Aviation Professionalism

Aviation Professionalism The Qualifications, Attributes, Ethics, and Responsibilities of Aviation Professionals Yadvinder Singh ASCI – 202 Anthony Miller March 7, 2013 Once someone joins the Airlines industry as a professional, be it a pilot, a technician, or an air traffic controller, they are committing to a certain level of responsibility and expectation. In my experience I have come across professionals who I have felt suited their role to near perfection while others in the same position at times fall short of basic expectations.The issue of professionalism and responsibility in the airline industry has been in focus recently due to some recent events like the Northwest pilots flying past their destination airport, in-flight breakdowns and rants by pilots and flight attendants, and airline mergers. I feel that sometimes media speculation exaggerates the issues presented to society and highlights mistakes where the public gets the impression that these types of incidents a nd errors are taking place daily.The reality is that safety measures are an integral part of an airline worker’s training and major errors or incidents occur rather infrequently. At the same time, another reality is that a mistake made by an airline employee, whether pilot, technician, or air traffic controller runs the risk of being fatal and this is where the attributes and ethics of an individual come into play. Pilots are required to complete extensive training and log thousands of hours of flight time before they can land a job with the major carriers, soI feel the qualifications alone can be met by many but perhaps there needs to be some sort of training or measure of ethical behavior of an individual because that can help determine how they will treat the level of responsibility associated with their job. Most flights complete their course without incident and this can naturally cause someone to relax their mind or reflexes a little, but no flight should be treated wit h any negligence whatsoever. The incident with the Northwest flight (NY Times 2009) crew is an ideal example of this.The pilots had a combined flying experience of over 30,000 hours, yet they committed an error that resulted in a major embarrassment and which could have cost lives. The main cause cited for this blunder is that the pilots were distracted during flight because they were engaged in personal matters on their laptops, which is a violation of airline safety guidelines. Is the root reason for this incident just poor judgment and misbehavior of the pilots or perhaps not enough emphasis on responsibility in their training?The hundreds of hours of flight time required to be a pilot come with a hefty price, so anyone who is a pilot has surely proven their passion and persistence for flying. However, it’s a wonder that this same dedication doesn’t follow through for some once they’ve landed a job with a major carrier and I think it may be because the path i s often so strenuous that getting a job itself is treated as the goal, when it actually is a stepping stone to really being a pilot. Air traffic controllers have also been in the news recently with incidents of suspicion that they are distracted and even sleeping on the job (USA Today, 2011).Here is a profession where mistakes are simply not allowed because the repercussions can very likely be fatal. I think there has to be a close monitoring of on the job behavior because the job itself runs the risk of complacency. It’s important to note that fatal incidents have been few and far between, but the risk is still great enough to warrant better oversight. A person who works as an air traffic controller needs to be one who is naturally very focused and detail oriented because the rules, the risks, the guidelines and need to be responsible and focused can be taught, but ultimately, this is behavior they have to showcase.Technicians are a group of people I’ve had several ye ars of close working experience with as both a former technician and in my current role of Inspector. Unfortunately, the current crop of technicians are a group I find to be well intentioned, but without enough working experience as they’re often straight out of high school. This doesn’t mean they don’t possess the necessary attributes or approach to be successful and responsible technicians, because these are often the deciding factors but I think there needs to be more training and understanding of the great deal of responsibility they are taking on as technicians.Professionalism to me is a good mix of knowledge, a candid commitment to ones job, the disciplined passion, and the ability to make proper but sound judgments. To put it into simple terms Professionalism simply means doing the right thing, even when you have had a long day and also when you are not in some spotlight. Whether you are a pilot, a technician, or an air traffic controller or any employee in the aviation profession these attributes or qualities have to be considered in taking the professional approach in today’s aviation profession.Works Cited Matthew L. Wald (2009, Oct 26). Off-Course Pilots Cite Computer Distraction. NY Times. Retrieved October 26, 2002 from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/10/27/us/27plane. html? _r=0 Alan Levin (2011, Apr 21). Recent air controller incidents no signs of crisis, experts say. Us Today. Retrieved April 21, 2011 from http://travel. usatoday. com/flights/story/2011/04/Recent-air-controller-incidents-no-sign-of-crisis-experts-say/46338056/1

