International B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International B - Essay Example The specific Forum reflects the trends in globalisation as developed both in the literature and the empirical field – i.e. the daily activities and policies of governmental and non-governmental organizations. The concept of globalisation has been considered to include seven different forces: in this paper, emphasis is given on the globalisation of markets – one of the seven forces mentioned above. The trends on the globalisation of markets – as highlighted in relevant studies – could help to understand the importance of this concept for the increase of the effectiveness of governmental and commercial strategies. The globalisation of markets has affected the strategies and performance of governmental and non-governmental organizations – referring especially to the commercial firms – both positively and negatively. The specific issue is highlighted in the study of Perrone et al. (2010) who focus on the effects of globalisation on small and medium enterprises – a study which can be used also in order to evaluate the effects of globalisation on large and multinational firms. In accordance with Perrone et al. (2010) ‘globalisation represents a threat, since new emerging companies are entering their domestic market, but on the other hand, it represents the opportunity to enter new emerging and growing markets’ (Perrone et al., 2010, p.356). From another point of view, globalisation can highly affect a speficic part of commercial firms: the corporate governance (Berry, 2010, 234); the different principles and cultures of the global market and the national market c ould negatively affect the firms that try to enter the global market. The importance of culture, the social ethics and the political system – actually referring to the traditions, the social principles and the politics of a specific country - on the success of the efforts for entering the global market is also highlighted in the study of Standing et al. (2010, p. 56). The above

ISSUES IN FINANCIAL REPORTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ISSUES IN FINANCIAL REPORTING - Essay Example The analysis of the enterprise’s performance is critical because it helps decision makers such as the investors and managers for effective decision-making. The analysis of performance provides information about the efficiency of allocation of resources and factors causing the business not to achieve its objectives (Hargreaves 2015) The trend analysis will enable the stakeholders in making an assessment as to whether the company is improving or not improving and how competitive the company is in the industry (Alexander, Britton & Jorissen, 2011). The report provides causes for observed performance in the particular company. The report offers a recommendation on the areas that require improvement to achieve better financial performance. Corporate governance refers to a method of directing and controlling companies. It involves balancing between social and individual goals or economic and social goals to align the interests of the businesses, individuals and the society as close as is practicable (European Accounting Review, 2015). It specifies the correlation between shareholders, the board of the company and other stakeholders. Also, it provides the structure for setting up company’s objectives, approaches for attaining these goals and determines how to monitor the performance (Alexander et al., 2011). Corporate governance eases operational, innovative and sensible management that can promote continuous performance of the business. Corporate governance is reinforced by various theories such as agency theory, stakeholders’ theory, resource dependency theory and stewardship theory. The responsibility of governing corporations is bestowed upon the board of directors. Shareholders have the responsibility of appointing the board of directors to ensure to ensure effective corporate governance (European Accounting Review, 2015) On the other hand, the board of directors sets the

Delusional Disorders Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Delusional Disorders - Research Paper Example DD is also known as psychosis or paranoid disorder and persists for at least one month (Bustillo, 2008). DD may be related to the patient’s life history or his experiences in the past and is seen in elder people normally who combine it with auditory hallucinations. However, DD patients do not show any abnormal or bizarre behavior when they socialize. DD is of various types depending upon the kind of delusions being experienced by the patient. According to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders (2010), these types include Erotomanic (the patient has the delusion that someone famous is in love with him which may cause the patient to stalk him); Grandiose (the patient thinks that he has great abilities that make him better than others); Jealous (the patient thinks that his partner is betraying him); Persecutory (where the person thinks that he is being spied or harrassed); Somatic (the patiemt thinks that he has some physical abnormality); and, Mixed (the patient may show multiple types of DD). Research has shown that DD patients do not act strange or weird when they are being social, and this is what makes this disorder different from other psychotic disorders (Schultz & Videbeck, 2008, p. 174). Unless the patient himself discusses the problem with the healthcare professionals, it is very difficult to tell whether a person is suffering from DD or not. However, the patient is apt to make choices and decisions depending on his delusions which he may not make otherwise. For example, if he believes that his spouse is betraying him, he may choose not expand his family which is a choice he would not have made otherwise. Another reason why DD are not obvious is that a DD patient sometimes holds so strong opinion that he does not even think that he is wrong in believing what he think is true no matter how troubled he feels about the situation (Sedler, 1995). Instead of detecting

