Wal-Marts Unethical Behavior Essay Example for Free

Wal-Marts Unethical Behavior Essay For the past few decades Wal-Mart has been criticized and accused for being involved with all sorts of unethical behavior. Many various groups of people have come after Wal-Mart protesting against their company’s policies and business practices. Labor, community, environmental, and religious groups are some of the most known types of groups that have tried to personally attack Wal-Mart for their lack of social responsibility. Just some of the many areas that have raised concern by people would be the corporation’s foreign product sourcing, environmental practices, the use of public subsidies, and the treatment of employees and product suppliers. Wal-Mart continues to deny any allegations of wrongdoings and unethical behavior (Fishman). Many stories have surfaced that would label Wal-Mart as being an unethical company. Some stories are big, some are small, and some are probably completely made up. However, there is a lot of evidence that shows how unethical Wal-Mart has been in many different types of circumstances. Prior to 2007 it was estimated that 87,000 Wal-Mart employees were cheated out of $34 million because the Wal-Mart executives failed to pay workers overtime. Some even admitted that they were trained by their superiors to not pay anyone overtime. This is a very immoral act because the workers are not getting paid what they deserve and this makes it harder for them to pay for their living expenses (Fishman). Wal-Mart has had over 100 lawsuits concerning wage and hour violations. They have been charged with not giving workers federally mandated breaks and lunches. They have also required workers to take their missed breaks or overtime before the Friday’s end of the pay period, which is an illegal act. Wal-Mart has been accused for not paying full-time benefits for workers who work 40 hours or more per week. In 2005 in the state of California, Wal-Mart was forced to pay $172 million in damages. There has been several cases of where Wal-Mart has had to pay many millions of dollars for employee damages. The ethical issue in this case would be fairness. All employees should be granted what they deserve and what they were promised (Greenhouse). Wal-Mart does not pay many of their employees enough money to support their family or even have health care. They pay 26-37% less than the national average for the same jobs in the retail industry. Wal-Mart pays poverty level wages and this is very unethical because they make such huge profits that can allow them to pay decent living wages. Wal-Mart profits more by using State Governments to fund health care for its employees which is not fair to their competitors or the society (Olsson). Wal-Mart has the worst health packages when compared with their competitors. For example they cover only about 50% of their employees while the national average for major retailers is around 64%. Wal-Mart employees have to wait for 6 months to get health insurance compared to the national average of 3 months. They even charge extra for emergency room visits and ambulance usage. Also, employees with pre-existing conditions have to wait at least one year to receive any treatment. Instead of trying to give their employees the bare minimum, Wal-Mart should readjust their prices and salaries so that enough money would go towards things like basic health care (Fishman). Thorough studies have been done as well as many court cases that prove that Wal-Mart discriminates against women by not paying them as much as their male counterparts. It is also much rarer for women to be promoted to upper management than it is a male. A 2003 study was done that showed that women received 37 cents an hour less than the men that held the same position. Female managers earn about $5,000 less than male managers. Even though 72% of Wal-Mart’s workforce consists of women they still only make up 33% of all managers. Jon Lehman who is a former Wal-Mart store manager said that most of the superiors believed that women are useless at Wal-Mart. An African American woman asked a superior if she wasn’t promoted to management because she was a woman or because she was black and the superior replied that two out of two isn’t bad. Not only is this against the law, but it is very immoral as well as discriminatory (Norman). Just one audit of one week’s worth of time clock records at one specific Wal-Mart showed that minors were working too late at night, during school hours, and were working too many hours a day. It also found more than 60,000 cases of minors not taking breaks and even more cases of minors working through meal times. This is unethical because minors should be focusing on school and not working too many hours at Wal-Mart. A Wal-Mart in CT was given huge violations for having minors working with machinery such as paper balers, chainsaws, and forklifts. Children are not at the age of consent to operate such machinery in any fashion. Horrific incidences were discovered in a Wal-Mart factory in Bangladesh where children were routinely beaten, forced to work overtime for little or no pay, and were told to lie about their age (Greenhouse). In China, workers are treated more like slaves than people. They are treated as tools to get the work done as quickly and cheaply as possible. They are taught to lie to inspectors and auditors about the amount of time they work and the working conditions that they endure (Greenhouse). They were told that if they didn’t lie then they would lose their job. Wal-Mart pays only 18 cents for a product that is made in China that they charge $14.96 for in America. It was reported that a Wal-Mart supplier factory employed minors as young as 12 working them for excessive overtime hours and for under minimum wage. They were also working with chemicals without any protective gear. All human beings should be treated with a certain level of respect regardless of age or ethnicity. Wal-Mart should improve their working conditions and remedy all situations of unethical behavior especially towards those who are under age and not supposed to be working in the first place (Fishman). Wal-Mart claims to care about the environment, but they actually harm the environment. They lied about having an environmental person dedicated to these issues and they don’t actually have an environmentally friendly policy in place. Wal-Mart shows to have more of an avoidance towards their harming of the environment. They have been known to put chemicals into the environment that can cause birth defects as well as storing fertilizers in parking lots unprotected. Wal-Mart has seemed to continue to ignore the idea of better storage for certain products and necessary environmental policies. Over a few years span Wal-Mart has had to shell out millions of dollars to pay for Clean Water Act violations (Olsson). Wal-Mart has received billions of dollars in subsidies to set up shop nationwide as well as some other countries. Wal-Mart is so profitable that it does not need to receive money from anyone. If Wal-Mart was a community conscious organization then they wouldn’t need any money from cities, states, or communities. They often set up their stores on the outskirts of town so they can receive free plumbing, however other companies and citizens have to pay for such utilities themselves when they’re in the same situation (Bianco). Sam Walton was known for practicing corporate socialism. He sought out free land, long term leases at prices below market, getting workers trained at the government’s expense, and even pocketing sales taxes. He also had a $37 million ramp and roadway constructed for Wal-Mart’s corporate headquarters in Arizona which the State paid for (Fishman). The government’s money that is going to Wal-Mart could be going towards things such as education and building our youth. They are a very selfish organization that strives to get bigger individually and have complete disregard for everyone else. There was a case in Denver where three schools ended up closing because there was not enough money to keep them open, however around that same time period Wal-Mart received $2 million. It is very unethical and not abiding by free market policies to give such a huge store like Wal-Mart such a competitive advantage when the mom and pop stores continue to go out of business (Bianco). By being such an unethical company Wal-Mart is putting smaller, trustworthy businesses out of business. Since they pay very low wages and receive money from states and governments, they can charge such a cheap price which in return puts those smaller businesses that have to charge slightly more for the same