Distinctive Human Resource Are What Firms Need Essay

Introduction Benchmarking is a crucial management tool that guides the stakeholders on the overall performance of the organization as well as mobilizing the employees on a continuous improvement of the organisation’s environmental and social performance. Bench marking is considered to have an impact when the results of the organization performance are immediate (Vorhies and Morgan, 2005). It is essential to recognize that benchmarking and the transfer of the best industry practices are supposed to help an organization in the long run through maximum utilization of the available resources and filling in the gaps associated with an organization poor performance (Drew, 1995). The notion of a single best practice may be overstated. Distinctive human resource practices help to create unique competencies that differentiate products and services and drive competitiveness in organizations. People management practices are the drivers of efforts to create distinctive competencies and, in turn, business strategies. There are various human resource management models that have been used by companies to benchmark and stay competitive in the turbulent business environment and they include the Industrial Organization Model and McKenzie’s 7s Strategy which include shared values, structure, strategy, systems, style, staff and skills. Shared Values Shared values are commonly held beliefs, mindsets, and assumptions that shape how an organization behaves and its corporate culture. Shared values are what engender trust. They are an interconnecting centre of the 7Ss model. Values are the identity by which a company is known throughout its business areas, what the organization stands for and what it believes in, it central beliefs and attitudes. These values must be explicitly stated as both corporate objectives and individual values. Structure Structure is the organizational chart and associated information that shows who reports to whom and how tasks are both divided up and integrated. In other words, structures describe the hierarchy of authority and accountability in an organization, the way the organization’s units relate to each other: centralized, functional divisions (top-down); decentralized (the trend in larger organizations); matrix, network, holding among others. These relationships are frequently diagrammed in organizational charts. Most organizations use some mix of structures: pyramidal, matrix or networked ones to accomplish their goals. Strategy Strategies are plans an organization formulates to reach identified goals, and a set of decisions and actions aimed at gaining a sustainable advantage over the competition. Systems Systems define the flow of activities involved in the daily operation of business, including its core processes and its support systems. They refer to the procedures, processes and routines that are used to manage the organization and characterize how important work is to be done. Style Style refers to the cultural style of the organization, how key managers behave in achieving the organization’s goals, how managers collectively spend their time and attention, and how they use symbolic behaviour. How management acts is more important that what management says. Staff Staff refers to the number and types of personnel within the organization and how companies develop employees and shape basic values. Skills Skills refer to the dominant distinctive capabilities and competencies of the personnel or of the organization as a whole. Industrial Organization (I/O) Model The external environment is primary determinant of the organizational strategy rather than internal decisions of managers. The environment presents threats and opportunities all competing to have equal access to resources. Resources are highly mobile between firms. Organizational success is achieved by offering goods and services at lower costs than competitors. Professional sports 49ers †¢ The 49ers have succeeded by using a strategy of long-term player development by recruiting through college drafts rather than trades. This helps the team cement loyalty to the club by the players. Raiders †¢ The Raiders scoop up talented players who fail or do not fit in elsewhere. The club reinforces its strategy through autocracy where the members are not supposed to participate in decision making. The system of the club embraces outside recruit of experienced players. Retailing: Sales as the Service Sears †¢ The Sears selection system requires extensive training. The style keeps track of employee attitude and morale through employee surveys, pay programs to match other retail business through industrial organization model. Nordstrom †¢ The Nordstrom structure of hiring is decentralized and uses no formal selection tests. There are continuous stream of programs to motivate employees with very little attention paid to the staffs in terms of training and commissions when retailing. †¢ The link between employees and product market strategy is sometimes less direct in services, but there are still relationships between the way employees are managed, the competencies employees help produce, and the way companies compete. Professional Service Firms; Information and Advice as the Product Boston Consulting Group (BCG) †¢ The style of BCG is to hire the best undergraduate and MBA students to work for them. †¢ The firm’s system requires rigorous selection procedures and through industrial organization Model provides exceptional compensation to the employees as compared to other organizations. †¢ The firm develops its staff through formal training. †¢ BCG shared value approach expects each team to come up with innovative ways to reinforce its entrepreneurial culture. McKinsey †¢ The professional firm develops its distinctive capabilities through on-campus recruiting and employee skills and development through extensive training model. †¢ The firm’s strategy lies in providing clients with consistent services. The core competency is also consistent with the products and the techniques of the company. Business Schools Harvard Business †¢ The business school staff development represents internal skills development. The school hires employees and turns them into experts. †¢ The business school invests a lot on employee development through the staff model. Wharton School †¢ The school recruitment strategy model relies on external environment to recruit its employees from a network of academicians. †¢ The system model that is used to make the institution maintain a competitive edge in the market is by hiring employees with superior technical skills and by making use of its outside market. Financial Services Chubb †¢ The insurance firm success is based on its shared value model of becoming the insurance of choice. †¢ The firm makes substantial staff investment through its recruitment, intensive training and testing before hiring. American International Group (AIG) †¢ The success of the insurance firm is through its industrial orientation strategy model where the company identifies new areas of business, creates new products, and benefits from the first mover advantage as a result of exploiting the market. †¢ The company’s competencies are its ability to respond to the turbulent business environment. †¢ The company hires from its competitors and invests less on staff development. The Shipping Business FedEx †¢ The shipping business has a strategy model of empowering its employees in the implementation of its vision. †¢ First service company to win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award †¢ Intensive orientation program for staff development. †¢ One hub at FedEx meant that there were fewer coordination problems, allowing for autonomy and participation through it structural model. †¢ This model highly enhances loyalty in employees. UPS †¢ The orientation of the company structure model takes an autocratic approach where the employees have no direct say over work organization matters. †¢ Company standards for each task through its shared value model. †¢ Pays the highest wages and benefits in the industry (Industrial Organization Model). †¢ Productivity of UPS’s drivers is about three times higher than that at FedEx due to its high compensation. †¢ UPS’s business demands a level of coordination that is incompatible with individual employee involvement and a â€Å"high commitment† approach through it structural model. Food and Beverages Coke †¢ Coke builds on employee skills and hangs on them through staff development model. †¢ Coke hires college graduates with little or corporate experience and provides intensive training. †¢ There is promotion and seniority based salary incentives. †¢ Decision making is centralized Pepsi †¢ The company relies on employees’ innovativeness to identify market niches †¢ Pepsi hires employees with experience and advanced technical skills through industrial organization model. †¢ Decision making is decentralized. †¢ Employees have little job security. †¢ Less loyal employees. References Drew, S. A. W. (1995). Strategic Benchmarking: Innovation Practices in Financial Institutions. International Journal of Bank Marketing 13 (1),4-16. Vorhies, D. W., & Morgan, N. A. (2005). Benchmarking Marketing Capabilities for Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Journal of Marketing 69 (January Issue), 80–94.

