Community Service Project

(a) What does community service/volunteerism mean to you? * I define volunteerism as a service performed for the benefit of others with little or no benefit to the person carrying out the service. One may volunteer for many reasons but these should not include expecting to receive an income or publicity for work being done. One benefit that a volunteer may have however is growing their knowledge base about the activity in which they are participating. One should think about the ways which they can make their community a better place to live for themselves and everyone else.It’s really not that hard, carrying out simple actions like helping an elderly person to cross the road or donating your unworn clothes to persons who have a greater need for it can be classified as volunteerism. (b) Which two of the four goals of Vision 2030 do you think is most closely linked to community service/volunteerism? Why? * Of the four goals of Vision 2030, I think that the first goal- â€Å"Jam aicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential† and the fourth goal- â€Å"Jamaica has a natural healthy environment† would be the two most closely linked to volunteerism.Through personal empowerment, volunteers may seek to realize their full potential by conveying to themselves tasks which will benefit them as well as the society in which they live. Volunteers may seek to assist persons with additional training they may need as well as school projects. This is done in effort to bring forth well rounded individuals. The final goal of Vision 2030 states that Jamaica has a natural and healthy environment. Volunteers can help Jamaica to achieve this by cleaning up their environment and various communities. By doing so, they will have helped to create healthy and comfortable surroundings for all citizens. c) Select one of the two goals discussed in (b) and suggest ways you can contribute to achieving this goal through your community service. * I believe that I can help to carry out goal four of Vision 2030. The Bible (NIV) says in 1st Peter 4:10 â€Å"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms† and so I believe that each and every one of us were made stewards of this Earth and that it is our responsibility to take care of the environment and all things in it.Stewardship aids in the development of society and so I will take it upon myself to volunteer at Hope Zoo Preservation so I can develop better work ethics, make good use of my free time as well as help the organization to return to its former glory. This includes participating in cleanup activities, carrying out administrative tasks and doing everything else in my power to facilitate smooth operation so that visitors will always remember Hope Zoo not just as a commodity but as an experience. Lecturer’s Signature________________________Submission Date___________________________ Reflec tion Piece #2 a. Identify your agency and briefly discuss the history, goals and objectives of the agency. * The organization that I have been contributing to for a greater cause is Hope Zoo which is located on Old Hope Road, Kgn 6 in St. Andrew, Jamaica. The institution, a section of the Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo was originally a part of Hope Estate which was owned and operated by Richard Hope- a former commander in the British army- who had been gifted the estate in return for helping Britain take control of Jamaica.What we now know as Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo is the largest in the Caribbean and is just 200 acres of the estate which was bought by the Government to establish an experimental garden for foreign species in the late nineteenth century. One very important moment in the history of Hope Gardens is Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1953. Hope Zoo has been undergoing some major restoration changes over the years and in 2005, the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF) took charge.The NPF intends to â€Å"develop and manage Hope Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens as a sustainable facility for environmental education, applied research, recreation, wildlife and flora conservation for Jamaica and the region; and to position the facility as part of the Tourism Product. † b. Bearing the Vision 2030 goal you selected in reflection 1 in mind, identify a set of objectives you aim to fulfill in your assignment at the agency. * I chose the fourth goal of Vision 2030- â€Å"Jamaica has a natural healthy environment†.The objectives I aim to fulfill in my assignment at Hope Zoo include: participating in cleanup activities so that the staff, guests as well as animals can benefit from existing in a clean environment; carrying out administrative tasks in an attempt to lessen the work load of the administrative department as well as being readily available to any visitor who may have questions or need help with something in an attempt to facilit ate smooth operation. c. Discuss the specific steps you will take to accomplish these objectives. In order to accomplish these objectives, I will ensure my early arrival to the institution each time I am on duty and immediately report to my supervisor for a list of my duties for the day. I will then proceed to complete my tasks which will revolve around the objectives mentioned above as well as observing my surroundings to see what else needs to be done and how I can make a contribution. These steps will be completed in an effort to make Hope Zoo a better place and in agreement with Vision 2030: Jamaica.Lecturer’s Signature________________________ Submission Date___________________________ Reflection Piece #3 a. Identify some of the problems/issues you experienced during your placement. * This has been a very good experience, however I did not particularly appreciate being harassed by a particular zoo keeper on more than one occasions during my forty hours of service. b. To w hat extent did problems you encountered/witnessed in your placement reflect problems prevalent in the wider Jamaican society? Being troubled or provoked by persons in the workplace causes discomfort and disagreement. This is mostly done out of envy or jealousy. One worker may do it to get another worker angry enough to react violently, no doubt getting into problems with the manager and possibly losing his/her job. Either way, victims of this are often not very happy with their jobs and so productivity levels tend to decrease. There may also be a lack of interest in completing tasks efficiently as workers would have lost focus. c.What impact do you think these problems will have on our ability to achieve the goals laid out in Vision 2030? * I believe that provocation between workers will have an impact on the country’s ability to achieve goal one -â€Å"Jamaicans are empowered to reach their fullest potential† and goal 3 -â€Å"Jamaica’s economy is prosperousâ € . Jamaicans will not have reached their fullest potential by 2030 if there is constant workplace harassment or violence as this would have caused their interest and determination levels to decrease.If a worker’s determination and desire to carry out his/her duties effectively decreases, productivity levels will also decrease and so Jamaica’s economy will not be as prosperous we want it to be by 2030. d. What solution did you employ to address the problem? * I addressed the problem by having a private chat with the person about my issue as well as possible implications of workplace harassment on the business itself. I made sure he understood my position and we came to a truce. I can honestly say this worked wonders as up until this point we have not had another conflict. Lecturer’s Signature: Submission Date: ____________________