products out of business. It is just plain wrong how Wal-Mart treats everyone that is involved with their organization and the competitors. They don’t care about the economy or the environment; they only care about how much money they can collect. It is estimated that Wal-Mart’s trade deficit with China eliminated 200,000 U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2006 (Olsson). If Wal-Mart was its own nation then it would be China’s eighth largest trading partner. Wal-Mart is able to have such cheap goods because the safety standards are lower in China which in return puts the American consumer at risk. This is very unethical because Wal-Mart is risking their consumer’s health by trying to maximize their own profits. By offering such low prices, Wal-Mart is putting other companies out of business that actually sell quality products that are safe to the consumer (Bianco). Wal-Mart has hundreds of cameras and security guards inside their stores to protect their own merchandise, but it’s a completely different story when it comes to the type of security that is present in the parking lots or outside of the stores. There has been so many shootings, carjackings, and muggings in Wal-Mart parking lots that many local police departments have asked Wal-Mart to hire on site security guards to help protect against such behavior. However, for the most part Wal-Mart has failed to do so. Wal-Mart has known of these types of issues in their parking lots, but have continued to turn their heads in the opposite direction (Norman). When Wal-Mart plans for new store locations, there are many activists and groups of people that oppose and try to protest the construction of the new store. Wal-Mart tends to ignore issues such as traffic congestion, potential environmental problems, public safety, and bad public relations. In 2004 Wal-Mart opened a store in Mexico just over a mile from the historic Teotihuacan archaeological site and the Pyramid of the moon. This caused a lot of protests with the locals because they thought this was a very disrespectful notion. By building a Wal-Mart in such a symbolic area it was seen by many as placing one of the main culprits of globalization in the heart of ancient Mexico (Fishman). In 1998 Wal-Mart wanted to open a store in Nashville, Tennessee right on top of Native American burial grounds and where a Civil War battle took place. Protests took place, however Wal-Mart won the battle and ended up moving the graves so they could construct the new store. If this isn’t immoral and disrespectful then I don’t know what is. I would have to think that there would be other locations where they could have opened the store. It almost seems as if Wal-Mart likes to show their power in any way possible (Norman). Wal-Mart cannot justify all the wrong that they have done to many people and communities by simply offering and continuing to express their low prices. Money may make the world go around, but it won’t save the world. People’s actions is what will make this world a better place to live in. Sacrificing the environment and human rights is simply immoral and unethical just so one major monopolistic organization can continue to offer the lowest prices possible. Wal-Mart needs to be held accountable for all of their actions regardless of the amount of money they produce. It is very difficult to monitor and control such a huge companies actions and to try and stop them from being completely unethical. The outcome of their unethical behavior has been many lawsuits and they just continue to surface. Wal-Mart has such a huge profit that these lawsuits do not stop them from being unethical (Bianco). Hopefully Wal-Mart’s unethical behavior will eventually catch up with them. Wal-Mart superiors at the corporate level should understand that unethical behavior eventually turns around to bite you but they continue to ignore the issues. It will take many years to completely resolve the type of unethical behavior that is allowed but steps need to be taken to reach that sort of goal. A complete restructuring of the company and those in charge may be necessary to cleanse the unethical behavior. The right people and policies must be in place from top-down to every Wal-Mart store across the entire world. Once they realize all the issues and feel the need to correct them, then they can look forward to the future in a positive and ethical way that will benefit everybody involved. References Bianco, Anthony; Zellner, Wendy. Is Walmart Too Powerful? Business Week. 2003. Fishman, Charles. The Walmart You Don’t Know. Fast Company. 2003. Greenhouse, Steven. In-House Audit Says Walmart Violated Labor Laws. The New York Times. 2004. Norman, Al. The Case Against Wal-Mart. Raphel Marketing. ISBN 0-9711542-3-6. 2004. Olsson, Karen. Up Against Walmart. Mother Jones. 2003

Future Trends in Operations Management

Future Trends in Operations Management A key feature of the current business environment is the idea that supply chains compete, not companies It has become commonly recognized that a companys survival is primarily a question of its competitiveness. At the heart of it is the constant need to rapidly grow and capture the leading market positions. Modern economic conditions force businesses to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction by performing perfect consumer service, delivering a wide variety of quality products in shorter lead time and at a reasonable cost. This creates incredible opportunities for individual consumers and puts great pressures on companies to seek for the new ways to appeal consumers. Other that that, contemporary business environment brings a huge level of uncertainty to managers of all levels and urges them to be able to sense all the changes and implement the right and timely measures to be successful. This uncertainty may come from government decisions, customers and consumers, shareholders that demand increased return from what they invest into business. This is how Dennis McCarthy and D r. Nick Rich describe current business situation in their book on business-led changes called Lean TPM: The new competitive conditions are far removed from those of the past and challenge strategies such that we can no longer assume that: Past business success is a guarantee of future survival; Product patens will protect a manufacturer from competition; Buying the latest technology will provide a means of defense against competition. Technology or products by themselves are not enough to guarantee survival (McCarthy and Rich, 2004). Clearly, as a result of the new trends and new economic realities managing operations and supply chain has become extremely complex and challenging. We believe that the list of the key pressures that these authors outline in their book to describe modern economic conditions not only perfectly well describes challenges facing the world today, but also gives a good insight into how these may effect supply chain in particular, including its design, management and future business integration. According to McCarthy and Rich they include: 1. New and emerging manufacturing economies with low labour costs are  attracted to mature Western markets where they can exploit their cost  advantage. The power of the internet in purchasing materials and components on a global scale and therefore access to alternative suppliers has increased exponentially. As such, power has shifted to the customer/consumer. Deregulation of world markets has resulted from international trading agreements and this has liberated trade and increased competition for manufacturers. Corporations have the ability to switch production. Pressure groups and lobbyists seeking to lower prices or convince the manufacturer to improve their performance in areas such as environmental management. Shareholders who expect a year on year improvement in the returns on their money invested and constantly compare these returns with what their money could earn elsewhere. Customers expect product variety, continuously improving quality levels, lead time reduction and want their stocks reduced (McCarthy and Rich, 2004). Benita M. Beamon also adds to this list extreme climate change as one of the essential factors that will also effect future world business configuration since its change would threaten transportation infrastructures, natural resources supply including the constrained supply of natural energy and raw materials as such, and would change overall human behavior patterns which as a result will drastically influence the ability to supply worldwide (Beamon, 2008). Although operations and supply chain management is often seen as merely routine activities, it is