How to Format PHP Text

So youve gone through the PHP  tutorials  or are new to PHP in general, and you can make some nifty things in PHP, but they all look like plain text. How do you jazz them up? Formatting PHP text isnt done with PHP; its done with HTML. You can do this in two ways. You can add HTML inside the PHP code or you can add the PHP code inside the HTML. Either way, the file must be saved as a .php or another file type that is allowed to execute PHP on your server. Changing PHP Text Color Using HTML Inside PHP For example, to change the PHP text color to red. Hello World!; ? In this case, the hex color number #ff0000 sets the PHP text that follows it to red. The number could be replaced by other  hex color numbers for other colors. Notice the HTML code is located inside the echo.   Changing PHP Text Color Using  PHP Inside HTML The same effect is achieved with the following code, which uses PHP inside HTML. In the second example, a single line of PHP is inserted inside the HTML. Although here it is only a line to make the text red in this example, it could be inside a fully formatted HTML page to get any look you want. Types of Formatting Available in HTML It is easy to make text formatting changes to PHP text inside HTML. Although many of these formatting commands have been suspended in Cascading Style Sheets, they all still work in HTML. Some of the text formatting commands that can be used include: Bold - Italic -      Underline -  Strike-out -   or  Small -  Font size -   , replace the ? with a number from 1 to 7, 1 being the smallestCenter text -   A complete list of text formatting tags is available.

Lowering the Drinking Age - 1523 Words

According to Andrew Herman, â€Å"Each year, 14,000 die from drinking too much. 600,000 are victims of alcohol related physical assault and 17,000 are a result of drunken driving deaths, many being innocent bystanders† (470). These massive numbers bring about an important realization: alcohol is a huge issue in America today. Although the problem is evident in Americans of all ages, the biggest issue is present in young adults and teens. In fact, teens begin to feel the effects of alcohol twice as fast as adults and are more likely to participate in â€Å"binge-drinking† (Sullivan 473). The problem is evident, but the solution may be simple. Although opponents argue lowering the drinking age could make alcohol available to some teens not†¦show more content†¦In the U.S., eighteen is the age at which person becomes a legal adult. He or she may then vote, buy cigarettes, join the military, or be arrested. So, why is it that drinking alcohol holds a much di fferent standard? A United States soldier can go to war at eighteen years old. He may then fight for his country and freedom; however, while being away from home for over a year, he is denied the right to enjoy a beer with his buddies. Some nonbelievers try to contradict this argument with the fact that alcohol is damaging to a young brain. It’s true--excessive alcohol can damage a young and developing brain. However, what about smoking? Young adults are permitted to buy cigarettes at the age of eighteen. Cigarettes, a habit that is just as much, if not more, damaging than alcohol, may be purchased by a legal adult. If a person eighteen years of age or older can smoke, despite the fact that smoking is harmful, why can he not drink? Where is the consistency? If twenty-one is to remain the legal drinking age of adults, then all age laws should be raised to twenty-one. It is just that simple. Finally, a lower drinking age would diminish the temptation factor in young adults. Everyone has heard the infamous story of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Adam and Eve were given a beautiful garden full of every kind of fruit, vegetable, and animal. They were given the powerShow MoreRelatedNot Lowering the Drinking Age1642 Words   |  7 PagesBryan Blejski ENG 101-010 Ms. Abbott 28 July 2011 Not Lowering the Drinking Age Many teenage deaths in the United States are caused in some way by the influence of alcohol; however, many people still believe that the legal drinking age should be reduced to eighteen. This issue has been going on for years, but the law has not been changed since the change to twenty-one in 1980. States have become stricter about preventing under-age drinking, but teenagers have no problem getting alcohol. There areRead MoreNot Lowering The Drinking Age989 Words   |  4 PagesNot Lowering the Drinking Age There are many different views on drinking alcohol, especially underage drinking. Everyone has different views on the drinking age. Some think it should be lowered and others believe that it should be raised. Then some believe that it should remain the same at the age of twenty-one years old. Keeping the alcohol consumption age at twenty-one limits the dangers of not only those under twenty-one, but other people in the community. Lowering the drinking age will causeRead MoreLowering the Drinking Age1223 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"What we’re doing now to prevent underage drinking isn’t working; it’s time to try something else.† Although many people argue that the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1964, which lowed the drinking age from eighteen to twenty one, was a good idea. David J Hanson a professor in the State University of New York believed that something needs to be done to make the United States a safer place to live. Is it fair that people in the United States can serve in the military, vote in elections, serveRead MoreLowering the Drinking Age1576 Words   |  7 PagesComposition I April 6, 2014 Why the Drinking Age Should Stay at Twenty-One The United States drinking age throughout all 50 states has been the same since 1984 when a law was put in place by the U.S. Congress punishing all states who did not abide by the legal age limit of 21. Since this law was put into place, it has become one of the most widely studied laws in history. While there are many arguments and new bills being created to reduce this age, especially among college universitiesRead MoreLowering The Drinking Age1336 Words   |  6 PagesStudies show that keeping the drinking age at twenty-one improves lives. When the United States raised the age limit to twenty-one in 1985, a shortage of drinking occurred at a whopping 40% by 1991. As a result, fewer students drop out of high school, less motor accidents occur, and suicides rates dropped significantly. However, lowering the drinking age to eighteen will bring serious consequences on young adults by reversing these statistics. Lowering the drinking age will cause significant healthRead MoreLow ering The Drinking Age Of The Age981 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, there are those who remain persistent in their requests to drop the drinking age to a slightly lower option. Opposition to the legal drinking age of twenty-one has shown to have some support from mostly younger groups of people, without much validation as to why a lowered drinking age would be beneficial to our country as a whole. Yet, there are still some interesting arguments for those in favor of dropping the age at which it is legal to drink to eighteen. Consider how many young adults chooseRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age903 Words   |  4 Pageshelp myself get a better understanding about how others feel about lowering the legal drinking age in the United States and to better understand what role alcohol plays in people’s lives. The first question I asked for in my survey, was what the participant’s age was. I used this question to see if there was a difference on how different generations felt towards lowering the legal drinking age. I was expecting more people over the age of 25 to take the quiz because I didn’t know if younger adults wouldRead MoreLowering The Minimum Drinking Age1380 Words   |  6 PagesOnce a person reaches the age of 18, they are allowed to tattoo their bodies, smoke tobacco, gamble and even enlist if they wanted to! As an adult, they want to be treated as one but how can they feel like an adult if hanging around with their friends and drinking beer while watching TV is illegal ? Of course, that does not stop them, though. The United States is one of the few countries in which still have such a high minimum drinking age. Although most people think young adults (18-year olds) areRead MoreLowering The Minimum Drinking Age1429 Words   |  6 Pagesand Thailand are others – with a minimum drinking age over 18† (Griggs, 1). When Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, its goal was to reduce less-mature adults from consuming alcohol and performing reckless acts (Cary, 1). However, despite the current drinking age, 17.5 percent of consumer spending for alcohol in 2013 was under the age of 21. It is estimated that â€Å"90 percent of underage drinking is consumed via binge drinking†¦with alcohol abuse becoming more prevalentRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age857 Words   |  4 PagesAs we know, the United States has the highest drinking age in the world. By 1988 the entire U.S had adopted the Federal Unifor m Drinking Age Act, which set the drinking age to twenty-one. However, in 1920 the United States banned the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcohol. This era known as the Prohibition sparked the popularity of hidden underground bars and events. The Prohibition Era is a prime example of how people did anything to intake alcohol and eventually this led