The important issue of war is Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Essay Example for Free

The important issue of war is Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen Essay Choose a poem which deals with an important issue such as war poverty or racism. Explain how the poet deepens out understanding of the issue by the choice of content and the skilful use of poetic techniques. A poem which deals with the important issue of war is â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† by Wilfred Owen. The poet first went to the war on 30th of December 1916. He had already completed his military training and sailed for France. Nothing had fully prepared Owen for the shock and suffering of his front line experience. I have said that he went to the war, because if we know this, we would understand better why this poem seems so real as it reflects the brutal reality and the atmosphere of wars. In the first stanza, Owen gives a vicious and desperate image of war. He conveys this by describing the dreadful conditions of soldiers at war and sets a weary tone: â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge† This horrendous description of the soldiers makes us feel almost pitiful towards the. The word â€Å"beggars† has connotations of desperation and lack of dignity suggesting that the soldiers are stark contrast to the brave valiant image of soldiers that we have. These soldiers are forgotten and are almost like outcasts of society and this is described here. The poet uses similes such as â€Å"coughing like hags† to emphasise their pitiful and unwell state. The use of â€Å"cursed† as a verb here suggests that they are worn down from the constant battle and they are regretting being there. This helps us to understand the issue of war by highlighting the appalling conditions of soldiers at war. The reader is given a very fatigued and desperate image of the soldiers. Owen uses enjambment to emphasise the weariness of the soldiers: â€Å"All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind† Owen shows how these mens senses had been numbed by the ghastly occurrences in the trenches and how these numbed senses cause the men to not realise they are under attack until it is almost too late. He uses metaphors to emphasise how tired they are and they cannot even hear the shells which is surprising as we would expect the bombs to be fairly loud. He uses the transferred epithet of â€Å"tired, outstripped Five-Nines† to show how the war is so draining and everyone is tired of the war. The images in this sentence help us to understand the feeling of being at war and show the arduous environment of the soldiers. In the next stanza there is as rapid change from the tired tone of the first stanza to one of panic. Owen uses minor sentences to change the pace: â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys – An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time† Suddenly every one springs to life and the scene is chaotic. Owen emphasises this by using the minor sentences in succession giving a dramatic change of atmosphere. A sense of immediacy and urgency is evident here and the transferred epithet of â€Å"clumsy helmets† shows that in the sudden rush even the helmets seem clumsy. Furthermore, there is a change in rhythm from the iambic pentameter of the first stanza into one of chaos almost symbolising the atmosphere of the trench. Our understanding of the urgency of war is deepened here and the reader is given insight into how risky the soldiers lives are. The poet uses imagery to illustrate his memories. The man being choked to death by the gas is almost in slow motion as the event happen: â€Å"But someone still was yelling out and stumbling As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.† This whole sequence of events is described by Owen in great detail showing that the images of the man’s pain seem fresh in Owen’s mind showing and that they have emotionally scarred him and he will never be able to forget seeing this soldier dying. The word â€Å"someone† shows the anonymity of the soldiers and emphasises how many soldiers are simply forgotten. â€Å"But† shows that not everyone was able to fit their helmet in time and the soldier was too late and is seen only through the green sea of mustard gas, yelling stumblingdrowninggutteringchoking. The word order of â€Å"someone still was† is changed to highlight the chaos of the situation. The reader is shown how horrendous deaths in the war can be and how scarring the effect of seeing someone’s slow death can be on a person. The third stanza is written in present tense to show the effect that the soldiers death has had on Owen. The stanza almost has a nightmarish quality: â€Å"In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.