indeed very sensitive to almost all business changes and, therefore, fairy regarded now as one of the critical business concerns and has the priority in managing the organization. This is why we chose to reflect on the above mentioned trends to study their effect on the supply chain and operations and, thus, track current and future challenges in this area. 1. It is now obvious that the world economy has faced large structural changes in recent years on the way to bring businesses to more international basis. There can hardly be found now any operation that does not sell to or buy from foreign markets. Globalization of businesses has significantly accelerated, resulting in new challenges for companies on the global market. Sixth annual survey performed by PRTM Management Consultants showed that respondents consistently rank acceleration of supply chain globalization as a top priority over the next several years concluding that the primary shift of manufacturing and assembly operations has been to low cost country destinations including China, India and Eastern Europe (2008). It can be summarized that expansion of operations supply chain to cover the whole world still stays number one trend due to its cost reduction opportunities and, therefore, puts additional challenges to cope with these increased pressures. With that in mind, product quality and safety as well as supply chain delivery and security become the main concern for organizations globalizing their supply chains, thus, providing additional business risks. 2. Number two trend logically follows from the business expansion to improve global performance and flexibility companies seek for the alternative ways to control operations, fasten processes, and simplify procedures. Increased pressures are also put on them to improve coordination and achieve overall integration with suppliers and customers. Internet, e-commerce, e-procurement and other web-based applications offer major cost savings and advantages. Simon R. Croom studied the positive effects of e-business strategy implementation on supply chain management. In his research Supply Chain Management in the E-Business Era the following advantages were outlined: New e-business infrastructures offer a wider range of activities within supply chain, e.g. electronic marketplaces including larger numbers of buyers and sellers; Increased use of electronic methods for searching and sourcing which reduces coordination costs and increase the proportion of economic activities coordinated by markets, companies are encouraged to use more out-sourcing, low coordination costs will also enable companies to buy goods and services less expensively; Information processing is reduced; Additional opportunities provided by the use of E-procurement. Its advantages include: greater visibility of the procurement process, improved management of maintenance, repair and operating supplies, improved stock management, better information for purchasing decision-making, supply base reduction followed by the change of the supply chains structure, significant efficiency gains with the attention to the role and development of purchasing as a core capability of the organization, it also provides a powerful platform from which to exploit the organizations strategic leverage and undertake major total supply chain cost improvements (Croom, 2001). 3. Number three trend, we believe, is another logical result of the two mentioned above rapid growth of new information technologies raised the issue of accumulated information and knowledge management. Accumulation of knowledge relates to both customer relationship formation and product innovation process. At the heart of this concept is the recognition of the fact that knowledge is the key driver of the value-adding processes. It has been fairly noted by the theorists of operations management that the way in which products or services were created was not random; they were the product of a whole collection of decisions and actions based on an even larger collection of knowledge (Slack, Chambers, Johnston, 2007). So, it is obvious that the concept of knowledge management will significantly influence the future development of operations and supply chain management as it provides the expertise that underpins companys competitive advantage. 4. Trend number four, that needs to be discussed in more detail, from our point of view, and should be grouped into a separate trend is that of the future integration of the supply chain and future development in such areas as business-to-business, business-to-customer and customer-to-customer relationships. It is indeed evident now, in the new era that the supply chain has become more connected and integrated that ever before due to the rapid growth of new information technologies, web-based applications and other alternative communication means. Companies constantly seek for developing new creative ways to communicate with suppliers, customers and consumers. It especially relates to service-based and product-based supply chain. On-line ordering, availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, great variety of products and services, no issues with transportation and so on, all this has drastically improved the efficiency of the supply chain. Customers are also encouraged to communic ate with each other by means of widespread social networks: blogs, forums, portals which allows instant information sharing. All this, we believe, will keep on changing the way in which the supply chain operates towards increased capacities and efficiencies of the supply chain. 5. Another trend that can not be mentioned with all reflected earlier is the problem of environmental responsibility and sustainability or green supply chain. Opinions of researchers differ here in weather it will be the result of the state legislation compliance and customer requirements or it will be one of the effective ways to improve companys image and reputation. Our consideration is that it will be both. No need to deny that the pressures from the legislation are increasing which urges almost all companies to put in place relevant environmental management. The concept of waste management has also gained popularity in recent years as it implies waste reduction that in all its forms significantly saves cost for the organization which conventionally coincides here with environmental responsibility. We can already see that companies have started large campaigns towards recyclable materials application, new product design to consider their life cycle beyond their traditional shelf- life to extract more value from precious natural resources, reduction of energy and water consumption, use of alternative fuels and many other. It is obvious that the concept of environmental responsibility will take the key role in day-to-day operations management decisions and every day practices due to its great economic potential for the firm. We think that this list can be continued with more and more trends and business challenges, however, from our point of view these 5 give the fullest picture of what to expect from the environment in which we exist. It reflects the key processes that both companies and each of us as a consumer is involved on the daily basis. We have identified some of the challenges and complexities that are characteristic of operations and supply chain today and have attempted to analyze these to possibly see their future development. It is obvious that uncertainty and complexity will still be the main characteristics of the global business environment in the future. However, managers will have the advantage of the emerging information and communication technologies that will provide real time data to support operational decision-making and will help to improve efficiency of processes in the area of the use of resources, materials handling and product design. Question 2 In the second part of the assignment I will compare the company that I work for with the performed literature review and based on this comparison will outline its main competitive advantages. I have been working for Nestlà © for 6 years, starting from the small water factory just acquired by the Company. I worked as an Interpreter then, being heavily involved in the translation of the Group policies, specifications, guidelines and instructions, which the factory was going to implement to meet worldwide Nestlà © standards. I believe it is an excellent example that reflects all challenges and perplexities of the modern business conditions. With its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland Nestlà © was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà © and is today