cost and quality, whereas, project success is the satisfaction of the overall project objectives. Then, he proposes 12 CSFs, which he extracts from multi-national organizations activities and practical actions. Additionally, although his proposed CSFs are not directly related to human factors, he points out that people have intrinsic importance to all project processes. On the other hand, CSFs introduced by Clarke (1999) involve effective communication, clear projects objectives and scope, decomposing project into manageable size, using project plans as working documents, whereas, Nicholas (2004) proposes a set of CSFs, which are grouped into three categories: project participants, communication and information sharing and exchange, and the project management/systems development process. Based on an analysis of the literature it can be concluded that there is not a consistent CSF framework. Rather there are different perspectives of what constitute CSFs, depending on how the authors identify and classify them. Moreover, although early literature on project management does not consider project success criteria, containing the focus to CSFs, subsequent studies attempt to close the gap between CSFs and project success criteria, both of which impact on project success. In addition to this, recently developed CSFs are more complex than those of the previ ous decade as more recent CSFs cover both hard and soft aspects of project management such as the competence of the project manager and the project team members and leadership. The challenge to determine relevant CSFs over the full life of a project has been attracting growing interest in recent publications. 2.6 Critical Success Factors and the Project Life Cycle: According to Mintzberg (Mintzberg et al, 1998) many academicians, especially in the strategy development field have stated the necessity for better project implementation. Nevertheless, Walker and Rowlinson (2008) argue that mainstream literature in the project management and strategy field fails to address these issues because it views implementation: As a lesser form of intellectual pursuit than strategy and planning (Walker and Rowlinson, 2008, p.32). Furthermore, Belassi and Tukel (1996) contribute to this issue by claiming that when it comes to project implementation issues, project management literature focuses more on improving tools and techniques such as scheduling, or project failure, rather than on success. However, such position is understandable, as to identify the success factors of a project is a more complex task than identifying failure factors, mainly because of the following reasons. First, parties involved in a project tend to see project success differently and therefore, each party may allocate different success criteria to each phase (Pinto and Slevin, 1987; Pinto and Prescott 1988; Baker et al 1983; Belout and Gauvreau, 2004; Fowler and Walsh, 1999). Several academicians have proposed models in attempts to capture the processes which a project undergoes during its life. Adams and Barndt (1998), King and Cleland (1983) and Westland (2006) support the model which consists of the following four stages: initiation/conceptualisation, planning, execution / implementation and closure / termination. Pinto and Prescott (1988) propose empirically derived CSFs for each of the phases over the project life-cycle and CSFs proposed for implementation phase are mission, trouble-shooting, schedule/plan, technical tasks, and client consultation. Their work was later criticized unsuccessfully by some authors, including Belout (1998) and Belout and Gauvreau (2004), whose result s were found to support those of Pinto and Prescott (1988). Third, Belassi and Tukel (1996), Clarke (1999) and King (1996) argue that the CSFs may not directly affect the project outcome. It is the combination of these factors at different project life-cycle stages that influences the success of the project. They also add that due to uniqueness of a project, some CSFs may be missing or become irrelevant for some projects and therefore covering as many factors as possible that could influence the project would be of little or no help to project manager. Moreover, Adams and Brandt (1988) remind us that projects are not static entities; rather they change significantly as they progress through their life-cycle stages. Finally, as Belout and Gauvreau (2004), Bellasi and Tukel (1998), Fryer, Antony and Douglas (2007) argue that the relevance of the CSFs vary across different industries. For example, Belout and Gauvreau (2004) found that in the IT industry, with the exception of client ac ceptance, all other factors proposed by Pinto and Prescott (1988) are critical to success. In construction and engineering industries, on the other hand, client acceptance is critical. 2.7 Non Profit Projects: According to Ba Khang Lin Moe (2008), Non Profit Projects plays a significant role in the socio economic development process of both developed and developing countries. In business literature, indicators of success of the business organization are typically assessed against the profit it gains. But what makes NGOs become effective and efficient, as their work is not driven by the profit motive? It is widely accepted that the non-profit sector has not yet developed its own theoretical framework of management, because of the fact that they do not possess a bottom line against which to measure success; organizational standards of performance simply do not exist. Contrary to the corporate sector, NGOs often promote vague and non-quantifiable objectives such as improving human rights, protecting the environment, or advocating democracy. To be more specific, the primary objective of non-profit organizations is to change the quality aspects of the human life or transform societies, thus ma king assessment of effectiveness extremely difficult. As Fowler (1997, p172 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °points out, Establishing performance criteria for non-profits and then using them for comparative purposes is a conceptual and practical headache. NGO capacity-building is tied up with indicators of organizational effectiveness or project success (Eade, 1997 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. In other words, capacity of an NGO should be constructed against indicators the NGO lacks or is weak in. Since NGOs greatly vary within themselves and within different development contexts, as