Strategic response to climate change by global companies Essay

Strategic response to climate change by global companies - Essay Example For the purpose of my study, I have to survey managers and employees in global car manufacturing companies. I seek to understand how global car manufacturers cope with the global climate change. I want to understand how companies change and adjust their strategies to ensure that the ecological needs of society are addressed. I also want to identify the current gaps in climate change strategic policymaking in global car manufacturers. The ultimate objective of the dissertation is to create an objective picture of strategic responses to climate change in global car manufacturers and propose practical improvements that could help to reduce the costs and negative consequences of the climate change for individuals and businesses. For this reason, I kindly ask you to spare some of your valuable time and fill out the questionnaire, which I enclose. I assure you that all confidentiality and anonymity requirements will be followed. No information will be disclosed to third parties. Please, ki ndly confirm that you understand and agree with the information provided in this description. By signing this form, you confirm that you voluntarily agree to fill out the questionnaire form and do not object to using your responses in the study. Thank you in advance for your contribution to the study. Signed _____________Date______________ I. Background information. 1. Please, indicate your job position. 2. Please, indicate your work experience with the given company. 3. Please, indicate your educational background, 4. Please, indicate the number of employees in your division. II. Please, choose the answer that reflects the situation in your company. 1. Our company spends considerable resources on ecology. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 2. Our company develops and implements strategic climate change policies. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 3. Our company informs employees about the importance of climate change and strategic policies to respond to the climate change. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 4. Our company prioritizes climate change policies. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 5. Our employees are actively involved in the development of strategic policies to respond to climate change. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 6. Our company believes that climate change is a serious economic and social issue. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 7. The company has an existing climate change policy. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 8. Th e company does not have any climate change policy but waits until the problem becomes really serious. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 9. Our company changes its internal organization to respond to the climate change. A) Strongly disagree. B) Disagree. C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Agree. E) Strongly Agree. F) Do not know. 10. The organization regularly re-evaluates its benefits, costs, opportunities, and

The importance of politics in young generations Research Paper

The importance of politics in young generations - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the relationship between young people and politics cannot be ignored. This relationship is set under examination in this paper. Emphasis is given on the criteria used by young people when deciding to be involved in politics. The involvement of young people in politics is explained using relevant examples; in this way, the practical aspects of the relationship between politics and young people are made clear. Also, the importance of politics in young generations is explained analytically taking into consideration both the personal perceptions of young people – the most common ones – and their environment. In order to identify the aspects of the relationship between young generations and politics it would be important to understand the reasons for which young people are likely to be involved in political decisions and initiatives. ... iew is the following one: young people who participated in favour of the current security system decided on the basis of the interest of their parents – who are most favoured by this system – and not on their own interests (reference is made to the Social Security System of US); however, the above decision is explained as the result of the evaluation of interests involved: ‘the benefits for the parents were more compared to the loss for their children’ (Persson & Tabellini 17), a fact that used by young people as a criterion in order to act in this way. In accordance with the above view, politics can be important for young people at the level that the interests of the latter or their families can be promoted; in other words, the relationship between young people and politics is considered to have a compensative character. From a different approach, Rosenau (2006) notes that the relationship between politics and young people has been changed under the influe nce of the development of technology. More specifically, it is explained that through the media and, especially, the Internet young people can be informed on the political views of different social teams, including ‘elites, activists and thoughtful citizens worldwide’ (Rosenau 159). The level at which each young people will accept these views is depended on his/ her own perceptions and experiences but also on the relevant views of his/ her environment (family, friends, colleagues). The above view sets a series of crucial issues in regard to the relationship between politics and young generations: a) each young man is exposed to different political and social messages, b) the response of young people to the political messages received through the media and the Internet is not standardized – being

McDonalds in Cameroon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

McDonalds in Cameroon - Essay Example This essay discusses the issue of possibility to set up McDonalds in Cameroon, that is a country in Central Africa. The researcher describes the topic in five parts of the essay. It begins with an introduction of McDonalds, and then the Cameroon country itself. The researcher also analyzes the size of market of Cameroon that will likely follow or not follow the new product in the Cameroonian market. The third part of the essay will not only research on social and cultural acceptance of McDonald’s products, but also gives the required adaptations that would be necessary to begin with. The fourth part contains details on the legal and bureaucratic factors that include taxation, local manufacture, and imports. The essay ends with some recommendations concerning the project, and cite sweeping conclusions. In conclusion, the researcher analyzes the constant social revolutions in the Cameroonians and cases that include the improved health-awareness of humanity. In the long term, key menu diversification needs to include new and healthy foods could be termed as necessary if McDonalds looks forward to their customers to enjoy their foodstuff with clear principles. The fact that McDonald’s begins to vend fresh fruit with the traditional Happy Meal is a leading step towards a menu more appropriate to the changed surroundings, especially important to Central Africa region. The researcher hopes, that some of his recommendations can certainly help McDonalds to set up in Cameroon without any opposition.

