Thursday, October 31, 2019

Willow Garage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Willow Garage - Essay Example Among the positive values that other companies should emulate is sharing information as well as not concentrating on monetary gains. This way such companies remain productive and relevant, which in turn increases their consumer base relating to more profits. There is a common clichà © that knowledge is power, and information not shared is useless. This, in my opinion, is the light that guided the Willow Garage in its endeavors. The company availed ROS, which was associated with a library of information and tools that equip other researchers with the necessary software needed to develop robot applications. In addition, ROS also provided visualizers, device drivers, package management and message-passing that facilitated engineers’ understanding of video, 3D data and camera (Tobe, 2011). By availing this information, other robotics researchers are able to build off from the company’s foundation, as opposed to starting their research work afresh (Ashlee, 2014). In so doing, Willow garage emerges as the greater party compared to other companies. This is because it shares its findings with the world. In other words, it is more concerned with the advancement of robotics for the benefit of the world than building its own name. F urthermore, the work of the company is not lost as other researchers carry on with it. Similarly, companies should share their work and findings with others so that in the occurrence of any event leading to shutting down of the company, others can continue their legacy. Most businesses are profit-oriented. Because of this, most of their dealings are quantitative as opposed to qualitative. Such businesses do not care much about quality of their products and services. Moreover, their dealings are often confidential so that their competitors do not get wind of their work. In cases where they avail some of their information, there is always a cost involved. This is contrary to Willow Garage’s

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Creating a Sustainable Environment Essay Example for Free

Creating a Sustainable Environment Essay The terms Sustainable and Sustainability are used to describe many different approaches toward improving our way of life. Sustainability is a way to develop the environment without harming it, creating a system that keeps its self-feasible for future needs. Thus, sustainability means taking the long-term view of how our actions affect future generations and making sure we do not deplete resources or cause pollution at rates faster than the earth is able to renew them. Hence, if sustainability is enforced and took in action it will create a world where everyone can have fulfilling lives and enjoy a rich level of well-being within the limits of what nature can provide. Nowadays, there are many lifestyle trends that are rapidly damaging the environment and which are not sustainable. The main three lifestyle trends I am focusing on are; Children’s toys, entertainment focusing on cinema and pubs/clubs and office work environment. These lifestyle trends have a lot of unsustainable factors that can be changed and improved till year 2020. It is important that from a young age children will be taught the values of sustainability because they will inherit the world that we create today. Therefore, the stuff given to them should not damage the environment. Today there is the possibility to make sure that children’s playthings are green and healthy. Finding sustainable and less toxic toys for children is important since it can do well both for children and the environment. When buying toys it is important to look for PVC-free toys (polyvinyl chloride). PVC releases toxins into the environment all the way through its lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal. Many PVC toys also contain, chemical compounds that make the PVC plastic more flexible, which can lead to both cancer and hormonal disruption. Therefore, when choosing PVC-Free toys one will not only be sustainable but will prevent children from hazardous toxins. A better and safer alternative is to choose toys made from wood since, they are more sustainable and most importantly will last generations longer than the cheap plastic stuff. Batteries have become second nature in most toys today. Not only this is harmful for the environment due to massive battery consumption but also easily children can chew batteries which are toxic. Hence, one can easily replace these battery-powered toys by simpler toys which still are of an entertainment and fun. Furthermore, these would be cheaper and sustainable. However, for the older children that have more sense and always look for original and new toys which have the latest electronics, one should opt to look into rechargeable batteries to eliminate waste. Sometimes the most rewarding toy might not be a toy at all it might be the act of planting a tree, play catch or hide and seek. Getting children outside provides them with abundant opportunities to run around, have fun, get exercise, and learn about th e urban and natural environments around them. Outdoors needs to get revived again and children should be given the opportunity to play and enjoy more outdoors activities. Another way of being sustainable is by buying Second-hand toys because it does not mean that when a toy has been used once it would not be just as much fun the second time around. Thus, this will decrease the waist of toys which sometimes are hardly used or damaged, also these would be cheaper and one will be more sustainable. Additionally, for children sometimes is not whats in the box but it is the box! Sometimes it is the stuff that one already has that can prove the most fun to imaginative children. Therefore before throwing the box from that new toy away, think of it as a potential arts and crafts project instead. These factors are really important and not such difficult to practice and understand. These simple adjustments are both beneficial for children and the environment itself. Moreover, the children will be grown up in well sustainable grounding and mentality. Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their l eisure time. Entertainment may also provide fun, enjoyment and laughter. However, it is still important to be aware of a more sustainable entertainment environment. Thus, the challenge is to create good entertainment that sustains an audience and it is sustainable. Looking at the cinema industry there are so many things that go to waste that can be easily used more than once. Starting from when one arrives at the cinema each person that pays gets a ticket, why not making it a stamp on our hand to prove that we have paid therefore, this will eliminate the use of all those paper usage every day. Furthermore, when buying snacks a lot of packaging material is used, normally it would consist of paper and plastic which are all thrown away after usage since, most of them are not good to be recycled due to certain chemicals that are present. What a waste! So let’s entre a new cinema trend instead of a paper bucket or cups let’s replace them with plastic bowl and cups, which remains in the cinema to be reused. Why Plastic? Plastic is more safe, to prevent broken glass on the floor and since people themselves has to walk with them it will prevent certain accidents. This will be more sustainable due to less of waste and even less expenses since one will diminish the cost of buying so much packaging every year. Looking and the pubs/clubs sector one has no idea how unsustainable they are. From my own experience I work in this industry and therefore know a lot of what goes on. From the bar itself the amount of plastic thrown away every night is crazy. Why this? For safety purposes drinks are given in plastic cups to prevent having a lot of injuries during fights. However, these cups are not reused or recycled thus a plastic cup is only used for a couple of minutes and then thrown away. Therefore, replacing them with solid plastic cups which can be washed during the night and reused again is a better option which is more sustainable, more environmentally friendly and cheaper on the long run. Moreover, a lot of empty plastic bottles of soft drinks and glass bottles of alcohol and beers are thrown away in the same bin without recycling them, which is a pity because one only needs two separate bins to do so. Additionally a lot of paper made tickets are given when paying beforehand for parties. Yes, giving a ticket is the best way to prevent hassle and chaos when entering the club however, the