stated above there is no formal consensus on standardized determinants of organizational effectiveness or project success, particularly of NGO development activities with grassroots people. Therefore, assessing the NGO capacity or project performance should be done based on the particular context of individual NGOs and their project activities ¼Ã‹â€ Kanter, 1979; Drucker, 1993) 2.8 Characteristics of Non Profit Projects compared to For- Profit Projects: Non profit projects have distinctive characteristics compared to the For-profit projects and Youker (1999) states the differences between International development projects; one of the important types of non-profit projects and the other for-profit projects. First of all, compared to hard type industrial and infrastructure projects, Development projects as soft type projects with their less tangible social objectives and deliverables pose a special challenge in managing and evaluating of Development projects (Do and Tun, 2008). In addition to their less tangible objectives and deliverables, the complex web of the many stakeholders is an IDP characteristic that results in another management challenge (Youker, 1999). To illustrate, compared with industrial and commercial projects, which involve the client, who pays for and receives the deliverables of the project, and the contractor, who manages and obtains the desired result (Do and Tun, 2008). Development projects involve a web of st akeholders, including the coordinator as the head of the project management unit; the task manager as the supervisor of the project implementation in the multilateral development agency; the national supervisor, to whom the coordinator reports; the project team; the steering committee as an interface with the local institutional system; the beneficiaries as those actually benefit from the project outputs without paying for it; the population at large. In addition, ensuring accountability of the project manager is more troublesome within this complex web of stakeholders (Diallo and Thuillier, 2004) as opposed to traditional projects. Youker (1999) based on his study of evaluations of World Bank IDP post- project reports, outlines a number of IDP management challenges in addition to the above mentioned. He states that the lack of shared perception and agreement on the objectives of the projects by staff and stakeholders, as well as, the lack of commitment by the team, management and stakeholders as the problems that had been most persistent during implementing Development projects. Also, Youker (1999) counts the lack of detailed, realistic, and current project plans, unclear lines of authority and responsibility, the lack of adequate resources, poor feedback and control mechanisms for early detection of problems, poor or no analysis of major risk factors, delays caused by bureaucratic administration systems as other challenges that had occurred frequently during IDP implementations in past. 2.8 Conceptualising Critical Success Factors for Non-Profit Projects: Eventhough, identifying critical success factors is one of the most popular topics among researchers and practitioners; there are very few research conducted on Non-profit projects. One of the studies that identified in the literatures was the research conducted by Do Tun (2008). Do and Tun (2008) studied on critical success factors of International Development Projects (IDP), a kind of non profit projects followed by Diallo and Thuiller (2004; 2005) have developed a framework based on an adaptation of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA), which is a general methodology commonly used by the development community to design, plan, manage and communicate their projects, for IDP context. Their proposed framework focuses on project life cycle, and then assesses the success of each phase based on the outputs produced by the previous phase. As a consequence, these partial successes are integrated into an assessment of the overall success of the IDP according to the Life-Cycle-Based framewo rk.

An Islamic Perspective On Human Resource Management Religion Essay

An Islamic Perspective On Human Resource Management Religion Essay Human behavior is a direct function of perspectives. How an individual human subject would behave and react under certain specific circumstances would depend entirely on the outlook that his psyche wants him to view certain situation or event as. And herein life the distinct contrasts between the two most widely talked about perspectives- The Western Thought and The Islamic View. Relating the same fundamentals to a business viewpoint, organizations manipulate themselves as per the legal, political and social values of the particular country where they exist. The values and culture of countries which are western and those which are Islamic differ. As a result the operations and human resources of business entities are handled as the environmental fabric of that country suggests. Some authors have emphasized the universality and similarities between organizations (e.g. Cole, 1973; Form, 1979; Hickson et al., 1974; Kerr et al., 1952; Negandhi, 1979; 1985), and some others the uniqueness of organizations given their cultural contexts (e.g. Hofstede, 1980; Laurent, 1983; Lincoln et al., 1981; Meyer and Rowan, 1977). Hofstede (1993) argued that a societys values are among the most influential cultural differences. He studied national culture in sixty countries and identified five major dimensions that accounted for the sharpest differences among employees. These ma y be called individual-difference factors. * Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. ** Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. *** Research Scholar, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. However, as Tayeb (1988) argues, the two sides of the debate are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they complement one another. That is, certain aspects of organizations are more likely to be universal, such as shopfloor layout, hierarchical structure, division of functions, organizational process, information management; and some areas are more culture-specific, such as human resource management (HRM). HRM is a significant aspect of organizations which is most likely to be subject to cultural influences. Human resource management practices reflect the Islamic values in the countries where Islam plays a dominant role. This paper deals with different