Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

Topic (textbook pages, lesson number, unit). Time allotment. | Materials Needed| * Do not include standard classroom equipment (e. g. , chalkboard). * Include things such as books, colored pencils, PowerPoint presentation, handouts, etc. | Objectives| * District, state, and national standards (whatever is applicable at the school). * Long-term objectives (describe the lesson as part of a larger idea, such as a one-day lesson on Louis XIV that contributes to understanding the chapter concept on the growth of absolute monarchy). Short-term (lesson) objectives: Measurable and specific, phrased in terms of â€Å"the student will†¦ â€Å"| Procedures| * Introduction: Start with a hook (an attention-getter) to introduce the lesson. This should be understandable and relatable, and should activate prior knowledge. * Instruction: How will the goals of the lesson be reached? What will the students do to reach the objectives? Will the students complete a learning task in teams? Will the students take notes from a lecture? Closing: Students demonstrate that they followed the instructions. This includes anything from sharing teamwork results, to review questions over a lecture or PowerPoint. | Independent Work| * This includes follow-up work done in class or as homework. * Any work assigned should be an extension of the in-class lesson. Ideally, it simultaneously reinforces the lesson, builds upon it, and creates background knowledge for the next lesson. | Assessment| * Determine whether or not the goals of the lesson have been reached. Types of assessment may vary. * Formal assessments include quizzes, tests, work (such as essays) evaluated according to a rubric, etc. * Informal assessments include looking over students’ completed assignments, question-and-answer sessions, etc. | Reflection| * This is done after the lesson as a self-reflection exercise. * What parts of this lesson worked well? How might these parts be made even better? * What parts of this lesson did not work? Why? Should these parts be altered, changed, or scrapped?

Bajaj Capital- Training, Recruitment and Selection

cRECRUITMENT, PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AND TRANING AND DEVELOPMENT IN BAJAJ CAPITAL 1) RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT BAJAJ CAPITAL FORMALITIES AFTER THE JOINING BY THE HR Reference check v Validation v Entry in the Joining Kit Tracker v Preparing the Partial Kit v Getting the kit signed v Dispatching the kit to  the corporate office STEP BY STEP RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT BAJAJ CAPITAL * Short listing of the candidate by the TM. In case of internal recruitment then they should assure that they have fulfilled the criteria. And in case of external recruitment they should follow the  process note forwarded to them by the HR  Department. The interview needs to be conducted very properly; selection of the candidate should be done only he satisfies the criteria for that post. Proper care should be  taken while selecting a candidate. * After  the  interview  is  conducted  and  reference  check  of  thecandidate is done, the papers need to be processed to the HR  Department. W hen processing the papers the TM should ensure that the following documents are  there:–Interview Assessment Sheet-CV-Appointment letter of the  previous company-Salary slip of  last two months-Reference Check form On receiving the papers at HR, entry needs to be made in the documents received tracker. If all the documents are complete then the IP Code, (CV Code) needs to be allotted to it and then the papers should be forwarded to the respective HR Cluster Heads. In case any documents are pending then the candidate needs to be called for the  papers. * On receiving the complete documents, the HR needs to negotiate the salary with the candidate and close the offer. On closing the offer  the an offer mail is to be sent to the candidate stating his post, salary, date of joining and as to what documents they are to bring along with them. On the day of joining, the candidate needs to fill the joining kit and the  online  PDF  Form. The  kit  contains  inform ation  about  the candidate i. e. their personal details, education qualification, work  experience, and other information that are required  by the firm. The online PDF Form contains general details such as name, address, identification mark, place of posting, etc. * Once through with the kit, the documents are to be collected and should see that the kit is properly filled i. e. the date of joining, place of posting, and that they have signed where required. On receiving the complete kit, the joining kit tracker needs to be updated. The tracker contains information such as the BDF No, name, address, contact details, position & location of the candidate, his previous work experience, his account No, & PAN No. , the date of joining and the date of dispatching the kit to the corporate office * Once the tracker is updated, the kit needs to be validated. It is done in  order  to  generate  the  SAP  Code  of  the  employee. Duringvalidation  information  su ch  as  the  post  &  the  location  of  the employee, SAP Code of their reporting authority and their CTC is required. After all these formalities, the partial kit is to be prepared and the kit needs to be signed by the HRM, then the kit is to be dispatched to the corporate office . Job opportunities may be identified by studying jobs and determining the knowledge and skills each one requires. Once career paths are developed and employees are identified on the career ladder, it is possible to inventory the jobs and determine where individuals with the required skills and knowledge are needed or will be needed. Beyond recruitment, organization also needs to consider the progression of employees through a series of jobs.In this way they can manage not only the immediate contribution of individuals to the organization, but the long term contribution throughout their career. In order to be successful, a career management program must receive the support of top managemen t. The program should reflect the goals and the culture of the organization, and managerial personnel at all levels must be trained in the fundamentals of job design, performance appraisal, career planning and counseling. The objectives and opportunities of the career development program should be announced widely throughout the organization.We often think that successful people plan their careers out and then work toward their goals in a very logical, sequential manner. Although some successes are designed and implemented this way, others are created through insight, preparedness, and taking advantages of opportunities as they rise. 2) PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is the process of obtaining, analyzing and recording information about the relative worth of an employee. The focus of the performance appraisal is measuring and improving the actual performance of the employee and also the future potential of the employee.PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN BAJAJ CAPITAL In the Bajaj Capital the performance appraisal is called performance improvement process (PIP). THE PIP SHARED BY MBO IN BAJAJ CAPITAL MBO- Management by objective has been defined as â€Å"a process whereby the superior & subordinate managers of an organization jointly identify its common goals setting for each individuals & gives largely & use the measures as guides for operating the unit & assessing the contribution of each & its members.GOAL SETTING- The goals are defined in clear, precise & measurable terms. They should be challenging yet attainable. A thorough analysis of internal environment(strengths & improvement area) and (opportunities & threats)of the organization is made to made to set these goal. The goal is set for financial, customers, people, process etc. PERFORMANCE TARGET- On the basis of organization goal, performance for each employee may be decided on the of organizational charts & job description.Every subordinate writes down his own performance goal which are work relat ed & career oriented. His manager also writes down the goal he thinks the subordinate should satire for. The employee of all levels are involved in goal setting. Action plan required to achieve the goals are also decided through consultant among an employee & his superior. Joint goal setting & joint goal setting & joint action planning are essential elements of appraisal through MBO.PERFORMANCE REVIEW- Frequent performance review meeting between the mangers & the subordinate are held Initially, monthly reviews may be used & then extended to quarterly reviews. In the reviews meeting, progress is assessed, improvement area & constraints are identified & steps to be taken to improve performance are decided. Subordinate actively participate in the process. It leads to self control by the employee. GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING SIX MONTHLY & YEARLY APPRAISAL REVIEW 1.Objective of review is to help improve individual performance & thereby business performance. 2. Two hour workshops to be indu cted each year one month before above reviews (5th & 11th month of appraisal year). 3. HRD group to devote one month (each for half yearly &yearly review) fully focused to complete all reviews. 4. HRD facilitator to be present during review &fill up check list to help improve process in future. Initially recommended to slant for 1st 3rd 1-4th &l-v level. 5. HRD facilitator to be senior in level than appraise. ) TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:- The various training programs used in Bajaj capital that encourage people to maximize their full potential through training & development programs which are tailored to suit the business needs of their partners are:- a) Basic & Advanced Mutual Fund Training:- Training provides a firmer foundation of understanding for how mutual funds work and how they interact with other investments in client's portfolio. Additionally, the designation adds prestige and lets their clients know they can be confident in their recommendations. ) AMFI training: – AMFI, Association of Mutual Funds in India, is an industry association, formed in 1995, for the overall growth of the mutual fund industry. It is also responsible for testing and certification of intermediaries, including individual mutual fund advisors. So as an individual, one cannot indulge in selling of mutual funds, till he or she has cleared AMFI exam and thus is certified. In other words, AMFI test is the gateway to the ever growing mutual fund industry and takes you one step closer to providing complete personal finance solutions to your clients. ) Certified Financial Planner: – A Certified Financial Planner professional takes a holistic view of financial life of an individual and provides strategic advice in regard to investment, insurance, tax, retirement and estate needs. Unlike product sellers who represent the interest of manufacturers of these products, a Certified Financial Planner professional works for the consumer, and does not have any particular product in mind when approaching a client. ) Registered Financial Planner: – Registered financial training is provided to empower the account holder of Bajaj Capital Advisors Network in the field of financial planning by imparting them technical knowledge with a practical approach based on Registered Financial Planner model with emphasis on case studies embedded with soft skills element. e) Soft Skills: – The Soft Skills Training programs encompass a wide range of skills that most organizations find to be integral and necessary part of everyday business.From basic communication skills to strategic management, a gamut of training programs are offered to address every business training need. f) Sales techniques: – Sales technique training is provided to increase the productivity of the sales. This training develops knowledge and use of the key selling skills that have the greatest impact on increasing sales productivity. All other sales training is incomplete without first learning these skills. g) Business Coaching: – Business coaching is a type of personal or human resource development.It provides positive support, feedback and advice to an individual or group basis to improve their personal effectiveness in the business setting. Business coaching includes executive coaching, corporate coaching and leadership coaching. h) TAX Advisory: – A tax advisor is a financial expert specially trained in tax law. Organizations usually require tax advisors to minimize taxation, to avoid learning the details of tax law in complicated financial situations themselves or to learn the details of tax law from a professional advisor.