size of the ticket sometimes is too much! Since, sometimes one can actually make three tickets from the size of the normal ticket that is normally given nowadays. If minimizing the size of the tickets one will decrease the amount of paper usage every night. Moreover, a lot of fliers are used to market other parties, fair enough marketing is important however, printing thousands of fliers and not even using half of them is a waist. Today, one can market their party through facebook, internet and even automatic mobile messages, this will decrease the amount of fliers printed which is more sustainable. What about noise pollution? The sound at the clubs is set at a very high volume that one cannot even talk to someone else because it will be impossible to understand one another. Noise pollution has an effect on our health, the extra sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. Then there are certain factors that can be adopted in both sectors, both in the cinema industry and the club/pubs environment. For example focusing on the bathrooms, automatic sensors can be fixed to switch on the light when entering and then switch off when no one is present. Even automatic water turn off devices can be installed to prevent water loss. Additionally, electric hand dryers with automatic turn-off system are good to prevent the use of disposable paper towels. Furthermore, it is good to use water pressure system to save water and energy by adding a water saving device for water taps in wash hands basins to decrease the consumption of water usage. These all are changes which can make a better sustainable environment. Increasing awareness on the work place about sustainable principles can encourage workers to implement sustainability principles into their own personal practices and beyond. There are also sustainable factors that can be adopted till 2020 in an office work environment. Such as using electronic mail to send memos, or route memos to staff members rather than making a paper copy for each person. One can use reused envelops for internal mail. Moreover, is better to do direct deposit instead of making a paycheque every time. Furthermore, it is essential to have a photo copier that makes double sided copies to minimize the amount of paper used every day. Also, cleaning shell be done within office hours rather than at other times which this would require lighting and air conditioning to remain on. It is also vital to encourage employees to bring their own washable mugs to work rather to use disposable cups. Also having a thermos for beverages is a good practice to decrease the use of energy daily. Additionally, it is better to use reusable containers rather than cover launches in plastic or disposable paper bags. It is also good to use a reusable cloth then disposable tissue every time one needs to wipe his/her hands. This will result to a better sustainable environment and less expenses since, an object is used consequently rather used once and then thrown away. These mentioned above are all practices that can be adopted in the future which can make the world more sustainable. If from now people will change their mentality and get more informed how to become more sustainable in 2020 people will be able to live a healthier life, a life where less money is spent, a life which helps build stronger relationship between them and their neighbours, and a life which helps protect, conserve or improve the natural environment. Children are the future, so teaching them sustainability is essential to the well-being of the planet. As a Home Economics and Textile studies teacher it is important to teach students that everything on this earth is related and demonstrated by their behaviours and actions that affect the environment. By teaching students the importance of sustainability, they will be empowered and be more convinced that even they are capable of making a difference. Moreover, in order to make students aware of the importance of sustainability, as a teacher I have to make them aware of the consequences of their actions and decisions taken know and the affect it would have in the future on the environment. Furthermore, it is important to teach students how their daily decisions can affect their ecological footprint so that they make more conscious decisions to boost the sustainability of their lifestyle. Home Economics gives the opportunity to the teacher to entre deeply in the topic (sustainability) therefore it gives us the opportunity to teach and show students the importance of sustainability and build more awareness and knowledge on the meaning and the term sustainability. Furthermore, as a teacher I can show students that being sustainable is not something that require a lot of work but only require some thought. Additionally, show students that we can be sustainable in everything that we do in our life, example trough textile studies I can encourage students to use recycled fabric and teach them how to sew simple things example; repair a zip, make patches to holes, these will prevent from throwing clothes away when little adjustments is required. Therefore it is essential that awareness and education will increase to enhance sustainability. Moreover, encouraging and stimulating good practice in the use and management of natural resources, in particular their minimal use and maximum reuse by recycling in an environmentally sustainable manner is a vital issue. Hence, Education is an essential tool for achieving sustainability.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Importance of supply chain management

Importance of supply chain management Introduction Supply chain management is a method of moving materials and associated information effectively and efficiently within inter and intra organisations. To get this task done in the desired way, use of e-business applications is essential. Supply chain management includes the coordination of the organisation involved in the supply side activities with the customers who are receiving the products (Chaffeey, 2009, pp 331). Supply chain management starts with identifying the resources and linking them with the processes which commence with the sources of raw materials and continues until the delivery of the items done through the end consumer. A supply chain activity differs from companies to companies but they provide the benefits of specialisation of process and the economy of scale (Trkman et al, 2007). Importance of supply chain management: An improved supply chain adds superior value to the organisations operation which ultimately gives superior value proposition to the end user for which efficient customer response (ECR) is crucial because ECR deals with the demand management which is required for satisfying the demand of customer by quickly and effectively applying product assortment strategies, rapid introduction of the new product and marketing communication by reducing stocks and delivery time (Chaffeey, 2009, pp 335). Elements of supply chain management: The way the knowledge and flow of information is processes and its outcomes received along with protection of intellectual property are important part in a supply chain strategy. Knowledge here is the information that the organisation has accumulated through years of experience and applying them for planning and   implementing strategy. The improvement in the processing technology of computers and advent of softwares like MS outlook, Lotus Notes that have facilitated the arrangement of discrete information in a logical and useful manner, these abilities give rise to the concept of knowledge and information management which is crutial for effectively managing the supply chain. For an organisation which is highly influenced by customer needs and expectations for them knowledge management is of great significance in two main areas that are customer intelligence and new product innovation as during supplying to customers there are multiple touch points in the organisation where customer interacts with it, Therefore the ability of an organisation to reap information about the customers behaviour and choice on this touch points proves to be a critical wealth of information which helps in customer retaining and growing customer value. In contrast with the new product innovation, the knowledge which flows across the suppliers, customers and market factors by sharing it across the supply chain leads to innovation and increased involvement of supplier in the innovation process  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  (Croom, 2005). Benefits of adopting Electronic Supply Chain Management: The Following improvements