aspects of Islam which teach the management of the most significant resources of any organization- Human Resources. Two key issues which will be addressed are: human resource management and the teachings of Islam highlighting the manners in which human resources should be dealt with. ÙÂ ¡ HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The origin of HRM in modern organizations is a largely Western phenomenon that can be raced to the personnel management function (Burack and Smith,1977). The gradual parting of ways of personnel management and HRM culminated in a total separation when HRM, as a distinctive discipline, was introduced to their MBA curriculum by the Harvard group (Beer et al., 1984) and Michigan/Columbia group (Fombrun et al., 1984) in the USA in the early 1980s. Experience has shown that human resources are the most valuable asset of any business. It is more valuable than capital or equipment. Unfortunately, it is also the most wasted. People can be your biggest asset or your biggest liability (Khera, 1999). The scope for HRM varies across organizations. Walton and Lawrence (1985), for instance, identified four major areas of HRM policy: reward systems, including compensation and benefits; employee influence mechanisms such as participation; job design and work organization; and employee selection and development. Generally the components of manpower planning are: recruitment, selection, training, and performance appraisal. The purpose of having a manpower plan is to have an accurate estimate of the number of employees required, with matching skill requirements to accomplish organization goals. Recruitment is the process of locating and promoting potential applicants to apply for existing or an anticipated job openings (Sherman et.al., 1996) . It could be through advertisement, employment exchange agencies or private employment agencies and present employees. The component selection can be defined as the process of offering jobs to one or more applicants from the applications. Great attention has to be paid to selection because it means establishing best fit between job requirements on the one hand, and the candidates qualification on the other (Monappa and Saiyadain, 1989). Different kinds of selection tests are achievement tests, aptitude tests, interest tests, personality tests and intelligence tests. After recruitment and selection, training provided to the employee focuses on improving skills, or to add to the existing level of knowledge so that the employee is better equipped to do his present job, or to prepare him for higher responsibilities. In order to identify employee for salary increase and promotion, to determine training needs for further refinement of the skills of employee and to motivate them by inform ing them about their performance levels, performance appraisal technique is used. Appraisals are judgements of the characteristics, traits and performance of others. Techniques for performance appraisal includes confidential report, rating scales, ranking system, paired- comparison method, force- choice method, critical incident method, cost accounting method and forced distribution method (Monappa and Saiyadain, 1989). HRM policies are generally decided by the companies senior managers, with or without consultation with their employees. But they are often adopted and implemented with some reference from the national context within which the organizations operate (Tayeb, 1996). These include: national culture, political ideology of the government, the economic conditions, trade unions, and the legal system. In countries where the government and political environment is honest, generally one finds that the people are honest, law abiding and helpful. And the reverse is true too. In a corrupt environment, an honest person has a tough time. Whereas in an honest environment, the corrupt one has a tough time (Khera, 1999). Similarly, religions in many countries, with either secular or religious constitutions, have a certain degree of influence on the cultural characteristics of their people and their institutions. This influence is far more extensive and inclusive in the countries that follow a model base d on religious ideals, as illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1:Contextual Influence on HRM Source: Adapted from Tayeb (1997) LITERATURE REVIEW Naeur Jabnoun (1994), in his book Islam and Management says that the Islamic evolution has made tremendous and highly essential contributions in many areas of human life. In regards to management and leadership, he presented several traits, as to how Muslim leaders should behave to deserve good followers. Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr. (1998) developed and wrote modules for training in leadership skills from Islamic perspective since he was motivated by the fact that leadership is an essential aspect for management. Islamic Management for Excellence: Revitalizing People for the Future, a book written by Al- Habshi et al. (1994), explains the significance of a stable family institution. Khaliq Ahmad (2002) explains the importance of Islamic ethics in business and management in his book Ethics in Business and Management: Islamic and Mainstream Approaches. Muhammad Zafrullah Khan (1999) talks about human rights in the light of Islam in his book Islam and Human Rights. Chodhury (1989) presented Islam as a comprehensive way of life for its adherents. The spiritual and ethical reconstruction of individuals, societies and the world order are given in a socio- economic framework. Metwally (1997) highlights the desire of many Muslim countries to turn to Islamic laws and teachings in modelling their way of life, including their economic behavior in Economic consequences of applying Islamic principles in Muslim Societies. This paper attempts to investigate the consequences of applying Islamic principles in Muslim societies. In Islamic Revival in Asia and Human Resource Management, Tayeb (1997) clearly describes the ethics and values to be followed at the workplace and how different Islamic countries are managing their employees. The purpose of the conceptual paper, Corporate Governance in Islamic Perspective by Chodhury and Hoque (2006) was to develop a discussion expounding the Islamic perspective of corporate governance as a special case of a broader de cision-making theory that uses the premise of Islamic socio-scientific epistemology. The end results of the