Children speech and language development Essay

From the time of birth to three years, children’s brain known to grow quickly. This makes it very important for early intervention to treat autism disorder at this age. It needs a therapy hence during this age the children have not yet started going to school hence very available for this exercise. Also at this age children have less ingrained habits. This makes it easier to stop this behavior for it might turn to intractable once left for a long period. 2. The sharp rise may be because most mass media in most countries have no access to the right information. It is also because of people neglecting vaccines and its additive. There is a lot of mercury present in many vaccines and this accelerates the development of autism among children. Mercury is not only harmful but it is toxic to our brains. 3. Naturalistic this is because it orients the child to the practical world. The children learns from the environment in which they live in and also pass. In this case, students learn more on themselves and the environment as a whole. In so doing the children develop themselves as they interact with the rest of the world. The environmental contribution to children’s speech and language acquisition is put in to weight by analysists. Skinner (1957). 4. An effective intervention may have the following elements: â€Å"Child talk† communication pattern. They should be outgrown well to avoid bringing learning problems to the child. One should make sure that communication skills are learned by the child before she is five years old. this is the age when the brain is developing quickly. The involvement of a pathologists is very important to children with speech disorder. The child’s teacher should be aware of the best method to deliver the communication skills to the child during class time. The family of the child should also be involved during the development of objectives and methods of facilitating the most effective therapy. Counselors can be included for the suggestion of effective strategies which will assist in linking the several phases of development. The element of technology should be considered and the use of communication systems which mainly requires electronics. These are very important for people with physical l disabilities. Brise, A. (2000). 5. It is a bit difficult for for speech to be replaced by reading during learning English because People cannot wait to learn instead of making speech because it is easier to pass the required information without much struggle. Speech is also the first and the quickest thing to be learn even before children start attending schools. The skills needed to compensate for children with visual impairments are: tools use and using modifications. Tools like braille for communication are very important. Use of computers and adaptations for writing. 6. Some of the compensation required for visual impairment are using tools for example glasses, involving educational tasks for the children and providing opportunities that enable the students to interact with the environment. The teacher can also use large writings on the board and make use of recorded materials. The use of assistive technology is of importance especially during the writing practice. Leisure activities should also be provided to these people for the development of skills. Personal management should be allowed to visually impaired student who in order for them to judge their abilities and skills. This will assist them live independently. Social interactions should highly be considered to enable the children grow in a relationship world. This will assist them solve their problems for companionship purposes. Mobility of the students either through traveling or having picnics should be put into consideration for it will help them understand the world better they live better. 7. A child with impairment may it be health or physical, will always be isolated by the rest who are healthy and fit. This isolation leads to loneliness among the impairment children . They always lack partners to play with and to appreciate them. This in turn may lead to poor social development of the child. They often depend on themselves and only little assistance is received from their parents. Many people and communities see these people as a bad omen in the society and may look for any way to terminate them even before they reach the age of ten. Many people will look down upon them making them loss their self perception. This bad perception from many people on children with physical impairment should be avoided and instead introduction of homes to care for them be introduced. 8. Special curriculum should be provided for disabled people. Teaching practices should be of high class and clear discussions made. More concentration should be made on these people compared to those without special needs. 9. Bright students also require special education because this is a disability of a kind. They should never be mixed with the slow learners because they try to understand quickly to others. 10. Teachers should make sure that they organize a class discussion for all the students to participate in. this vigorous exercise will make all the student feel important and equal. The teacher should organize for a games while teaching or during break hours. This will make all participate and refresh them too. Community service is important to all. This will make the student serve the community they live in. Both local and international internships should be organized for disabled students this also make them feel part and parcel of the community. Lesson plan by the teachers should be available to all the learners. References. Skinner, D. (1957). Children speech and language development. Harvard university press. Brise, A. (2000). Communication disorders among the young people. Arlington.

The IASB at a Crossroads Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The IASB at a Crossroads - Assignment Example IFRS ensures high quality standards in financial reporting of financial statements globally by promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in financial reporting. High quality financial reports enable the making of effective decisions IFRS decreases the cost of capital and provides institutional investors with the ability to make well-informed decisions by comparing investment portfolio. Companies trading in the stock market are required to comply with IFRS. IFRS helps to reduce information asymmetry and reduces transaction costs thus reducing the cost of capital. This helps attract Foreign Direct Investments. IFRS also promotes better management control systems. Despite the benefits adoption of IFRS faces quite a number of challenges. There is lack of public awareness on the use of IFRS and its benefits to regulatory authorities and investors. This is because of lack of information on IFRS. There is chronic shortage of competent professionals in some countries especially developing countries to implement IFRS. Most of these countries still use previous accounting practices which IFRS is phasing out. The IASB is ambiguous in its requirement on the adoption of IFRS globally. For instance, the less developed countries would simply adopt the standards without putting in appropriate legislative measures. A few industry players would adopt IFRS and yet the country would be registered as an adopter of IFRS. The IASB can promote updating of academic curricula in universities and training institutions across the world in order to raise public awareness on the use of IFRS and raise competent professionals who can implement IFRS. IASB can continuously publish pronouncements and embark on capacity building programs on IFRS to provide more information to investors and regulatory

David Cole Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

David Cole - Assignment Example One allegedly glaring lie which the Soviets invented is about the number of people who perished in the camp which they placed at no less than four million. Cole pointed out that most Holocaust revisionists believe that the actual number of persons who died was less than 1.1 million. In the video, Cole presented a tour of the camp, specifically the so-called â€Å"gas chamber† which was later turned into an air-raid shelter. Cole’s interview with the tour guide, Alicia and Dr. Piper revealed two opposing views about the gas chamber. Whereas Alicia claimed that the gas chamber was in its original state, Dr. Piper stated that there were reconstructions made in the original gas chamber. Aside from inconsistencies regarding the gas chamber, other information given by Dr. Piper was also questionable according to Cole. Particular among this is about the difference in the traces of Zyklon B in the gas chamber and the disinfection chamber. At the end of the video, Cole has not given a definitive answer about the authenticity of the Auschwitz gas chamber, instead, he leaves the viewers hanging and maybe deciding for themselves on whether to believe the revisionists or the Holocaust defenders. What was clear to Cole is that there are still questions left unanswered regarding the genuineness of the

Mobile Health Care Payments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Health Care Payments - Research Paper Example Mobile payment has become the single and most efficient and reliable mode of payment in hospitals. According to West (2012), the utilization of smartphones transformed the communication and methods of payment in commerce and health settings in the country. At Cleveland Clinic, these modes of payment are as a result of late payments of medical bills by patient in the hospitals after medication. Due to close monitor of the payment system, the hospital management realized that out of all the patients, only a few paid their bill in cash. Majority did not pay for their health services in the hospital (West, 2012). It resulted in the lack of revenue for the hospital since patient payment accounted for the majority of the clinic’s revenue. The impact of unpaid bills on the clinic was significant leading to ill health provision due to lack of enough health equipment in the hospital. Majority of health workers also could not receive pay since the revenue turnout was not sufficient. In addition, the introduction of Obamacare has also necessitated the use of smartphones in payment of hospital bills. Smartphones payment enables the hospital to collect revenue efficiently since the introduction of that Act. Implementation of that law meant an increase in the overall number of patients accessing the clinic and other health services (Shoval, 2013). Moreover, the Act places more responsibility on employers with the high-deductible plans on employees. The Obamacare, for this reason, is a sign of high revenue turn out to hospitals and clinic, and efficient collection of that revenue by hospital through smartphone payment would be significant. Additionally, the advancement in technology that is an entry of smartphones necessitated its use in hospital payment. This device is a valuable tool in revenue collection both for the health and commerce sector. As a result of this, Cleveland has decided to change the mode

A Plague Upon Us Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Plague Upon Us - Assignment Example First of all, it is very important to identify the primary case and find out the where the disease started from. This can be done by studying the epidemiological statistics of the affected areas such the number of people affected and the mortality rate. Also, it very important here to understand the Ice Berg phenomenon which helps identify cases with no signs and symptoms. It is also important identify those at risk e.g. family, close relatives and those who have been in contact with the affected patients. It is important to identify the causative agent of the disease, find out its incubation period and quarantine those at risk atleast for the incubation period of the disease. Development of a vaccine just in case a patient comes to US carrying the disease and causes an epidemic. Blood, Urine, stool and sputum sample of the affected patients should be studied to find out the causative agent and develop proper medications against it. Also, finding the vector and eradicating it in the country is necessary to avoid an epidemic in the

Organizational behaviors management term project - Panda Express Paper

Organizational behaviors management project - Panda Express - Term Paper Example The menus in this restaurant brought to America the flavors of Szechuan and Mandarin cuisine. These same menus became the inspiration and standard for all the Panda Express restaurants that are known and loved in the wide America. The making of quality meals with fresh and premium ingredients besides being served fast and hot was one competitive advantage Andrew identified and utilized to the fullest. The result was the tremendous growth of the Panda Express chain of restaurants not only in the United States but the world over (Fox77). Our group’s selection of the Panda Express chain of restaurants out of our love for authentic Chinese cuisine and our being intrigued by how fresh and fast the food is constantly cooked and served. A majority of the group members have had meals at the Panda Express restaurants and realized that the quality of the food is uniformly of a high quality. Our love for authentic, or fairly authentic, Chinese cuisine seems to have travelled with us from China to the United States. It was a unanimous decision among the group members who, having eaten at several Chinese restaurants across the United States that claimed to offer authentic cuisine, all decided that only the cuisine found at the Panda Express chain of restaurants lived to its name (Grenway 44). ... The latter is to expose the Chinese citizens firsthand to American-Chinese type of cuisine which is excellent (Filipova 45). The main goal of the group is to find out how Panda Express is able to serve such high quality food at its characteristically fast pace yet retain the fine features of a dining eatery. The aim of group is of the opinion that the managers utilize the rush hours besides having active communication skills with their subordinates to create an excellent customer experience (Tosi and Pilati 109). The aim is to research into the managers’ use of leadership, motivation and employee engagement skills in forming a group of hard-working employees with the restaurant’s aim in their hearts. Another aim is to find out the managers’ daily activities that contribute to the success of the restaurant chain and push the employees to willingly outdo themselves in their service (Griffin and Moorehead 40). What also evoked our curiosity was the fact that some me mbers of this group eat at the Panda Express restaurant on the campus premises once to four times each week and always find the food freshly cooked even with the high demand for the food which always seems to improve in taste (Sharma 73). Hypothesis The group’s belief is that managers use leadership skills acquired from outside the restaurant chain or gained at the restaurant to instill a sense of urgency among the employees and then set cooking or serving goals that have always outdid the demand from customers. Among the leadership skills most likely driving the success in the restaurant chain are conflict resolution among the employees and management, quickness of thought to invent better services and the accuracy of predicting rush hours to utilize the large number of customers

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a Essay

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a possibility of reducing the dosage on meds in Patients - Essay Example In the present study, it is hypothesized that yoga and meditation can be used to reduce blood pressure and can help reduce the dosage of antihypertensive medication in patients with hypertension. This work intends to look into a few research articles to demonstrate and support this hypothesis. An article by Miles, Chou, Lin, Hunter, Dhindsa, Nualnim, and Tanaka (2013) studied the effect of hatha yoga practice on blood pressure and other cardiovascular responses. There were a total of 36 participants in the study, who were apparently healthy, nonobese, sedentary, and recreationally active. The 36 participants in the study were recruited from Austin, Texas. Out of them, 19 subjects had no experience in yoga and 18 were experienced in yoga. In the study, the arterial blood pressure of the subjects was measured throughout the yoga session and in 23 different yoga postures. It included systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure was measured using beat-by-beat, finger plethysmography. What is found in the study was a significant increase in blood pressure, especially in standing postures as a direct result of the increase in cardiac output and heart rate. In the case of standing yoga postures, the mean blood pressure increased by 30 mm Hg. In addition, it was found that there was no significant difference between both novice and experienced yoga practitioners in the effect of yoga session on blood pressure. Thus, the study advised medical practitioners to be cautious while prescribing yoga postures to patients with uncontrolled hypertension (Miles et al., 2013, p. 44). However, it is found that in floor postures like Cobra, blood pressure and cardiac output do not increase significantly (Miles et al., 2013, p. 42), and there is a fall in stroke volume but it is uncertain as to what causes this decline in stroke volume. Thus, the study is significant in