can be found by adopting the e-business supply chain management: Cost performance: by improved productivity and lower input prices Customer Service: by providing service quality Process capability: by maintaining consistency in quality Productivity and dependability: by increased control of material flows along the supply chain (Tan, 2001) Supply chain management involves improving the internal processes, but also processes performed in conjunction with suppliers, distributors and customers. It also provides great opportunities to improve product performance and deliver superior value to the customers. As a result supply chain management can dramatically have an impact on the profitability of a company through reducing operational cost and increasing customer satisfaction and so loyalty and revenue (Chaffey, 2009, PP335). Supply Chain Models: The supply chain model from the system viewpoint can be seen as involving the following processes: attaining resources or inputs, transforming the resources/inputs into outputs that is the product/services and lastly delivering the outputs to the end customers. In terms of e-business the supply chain can be optimised to provide better and efficient delivery while minimising the cost. Push and Pull supply chain model: Push supply chain: These involves delivery of product/service to passive customers. The objective of this model is optimising the process while attaining cost effectiveness and efficiency. The features of this model are development of new products, data integration, minimised technology utilisation, longer cycle time and the large inventory. Pull supply chain: This involves value delivering to end customers. This supply chain includes active customers who encourage improved quality and value of products/services. The model emphasise and identifies the requirement of customers by carrying out market research for developing and improving the products. The supply chain focuses on delivering value while reducing cost. Upstream supply chain: Disintermediation: This involves directly buying from the supplier. This results in lesser costs and reduced cycle time. Reintermediation: This involves business to business exchange of the products. Downstream supply chain: Disintermediation: This involves direct selling to customers, while incurring reduced cost of sales and enhanced cycle time. Reintermediation: This involves competition in newer markets by business to business transactions.   Shell chemicals: Shell chemicals is one of the largest petrochemicals producers in the world who supplies the bulk material to the large industries for the manufacturing of industrial and the consumer goods. It is very crucial for such an organisation like shell to have a well planned and controlled Supply chain management. Issues: Prior to the adoption of electronic supply chain management in shell, everything was managed manually that involves lot of time consuming activities. Due to this time consuming process there was a threat that a customer might bear a lack of important ingredient at plant time. Hence to tackle these kind of problem companies maintain safety stocks to avoid shortage, it involves cost to maintain any safety stocks. Supply chain process: SIMON: In 1995 shell has adopted SIMON (Shell Inventory Managed Order Network) system that acts as a Electronic data interchange initially for managing the downstream supply chain. Soon after its success in downstream it was applied to upstream process. SIMON facilitates supplier to get anticipated demand, calculate stock and track shipment status for which customer needs to input three kinds of data, that are current stock level, estimated demand for stock and location, timing and quantity for the shipment details.   Elemica: In the year 2005, shell updated itself by implementing Elemica in its supply chain that was founded by around 22 leaders of the chemical industry. The major benefit to adopt Elemica was standardisation. It offers value to their customers by automation of the processes in the business. For instance the buying and selling of chemicals and then expand the value of that connection by making the new marketing channels and efficiency opportunities by means of our web solutions and supply chain offerings (Elemica, 2010).   Integrated Supply chain: Elemicas revolutionary and new business network completely links the operational base, while eliminating the hurdles of transaction and communication between the processes. Flawless accessibility and transparency of the supply chain provides the power of efficiently carrying out the operations and removing access personnels, assets and inventory. Elimica utilises a standard format in its integrated supply chain structure, which is also favourable for organisations existing in similar industries.   Process: The supply chain Elimica records and maintain inventory and sales forecast on daily basis, that helps in analysing customer satisfaction. This is further collaborated with the ERP system of the Elimica hub (). Global reach and connectivity: Elimicas founders happen to be the most renowned and established leaders in the global industry. This provides an international base for business, that helps in drawing the attention of both buyers and sellers. This phenomenon further builds up an opportunity to develop relations with new customers. Elimica acts as a facilitator for business transactions on this global platform. Security: Elemica has adopted several measures to protect accessibility and data flow. This helps in safeguarding the transactions of customers/participants. Strict data protection measures, encryption technology and transparent firewalls are features of security offered by Elimica. The policies and processes are regularly checked to meet the security standards. Conclusion: After critically evaluating the supply chain management of Shell chemicals, it was found that the benefits of adopting Elemica is seen in the form of improvement in supply chain management that includes reduced cost resulting in cost efficiency, improved quality resulting in customer satisfaction, increased capability of process and increased productivity and dependability. Ultimately these improvements fuelled the profitability of the company. Recommendation: While dealing with the decisions regarding the implementation of e-business in the process of supply chain, companies should look for the strategy that is most appropriate for the unusual processes combined with the blueprint of the operation. It is mainly important for those small organisations which cannot invest huge money at particular time period. Managers should carefully consider coherence between the internet tools to adapt choices in terms of integration with customers and supplies. The internet can support and facilitate information sharing, both in collaborative or in market-type relationships, or can be used to support closer integration (system coupling) with the partners (Cagliano et al, 2005). Prior to a client switching to a new SCM system there should be adequate testing to see if the system meets the clients requirements. When a standard supply chain template is modified to suit a customers requirements, particular care should be used in the implementation and provider firms should be very insistent that client forms follow the providers implementation methodology (Sridharan et al, 2005 ). Reference: Croom, S.R (2005), The impact of e-business on supply chain management, International journal of operations and production management, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 55-73. Chaffey, D (2009) Supply chain management E-business and E-commerce management. Harlow. Prentice Hall,PP 331 Chaffey, D (2009) Supply chain management E-business and E-commerce management. Harlow. Prentice Hall,PP 335 Cagliano, R., Caniato, F. and Spina, G. (2005) How companies are sharing their supply chain through the internet International Journal of operations and production management, Vol15 No.12, pp1309-1327. Elemica (2010) Supply chain [Online]. Available from: http://www.elemica.com/solutions/elemica-solutions.html Accessed on [15/03/2010]. Sridharan, U.V., Caines, W.R., Patterson,C.C (2005), Implementation of supply chain management and its impact on the value of firms, Supply chain management: An International Journal, Vol10 No. 4, PP 313-318. Trkman, P Stemberger, M.I Jaklic, J and Groznic, A (2007) Process approach to supply chain integration, Supply chain management: An International Journal, Vol12 No.2, pp 116-128. Tan, K.C. (2001), A framework of supply chain management literature, European Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 39-48.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Tourette Syndrome :: essays research papers