Project Management and How it Relates to Purchasing and Supply Research Paper - 1

Project Management and How it Relates to Purchasing and Supply Management - Research Paper Example As depicted in this paper, to ensure the success of a project, managers must ensure timely delivery of quality raw materials and other resources as well as proper planning. To ensure that vendors participate in the procurement process, firms are under obligation to issue request for proposal (RFP).Once the vendors receive the RFP, they should submit their proposals. The proposals are then reviewed by selection committee. This paper analyses two ways of improving the assessment of proposals. These include use of preliminary screening and professional review and assessment. Major stages applied during the selection of the most qualified vendor in a proposal include review of all proposal submitted by the vendors, recording the vendor and business requirements, assigning important value for each requirement, assigning performance value to each requirement, computation of total performance value and lastly selection of the successful vendor. In their efforts to create a strong relationsh ip with their clients and suppliers, it is imperative for firms to implement a contract that covers the delivery terms and conditions, duration of a contract and payment terms. Introduction Project management entails the processes that are undertaken by the project managers to ensure that the specific objectives of a project are attained. The key processes include securing, planning, organizing, and managing the available resources (Harold, 2003). On the other hand, purchasing and supply management encompasses the procurement, monitoring of goods while in transit, storage of raw material, the level and quality of supplies. Some of the major factors that determine the success of a project are the availability of raw materials at the required time and quality, the costs of transportation of the raw materials and effective communication between the project managers and the purchasing and supply manager. In this regard, it is clear that project management and purchasing and supply manag ement have a close link that firms cannot overlook. This paper analyses the crucial aspects that covers project management and how it relates to purchasing and supply management. Procurement management Procurement management entails the process of purchasing inputs and other economic resources from the vendors. Economic resources include capital, labor, technology and land that are vital in the production process of a company (Shaw and Felecia, 2010). One of the primary implications of procurement management is that it enables the organisations to negotiate with the suppliers so as to get the best quality inputs at a discounted price. In this way, firms are able to minimize their costs of production thus increasing their level of profitability. Due to limited business operations by smaller business entities, they do not maintain a specific procurement department. However, large companies who are fond of purchasing raw materials in bulk, emulates a comprehensive procurement managemen t process to avoid jeopardizing the production process. Contract management Contract management involves the administration of the contracts made between companies and the vendors, customers, employees and other partners. Major aspects that are covered by contract management include negotiating the terms of contracts, ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions outlined by a contract, as well as making the necessary changes during

Airport Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Airport Security - Research Paper Example His function is also to undertake or appraise automated ID access control system specifically for regulatory compliance and accuracy (Elias, 2010). In this case, he also programs and even monitors computer systems that are designed specifically for controlling security access. The Airport Security Coordinator also performs TSAR 1542 compliance inspections and Security Program on top of reporting discrepancies and taking or initaiting corrective mechanisms. He also maintains records relating to security guard supplies and services. Furthermore, he reviews the process of the threat assessments, criminal history background checks, issuance of airport identification and revewing of retention process particularly for regulatory compliance. Airport Security Coordinator also establishes contact with local, state and federal law enforcement organizations and key security staff to establish lines of communication. In this context, he also sets up and maintains records of every action taken in relation to law enforcement. He is also responsible for conducting briefings, training sessions as well as presentations for tenants and management staff on revisions made to the ASP. In this regard, he specifically works with tenants in solving problems and coordinating security issues relating to airport security. The Federal Security Director (FSD) FSD is mandated with the responsibility of offering security directions on behalf of the federal government and is usually at airports that are perceived to have few checkpoints, a small workforce, as well as those that are directly involved or directly connected to the national interest. When it comes to TSA security matters, the FSD is responsible for providing necessary leadership and coordination. In short, these roles and associated authority comprise tactical planning, implementation, and operating management specifically for coordinated security matters. Airport adminstration The airport administration comprises of team that en sures the smooth, safe as well as consistent operation of airports (Price & Forrest, 2013). They also interface with appropriate local and federal agencies in relation to the airport security in addition to direct the daily operations in airports. In short, the airport administration is an independent entity that is responsible for carrying out daily operations and oversight of airports particularly in the context of security. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) The TSA is an organization of the United States Homeland Security department that oversees the security particularly of the traveling public in the country (Poole, 2006). The organization is also charged with developing regulations to protect United States transportation, particularly when it comes to the security of airports in addition to preventing the hijacking of aircrafts. In general, the TSA is manaded or responsible for passenger checking and screening at over 450 United Sttaes airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) The FAA is the national aviation authority of the USA. It falls under the transportation department and has exclusive authority to regulate and even oversee virtually all aspects of civil aviation in the US. In short, the FAA ensures the safety of passengers by not only regulating or controlling the air transportation industry, but also