Professional and academic background Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional and academic background - Essay Example I was enrolled for leadership in teaching advanced writing class to enhance workshop learning for students. I am working as a personal tutor and as a tutor for the university-tutoring program at the University of Rochester; my courses as a tutor include Introduction to Economics, Economic Statistics, Econometrics, Calculus I & II, Theoretical Linear Algebra, Probability. This experience has improved my knowledge requirements in the interdisciplinary subjects of the course. I have thus the strong knowledge and skills for mathematics, economics and interdisciplinary subjects like econometrics, economic statistics that I deserve admission for the course. I published one article per day in a local business page in Chinese Taipei in the summer of 2005; I also attended press conferences and wrote some reports in special columns. I participated in some copy desk editing work, and helped with translating between Mandarin and English. I also made money by doing online business especially in a dvertising field for different Internet sites. In this course once in a week seminars are conducted with the people from the financial world like Wall Street etc, to know about the happenings in the financial world. My skills will be highly helpful to understand the situations. I worked for a library as a Circulation Desk Student Supervisor, Project Supervisor, Stack organizer, this is helpful to complete the assignments related to the library work fastly. Academic background I have a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and minor in philosophy with the GPA of 3.93, 3.91,3.9 respectively. These are the basic requirements of the course. I have a good GPA for the subjects. I have a GRE score of 630 out of 800, which is relatively a good score to get admission. In addition to this I have done some research papers in mathematics of political modeling, on measurements of power, and fairness of voting at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. I have done honors senior thesis in Macroeconomic Forecasting, subtopics were Research into the mechanisms and programming techniques of modern forecasting, development and construction of a unique macroeconomic forecasting model. I have received the awards as the Deans list recipient. I am currently member of University of Rochester's Economic council and International Ambassadors Organization. My professional and academic background is such that I can surely get admission into the Advanced degree in Financial Engineering at Columbia

Benchmarking - Marketing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benchmarking - Marketing assignment - Essay Example The set standards for the classification of this type of coffee suggests that it can only grow at certain height and therefore the brand as such has to meet certain criteria in order to be categorized as blue mountain coffee. There are two important reasons as to why the Blue Mountain Coffee became the leading coffee brands in the world. First is the overall quality of the coffee which is relatively superior to other brands of coffee whereas secondly, strict quality controls and protection has been ensured in order to make the brand an exclusive brand. These characteristics of the product therefore made it one of the most acceptable coffee brands in the world. Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is considered as the most controversial coffee brands in the world. It is also however, one of the premium brands of coffee due to its overall aroma, flavor as well as acidity and other qualities. It is however, argued that overproduction and changes in environment in recent years has resulted into the decline in the overall quality of the coffee. (Flock)2 Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee shot to the prominence during 1960’s and 1970’s when it was considered as the best coffee in the world. It takes around seven years to mature and contains less caffeine as compared to other commercially produced brands of coffee. The history of Blue Mountain Coffee suggests that it was introduced in the region by Sir Nicholas Lawes during 1728. However, gradually, it spread to other parts of the Blue Mountain Area and as such was widely cultivated and exported. 3During first half of 20th Century, the overall quality of the coffee deteriorated thus resulting into significant reduction in exports of the brand from Jamaica. However, in 1948 Coffee Industry Regulation Act was passed in order to promote the industry as well as the social and economic life of those who are involved in the cultivation of the coffee. It is

Self-esteem - motivation Essay Example for Free

Self-esteem motivation Essay Introduction: According to Saint Exupery in The Halo (2006), â€Å"Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded. † The meaning of life has a no specific definition; it depends on how each individual give meaning to their lives. It is a natural thing for an individual to curiously know about their life since their birth till death. Moreover, human beings are also curious to find out why they were put in this earth that is why babies keep touching everything in order to experience all their surroundings from the very beginning (Taylor, 2000). In this essay, the concept of meaning will be significantly analysed. Firstly, by defining the meaning which will secondly be followed by discussing the different types of needs an individual must meet to experience the meaning of life. Thirdly, the types of things that enhance and curb the experience of the meaning of life will be highlighted. Lastly, various practical steps will be described to enhance the experience of the meaning of life. This essay will be intertwined with personal reflections and aspirations that have enhanced the meaning of life for the writer. What is the meaning of ‘meaning’? Subjectivism: According to Eagleton (2007), everyone adds their own meaning to life. The meaning of life is never universal or complex. The meaning of life is very simple and people experience it when they understand the universe, themselves, their identity and their goal in life (Bennet, 2005). Subjectivists state that the meaning differs with individuals’ psychological and mental states and their desires and goals. For example one individual can find meaning of life in music or art while other may find it in attaining goals or in religion (REF). In addition to this, (REF) states that life only becomes meaningful when all the needs and wants are fulfilled and when the individual is content and satisfied with themselves. Super naturalistic views: On the other hand, spiritual beings consider their lives to be consequential and significant when they can reach the pious pathway God has set (REF). The God-centred view points out that the definitive meaning of life is holistically attained. Moreover, an individual will only figure out the meaning of life when they are not attached to the worldly desires (REF). Personal reflection: Personally, the meaning of life for me is constantly being in search for my identity and accomplishing the goals I have set in life. I explore my identity through my art work as it helps me express my feelings and emotions about everything. My art work makes me realize who I am as a person and what people interpret me as a person through my paintings. What types of needs must be met for a person to experience meaning in life? Searching the meaning of life is a motivational force in an individual however; the degree of motivation to which they search the meaning of life differs in all individuals (REF). Despite individuals having different degrees of motivation, there are some needs and conditions that must be met for the individuals to experience the meaning of life. Individuals do not necessarily have to meet the same needs and conditions to experience the meaning of life. Some individuals are inspired by other individuals like great artists, inventors and thinkers, some individuals need sense of belonging, some need to experience certain events to make sense of life while others need to attain autonomy and self efficacy to experience the meaning of life. In short, individuals can discover the meaning of life through social work, experiencing something or someone or reactions towards unavoidable circumstances (REF). For example, an individual who is very emotional needs to experience the need of belonging in order to experience the meaning of life. They need to have many friends and a good relationship with their family in order to satisfy their need of belonging; this helps the individual to live a happy and full life. However, if they do not feel the sense of belonging, they have no hope hence do not have anything to look forward to and see no point of living. Conversely, not all individuals need to meet the need of belonging to experience the meaning of life. Some may have to experience the need of autonomy and self efficacy. These types of individuals usually have certain goals and tasks in life which they believe they can attain thus that would help them experience the meaning of life. For example, an individual whose goal is to become a doctor tries to attain that goal by being a hard worker and devoting all his time to attain their goal. They would experience the meaning of life when they achieve the title of the doctor as it would help them conquer a place in the community and gain some prestige. In addition to this, if an individual fails to attain this need might gain a very low self esteem which would then impact on the choices they makes in life. They would become very dependent on others and would not be able to cope with that leading them to suffer from various health issues. What types of things enhance the experience of meaning in life? The meaning of life can be enhanced by sustaining life, accepting a teaching, giving life or creating wisdom (REF). For example things that would enhance the meaning of life for mothers, doctors and nurses is when they deliver as links in a biological chain by giving life from one generation to the other. Young artists are inspired and enhance their meaning of life when they authorize and respect and accept their teacher’s work (REF). Personally, as an artist, the meaning of life for me is enhanced when I can appreciate the work of different artists and what they are trying to express in their paintings. Art work makes me understand the different feelings individuals go though and how they express it through drawings. It also makes me see different viewpoints of life and experiences people are going through. Despite all individuals having different needs to discover the meaning of life, there are certain things that all individuals require to enhance the meaning of life like: Hope Inspiration Goals High self esteem. What types of things curb the experience of meaning in life? Many individuals curb their experiences of the meaning in life due to: No inspiration or goals and failure: If an individual constantly fails and has no potential and inspiration of achieving his goals may feel ineffective and hopeless. They may start feeling that they have no purpose in life and life is completely meaningless for them. Loss of loved ones: loss of a loved one through death or divorce may affect an individual mentally and emotionally. They may feel the are not loved and do not belong anywhere as their loved one does not exist anymore. The loss brings suffering and misery which makes an individual believe that like if meaningless. Lastly, experiences like these pushes an individual to have a low self esteem and become reserved (REF). Personal Reflection: If individuals are not open, emotionless or afraid to be seen as themselves due to low self esteem cannot enhance their meaning of life and hence would curb this experience. As an artist, my goal is to become an art teacher and help other children to express their feelings through painting if they cannot through words. However, I have a clear goal and always have been inspired by my father to attain this goal. If I had a low self esteem and did not believe in myself, I would have no hope hence that would curb the search of meaning of life as I would feel I am worthless Practical steps to enhance the experience of a meaningful life As mentioned above, many individuals curb their experiences of the meaning in life due to low self esteem, no inspiration, no goals and being reserved. However, they can enhance their experience firstly by accepting and believing in themselves. This would help them make a contribution to life and share their best. According to (REF) self-destructive behaviour can be conquered by increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem. This can be done through counselling so that they can start believing in themselves. Individuals who need the sense of belonging to experience the meaning of life should try and fit in and socialize with people they are close to and have good relationships with them all. Furthermore, individuals who are trying to attain a specific goal should always reward themselves every time they are a step closer towards the goal. This would keep them motivated and not lose hope. Personally, I enhance my experience by acknowledging the great artists and how they are an inspiration to other young artists. Conclusion Finally as mentioned there is no specific meaning of life. All individuals need to meet different types of needs such as the need of belonging, experiencing life threatening incidents, need of autonomy and self efficacy to experience the meaning of life. An individual’s perception, values, needs and feelings centre him and help in organizing the world around him. Feelings help in expressing oneself. If an individual has a great skill in expressing himself, he can change the larger world. Great artists found expressions in their art work which helped them change the world that came after them. The creations around us are the different individuals trying to express themselves and their experiences of the meaning of life. All the inhibitors that we posses such as low self esteem and inner struggles should be resolved to make life more creative and enhance the meaning of life.