Tourette Syndrome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tourette Syndrome was named for Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the syndrome in 1885. Although the disease was identified in 1885, today in 1996, there still is a mystery surrounding Tourette Syndrome, its causes and possible cures. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that researchers believe is caused by and abnormal metabolism of the neurotransmitters dopamire and serotonin. It is genetically transmitted from parent to child. There is a fifty percent chance of passing the gene on from parent to child (Gaffy,Ottinger). Those most at risk are sons of mothers with Tourette Syndrome. About three-quarters of Tourette Syndrome patients are male. Males with the disorder have a ninety-nine percent chance of displaying symptoms. Females, have a seventy percent chance of displaying symptoms. This ration of 3-4:1 for males and females may be accounted for by referral bias. Also, there is a frequent number of reported cases within the Mennonite religious isolate population in Canada. The specific genetic transmission however, has not been established. Some researchers believe that the mar is on an autosomal dominant trait. Some cases however are sporadic, and there may not be a link to family history involved. These cases are mild however, and not full blown. The onset of Tourette Syndrome must be before the age of fifteen, and usually occurs after the age of two. The mean age onset of motor tics is seven. The mean age onset for vocal tics is nine. In order for a person to be classified as having Tourette Syndrome they must have both multiple motor tics and vocal tics. These tics however do not have to occur everyday. In fact, affected individuals may rarely exhibit all of the symptoms, or all of the tics. The vocal and motor tics must also occur within the same year, for a person to be classified as having Tourette Syndrome. Symptoms can disappear for weeks or months at a time. However if people afflicted with the syndrome try and suppress their tics, they will re occur with increased ferver. Tics increase as a result of tension or stress, and decrease with relaxation or concentration on absorbing a task.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tics are classified into two groups: complex and simple tics. Simple tics are movements or vocalizations which are completely uncomprehendable and meaningless to those not suffering from the disorder (Peiss). Complex tics are movements or vocalizations which make use of more than one muscle group to appear to be meaningful (Peiss). Simple motor tics are: eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging or facial grimacing. Simple vocal tics are: throat clearing, coughing, snorting, baiting, yelping.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ethical and Unethical Business Practices

s in bussinessSlideShare Submit Search†¦ Upload Browse Go Pro Login Signup This webpage is not available Email Like S ave Embed This webpage is not available Google Chrome's connection attempt to www. linkedin. com was rejected. The website may be down, or your network may not be properly configured. Here are some suggestions: Reload this webpage later. Check your Internet connection. Restart any router, modem, or other network devices you may be using. Related M ore Ethics 1054 views Like Major scandals of 2011 479 views Like Corporate governance 545 views †¹Ã¢â‚¬ º 1 Like /18 2010 807 viewsLike Hdfc bank (2) 202 views Like 2009 2020 views Like 2005 781 views Like Infosys annual report by zelani kurnool 1585 views Like 2011 901 views Ethical and unethical business practices by Pooja Lilani on Mar 06, 2012 + Follow Like Corruption 586 views More†¦ 10,928 views 2 comments Like 1–2 of 2 comments yoonloong-chen 2008 1439 views All words no pictures! Why? 1 year ago Reply Like 2007 1480 views Paagal-S tudent Good slides 1 year ago Reply Like Corruption in india 1373 views Like Post Comment Subscribe to comments Corruption in-india-2010-andbefore 16009 views 4 Likes Philomena Mutindi months ago Like Corruption in-india-2010-andBefore 299 views Norfardilah Nordin at melayan lagu jew hahahah 5 months ago Like India – Economy and Looters 522 views attractalagan 1 year ago Like PLUNDER OF INDIA 701 views Paagal-S tudent Tags business ethics y/n 1 year ago Like Corruption in-india-2010-andbefore 291 views Ethical and unethical business practices Document T ranscript Like Plunder of India (Bharat KI Loot) Aawaaz 229 views 1. ASSIGNMENT ON Ethical and Unethical Business Practices SubjectBusiness Ethics Submitted To Prof Gauri SYMMS Roll No-27 Efforts By- Pooja Lilani 2.Ethical and Unethical Business PracticesBusiness ethics is the most debated topic of our times. The difference is betweendoing the right thing and the wrong thing. Business ethic s are the philosophicalcore of any business Like Like Corruption in-india-2010-andbefore 443 views and their outcome is crucial for economic development. Peter Cooper – the great American Investor says â€Å"I have always recognized thatthe object of business is to make money in an honorable manner. I haveendeavored to remember that the object of life is to do good. Business ethics are more than moral values and principles that determine ourconduct in the business world. It refers to the commercial activities, either withother business houses or with a single customer. They can be applied to all aspectsof business; from generation of an idea to its sale. Business uses the society for itsresources and functioning, thereby obligating it to the welfare of the society. Whilethe objective of all business is to make profits, it should contribute to the interest ofthe society by ensuring fair practices.However, greed has led the present businessscenario towards unethical business p ractices, legal complications and generalmistrust. Code of EthicsLot of organizations implement the code of ethics in their company polices, whichthey implement during induction and regular training. A Code of Ethics isgenerally a more blanket statement of values and beliefs that defines theorganization. So what is it for? Companys assets, funds and records Conflict of interest Management and employee practices Information on competition 3.Ethical Business PracticesHere are a few ethical business practices that should be followed to build a honestreputation and ensure smooth running of any organization. Investors: Ensuring safety of their money and timely payment of interest. Employees: Provision of fair opportunities in promotions and training, good working environment and timely payment of salaries. Customer: Complete information of the service and product should be made available. Personal information of the customers should not be used for Like Like Like Like LikeCorruption in-i ndia-2010-andbefore 925 views 2006 888 views Quality circle 380 views Hdfc bank limited 329 views Corporate governance issues on satyam group 8 2176 views Like Rahul presentation1 505 views Any good business require corporate governance ppt personal gain. Competition: Unscrupulous tactics, competitor bashing and wrong methods should be avoided while handling competitors. Government: Rules and regulations regarding taxes, duties, restrictive and monopolistic trade practices and unlawful activities like corruption and bribing should be adhered to.Environment: Polluting industries should ensure compliance with the government norms regarding air, water and noise pollution. Unethical Business PracticesYou might find many companies who blatantly thrive on unethical behavior andpractices. A free environment is present or promoted where acts of violation ofnorms to amass wealth in an unethical manner is followed. Following are some of the activities that come under the ambit of unethicalpra ctice. Resorting to dishonesty, trickery or deception. Distortion of facts to mislead or confuse.Manipulating people emotionally by exploiting their vulnerabilities. Greed to amass excessive profit. Creation of false documents to show increased profits. Avoiding penalty or compensation for unlawful act. Lack of transparency and resistance to investigation. 