How the 22nd amino acid is produced Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How the 22nd amino acid is produced - Essay Example Even though it’s clear now that the amino acid is a product of enzymes involved reaction with two molecules of lysine, it’s important to know that the researchers are investigating if the molecule might be having complexity in its origin. Pyrrolysine is said to be very difficult to find in organisms and currently only a dozen of organisms posses it, interestingly its discovery was made in 2002 as being genetically encoded by methanogens; microbes that produce methane. The fact that it was first identified in the microbe have made the scientists to look back on the genetic code evolution.Pyrrolysine is now among the amino acids,22 in number that are used for protein synthesis. Protein synthesis involves the successive processes of gene transcription to messenger RNA that comes from the DNA molecule; it relays the genetical information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where transport and ribosomal RNA carries out the process of translation to produce the required protein from a collection of three amino acids called codons (Kizycki, 2011). The understanding of how the amino acids are made, that is; its biosynthetic pathway provides an in depth knowledge of how amino acids productions can be made. How rare the amino acid is can also be of used (Kizycki, 2011) (Zhang, 2011) (Green-Church, 2011) to manipulate proteins as in the biomedical research, with its mode of synthesis well understood scientists can mimic the procedure to have mass production of other related amino acids for research purposes. The amino acid production process Lysine, other amino acids and some specific enzymes were combined and were anticipated that an intermediates would be produced, the intermediate is an amino acid that is produced during the biosynthetic process, the lysine were labeled so that when mass spectrometry was used it became heavier than the normal one, incidentally one signal produced by the instrumentation had a deviated mass that was attributed to the intermed iate. The biosynthesis of the new amino acid however comes with a surprise that its only precursor molecule is the other amino acid called lysine; this is also affirmed by the Microbiology professor Joseph Kizycki at the Ohio State University that they were not seeing the weird molecule but only the regular pyrrolysine from the two different amino acid they expected.pyrolysine was observed easily as it appeared with labeled lysine (Zhang, 2011). The process to arrive at the amino acid is considered to be very simple as it only involved only three chemical reactions though not all the chemical reactions were known or observed before. What is amazing with the new discovery is that only three enzymes and two molecules with the same origin constitute one molecule with a completely different from the initial molecules used to make it. In the molecule, a portion resembles the precursor completely, but when you compare with anther portion, enzymes are able to link and brings out a complete ly different molecule not been seen at all. The inconsistent nature of the pyrrolysine necessitated the use of mass spectroscopy to precisely analyze the mass of the particles that constitute it. The use of mass spe

Human Papilloma Virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Papilloma Virus - Essay Example This paper critically reviews recent concepts in genital HPV linked to diseases, disease prevention, viral prevention, viral testing, and treatment. Health Canada goals and strategies for the control of human papillomavirus infection are represented (Rodriquez 2010). Periodic respiratory papillomatosis is chiefly a disease of children in whom several papillomas arise in the upper aerodigestive tract, involving the larynx and vocal cords. The papillomas collectively instigates thwarting papillomas might amount to respiratory suffering. Both high and low risk HPV-DNA series have been established in the papillomas. Although the viruses linked to the respiratory papillomatosis are not contacted through sexual intercourse, they are nonetheless most likely genital in origin, contacted during labor. Anogenital human papillomaviruses infection are chiefly transmitted through sexual intercourse, though in smaller cases there seems to be further, or optional, paths of transmission. Some crucia l proof asserts that rare cervical and penile infections may be contacted during labor through exposure to HPV extant in the maternal birth canal or external warts. A lot of concern has been placed on papillomatosis that is assumed to be contacted in this way. However, some peripheral anogenital warts may be contacted during labor as well (Brotzman & Julian 2006). 2. ... This paper critically analyses current HPV concepts and control issues including epidemiology, prevention, testing and burden of infection. Objectives of HPV control in Canada include establishing and evaluating the prevalence of HPV infection diminishing situations of HPV linked diseases, and promoting HPV targeted rudimentary science and clinical research. The advancement of vaccines is optimistic that the prevention of transmission and acquisition of the viral STD. There is a wide range of human papillomaviruses, which are over seventy types, and of these, over twenty infect mucosal tissue and can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. Human papillomaviruses are connected to the pathogenesis of cancer of the uterine cervix, which is the second most collective cause of cancer and cancer fatalities in women worldwide. Recent research shows that there is prevalent 80 percent of cases happening mostly in the developing world. Aggressive squamous cervical cancer is heralded by pren eoplastic lesions that can be established on Papanicolou (Pap) smear and consequently treated. The goal of screening for these precursor lesions has been linked to 90 percent reduction of cervical cases in some Western countries. Conceivably, over twenty types of this cancer linked types of HPV have been established; the most collective are types 16 and 18(Apple et al., 2005). These viruses are capable of integrating into the human genome, and by a range of mechanisms and mutations, including viral protein production and binding of human suppressor and retinoblastoma proteins, amount to unregulated mutations, and ultimately to malignant changes. Further, Oncogenic human papillomaviruses series have been established in the instantaneous

The Case of Mann Gulch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Case of Mann Gulch - Essay Example Mr. Dodge is seen to portray poor leadership in a number of ways. First and foremost, he took out his team on a mission without even proper familiarization with his crew members. He never knew even the names of the crew members but was supposed to command them. He only came to learn of their names in the field. Secondly, he was a quiet person which even made it had for him to build mutual and collaborative interactions with his crew. Thirdly, he never kept his crew intact by providing unified leadership. There were many cases of disunity that he was not sensitive to. Lastly, he was supposed to make his crew aware of his decisions which left them wondering the reason why he was lighting a backfire. Their decisions were out of ignorance. Some other people see the fault to this problem in poor training of the crew members. Despite the fact that smoke jumpers are highly trained individuals, the crew on the Mann Gulch fire case lacked experience in firefighting. Most of the people on the crew were young people who had lacked any form of experience in firefighting fire. This explains the reason why they panic was too high for them making them come up with wrong decisions. In this case, research made by urban fighters on the performance of firefighters showed that experienced firefighters have their performance improved under high stress and uncertainty while those inexperienced have their performance decline under such conditions. This level of panic was also amplified by the level of disintegration witnessed in the crew. In such a case, it is very difficult to follow orders. On matters of recommended approaches, it is important that crew leadership familiarizes with crew members and agree on collaborative operation before setting out on a mission.