What form of audience do social tags of this kind enable Discuss the Essay

What form of audience do social tags of this kind enable Discuss the social and communicative properties of this kind of audience, using these tweets as evidence to support your claims - Essay Example Social tagging also plays a major role in connecting the users who have similar interests. The users can be able to share among themselves relevant piece of information regarding their area of interest (OReilly, & Milstein, 2009). Different tweets are usually posted to address different types of audiences. The different types of audiences have a common characteristic in that they are all imaginary in the mind of the writer. The three main types of audiences to which tweets can be addressed include (Clark 2012); the writer’s audience, the networked audience, and the broadcast audience. The writer’s audience: In this type of audience, the user tries to imagine the potential audience that have a high likelihood of gaining interest in the intended tweet and composes the tweet that is tailored for the perceived audience. The user tries to form a picture of the audience in his/her mind in order to compose a tweet that will meet the needs of that specified group of audience. The user usually expects responses from the audience. The broadcast audience: In type of audience, the user does not have a specific group of audiences in mind. The user just composes a tweet that is intended for any audience. For this situation, the user does not expect to get any response regarding the tweet. They compose a tweet that is meant for the consumption of the general public, and response for them is not a priority. The networked audience: This type of audience combines the characteristics of both the writer and the broadcast audience. Unlike in the broadcast audience, the user here composes a tweet that is intended of a large group of audience, but he/she has an idea of the type of audience to which the tweet is intended for. Just like in the writer’s audience, the user here also expects to get responses from the audience regarding the tweet. According to the sample tweets that have been provided, the form of audience that is most likely to be enable is the

Research Paper to included Data Analysis Plan Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

To included Data Analysis Plan - Research Paper Example The same document reveals that among the general public, men are more likely (60%) to come across traumatic experiences that may trigger PTSD than do females (50%). However, women are more likely to develop the condition despite their lower rate of exposure, with a likelihood of 10% compared to men’s 4% (Gradus, 2014). At the same time, research has established that veterans who took part in different operations have varying rates of PTSD prevalence. This could be the result of varying intensities of the wars, and differing levels of exposure to other traumatic experiences. The Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans have a prevalence of between 11% and 20%; Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans have a 12% prevalence; and 30% of Vietnam War veterans have endured PTSD in their lifetime. Taking a look at the gender dimension in prevalence of PTSD among military personnel reveals that a higher percentage of women (55%) are exposed to sexual harassment than men (38%) (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2014; Haskell et al, 2010). Needless to say, these experiences elevate female veterans’ risk of developing PTSD. With this fact in mind, it is accurate to adjudge that female veterans are more prone to PTSD than are male veterans. It is these assertions on higher prevalence of PTSD among veterans and among females in society (both in the general public and the veteran community) that this research seeks to investigate. None of the literature material consulted appears to point at the implications of longer or shorter exposure on the prevalence of PTSD among veterans. The researcher delves into this issue by seeking to establish whether those who have been in the battlefield for longer periods are equally likely to suffer PTSD as a result of accumulated traumatic experiences. As indicated, this research aims to investigate whether there