4. Harming the environment by exceeding the government prescribed norms for pollution. Invasion of privacy used as leverage, for obtaining personal or professional gains. Sexual discriminationBusiness houses that comply with ethics to determine their conduct are shrinkingin number.The lack of business ethics in the market, is the reason the worldeconomy is presently in crisis. Organizations now recognize the positive effectsand outcomes of being ethical, humane and considerate. They have a competitiveedge in the market, because of the honesty they show in their services. Theirmorally upright reputation attracts better staff and he lps in retention. Though ethicsare legally binding in most cases, self-monitoring, transparency and accountabilitywill go Like Like Like Like Like Like 654 views 2004 423 views Executive summary 167 views Deshmukh & garg 361 viewsS cams 730 views Mrp on the banking industry in india 126 views Corruption in-india-presentation slides v2 22554 views a long way in establishing trust of the people. Besides this, it makes senseto change, before you are penalized. When would we as Indians observe ethical business practices in totality? It is a bigquestion but it has a straight simple answer. Each one of us should be accountableand responsible to stop unethical business practices. We must create an environment which adheres to strictest philosophies of clean,transparent, honest business. Integrity is most wanted. 5.HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATIONLIMITEDFAIR/ETHICAL PRACTICES CODE Intent and Content This Code has been formulated by Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (the Corporation) pursuant to the Guidelines issued by the National Housing Bank on Fair Practices Code for Housing Finance Companies vide its circular bearing No. NHB(ND)/DRS/POL- No. 16/2006 dated September 05, 2006. This Code has come into force from 19th October, 2006 which has been modified pursuant to the Guidelines issued by the National Housing Bank on Fair Practices Code for Housing Finance Companies vide its circular bearing No.NHB(ND)/DRS/POL- No. 34/2010-11 dated October 11, 2010 and has been effective from December 23, 2010 . The said Guidelines has been further modified by the National Housing Bank on Fair Practices Code for Housing Finance Companies vide its circular bearing No. NHB(ND)/DRS/POL- No. 38/2010-11 dated April 25, 2011. This Code has come into force from May 10, 2011. Objectives Follow good, fair and transparent business practices by setting reasonable standards; Encourage market forces, through fair competition, to achieve higher operating standards; Relate t o the customer in such manner so as to promote a fair and cordialLike corporate governance 3789 views Like Corporate governance(final) 151 views Like satyam fiasco 1129 views Like Hdfc company profile 943 views Like hdfc report 652 views Like Accounting scams 213 views Like relationship; Set such standards and practices so as to foster confidence in the housing finance system. Application To be applicable to all persons offering the Products and Services of the Like Airtel n zain 6. Corporation as an employee or otherwise in any manner and/or by any mode.The Code is applicable under normal operating environment except in the eventof any force majeure. The Code is based on ethical principles of integrity and transparency and allactions and dealings shall follow the spirit of the Code. CommitmentThe Corporation shall at all times do its best to act fairly, reasonably and meetthe standard practices prevalent in the housing industry. The Corporation shall abide by all the relevant laws, regulations and meet withthe ethical principles of integrity and transparency during its interaction withcustomers.While interacting with customers, the Corporation may take all steps as may berequired to provide clear information either in English or Hindi or theappropriate local language regarding: o its various products and services; o the terms and conditions, the interest rates/service charges; o benefits available to customers and the implications, if any; o contact persons for addressing the queries, if any;The Corporation will provide a copy of this Code, at request, to the customer.The Code will also be made available on its Website and at every branch/ office. The Corporation would not discriminate on grounds of sex, caste and religion inthe matter of lending. However this does not preclude the Corporation fromparticipating in credit-linked schemes for the weaker sections of society and inrespect of schemes formulated by NHB/ other Government Agencies,implemented through the Corporation.The Corporation shall treat the information relating to customers as strictlyconfidential and shall not share any information, unless required under law orwaived or permitted by the customer. The Corporation shall take necessary steps to inform its customers of their rightto information regarding their account and the facilities available to them. The Corporation shall be clear and not misleading in any of its advertising andpromotional materials.The Corporation shall inform its customers of all financial information such asrates of interest, charges, method of calculation etc through brochures, posters 7. or during the course of meeting with the customers etc prior to entering into any transaction. The Corporation shall endeavor to keep its customers informed of any change in interest rates / charges etc through letters or any other form of general or public announcement or displays, from time to time.The Corporation shall disclose, by such mode and in such manner a s deemed fit, to ensure transparency, all information affecting the interest of the borrower including but not limited to : o fees/charges payable for processing loan application; o the amount of fee refundable, if any, if the loan amount is not sanctioned; o Prepayment options and charges, if any; o Penalty for delayed payment, if any; o Conversion charges (Switching loan from fixed to floating rate or vice – versa); o Existence of interest re-set clause, if any.The disclosure shall be done so as to ensure that the borrower is aware of â€Å"all in cost† parameters involved in processing and sanctioning of loan. The Corporation shall not indulge in any act which is discriminatory among equals. The Corporation will review the compliance of this Code and a consolidated report of such review may be submitted to the Board. LoansThe Corporation in the normal course of its business shall endeavour at all times toguide its customers about the process and procedure to be foll owed for availing aloan.Each application shall be considered independently on merit, upon scrutiny of allthe information, documents required for verifying the title of the property, identityof the person, entity and the security to be offered, including guarantees. The letter of guarantees to be executed by the guarantors would cover theirobligations, liabilities and circumstances in which they can be called upon to paythe dues of the customer/borrower. The Corporation shall communicate in writing to the customer whose applicationhas been reject Collection of Dues 8.The Corporation shall provide the customers with all the information regardingtheir dues and provide reasonable time for payment of the same. The Corporation shall while protecting its interest adopt reasonable and lawfulmeasures to recover its dues from defaulting customers, including use ofpersuasive methods for the purpose of collection of its dues. Complaints and GrievancesThe Corporation shall endeavour to address/r espond to all complaints andgrievances within a reasonable time and keep the customers informed about thestatus of their complaints.The Corporation shall make available facilities at each of its branches andoffices for the customers to lodge and/or submit their complaints or grievances,if any. The Corporation will ensure that its grievance redressal procedure is madeavailable on its website. ETHICAL PRACTICES BY HDFC BANK 9. HDFC only Indian bank in global list of ethical companyPosted: Thu, March 17, 2011 | 12 PM ISTMumbai, March 17: HDFC Bank, second largest private sector bank, is theonly Indian organization got listed in the worlds most ethical companies listthis year.As per the list prepared by the Ethisphere Institute, only one Indianfirm HDFC has made a place in the 110 worlds most ethical companies. HDFC is one of the most trusted brands in the India and for a financialservices company it is quite noticeable that people should perceive that it asethical as well. Commenting o n the attainment HDFC Vice-Chairman andCEO Keki Mistry said: â€Å"It obviously feels nice to be one of the worlds mostethical company and the only one from India. † The new achievement ofHDFC will help to inhance the brand equity of the company going forward.Among the list of companies online market portal eBay, Ford MotorCompany, banking giant Standard Chartered Bank, Accenture, AdobeSystems, software giant Microsoft and food and beverage firm PepsiCo foundin top position. 