Freelancing: The Financial Issues

Freelancing: The Financial Issues A freelance musician is a professional musician who is self-employed. This might be as a musician, singer/songwriter, session engineer, producer, artist manager, music publisher, music promoter, event manager, or more than one of these. A study in the USA by the National Endowment for the Arts, found that nearly 45% of professional musicians are self-employed.[1] I intend to set myself up as a freelance music producer as I believe that working on a freelance basis will provide autonomy and flexibility over my working life and the freedom to explore and develop different aspects of work that interest me. I hope to work on a wide range of projects with companies across the industry, and make new contacts on each new project that will help to further my career. This paper reviews some of the financial issues that any self-employed person must deal with in the music industry. Freelancing allows you more control of your financial future. For instance, you will not have to hope for the infrequent pay rises that come as an employee. However, on the downside, freelancing also means that you are directly responsible for your income. If you do not work you do not earn any money and your income can be uncertain and unpredictable and may vary considerably from month to month. Freelancers have no set salary, no paid holiday or sick leave, no paid training, and no automatic enrolment in pension or health insurance schemes. Being self-employed also affects your eligibility for unemployment benefits.[2] Freelancers may have less social interaction with workplace colleagues and can risk becoming isolated. They also need to manage the financial issues that would normally be taken care of by an employer. These issues are not difficult to deal with, but they require time and effort, and meticulous record keeping. Budgeting For many musicians, the line between profit and debt is very fine. You need to prepare a budget to ensure that you spend less than you earn.[3] The first step in budgeting is to calculate the costs of meeting your basic needs, that is items such as rent, food, mobile phone, internet and professional expenses. The website of the Savvy musician provides a useful template for monthly budgeting.[4] It is the optional expenses like eating out, buying new clothes and consumer goods that often cause problems unless they are managed carefully. Credit card expenditure needs to be managed particularly carefully, otherwise the monthly bill can come as a shock. Ideally you should pay off the credit card expenses immediately to avoid late payment fees and interest. If you are thinking of making a major purchase, it is wise to ask yourself how long it will take you to earn that money.[5] Ideally, to cope with the risks and uncertainties of freelancing, you should have savings that will cover at least six months of basic expenses. Freelancers also need to consider their retirement. This might seem like an irrelevant distant eventuality, but the sooner you set up a retirement fund, the better. It is essential to take professional advice on your pension options. Income Income from self-employment is known as trading income.[6] Many freelancers are over-optimistic about their likely income, especially when starting out; it is better to err on the side of caution. There are many ways to earn money as a musician.[7] Few musicians rely on one source of employment; the majority juggle numerous different roles. A survey in 2012, by the Future of Music Coalition (which aims to ensure that artists are paid fairly for their work), found that more than half of the professional musicians surveyed earned their money from three or more roles. Only 18% of respondents made their income from a single role.[8] It is sensible to have a range of income sources to draw upon in case circumstances change in one area of your work. So, when planning your business, think creatively about all the ways you might earn money. Brainstorming the options, can lead to some surprising avenues such as teaching, tutoring, selling jingles and ringtones, or playing non-traditional instruments. The Future of Music Coalition has published a list of over 40 possible sources of revenue for musicians.[9] It is also important to remember that, despite recent funding cuts, some organis ations do still provide grants for musicians for specific projects. Some of the sources recommended by the Musicians Union are listed in Appendix 1. You can of course, work both on a freelance basis and as an employee, and many freelancers start in this way, perhaps employed by an orchestra, or a music studio, and gradually building up the freelance side of their work. However, this can involve a fine balancing act, since it is important that you are available for freelance commissions. If you are approached but are not available, then that contact may not ask for your help again. Obviously a key issue is to decide what hourly rate to charge for your services. When you are starting out as a freelancer, this can be hard to gauge. It is advisable to try to get a sense of what the going market rate is in the field in which you intend to work. You may have a rough idea of your worth, but do ask around to check that you are not under or over estimating what you can charge. You may also need to be flexible with your rates. When you are just starting out you may find that you need to take whatever work comes your way, even if this means that you do not always get to use the full range of your professional skills. You may need to accept more menial roles. For example, as a freelance producer, I accept that I may need to carry out some of the tasks that I might expect a session engineer to perform such as setting up the recording studio microphones, consoles, booths, amps, stands, or sound checking for live events. Or I may do the work usually undertaken by a session engineer such as recording, editing and mixing audio. Many freelancers undersell their skills simply to get work and it can be a fine balancing act to get work at a rate that reflects your skills. This does take both experience and confidence and it is something that you will learn after some time in the industry. Contacts and Networking While you may be working for yourself, your work prospects are highly dependent on your network of contacts and on developing good relationships with others in your field. The better your contacts are, the more likely it is that some will be able to push work in your direction. So, keeping your contacts list up to date, and actively seeking new contacts in the fields that you want to work in, is essential. This may involve attending record launches, socialising where those in your field hang out, even helping for free in studios in the hope that you will make useful contacts. Those who succeed independently are often ruthless in their pursuit of good contacts. You need to plant as many seeds as possible in the widest possible range of fields, with the aim of diversifying your sources of work and revenues so that, if for some reason you fail in one field there are other options to pursue in other fields.[10] Be organised Whether you use an accountant, or look after your own books, you must be organised, particularly regarding expenses claims, and must set aside time every week to ensure your books are up to date. You must keep copies of all your receipts, contracts, invoices and correspondence in case the Tax Office (HMRC) require evidence for your accounts. You are also obliged to retain this information for up to 6 years after submission.[11] Ideally your documents should be filed in chronological order, and separated into different types of document. Receipts It is advisable to pay for as many things as possible by cheque or credit card as this gives you a useful double-check on expenses, and provides a receipt in case you lose the original. It is also recommended to have separate bank accounts for your business and personal affairs. If possible, you should also have a different credit card for work-related expenses, so that these are clearly separate from any personal expenditure. It is a good idea to staple any receipts for items paid by credit card onto your credit card statement. Spreadsheets The easiest way to keep track of your expenditure in a way that will help you or your accountant to submit the annual tax return, is to set up a simple Excel spreadsheet (although dedicated financial management programmes are also available). The columns in the spreadsheet might for example, be labelled as follows: Date (expenditure incurred) Item (description of expenditure) Cash} Cheque} How you paid Direct Spending} Debit card} Credit Card} Phone} Internet} Print/post} Subscriptions} Books/Music} Type of Expenditure Computer} Equipment} Wages} Consultancy} Entertaining} Travel/Subsistence} VAT} Accountants} Tax} You then organise your receipts in chronological order and enter the details into the spreadsheet. Invoices should be numbered sequentially and paper copies filed as they are submitted. A similar Excel spreadsheet can help you keep track of when invoices were sent, the amount of VAT and expenses they include and when they were paid. The columns might for example be labelled: Invoice No Date sent Date received Total amount Expenses VAT Total Net Running Annual Total Accountant As your business grows, you may decide to hire an accountant. If you are earning around  £20,000 a year, with  £2,000 annual expenses, you may find your own accountant pays for itself.[12] People who do their own taxes are often unaware of all the deductions that are legitimate, so the money spent on hiring an accountant can pay off.[13] Either way, do seek advice on what expenses are deductible. Contracts It is obviously essential to ensure that you are paid for your work, and are paid fairly. Rather than leaving this to chance, or trusting to the goodwill of your employer, you must have a robust contract for all the work that you undertake. There are many unscrupulous agents and managers in the industry who will exploit those who fail to handle this appropriately. Always get professional advice before signing contracts, as these can contain complex clauses which could reduce your income substantially. Invoicing You should submit your invoices promptly and professionally; otherwise your income could be delayed by your own inefficiency. If your contractor has cash flow problems, then that is their problem. You must not allow your generosity or inexperience to leave you out of pocket. The Musicians Union lists a number of elements that all invoices should include:[14] Business name, logo, (if you have one), address, phone number, email address; Contact name for queries; VAT number (if you are VAT registered); Company Number (if you are trading as a Limited Company); Date of invoice and invoice number (generally sequential by date issued); Engagers name and address; Description of the services date, times and venue etc.; VAT payable; Expenses; Total due; Payment information bank name and address, account name, account number and sort code, plus IAN number and Swift Code (for international payments); Terms For example: Strictly 30 days net. Late Payment of Debts The Musicians Union also provides guidance on the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Under this Act, you may be able to claim statutory interest at 8%, and may also be eligible for compensation for late payment. The Unions legal services can help their members to pursue debts.[15] Expenses Keeping track of all your business-related expenses is absolutely crucial; many of these will be either tax-deductible or will need to be claimed back from your engager. This can be laborious, but is well-worth doing accurately as it can save a lot in unnecessary costs. HMRC has many detailed rules regarding items that can be claimed as legitimate business expenses, but essentially anything claimed must be used solely for your business. Legitimate expenses can include computers, data storage, music software, instruments, instrument cases, strings, drumsticks, resin, instrument insurance, repairs and spare parts, manuscripts and sheet music, publicity costs (flyers, badges, T-shirts, posters and photos), hire costs for rehearsal rooms, studios and instruments, audio equipment (such as CD or MP3 players), memberships, coaching, commission paid to agents and managers, solicitors fees, theatrical clothing, stationary, printing and photocopying, postage, business-related phone calls, internet costs, travel and expenses, entertainment and any other related expenses. If you use a distinct area of your home as an office, and use it just for business purposes, you can also claim for a proportion of the total running costs of your home the interest on your mortgage, or your rent, property and contents insurance, and utilities.[16] However, if you also use your home office for another purpose such as a guest room, then the amount that you can claim may be restricted. Some bills, such as phone use, must be apportioned into personal and business use before making a claim. You can also claim for any wages that you pay (e.g. for secretarial help or roadies). However, if you regularly use assistants you may need to sign up to a PAYE scheme which will involve deducting tax and National Insurance Contributions.[17] Many musicians travel extensively and all travel costs can be claimed. If your car is used for both business and pleasure, it is essential to use a mileage logbook to record details of the mileage. If you want to claim part of your car expenses against your tax, it will then be relatively straightforward to work out the proportion of business to private mileage.