Database Development and Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Database Development and Management - Term Paper Example The housing of the sales transactions of the departmental store requires the development of a well-designed database solution with potential business rules. A database solution needs to have retrieval section where data is easily found. The retrieval structure finds a particular piece of data in a more specific way with a quick and easy fetch of data within the database. Consistency provides reliable rules in database solution. The performance of the same search twice in a row of a good database solution gives the same results. A well-built database product ensures exact same query of data results plays an important role in a database solution. Additionally, the validity of data within a database solution relates to the ideas of consistency. Validity and consistency ensure different parts of database do not hold varied results of the same information. The validity of a database solution ensures that data incorporates within the possible pieces of data within the database (Davenport, 2013). Therefore, the validity of data within a database solution ensures that records are updated, created and deleted when need stands. The design of a database solution takes up the following structure  The database solution contains connectivity of relationships as shown in the key diagram above. The stores to the customers have a 1:1 relationship, the products to the stores have a 1: M relationship, suppliers to products have an M: N relationship, while products to product ID have a 0:1 relationship making a cross foot notation.

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations Essay

Classroom Management - Setting Expectations - Essay Example 13). Classroom areas for consideration include 1) entering the classroom. Students should enter the classroom in a quiet and orderly way, look at the board to see what they need, get their materials, and sit down to start the warm-up activity. 2) hallway conduct. Students should be in a straight line when traveling down the hallway as a class. They should travel on the right side of the hallway and stop and start when directed. 3) answering questions in class. Students should raise their hands and wait to be recognized before answering a question from the teacher. 4) homework. Students should have homework ready to turn in at the beginning of class and may not work on it after the bell signals the start of class. 5) lunch. Students will line up at the door before lunch, and travel to the cafeteria together in a straight quiet queue. Students will make sure their eating area is clean before leaving the cafeteria. 6) taking roll. Students should be sitting quietly in their seats when the b ell rings. The teacher will take roll as students complete a warm-up activity to start instruction. 7) cooperative groups. Student groups should be quiet and focused, with significant contributions from each group member. 8) personal conduct. Students should treat each other, themselves, and school property with appropriate respect conveyed through their language and actions. Allowing students to participate in creating rules, procedures and consequences offers several advantages. First, it demonstrates to students that their standards for comfort and order are important to you, and that you desire to make them feel comfortable. It also allows a teacher to consider rules, procedures and consequences that they simply might not have thought of otherwise. Lastly, it demonstrates early in the teacher-student relationship that they will be