10. Reliance Unethical PracticesComplaints India enables consumers and users of services and products to posttheir common complaints and suggestions regarding airline, bank, business,companies and Government and non Government organizations in India andabroad. Track your car complaints, mobile phone complaints, bank complaints,credit card complaints etc at this website.Its a consumer forum, board or bureaufor consumers to redress their complaints. Consumer Courts in India now gives the power to consumers to fight for theirconsumer rights at district level consumer forums. However consumers canproceed to confront companies and try to get quicker responses through thewebsite. For companies its important to quickly address consumer complaints toprotect their product or service brand image. Consumer-India web site has anumber of resources for your assistance. Separate new product complaint and NRIcomplaint sections help in easier posting and tracking of complaints. With online internet scams proliferating, its asy to get cheated by fraudcompanies. Consumers need to protect themselves from online scams, emailscams, phishing etc. Complaints can be posted on all products and services. You can post complaintsMobile Services (Airtel, BSNL, Idea, Reliance, Docomo, Unior, Aircel etc),Mobile Phones (Nokia, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Blackberry, 11. MicromaKarbonn etc), Home Appliances like TVs, Refrigerators, ACs,Cooking Ovens etc. Unethical PracticesInfosys Employee Testifies on Alleged Visa FraudBy Megha Bahree and Miriam JordanAn Infosys employee, who has alleged that Indian tech giant, Infosys TechnologiesLtd. engages in visa fraud, provided more details to a U. S. Senate subcommitteethis week. Tony Avelar/Bloomberg News In a testimony, an Infosys employee provided more details about alleged visa fraud at Infosys. In a statement to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees andBorder Security on Tuesday, Jay Palmer, the whistleblower at Infosys, said thecompany â€Å"intentionally violated our visa and tax laws for the purpose of increasingrevenues. † Mr. Palmer accused Infosys of frequently violating U. S. visa laws and 12. f staffing multiple client projects with illegal employees, including at GoldmanSachs, American Express, Wal-Mart and Johnson Control, among others. Mr. Palmer filed a lawsuit against the company in February in Circuit Court inAlabama, alleging the company sought his help to circumvent U. S. law. Thelawsuit has led to a pro be by U. S. authorities. Infosys, which is cooperating with the inquiry, denied the allegations. Paul N. Gottsegen, chief marketing officer for Infosys, said in a statement Wednesday thatMr. Palmer’s emarks were â€Å"full of inaccuracies, exaggerations and falsehoods. †Ã¢â‚¬Å"There is not, nor was there ever a strategy, scheme, or policy by the company touse the B-1 visa program to circumvent the H-1B visa program,† he said. â€Å"Thecompany did not have a practice of sending unskilled employees to the UnitedStates on B-1 visas to do the work expected of skilled individuals in the U. S. on H-1B visas. †Mr. Palmer disagreed. This is how, he says, it was done. During a March 2010 visit to Bangalore headquarters he says he heard severalconversations between Indian managers and U. S. based managers where it wasmade clear that Infosys was going to increase the use of the B1 visa program to getaround tough new restrictions the U. S. had placed on the H-1B progr am. Infosys,he says, decided to flood the local Indian consulate with visa applications in orderto get as many approved as possible no matter the level of an individual’s skill. Hesays that in many cases the company sent relatively inexperienced workers to theU. S. for projects. He says Infosys sent employees on B1 visas to the U. S. for specific full-time jobsat client sites but instead of paying them U.S. salaries, it would pay them muchlower Indian salaries, calling it a stipend. Infosys, however, charged its clients U. S. rates for the employees, thus getting full reimbursement from their Americanclients for Infosys’ labor costs. He also says Infosys paid no taxes on payments tothese workers. According to Mr. Palmer, Infosys created an internal website of â€Å"do’s and don’ts†with tips including: â€Å"Do not mention activities like implementation, design & 13. testing, consulting etc. , which sound like work. Also do not use words like, work ,activity, etc. , in the invitation letter.Please do not mention anything about thecontract rates as you’re on a B-1 Visa. †He says that in order for this to work, the U. S. contracts had to be written as â€Å"FixedPrice† contracts and not as â€Å"Time and Material† contracts. On a Fixed Pricecontract a customer is charged a lump sum for labor, and the people doing thework do not need to be identified to the client. But on a T&M contract, on the otherhand, the people doing the actual work had to be named along with their hourlyrate. In August 2010 Mr. Palmer says he received emails and requests to rewrite T& M contracts to FP contracts.Describing a specific instance, he says that in December 2010 an Infosys employeeshowed him a spreadsheet with a list of B1 visa workers on a project at JohnsonControl, who should not have been doing such work. He said that these workerswere working full-time testing software code and writing scripts but were paidtheir sal aries by Infosys depositing money into the cash card accounts withoutwithholding any income tax. Mr. Palmer’s testimony comes as the Indian IT industry finds itself facing morescrutiny than ever. Outsourcing has always been a hot-button issue in the U.S. , butwith a stubbornly high unemployment rate in the U. S. , the offshoring of what areperceived to be American jobs has become an increasingly sensitive political issue. Last year the U. S. passed legislation that raised fees for skilled visas, particularlyaffecting Indian IT firms. IT firms based in India generate 60% of their revenuefrom the U. S. On their part, Indian firms have seen the increased visa fees as well as delays ingetting approvals and much tougher interviews as part of a concerted campaignagainst them. Some Indian officials have even labeled the U. S. oves unfair tradepractices. In his testimony Mr. Palmer, says he and his attorney have received over 40communications from individuals at other Indian companie s stating that the sametype of H-1B and B1 visa fraud is being committed there as well. 14. Infosys said it would not rebut Mr. Palmer’s remarks point-by-point at this timebecause of its ongoing litigation with him. â€Å"We take very seriously our obligations under the law and specifically ourresponsibilities to comply with the immigration laws and visa requirements in alljurisdictions where we have clients,† said Infosys’s Mr.Gottsegen. â€Å"Mr. Palmer isobviously intent on spreading his falsehoods about Infosys and our businesspractices as broadly as possible in order to advance his objective of getting as bigof a payout as he can from the Company. †In his testimony, Mr. Palmer also lobbied for more restrictions on work visas toforeign companies. â€Å"My real life experiences have educated me to the point that if Congress decidesthat an increase of Green Cards or legal work visas in the U. S. is a must, then thereshould be limitations or ratios,â₠¬  he said. For example, for every H-1B visa issuedto foreign national company they should have to hire an American worker. †More In Infosys Infosyss High-Margin Quest Comes at a Cost Infosys Earnings Likely Stellar, But Dont Be Fooled Nilekani Says ID Project on Track Quo Vadis Cognizant? Infosys Noses Ahead of TCS After EarningsHe also said Indian companies were benefiting at the expense of the Americaneconomy, a charge the Indian IT industry disagrees with. Indian software andservices industry body NASSCOM has said in the past that the cost savings theyprovide help make U. S. firms more competitive. I have read statements from NASSCOM stating that not increasing Green Cardnumbers and with the current visa restrictions, the Indian economy would suffer,†said Mr. Palmer. â€Å"Let me ask the committee, what about our economy? Whatabout the years and years of ignoring the laws. These companies maliciously donot hire Americans and look at ways to circumvent policy and la w instead of 15. working with it. Look at the stock and growth of these large foreign companies in adown environment — they are not suffering. †ndian financial industry has always been successfully able to race every prospectoffered by the Indias fiscal policy both in terms of alteration and expansion. Inspite of all the endeavors