[18] Motoring expenses cover road tax, insurance, petrol, servicing, maintenance, spare parts, subscriptions to motoring organisations, interest on loans for buying a vehicle, vehicle rental, and garage leasing. Instead of recording all your motoring expenses separately, it can be simpler just to claim Authorised Mileage Rates (AMRs). Currently the HMRC allowance for use of your own car or van, is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles. Any mileage over this in one year can only be claimed at 25p a mile. Motorbike rates are 24p per mile, and the rate for travel by bicycle is 20p a mile. To use this scheme, business mileage must be logged separately, but you cannot claim any other motoring expenses apart from parking fees, road tolls and the congestion charge.[19] The AMRs scheme is only applicable if your turnover is below the VAT registration threshold[20],  £83,000 a year (from 1 April 2016).[21] You must stick with one or the other scheme. Airfares and taxi, bus and train fares are all claimable, as are accommodation and subsistence costs (food and drinks). However, it is advisable to be modest in what you claim as any expenses can be scrutinised by HMRC. Collecting Royalties The world of music licensing and royalties is highly complicated, and the literature is full of stories about expensive legal disputes between artists, writers, recording companies, publishers, and internet companies. So, you may need to take legal advice if your income is dependent on collecting royalties. The system is also changing in response to demands from the industry, so you need to keep a careful watch on new legislation, particularly in the digital field. There are several types of royalties: Public Performance royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers by anyone who publicly performs their music on radio and television, live performances, retail outlets or over a service like Spotify or Pandora. Mechanical royalties are paid to songwriters and artists for CD or DVD sales, and when music is streamed on-demand (e.g. Spotify).[22] Print royalties are generated from sheet music for writers or publishers only. These royalties are typically bundled with performance rights royalties. Songwriters and recording artists usually assign their rights to a third party to manage, instead of trying to track a songs use and seeking payment independently. Song copyrights are often assigned to a music publisher, while master recording copyrights are assigned to a record label. Musicians and artists receive royalties in various ways according to their field. Many royalties are paid through membership of a collection society. In the UK, these are: PRS for Music, represents songwriters, composers and music publishers. It licenses the use of members compositions and lyrics and if a members music has been performed or broadcast, it collects and pays out the licence fees. In 2012 it collected music royalties of  £641.8m.[23] MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society), collects licence fees on behalf of writers and publishers when their music is sold. PPL cover royalties from recorded music when it is broadcast or played in public. While PRS for Music charge a  £50 joining fee, there is no charge for PPL at present. Royalties from PRS are paid quarterly while those from PPL are paid on an annual basis. In relation to radio and TV broadcasts and live performances, the royalties are calculated exactly. However, for background music (as in say, shopping precincts), payments are based on survey data. It is advisable to join a collecting society if your music has been recorded, broadcast, performed live or played in public.[24] The licensing and royalties system is highly complicated and contains many middle-men all of whom take their share of the profits from music. It also has several specific problems that artists should be aware of. These include bad contracts for example those that contain clauses that reduce royalties due to breakage fees, which may have been reasonable when most music was distributed on vinyl, but are still included in contracts in the age of CDs. Grant of rights clauses mean that a contract can affect your revenue even beyond the end of a contract period. Similarly, a Controlled Composition Clause limits the amount of mechanical royalties the company is required to pay for records it releases, and holds the artist responsible for the excess. Its main purpose of is to NOT pay artists the statutory rate and to NOT increase royalties as costs of living increases; basically, to thwart copyright law.[25] This shows the importance of taking good legal advice on contracts. Sole Trader or Limited Company Working as a sole trader is the more straighforward way to commence your business, and allows you to focus on getting the business going without having to worry about the extra administration that comes with operating as a limited company. The process of setting up a limited company is more complex, and brings additional financial and administrative responsibilities such as appointing directors, registering with Companies House, completing company accounts and an annual return, and dealing with Corporation Tax. However, a limited company brings several benefits over sole trading. This is the main reason why after trading for a couple of years, and perhaps earning at least  £30,000 per year, many freelancers set up as a limited company.[26] The cost of setting up a company is minimal, and it is possible to handle much of the paperwork yourself to minimise accountants fees. You may not bother with an accountant if you are a sole trader with a small turnover, but most limited companies use accountants. Their charges for preparing the annual accounts for a company are normally a little higher than for sole traders.[27] Tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Most freelancers set up a limited company to reduce the amount of tax that they pay. The profits of a limited company are subject to Small Profits Corporation Tax rate, which is currently 20%, on a turnover of  £300,000 or less per year. Income tax rates are currently: 0% on earnings up to  £11,000, 20% between  £11,001 and  £43,000, 40% between  £43,001 and  £150,000 and 45% over  £150,000.[28] Therefore the direct tax advantages of trading as a limited company only come into play when your earnings are over  £43,000. However, since salaries and not dividends are subject to NICs, many company directors opt to draw a small salary and to take most their income as a dividend. In this way NI contributions are minimised, which is the main reason why the limited company is more tax efficient than the sole trader route. Company directors must complete an annual self-assessment tax return, just like freelancers. The company also pays tax, but separately from its directors. This tax must be paid before any profits are allocated to shareholders, and within 9 months after the end of the period for which the corporation tax returns have been produced.[29] National Insurance (NI) Self-employed individuals pay Class 2 and Class 4 NICs. Class 2 NICs are  £2.80 per week, (except for those with low earnings). Class 4 NICs apply to annual profits, and are payable at 9% on profits between  £8,060 and  £43,000 per year, and 2% on any profits above this threshold.[30] Limited companies and their employees pay Class 1 NICs on salaries above  £155 per week. Thereafter, the company pays NICs at 13.8% of salaries, and employees pay NICs at 12% on salaries up to  £827 per week (2% above this threshold).[31] Limited Liability Under law, limited companies are deemed to be separate entities from their owners. This means that the company bank account, any assets and any tenders or contracts are just the business of the company and are totally separate from the interests of the companys shareholders. If you run a limited company therefore, your personal assets, such as your house, are protected against company debts. Sole traders do not have this protection from financial claims, and may therefore decide to take out professional liability insurance (if appropriate to the risks they face). Funding As a limited company is a distinct entity from its owner, banks can look more favourably on applications for loans than they would for sole traders.[32] Professional Many larger firms, prefer to deal with limited companies rather than sole traders. So, trading as a company can open access to a range of clients that might be reluctant to engage sole traders. Having a limited company can also bestow a more professional image; being able to introduce yourself as a Director, can mean that your clients accord you more respect.[33] Company Name When your company is registered with Companies House, its name is legally protected, and cannot be used by anyone else. Sole traders have no such protection. Shareholders Because a limited company can issue shares, you are able to sell a stake in your company, or transfer the ownership of shares. This can be an advantage if you wish to raise capital or retire. Pension Employees pensions are tax-deductible in limited companies; another tax benefit that sole traders do not enjoy.[34] Taxes A major burden as a freelancer is being responsible for your own taxes. It is your responsibility to declare your income and pay tax on it. As a self-employed musician, instead of paying tax through a PAYE scheme (as an employee would), you must complete a Self-Assessment form every year, to inform HMRC about your income, and calculate how much tax you owe.[35] If you are newly self-employed, you will need to register using use form CWF1. Most HMRC registrations can now be done online on their website.[36] HMRC will then confirm your registration and give you a Unique Taxpayers Reference (UTR). The UTR should be quoted on all correspondence and on all payments made. The tax return should disclose your taxable income for the relevant tax year. Tax Returns should usually be filed with HMRC by 31 October (for returns filed by paper) or 31 January (for electronic submission) following the end of the year of assessment. For example, for the tax year ended 5 April 2016, a paper return must reach the HMRC by 31 October 2016, while the deadline for online filing is 31 January 2017. Fixed penalties are automatically enforced for failure to submit by these dates. [37] A tax year starts on 6 April and ends on the following 5 April. For the first tax year of self-employment, taxes do not have to be paid until 31 January following the end of that year. Subsequent payments will normally be made in two instalments, in January and July each year. Payments can be made by Direct Debit, Bank Giro, online banking etc.[38] You must also keep records on any other sources of income such as: bank interest, dividends, P45s/ P60s from pension providers or employers, any benefits like the State Pension or Job Seekers Allowance, any assets you have sold, and income from any land or property in the UK or overseas. [39] As noted above, the advantage of being self-employed is that you can deduct your business-related expenses. Be sure to keep good records on everything that you spend. Organize this into a spreadsheet and keep the back-up receipts that document your expenses. [40] VAT It is not compulsory to register for VAT until your turnover, exceeds  £83,000 a year (from 1 April 2016).[41] However, you can register voluntarily no matter what your turnover is, and if you do so, you can then claim back the VAT you were charged on telephones, instruments, etc. However, this does mean that you will also have to charge VAT on all your fees (every gig, music lesson, arrangement, etc.) and handle the additional paperwork. You should seek the advice of an accountant on the benefits and pitfalls of VAT registration before deciding. Failing to register for VAT at the appropriate time, can lead to a late registration fine. Although, if your income varies and only exceeds the threshold for a short time, you can notify HMRC and obtain their prior agreement not to have to register for VAT.[42] Once you have registered for VAT, it will become chargeable at 20% on all your invoices. VAT can also be recovered on most business expenditure, subject to various rules. To recover VAT on purchases and expenses, the items must be used directly for your business and you must keep a VAT receipt as evidence, (a credit card slip is not sufficient). Items that could be used for both business and personal purposes, e.g. home telephone calls, must be apportioned and only a proportion of the VAT recovered. [43] National Insurance Contributions(NICs) As noted earlier, freelancers are responsible for their own Class 2 and Class 4 NICs. Even those who are employed, and paying Class 1 contributions must pay Class 2 and Class 4 contributions on their freelance earnings. The rates are dependent on profit levels. You must inform the Social Security office that you are in business by registering as self-employed. If you fail to do this within three months of becoming self-employed you will incur a penalty, the amount of which is based on the contributions missed and the reasons for registering late. The easiest way to pay Class 2 National Insurance Contributions every month is by direct debit to the National Insurance Contributions Office. The Class 2 rate is  £2.80 per week. Self-employed people who earn less than the threshold of  £5,965 can be exempt under the Small Profits Threshold, although they may wish to preserve their state benefit entitlements by continuing to pay the contributions. [44] The rate for Class 4 contributions is currently 9% of self-employed profits between  £8,060 and  £43,000 per annum, with a further 2% payable on all profits above this threshold.[45] Conclusion Most musicians, whether they are working as a singer/songwriter, session engineer, producer, artist manager, music publisher, music promoter, or event manager have little choice but to operate as freelancers today. There are simply not enough opportunities for full time salaried work in the industry to meet the potential demand. Employers have come to rely on the flexibility and low overheads that a pool of self-employed musicians can offer them. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It does mean that work is uncertain and unpredictable, but it brings musicians the freed