Research Paper About Education Essay Example for Free

Research Paper About Education Essay Etymologically, the word education is derived from the Latin Ä“ducÄ tiÃ…  (â€Å"A breeding, a bringing up, a rearing) from Ä“dÃ… «cÃ…  (â€Å"I educate, I train†) which is related to the homonym Ä“dÃ… «cÃ…  (â€Å"I lead forth, I take out; I raise up, I erect†) from Ä“- (â€Å"from, out of†) and dÃ… «cÃ…  (â€Å"I lead, I conduct†).[2] The role of government A right to education has been created and recognized by some jurisdictions: Since 1952, Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. It does not however guarantee any particular level of education of any particular quality.[3] At the global level, the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right under its Article 13.[4] Throughout history various governments have made it illegal to educate children privately or at home. Various totalitarian regimes, for example, have mandated indoctrination through propaganda in the Hitler Youth and propaganda in education under various communist regimes. Systems School children line, in Kerala, India Systems of schooling involve institutionalized teaching and learning in relation to a curriculum, which itself is established according to a predetermined purpose of the schools in the system. Schools systems are sometimes also based on religions, giving them different curricula. Curriculum Main articles: Curriculum, Curriculum theory, and List of academic disciplines School children in Durban, South Africa. In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses and their content offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults. A curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus which merely specifies what topics must be understood and to what level to achieve a particular grade or standard. An academic discipline is a branch of knowledge which is formally taught, either at the university–or via some other such method. Each discipline usually has several sub-disciplines or branches, and distinguishing lines are often both arbitrary and ambiguous. Examples of broad areas of academic disciplines include the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences, humanities and applied sciences.[5] Educational institutions may incorporate fine arts as part of K-12 grade curricula or within majors at coll eges and universities as electives. The various types of fine arts are music, dance, and theater.[6] Preschools Main article: Preschool education The term preschool refers to a school for children who are not old enough to attend kindergarten. It is a nursery school. Preschool education is important because it can give a child the edge in a competitive world and education climate.[citation needed] While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors and designs when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge. The true purpose behind kindergarten is â€Å"to provide a child-centered, preschool curriculum for three to seven year old children that aimed at unfolding the child’s physical, intellectual, and moral nature with balanced emphasis on each of them.†[7] Primary schools Main article: Primary education Primary school in open air. Teacher (priest) with class from the outskirts of Bucharest, around 1842. Primary (or elementary) education consists of the first 5–7 years of formal, structured education. In general, primary education consists of six or eight years of schooling starting at the age of five or six, although this varies between, and sometimes within, countries. Globally, around 89% of primary-age children are enrolled in primary education, and this proportion is rising.[8] Under the Education For All programs driven by UNESCO, most countries have committed to achieving universal enrollment in primary education by 2015, and in many countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education. The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age. Some education systems have separate middle schools, with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the age of fourteen. Schools that provide primary education, are mostly referred to as primary schools. Primary schools in these countries are often subdivided into infant schools and junior school. In India, compulsory education spans over twelve years, out of which children receive elementary education for 8 years. Elementary schooling consists of five years of primary schooling and 3 years of upper primary schooling. Various states in the republic of India provide 12 years of compulsory school education based on national curriculum framework designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. Secondary schools Main article: Secondary education Students working with a teacher at Albany Senior High School, New Zealand Students in a classroom at Samdach Euv High School, Cambodia In most contemporary educational systems of the world, secondary education comprises the formal education that occurs during adolescence. It is characterized by transition from the typically compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors, to the optional, selective tertiary, post-secondary, or higher education (e.g. university, vocational school) for adults. Depending on the system, schools for this period, or a part of it, may be called secondary or high schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, middle schools, colleges, or vocational schools. The exact meaning of any of these terms varies from one system to another. The exact boundary between primary and secondary education also varies from country to country and even within them, but is generally around the seventh to the tenth year of schooling. Secondary education occurs mainly during the teenage years. In the United States, Canada and Australia primary and secondary educa tion together are sometimes referred to as K-12 education, and in New Zealand Year 1–13 is used. The purpose of secondary education can be to give common knowledge, to prepare for higher education or to train directly in a profession. The emergence of secondary education in the United States did not happen until 1910, caused by the rise in big businesses and technological advances in factories (for instance, the emergence of electrification), that required skilled workers. In order to meet this new job demand, high schools were created, with a curriculum focused on practical job skills that would better prepare students for white collar or skilled blue collar work. This proved to be beneficial for both employers and employees, for the improvement in human capital caused employees to become more efficient, which lowered costs for the employer, and skilled employees received a higher wage than employees with just primary educational attainment. In Europe, grammar schools or academies date from as early as the 16th century, in the form of public schools, fee-paying schools, or charitable educational foundations, which themselves have an even longer history. MLC Kx12 in Portland, Oregon Autodidacticism Main article: Autodidacticism Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-directed learning that is related to but different from informal learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is learning on your own or by yourself, and an autodidact is a self-teacher. Autodidacticism is a contemplative, absorbing process. Some autodidacts spend a great deal of time reviewing the resources of libraries and educational websites. One may become an autodidact at nearly any point in ones life. While some may have been informed in a conventional manner in a particular field, they may choose to inform themselves in other, often unrelated areas. Notable autodidacts include Abraham Lincoln (U.S. president), Srinivasa Ramanujan (mathematician), Michael Faraday (chemist and physicist), Charles Darwin (naturalist), Thomas Alva Edison (inventor), Tadao Ando (architect), George Bernard Shaw (playwright), and Leonardo da Vinci (engineer, scientist, mathematician). Vocational Main article: Vocational education Vocational education is a form of education focused on direct and practical training for a specific trade or craft. Vocational education may come in the form of an apprenticeship or internship as well as institutions teaching courses such as carpentry, agriculture, engineering, medicine, architecture and the arts. ]Indigenous Main article: Indigenous education Indigenous education refers to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, models, methods and content within formal and non-formal educational systems. Often in a post-colonial context, the growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge and language through the processes of colonialism. Furthermore, it can enable indigenous communities to â€Å"reclaim and revalue their languages and cultures, and in so doing, improve the educational success of indigenous students.†[9]