IPLU1 Personal Reflective Report Free Essays

Introduction Interprofessional learning (IPL) is designed to promote teamwork between members of different disciplines. In order to provide the best care for patients, individuals from different areas of healthcare (e.g. We will write a custom essay sample on IPLU1 Personal Reflective Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now a physiotherapist and a social worker) will collaborate during treatment (Parsell Bligh, 1998). The two main objectives are to promote an understanding of the roles of other healthcare professionals and to develop teamworking skills. In a time when the roles of healthcare workers are less defined, ILP can be an important way to efficiently care for patients (Parsell Bligh, 1998). The aims of this assignment will be to look at teamwork (in theory and first-hand) and to evaluate my strengths/weaknesses within the group. A team activity was devised involving a Top Trumps-style card game where healthcare statistics of cities across the UK were used to display the inequality of health/social care provisions across the UK. A role playing presentation was used to show how professional collaboration could be used in treating patients. Role and functions of a team We set about the three stages of building the team, catering to individual needs and achieving the task (Adair, 1986). Whilst building the team, we considered factors such as roles within the group, motivation, and the most effective way to communicate. Four stages of building a team from individuals have been identified (Tuckman, 1965): 1) Forming (enthusiasm, ambition and anxiety concerning our roles within the group. 2) Storming (conflicts can arise). 3) Norming (resolution of conflicts and a clearer vision). 4) Performing (clarity of roles within the team). Examples of each of these stages were seen during the first week; however I feel that we quickly began to work as a team. We progressed by using ‘ice-breaking’ sessions to get to know each other (including electronic WIKI sessions on Skype), by discussing our knowledge of IPL and setting ground rules for the team. Discussing the individual needs within the team we considered particular strengths of individuals, wh ich allowed us to assign individual tasks. I represented my own area of study and took on the role of an occupational therapist. Whilst discussing how to achieve the tasks we ensured that they were clearly defined and allocated sub-tasks accordingly. We ensured that tasks could be done to the appropriate standard within the timeframe and checked progress of tasks against the plan, making adjustments along the way if necessary. Individual role and my contribution to the team We identified three roles were necessary in the team: leader, thinker and achiever. The leader should ensure motivation and clarity on the tasks, the thinker should collect and analyse information about the task and the achiever might ensure that work is done to an acceptable standard. I was chosen as the thinker within the group. My role was to decide the game for the first activity and to research the necessary data for this game. I decided to use a version of the card game Top Trumps, where statistics such as life expectancy and infant deaths from cities across the UK were played against each other. In this way inequalities in healthcare between cities could be quickly discovered. In particular we highlighted the differences in healthcare provisions between rural and urban areas, using Newcastle and Portsmouth as examples. During week 2, we demonstrated how IPL can be used for the benefit of a patient with a role playing activity. Here we planned treatment for a patient who had su ffered injuries during a suspected suicide attempt. Members of the team from different healthcare disciplines met to discuss the best course of treatment. As an Occupational Therapist I proposed treatments such as range of motion exercises and injury support. Medical treatment was also offered by team members from other healthcare disciplines whilst others were able to offer social care advice regarding the suicide attempt. A Peer Assessment was then carried out on each team member. My time management was described as reliable and punctual, although perhaps I could develop my skills at prioritising tasks. Within the group I was found to accept my fair share of the work and provide constructive criticism where necessary. My communication skills were also praised; however perhaps I listened too often when I could have been leading a discussion. Conclusion IPL is an effective way of encouraging teamwork with people from other disciplines and in a healthcare capacity can be of great benefit. During this exercise we learned how to build a team, identify individual needs, and use teamwork as the foundation to achieve a task. Using knowledge of (In)equality in healthcare we completed a game activity that demonstrated this theory in practice, whilst the role playing presentation displayed fundamentals of the IPL process. In doing so we saw the effectiveness that interprofessional learning and work can have for the treatment of patients in an increasingly complicated healthcare system. References Parsell, G., Bligh, J. (1998) ‘Interprofessional Learning’, Postgraduate medical journal, 74, pp89-95 Adair, John (1986) Effective Team Building, Aldershot, Gower. Tuckman, B.W. (1965) Developmental sequence in small groups, Psychological Bulletin, 63 pp.384-99 How to cite IPLU1 Personal Reflective Report, Essay examples