† From â€Å"all† it is clear that Owen has a recurring nightmare of the man’s death and his seeing his last moments has traumatized him. The poet shows that he was â€Å"helpless† despite the soldier’s pleas for help. The transferred epithet of â€Å"helpless sight† shows that Owen could merely witness the man’s death and was powerless in stopping the gas. The listed verbs are associated with a lack of air and death and the hard consonants almost embody the man’s dying moments. The final stanza is addressed to the advocates of war. Owen describes the horrific image of the man’s body and addresses the reader directly: â€Å"Behind the wagon that we flung him in. And watch the white eyes writhing in his face† The poet is almost asking the reader to be empathetic towards the soldiers in this sentence. The word â€Å"flung† shows a lack of care and respect and emphasises the anonymity of the soldier. The language used in the sections depicting the gas attack is strong, representing both the suffering of the victims of the gas attack as well as the effect on those haunted by what they have seen. The repetition of the word face makes it clear which part disturbs the poet most. The use of alliteration on the w sound reflects the agonised twisting of the gas victim. The poet also makes it clear how it is unfair on these young boys and how they are â€Å"innocent†. Owen highlights the severity and lasting effect of war and violence on the soldiers and this helps the reader to understand what happens at war and the effect of war. Owen ends the poem with a Latin expression taken from the odes of the roman poet Horace: â€Å"To children ardent for some desperate glory The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.† The fact that the war recruits are only â€Å"children† makes the reader question the justification of sending people to war. The poet is saying that the men only go into war to be war heroes, yet, they are forgotten and forced through horrendous conditions. Throughout the poem there has been around ten syllables per line and the last line has only six and I think that the missed beats give the reader time to think about the poem as a whole. The Latin used at the end of the poem means It is sweet and honourable to die for your country, a concept Owen is strongly denying throughout the poem. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† is a poem which gives a very insightful and realistic view of war. I think that Wilfred Owen did not use the full phrase â€Å"Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori† in order to allow the reader to decide for oneself whether they agreed or disagreed with him in the end.

Bibliography on the Mexican Muralist Movement Essay Example for Free

Bibliography on the Mexican Muralist Movement Essay As an instructor for the Yale-New Haven Teachers institute Maria Cardalliaguet Gomez-Malaga has posted the contents of her Curriculum Unit 06. 02. 01. The Idea behind a final for this class is a discussion of how Modern Mexican, Latino/a, Chicana/o art during the twentieth century turned revolutionary propaganda of the 1920s and 1930s, into a significant 20th century art form to young Chicano artists and activists. These artists developed a strong new Mural Movement that has had strong influences on the social, political and cultural development to support social activism during the 1960s. Her curriculum enabled me to find a starting point in the development of a thesis where I believe this Art form â€Å"The Mural† is able to describe a historical picture of life from one society to another through a Painted Medium. This thesis is preliminary in scope and needs to be defined more precisely in its description of historical life, though it is a beginning or a starting point for additional research. Campbell, Bruce. Mexican Murals in times of Crisis. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-2239-1. This book traces the ongoing critical contributions of mural arts to public life in Mexico to show how post-revolutionary murals have been overshadowed both by the Mexican School and by the exclusionary nature of official public arts. By documenting a range of mural practices—from fixed-site murals to mantas (banner murals) to graffiti—Bruce Campbell evaluates the ways in which the practical and aesthetic components of revolutionary Mexican muralist have been appropriated and redeployed within the context of Mexicos ongoing economic and political crisis. I think I can show how art can be used by public officials to influence public perception of political cause’s Author: Eva Sperling Cockcroft; Holly Barnet-Sa? nchez; Social and Public Arts Resource Center. Venice, Los Angeles, Calif. Signs from the heart : California Chicano murals Publisher: Venice, Calif. : Social and Public Art Resource Center : Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2001,  ©1990 In this book the authors began as just photographers collecting of pictures of Chicano murals for a family album. This would outgrow the picture taking phase as they discovered the social significance as these photos would become a nationwide photo documentation of powerful community based art. The book only one part of SPARC’s collection of mural slides is significant in that it helps to show the shift from Mexico to the United States as the center of mural production in the world. Art