An Analysis Of The Culture Of An Organization

An Analysis Of The Culture Of An Organization Southwest Airlines is the pioneer in low-fare air transportation and one of the leading American airlines. In 2010, with a number of 106.2 million passengers carried, it was the USAs largest domestic carrier in terms of boarded passengers (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation and IATA, 2011). Southwest was incorporated in Texas in 1967 and service started four years later, in 1971. Originally, the airline was only serving Texan cities but the company has progressively enlarged its service to other American states and cities. Until 2011, no international destinations were comprised in the airlines routes even though codeshare agreements permitted it to offer international flights operated by other airlines as stated by the Southwest media website, 2011. The acquisition of AirTran Airways by Southwest Airlines will allow it to serve some international destinations in Mexico and the Carribean. In 2010, the staff represented 34,901 persons and the company owned 548 aircrafts (Datamonitor, 2011). A PESTEL analysis of the global airline industry by Xerfi Global (2011) will allow us to understand that the macro environment stays exceptionally challenging. Here is a brief summary of the analysis: Positive effect Negative effect Politics Public support actions Political instabilities, conflicts, terrorism Economy Increasing demand for air transportation Oil and fuel price variations Sensitivity of demand to prices and economic variations Social Expanding world population Economic and social globalisation Seasonal demand Technology Aircraft efficiency enhancements Creation of new aircraft concepts make air travel even more attractive (e-commerce) Chronic delays in aircraft delivery Environment Unfavorable weather conditions Natural disasters, pandemics Environmental law to reduce emissions (carbon offsetting) Legislation International agreements in favour of liberalisation and globalisation Severe security and safety regulation High levels of taxation A market analysis of the global airline industry (Xerfi Global, 2011) reports several facts. First of all, politics have a high impact on the airline industry. It can be seriously influenced when it comes to growing taxes, stringent security norms or legislation defending the environment. All these constraints impact the finances and operations of airlines. However, governments offer regular financial support to assist airlines because of their significance for trade and tourism. Moreover, economic and social globalisation leads to market deregulation and thus enable the good development of the industry. The economic factor has also a high impact on flag-carriers. For example, in 2009 during the global economic crisis, all the industry was affected as stated by Xerfi Global, 2011. Consumers were less likely to travel because of the variations of diverse economic factors like employment as well as income level or more generally global trade. As a result, the air traffic was highly and rapidly contracted. Regardless of these issues, demand for air transportation is increasing due to the growing demand in emerging markets (Aviation Industry, 2009). The constant technical progress of the airline industry by the development of plane with high capacity, asking a reduced maintenance and a reasonable consumption made accessible this type of transportation to several hundreds of million persons. Nowadays, it is cheaper to travel by plane thanks to the technologys fast improvements and to a more active competition. The costs are significantly reduced and thus allow more people to use air transportation. After using a PESTEL analysis, it is now necessary to get a closer look on the internal factors. Here is a SWOT analysis of the Southwest airline retrieved from a report made by Datamonitor (2011): Strengths Weaknesses Firm operating strategy Robust fleet operations Increasing cash flow from operations Class action lawsuits Dependent on single aircraft and engine suppliers Opportunities Threats Poised to benefit from the acquisition of AirTran Holdings Positive outlook for tourism industry in the US Growing US airline industry Intense competition Increasing fuel prices could strain margins Stringent government regulation could increase operating costs Table : SWOT Analysis of SWA Datamonitor 2011 Focus of the report : practice Companies, following the example of the individuals, possess their own culture. Generally, in a company managed by its owner, the culture corresponds appreciably to the personal culture of this one. As reported by Kotter and Heskett (1992), company with a strong corporate culture is due to the founder or the early leader and his capacity to articulate ideas as a vision or business strategy. In big organizations, several cultures mix. Sometimes they can be incompatible because of the diverse personalities who compose the management team. Besides, the experiences and the society can also influence (in a positive or negative way) the corporate culture, sometimes even without the managers knowing. In every type of organization, a deficient culture risks to have a demotivating effect on the staff and to be source of dissatisfaction to the clientele two factors which have a significant incidence on the profitability of the company. Organizational culture is defined as: a pattern of basic assumptions that a group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, and that have worked well enough to be considered valid,and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (Schein, 1990, p. 111). Southwest Airlines is a perfect example in terms of corporate culture. Over the years, the company has imposed a strong and original culture that has always made the airline even stronger. Today, SouthWest Airlines confirms its corporate culture centred on a relation privileged with its employees and its clientele by diversifying the means to communicate with this one through various social networks in which the company answers present and invites its employees to participate. This report will focus on the fact that Southwest airline focuses its attention on its employees. For example, in 2001, Southwest Airlines had already thwarted the effects of the recession by putting in the foreground its employees. The company chooses to draw from its financial reserves and to emphasize the advertising to consolidate its positioning as a low cost airline in order to avoid the lay-off. The creed of SWA is perfectly organized: Treat your employees well, theyll treat your customers well, the cust omers will become loyal, and your company will prosper. (James Parker, former CEO of SWA) CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW THEORY Theorical framework used and reasons it was choosen Schein (1992) emphasizes the importance to realize a cultural analysis in order to succeed an effective management which can transcend the national and ethical frontiers. He asserts that this analysis represents a key factor of success for the leaders, who are the persons in charge for creating, administering, changing and even destroying an organizational culture. Schein (1992) has defined three basic levels of a culture which help to realise such an analysis: The first level establishes the surface of a culture and consists of artefacts, which are defines as visible organizational structure and process (Schein, 1992). Artefacts are explicit either material demonstrations of a culture, such as the physical structure of a company (the architecture, the size of offices, presence or absence of barriers between offices, etc.), the dress code of employees, the visible behaviour of the persons, the rites or ceremonies, published lists on the values and the philosophy of the company, etc. The meanings of these artefacts are only known by people from inside the company, and are thus difficult to understand for an external observer. In the same spirit, Trompenaars declares that stereotypes are formed in this superficial level:  « prejudices mostly start on this symbolic and observable level [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] each opinion we voice regarding explicit culture usually says more about where we come from than about the community we are judging  » (19 98). The second level of a culture is constituted by explicit values espoused values as stated by Argyris and Shon (1978) (as cited in Schein,1992). It includes values and faiths put together by a group of persons. However, these can be simply affirmations because there are uttered values which are not put into practice in all the situations confronted by an individual. For example, the managers of a company can affirm that one of their main values is the environmental protection, while in reality, the company pollutes in secret the environment. In that case, the assertion of a value does not condition the behaviour of the managers. Trompenaars explains that this type of behaviour is a result of a contradiction between the standards and the values: while the norms, consciously or subconsciously give us a feeling of this is how i aspire or desire to behave (Trompenaars, 1997). Nevertheless, Schein has identified a third level of culture, in which the explicit values become internal values, which will determine the behaviour of the group which shares them. This third level is the formation of basic underlying assumptions. The process by which a shared value is transformed in one basic assumption is introduced by the leader / founder of a certain group. For example the leader of a group can propose a solution to a common issue (based on one of its values or even on a faith). Then, the validity of this proposal will be questioned and debated between the members of the group. The proposal will thus be tested several times in order to evaluate it. Finally, if this solution works in a repetitive way, the value which is behind will be approved as correct and by consequent it will be considered as an absolute value and unconsciously it will be assimilated as shared basic assumption , anchored in all the members of the groups minds. These shared basic assumption constitute one of the foundations of the meanings which the group shares in an implicit way and which give a context of interpretation common to the group. The model of Schein goes farther than the model of Hofstede which presents the culture (including the organizational culture) as an onion onion diagram , with the values in the centre, encircled by layers of demonstrations or practices of the culture, defines as the symbols, the heroes or the rites. According to the model of Schein, the symbols, the heroes and the rites are all categorised as artefacts, and the basic assumptions are at the heart of the model, with the explicit values between both levels. Scheins organizational theory will be the most useful framework to study this particular practice within Southwest Airlines. The company is well-known for its strong corporate culture. Since its creation, the company has shown undeniable success even during the economic crisis. Beside this important fact, SouthWest Airline is also good for its employees and they do not hesitate to say it: the company has been ranked second best place to work for in America in 2011 (Glassdoor, 2011). Therefore, it would be interesting to understand how such a successful company managed to go through the years without losing any of its qualities. That is why a deep analysis of the companys corporate culture will be done using the Schein model. CHAPTER 3 ANALYZE OF THE PRACTICE OF SWA Applying the chosen theory This part of the report will be dedicated to an analysis of the employee-focused practice of Southwest Airlines through the Schein model. Schein organizational culture level is obvious in the case of Southwest Airlines. At the first level, culture is visible to those who are inside the organization and outsiders through organizational artifacts. It is the most visible and accessible level of culture. These are employeess behavior, logos of the company or slogans such as Just Plane Smart (Southwest Airlines, 1992). Kelleher states: We were always very colorful and somewhat promotive of a sense of humor. We have always had that approach, in an informal way (Organizational Dynamics, 1992). Each person who travels using a Southwest flight will pay attention to the attitude of the Southwest employees. They characteristically are the friendliest, most willing to help employees of any airline. Southwest chooses its employees based on their social skills and their ability to be sociable and outgoing. Personnel at Southwest must be happy to work and communicate with customers. That is why Southwest gives its employees the freedom to use any talents or skills they may have in order to entertain and serve the customers as long as they make them happy. This is one of the factor that contribute to Southwests excellent customer service. There are many examples that prove the fact that employees can act freely. For instance, flight attendants might sing or tell jokes during the flight. In 2009, David Holmes became the most famous rapping flight attendant and his performance became viral on YouTube (Southwests Rapping Flight Attendant on Freestyle and Flying to Vegas, 2009). This is one of the numerous example that demonstrate that on Southwests flights, flight attendants do not only serve customers by demonstrating seatbelts and serving food and drinks. The middle level of a culture includes values and norms put together by a group of persons. Southwest has two main values: humour and altruism. They are defined by different beliefs of the company such as the importance of focusing on the situation, issue or behaviour rather than focusing on the person. It means that a solution must be found instead of judging others. Also, employees need to be creative and cooperative. It is really important to maintain the self-confidence and self-esteem of others. That is why employees have to respect all the different personalities in order to create one big family. The company also insists on the importance of constructive relationships between employees. The success of the company depends on a good teamwork. Moreover, people in Southwest have the duty to make improvements in order to make things better within the company. A LUV attitude is always required and everyone should behave in consideration of the companys spirit but also in considerati on of others. The Golden Rule is Treat others as you want to be treated (The Power of LUV: An Inside Peek at the Innovative Culture Committee of Southwest Airlines, 2008). Here are the values as stated by Kelleher (as cited by Organizational Dynamics, 1992): VALUE 1: Work should be funit can be playenjoy it. VALUE 2: Work is importantdont spoil it with seriousness. VALUE 3: People are importanteach one makes a difference. A perfect example of Southwests corporate story that helps employees understand how they should behave in a particular situation could be the early years of the company. The first nine years was the toughest part of the companys life. As stated by Lusk on the companys blog, tradition here at Southwest Airlines that anyone hired during our first year of operation is considered an Original Employee. In 2010, eleven of the Original Employees are still working at Southwest. Seven of them were on Southwests first flight as flight attendants; one works as a manager in flight operations, another is a member of Southwests ground crew, one is a dispatcher, and the last one works in maintenance (Lauer, 2010). On special occasions, Southwest invites the Originals to come in to Southwests headquarters and talk about their experiences to current employees. Lauer (2010) indicates that the Originals tell current employees about the struggles of a new airline working hard to develop. They also explain how the company managed to advertise without any money in the beginning. The flights attendants had to be creative because the company had no money to spend on adverti sing. They would go down to the streets of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio wearing their uniform and distribute flight schedules for the airlines four flights to everyone they met. This type of storytelling preserves the history of Southwest, while also connecting the companys early corporate culture to the lives of the actual and future employees. Furthermore, corporate rituals are recurring sequence of activities that express significant values of the company. There is one ritual for what Southwest is famous for: its Halloween party. Every year Southwest Airlines hosts a enormous Halloween bash at its Dallas headquarters (Southwest LUVs Halloween, 2012). Herb Kelleher passed on his love of Halloween and made it become a tradition at Southwest Airlines. Once, the former CEO showed up dressed as Elvis driving a Harley-Davidson (Lauer, 2010). Once Kelleher retired in 2004, his successor Gary Kelly proved his undeniable belief in and support of preserving the unique corporate culture of Southwest by dressing up on Halloween as Captain Jack Sparrow from the film The Pirates of the Caribbean. And he has been celebrating Halloween every year since then. Halloween party shows that having fun in the working environment is an essential value of the company. The third and deepest level is called basic assumption level. At this stage, the transmission of culture is done unconsciously or under the surface. As stated by Hill and Jones (2001), basic assumptions help to formulate organizational values and these become shared assumptions that guide how employees interact with each other. Overtime and through socialization, the values are conveyed to and taught to new members of the organization as the right way to do things. Southwest employs two tools to socialize its values to new employees. They are both parts of the culture committee maintained by the company (Rebuilding the Social Contract at Work: Lessons from Leading Cases, 1999). The first tool used by Southwest is the New City committee. The purpose of this committee is to go to each new city Southwest serves so as to teach new employees about the values of the company. It facilitates the adaptation of the new employees to Southwests culture, so they can learn the Southwests ways of doing things. The second tool is called Back to Basics team. This committee sponsored an essay competition to describe what makes Southwest successful. The team chose a series of essays that were integrated into a book with an accompanying video that is given to every new employee. One important thing is that people of these comm ittees are all volunteers working on their own time. CONCLUSION This report allowed to understand the impact of a strong corporate culture and its relation to company performance. The case of Southwest airlines shows a company with a solid commitment to its employees. The company offers the same respect to its employees as it does to its customers. The mission of Southwest airlines is unique in the fact that it recognizes the importance of its employees in the companys strategy, which puts the emphasis on the great customer service and the operational efficiency. In return, the employees show undeniable respect, loyalty and trust. The exact same qualities that Southwest airlines demonstrates. Employees of the Southwest are known for their loyalty, the dedication, the attitude and the innovation. Employees are the factor of distinction between Southwest airlines and the rest of the airline industry. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hill, C.W.L and Jones, G.R. (2001) Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Boston MA, Houghton Mifflin Kotter, J. Heskett, J. (1992). Corporate Culture and Performance. New York, NY: the Free press. Lauer, C. (2010). Southwest Airlines. Greenwood Schein E. (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership. (2nd ed) .Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (1997) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (Second Edition) London: McGraw-Hill.