implemented to develop the financial market, it stillremains fatally faulted due to lack of three major key elements namely inadequatemanagement, stringent accountability, and proper punishment. As a result, the capital market of India has remained one-dimensional and hasstaggered from one investment scandal to another. A straightforward listing of thetop 10 investment scams narrates the account of why Indian investors were leftannoyed by the scamsters.Unethical PracticesA brief about Top 10 Investment Scams in India1. The Securities Scam The capital market witnessed its foremost investment scandal in the form of securities scandal in the year 1992. It revealed the utter anarchy and lack of administration in the prevailing fiscal market. The money market at that time permitted funds to be relocated with impunity from financial institution and corporates into equity and consequently witnessed crores of banks capital to transfer into brokers account. This illegal market practice was later asserted as â€Å"legal and acknowledged†.In an attempt to punish the tricksters, a special court was initiated and scrutinized around 70 cases registered by CBI. Surprisingly, not even a single trickster was found guilty by the dreadfully sluggish judicial system. As a 16. matter of fact, the scamsters made frequent attempts to re-enter the market with same set of traps and resulted in losses to investors. 2. The IPO scam Soon after the entry of international organizational investors, the Control over Capital Issues was banned as the market saw heavy bull trend resulting in the revitalization of the secondary market from the previ ous scandals.The ban of Control over Capital Issues unlocked the prospects of massive scandal in Initial Public Offerings (IPO). The scam was executed in two parts; the first part was carried out by the firms that increased their market costs to incur profits in order to sponsor lucrative projects. The second part saw the unison of small time merchants, CAs, investment bankers and traders to hoist new firms and heave public capitals. The IPO scam prevailed for three long years from 1993-1996 and finally saw its downfall when the costs of the registered firm started deteriorating. . Favored share scam The scandal was an outcome of the extensive cost fixing on the derivative market. Besides increasing fresh capital, advocates of Indian firms promptly coordinated general body authorizations to transfer shares to themselves on a privileged basis and at a considerable reduction to the market, thinking that the share prices would never see the ground. Conglomerates started this trend and accrued profits of nearly 55o crores until Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) formulated strict guidelines to abandon the market practice. . CRBs cardboard scam The ` 1000 crore finacial multinational named as Chain Roop Bhansali (CRB) was the only biggest firm and most impudent of all to benefit and disappear in the loosened market ambiance of mid-1990s. The services offered by his firm 17. entailed FC collection, mutual fund, banking, etc. The clearances obtained by the firm for the trading of these services required sufficient inspection by SEBI and the RBI and the fact that they managed to qualify shows the supervisory weariness of the regulators.Facilitated by the clearances and profitable credit ranking, CRB accrued greater profits based on high value financing. The CRB collapse not only affected the investors but also the other finance firms. 5. Plantation firms scam Since few firms in mid-90s were subject to no guidelines, the plantation companies during that time also got away with profit protrusions. The plantation firms projected themselves as a part of IPO and assured massive returns. The investors were lured and the companies accrued profits from fake campaigns of around ` 8000 crores plus. . Mutual Funds scam After several mutual fund scams, the UTI bailout reflected the lack of proper guidelines in the Indian capital market. Since UTI was initiated under its own regulations, it was the tax payers who suffered the loss of ` 4800 crore in the process. After three years, the company was back purchasing Ketan Parekhs controlled scrips and incurring massive losses in the process. The evidence of the private mutual funds performance has also been inconsistent after hitting the downfall in 1999 and 2000.It took a considerable amount of time for capital market to win back the trust of mutual fund investors. 7. The 1998 scam The scamster of 1992 scam, Harshad Mehta came back with a bag of tricks again in 1998. This time he lured investors thro ugh a website by trading stock tips. His unremitting manipulation of several shares resulted in the much expected collapse of Bombay Stock Exchange. 18. 8. Home Trade scam Initiated in 2000, Home trade invested rs 24 crore in promotional campaigns to attract investors. The scam affected 8 co-operative banks that lost ` 82 Crore in EPF scheme.The Chief Executive of Hometrade, Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal was convicted by Nagpur Police later. 9. DSQ Software Scam In the year 2000 and 2001, the Managing Director of DSQ Software, Mr. Dinesh Dalmia, was held responsible for ambiguous mergers and prejudiced allocation of the amount of upto ` 595 Crores. He was later convicted in the year 2006. 10. Satyam Scam After manipulating the firms documents for several financial years, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Satyam Computers, Mr. Ramalinga Raju, was arrested for committing scam, following unethical practice and forgery.He showed greater profits and committed fraud of ` 700 crores. Search Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Find us on Google+ Learn About Us About Careers Our Blog Press Contact us Help & Support Using SlideShare SlideShare 101 Terms of Use Privacy Policy Copyright & DMCA Community Guidelines SlideShare on mobile Pro & more Go PRO New Business Solutions Developers & API Developers Section Developers Group Engineering Blog Blog Widgets  © 2013 SlideShare Inc. All rights reserved. RSS Feed ENGLISH English Francais Espanol Deutsch

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Causes and Effects of Violence in Schools Essay

1.0 Report Objectives Sacred Heart School is an education institution. The Headmaster Mr Keenan would like to know why violence exists in the school grounds and the effects of violence and what can be done to eliminate this. This report is an analysis of the causes and effects of violence and suggested solutions to reduce the percentage of violence that exists on the school grounds. 1.2 Historical Background There are approximately 1500 students in this school, offering 8 different subjects. There are at least 5 teachers in each faculty, coming up to a total of 40 teachers. The percentage of violence that exists in the school grounds is steadily increasing, in different forms, between teachers as well as students, right from the Kindergarten classes up to the Advanced Level. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Zia Keenan wants this issue to be analysed deeply in order to draw up solutions to minimize violence. 1.3 Report Preview Firstly, the causes of violence are analysed to understand the root of the problem. Secondly, the effects of violence are evaluated to understand how serious this problem is. Thirdly, various potential solutions are suggested that could help minimize the percentage of violence. II. CAUSES 2.1 Abuse One of the major aspects of violence in schools is bullying. This could be because of lack of supervision and monitoring of children and/or teachers. Another form of abuse is displayed in the way some cannot control sexual urges and hence make advances on others. In defense, the victim retaliates. Vandalism takes place as a way of expressing emotion. It is a way to get back at the school and dictating teachers or peers. Students may be looking for ways to redeem themselves from orthodox individuals who believe that the only way to discipline students is by being strict with them. In this way, violence takes place. 2.2 Exposure to violence and harmful substances or items Exposure to violence influences one’s thoughts and actions. Weapons or dangerous toys like knives and pellet guns are easily available. This accessibility does little to prevent violence from taking place amongst individuals. Some individuals have been exposed to violence because they come from dysfunctional families or backgrounds. Exposure to violence, such as on television, video games, etc. as researched by Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Anderson, C. A. et al, 2003) leads to individuals imitating those acts. Hence they do not have proper judgment of what is right and wrong. They experiment with harmful substances which further damages this sense of discernment. â€Å"Easily available drugs add to the risk of violence.