and Identity in Mexican and Chicano Social Movements by Edward J. McCaughan. http://bss. sfsu.edu/emccaughan/art_and_identity_in_mexican_and. htm This paper presents a comparative analysis of artwork produced in the context of social movements waged by Mexicans and Chicanos (U. S. inhabitants of Mexican descent) during the two decades between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s. Young artists played a central role in projecting the public identity and agendas of powerful social movements that emerged in Mexico and among Chicanos in the United States in the 1960s. This paper is a good starting point for me in that the issues young artists were trying to depict are described in greater detail with the inclusion of female artists in the paper with internationally born artists I feel I have the material to start a solid project. Art and social change, or is it the ability of that art to provoke change in society’s view of? A view of what? Is this racial, social, class, or cultural differences among groups of people that art changes the perceptions of? I still am faced with a question that I would like to have answered for myself!

Aviation Safety Strategies at Airports

Aviation Safety Strategies at Airports Aviation Safety Strategies at Airports  within the United Arab Emirates One of the major issues that is relevant directly to airports, their management and operations is that of safety. It is the one area of the airport business that bound to cause concern to all of the business stakeholders, which includes airline operators, employees and the travel public. Recently, the international and regional airport and aviation authorities have developed a Safety Strategic Plan, which is recommended for use by all airports, indeed such a plan will become compulsory from January 2009. However, the development and implementation of such a plan is only the first step in the process. What is more important is that the plan is operated in practice in a manner that ensures its efficiency and effectiveness in addressing the issues that it has been designed for, namely to reduce and eliminate the potential for risk in safety issues. With the continual growth of air travel and the fact that this standard has only recently been developed it was felt that there was a need to study whether there is the willingness and necessary processes within the airport organisational structure to commit to making this plan work. Using airports within the UAE as an example, due the regions higher than global average growth of air travel, it was found that in some areas, specifically management commitment, resources and knowledge, there were areas of difficulty that needed to be addressed, particularly if the airport industry wishes to retain the confidence and trust of those that it serves, and specifically to ensure that air travel retains its safe operation record. Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.3 Overview Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Airports and air travel 2.3 Airport operations 2.4 Airport safety 2.5 Regulations and legislation 2.6 Summary Chapter 3 Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Choice of research method 3.3 Secondary data 3.4 The questionnaires 3.4 Performance of the research Chapter 4 Analysis of Questionnaire’s 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Part 1 4.3 Part 2 Chapter 5 Discussion and Analysis 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Discussion Chapter 6 Recommendations 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Industry recommendations 6.3 Further research Chapter 1 Introduction   1.1 Introduction As Dr Tarib Cherif (2008), general secretary of the ICAO[1] said in his introduction to an airport aviation summit held in Abu Dhabi in January, â€Å"Airport and airspace congestion in certain parts of the world are currently stretching sir navigation and ground facilities to the limit.† Furthermore, as this address goes on to add, with expected increases in global air traffic set to achieve growth of nearly 6% on average during the course of the next few years, with some areas of the world seeing double this figure, this will increase the pressure on all airport facilities and operations. Similarly, as the numbers of air travellers grows, the size of aircraft needed to carry this passenger load will also increase, as has been seen with the introduction of the latest European Airbus A380. Such aircraft will also add to the pressure at airports, both in terms of the flight operations and handling of extra passengers at times of boarding and alighting times (Wong 2008). With the advent of these changes, none of the airport resources will become more tested than those involved with strategic airport safety systems. Safety at airports is a complex issue that affects virtually every aspect of the airport authority’s operations and, in addition, it relates to all of the resources being utilised, which includes the buildings, airfields, air traffic control, internal transportation methods, passenger controls procedures and the business employees. As such, it can be seen to be an issue of significant importance to the welfare of those who use these facilities, which include the airline operators who both have operational hubs at the particular airport location and those who use the location as destination points. As with any other aspect of corporate