The Music Industry and Teen Violence :: Music Media Youth Violence

The Music Industry and Teen Violence Should we blame the industry or shouldn’t we? This compare and contrast essay, the two sides of these two article is that one states the music industry is at fault for the way today’s teens are acting written by a writer from the Arizona Daily Star, by the name of Jim Patten and the other article states that the music industry isn’t at fault for the way today’s youth is acting and this article was written by a 17yr. old student named Daniel Marcha. Both of these articles have a good argument, Patten’s is good because he’s a pro at getting his point across in his writing, plus his support is also good, he’s not just saying that the media is at fault completely but that they should take some blame for what is going on in society with our teens. The Marcha argument is coming straight from the mind of a teenager which is letting us know how some teens are thinking about the subject of society putting blame on what they watch and listen t o for their actions. Daniel Marcha, â€Å"Teens enjoy these media offerings because they provide an outlet to relieve stress that occurs during daily life.† He’s saying that instead of us taking the media, as an example of we (teens) should act we are using the media, as way for us to get escape our aggression. So teenagers in today’s society are taking in the bad media and putting it to good use. Is it right for the government to look at the actions of some kids who decided to shoot up their school or a kid kills himself while listening to his favorite song and say that the music and tv we watch needs to be censored? No we all are responsible for our own actions. Now on the other hand we have Jim Patten a man in the media is saying that the media isn’t completely at fault but that it should take some responsibility for the actions of teens. Patten fires saying that there is too much violence being put out on the media and that isn’t necessarily making our teens act the way they do but it is affecting them. All Patten is saying is that we should really clean it up and accept some of the responsibility.

The Pro Life Fetal Rights Movement :: Government Laws Fetus Papers

The Pro Life Fetal Rights Movement Problems with format Pro-life rhetoric is reshaping history to make room for a new class of citizens. The members of this new identity group are called "fetuses," and their legal protection is crucial to the heritage of and future of America. Lauren Berlant, in her essay, "America, 'Fat,' the Fetus"; describes the pro-life motivation to present fetuses as a class of citizens, and thereby add "a new group of "persons" to "the people"" (Berlant, 98). To do so, pro-lifers exploit the current convergence of public and private spheres. In the intimate public sphere, citizens are defined not by a common civic duty, but instead, by a shared morality. In this crisis of citizenship, with no one quite sure of where s/he stands in relation to the norm, and everyone forced into an identity politics, the fetus represents the ideal citizen - utterly vulnerable and in need of government protection. Pro-life arguments describing fetuses as the ultimately silenced, victimized minority capitalize on the shifting meanings of citizenship to find a place for the fetus within it. By mixing the language of minority politics (asserting distinct identities of classes of people who are victimized by society) and Reaganite ideology (affirming the politicization of the private sphere overseen by the government (Berlant, 3), the pro-lifers constructed the fetus as an image of perfect vulnerability: "the unprotected person, the citizen without a country or a future, the fetus unjustly imprisoned in its mother's hostile gulag" (Berlant, 97). The fetus's vulnerability and minority status speaks to the plight of the newly distinguished class of normative citizens (usually white, straight, middle-class men). "The culture of national fetality also newly touches the previously privileged  ¨C because unmarked  ¨C unexceptional citizen ¡Ã‚ ­ His new exposure to mass-mediated identity politics makes him experience himself as suddenly embodied and therefore vulnerable. An entire culture can come to identify with, and as, a fetus" (Berlant, 86). Feeling suddenly embodied and vulnerable, only recently exposed to identity politics, the formerly unmarked, nondescript citizens can now, too, relate to the minority-identity that the fetus has come to represent. At the same that the fetus is achieving minority status, the pro-life ideology is also placing its fate into the tale of our nation, making protection of the fetus crucial to the country's future. "Since we "are" what we have always "done," we violate our true selves if we act in ways that are different" (Condit, 44).