conceptual framework of this paper on corporate governance are contrasted with the approach to corporate governance in mainstream literature. Ali and Owaihan (2008) presented a coherent but critical treatment of Islamic work ethic in their article Islamic work ethic: a critical review. They found Islamic work ethic has economicas well as moral and social dimensions. In Problem solving: an Islamic management approach, Fontaine (2008) presented a problem- solving model that incorporates Islamic values and concerns. He found out that the focus in the international business literature has been on the Quran alone and not on the verses of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). METHODOLOGY This paper deals with the Islamic Perspective of Human Resource Management. Islam helps in teaching the various manners in which we can manage our most valuable assets effectively. This way a Muslim manager can not only deal ethically but can also please God (Allah). This paper is based on secondary data which has been collected from books, journals, newspapers, and internet. A conceptual framework has been developed describing the aspects of modern day HRM and HRM from Islamic perspective. The framework is presented in five broad categories- The message of Islam, Islam in different nations, Islam and Work, Islam and Managerial Dimensions, and Islam and HRM Practices. THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM Islam is an Arabic word, derived from the root which means both peace and submission. It thus connotes the attainment of peace, here and Hereafter, through submission to Allah, or, in other words, through conformity to His Will. A person who thus submits is a Muslim. In the Quran (the scripture of Islam), the appellation Muslim is applied to all the righteousness. For Muslims, Islam is not a man-made institution; the Quran contains the words of God, revealed syllable by syllable to Mohammed some 1,400 years ago. The deeds of its adherents are therefore inseparable from divine commandments. Islam is generally viewed by some non-Muslims as being a fatalist religion. But the Quran specifically asserts that humans are able to choose and to intervene in their destiny, and that they are held responsible for the consequences of their deeds. However, they are not left alone to run their life. God has equipped them with the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Mohammed, which in Islamic view is one of the most important sources of guidance that humans can use to steer their actions and beliefs (Tayeb, 1997). Social Values All values affecting man are based on the common concept that every human being is capable of achieving highest stage of moral and spiritual development and that his personality must be respected. The Quran takes note of diversities of race, color, language, wealth, etc., which serve their own useful purpose in the social scheme, and describe them as Signs of God for those who hear and possess knowledge (30:23). But none of these confers any privilege or imposes any disability. The Quran says God has divided mankind into tribes and nations for greater facility of intercourse. Neither membership of a tribe nor citizenship of a state confers any privilege, nor are they sources of honor. The true source of honor in the sight of God is the righteous life (49:14). The prophet said: The best among you is who treats the members of his family best. With regard to servants, the Prophet said: They are your brothers, and you should treat them as such. Provide them with the kind of clothes you w ear, and if you set them a hard task, join them in it to help them complete it. The wages of the laborer must be paid to him before the sweat dries upon his body (Ibn Maja). Younger people are admonished to show due respect and consideration to older people, and older people are exhorted to treat younger people with kindness. The Prophet said: He who does not behave kindly towards younger people and does not show due respect of Allah and His blessings. The Quran directs that one should greet his fellow beings with a better greeting than one receives oneself, or atleast return the same (4:87). Perhaps the most comprehensive dimensions within the domain of social values is: Help one another in the righteousness and virtue; but help not one another in sin and transgression (5:3). When the Prophet said on one occasion, Go to the help of your brother whether oppressor or oppressed, he was asked We know what is meant by going to the help of brother who is oppressed, but how shall we help a brother who is oppressor? The Prophet replied: By restraining them from oppressing others (Bukhari II). Economic Values In the economic sphere the basic concept of Islam is the basic ownership of everything belongs to God Alone (2:108, 3:190). Man is Gods vicegerent on earth. The objective of the Islamic economic system is to secure widest and most beneficent distribution of wealth through institutions set up by it and through moral exhortation. Wealth must remain in constant circulation among all sections of the community and should not become the monopoly of the rich (59:8). Islam recognizes the diversity of capacities and talents, which is in itself beneficent, and consequently the diversity in earnings and material rewards (4:33). It does not approve of a dead- level equality in the distribution of wealth, as that would defeat the very purpose of diversity, and would amount to denying the favor of Allah (16:72). It is obvious that if the incentive of the proportionate reward for labor, effort, skill and talent were to be removed, not only would initiative and enterprise be adversely affected, but intellectual progress would also be arrested. That is why the doctrine of equal reward irrespective of the diversity of skill, capacities and talents that have gone into the production of wealth has never been maintained for long, even when it has been proclaimed as State policy, and has had to be modified through recourse to various devices designed to secure diversity in reward. On the other hand, Islam does not leave the principle of competition and proportionate rewards to work itself out mechanically; that too would lead to hardship and injustice and would retard the moral and spiritual development of individuals and of society as a whole (Khan, 1999). Another major provision is the prohibition against the making of loans on interest. The word used in this connection in Quran is