management within airports, the effectiveness and efficient operations of safety systems within this environment need to be established and maintained through a process of strategic planning and monitoring, a process that has to be kept continually under review to ensure that it is regular upgraded to take into account the changing demands brought about by increased passenger loads, flight frequency and aircraft design and capacity. It is therefore important that the safety requirements of all areas if the airports supply chain are incorporated within this planning process. Furthermore, insofar as security issues such as terrorism impact upon safety issues, these also have to be incorporated within the strategic planning stage of safety system development. Because of the high level of important that airport operational safety has for all of the business stakeholders, if follows that the concerns of these various interested parties is not only that the airports are developing safety strategic plans, but that these are being embraced by all those who work within the organisation and implemented and monitored in a manner that can be relied upon to deliver the expected performance levels and objectives, with is to ensure the safety of all and striving to address and reduce areas of safety risk. Incidents such as a near miss on runways near miss, accidents and terrorist acts within airport concourses and other safety related issues heighten concerns about airport safety and bring into question the quality of safety procedures that are in force at these locations. It is these issues that have formed the motivation for this research, namely can there be confidence and trust in the airport strategic safety planning and implementation process? To provide a starting position for continued research into the issue of strategic safety planning and systems in airports, this study has concentrated solely upon the current situation as it has developed within the airports of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This region was chosen because its size, with only six airports in total, together with the fact that is still in the process of international airport development, means that it provides a more appropriate area to begin this analysis and evaluation because strategic safety systems might be in an embryonic stage. In addition, as will be seen within the analysis of existing data in the literature review in chapter two, the Middle East is one of the fastest growing regions in the world in terms of air travel. Furthermore, with the limited number of airport within a limited area it was anticipated that, by choosing to focus the study on two airports in the region, the results would be a fair representation of the state of strategic safety planning in the region generally. 1.2 Aims and Objectives The aim of this research is to provide an assessment on whether airport authorities have engaged with and embraced the process of strategic planning for the development of an airport safety system and, if so, to what extent these have been successfully implemented and maintained. In essence, the aim of the research can therefore be encapsulated within the following hypothesis: â€Å"To provide a clear understanding of the development and operational impact of the process strategic safety planning process within the six main airports that exist within the United Arab Emirates and identify whether these are efficiently implemented.† To enable the achievement of these goals, it is intended to work towards addressing the following objectives: To evaluate the needs and requirement of safety system maintenance and monitoring within the changing air travel environment. To provide an overview of the level of understanding and competency of airport personnel from the analysis of primary data responses. To provide an assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the strategic safety planning process when experienced within a practical environment. This is be achieved by examining the results collected from primary data resources. It is felt that the above objectives will enable the research to provide a meaningful conclusion to the issues being addressed as well as allowing for recommendations for the future to be included where these are considered to be appropriate. 1.3 Overview The study has been organised in a manner that enables a logical continuity of development of the issues that have been addressed and the way the research itself has been conducted, which is intended to add clarity of understanding for the reader. The following explanation therefore provides an overview of the study format. Within chapter two, which commences following this introduction, a critical literature review is provided, within which analysis an evaluation into previous literature and studies into the issues of air travel, airport operations and safety performance issues with be addressed. It will also be used to highlight some of the areas of concerns that have been encountered by other researches on these subjects. Moving on to chapter three, the research design and methodology will be explained in greater detail. This will incorporate the author’s reasoning for the research method that has been chosen together with an explanation of how any constraints and limitations have been addressed. Furthermore, to enable others to following the logic of this study a