Capital Gains Taxes and House Prices †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Capital Gains Taxes and House Prices. Answer: Introduction: The present study involves depicting the current residential status of Kit. Another main objective of this report is to determine the taxable income of Kit. As per the case study, Kit is a permanent Australian inhabitant and his birthplace in Chile. As described under IT rulings 2650 underITAA 1997, an Australian resident is liable to tax for his/her income that comes from universal sources (Auerbach and Hassett 2015). As per the regulation Management of Australian Taxation Office, a foreign occupant residing in Australia will be liable to tax based on his/her source of income. As an example, it can be said that a person working in Australia will be subject to tax for his/her income generating from Australia. In order to define the tax liability of Kit, it is essential to determine his residential status first. A residential test needs to be conducted in this regard: As per Domicile Act 1982, domicile test refers to a permissible procedure of determination of residential status. This test is a useful tool to identify the residential status of the individuals. According to Section 6 of the Taxation Ruling 2650, the individuals who have the desire to be the Australian citizen are subject to taxation under the taxation laws of Australia. The verdict of Henderson v Anderson 1965 states that every person has the authority or right to select his/her domicile nation (Buckley and Jackson 2014). With the assistance of the domicile test and Section 6(1) of ITAA 1936, the residential status of Kit can be determined. Kit has been residing in Australia and is working in an Australian company. In addition, he has his wife and children with his residing in Australia. Thus indicates the desire of Kit to make Australia to be his domicile nation. As per the above-mentioned case of Henderson, it is the responsibility of the individuals to manage the decisions of th eir domicile nation. From this test, it can be seen that Kit is fulfilling the basic criteria of domicile test and hence, he can be considered as a citizen of Australia. As per the rules of 183-day test, the individual needs to comply with some rules and regulations to become a citizen of Australia. The individual will be considered as a citizen of Australia in case he/she resides in the country for more than 183 days. In the provided case study, it can be seen that Kit has resided in Australia for more than 183 days as he works for an Australian company in Indonesia. On the other hand, for more than three years, Kits wife and children have been residing in Kits house in Australia and this aspect has made them the residents of Australia. Another major aspect is the bank account of Kit as he has his bank account in Westpac. This bank account is associated with Kits wife. The F .C. of T. v. Applegate (79 ATC 4307; (1979) 9 ATR 899 states that an individual residing in a nation for a long period of time is considered as the citizen of that nation (Gambiza and Pinto 2016). Hence, as per the domicile test, it can be said that Kit is a resident of Australi a and for this reason, he is subject to tax liability under the tax authority of Australia. According to the provided casse study, the Australian company provides the salary of Kit in the Westpac bank that is an Australian bank. In addition, Kits working organization is located in Australia. It can be seen that the company provides Kits salary in the form of Australian dollar. Another important aspect is that Kit is living in Australia with his wife and children. Thus, he has fulfilled all the criteria to be a citizen of Australia. As per the verdict of Applegate per Franki J 79 ATC case, it can be said that Kit is a resident of Australia and he needs to comply with all the national rules and regulations of taxation (Kaldor 2014). The generated income of Kit from the source of Australia is under the liability of taxation. In this regard, it is the responsibility of the Australian individuals to disclose the details of the overseas income. As per the rules of Australian taxation, the investment portfolio of Kit is subject to double taxation as it is forming a part of Kits in come. However, as per the taxation guidelines, Kit can claim to the Australian taxation authority for the exemption of tax liability on share portfolio. Californian Copper Syndicate Ltd v Harris (Surveyor of Taxes) (1904) 5 TC 159 The main concern of this case is the realization of capital assets. As per the verdict of the court regarding this case was that the Management intention of the taxpayer was to generate income with the help of selling the land. Thus, the total capital was not enough to start the mining of the land. As per the judgement of the court, the sale of the land cannot be considered as the substitute investment (Lam and Whitney 2016). The main concern of this case is income from the business. The court stated that the taxpayer earned a significant amount of profit from the disposal of the land and the tax commission has assessed the individual based on the sale of the land. Hence, as per the Section 26 (a), the taxpayer is subject to tax liability for taking the whole profit from the disposal of the land (Sackman et al. 2016). The main concern of this case is the determination of capital assets. The verdict of the court provided the direction to treat the profits from Isolated Transactions as a taxable income and hence, they are subject to tax liability under the act of Section 25 (1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936. Regarding this case, the court has stated that the taxpayers income generated from the activity of land development had to be assessed as per the principles of general accounting and they are subject to tax liability (Aregger, Brown and Rossi 2013). This case has brought forward that fact that net income generated from any subdivided land is liable for assessment under the section of section 25 (1) or 26 (a)of the ITAA 1936 (Barkoczy 2016). As per the argument of the taxpayer, the land could be used for commercial purposes as there wass not any intention to make profit. The court stated in the verdict that realization of land cannot be any part of the commercial activities and they are subject to tax deduction. The main intention of the case was to determine whether the sale of land parts needed to be assessed under the act of section 25 (1) or 25 A if ITAA 1936. The taxpayer has 988 acre of land for the beginning of agriculture. In this regard, as per the outcome of the verdict of the court, any income come from the sale of lands had to be assessed under the act of section 25A (1) (Lignier and Evans 2012). The main issue of the case is to determine the assessed profit generating from isolated transactions under the section of Section 25 (1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936. In this regard, the federal court determined the income of the taxpayers with the help of the section 25 (1) and 26 (a). By comparing this case with the case of FC of T v The Emporium Ltd 87 ATC 4363, the court provided the verdict that the income of the taxpayer was subject to tax liability (Oats 2012). This case sheds light on the sale of land under the section of Subsection 25 (1) or sec 26 (a) of the ITAA 1936. As per the verdict of the case, any income generated from the development of lands will be assessed under the taxation regulations. However, the court also mentioned that the land was used for agricultural purpose and due to poor financial situation, the taxpayers had to sell the land. Hence, the income from the land will not be subject to tax liabilities (Sharkey 2016). This particular case was about two brothers who took a bank loan in order to build a townhouse. Later, by selling the house, they generated an income of $75,811. As per the section 25 (1), the court stated in the verdict that the income generated from the selling of the house will be assessed and will be subject to tax deduction as the process of selling was a profit making scheme (Yagan 2015). It was a venture of the two brothers that helped in getting high amount of profit. Hence, this activity is purely business activity and thus, they are subject to tax liabilities. References Aregger, N., Brown, M. and Rossi, E., 2013.Transaction taxes, capital gains taxes and house prices(No. 2013-02). Auerbach, A.J. and Hassett, K., 2015. Capital taxation in the twenty-first century.The American Economic Review,105(5), pp.38-42. Barkoczy, S., 2016. Management Foundations of Taxation Law 2016.OUP Catalogue. Buckley, C. and Jackson, T., 2014. Dividend access shares: The ATO clarifies its position.Taxation in Australia,49(2), p.74. Gambiza, T.M. and Pinto, D., 2016. Sharing the rides but are we sharing the profits?.Tax Specialist,19(5), p.187. Kaldor, N., 2014.Expenditure tax. Routledge. Lam, D. and Whitney, A., 2016. Taxation and property: Practical aspects of the new foreign resident CGT witholding tax.LSJ: Law Society of NSW Journal, (21), p.84. Lignier, P. and Evans, C., 2012. The rise and rise of tax compliance costs for the small business sector in Australia. Oats, L. ed., 2012.Taxation: A fieldwork research handbook. Routledge. Sackman, J., Van Brunt, R., Rohan, P.J. and Reskin, M., 2016.Tax Issues in Condemnation Cases(Vol. 7). Nichols on Eminent Domain. Sharkey, N., 2016. Departing Australia: a complex tax situation with possible benefits and hidden traps.Tax Specialist,19(5), p.180. Yagan, D., 2015. Capital tax reform and the real economy: The effects of the 2003 dividend tax cut.The American Economic Review,105(12), pp.3531-3563.