riba, the connotation of which is not identical with that of the word interest as commonly understood; but for the present purpose interest may be used as a rough equivalent. Riba is prohibited because it tends to draw wealth into the hands of a small circle and to restrict the exercise of beneficence towards ones fellow beings (2:281). ISLAM IN DIFFERENT NATIONS In the Islamic republic of Iran, for instance, all social institutions mentioned above and many more, such as the educational establishments and their priorities, the media, the arts, the political structure, the army, and private and public sector organizations, are all required to conform to Islamic values and instructions (Tayeb, 1997). An important point to note is that although Muslim nations have a great deal in common, there are also differences among them. And these differences can be observed in economic and business as well as social aspects of life. Saudi Arabia, for instance, adheres strictly to the Sacred law {Sharia) in many spheres of life, while Turkey has turned to secular laws for the administration of its economic and social affairs. The position of women in society and socially acceptable codes of behavior for people in general, and in business life, are cases in point (Tayeb, 1997). In Malaysia, the government has been implementing an Islamization policy for some time now, according to which companies have to organize their activities and manage their employees in accordance with the Quranic teachings. The chief Minister of the State of Kelantan has taken this further {The Economist, 1996). In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive their own cars. As far aswork is concerned, they are barred from public office. As a result, they have turned to business and professions for employment. But here too they work under certain constraints. According to The Economist (1995) most women whoare active in private businesses (as owners) are in the retail trade: in a shopping mall in Jeddah, eight out of 20 shops are owned and run by women and notices forbid men to enter the shops women run. Teaching is a profession open to women but it is difficult for them to apply for positions which are located outside their home towns. In this patriarchal society, women must have written permission from their husbands or fathers before they can travel. In Kazakhistan, now that the country is independent, its old, predominantly patriarchal culture, which lay dormant under the Soviet rule, is enjoying a revival, replacing the Russian Communist culture. As a result, the perception of the role of women in society and in the workplace is changing. In the short term at least it is unlikely that women will have the same opportunities as they had before (Pollard, 1994). Furthermore, the reviving Kazakh Islamic culture places a great emphasis on age and seniority and prescribes proper junior-senior relationships, stemming from its nomadic traditions (Rywkin, 1982). This could have repercussions for organizational issues such as hierarchy, authority structure, and promotion and compensation policies. Tayeb (1997) adds information regarding women in Iran who have to follow a strict Islamic dress code at work, and indeed elsewhere. Men and women remain separate in prayers, wedding ceremonies, public transport, etc. However, unlike Arab women in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, Iranian women are doing well in many spheres of public life. Some 95 per cent of young girls go to primary school. Older girls get less chance of getting higher education, but the gap is closing. Girls are doing well in technical schools, colleges and universities. Women can go into most jobs and professions, and, unlike their Saudi counterparts, they can drive their cars and vote. They can stand for parliament and there are many women members of parliament. Latifi (1997), who closely observed a sample of Iranian managers at work over a period of time, discovered traces of Islamic values in Iranian managers Human Resource Management style. She found that Iranian employees viewed their managers as sympathetic brothers and sisters or compassionate fathers and mothers. In addition, this family-like relationship also includes social and teacher roles for the managers. They were frequently involved in the private lives and family matters of subordinates to make them feel they are family. A survey of nine organizations was conducted in Malaysia by Endot (1995). The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahatir, initiated and implemented an Islamization processes in the country which aimed at infusing Islamic values throughout the society at all levels, from individual to institution. In pursuance of Islamic teachings one company offers its workers interest free loans for vehicle or house purchase, or for arrangements of wedding ceremony. Another company organizes Islamic study circles for managers where they can participate and get together once a week to discuss different aspects of teachings of Islam and socio- political issues with an intention to develop their Islamic personality. It also helps in creating cohesiveness of relationships and unity of thoughts on the issue discussed. One organization sends its employees on short courses in Islamic teachings with the main objective to make them understand Islam and its values. The process of selection for new recruits and their training are also influenced by the Islamization process. One organization recruits individuals who have graduated in Islamic studies. They are then exposed to techniques for modern management. Another recruits business-related graduates and then trains them on the Islamic aspects of their work. In all the firms in Endots study, the management made their subordinates understand and believe that they were accountable for their work not only to the organization, but to God (Allah), and that Islam consider their work as a form of worship of Allah. ISLAM AND WORK Islam is more a way of life than a mere religion. In a nutshell, it teaches how a believer has to oblige to the commitment to his faith. In the context of Islam and Work, it sheds light on the obligations of the worker towards his work in particular and his employer or employee in general. The more committed to his religion, the more committed he has to be to his work. Hence, as per the teachings of Islam- by working more dedicatedly as per the agreed terms of his employment, the