the worlds leading nutrition, health and wellness  company. It employs around 280  000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world. The list of products includes over 127000 items of different types and sizes. This complexity, therefore, is the main characteristic of its supply chain. Managing thousands of supply chains in many countries, controlling invoicing of customers and collecting payments, predicting demand and tracking stocks all this at some point put the Company in a very risky situation which required such a solution that would put order in all this variety. So, the Company, had undertaken steps towards the implementation of GLOBE, or the Global Business Excellence model aimed at creating a single system to simplify and unify the way to manage supply chain and operate such functions, like purchasing and invoicing. The imp lementation of this model has provided not only an excellent tool to optimize operational cost, but also has served as a key driver for generating business value by creating a culture of continuous excellence, collaboration and support both cross functionally and between various operations worldwide. It is indeed true that the implementation of GLOBE taught the Company to operate as a global market player. Another thing that the Company claims that has helped it to sustain in the times of turbulence and uncertainty is its strict compliance with the Company Corporate Business Principles that say: Nestlà ©s existing products grow through innovation and renovation while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines. Long-term potential is never sacrificed for short-term performance. The Companys priority is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives (Appendix, 4). It is always stressed, however, that the Companys main business principle is the conviction that to have long-term success for their shareholders, all the operations not only have to comply with all applicable legal requirements and ensure that all the activities are sustainable, but additionally have to create significant valu e for society(Appendix, 2). Other things that the Company claims to be the basis of its culture and is considered to be the essential part of its long-term established reputation are of course its quality assurance and product safety. The quality policy says: Nestlà © strives to create value that can be sustained over the long term by meeting consumer needs for nutrition, enjoyment and Quality they can trust (Appendix, 7). This is achieved through no waste attitude and continuous improvement of the quality standards delivered to consumers. Adequate recourses, equipment, procedures and systems, trainings and teamwork play the major role in the implementation of high standards and achievement of excellence and competitiveness. All functions across the Value Chain are fully responsible for observing mandatory principles, norms and instructions, for maintaining agreed Quality standards and for constantly improving them is another essential postulate of the Quality Policy (Appendix, 7). Consumer communication is also considered within the Company as the key indicator of all ongoing activities. All opinions, complaints and shortcomings are analyzed and serve as a tool for immediate correction and improvement if needed. Nestlà © Consumer Communications Principles state the Companys commitment to responsible, reliable consumer communication that empowers consumers to exercise their right to informed choice and promotes healthier diets (Appendix, 3). It is fair to note that supplier and consumer relations are an important part of the Companys vision on creating shared value. Doing business in the way that requires from the Companys contractors, subcontractors and their employees to demonstrate honesty, integrity and fairness; in the same way that the Company itself is demonstrating its commitment to its consumers. Supplier Code specifies these principles and helps their implementation within all suppliers and their community. By accepting these, suppliers take the responsibility of being compliant with the core principles of business integrity, sustainability, labor standards, safety and health, environment and other. Implementation of the vendor data base has helped to track and manage its suppliers in accordance with the Company principles and values. One other concept that has been in focus in recent years is that of environmental management and sustainability aimed at improvement of environmental performance, operations activities in this area, risk and cost reduction, long-term availability of raw materials and water. In its Environmental Policy the Company states: At all stages of the product life cycle we strive to use natural resources efficiently, favour the use of sustainably-managed renewable resources, and target zero waste(Appendix, 6). Target areas for improvement initiatives include: application of a life cycle approach with systematic assessments of all activities across the Value Chain, effective water resources management to provide a common mythology to measure water footprint of products, processes and organizations, reduction of gas omissions from its operations through proper energy consumption management, switching to renewable sources and transport and distribution initiatives with focus on green fleet and op timization of the distributions schemes and packaging, elimination of wastes in all operations through the Value Chain with the goal of zero waste and full recovery of unavoidable by products (Appendix, 6). The list of initiatives that Nestlà © has undertaken can be much longer that these. However, we believe that these are the main ones that reflect the Companys vision on doing business and on the way it adds value to all its activities to finally sustain and prosper in times of uncertainty and risk. As it is seen from our study it closely coincides with the literature review that we performed to define the major challenges and future trends in operations and supply chain management. This study proves the fact that constant development and applications of advanced information and communication technologies, focus on the development of relationships with both consumers and suppliers, expansion of the social responsibility with attention to environmental issues, social activities will be the main value-adding factors and efficient tools against business risks and uncertainties. REFERENCES Beamon B.M.(2008). Sustainability and the Future of Supply Chain Management. Industrial Engineering, University of Washington. Christopher M. (1992) Logistics and Supply Chain Management. First edition. London: Financial Times Croom S.R. (2001) Supply Chain Management in the E-Business Era. An investigation into Supply Chain Strategies, Practices and Progress in E-Business Adoption. McCarthy D., Rich N. (2004) Lean TPM. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Sixth Annual Survey (2008). Global Supply Chain Trends 2008-2010. Driving Global Supply Chain Flexibility through Innovation. Available at http://www.prtm.com (Accessed: September 2010). Slack N., Chambers S., Johnston. (2007) Operations Management. Fifth edition. Pearson Education Limited. Steinert-Threlkeld T. (2006) Nestlà © Pieces Together Its Global Supply Chain. Available at http://www.baselinemag.com (Accessed: December 8, 2010)

Unemployment Rates in Albania: An Analysis