Discussed from Paperco, Inc. Essay

This case study is discussed from Paperco, Inc. point of view of whether they should avail the tax benefits and cost savings in replacing the mechanical drying equipment. Recommendation Based on the analysis below in this memo, Paperco should purchase new mechanical drying equipment now in advance in anticipation of the passage of new tax legislation. Purchasing the equipment now maintains a positive Net Present Value for the capital project if the legislation is not enacted, or if the new legislation is enacted and the capital project is contracted early enough so that it is grandfathered in. With tax legislation grandfathered, the project gets the benefit of the new lower corporate tax rate and the old ACRS depreciation method. Although when presented with this project one year ago in 1984, Paperco was able to be postponed this capital project since it was merely â€Å"moderately attractive†. The prospect of new tax legislation being enacted as rumored makes the Net Present Value of the project comparatively more positive if the tax law changes are enacted, so Paperco should act now before tax law changes make this project infeasible. Background In November 1985, Jane Rogers a marketing representative of Pressco, Inc. approached Paperco, Inc. to sell its mechanical drying equipment at a price of $2.9 million. This new equipment would replace less efficient facilities that had been placed in service late in December 1979. According to Roger, the total cost saving (exclusive of depreciation charges) from the proposed installation of new equipment amounted to $560,000 per year. Of this amount, $360,000 in savings was expected to come from more efficient fuel utilization. One year earlier, Rogers had been unsuccessful in interesting Paperco’s management in purchase of new equipment. Paperco felt that the investment in  new equipment as moderately attractive at that time. However, beginning 1986, new tax legislation had been rumored to: (1) eliminate the investment tax credit for new equipment; (2) extend depreciation lives for new equipment, and (3) reduce the corporate tax rate from 46% to 34%. Paperco’s senior management was concerned that the basic thrust in the firm’s sales of mechanical drying equipment. Paperco’s management suddenly expressed significant interest in moving forward with the purchase of new equipment and seemed anxious to sign a binding contract. Discussion and Analysis We need to analyze when is the best situation for Paperco, Inc. to replace the old facilities with new drying equipment that will enable the Company to avail greater tax benefits and cost savings. There are three alternative courses of action available to Paperco, Inc. to decide whether to buy the new drying equipment or not. I. Buy the new equipment yet no legislation is enacted Advantages Continue to use a 5 years ACRS depreciation model with higher depreciation expense Efficiency in operations due to new equipment Disadvantages Retain all tax credits due to using 5 year ACRS depreciation model in equipment with useful life of 7 years Tax rate continued at 46% II. Buy the new equipment when the new tax proposal is enacted and bind the contract soon enough to be grandfathered or before the enactment of the law Advantages Continue to use a 5 years ACRS depreciation model with higher depreciation expense Efficiency in operations due to new equipment Investment tax credit that will reduce Paperco’s taxes Tax rate reduced to 34% from 46% Disadvantages Depreciation life of the equipment will not be extended III. Buy the new equipment when the new proposed tax is enacted but do not bind the contract in time to be grandfathered or after the enactment of the law Advantages Efficiency in operations due to new equipment Tax rate reduced to 34% from 46% Depreciation life of the equipment will be extended by 2 years Disadvantages MACRS depreciation model will generate lower depreciation expenses than the ACRS depreciation model No investment tax credit due to binding the contract after the law was enacted Option I in which the rumored tax proposal is not enacted and that the new equipment replaces the old equipment in December 1986. Paperco would retain all tax credits due to the fact the machine has been in service for 84 months, and use a 5-year ACRS depreciation model for the new equipment. This option has a positive NPV of $2,619,745. Option II in which the new tax proposal is enacted. The new equipment is installed in December 1986. Paperco signs a binding contract soon enough to be â€Å"grandfathered†, this allows Paperco to receive the 8% tax credit and use ACRS depreciation. At the same time, their tax rate would fall to 34%. Paperco would benefit from this more favorable â€Å"grandfathered† tax approach. Option II has a positive NPV of $3,414,104. Option III in which the new tax proposal is enacted and Paperco installs the new equipment in December 1986, but they do not sign a binding contract in time to be â€Å"grandfathered† and receive the 8% invest ment tax credit and use ACRS depreciation. The company will use MACRS and a depreciation period of 7 years. The NPV of the project with this timing and structure is $3,228,044. Without the â€Å"grandfathered† tax allowance, the new tax legislation makes the project unattractive based on lower Net Present Value. Calculations Re-affirmation There are three options available to Paperco, Inc. with respect to this capital investment: Option I: New legislation is passed and Paperco qualifies for â€Å"grandfathering,† Option II: New legislation is passed and Paperco does not qualify for â€Å"grandfathering,† Option III: Buy the new equipment when the new proposed tax is enacted but do not bind the contract in time to be grandfathered or after the enactment of the law Last year (1984) investment in new drying equipment pursuant to Option I was not pursued despite its attractiveness as a viable capital project, perhaps because it was possible that a better alternative might arise. However, given the impending tax legislation, the possible alternatives are now known, and they are not good. Under the new tax legislation without grandfathering, the project is not viable. Paperco should invest in the new equipment (with binding contract) because not doing so soon enough, the project will not a viable alternative, while investing in the equipment is a viable alternative (i.e., the Net Present Value of the project in Option II is higher than other alternatives).