Picasso Essays - Pablo Picasso, Picassos Blue Period,

Picasso Picasso was an artist born on Oct.25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. At age 15 he was admitted to the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Impatient under formal training the young Picasso went to Paris in 1900. There, tough constantly near starvation, he became infatuated with the street life of Montmartre, and made many studies of the city's poor. Between 1900 and 1906 he worked through nearly every major style of contemporary painting, from impressionism to Art Nouveau. Suddenly, the 20-year-old painter moved toward a symbolism of pathos and misery inspired by the Spanish painter El Greco. This was his Blue Period, so called because most of these paintings were dominated by various shades of blue, heigthening their mood of isolation and despair. After 1904 the brooding depression of the Blue Period changed to a quiet melancholy, and the colors of his paintings became more natural, delicate and tender in its range, with many redish and pink tones. This period is thus called the Pink Period. After 1906, under the influence of Cezanne, Iberian sculpture and African sculpture, Picasso began to paint in a more radical style. The human figures and their surrounding space are reduced to inter- secting planes which imply a multiple, dissected view of the world. The faces of the figures are seen simultaneously from frontal and profile positions, and their bodies are forced to submit to Picasso's abstract pictorial language. Arts Essays

The Life of Martin Luther essays

The Life of Martin Luther essays Martin Luther lived in a period that had a wide spread desire for reformation of the Christan Churhc and played the role in the development of Protestantism. Luther was born at Eislebenin Saxony. Since his father was a miner, it was a great distress on him to send Martin to school and then to the University of Erfurt. That is where he earned his masters degree at the young age of twenty-one(Erikson, 39). Although his father wished him to study law, Martin, after being terribly frightened in a thunderstorm, vowed to become a Friar. He entered the monastery of the Augustinian friars at Erfurt and was ordained a priest(Erikson, 167). He eventually earned a doctorate of theology. He grew disburbed by the growing abouve of indulgences. The cetrificate granted by the people in return for the payment of a fee to the church. It stated that the sould of a dead relative or a friend of the purchaser would have his time in purgatory reduced by many years or cancelled together. Also the person had to by an indulgence. This would allow them to receive their earthly penance, since no one knows that Gods ultimate punishment will be. The Catholic Church faith now has a doctrine to back the three principles of indulgences(Neil 18) (Underwood 345). the principles of indulgences first one that God mericful, but he also just. Next, Chrust and hte saints, through their inifnite virtue, established a treasury of merits on which the church, through its special relationship with Christ and the saints, can draw. Third, the Church has the authority to grant sinners the spiritual benefits of those meirts(Underwood, 345). Luther idea spread began writing the Ninty-five Theses or arguments against indulgences. That he began posting them on the Wittenberg where he preached. He wanted the public to know that he was debating against important issue. The Theses stated the simple folk believe...

Techniques for Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions Essay

Techniques for Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions - Essay Example For a pipeline, a network of pipelines will have to be constructed so as to connect various users to the water source. Acquisition of the pipes and the pumps costs a lot of money and the capital costs may force a country to borrow the required resources (World Bank, 1994). Besides, maintenance of the pipelines and checking of water quality should be done constantly, and this again adds to the overall costs which may be extreme in the event the pipeline length is long (Grossman, 2004).Construction of small dams can easily be done with locally available materials and human labour, making it cheaper. According to a study carried out in Kenya, a single sand dam with a capacity of holding 2,000m3 with a life span of 50 years only costs US$ 7,500 (Borst and Haas, 2006). For the large dams, the construction can easily run into billions of dollars considering the scale of the project, materials requires and the machinery and equipment employed not forgetting the technical personnel on the gr ound. IFPRI (1997) observes that the maintenance of dams mainly includes dredging the dams to maintain its depth by scooping the silt deposited on the floor of the dam. This is a capital intensive exercise and it may run into a lot of money. Overall, costs of large dams are so high and can only be funded by large investments in the project probably the government with the help of financial partners.Compared to other methods of provision of water to dry areas, ground water provides the cheaper alternative.