Unemployment Rates in Albania: An Analysis INTRODUCTION Albania is one of the economically last developed countries in Europe. After the collapse of the communist regime, Albania achieved an economical growth, but poverty level is still high. There is a strong link between poverty and unemployment because the lack of employment is one of the main determinants of poverty. Albania is considered as a poor country, thats why a high level of unemployment exists. This is a phenomenon that disquiets the Albanias society, so it is important to discus about this topic. This paper gives the unemployment level and its changing during years in Albania. The period of time that we have taken into account is 1995-2009. In this paper we are going to talk about the unemployments concept at the beginning and then its effects on the economy and society in chapter 5. We are going to give the unemployment rate of Albania, during this period according to age, gender and education and its values in different cities in chapter 3. Another point that will be shown in this paper is of course the precautions taken by the government to reduce the unemployment rate given in chapter 6. And finally we are going to show the conclusions of our work. GENERAL OVERVIEW ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT 2.1. UNEMPLOYMENTS CONCEPT Unemployment is the time period when a person isnt actually working, but available for work and currently looking for work. The working age population includes people from 16 years old to 65 years old for men and 60 for women. It consists of two groups: active population (labor force) and inactive population. Labor force includes employed and those in search of employment (the unemployment people). In this assessment should be taken into account the difference between: -Individuals currently working, considered those who accomplish a payable work of residence, even if temporally absent from work. The unemployed, those considered not at work, but actively seeking employment or waiting to return to work. Outside the labor force are classified people that are in working age but they arent currently working or they dont want to. This group consists of students, the invalids, students of working age, those who perform military service, and persons not currently looking for work. The flow of movement between these categories can be expressed with the Fig.2, where: 1 shows the flow of people who change job. 2 show the flow of people who lose their job. 3 show the flow of people from the ranks of unemployed who find a job. 4 show the emergence of the unemployed out of the labor force (as unemployed who do not require work anymore). 5 show the entry or the reentry in labor force, but first as unemployed. 6 show entry or reentry in labor force, but now as busy at work. 7 show the loss of employment and the exit out of the labor force (such as pensioners, or people returning to school). The total number of losing jobs is given by the amount of movement 1, 2 and 7. The total number of finding jobs is given by the amount of movement is 1, 3 and 6. The difference between the losing jobs and the finding jobs shows the difference in employment. Changes in unemployment are given by the difference (5+2) (3+4). Changes in unemployment measured by the unemployment rate, which represents the percentage ratio of the number of unemployed and the labor force: Unemployment rate= (unemployed workers / total labor force) ÃÆ'- 100%.1 TYPES OF UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment is an inevitable process for each country, so that we can find it among each person in different kinds. The most kind of unemployment we can find in Albania are: Frictional unemployment, which is created as a result of continued movement of workers from one job in search of another job, which is better than the first. This kind of unemployment is inevitable and economically justifiable, as leading to more efficient redistribute of labor resources. In this group are also included students who have just been graduated and are looking for a job, or women that have been away for a while from the labor market. These people are considered as volunteers unemployed.1 Structural unemployment, that occurs due to changes in demand and the supply to work as a result of fundamental changes occurring in the basic branches of economy. If an economy suffers from long-lasting low aggregate demand, it means that many of the unemployed become disheartened, while their skills (including job-searching skills) become rusty and obsolete. This means that they may not fit the job vacancies that are created when the economy recovers. This kind of unemployment can also be caused by technological progresses, since it means that fewer workers are needed to produce the same level of output every year.1 Cyclical unemployment is associated with declining demand for certain goods and services, especially at the stage of economic downturn, which leads to the decline in demand for manpower in the factories that manufacture these products or services. This is caused by a business cycle recession and wages not falling to meet the equilibrium level.1 Seasonal unemployment, which is related to seasonal nature of the product or service, for example in the branches of the construction industry, tourism, etc. It is linked to certain kind of jobs.1 Voluntary unemployment includes that group of people who choose not to work for different reasons, such as economical/financial reasons or any other.1 Hidden unemployment is the unemployment that does not appear in government statistics, due to the way the statistics are collected. Only those who have no work but are actively looking for work are counted as unemployed. Those who have given up looking, those who are working less than they would like or those who work at jobs in which their skills are underutilized are not officially counted as unemployed, though in a sense they are.1 UNEMPLOYMANT RATE IN ALBANIA The lowest rate of unemployment of these years is 12.3% in 1996, while the highest is 18.4% in 1999. From 1995 until 1999 we have successive ups and downs of the unemployment rate. This is due of the transition that in these years has been higher. While from 1999 with unemployment rate 18.4%, the unemployment rate has been decreasing gradually, reaching its lowest level in 2008 with unemployment rate 13%. However these digits are still high. Our country suffers from the phenomenon of unemployment. According to the report of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 3 official unemployment rate is rather deformed three times lower than the real rate of unemployment. There are at least three reasons that make the data on unemployment rate not to be real. The main reason is informality, which is the number of employees who arent declared from the employer. ____________________________ 1scribd: MAKROEKONOMI-Inflacioni-Dhe-Papunesia. Url: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33883062/MAKROEKONOMI-Inflacioni-Dhe-Papunesia 2 INSTAT see Instituti I Statistikes 3 CIA (2010): library/publications/the-world-factbook/Albania. Url: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html Also, there are the unemployed who do not plead their self as unemployed. In this case they do not appear in official records as unemployed. This is a problem associated with lack of functionality and efficiency of office work. In the calculation of the unemployment rate also isnt disregarded unemployment in agriculture. Rural areas, in which lies the main map of poverty in the country, are supposed with full employment, since no one is registered as unemployed. According to the report, having such a large labor force in agriculture, when this sector provides 21.7% of Gross Domestic Product and almost zero unemployment rate, its explained why according the official methodology, the unemployment rate is only 12.5%. So, these are some of the reasons that make the unemployment rate not to be real. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to gender Throughout the years the percentage of unemployed females in Albania has been higher than the percentage of males, this for some reasons. In Albania are developed more activities oriented towards the employment of males. Specifically, trade, construction or development of hotels and restaurants, where dominate male employees. Also these years were closed enough industrial activities, in which there were employed a significant number of females. While the rural-urban movement does not give females many opportunities coming from rural areas to enter in the job market. Also females being most charged with house works and take care of everything, no firm has no interest to employ them before a male, because they often can take permissions, will require maternity leave etc. These can be some of the reasons why the level of unemployed females is higher than the unemployed males. The year 1999, in which the unemployment rate is the highest, marks the greatest number of unemployed males and females, respectively 16.4% of males and 21.4% of females in Albania were recorded as unemployed. While the lowest number of unemployed males registered in 1996, where 11.4% of males are registered as unemployed and the lowest number of unemployed females registered in 2007 where 12.2% of females are registered as unemployed. The number of unemployed people observed that has ups and downs, both in females and males until 2000, while after 2000 till 2007 is observed a general reduction of unemployed males and females. In 2008 is noticed an increase in the number of unemployed females from 12.2% to 13.5%. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to age Unemployment also varies according to age groups population. Three main age groups are: 15-19 years old, 20-34 years old and over 34 years old. Unemployment appears in higher rates for the first age group because young people are less able to adapt to the labor market. These rates have been high till 2001 and after this period dominates 20-34 year old age group as unemployed. Whereas all persons over 34 years old represent lower values in the unemployment rate since the majority of them are busy to work. This rate has been higher in the period 1998-2001 and since then has maintained a constant level. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE according to education According to the education level of unemployment, the major part of unemployment rate consists of people who have octennial and high-school education. This may come from different reasons such as the low level of intelligence, or any other. The difference rate between unemployed people with octennial and high-school education is low. In the period of time 1998-2000 there were more unemployed people who had high school education than with octennial education, but since 2001 this ratio has changed. From 2001-2009 there are more unemployed people with octennial education. Whereas people with university education have fewer chances to be unemployed since they have more opportunity to find o job. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE in different districts Unemployment rate varies in different districts of Albania. During 2008 this rate was different in different districts. Its values are shown in Fig 6, which represents the ratio of unemployment to the all districts of Albania. According to the data set, the highest rate for the unemployment this year has been in Kukà «s with a value of 30.9%, a high value compared to the other districts. It is followed by the district of Shkodra with 24.2%, then Lezha with 22.1% and 17.7% in Vlora. The lowest rate is given for the district of Tirana, around 7.3%. It probably comes from the fact that, Tirana is the capital and so on is a developed city, where employment opportunities for citizens are higher. Therefore this rate is lower in this city. As for other districts this rate varies with small values. CONSEQUENCES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN ALBANIA Unemployment causes a lot of individual and social costs. A long period of unemployment reduces the human capital value and increases to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem, leading to depression. Also another consequence of unemployment is that the unemployed people may lose their skills. At another point when a person is unemployed, he has lack of income. This causes less leisure. As some other serious consequences of unemployment we can mention the increasing number of divorces, crime and greater alcohol abuse. So the unemployment influences in the every-day life of the unemployed people. Unemployment causes reduction of incomes level and this brings the reduction of the countrys economic growth. The GDP is lower than it could be if the unemployed people were employed. As a result the whole economy and society suffer from people being unemployed. Also high levels of unemployment bring consequences at the level of taxes and government borrowing, and at the expenditure of government. Because of the existence of a high level of unemployment, the income that could be taken from taxes will fall. While unemployed people do not work, do not earn, and thus they do not pay taxes. This affects in the decrease of the level of income that the government collects. On the other hand, the government should help the unemployed by giving them economic assistance.4 In Fig 7 is presented the number of families receiving economic aid versus the total number of households in all districts of Albania. It is noted that the highest percentage of the families that profit economic aid is in Kukà «s. As we said before, the unemployment rate in this district is also the highest of all districts in Albania. Dibra, Shkodra and Lezha have also high percentages of families with economic aid and the levels of unemployment in these districts are high. Durrà «s, Fier, Tirana and Vlora have the lowest level of families in economic aid. But we have seen that Vlora had a high level of unemployment, although the percentage of families in economic aid is in lower levels. So the government loses as a result of the decline in tax collection and higher spending on families who have unemployed members. As a result the budget deficit may be increased, which increases and the risk of the government. These are some reasons that the level of government borrowing may increase. So we can say that all the society and the economy suffer from high levels of unemployment. PRECAUTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT The government has to interfere continually to reduce the unemployment rate. The Albanias government has taken some precautions to low-down the level of unemployment. We can mention the opening of new workplaces, such as in infrastructure. The last years the government has realized a lot of projects in infrastructure and in this way, there are opened new workplaces. Also the government has practiced training and program applications to boost employment. As we have said in Albania the number of unemployed females is greater than unemployed males, and so the government has practiced free vocational training for women heads, victims of trafficking and roma women. Reforms in the fiscal system, in the improvement of the business environment by lowering taxes significantly, investments in infrastructure and the attracting of foreign investors to invest in Albania, encouraging investors to employ staff from Albania are the main factors that has contributed to the economic growth and, consequently, to the creation of new workplaces. So these are the main precautions that our government has taken to prevent and reduce the unemployment in Albania.5 CONCLUSION Unemployment is an inevitable process that happens in every country. It is found in different types such as frictional, structural, cyclical, seasonal, voluntary and hidden unemployment. This phenomenon is visible in every society, but it appears in different values. __________________________ 5 Ministry of Social Work and Issue and Equal Opportunity (2007): Strategji-Standarte/Strategjia e Punesimit. Url: http://www.mpcs.gov.al/images/stories/ministria/downloads/strategji-standarte/plani_i_veprimeve_per_zbatimin_e_strategjise_se_punesimit2006-2013.zip Although Albanias recent economic growth has reduced poverty level, it is still a country with a higher rate of unemployment. This rate has been changing over years. It has been in its lowest levels in 1996 with 12.3%. The highest rate has been in 1999 with a value of 18.4% and from then it has been reducing continually. In 2008 this rate was 13%. Its not a low level, but anyway is the lowest level Albania has ever had in the last 10 years. According to gender the percentage of unemployed females in Albania has been higher than the percentage of males. According to age, the level of unemployment has been higher for the age group 15-19 years old till 2001, and since then it has been higher for the age group 20-34 years old. Whereas the age group over 34 years old is always characterized of lower levels of unemployment according to the other age groups. Unemployment rate according to education has been higher for people with high school education till 2001, and from then it has been hi gher for people with octennial education. Whereas people with university education are characterized of lower levels of unemployment. In different districts are recorded different values. Its value is higher in Kukà «s and lower in Tirana. The unemployment brings a lot of affects in the society and the whole economy. It reduces the human capital value and increases to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem, leading to depression. It increases the number of divorces, crime and the level alcohol abuse. The unemployment brings the reduction of the countrys economic growth. It reduces the level of the incomes that could be taken from taxes and increases the expenditure for economic aid given by the government for the unemployed people. The government has taken some precautions to reduce the level of unemployment; such are the reforms in the fiscal system or by opening new workplaces. It has practiced training and program applications to boost employment. The percentage of unemployed females is in high levels, so the government has practiced free vocational training for women. Also it has taken reforms in the fiscal system, in the improvement of the business environment by lowering taxes significantly, investments in infrastructure and the attracting of foreign investors to invest in Albania, encouraging investors to employ staff from Albania.