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 3 Discussion Board Essay

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 3 Discussion Board - Essay Example Each person is holding different visions and this step requires coming at a single vision. This process is very time consuming and requires a detail meeting in order to arise at a single point. The major problem arises when deciding that what to serve and where to serve. Some partners want some specific goods to be served whereas some want some other packages of the goods that should be served. Before making business plan, each partner should be comprehensively decided that what actually to be served. The key factors are searched and then the decision is made on the product or service package that should be served. Some times the problem arises due to the Leadership; the every person in the partnership requires leadership in order to command over major processes. This is the major problem that arises when making a business plan. This problem is solved by providing the enough power to each member of the partnership. Usually the capital provided by each partner is used in order to give the extent of power to each partner. During the business plan the problem of marketing plan arises in which different partners want to deal in different market regions. These problems are usually solved in making the probable research in order to know that which market plan make the company more profitable. This marketing plan is usually an important step of the business plan and requires efficient research. Usually the problem arises when selecting the strategy for you partnership. Different school of thought create problem during the business plan. Some partner wants to adopt the cost-effective strategy or some want market segmentation. For this purpose the each partner must look at the products and services that are serving and the market in which they are serving. All the micro-environment and macro-environment conditions are taken in account in order to make a better competitive strategy for your partnership. The major

System Analysis and design (case study) Case Study - 1

System Analysis and design ( ) - Case Study Example At Emory, a collection of mobile apps have been rolled out to cater for research, medicine, running school services and human resources. The school has 20 apps focusing on delivery of digital information and creation of an efficient and cost-effective infrastructure. The apps find usage in the memorial hospital where a clinical mobile app is used in massive transfusion1. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is a movement that has brought radical transformations in various enterprises helping organizations to boost their productivity to unimaginable heights. The employees to the organizations have also been more engaged. However, the technology has been faced with some challenges2. For instance, the major challenge is increased mobile security breaches. Employees in most organizations especially in the U.S are allowed to carry their mobile devices to the work place. However, following policies set on the use and management of the devices is a problem the organizations have to contend with. The mobile devices have a great potential of transforming how the daily activities of an organization are conducted. However, to realize the full potential, employees have to be educated on how the mobile devices can be fully utilized. There is lack of an organization-wide awareness about the mobile capabilities which is hurting the productivity of the organizations. To realize the value of the mobile enterprise, there has to be aggressive collaboration between the employees and the organizations3. The employees must be trained on the various ways of utilizing the apps on their mobile devices for the good of the organization. Training has to go beyond the basics of exchanging emails and sending instant messages4. If the companies are to succeed in the future, they will have to meet the high standards and requirements that are offered by Millennials for the mobile technologies and functions. The IT departments should consider working on apps such