employee justifies his earning and livelihood and at the same time stands out as a role model for the believers and non- believers alike. Sherif (1975) identified nobility, patience, self-discipline, good appearance, abstinence, resolve, sincerity, truthfulness, servitude and trust as major Islamic values. These could clearly have an impact on both management and productivity of employees. Islamic Values Related to Work Latifi (1997) identified the following work-related characteristics: Equality before God; Individual responsibility within a framework of co-operation with others; Employees respect and honor should be prominent; Principle of Equity to be followed; Fatalism but also a recognition of personal choice; Consultation at all levels of decision making In order to plan Human Resources on the lines of Islamic Culture, the manipulations which are common in the modern business world must be avoided. The will of Allah and messages of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are to be followed by the managers if they want to be successful in both the worlds- Here and Hereafter. Below are the few areas discussed from Islamic perspective which are to be taken care of for an effective Human Resource Management. Characteristics of Good Managers from Islamic Perspective In the modern world, business managers major aim is to earn profits. Sometimes they forget to follow the correct path and move on the most traveled path, because they believe materialistic accumulation is all they are living for. If they try to come out of this misconception, they will see the world from a different perspective. They will realize that this material which they aim to earn is only a temporary asset. But what will remain forever is their good deeds and behavior with people with whom they are associated. The ethical path consisting of the message of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) will give them internal peace and help them pleasing God- which is the ultimate aim of any Muslim. Motivated leaders clarify goals, set objectives, consult and respect followers, deal with followers kindly, humanely and with fairness. Spiritually people are classified as those who have: Nafs Ammarah, Nafs Lawwamah, Nafs Mutmainnah. Nafs Ammarah are those who possess negative motivation due to worries, lack of self- confidence, never respect others right and are not able to make followers feel secure. Nafs Lawwamah are the motivating ones who believe work is challenging, meaningful and provides directions for advancement, learning and personal growth. Nafs Mutmainnah provides a high level of the sense of responsibility towards Allah and contentment since there is a feeling of being away from fear and anxiety; and gives job satisfaction (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006). In one of the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), a person is encouraged to develop good characteristics and behaviors (Bukhari). It implies a manager should have a balanced personality where he is strong but not violent, lenient but not weak, and generous but not extravagant (Ahmad, 2006). According to another Hadith, kindness is a strength and, therefore, managers are expected to be kind enough to others whether they are your employees, customers, or suppliers (Muslim). Islam emphasizes on relationships among people which should advocate equal rights for all, and urges leaders to seek advice or information from their followers in the carrying out their affairs. If this is translated into behavior at workplace then this should mean a consultative decision-making process, and a fairly diffused power structure. Self-discipline, trustfulness, honesty, respect, resolve, and loyalty should encourage managers to trust their subordinates judgement and integrity, which could result in a participative management. Co-operation, perseverance, and family-like relationships among people, should encourage teamwork and mutual support, and enhance productivity within an organization (Tayeb, 1997). Manager should be trustworthy since trust is a moral responsibility for everyone in the performance of their duties and their social, political and economic lives (Hanafy and Sallam, 2006). The Quran says Allah doth commend you to render back your trust to those to whom they are due and when ye judge between man and man. That ye judge with justice. (4:58) In one of the Hadith, the Prophet (s.a.w.) mentioned the importance of trust in this public administration as: Any ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of a group of Muslims and who dies as a dishonest ruler, to him paradise is forbidden by Allah. To treat people equally is a prerequisite of fairness and justice, an ethical code that modern corporations are trying to achieve. Islam has emphasized justice among human beings (Hanafy and Sallam, 2006). Averse in the Quran says, Allah commands justice, the doing of good and liberality to kith and kin. He forbids all shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion; he instructs you, that ye may receive administration. (16:90) Another verse from Quran says, To those who believe and to deeds of righteousness hath Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward. A manager should judge employees in an unbiased manner, because employees expect justice from their employer. ISLAM AND MANAGERIAL DIMENSIONS Corporate Culture Culture is the particular way of life in a specific society (Foster, 1965). With respect to corporate, Pettigrew (1979) explained culture as a system of publicity and collectively accepted meanings operating for a given group at a given time. This system of terms, forms, categories, and images interprets peoples own situation to themselves. The idea of collectively accepted meanings is prominent which suggests that the culture is related to those things that can be shared. Louis (1983) also came up with the idea of common understanding. She believed organizations are culture-bearing milieux, that is, they are distinctive social units possessed of a set of common understanding for organizing action. The Islamic Culture is derived from Islamic worldview that does not necessarily reflect contemporary Muslims societies. Ideal Islamic culture neither subscribes high power distance nor low (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006). Islam teaches to respect and care others at workplace irrespective of the power or position one holds. Prophet (s.a.w) says, someone who fails to be affectionate to young, respect elderly and accords high honor to scholars, dont belong to me (being a Muslim). Therefore any power distance and authoritys respect is due to the benevolence in mutual relationship. Islamic culture promotes the feeling of social belongingness where a respect for individuals right is guaranteed. For the cultivation of an Islamic corporate culture, Islam has provided a number of values to be applied in organizations such as sincerity, conscientiousness and good knowledge to be applied in all endeavors, justice, truthfulness, patience, prohibition of loving world and wealth, and avoidance of pride. The modern ways to compete in fast growing environment and Islamic culture to succeed in accordance to the teachings of Quran are most of the times contrast to each other as depicted in Figure 2. Figure 2: Distinction between Modern Culture and Islamic Culture Modern Culture Islamic Culture Pure individualism Collectivism Pure materialism Aesthetical Value Supports Favoritism Favoritism is unethical Social belongingness missing Social belongingness guaranteed Competition with personal differences Healthy competition without envy and jealousy Training for deserved ones Training and knowledge for all Power Concentration Power Distribution Respect those who are in power Respect irrespective of power and position Planning Planning to reach the final aim should be done in such a way that it goes parallel to Allahs will. If one has to follow the Islamic perspective to plan and compete then the intention should be to strive and achieve in the cause of Allah. While competing one should remember the teachings of Quran and Prophet (s.a.w.). If the intention is dishonorable such as envy, jealousy, mutual rivalry, etc., then it does not follow the Islamic view (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006) Leading Robbins (2001) defines leadership as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Great leaders possess distinct qualities of confidence, iron-will, determination and strong decision power. (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006) informs that in Islam, leadership is trust. It is psychological contract between a leader and his followers that he will try his best to guide them, to protect them and to treat them fairly and with justice. The focus of leadership in Islam is on doing good. According to Islam, the two major roles of a leader are those of servant- leader and guardian- leader. A leader is the servant of his followers (Saiyyad Al- Qawn Khadimuhum). He is to seek their welfare and guide them towards good. On the other hand as the guardian- leader, the Muslim leader should protect his community against tyranny and oppression, encourage God- consciousness and promotes justice. Leadership in Islam is rooted in belief and willing submission to the Creator, Allah. It aims at serving Allah. To serve God, a Muslim leader is to act in accordance with the order of God and His Prophet (s.a.w.), and must develop a strong Islamic character. Kazmi and Ahmad (2006) highlight the four moral bases of Islamic Leadership- Islam Iman (faith in God), Taqwa (inner consciousness) and Ihsan (love of God). Islam means achievement of peace, with oneself and with the creation of God, through willing submission to Him. Iman implies in the Oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w.). A leader with strong Iman will consider himself and all his possessions as belongings to God. He will bow his ego, his ideas, his passions and his thinking to God. A leader with firm Iman will not dodge responsibility for his actions, and will continuously emphasize good deeds. Taqwa is the all- encompassing, inner- consciousness of duty towards God and awareness of ones a

Sociology Observation of Two Advertisements Essay -- Sociology Essays

This observation assignment has been very interesting, in that it has made me more aware of advertisements. The two that I chose are Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ) and Vogue, both from September 2014. The ads that I chose are a representative cross-section of the typical ads you would find in these magazines. We will start with Vogue. In Vogue #1, (an ad for Ruddenberry of London) there seems to be outdoor party of some sort going on. There is a man pouring tea with a fake smile. There's another male on seated on a horse, next to a younger female wearing a Mardi Gras mask. At the bottom is a young girl wearing the kind of wig that Thomas Jefferson wore. Most of the characters seem to be younger middle-age characters, and they would seem to be rather wealthy. I can't really make a guess at the occupations, but the guy pouring tea looks like a lawyer of some sort. They seem to have placed the one child character to the bottom of the page, perhaps indicative of the importance of children in this society portrayed. It's also intriguing to note that although we can see the full face of one and almost two more male characters, there are no women showed with their full face: either their head is turned, or their wearing a mask. It would seem that the men are the more important of the sexes in th is ad. This ad is meant to play towards the wealthier crowd, and it is probably meant to make one think of England. There are no other races portrayed in here except for Caucasian, so Ruddenberry is betting on the white crowd to buy their clothes. Vogue #2 (an ad for Kenar, once more a clothing company) portrays the "perfect" family from the 1950's. They all have fake smiles, and this picture of the model family is one ... ...e a musician and the rest of the character's occupations are not clearly defined. This ad is designed to make people feel uncool, so that they go out and buy this fragrance to feel cool. Jazz is very cool right now, and this ad shows that jazzy people wear this fragrance. The two characters in the foreground confused me. They don't seem to fit with the rest of the ad. From these six ads that I've selected, it's obvious that the two magazines I chose were primarily marketed for white consumers. Unless an ad is overly offensive or stereotypical, I don't think many people would get too upset looking at ads. The majority of my two magazines were ads, and most of those were one model standing there, looking beautiful. These ads were a little more interesting, and this observation will cause me to never look at magazine advertising the same again.