Teaching as a Profession Essay -- essays papers

Teaching as a Profession Individuals who enter the field of education reply to the question why teach with various answers. There is beauty, joy, and fulfillment in this profession, and these spirit-lifting emotions are the result of watching annually as a new group of children enter to learn and leave with the knowledge to achieve. Richard Dufour (2000), author of Why Teach expressed his views on the profession first by stating that teaching is not the career for everyone. He goes on to say, that the education profession has the ability to present the â€Å"unique opportunity† for individuals to cast a positive influence upon others (Why Teach, 2000, p.1). The smiles received from a room full of students when as a whole their individual needs, both educational and personal have been catered to, prompts a burst of passion in every teacher. Those who look to the profession as a career would need to nourish these perceptions in order to prevail over the negative aspects that surround the profession. The process of teaching goes far beyond the presentation of facts, it includes the dedication of both heart and time. While compensation and working conditions are the main downfalls in teaching, there are many other situations that cause individuals to turn away from the profession. Teaching is obviously a hard complex job and the individuals who answer the call, encounter many frustrations. They are required to first develop goals for classroom instruction and with these goals develop lesson plans, while implementing effective classroom management (appropriate discipline). They must also monitor and nourish the special needs of every child, and stay current on educational advancements and topic knowledge. Imagine trying to su... ...nt in the future knowledge and the chance for a humane society. President George Bush’s â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† fails to focus on the recruitment and diversity within the profession. He sets a goal for the year 2005 for every classroom to have a quality teacher but no goal for retaining these teachers. The improvement of the profession requires a national step-by-step effort. The purpose of this paper was to gather and explore information on the teaching profession and with it explore the shortage within in order to educate and strike up reform. It is clear, that reform will require a lot of time and money. The end product however, will show success within the profession thereby equaling success in the classroom. Success comes when present in the classrooms are caring and committed teachers, all with the goal of education and diversity is among them. .

Manipulation of Youth by Dictators :: essays papers

Manipulation of Youth by Dictators Influencing people at a young age is one tactic used by Hitler in Nazi Germany and by Big Brother in 1984 to keep the future of their nations devoted. This tactic is made evident in Nazi Germany and in 1984 by the youth organizations set up by both dictators’. These organizations make their youth feel like they are involved. Both Hitler and Big Brother have ways to brainwash the youth into following. The Spies in 1984 and the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany grow up living the way that their dictator had set up and for the rest of their lives they will be faithful and devoted; it’s the only way that they know. These tactics are especially cruel because the youth have no way of knowing what’s going to happen, it just seems like the right thing to do at the time. The reason Hitler and Big Brother’s manipulation of the youth is so intriguing is because it is purely elementary. From the time that children are born they look up to older kids so it’s not surprising when the youth of a nation looked to their elders to gain direction. In Nazi Germany Hitler was emerging as the dominant figure so naturally the youth looked up and wanted to be a part of his organizations. The Hitler Youth was a well-run organization built on discipline and loyalty. After the children were enrolled in the Hitler Youth, members were given a uniform, which may have been their first. Immediately they respond with a feeling of importance; they are now associated with Hitler and the Nazi Party, the most influential group in all of Germany. â€Å"They were children, thirteen and fourteen years old, tiny undernourished boys who remembered no other government than his and who still trusted and believed.† As the group grew larger, it became more prestigious and powerful. The same is true for the Spies in 1984. These children’s whole lives are directed towards remaini ng loyal to Big Brother. Their elders worship him and the children follow. As soon as they put on the blue shorts, grey shirt and red hanker chief of the Spies it gives them a feeling of importance in the society they are living in; this is similar to Nazi Germany. At the time, the children think they are doing the right thing, but eventually they will be so brainwashed by Big Brother that they will no longer be able to think for themselves, whether his decisions are positive or negative will no longer matter.