Stages of Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stages of Development - Essay Example Progesterone levels also shoot up during pregnancy and function to cause loosening of ligaments and joints throughout the body, cause internal organs such as ureters to enlarge and importantly transform the uterus to a size that can accommodate a full pregnancy. The hormones make exercise difficult because of the loosened ligaments. The woman’s posture changes, breast enlarge, abdomen transform into a convex shape increasing the curvature of her back (which may often result in changes in sense of balance). Weight gain during pregnancy slows down blood and fluid circulation. As a result, pregnant women retain fluids and experience swelling of legs, feet, hands and even face. Some women experience vision changes during pregnancy characterized by increased myopia and abnormal hair and nail growth rates. Apart from increased metabolic rates due to high demands for nutrients, women also experience taste and smell changes along with skin changes such as development of stretch marks (Fuchs, 1983). In the third week of pregnancy, gastrulation begins with the appearance of a primitive streak which establishes the long axis of the embryo. Gastrulation involves the transformation of the two-layered embryonic disc into a three layered embryo with three primary germ layers; the ectoderm (develops into the epithelial lining of the gut, respiratory and urogenital systems and associated glands), the mesoderm (develops into all tissues not formed by ectoderm or endoderm such as the muscle tissue) the endoderm (develops into structures of the nervous system and the epidermis) (Goodwin, 1994). Fertilization of the egg by the sperm results in the formation of a zygote which travels down the fallopian tube and divides into a ball of cells. The zygote continues to divide into an inner group of cells with an outer shell collectively called the blastocyst. Blastocyst moves to the uterus around day 5 and implants onto the uterine wall around day 6 for nourishment.

IT Systems Strategy Of A Company Research Paper

IT Systems Strategy Of A Company - Research Paper Example In the context of current market trends, the increase of a firm’s profitability cannot be achieved without a radical change in the methods used for managing information across the particular organization. The development of information as an element of competitive advantage is, primarily, the result of the continuous improvement of technology involved in various organizational activities. Under these terms, the firms, which are interested in achieving a long-term growth, need to ensure that they are able to capture, process and transmit information across all their departments. The above issue is set under examination in this paper. Reference is made to a particular firm, Microsoft UK. The information management practices of the above firm are evaluated emphasizing on the following issues: a) the effects of a potential information audit, b) the relationship between the organizational structure/ culture and the information management policies used by the organization and c) the value of competitive intelligence for the development of organizational performance. It is concluded that the development of the firm’s existing information management policies would help the firm to increase its competitiveness within the global market; moreover, the incorporation of effective competitive intelligence methods would also support the achievement of the above target. However, the firm’s existing structure and culture would need to be reviewed and updated supporting more effectively the relevant efforts of the organization. 2. Key issues that would be likely to emerge if an information audit were to be conducted for Microsoft UK In order to identify the effects of a potential information audit in Microsoft it would be necessary to refer primarily to the common needs and benefits of the particular process as developed in firms internationally. In accordance with Dube et al. (2005) information audit results to a series of benefits for the organization invo lved: the most important benefit of information audit is the improvement of a firm’s existing control systems (Dube et al 2005, p.12); moreover, information audit helps to identify the problems of a firm’s information management policies and to suggest information management processes which are more appropriate for the particular organization (Dube et al. 2005, p.12). However, despite its value for the organizational performance, information audit is a rather costly process (Lipman et al 2006, p.66). In this context, the ability of a firm to cover the relevant expenses cannot be guaranteed. In the case of Microsoft, no such problem is expected; the firm’s financial status allows for such initiatives; however, another issue would occur: is the information audit process attempted in Microsoft well planned? If the relevant plan is not carefully developed, the risk of a failure would be extremely high. From a different point of view, the success of information audit has been related to the IS skills of the employees engaged in the specific process; this is an issue highlighted in the study of Coderre (2009). For Microsoft, the above issue is not important; the firm’s employees are