The Indian Economy Essay Example for Free

The Indian Economy Essay 1. Introduction This paper will highlight economic issues facing the Indian Government and its ability to maintain high levels of growth by outlining the current conditions of the economy. Policy dilemmas and logic to address these dilemmas will be explored. Analysis of key indicators and statistics as well historical reference and the theory behind their execution will underlay chosen policies which will be followed by a brief conclusion. 2. The Indian Economy The Indian Economy is listed as the fifth largest in the world at . 538 trillion US (CIA 2010) and has been able to continue high GDP growth despite the Global Financial Crisis. The country has also moved along a steady path of economic reform and liberalisation since 1990 including privatisation and foreign investment. India is a ‘planned’ economy which follows a series of targets for each five year period, the Eleventh Five-Year plan (Planning Commission (Government of India) 2007) ending in 2012 aimed to increase and maintain growth at 10% (to double by 2017), create new employment for 70 million people, raise real wages for unskilled workers and consider education and infrastructure. The next five year plan needs to consider economic factors below that may restrict the high levels of growth. There is also an emergence of a two-speed economy emanating between the service sectors employed middle and high income earners with those in agriculture and manufacturing (FitzGerald 2011). Figure 2.1 (TradingEconomics.com 2011) Figure 2.1 shows India’s strong trend for growth since 2002 and despite a small decrease in growth rate following the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, a major policy issue therefore is maintaining strong economic prosperity. The government has to consider several factors that are a risk to this aim such as a large budget deficit, high inflation and unemployment, all shown in figure 2.2. | Percentage| | Government Debt| 55.9| of GDP| Inflation| 11.7| Increase per Year| Unemployment| 10.8| of Labour Force| Figure 2.2 Key Indicators 2010 (CIA 2010) Sustainable growth can be achieved by the Indian Government if it can address these issues both in the short and long term. Therefore the focus is to  consider reducing and stabilising inflation, restructure and increase employment and return the budget to surplus. Debt The current Government Debt in India is around 60% of GDP (TradingEconomics.com 2011; CIA 2010) which puts debt near $1 trillion US. This is an important consideration as it affects the ability of government to embark on public spending necessary to address improvements in infrastructure, education and manufacturing which can help maintain the high growth levels in the long run. High debt and exchange rates can also affect foreign investment which is rich in the services sector, attributing 55.3% of GDP and only 34% of the Labour market (The World Bank 2009; CIA 2010), a focus on improving education and shifting employment into the services sector therefore becomes an important direction for both reduction of unemployment and maintaining supply of labour. Wage prices would be kept at a competitive level compared with other outsourcing countries and overall GDP levels. Debt can also create a lower credit rating and the ability to pay back loans, defaulting on a loan can have widespread negative implications to sustaining growth in the economy. Inflation Inflation is the reduction in the value of money and is 11.7% in India(CIA 2010). High Inflation is a concern because it breads uncertainty in the economy for business, consumers and other investors. This is explained as money being the scale by which an economy can be measured, if the metric of the measurement is uncertain different ideas are formed about how and where money is spent or even if it is spent at all. It also affects the distribution of money across society which is an economic concern in India, high levels of inflation are notable in Food, Manufacturing Prices and Fuel(BBC 2011). Unemployment Unemployment estimates in 2010 of around 10% (TradingEconomics.com 2011; CIA 2010) become an important policy consideration. Indirectly the economy is burdened with the costs such as health and crime however more direct issues include social welfare, loss of production and therefore taxable income. India has one of the world’s largest labour forces of around 480 million (CIA 2010) full employment would assist the ability to match aggregate  demand increases with aggregate supply in the long terms. India could continue growth and manage sustainable inflation in the long term to reach the potential GDP levels. Figure 2.3 shows the overall break down of employment sector with its contribution to GDP. | % Labour Force| % GDP| Agriculture| 52| 16.1| Industry| 14| 28.6| Services| 34| 53.3| Figure 2.3 Economic Sectors Labour/GDP (The World Bank 2009) The policy consideration for Government should be to increase the efficiency of the agriculture sector and move employment into the Industry and Services sector in the long run, including a focus on self-employment which is becoming an unattractive option for younger generations (AZAD India Foundation 2010). 3. Policy Direction Policy recommendations for the Government of India have one overall aim, to maintain strong growth. Three major economic conditions for this focus on, reduction of Government Debt, stability of inflation and addressing high unemployment. 4.1 Monetary Policy Monetary Policy has recently been engaged by the Central Bank and Government in a contractionary manor in an attempt to slow down the inflation growth that has been gripping India. The long term effect of increase to interest rates is to reduce aggregate demand. Figure 3.1 highlights an inflationary hike trend since 2008 which peaked in January 2010. Figure 3.1 India Inflation (TradingEconomics.com 2011) Identifying the cause of inflation is a primary agenda before deciding how effective Monetary will be. While India is experiencing increased AD, interest rates are aligned to but not an overall effect of price increases and in the long run reduce the sustained high growth levels. As seen in Figure 3.2, Interest rate increases are not correlating directly with long term inflationary decreases. Figure 3.3 Interest Rates (TradingEconomics.com 2011) There are three cost-push inflation causes that could explain the peaks and sustained recent high inflation levels of around 11% (CIA 2010). Brent Crude Oil Index Oil is a highly utilised commodity for India and its price can directly affect aggregate supply figure 3.2 Shows a correlation to hikes in Oil price compared with inflation. In January 2008 oil prices began to climb however as the GFC began to take hold, global demand for reduced and prices fell. As India was maintaining strong local Aggregate Demand however inflation was still high. Figure 3.3 Brent Crude Oil (TradingEconomics.com 2011) Domestic Food and Manufacturing Prices Secondary inflation hikes noticed in 2010 do not directly correlate to oil prices. During a poor Food harvest in 2009 