The Smith's Snackfood Company in Australia Essay - 1

The Smith's Snackfood Company in Australia - Essay Example The company also boasts as having a very strong distribution network in the country since it is able to distribute its snack products to over 60,000 outlets spread all over the country every ten days. The company’s main products include Smith Crisps, Ruffles, and Lays while its snack brands include Lays, Doritos, Twitties, Cheetos, Parker’s, Burger Rings, and Red Rock Deli. Salty snack food industry is said to contribute greatly to the Australian economy. Salty snack food industry in Australia is worth $26 million according to a report. The industry grew by about 12% in the year 2011, and the growth is expected to continue due to the increased demand for salty snacks in the country. As earlier stated, Smiths Snackfood Company is the leading supplier of salty snacks in Australia with its snack brands reported to have grown by 25% in 2011. However, the company’s market is divided into three segments namely potato (68%), Corn (14%) and Extruded/ Cereal (18%). The co mpany’s dominance is the industry emanates from its strong presence in every product segments, where its main brands such as Doritos, Smith Crisps, and Twisties have remained leaders (Friend, 2012). The snack food industry in Australia is marred by stiff competition among leading plays, which competes for the sensitive segments in the country. For instance, Smiths Snackfood Company faces stiff competition from other key players such as Arnotts Snack Foods, and Proctor and Gamble, Smiths Snackfood Company. As a result, Smiths Snackfood Company has always engaged in a strong advertising campaign aimed at attracting certain market segment in the country so as to maintain its dominance and improve its performance. In fact, the company was ranked 21st overall in Australia in terms of the advertising campaign according to 2001survey.

Person with Tattoo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Person with Tattoo - Assignment Example The design that shown to me was a dragon. The face of the dragon was on Michael’s chest and the body was uniquely drawn in the shoulder blades. Likewise, the tail enveloped his entire upper left arm. It was only in black ink and it has no other color. According to Michael, he thought of the placement as the left portion of his chest and to be expanded to his shoulder blade and upper left arm because, it was initially perceived that the heart is likewise situated almost adjacent to the left portion of the chest. Therefore, this placement is an indication that the image represents whatever he believes or hopes to achieve in life, comes from his heart; and to be exhibited through the mighty power of the dragon. Michael indicated that the choice for having a tattoo was not at the spur of the moment. The circumstances surrounding the process evolved through time. He actually thought of having a tattoo since he was very young, say, about 12 to 13 years old. By then, he was already figuring out the design, when he would eventually decide to have one, sometime in the future. When he became friends with a group of teen-agers with motorcycles, they eventually decided to have a tattoo as a symbol of their friendship. Thus, when he was 18 years old, he had the dragon tattoo drawn in the location indicated above. The experience of Michael was far from the experiences of receiving Samoan tatua done by a tufunga. It was learned that â€Å"a tatatau of Samoan origin was considered more esteemed than one completed by a Tongan tufunga. This was largely due to the origins of chiefly lineages in Tonga connecting to Manua and Upolu; and because of a divine birthright bestowed on certain Samoan tattoo families like Sua† (Manulua par. 16). Thus, the design, placement and the person doing the tattoo has different meanings, as well as levels of expertise in the Tongan tradition.  