† (DHHS, 2001). When a person is ‘under the influence’, they are not themselves and are unable to think rationally. This leads to fights, disputes etc. as individuals are not in total control of themselves. This is related to peer pressure as an individual may have tried these substances or items because others have egged them on. They may have also been encouraged to pick on others and take part in fights, through no will nor motive of their own. As a result of which fights, violence and abuse occurs. 2.3 Lack of information Psychological problems hamper one’s way of life. They do not know how to deal with their raw emotions or self-related/emotional problems like stress and depression, for example. Some have biological problems, like ADD and Tourrette’s Syndrome. They cannot control their behavior. Other students may not understand this and reciprocate. Carol Miller Lieber, an educator at Washington University believes that violence in schools is a result of lack of information. Lack of information leads to conflict as individuals do not know how to solve problems that involve others, or their intolerance towards certain characteristics or behavior. They lack understanding. Therefore they take out their aggression on each other (Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d.) III. EFFECTS 3.1 More violence and disorder The victims themselves turn into bullies. It is a never-ending cycle. If a  person was bullied, then he reciprocates. They can also become social outcasts, which hamper their learning of lessons in school, as well as in life. Violence in school grounds creates barriers to learning as victims are afraid to go to school, and hence they drop out. Furthermore, such intolerance and lack of information can further grow into racism or discrimination. This can give way to legal issues. It has a multiplier effect and can lead to more violence in society. There is a possibility that these individuals may later engage in criminal activity. In 1999, â€Å"Olweus, D., Limber, S., & Mihalic, S. claimed that 40 percent of the boys who were bullies – compared to 10% of those who were neither victims nor bullies – had three or more convictions by age 24† (Christeson, W. et al, 2003: 10).Fig 1.1 3.2 Psychological problems Sexual violence can give way to phobias. It may affect some so badly that they become incapable of trusting and communicating with others, out of fear. Victims end up with emotional problems, such as depression. They may want to take revenge as well, leading to more violence. Even teachers, who are potential victims of violence, can suffer from depression and low self-esteem. In 1993, the 27th Annual Survey of High Achievers calculated that among students, â€Å"26% had considered committing suicide, 4% had attempted suicide, 18% knew someone their own age who had committed suicide, and 41% knew another teen-ager who had attempted suicide†. (National School Safety Center, 2006: 24). The following graph appeared in a report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, written by Christeson W., Elliott D.S., Fox J.A. Kelikowske R.G., and Newman S.A. (2003) displayed that 52% of students who were bullied were either depressed or suicidal. 48% of them were not bullied or bullies themselves. Fi g. 1.2 3.3 Use of harmful substances and items Exposure to violence may make individuals irresponsible and encourage them to believe that the only way to deal with things is by being violent themselves – they carry weapons for protection. A survey carried out by USA Weekend found that 55% of the students knew that weapons were regularly carried to school (National School Safety Center, 2006: 32). Another graph that appeared in Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (2003) showed that 51% of the kids  who never bullied or were bullied at least once a week in school carried weapons. The remaining were Fig 1.3 injured in fights and were under the care of doctors or nurses. In addition, to deal with depression or psychological problems, one may resort to harmful substances like drugs. He may not be able to find a job because of traces of drugs found in his blood. His health is danger and these substances can lead to serious consequences. IV. SOLUTIONS 4.1 More attention should be given Parents, teachers and students should be made aware of and prepared for such occurrences. They should be taught how to handle with such situations. Teachers should be around on the school grounds whenever possible to make sure that the children as well as students behave in the way that they ought to. Teachers and students should also not hesitate to notify higher authorities if warnings are not received well. Higher authorities must not ignore such complaints. The school and faculty members should befriend the students rather than rule over them. They should have and encourage ethical behavior. Parents/friends/teachers should be encouraged to become better role models. 4.2 Programs Seminars could be held where individuals are taught to speak up against acts of abuse. They should be made aware of the effects of their actions as well as the effects of weapons, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Workshops could be held where one is taught to relieve stress in a positive manner, e.g. by writing, playing an instrument, anger management sessions, etc. School counselors should be hired to help students with emotional/self-related issues as well biological problems. The school should be made aware of such problems, and be informed about how to deal with them. Programs such as The Olweus Bullying Prevention should be adapted, as advised by Christeson, Elliot, Fox, Kelikowske, and Newman (2003) in order to help prevent bullying. 4.3 Rules and regulations Another way to reduce violence would be to pass laws. Weapons, drugs, etc. should not be sold to under-age people, for instance. Harmful weapons and substances should be confiscated upon sight. If other students know that  someone is carrying a weapon, s/he should inform an authoritative figure. This would help minimize chances of violence taking place. V. CONCLUSION In conclusion, violence has many causes, such as self-related issues, inability to express emotions (in a positive way), irresponsibility, poor self-control, peer pressure, lack of information, a response to prior acts of violence, easy accessibility to harmful substances/items, exposure to violence and ignorant guardians/supervisors. While violence is a universal problem and cannot be entirely wiped out, it can be reduced with proper education, (personality enhancement) workshops, awareness programs, sufficient attention from guardians or peers, taking action against those who do not act in the interest of others, passing laws, and people available to help those going through self-related problems, like counselors. This issue, if not dealt with as soon as possible will ruin the reputation of Sacred Heart School. Even if a small difference is made by adapting these solutions, it is still a difference nonetheless. VI. REFERENCE LIST Anderson, C. A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J. D., Linz, D., Malamuth, N. M., Wartella, E., 2003, ‘The Influence of Media Violence on Youth’, American Psychological Society, [online], Vol. 4, No. 3. Available: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi43.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] Christeson W., Elliott D. S., Fox, J. A., Kerlikowske R. G., Newman S. A., 2003, ‘Bullying Prevention is Crime Prevention’, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, [online], p. 9-11. Available: http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/BullyingReport.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d., Creating Alternatives to Violence, Available: http://www.crf-usa.org/violence/alternative.html [Accessed: 13/02/08] National School Safety Center, 2006, School Safety Statistics, p. 24. Available: http://www.schoolsafety.us/pubfiles/school_crime_and_violence_statistics.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] National School Safety Center, 2006, School Safety Statistics, p. 32. Available: http://www.schoolsafety.us/pubfiles/school_crime_and_violence_statistics.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001, Youth violence: a report of the Surgeon General. Available: www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence [Accessed: 13/02/08]