as a result of a poor monsoon season (The Economic Times 2009) compounded by international food supply contractions and price rises in the manufacturing sector (BBC 2011) supply side shocks and marginal rise in oil prices can attribute to high inflationary levels. The effects of the supply shocks would be noted in the shift from AS1 to AS2 with prices rising in the short term. However as India GDP has continued to increase year on year, this can only be explained by an increase in Aggregate Demand from AD1 to AD2 shown in Figure 3.3 of a dynamic AS/AD model for India. Point C is India’s potential GDP in 2009 and Point D for 2010, the economic policy should be aimed towards reaching these targets. Monetary policy, in the short run would assist the reduction of AD to curve inflation however to reach LRAS2, other policies must be considered. Interest rate rises should be put on hold and decreased if the economy can recover from supply shocks allowing AS/AD to shift towards potential GDP. Figure 3.3 Dynamic AS/AD for India (figures from (TradingEconomics.com 2011))(McTaggart, Findlay, and Parkin 2010; Hubbard et al. 2011; Misistry of Statistics and Progamme Implementation 2011) 4.2 Fiscal Policy Understanding the complexities of the supply side issues for India is a must for Government to address long term inflation and employment. Investment in agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure will most likely form the basis of the Twelfth Five-Year plan (2point6billion.com 2011). Agriculture can increase and sustain output by advancements in farming practise and technology which is also true of the manufacturing sector. In order for the government investment not to compound Aggregate Demand and multiply into further inflation, taxation of the middle and higher income tax brackets is an option. Already highlighted is the disparity between the size of each sector and the share of its GDP, these expenditures would therefore shift demand from the higher earning service sector into agriculture and industry, with a positive knock on effect of an increase in employment in these areas. | % Labour Force| % GDP| Agriculture| 52| 16.1| Industry| 14| 28.6| Services| 34| 53.3| Figure 3.4 Economic Sectors Labour/GDP (The World Bank 2009) Investment in education, fundable by higher taxation levels can also be aimed to assist the long term shift away from agriculture and into the industry and services sector. Infrastructure is also a key investment consideration to reduce costs of production to all sectors of the economy and sustain ever increasing energy needs. This is also required to avoid the widening of the ‘two-speed’ economy and should be avoided as not to become reliant on one sector of the economy, addressing the balance and disparity can help create a diverse, shock absorbent Indian future. Why would this help stabilise inflation and reduce unemployment? * Cost push inflation and supply side shock impacts would be reduced in the long term * Investment in agricultural and manufacturing practice would allow for a closer match of Aggregate Supply with Aggregate demand * Shifting employment from Agriculture into Industry and Services sector would reduce unemployment * Long term government can divert funds from unemployment resource and taxation into reduction of the Government Debt 4.3 Exchange Rate – Exports and Imports The balance of trade is in deficit of 7.2% (see figure 3.5) however this may not be a major issue for the economic growth of India. The difficulty in policy decision remains the valuation of the Rupee and its impact on a number of variables. High rupee value impacts exports and is approximately 44.6 rupee to $1 US; a primary focus area is industry which could become a viable source of employment for the 10.8% of people not in work. Continuing to increase interest rates will have two impacts; direct foreign investment will be more attractive. Such things as new iron ore and petroleum mining ventures would become possible, however if the Rupee value is too high the export of this and other exportable goods becomes less attractive. Figure 3.5 Components of GDP as a Percentage (Misistry of Statistics and Progamme Implementation 2011) Focused on the aim of sustained high growth, export of services is only 6.6% of GDP however as the Services sector accounts for 55% of industry composition and consumption accounts for 58.3% of GDP, decrease of the ability to export services would reduce private consumption, a direct impact on growth. Export of Goods would also increase if the Rupee were to weaken and address the balance of trade. The government is strongly advised to allow mining and large manufacturing projects to begin and allow the export of these commodities to economies like China. Comparative cost of labour and production would give India a very competitive selling price in the global market and shift employment from agriculture (and the unemployed) into the manufacturing industry. 4. Conclusion The economy of India is very strong in the current global climate of uncertainty and the challenge for the Government is to maintain that level of growth. Managing economic uncertainties that can cause the economy to fail in its aims are extremely important. Understanding the supply side causes of inflation and the possible negative effect of monetary policy to combat it should be realised. Therefore fiscal policy to increase investment in the agriculture and manufacturing industries is recommended to remove disparity and level the ‘two-speed’ economy. High levels of inflation and unemployment do not align to the Phillps principle of inflation (McTaggart, Findlay, and Parkin 2010) however at present there may be a need to absorb these pressures in the short term. To some degree the economy may be experiencing stagflation as it has a much higher potential GDP threshold. In conclusion, there are other factors such as corruption and economic management that if resolved could drastically reduce debt and disparity between all sectors of society. 5. References 2point6billion.com. 2011. India’s 12th Five Year Plan to Focus on ‘Inclusive Growth’. http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2011/04/25/indias-12th-five-year-plan-to-focus-on-inclusive-growth-9151.html (accessed 02/07/2011). AZAD India Foundation. 2010. Unemployment in India. http://azadindia.org/social-issues/Unemployment-in-India.html (accessed 10/04/2011). BBC. 2011. India wholesale inflation rate rises more than expected. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13761784 (accessed 26/06/2011). CIA. 2010. India. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html (accessed 22/06/2011). FitzGerald, B. 2011. Two-speed economy killing industry, warns steel maker. http://www.theage.com.au/business/twospeed-economy-killing-industry-warns-steel-maker-20110221-1b2k1.html (accessed 29/06/2011). Hubbard, G., A. M. Garnett, P. Lewis, and A. P. OBrien. 2011. Essentials of economics. McTaggart, D., C. Findlay, and M. Parkin. 2010. Economics. 6 ed. 6 vols. Vol. 6. Misistry of Statistics and Progamme Implementation. 2011. National Accounts Statistics.