Assessing the impact of e-HRM in the delivery of HR services

Assessing the impact of e-HRM in the delivery of HR services Human resource management has become one of the key concepts in assessing the competitive assets of many organizations. Today, with the implementation of new and upgraded HR technologies, organizations are managing human capital in a more sophisticated way. Consequently, the refined IT solutions are designed to administer a wide variety of human resource data which allow organizations to shift from the traditional ways of delivering HRM services to new web-based HR services to both managers and employees through the self-service HR portals. Accordingly, the digital possibilities have created opportunities for HR functions to develop more strategic role. And for this purpose, the HR professionals have to develop new competencies to carry out the new roles and responsibilities. 2.2 Technology as an HR-enabler Strohmeier (2007) defines e-HRM as the (planning, implementation and) application of information technology for both networking and supporting at least two individuals or collective actors in their shared performing of HR activities. The author further explains his definition of the e-HRM concept which utilizes information technology in a twofold manner. As a primary aspect technology is necessary to connect usually spatially segregated actors and enable interactions between them irrespective of their working in the same room or on different continents. Secondly, technology supports actors by substituting for them in executing HR activities. Therefore, technology serves additionally as a tool for task fulfillment. Moreover, the planning aspect highlights the systematic and probable way of applying information technology. The use of information technology points out that the sharing of HR activities is an additional feature that underlines the aspect of interaction and networking. Consequently, technological change is a key driver for HR transformation, providing the foundation to support HRs growing strategic focus, which in turn contributes to business results. Many authors have coined the e-HRM concept with virtual HR (M), HR intranet, web-based HR, computer-based human resource management systems (CHRIS), and HR portals. Yet, Ruel et al. (2004) notes that there is a fundamental difference between HRIS and e-HR in that basically HRIS are directed towards the HR department itself and the users of these systems are mainly HR staff. While, with e- HRM the target group is not the HR staff only but people outside the Hr department: the employees and management where HRM services are being offered through an intranet for use by employees. Marler (2009, cited Ruel et al. 2004) posited that the aim of implementing the e-HRM system is to improve the HR functions ability to reduce costs, support strategic orientation, and to provide client services to management and employees. 2.3 E-HRM: Challenges in the New Era There are four main challenges that organizations are facing while putting into practice the concept of electronic human resource management; globalization, technology, talent retention and development and change management. Globalization According to Razi (2006), globalization has resulted in significant implications for HR functions as they attempt to develop global HR strategies and design programs and processes to manage a global workforce. The human resources function now faces pressures to globalize by adopting service delivery models that better rationalize costs, leverage common technology and processes, and focus resources on global HR processes that can create competitive differentiation for the enterprise (Piercy and Vernon, 2008). Technology Wright and Dyer (2000) stated the technology challenge reflects how the most traditional businesses also become knowledge based in the e-environment. Ulrich (1997) found that technology has become a challenge for managers and the HR professionals as they are responsible to make technology viable and productive part of the work setting. Talent Retention and Development Purcell and Wright (2007) argued that with the increase realization that human capital is one of the key resources for sustainable competitive advantage, attention is focused on the management of knowledge workers. They further added that knowledge-based organizations seek to differentiate themselves by offering unique services and thus develop organization-specific skills. While, on the other hand, knowledge workers wish to develop transferable skills that will make them attractive to prospective employers. Therefore, this calls for management practitioners of knowledge-based firms to both retain and develop their knowledge workers. Change Management According to the CIPD research 2010, the organizational change is increasing, yet the high levels of failure indicate that effective management of these changes is still lacking. And such a gap indicates that there is much to learn about managing change more effectively. There is no single model of change and no single way out to effective management, but HR professionals need to ensure that managing change is a core part of their role since many employees might resist to the changes. 2.4 Outcomes of e-HRM Literature suggests that the various goals of e-HRM and the different types of e-HRM are expected to result in outcomes including more efficient HRM processes, a higher level of service delivery and a better strategic contribution (Sanayei and Mirzaei, 2008). Moreover, the e-HRM approach helps to achieve organizational goals. Ruel et al. (2004 cited Beer et al. 1984) discerns four possibilities: High commitment, High competence, Cost effectiveness, and Higher congruence. 2.5 Types of e-HRM Many authors found that IT has influenced HR in three significant ways which has given rise to the three types of e-HRM:- Operational e-HRM concerns the use of technology within HR focuses on improving the operational efficiency. Operational e-HRM provides free access to employees to keep their own personal data up-to-date through an HR website (Ruel et al., 2004). Relational e-HRM concerns more advanced HRM activities. It is where IT allows enhancing HR relationships externally with other parties within the organizations itself. Transformational e-HRM concerns more strategic HRM activities. It becomes possible for organizations to create a change-ready workforce through an integrated set of web-based tools that enables the workforce to develop in line with the companys strategic choices (Ruel et al., 2004). 2.6 Transition of Traditional HR to e-HRM Early in the twenty first century, as posited by Ulrich (1997), HR was viewed as antithetical to change, with HR systems providing impediments to, not impetus for, change. He also put forward that the emerging responsibility currently rests with external consultants, with many firms delegating the responsibility for driving change to external consulting firms. However, in organizations today, there is constant talk of downsizing, outsourcing, and redesigning how an organization operates to ensure it remains competitive and efficient, and is able to make the most of economies of scale and scope (Farndale et al., 2009). Walker (2001) and Knapp (2004) note that the transformation of HR requires analysis and identification of opportunities for improvement in the following areas, including: the people in HR and their competencies; implementing a new service delivery model; redesigning or automating work processes; restructuring the HR organization; redefining HR talent requirements; and implementing HR technology support. Walker (2001) further added that a transformed HR truly adds value to the organization. The e-HRM, therefore, provides organizations with great opportunities to re-think the way HR management is undertaken in organizations. 2.7 Conditions for e-HRM implementation 2.7.1. Alignment of web-based HR with business strategy. According to Raj (2007), the growing importance of human resources for organizational success has led to an increasing interest in making HR management a more integral, strategy-driven activity in the organization. Furthermore, the alignment of strategies and HR action is expected to be reached through competence and learning. The APQC (2005) posited that an HR organization must understand the business and have core HR processes in place to support the corporate strategy. To become more strategic, HRM strategy need to be in alignment with the business goals and also to avoid any inconsistency between HRM policy goals and that of the business. 2.7.2. Technology support for HR transformation Marler (2009) founded that developing an e-HRM system that creates or sustains competitive advantage, requires investments in information technology resources and specialized human capital that can integrate IT and human resource knowledge and experience. Furthermore, with the emergence of the Enterprise Resource Planning System that seamlessly integrates various business modules within the information architecture of any business enterprise, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) has become a crucial focus for management professionals (Kavanagh and Thite, 2008). Martin and Reddington (2009) put forward that the technology should take into account the e-HR goals, that is whether the architecture draws on operational technologies and operational skills demand of HR, relational technologies and HR skills and transformational technologies and HR skills in areas such as sophisticated search technologies, human capital management systems, e-learning and knowledge management platforms, virtual meetings software, etc. 2.7.3. Knowledge management and innovation In todays complex organizations, competitive advantage for business depends on the ways in which employees create and share knowledge in ways in that increase the bottom-line. The challenge of knowledge management therefore is to ensure that employees also benefit from developing and sharing knowledge (Holbeche, 2009). Knowledge-sharing should be encouraged in the organization. Knowledge management also helps to measure an organizations ability for implementing the new strategy. Knowledge management should be embedded in the corporate strategy. 2.7.4. Training and development To meet the organizational change requirements, training and development of employees is of utmost importance. As Knapp (2004) argued, changes to the HR function require changes to HR staff and skills which make HR talent management a key transformation priority. On the other hand, Walker (2001) stated that effective staff training is one of the critical factors that affect the quality of service delivery within a service center. Moreover, Yeung (1996) suggested that to sustain the transformation of human resource functions, HR professionals must be trained to be able to develop and demonstrate a new set of competencies to fulfill their changing roles and responsibilities. Likewise, employees should be trained to make use of the complex technology, improving their communication skills and develop problem-solving capabilities. 2.7.5. Employee behavior towards new e-HRM system Employees are the most important element in an organization and employee behavior and attitude are of particular relevance in bringing change in an organization. Employees might not accept the introduction of the new technologies in their workplace or even ready to make use of it. The HR function can make use of the Technology Acceptance Model or the Trust in Information System to determine the employee acceptance level of the new system. Therefore, HR should influence employees positive attitude towards the new system, employees should be convinced that this system would increase their performance as well as the organizational performance. 2.7.7 Work Redesign It refers to the use of modern technology to radically redesign business processes to gain efficiencies. HR must lead a redesign of the workplace so that work environments foster and encourage sociability, and help organizations tap into employees tacit knowledge to unleash creativity and innovation (Willmott, 2003). The process of redesigning the workplace provides more flexibility and choice to individuals. 2.8 Transformation Team An HR transformation team is formed with a clear mission for promoting the HR transformation. According to Ulrich, et al. (2009), the CHRO forms the HR transformation team with the support of the senior leaders of the organization. This team includes the HR leaders and professionals, representatives from line management, the customers and investors and also the consultants. HR Leaders and Professionals 2.8.1 Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) The CHRO sets the direction and tone for the organization. The CHRO also needs to sponsor the HR transformation. Ulrich et al. (2009a) states that the CHRO should initiate, take the lead in the design, and monitor the transformation plan. Porter-OGrady (2008) also found that the CHRO plays a critical role in developing new position descriptions, advising and supporting leaders in their new roles, and ensuring the different processes are adapted to the new model of governance. 2.8.2 HR Leadership Team Ulrich et al. (2009a) posits that leadership team consists of the heads of several departments. They are the HR leaders for businesses, the heads of the centers of excellence and the shared service HR leader. Their collective support is very critical in the transformation. 2.8.3 HR for HR These are the champions of the HR transformation who provide HR services for HR professionals. They need to have a strong reputation among HR professionals who look to them for guidance and among business leaders whose support may depend on their credibility. They are responsible for facilitating discussions of how to organize the HR department so that the center of expertise and embedded HR professionals collaborate to deliver value (Ulrich. et al., 2009a). 