short explanation of the data collection methods and research performance is also included. The findings from the primary research that has been conducted in support of the aims and objectives of this study, are presented in chapter four, and these will be analysed and discussed in further details in chapter five, where they will also be compared and evaluated by other existing data. As a result of these discussions, and where pertinent, appropriate recommendations will be presented in chapter six. These will relate both to the practical issues being faced by airport authorities when dealing with strategic safety planning and implementation, and suggest areas where further research may add more value and knowledge to this particular discipline. The study is then brought to a conclusion in chapter seven. Following the conclusion of this research paper, a list of reference sources is attached together with appendices, which includes additional information and data that was considered to be helpful in adding understanding to the study content. For example, detailed responses to primary data activity falls within this category. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Business research studies set in isolation in general prove to be of little value except as forming a foundation for future research into the same issues. However, such researches are of more immediate interest where they have been set within, and compared with, the existing published literature and studies conducted within the same discipline. This critical literature review has been included with that purpose in mind. For reasons of clarity and understanding it has been segmented into three specific sections. 2.2 Airports and air travel As was quoted from Dr Cherif’s (2008) address in the introduction to this study, air travel is continuing to see growth levels of around 6%, or to be more accurate 5.8% for the industry as a whole (see table 1). However, as this table indicates this is not being achieved by a balanced pattern when one analyses the position on a regional basis, as the same table, which covers the movements of around 94% of all international scheduled airline flights, although it does exclude the domestic travel, shows. It is clear from this analysis that whilst North America and Europe has reached what could be considered a point of relative saturation, in other areas of the world there have been significant growth and losses being achieved. In terms of losses Africa is the major loser in terms of passenger travel and, joined with Latin America, is also losing its share of freight travel. Table 1 Current air travel growth statistics Explanation of measurement terms: RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometres measures actual passenger traffic ASK: Available Seat Kilometres measures available passenger capacity PLF: Passenger Load Factor is % of ASKs used. In comparison of 2007 to 2006, PLF indicates point differential between the periods compared FTK: Freight Tonne Kilometres measures actual freight traffic ATK: Available Tonne Kilometres measures available total capacity (combined passenger and cargo) Source: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/facts_figures/traffic_results/2008-05-02-01.htm However, what is more important in terms of the objectives of this research is the position being achieved within the Middle East, both in respect of the month against month and year to date comparisons. In terms of passenger and freight air travel this region has experienced a growth rate in excess of 15%, which, when considered against a 74.9% passenger load factor, indicates that there has been a considerable increase in the number of travellers that area using the UAE airport facilities. Furthermore, in terms of its share of the international passenger market, the UAE now accommodates around 8% (see figure 1). When this is compared with the share that the region held as of 2001 (see figure 2), it confirms that the region’s air travel passenger growth pattern is increasing at significant rate, quadrupling in the space of the past six years, with similar growth being achieved within the freight market share. It is apparent from these increases that, when compared with airlines in other areas of the world market, the Middle East airport systems are having to contend with a level of change in the services and products that they provide to the travelling passenger. In addition, the increase in the numbers of flights and operators using the airport facilities present these airports with additional pressures in terms of air traffic control and other infrastructure issues (Wells and Rodrigus 2003). 