Causes and effects of childhood obesity

Causes and effects of childhood obesity Childhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and the condition is now obvious much earlier in life. Thirty years ago, less than five percent of children were considered obese. Todays figures put the number of obese American children somewhere between 12 percent and 15 percent! That translates into millions of children, preteens, and teens suffering from very adult conditions like diabetes and depression related to weight gain (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Overweight and obesity in childhood are recognized to have significant impact on physical and psychological health. There are several causes that lead children to become obese. Childhood obesity is now considered a disease and is diagnosed by doctors. Not all children that watch television several hours a day or are inactive or just eat mal-nutritious foods develop obesity, many children get obese because of genes inherited from their parents. Some children become obese because of their lifestyle. For example, late-day or night eating, snacking and other behavioral behaviors have influence on the progress of obesity. Moreover, social and economic conditions are shown to have a significant relationship to nutrition and dietary intake. In addition, there are certain effects resulted from childhood obesity such as physical, mental, emotional, and social effects. Obesity in childhood is responsible of early development in girls and delayed development in boys. Its also found to be associated with numerous medical problems related to physiological, metabolic, and structural changes. What is more is that obese children are more likely to develop psychological problems. Physical, social, and mental well-being is considered health related quality of life. Low self-esteem and social discrimination can be noted in obese children due to physical limitations, feelings of isolation or loneliness, and teasing from class mates. Causes and Effects of Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and the condition is now obvious much earlier in life. Thirty years ago, less than five percent of children were considered obese. Todays figures put the number of obese American children somewhere between 12 percent and 15 percent! That translates into millions of children, preteens, and teens suffering from very adult conditions like diabetes and depression related to weight gain (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Obesity is defined as a disproportionate buildup of stored fat tissue when compared to other tissues. Childhood obesity is now considered a disease and is diagnosed by doctors. Children become overweight for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Moreover, socio-economic factors have influence on children, which may cause a child to become obese. In addition, there are certain effects resulted from childhood obesity such as physical, mental, emotional, and social effects. Diagnosis of Childhood Obesity Only a doctor can diagnose children for obesity by evaluating adiposity, or how much fat a person has. Adiposity can be assessed using different ways, for example, by using an underwater scale, or by an MRI, but these methods are considered excessive and expensive. Another way of evaluating children for obesity is by measuring the distribution of body fat. Also, a chart called the body mass index (BMI) is used to optimally measure the amount of fat person carries most frequently to differentiate between just an overweight child and the one who is really obese. In addition to BMI and charting weight on the growth charts, the doctor also evaluates the familys history of obesity and weight-related health problems, such as diabetes, the childs eating habits and calorie intake, the childs activity level, and any other health conditions the child may have. Causes of Childhood Obesity After the child gets diagnosed as obese, the doctor will start investigating the causes that lead this child to become overweight. To begin with, there are several causes that lead children to become obese. First of all, many children get obese because of heredity. Because of some genes inherited from parents, those children have higher risk of becoming overweight. For example, not all children that watch television several hours a day or are inactive or just eat mal-nutritious foods develop obesity. Therefore, heredity has been found to have effect on fatness, distribution of fat on body, and response to overfeeding. It has also been suggested that heredity does not only concern the genes but also resulting dietary habits, food intake, and lifestyle, including physical activity level and spontaneous interest in exercise (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). Moreover, mothers whom are overweight are found to born neonates that are less active and gain more weight compared to ne onates born of normal weight mothers, which suggest a preserving energy inborn drive. The information taken from genes can suggest that genetic factors can take role to determine the susceptibility of adding or losing fat in response to physical activity and diet. The life style of some children also plays a role in being obese. Some behaviors, present in certain children (late-day or night eating, snacking, etc.) ease the progress or persistence of obesity. Children spend several hours each day watching television, and eating lot of snacks that is high in calorie. Food is nothing more than easy to cook energy. The potential energy is measured by the calories that are contained in specific amount and type of food. A body needs a minimum amount of calories in order to perform its basic functions, and the recommended caloric intake for this purpose varies according to age, body frame, and activity level (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Obese children do not show excessive appetite fo r sweet foods. Children and adults simply enjoy foods high in fat. Ice cream, cakes, and biscuits are all examples of high fat foods which are very popular among obese and non-obese people alike. Physical activity is important for achieving proper energy balance, which is needed to prevent or reverse obesity (Flamenbaum, 2006). Moreover, distribution of body fat is affected independently by physical activity which affects body weight. Last but not least, social and economic conditions have a significant relationship to nutrition and dietary intake. For example, as income increases, the type of the diet is going more likely to change in a persistent manner. In particular, the sugar, protein and animal fat intake increases, while the intake of vegetable fat, complex carbohydrates and protein decreases. Also, if the family has a higher income, there might be an increase in take away readymade foods intake which is high in fat content or an increase in intake of meat. The lower social s upport in low social class is associated with a high food intake and higher weight of children. Another study showed that children from low-income families who were exposed to less cognitive stimulation and who had an obese mother showed an increased risk of obesity independent of other demographic factors (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). However, the general effect of these changes in consumption behavior with the high intake of total fat is the increase in the occurrence of obesity. Effects of Childhood Obesity As a result of the above, there are certain effects that might result in children from being obese. To start with, the physical effects in childhood obesity include, for example, the increase adult morbidity in men for gout, and in women for arthritis. Obese children are usually above average height for age (Dietz, 1993). Obesity in childhood is responsible of early development in girls and delayed development in boys. For women, menstrual problems in middle age are found to be associated with childhood. Men whom are overweight during adolescence have three times more possibility to develop gout when compared with men whom where normal weight. Furthermore, Obesity in childhood is associated with numerous medical problems related to physiological, metabolic, and structural changes. Its suggested that adult obesity developed from childhood may be more problematic than adult-onset obesity due to an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome (Vanhala, 1998). Obese children have a higher ri sk for developing hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Research shows that obesity in children, particularly during adolescence, persists into adulthood and is associated with an increased risk of many diseases including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory disorders, gall bladder disease, infertility and several non-fatal but debilitating conditions (Flamenbaum, 2006). Obese children have approximately a threefold increased risk for hypertension compared to their normal-weight peers. The prevalence of obesity in children affected by diabetes was on average twofold from the age of 2 years onward compared to control children (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). What is more is that obese children are more likely to develop psychological problems. Severely obese children recorded their quality of life with scores as low as children undergoing chemotherapy for cancer (Walker, 2005). Physical, social, and mental well-be ing is considered health related quality of life. Low self-esteem and social discrimination can be noted in obese children due to physical limitations, feelings of isolation or loneliness, and teasing from class mates, in example, which is frequent in young people who are obese. The age of onset of obesity, presence of emotional instability, and negative evaluation of obesity by others may predispose an obese person to a disturbed body image. These include during the formative years. Disturbances in adulthood are often commonplace in those who became obese during childhood or adolescence Depressed obese children are more likely to stay depressed all over adulthood. Prevention of Childhood Obesity The technique used to prevent childhood obesity is by keeping the weight from coming back. Such technique requires great effort as overweight is not just a hit-and-run problem, where the child can simply drop the weight and be free from obesity the rest of his life. Its always easy to get overweight than to lose weight. A child who lived a sedentary lifestyle with bad eating habits is at higher risk of getting back to such habits because such habits are just easy to follow. Its so a lot easier for children to sit at home and watch TV rather than going outside with others or alone to play. This is why parents, physicians, and nutritionists should sit together and set a plan for the child. The plan should include the restriction of fast food and soft drinks, limitation of time allocated for watching television or computer, and promotion of physical activity. However, this plan must be monitored and supervised by parents and a physician to ensure the elimination of any side effects that might occur from the prevention plan. Conclusion To summarize, childhood obesity is now considered a global epidemic. There are multiple causes that lead certain children to become obese. Genetic factors and environmental conditions play a great role in the early development of childhood obesity, but the condition varies in different countries. In addition, it appears that there are dangerous effects that result from being obese which can continue till adulthood. Therefore, parents should be aware of their children life style and the food they consume to avoid such health problems in their later adulthood. Moreover, the picture of the obese child as unhealthy, unfriendly and fat is best to prevent as early as possible. As for prevention of childhood obesity, it is also recommended that parents, physicians and nutritionists set together to set the proper plan. Nevertheless, there must be raising in alertness, consideration, and public understanding for the matter of childhood obesity