Comparing Rappaccinis Daughter and the Movie, (Film) The Truman Show :: comparison compare contrast essays

Rappaccini's Daughter and the Movie, (Film) The Truman Show There are stunning parallels between Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the film The Truman Show in terms of character, action, and structure. The basic premise of the two plots is the same. Both stories deal with the capture of a young person who is to be groomed to live in a private, controlled environment to make them happy, but where they are never able to leave. In "Rappaccini's Daughter," this role is fulfilled by Beatrice, whose father creates her own personal Edenic garden, from which she can never escape. In The Truman Show, this is Truman's role. A corporation adopts him before he is born, televises his birth, and televises his entire life. He literally lives in a bubble, designed especially for the show featuring him. Both stories feature a father figure who creates the action and attempts to play God. Both The Truman Show and "Rappaccini's Daughter" have the same general plot structure. At the start of the action, the little world created for the main character is portrayed as a perfect place without drawbacks. In Truman's town, everything works well, like clockwork, and everyone is happy. Everything is ideal. Rappaccini's garden is a beautiful place, where all of the flowers are harmonious and the Beatrice is very happy. Giovanni is enchanted by the garden; he feels that Beatrice and her garden are perfect. This initial stage is followed by a realization of loneliness. Truman reaches out to the girl at college whom he sees at events, but with whom he is never able to speak because, subconsciously, he realizes that she is more substantive, and as we — the omniscient viewer — learn, she is a window to the reality. Truman longs for reality, although he does not know it. He only knows that he is not totally happy in "paradise." She is a contrast to the girl he is supposed to, and does marry, because the girl is as real as his wife is fabricated. Truman subconsciously recognises this. Beatrice recognizes on a conscious level that she really does like human company, after many years of depravation of it.

New Jersey Pine Barrens :: essays research papers

Plants make up most of the Pine Barrens. For instance, pine trees such as the short needles, pitch pines, jack pines, long needles, yellow pines, and many others make up most of the pine forest in the Pinelands. Other trees include the pine oaks and the cedar trees. Due to the roots of these cedar trees, water in the Pine Barrens appears a brownish red color. This happens because the roots emit pigments of red color into the soil which then runs into the water. Even though the amount of red pigment released is very little, due to the large amount of cedar trees in the Pine forests, the water is affected. The main crops of the Pine Barrens include blueberries and cranberries. There are also many rare plants that can be found in the Pinelands. One of these is the pitcher plant which is related to the Venus Fly Trap. Plants such as these have an influence on how nitrogen is depleted in the Pine Barrens and also on how the Pine â€Å"Barrens† got there name, nothing like vegetables grow there. The pitcher plant helps prevent pollution from entering the lakes as well as help in preventing flooding. The lakes in the Pine forest are home to the tree frog. These forests are also home to many other animals like cranes, water snakes, turtles, salamanders, and other frogs. There are many dangers facing the Pine Barrens today. The most dangerous is the effect industrialization has on it. Many industries contribute to the mass pollution of water, land, and air. This greatly impacts the ecosystem of the Pinelands and the animals that live in it. Industrialization also leads to the building of more houses that are detrimental to the Pinelands because the Pinelands are being destroyed little by little every day. This ecosystem is too precious to waste, it needs to be preserved. Pollution has caused over forty species of birds to become endangered. Acid rain also causes the extinction of many species. Acid rain is the term used to describe the chemicals that are deposited through the rain. These chemicals travel through the soil and affect many plants and animals. Acid rain is a world-wide problem that concerns all ecosystems; acid rain needs to controlled by limiting the amount of pollution let out into the air. Another major issue affecting the Pine Barren s is forest fires. There are as many as four hundred forest fires per year. New Jersey Pine Barrens :: essays research papers Plants make up most of the Pine Barrens. For instance, pine trees such as the short needles, pitch pines, jack pines, long needles, yellow pines, and many others make up most of the pine forest in the Pinelands. Other trees include the pine oaks and the cedar trees. Due to the roots of these cedar trees, water in the Pine Barrens appears a brownish red color. This happens because the roots emit pigments of red color into the soil which then runs into the water. Even though the amount of red pigment released is very little, due to the large amount of cedar trees in the Pine forests, the water is affected. The main crops of the Pine Barrens include blueberries and cranberries. There are also many rare plants that can be found in the Pinelands. One of these is the pitcher plant which is related to the Venus Fly Trap. Plants such as these have an influence on how nitrogen is depleted in the Pine Barrens and also on how the Pine â€Å"Barrens† got there name, nothing like vegetables grow there. The pitcher plant helps prevent pollution from entering the lakes as well as help in preventing flooding. The lakes in the Pine forest are home to the tree frog. These forests are also home to many other animals like cranes, water snakes, turtles, salamanders, and other frogs. There are many dangers facing the Pine Barrens today. The most dangerous is the effect industrialization has on it. Many industries contribute to the mass pollution of water, land, and air. This greatly impacts the ecosystem of the Pinelands and the animals that live in it. Industrialization also leads to the building of more houses that are detrimental to the Pinelands because the Pinelands are being destroyed little by little every day. This ecosystem is too precious to waste, it needs to be preserved. Pollution has caused over forty species of birds to become endangered. Acid rain also causes the extinction of many species. Acid rain is the term used to describe the chemicals that are deposited through the rain. These chemicals travel through the soil and affect many plants and animals. Acid rain is a world-wide problem that concerns all ecosystems; acid rain needs to controlled by limiting the amount of pollution let out into the air. Another major issue affecting the Pine Barren s is forest fires. There are as many as four hundred forest fires per year.