Postural Sway and Self-Motion Perception Theory

Postural Sway and Self-Motion Perception Theory Tharushi Kaluarachchi People are often faced with a sensation of motion when gazing at moving clouds or when a train on an adjacent track moves at a railway station (Dichgans Brandt, 1978). Multiple senses contribute to this common visual illusion of self-motion. Optic flow stimuli induces a conflict between visual input, signalling movement of the body and vestibular input from inertial motion cues (A1). Visual-vestibular interactions also play an important role in maintaining postural stability (A4). Thus it is proposed that there is a common underlying mechanism between postural sway during quiet-stance and vection (A5). Recent research has shown that quiet-stance postural sway can be used to predict subsequent vection strength (A5). While many different types of global optic flow can generate self-motion (A2), this relationship has only been demonstrated for radial flow (Apthorp, Nagle, Palmisano, 2014). Therefore, does quiet-stance postural sway predict differences between multiple vection types, or is it simply a global measure distinguishing vection from non-vection? Concepts The experience of vection describes compelling visual illusions of perceived self-motion that are induced by presenting large patterns of optic flow to physically stationary observers (Palmisano, Allison, Schira, Barry, 2015). Optic flow fields provide visual signals for effective navigation through the three-dimensional environment. It describes a pattern of visual motion on the retina used to rapidly estimate the direction of movement (Duffy Wurtz, 1993). This direction is dependent on the nature of this field, differing with radial, lamellar, rotary and spiral patterns of flow (Britten, 2008). A radial pattern refers to expanding and contracting optic flow (Apthorp et al., 2014). A lamellar pattern refers to optic flow with horizontally parallel flow (Stoffregen, 1985). A rotary pattern of optic flow describes a rotating pattern also parallel to the medial-lateral axis. A spiral pattern of optic flow combines radial and rotary patterns, with the rotary component superimposed in radially expanding flow (Nakamura, 2011). The postural system concerns the position and orientation of body segments to organise balance and movement (Massion, 1994). Postural sway refers to readjustments in posture which can occur with medial-lateral (ML), side-to-side, or anterior-posterior (AP), back-and-forth sway (Ruhe, Fejer, Walker, 2011). Quiet-stance postural sway refers to both eyes open and eyes closed postural sway while standing which occurs prior to the onset of vection (Apthorp et al., 2014). Assumptions A1 (vection). Self-motion perception is a multisensory experience induced by conflicts between optic flow stimuli indicating movement and vestibular input which detects no variation in body position or velocity (Lestienne, Soechting, Berthoz, 1977). A2 (optic flow). Radially expanding and contracting optic flow stimulates forwards and backwards linear vection, respectively (Apthorp et al., 2014). For lamellar optic flow, it generates an illusion of self-translation parallel to the direction of flow (Stoffregen, 1985). A rotary pattern induces roll vection parallel to the plane of the presented flow (Tanahashi, Ujike, Kozawa, Ukai, 2007). Spiral optic flow induces a combination of roll and linear vection (Nakamura, 2011). A3 (optic flow and vection). The magnitude of vection varies with the nature of the optic flow, depending on the area, velocity, depth and spatial frequency of the pattern (Palmisano, Apthorp, Seno, Stapley, 2014). In general, more compelling vection will be induced by optic flow displays that generate significant sensory conflict (Palmisano et al., 2015). A4 (vision and posture). Maintenance of upright posture also depends on visual-vestibular cues (Del Percio et al., 2007). The extent of reliance on visual input in particular, indicates variations in posture, with a greater dependence resulting in more postural readjustments (Apthorp et al., 2014). A5 (postural sway and vection). Quiet-stance postural sway and vection are underpinned by the same basic mechanisms. This supports the use of quiet-stance postural sway measures to predict subsequent vection strength. (Palmisano et al., 2014). A6 (postural sway and vection). During upright stance, ML sway involves the control of hip and trunk muscles, whereas AP sway is regulated by ankle muscles. As these are controlled separately by the postural control system, independent