Iron & Coppersulfate

Introduction: Making observations are very important in chemistry. It should be done carefully and precisely to ensure no mistakes. This experiment was all about observing. In this experiment, a set of chemicals were used to set up an experiment. The experiment was observed for three days. The chemicals used were copper sulfate (blue crystals), sodium chloride (salt), and iron. Copper sulfate is a chemical compound which is produced commercially by reacting various copper (II) compounds with sulfuric acid [1]. It generally appears as a bright blue or green crystal [1]. Its chemical formula is CuSo4. Iron is silver-white magnetic metallic and readily rusts in moist air [3]. Its chemical formula is Fe. The chemical reaction was demonstrated by the iron reacting to the copper sulfate. Copper Sulfate Crystals [4] Materials & Methods: Materials: 2 small circles of filter paper, 1 iron nail, 5 grams of copper (II) sulfate, 10 grams of sodium chloride (salt), and 1 small piece of plastic wrap Method: Briefly, 5 grams of copper (II) sulfate was placed in a test tube. Filter paper was placed on top of that, 10 grams of salt were then added, and then more filter paper was added. An iron nail was placed faced down on top of that last filter paper and then the test tube was filled with enough water to cover up the nail. Last, the test tube was observed for the next three days. Results: Time| Observation| Day 0| * The tip of the nail had turned pinkish-red * The bottom of the tube, which was clear and blue from the copper sulfate was now bright green| Day 1| * The entire nail was now pinkish-red * Some copper had shed off of the nail and was resting on top of the salt * The water turned yellow * The tube is now dark-almost black green at the bottom * There was less copper sulfate| Day 2| * The entire nail was pink * The water was still yellow * A lot of copper has shed from the nail * The copper sulfate has dissolved (it is only about 1 gram left)| The above can be summarized by this chemical reaction: Fe(s) + CuSo4(aq) Cu(s) + FeSo4(aq) iron copper (II) copper iron (II) sulfate sulfate Discussion: The purpose of this experiment was to show how iron reacts to copper sulfate. It seems like iron got jealous of copper sulfate’s chemistry so iron stole sulfate from copper. That’s how iron sulfate came to be and that is also why copper is now alone. The purpose of the salt was to slow the reaction down. The purpose of the water was to dissolve the copper sulfate. The purpose of the filter papers were to separate the chemicals. The evidence of the change that was observed was that there was no more copper sulfate but there was now iron sulfate. Bibliography: 1. http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-copper-sulfate. htm 2. http://www. finishing. com/4000-4199/4134. shtml 3. http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/iron 4. paulslab. compaulslab. com http://www. paulslab. com/crystals/copper-sulfate. html

Child Protective Services Essay

Ice users in the state of Hawaii, estimated to have reached 30,000 in 2003, were spending as much as $1. 8 billion every year to maintain their addiction in what has been referred to by U. S Attorney Ed Kubo as the â€Å"highest usage of ice in the country. † (Sinq, 2003) Ice refers to methamphetamine, a strong, extremely addictive stimulant which could be introduced to the body by smoking, sniffing, oral ingestion, or injection and affects the nervous system. (Drug-Rehabs. org, n. d. ) The substance was believed to have been discovered in Japan sometime in 1919 and was actually used as a nasal decongestant in 1932. It was manufactured legally as non-medical tablets in the United States, taking the form of â€Å"dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) and methamphetamine (Methedrine). † It rapidly became a favorite among athletes, university students, and even long distance truck drivers – people who need to stay alert for long periods of time. An injectable form was developed during the 1960s but was subjected to severe restriction under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. (Drug-Rehabs. org. n. d. ) Today, Prosecutor Peter Carlisle of Honolulu said that adult people in Hawaii have been turning to ice instead of alcohol – in fact the highest number of adult ice-users (by state) in the entire country is found in the state of Hawaii. In Honolulu, it was estimated that about 38% of all those arrested for various offenses have been found positive for methamphetamine. Moreover, while the average rate of sentenced methamphetamine traffickers for the entire country in 2001 was placed at 14%, the rate for Hawaii had been 51%. (A Message from Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, 2007) This only means one thing: ice trafficking in Hawaii has grown to be a very flourishing industry, which, to some people, indicates that ice abuse has already reached epidemic proportions in the state. As a matter of fact, recorded deaths attributed to methamphetamine use have also been steadily on the rise since 2000 when 34 persons were believed to have died from using the substance. In 2001, the number rose to 54 then climbed to 62 in 2002 before decreasing slightly to 56 deaths during the year 2003. In 2004, ice-related deaths rose again to 68 and as of the middle of May 2005, there were already 38 ice-related deaths in the state of Hawaii. According to Dr. Kanthi De Alwis, Chief Medical Examiner of Honolulu, majority of deaths from ice were due to the substance’s effect on the human brain and heart. He said that ice weakens and enlarges the heart, and blocks the coronary arteries. In some of the cases, Alwis said, blood enters the brain, killing the ice user almost instantly. (Drug-Rehabs. org, 2005) User death did not prove to be the only adverse effect of the ice epidemic on Hawaiian society. A much more damaging consequence had been its effect on children. In fact it was observed that although abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs also resulted to fractured families, ice addiction had proven to be more powerful and destructive, consuming â€Å"parents’ lives so quickly that experts placed it in a class of its own. † (Dayton, 2003b) As of 2003, almost 85% of the 7,000 children who were under foster care were children of ice users. Most of these children were traumatized. They also showed signs of being â€Å"angry† and were often destructive in their ways, aside from the fact that most of them lagged in their school work. Many of them have expressed their belief that their parents abandoned them either because something was very wrong with them, or their parents simply stopped loving them. If left unattended, experts feared that these children might end up as substance abusers themselves. At the very least, they are expected to suffer from the long-term effects of living with constant violence and chaos in the family. This is what some health professionals are trying to prevent, according to Jack Maynor who works as a child counselor in a spouse-abuse shelter. (Dayton, 2003a) In many cases, children were separated from their parents because of the parents’ addiction to ice. Families where either or both parents are ice addicts are characterized by violence, child abandonment, or both. Peggy Hilton of the East Hawai’i Child Welfare Services said that there are people who become totally addicted to methamphetamine in only a matter of a couple of weeks. She explained that ice is characterized by â€Å"extreme levels of domestic violence [and that] after a binge, ice users ‘crash’ and can sleep for days, leaving the children in the house to fend for themselves. † According to officials of the Child Protective Services, they are separating up to forty children from their parents every month due to ice addiction in the Big Island alone. (Dayton, 2003b) The effect of parents’ addiction to ice among Hawaiian children has been very extensive. Professionals working with children of methamphetamine abusers often talk about the depressing experiences of these children. James Jolliff, a clinical psychologist from Waimea, recalled working with a girl who found her ice addict father hanging from a tree in their backyard in an attempt to kill himself. He said that while her father was rescued from that suicide attempt, the girl was traumatized and would remain to be so for a long time to come. (Dayton, 2003a)