Comparison of Eichmann as Portrayed by Arendt with Other Nazi War Crim Essay - 1

Comparison of Eichmann as Portrayed by Arendt with Other Nazi War Criminals - Essay Example With this respect, the various judgments and analysis employed to understand the intentions and motivation of the Nazi surrogates to commit heinous crimes. These include Hannah Arendt’s portrait of Eichmann compared to the interviews conducted in Nuremberg on the other criminals of the Nazi war. One of the analyses is provided by Hannah Arendt who was a German and Jewish politically based theorist and who before she moved to the United States had run away from German and France in the course of World War Two. She does this in her book titled â€Å"Eichmann and the Holocaust† which she wrote having been requested to analyze the trial of Adolf Eichmann. For that reason, she archetypes Adolf Eichmann; one of the Nazi Criminals to provide her comments on the Holocaust which she has been said to interpret as a challenge to the existence of human beings. Arendt, as a way to interpret the Holocaust, decided to use and analyze only one of the individuals who took part. Her choice of Adolf Eichmann ‘s court testimony to give her judgment by making certain statements about him eludes a lot of controversies which results in the comparison of Eichmann to other criminals of the Nazi war. Certain people argue that she did not attend all sessions of Eichmann’s trial missing those where his actual character was exposed as well as those where he provided adequate evidence. On the other hand, most of her readers describe the book as lacking in taste and tact with her comments and judgments being related to her attitude towards the German-Jewish leaders in the community and her view on Zionism most of the time. Contrary to the model employed by Arendt to analyze the Nazi war criminals, other people used different ways to find answers and provide justice to the Holocaust and its defendants. An example is Leon Goldensohn; a military psychiatrist who took part in the trials. He was a son of the Jews who were emigrants from Lithuania.  

Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) - Essay Example Its mission is, PDA has contributed and played a huge role in providing knowledge for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. It has worked towards increasing the individual’s professional knowledge and abilities. PDA publishes the consensus document called PDA’s technical report on the issues where little or no technical guidance exist , its two major membership publications are; the PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology and the PDA Letter, it also publishes the PDA’s newest membership publication, International Pharmaceutical Quality (IPQ). (PDA Annual report 2007). Apart from this it regularly conducts seminars, conferences and workshops which are designed, developed and executed in the way that they provide ample information regarding professional knowledge and abilities. It holds conferences on topics related to pharmacy, microbiology, quality systems, management etc. In 2007 it published 3 of the technical reports as supplement to PDA journal; PDA has contributed many valuable books to the PDA/Davis health care (DHI) publishing library from where people could get access to them easily. The PDA journal has imposed two important students outreach programs; firstly the student research symposium at the PDA 2007 annual meeting and second being the doctoral program which provides funds for the partial support of four graduate students pursuing doctoral research at various universities. To provide a sound professional knowledge the PDA letter also has articles of many industry experts regarding different issues and topics like; â€Å"Articles of Interest to the Microbiologist: A Review of microbiology-related research published in volume 60 (2006) by Scott Sutton, PhD, Vectech Pharmaceutical Consultants, low energy electron beam applications in aseptic filling operations by Cilag and Ike Harper, Johnson & Johnson†(PDA 2007, 8). PDA has launched a number of student programs to promote learning and research

The Essentials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Essentials - Essay Example Exercise 3.1 6. Some artificial hearts are mechanisms that are prone to failure Yes, some artificial hearts are prone to failure, for instance, the case of copula. According to (Hurley, 2015), The subject term is the artificial hearts Predicate term in reference is: mechanisms that are prone to failure Copula in reference is are Quantifier is some Exercise 3.2 I 2. All governments that bargain with terrorists are governments that encourage terrorism A proposition, affirmative universal, subject distributed, predicate undistributed Exercise 3.3 II 3. All trial lawyers are people with stressful jobs. Therefore, some trial lawyers are people with stressful jobs. False. It should be all trial, lawyers. 12. Some stellar constellations are spiral-shaped objects. Therefore, no stellar constellations are spiral-shaped objects. False. It should be not all stellar constellations are spiral-shaped objects. Exercise 3.4 I 2. Some A are B. (T) Some non-B are non-A 3. All A are non-B.(F) No A are B