2.3 Airport operations As Anne Graham (2003, p. 98-99) in her study of airports and their management has rightly observed, the increase in air traffic and indeed the shape of airline travel, has changed dramatically during the course of the past few decades. Growth of passengers and changes in their expectations has led to an increase in the number of facilities being offered in an effort to improve the traveller’s experience. This includes the expansion of retail and refreshment areas within the waiting areas and departure lounges (Graham 2003, p.100). This aspect of the airport expansion of revenue attracting resources has now become a significant contributor to the airport’s total revenue (Graham 2003, p.147). In addition, the airports have had to respond with major improvements to their sites in order to cater for the increase in aircraft traffic, which has in some cases included additional runways and maintenance facilities and well as administrative offices for these corporations. An ex ample of this expansion can be seen in the development and improvements that have been made to the Abu Dhabi airport over paste few years (News 2008). As this article, following a doubling of passenger traffic between 1998 and 2006, with this growth expected to continue at around 30% by 2010, the airport authority has invested in excess of $230 million in increasing the runways and other internal facilities being offered by the airport. The Dubai airport underwent a similar process of transformation in the 1970’s and 1980’s (DIA History 2008). The relationship between the airports and the airlines that it services has also changed, especially following the successes and growth of the â€Å"low-cost† or budget sector (Graham 2003, p.100). Not only did this mean that these airlines no longer required the lavish offices and passenger reception lounges that were available to them in the past (Delfmann et al 2005), but because of the nature and small margins of the low-cost airline model there have been increasing demands made upon the airport industry to reduce the carrier cost, for example by these carriers seeking reduction in landing fees (Wells and Rodregues 2003. Delfmann et al 2005 and Graham 2003). With the budget airlines being willing to transfer their business to secondary airports, who were prepared in most cases to cooperate over these issues, the major airports found themselves under increasing pressure to follow suite. Furthermore, part of the cost saving exercise for the low-cost carrier’s have bee n achieved by a process of improving turnaround times at airports (Wells and Rodrigues 2003). This is another issue that creates pressure for the airport, both in terms of the changes in the performance levels needed by air traffic control and then additional speed and resources that needs to be attached to enable the ancillary services, such as baggage handling to carry out their tasks. However, perhaps the major issue that is affected by the growth in air travel for the airports, in addition to the extra facilities provided and the developing and changing relationship they have with the airlines, is in the area of safety. 2.4 Airport safety As mentioned before, airport safety is of paramount importance (Graham 2003). This applies to the activities that take place within the terminal building, the airfield itself and the surrounding areas and ancillary services and facilities. For those who use the airport safety and comfort are paramount to their enjoyment (Delfman et al 2005, p.564) of the airport terminal facilities. Similarly, with rapid aircraft turnarounds, keeping runways and taxiing areas safe and working efficiently has an equal level of importance. Safety and security is part of the same process within an airport environment and it is important for the authority controlling these facilities to ensure that the standards employed to maintain the safety of such an environment (Wells and Rodrigues 2003), by ensuring that the right level and content of safety measures is in force at all times and, furthermore, that these measures include a process for regular monitoring and changing as and when the changes in the environment suggests is necessary (Graham 2003). Amongst other issues this means being able to identify and address issues such as hazards that my cause concerns within or external to the facility (Graham 2003, p.111). Another important element is the training and awareness programmes needed for all of the employees (Wells 2005 and Graham 2003) aimed to ensure that a) safety rules are obeyed and b) that in the event of a safety incident the employees is able to respond rapidly and efficiently to resolve the problem. In addition to the importance of safety measures for the obvious practical needs, the airport also have a duty to maintain these standards simply in order to ensure that their procedures comply with the relevant regulations and legislation that apply to their industry and operations. 2.5 Regulations and legislation Internationally, the airports have to comply with many of the safety regulations and standards that have been set by the ICAO, which lays down certain procedures that must be carried out in the cases of safety breaches, for example accidents, injury and illness (Wells and Rodrigues 2005, p.72). In 2002, the ICAO was responsible for the adoption of the â€Å"Aviation Security Plan of Action†, which also included within its structure the safety aspects of running an airport (Graham 2003, p.259). In an effort to ensure that the airport employees are sufficiently aware of and trained in the internationally accepted standards, the ICAO has produced a number of publications and runs training workshops (Wells and Roderigues 2005, p.99). Although the airport authorities are not obliged to use these facilities, they do have to ensure that their own training methods are sufficient to ensure that the key safety personnel within the business are qualified to the requirements laid down within the international standards. In the case of the UAE, the responsibility for airport operations and security and safety issues is dealt with through the regions own