2.8.4 HR Professionals The HR professionals play a critical role in the HR transformation. The CHRO and champion of the transformation need to build the business case for the transformation, clearly define the deliverables, and create a blueprint for changing the HR departments and practices for this particular group. Moreover, the HR professionals also need to receive rigorous and regular feedback on how they are doing relative to the roles and competencies required of them (Ulrich et al., 2009). 2.8.5 Line Managers The line managers has the responsibility to provide a clear business focus for the transformation, to ensure that the transformation team has access to both internal and external information, to ensure that the right people are engaged in the process and to require clear and measurable results from the transformation (Ulrich et al., 2009a). 2.8.6 Customers and Investors In the HR transformation process, the HR practices should be aligned with the customer satisfaction. Ulrich et al., (2009), suggested that the customers can be directly or indirectly involved in the transformation since they can provide a deep insight of the organizational and leadership capabilities that they expect from the company. Moreover, the HR departments must align their practices with the requirements of the investment community. The HR transformation team invites key investors into their planning. In this way, the HR team communicates to the investors that their values are being inculcated into the companys institutional infrastructure (Ulrich et al., 2009). 2.8.7 Consultants and Advisors (Ulrich et al., 2009) put forward that the external consultants often add value to an organization by bringing experiences from other companies, by previewing and averting common challenges and by being independent contributors to the HR transformation process. However, success depends on the choice of the right consultant since they are involved in the right way and at the right time. 2.9 Redesign the HR department 2.9.1 Embedded HR professionals Dave Ulrich created the Ulrich model in 1997 to provide a broader insight of the roles of HR professionals should deliver: As strategic partner HR professionals align Hr practices with business strategies. As administrative expert, they deliver HR practices with efficiency. As employee champion, they help employees to generate commitment, develop competence and discover contribution. As change agent, they help on delivering an increased organizational capability and capacity for change. According to the author, the model was conceptualized to support the HR domain. However, as business conditions are constantly changing, the role of HR also has evolved. Figure 2: Evolved HR roles Ulrich et al. (2009) explained the new roles as follows: HR professionals are employee advocates, charged with making sure the employer-employee relationship is one of reciprocal value. Besides advocating for employees today, they build the future workforce as human capital developers. HR professionals are also functional experts, designing and delivering HR practices that ensure individual ability and create organization capability. As strategic partners, they help line managers at all levels reach their goals. HR professionals bring business, change, consulting, and learning know-how to their partnership with line managers, so that together they create value. And to tie it all together, they must be genuine leaders credible both to their own functions and to those outside. When these five roles are played within the HR department, HR professionals have more impact. HR Professionals Competency skills Ulrich et al, (2009) recommend that companies should focus on HR competencies since; they integrate the roles and activities of the HR professionals. Ulrich and Brockbank (2007) posited that HR competencies are not just knowledge but the ability to use the knowledge. Figure 3: HR Competencies Source: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/hrcs/executive_summary Ulrich and Brockbank (2007) proposed the above model suggesting that HR professionals must master competencies dealing both with people and business (large arrows). Following one of these two paths independent of the other, leads to failure.  Ã‚  Within these two dimensions, Ulrich and Brockbank (2007) arrayed six domains of HR competence, dealing with relationships, processes, and capabilities. Credible Activist.   The HR professional is both credible and active.   Some have called this HR with an attitude.   Ulrich et al, (2009) added that as credible activists, HR professionals create sustainable business outcomes as they link the people and business dimensions with energy, insight, sensitivity and impact.   Culture and Change Steward.   Ulrich et al, (2009) mentioned the HR profession appreciates, articulates, and helps shape a companys culture.  They continued with the fact that this culture starts with clarity around external customer expectations and then these expectations are transformed into internal employee and organization behaviors.   As being the stewards of culture, HR professionals respect the past culture and help to shape a new culture.   In addition, successful HR professionals facilitate changes by helping make culture happen and  by developing disciplines to make changes happen throughout the organization.   Talent Manager / Organizational Designer.   Ulrich et al, (2009) posited that the HR professionals master theory, research, and practice in both talent management and organization design.   Talent management focuses on competency requirements and the flow of people in the organization.   Ulrich et al, (2009) further pointed out that the organization design focuses on how a company embeds capability into the structure, processes, and policies that shape how an organization works.  Organization and talent work together since without a supporting organization, good talent would not be sustained and also an organization will not deliver good results without talented individuals. Strategy Architect. The HR professional has a vision for how the organization can win in the future and plays an active part in the establishment of the overall strategy to deliver on this vision.   This means recognizing business trends and their impact on the business, forecasting potential obstacles to success, and facilitating the process of gaining strategic clarity.   The strategic HR role focuses on aligning HR strategies and practices with business strategy. In playing this role, the HR professional works to be a strategic partner, helping to ensure the success of business strategies. By fulfilling this role, HR professionals increase the capacity of a business to execute its strategies. (Ulrich, 1997) Operational Executor.   According to Ulrich et al, (2009), the HR professional executes the operational aspects of managing people and organizations.   Policies need to be drafted, adapted, and implemented.   Employees also have many administrative needs (such as, to be paid, relocated, hired, and trained).   HR professionals must ensure that these basic needs are efficiently dealt with through technology, shared services, and/or outsourcing.   This operational work of HR ensures credibility if executed flawlessly and grounded in the consistent application of policies (HRCS Executive Summary, 2007). Business Ally.   Businesses succeed by setting goals and objectives that respond to external opportunity and threats.   That is the HR professionals should have complete knowledge about the business, in other words they contribute to the success of the business by knowing the social context or setting in which their business operates. Finally, they have a good understanding of the parts of the business (finance, marketing, research and development, engineering), what they must accomplish, and how they work together, so that they can help the business organize to make money (HRCS Executive Summary, 2007). 2.9.2 Shared Service Centers According to Hunter (2005), the shared service center is fundamental to the delivery of the role of HR as administrative expert. He further explained that it provides the focused administrative excellence that drives financial efficiency and HR credibility through the quality of its output, getting the basics right, every time. The SSC also enables the consolidation of similar HR administration activities from multiple business units. By consolidating processes, the SSC is able to control transactional administrative activities better, drive out costs and create a platform for investment in new technologies. Literature describes that the shared service centers allows employees and managers to manage much of their HR administrative work which is known as the self-service. The approach of employee self-service helps employees to update their own transactional records (which may be associated with their personal details or with a process). Self-service also provides a means for employees to have access to data to resolve their own queries (online policies or HR process description). The management self-service, on the other hand, gives managers the freedom to move beyond traditional day-to-day administration and concentrate on improving the performance of employees. It provides management with tools needed to efficiently perform routine employee administration, as well as the information required to help employees improve their performance and enhance their skills. It also minimizes unnecessary human resource involvement in manager-employee interactions while increasing organizational produ ctivity. 2.9.3 Center of Excellence Hunter (2005) stated that the HR business partners need the support of the deep technical knowledge of the business that has traditionally resided in HR. The Centers of excellence is separate entity which offers businesses specialist skills and knowledge in particular areas like compensation, benefits and employee relations. The centers of excellence, also called as the centers of expertise, bring together technical experts in each HR area who would otherwise be distributed throughout a firms business unit, allowing ideas to be quickly developed and shared. The centers of expertise often focus on transformation-based services or HR activities that help implement strategy, create a new culture, or accomplish business goals (Ulrich, 1997). Moreover, Hunter and Saunders (2005) postulated that the culture and tacit knowledge about how people management activities should be defined and introduced are supposed to be lost as the HR teams get closer to the business and move away from HR and the Center of Excellence provides a means to address this issue and indeed creates a more favorable situation that the old model allowed. Ulrich et al (2009) postulates that the center of expertise HR professionals plays several important roles in an HR transformation: They create service menus which are aligned with the capabilities driving business strategy. They identify needs and recommend services most important to the situation. They collaborate with embedded HR professionals in selecting and executing the right services. They create menu offerings if the current ones are insufficient. They manage the menu. They shepherd the learning community within the organization. 2.10 Barriers to implement e-HRM In a recent survey, HROA (2009) found the following as the most prominent hurdles to HR transformation: Lack of staff expertise Many companies might fail to provide the right training to employees and this causes an obstacle in the change management process. Therefore, HR professionals must make sure that employees possess the right skills for the new working system. Internal bureaucracy More often, organizations use the bureaucratic style of leadership, where all decisions are made at high levels of management. However, it is not always right to use the bureaucratic management style, since employees will not be encouraged to work and as a result their performance level might be low. Lack of adequate technology Another type of barrier is the lack of adequate technology. Organizations which do not have adequate technology support for the transformation. The right technology must be available for successful change management. Underestimation of the resources needed While thinking for a change, organizations must plan to have the required resources because lack of resources will end up as a barrier. Planning should be done in terms of human resources, financial support, technological support, etc. Lack of employee and business buy-in Employees should be completely involved in the transformation process. Change initiatives should be incorporated in the organizations mission. When employees buy into the mission, they become a force for driving the mission. In case, there is lack of employee and business buy in, this can cause a barrier to transformation. Lack of senior management support A lot of projects might fail if senior management does not provide their full support. They might not support the decision of implementing new working system or even providing funds for projects. Lack of support might be because management does not have all the facts regarding the need. Resistance to change Resistance to change might take several forms, such as employees might refuse to make use of new system, or even refuse to cooperate with the change. 2.11 Conclusion In close, human resource management has shifted from the traditional ways of doing HR to the use of new human resource information system which has made the work easier. The paradigm shift requires a transformation team who leads the transformation process in order to redesign the HR department and to make the transformation; several areas need to be considered. However, the transformation process fails due to some existing barriers. The figure below concludes the above literature. Figure 4: Conclusion