variations in ML and AP are predictive of sway differences between vection types (Tucker, Kavanagh, Morrison, Barrett, 2010). Hypotheses Considering that vection magnitude varies with vection type (A3), it is hypothesised that global differences in the magnitude of future vection will be predicted by changes in quiet-stance. In addition, it is proposed that vection magnitude will be stronger for individuals who rely more on their vision for postural stability. Using local differences in sway axes, it is proposed that changes in AP sway will predict radial flow as it stimulates forwards-and-backwards self-motion (A2). For lamellar flow, which induces self-translation and roll vection generated from rotary flow (A2), it is hypothesised that ML changes will be more predictive. In addition, the combination of roll and linear vection from spiral flow may be predicted by sway in both ML and AP axes. Operationalisation Vection magnitude can be operationalised through a subjective verbal vection rating. Subjects verbally rate the strength of their vection experience on a 100 point scale, with ‘0’ indicating no perceived self-motion and ‘100’ indicating complete self-motion (Apthorp et al., 2014). Though self-report measures can be susceptible to subject cognitions, subjective ratings of vection are reasonably reliably as vection is a subjective experience (Palmisano et al., 2015). The multisensory visual-vestibular interaction for posture can be operationalised through postural sway measures. Quiet-stance postural sway, has been shown to predict subsequent vection, which makes it a viable measure of vection (Palmisano et al., 2014). Postural sway can be operationalised through the changes to the location of the centre of foot pressure (CoP) in the AP and ML direction (Ruhe et al., 2011). Larger sway amplitudes are indicative of greater postural instability. Though CoP is an indirect sway measure as it measures motor system activity, it is a practical method of measuring postural sway in standing (Ruhe et al., 2011). References Apthorp, D., Nagle, F., Palmisano, S. (2014). Chaos in balance: non-linear measures of postural control predict individual variations in visual illusions of motion. PloS one, 9(12). Britten, K. H. (2008). Mechanisms of self-motion perception. Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 31, 389-410. Del Percio, C., Brancucci, A., Bergami, F., Marzano, N., Fiore, A., Di Ciolo, E., . . . Eusebi, F. (2007). Cortical alpha rhythms are correlated with body sway during quiet open-eyes standing in athletes: a high-resolution EEG study. Neuroimage, 36(3), 822-829. Dichgans, J., Brandt, T. (1978). Visual-Vestibular Interaction: Effects on Self-Motion Perception and Postural Control. In R. Held, H. Leibowitz H.-L. Teuber (Eds.), Perception (Vol. 8, pp. 755-804): Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Duffy, C. J., Wurtz, R. H. (1993). An illusory transformation of optic flow fields. Vision Research, 33(11), 1481-1490. Lestienne, F., Soechting, J., Berthoz, A. (1977). Postural readjustments induced by linear motion of visual scenes. Exp Brain Res, 28(3-4), 363-384. Massion, J. (1994). Postural control system. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 4(6), 877-887. Nakamura, S. (2011). Effects of viewpoint jitters on roll vection. i-Perception, 2(4), 254-262. Palmisano, S., Allison, R., Schira, M., Barry, R. J. (2015). Future Challenges for Vection Research: Definitions, Functional Significance, Measures and Neural Bases. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. Palmisano, S., Apthorp, D., Seno, T., Stapley, P. (2014). Spontaneous postural sway predicts the strength of smooth vection. Exp Brain Res, 232(4), 1185-1191. Ruhe, A., Fejer, R., Walker, B. (2011). Center of pressure excursion as a measure of balance performance in patients with non-specific low back pain compared to healthy controls: a systematic review of the literature. European Spine Journal, 20(3), 358-368. Stoffregen, T. A. (1985). Flow Structure Versus Retinal Location in the Optical Control of Stance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 11(5), 554-565. Tanahashi, S., Ujike, H., Kozawa, R., Ukai, K. (2007). Effects of visually simulated roll motion on vection and postural stabilization. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 4(1), 39-39. Tucker, M. G., Kavanagh, J. J., Morrison, S., Barrett, R. S. (2010). Differences in rapid initiation and termination of voluntary postural sway associated with ageing and falls-risk. J Mot Behav, 42(5), 277-287.