General Civil Aviation Authority, whose role and regulations reflects that of the international organisation. Recently, the ICAO/GCAA have developed and introduced a programme known as Safety Strategic Plans. The intention is that every airport will be required to have such a document in written format within their operational facilities and that every employee must be trained and have complete knowledge of the safety procedures that are in force within the total airport complex. This document will have all the necessary reporting forms included and contain procedures for the monitoring of the safety programme in the practical environment (GACC). In addition to internal monitoring and auditing of the implemented safety strategic plan, the intention is that in the future, representatives from this organisations will act as external monitors to ensure that the safety standards and requirements are being adhered to by the individual airport. At present this plan is a voluntary process, but it will become mandatory from the beginning of 2009 (ICAO). The ICAO and GCAA standards are directly related to safety as it impacts specifically upon airports and airlines (Graham 2003, p.111). However, in addition to these regulations, or in some cases incorporated within them, the airport will also be regulated by the other national health and safety legislation. 2.6 Summary It can be seen from the research into previous and current literature that the air travel industry has changed significantly over the past few decades. Changes in the structure of the airlines, with the introduction of the low-cost carrier have led to a rapid expansion of the numbers of passengers that travel by air, with this growth expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This growth rate, which in the UAE is running at three times the global average, is placing additional pressure upon airport operations and their management. Responding to the loss of revenue as airlines have reduced their use of terminal facilities, the airports have reacted by increasing retail space and other facilities. However, the other impact that expansion of air travel has had is to bring additional pressure to bear upon existing airport facilities. An area that is of particular concern as a result of this situation is that of safety, both within the terminal complex and in the external areas of t he airport. In an effort to address these concerns, the national, regional and international regulators are developing a safety strategic plan, which is intended to ensure that safety systems are maintained at a level that is sufficient to meet the current demands of the airport environment. The findings presented in chapter five and subsequent discussions and analysis in chapter six will assess how successful these new safety developments have been in practice. Chapter 3 Methodology 3.1 Introduction One of the difficulties with addressing an issue such as the performance of safety programmes within an airport environment is that, because of the delicacy of the issue, incidences that can be deemed to have resulted from a breach of these regulations or poor implementation and monitori

Television Programs :: Personal Narrative Media Entertainment Essays

Television Programs Nature. PBS. 2004. Orangutans: Just Hangin’ On. When I was nine years old, my family lived in Ayer, Massachusetts. I was sad to leave my friends in Colorado behind, but luckily lived on a street with a lot of other kids that I became fast friends with. There was a military base located in the town, so it was not unusual for new transplants to come in and out of the school throughout the school year. My teacher was fantastic and helped me catch up when it was clearly evident that this school was way ahead of mine back home. Soon I became one of the top students in my class and had made a best friend in the girl across the street. I began to become accustomed to my quaint small town, with the candy store that still sold nickel candies. There was a bookstore that didn't mind if you read the magazines without paying for them, just as long as your fingers were not sticky from your nickel candy. It was one of those wonderful carefree days as a kid that my whole world changed. I had received a scooter for my birthday and rode up and down the streets with my friends on their bikes after school. The next street over from mine had a long winding hill that the daredevil bike riders liked to coast down at what seemed at the time to be as fast as a car. After riding around my much more level street, my friends became bored and wanted to test it out. I was not the most balanced of creatures on my scooter, and I wimped out. We decided that they would go down the hill and then meet me back at the old school that was next to a large field across the street from my house. The school was from the nineteenth century. There had been a fire there that shut the school down, but amazingly had not caused any structural damage to the outside. It was deemed an historic building so it remained preserved. It was kind of creepy to look in to its abandoned insides, but there was a large asphalt lot behind it and the field next to it, so the former playgrounds received a lot of attention from the kids in the neighborhood. I rode my scooter down towards the back of the school to where a basketball hoop stood and leaned my scooter against the chain link fence.