Marquis de Lafayette Essay -- Essays Papers

Marquis de Lafayette The Marquis de Lafayette is best remembered for the part he played in the American War of Independence. He contributed in helping the Americans gain free control over the colonies by breaking away from British home rule. For sixty years he fought with consistency and insight for political ideals and social reforms that have dominated the history of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hence, Lafayette can be attributed to the spreading of liberty and freedom throughout America and France. Therefore, he is viewed as a symbol of liberalism in a once absolutist world. Born on September 6, 1757, Gilbert Montier de Lafayette lived in the Chateau de Chavaniac. This beautiful palace is located in the thick forests of France. Lafayette lived there with his aunt and grandmother until the age of ten. During those years, he rummaged through the woods in search of the legendary werewolf who endangered local peasants. Accordingly, even as a child, the marquis had an â€Å"ambition to free his native place from the fabulous monster† (Latzko 4,5). At the age of eleven, the marquis was sent to school in Paris at the College du Plessis. He resided there for four years, learning various subject matter and proper etiquette that would enable him in change to become an educated and well-mannered noble. The curriculum included Latin, the study most emphasized in France at the time; and French rhetoric, which he greatly favored (Gottschalk 18, 19). At the early age of fifteen, the marquis was quite established in his community. While engaged to be married to Adrienne d' Ayen, Lafayette became a lieutenant in the Noailles cavalry (Gottschalk 32). This phenomenon marked the begin... ...ceiving on revisiting the country a few years ago, I know not . . . but when he came to America he was received everywhere as the Savior of the Country† (Bedoyere 36). Inevitably, this statement represents the opinion of many Americans still today. Fortunately, Lafayette gave his all to help the American cause. With his help and the efforts of all the colonials, the United States made its own country and became â€Å"the land of the free†. Works Cited - De La Bedoyere, Michael. Lafayette. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1934. - Gottschalk, Louis. Lafayette Comes To America. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1935. - Latzko, Andreas. Lafayette: A Life. New York: Viking Press, 1931. - Sedgewick, Henry Dwight. La Fayette. Indianapolis: The Bobbs- Merrill Company, 1928. - Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1938.