Enhance Intrinsic Tendon Healing Health And Social Care Essay

To measure the functional result after flexor sinew fix with application of simple postoperative protocols that advice early controlled motion taking to heighten intrinsic sinew healing, minimising adhesion formation, and therefore bettering the functional result. METHODS. These survey was between June 2005 and May 2008, as a prospective survey that included 225 instances with flexor sinew hurts. All the injured sinews were repaired utilizing the Modified Kessler ‘s technique, so splinting of the carpus and metacarpophalangeal articulations was done in 20 and 40 degree flexure severally, and dynamic splinting of fingers was done. Early motion was induced get downing from the first postoperative twenty-four hours with hurting control. Evaluation of the result was assessed by the manus clasp strength and by mensurating the sum of active flexure of proximal and distal interphalangeal articulations. RESULTS. 11 patients did n't go to for follow up and were excluded from the concluding analysis. 205 patients out of 214 ( 95.8 % ) achieved an first-class to good functional class in the concluding result, while 9 patients ( 4.2 % ) achieved a just to hapless result. Merely 3 patients experient tendon rupture ( 1.4 % ) . Average follow up period was 5.2 months. CONCLUSION. The usage of proper technique for fix of flexor sinews of the manus, followed by early controlled motions as a method of pick that on scientific background should heighten intrinsic sinew healing is ; executable, safe, and has a good functional result.Cardinal words: flexor tendon – hurtIntroductionThere are many different protocols and research attacks to tendon direction. With so many picks, today ‘s manus healer must understand non merely what those picks are, but besides why and when to utilize them. The most of import difference between the assorted attacks to mend postoperative digital flexor sinew, is rehabilitation and how the repaired sinew is treated during the first three to six hebdomads, in the earliest phases of mending. The specializer who does non understand how current techniques evolved is ill-equipped to plan the appropriate intervention for a given patient ( 1 ) . Tendon fix began to be accepted on 1752, when Albercht Von Haller, a Swiss research worker concluded that sinewy construction was insensitive to trouble. In 1959, Verdan described the zones of flexor tendon fixs of the manus. In 1967. Potenza studied tendon mending based on extrinsic fibroblastic invasion and proliferation with adhesion formation. Lundborg explored intrinsic sinew mending based on synovial fluid nutrition. Strickland, Manske, Gelberman, and others studied the delicate balance between mending and tendon gesture, with respect to growing factors, fibronectin, the ration of extrinsic to intrinsic sinew healing, tendon sutura techniques, strength of fix, and the consequence of early active postoperative gesture on result ( 2 ) . The contentions in tendon fix may be as follows ; in the initial phases of sinew healing, the formation of functionally weak tissue can non defy the tensile forces that allow early active scope of gesture, and so, there is a hazard of rupture of the fix. In the same clip, immobilisation of the figure may advance healing, but necessarily consequences in the formation of adhesions between the sinew and tendon sheath, which leads to clash and decreased glide. Besides, lading during the healing stage is still critical to avoid these adhesions, but once more, it involves an increased hazard of rupture of the repaired sinew. It is clear that understanding the biological science and organisation of the native sinew and the procedure of morphogenesis of tendon tissue is necessary to better current intervention modes ( 3 ) . In our work, we managed flexor sinew hurts ; by one of the most popular sinew fix methods ( modified Kessler technique ) , so leting for early passive and controlled early active motion of the figures taking for heightening the intrinsic sinew healing and minimising adhesions formation, therefore giving the best opportunity for an first-class functional recovery for the repaired sinews.Flexor Tendon AnatomyThe flexor sinews of the carpus, flexor wrist radialis ( FCR ) and flexor wrist ulnaris ( FCU ) are strong and thick sinews, while the flexor pollicis longus ( FPL ) has a distal musculus belly. The flexor sinews of the fingers are arranged into three beds ; flexor digitorum supericialis ( FDS ) sinews of the center and ring fingers are most superficial ; superficialis sinews of the index and small fingers are in the center, while the deepest bed is composed of the FPL and the four sinews of the flexor digitorum profundi ( FDP ) . There is frequently a tendon faux pas from the FDP of the index to the FPL, which may necessitate deletion to forestall post-surgical complications ( 4, 5 ) .Clinical Tendon Zones of VerdanThese zones are used to depict flexor tendon hurts of the manus and carpus ; Zone I: extends from the finger tip to the midportion of the in-between phalanx ( the Green Zone ) . Zone II: extends from the midportion of the in-between phalanx to the distal palmar fold ( No-Man ‘s Land or the Red Zone ) . Zone III: extends from the distal fold to the distal part of the transverse carpal ligament. Zone IV: overlies the transverse carpal ligament ( carpal tunnel ) . Zone V: extend from the carpus fold to the degree of the musculotendinous junction of the flexor sinews. Zones III, IV, and V constitute the Yellow Zone ( 6 ) .Pulleys ‘ systemPulleies are inspissating along flexor sheaths lined with synovial membrane. They improve biomechanics of flexor sinews by forestalling bowstringing of sinews during flexure. Fingers have 5 annulate blocks and 3 cruciate blocks. Annular blocks are A1 at metacarpophalangeal articulation ( MPJ ) , A2 over the proximal phalanx, A3 at the proximal interphalangeal articulation ( PIPJ ) , A4 over in-between phalanx, and A5 at the distal interphalangeal articulation ( DIPJ ) . A2 and A4 are the most of import to forestall bowstringing. Cruciate blocks are between the annulate blocks, they are thinner and less biomechanically of import than annulate blocks. The pollex has 2 annulate blocks ; A1 at MPJ, A2 at interphalangeal articulation, and one oblique block, which is an extension of adductor pollicis fond regar d that lies between A1 and A2 and it is the most of import pollex block to forestall bowstringing ( 7 ) .Nutrition of Flexor sinewsTendons have two beginnings of nutrition, an internal beginning provided by vascular perfusion, and external beginning provided by synovial fluid ( 6 ) . Tendons without synovial sheath receive blood supply from longitudinal anastomotic capillary system, that receive segmental blood supply from ; Vessels in the perimysium and vass at the bony interpolations. The beginning of foods for the flexor sinews with synovial sheath is either ; vascular perfusion and synovial fluid diffusion. The segmental blood supply of the sinews is from vass from muscular subdivisions in the forearm, vass in the environing connective tissue via the mesotenon conduit â€Å" vincula † , vass from the bone, at the interpolation, and vass from periosteum near interpolation ( 8 ) . In the last decennaries, many surveies of synovial perfusion of the flexor sinews within the synovial sheath have been done ( 9 ) . Studies demonstrates that synovial fluid perfusion was more effectual than vascular perfusion, so when the sinew was isolated from its vascular connexions, diffusion could supply the entire nutrition demands to all sections. Synovial diffusion besides contributes in sinew healing as the longitudinal sinew vasculature may be easy occluded by suturas, therefore sheath fix or Reconstruction is indicated.Tendon MendingThree stages of sinew healing are present ; Inflammatory stage ( first hebdomad ) , Proliferative stage ( 2nd-4rth hebdomad ) , and Remodeling stage ( 2nd-6th month ) . Tendons exhibits two types of healing, with different ratios. Extrinsic healing: Fibroblasts migrate from the sheath into the injured site, and besides from adhesion. This type healing is enhanced by postoperative immobilisation ( 7 ) . This explains why immobilisation protocols to reconstruct tendon congruousness consequence in cicatrix formation at the fix site, instead than a additive hempen array, and peripheral adhesions that limit tendon motions ( 10 ) . Intrinsic healing: Tendon cells can migrate across closely approximated terminals and heal with foods from synovial fluid. Peripheral adhesions do non take part in intrinsic sinew mending. Although some writers believed that adhesions formation is indispensable in sinew healing, several surveies demonstrated the intrinsic ability of flexor sinews to mend via foods supplied by diffusion from the synovial fluid ( 11 ) .Patients AND METHODSThis prospective survey was performed in the Emergency Unit, Kasr Al-Aini Hospital ( Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University ) in the period between 6/2005 and 5/2008. Table ( 1 ) shows the human ecology of the included patients. The figure of instances included was 225 instances enduring from flexor sinew hurts in zones I, II, III, IV, and V, but 11 instances were excl uded from the concluding analysis as they were non present during the follow up period ( table 2 ) . Included instances were instances with flexor sinew hurts showing within less than 24 hours from the hurt. Exclusion standards were ; kids below 12 old ages for expected bad conformity, late presentation, infected, contused and crushed lesions, and shocked poly-trauma patients.Table ( 1 ) Demographic distribution of patientsNumber of patients214Sexual activity ( Male & A ; Female severally )153 ( 75 % ) & A ; 61 ( 25 % )Age in old agesBetween 12 and 63 old agesManual Workers122 ( 60 % )Table ( 2 ) Distribution harmonizing to zone hurtsZone I injury33 ( 15 % )Zone II hurt48 ( 22 % )Zone III hurt36 ( 17 % )Zone IV hurt38 ( 18 % )Zone V hurt59 ( 28 % )Entire214 First assistance was done for every instances, including guaranting of equal general position of the patients ( airway, take a breathing, circulation ) , followed by IV analgesia, IV antibiotics ( individual dosage of 3rd coevals cephalosporine ) , booster dosage of antitetanic anatoxin was administrated. Clinical appraisal of the manus hurt ( vascularity, diagnosing of injured sinews and associated injures ) . The lesion was washed by unfertile saline, bovidone I, IV explored under either general anesthesia or IV Bier ‘s block, and a pneumatic compression bandage was indispensable portion in all instances ( with monitoring of the tourniquet clip ) . Minimal handling of the sinews was deliberately done. Tendons were repaired by nucleus suturas by modified Kessler ‘s technique utilizing 4-0 polypropene suturas and peripheral suturas. The carpus was splinted in 20 grade of flexure, and metacarpophalangeal articulation at 40 grade of flexure. Dynamic splint was applied to th e fingers utilizing rubber bands. Early passive and active motions were done with the control of hurting. Motions started from the first postoperative twenty-four hours, hourly, for 10 repeats of active extension and flexure of fingers while the manus is in the splinted place, and passively the DIPJ is so to the full flexed. Curative ultrasound was applied for 19 instances to heighten intrinsic healing. Follow up was done twice hebdomadally for one month, and so weekly for two months, so every month. Follow up ranged between 6 months and 18 months.ConsequenceFrom the 225 patients, 11 patients did n't go to the follow up period and were excluded from the concluding analysis. All the included patients continue with the follow up for at least 3 months, while merely 193 completed a period of follow up of 6 months. So, the concluding analysis was based on consequences recorded after 3 months of follow up. Average follow up period was 5.2 months. Evaluation of the result was based upon manus map, and this is the of import issue in tendon fix, and besides it is impossible to measure the sum of intrinsic healing to the sum of intrinsic healing in a life homo. So, the consequences of the fix were assessed by clinical rating of sinews ‘ map. This was done by measuring the manus clasp strength and by proving for the sum of active flexure of the distal interphalangeal articulations and proximal interphalangeal articulations, so deducting the sum of active extension shortage at these articulations during active extension. The consequences were graded as Angstrom: excellent ( & gt ; 132 grade entire gesture ) , B: good ( 88- 131 grade ) , C: just ( 44- 87 grade ) , and D: hapless ( & lt ; 44 grade ) . In patients with multiple flexor sinew hurts, the norm of the concluding functional result of all sinews was done. Concluding manus clasp strength norm was 80 % in comparing to the un-injured manus, with 15 % shortage, that is after taking in history the 10 % regulation. In measuring the concluding result, 205 out of 214 ( 94.1 % ) achieved an first-class to good functional class ( A or B ) , while 9 patients ( 4.2 % ) achieved a just to hapless result ( C or D ) . Functional result of grade C or D was related more to district II hurt ( 4 instances, stand foring 8.3 % of zone II hurts ) . The other 5 instances of grade C or D functional result were as follows ; two instances of zone I, two instances in zone V and a individual instance in zone IV. That ‘s average 6 % of hurts in zone I, 3.4 % of hurts in zone V, and 2.6 % of hurts in zone IV. All instances of zone III hurt had either rate A or B functional result. Minor complications related to the tegument lesion and that did non impact the concluding result occurred in 12 patients ( 5.6 % ) , that ‘s including mild wound infection that was self-controlled, haematoma that may hold required aspiration, hypertrophic cicatrix in which Si spot was applied, and an disciple cicatrix occurred in individual patient. Entire failure of the fix occurred merely in 3 patients, whom experienced tendon rupture ( 1.4 % ) and necessitate re-suturing ( two instances in zone II and one instance in zone I, and concluding result of such instances was added to the old consequences ) .Table ( 3 ) Final result harmonizing to the injured zone.Injured zoneEntire figureExcellent- Good resultFair- hapless resultZone I( Green ) 33 ( 14 % ) 31 ( 93.9 % ) 2 ( 6.1 % )Zone II( Red ) 48 ( 23 % ) 44 ( 92.7 % ) 4 ( 8.3 % )Zone III( Yellow ) 36 ( 17 % ) 36 ( 100 % )––Zone IV( Yellow ) 38 ( 18 % ) 37 ( 97.4 % ) 1 ( 2.6 % )Zone V( Yellow ) 59 ( 28 % ) 57 ( 96.6 % ) 2 ( 3.4 % )Entire214 ( 100 % ) 205 ( 95.8 % ) 9 ( 4.2 % )DiscussionTreatment of sinew hurts is an of import portion of manus surgery pattern worldwide. Adhesion formation, rupture of the fixs, stiffness of finger articulations, remain the chief jobs of primary sinew fixs. Tendon hurts happen in all parts of the manus and forearm, but the sinew hurts in the digital flexor sheath country ( zones 1 and 2 ) are the most hard to handle and stay a focal point of both clinical attending and basic probes ( 12 ) . There is now ample grounds to confirm several of import facts. As an illustration, intrasynovial sinews receive their nutrition via both intrinsic vascular supply and perfusion of synovial fluid. This means that the sinews do non necessitate to organize adhesions to environing sinews to have nutrition adequate for mending ( 1 ) . In our survey, we designed a program for mending injured flexor sinews that was wholly based on the background known from the physiology of sinew healing. We included instances in which we could execute primary sinews fix, as there is no uncertainty that primary sinews repair gives better functional recovery than secondary tendon fix or transplant ( 13 ) . In respect the timing of fix, Swiontkowski, 2001 ( 6 ) stated that acute sinew hurts require pressing attention, ideally within 24 hours of hurt. Zidel, 2007 ( 4 ) considered that primary fix can be done within 24 hours and considered delayed primary fix with the 1st twenty-four hours up to the fourteenth twenty-four hours. In our survey, we included instances that were showing to the exigency unit within less than 24 hours. Assortment of methods may be used for tendon fix, but the modified Kessler fix is still widely used for the nucleus sinew sutura ( 14 ) . Besides, modified Kessler fix is a good illustration of high-strength, low-friction fixs that minimizes clash between the sinew and flexor sheath while keeping sufficient strength to the fix ( 15 ) . We used the modified Kessler fix in all of our instances as the criterion nucleus sutura in add-on to peripheral suturas. Managing sinews was atruamatic to minimise mobilisation as possible during readying, and suturas were preferentially placed nearer to the palmar surface to least interfere with intratendinous circulation that enter dorsally. Appropriate direction of tendon sheath and block is concern of manus sawboness in covering with tendon hurts in digital sheath country. Suturing the sheath is controversial. Avoiding compaction of the repaired sinew by the tightly closed sheath is considered of primary importance in handling the injured sheath ( 16 ) . Closing of the synovial sheath is still controversial. Some writers mention that it is indicated, based on the fact that since intrinsic sinew vasculature is easy occluded by suturas and so, synovial nutrition may be required for mending ( 8 ) . In other ‘s sentiment, it is no longer considered indispensable ( 17 ) . Based on the fact of that the synovial nutrition has a function in tendon healing and that it may be plenty for mending even without the demand of intrinsic sinew vasculature, the sheath was sutured in all instances, taking for heightening intrinsic sinew healing and therefore minimising adhesions ( 18 ) . Our direction protocol for the block was as prescribe by Tang, et Al, 1996 ( 19 ) , which is the saving of a sufficient figure of blocks is critical to tendon gesture. Loss of an single annular block ( including a portion of A2 block or the full A4 block ) when other blocks are integral does non ensue in loss of map. Therefore, loss of a individual block ( A1, A3, or A4 ) or a portion of the A2 block does non necessitate fix. In instance of sinew fixs within narrow A2 or A4 blocks, some sawboness advocate venting a portion of the A2 or full A4 block to let go of the compaction of the repaired sinews ( 20 ) . Postoperative sinew gesture exercising is popularly employed after primary sinew fix, but exact protocols for rehabilitation vary greatly among states or even among manus surgery centres in the same state. Protocols for inactive flexure ( active extension of the fingers with gum elastic set grip ) are still in usage in some manus units. However, over the last 5-10 old ages, there has been a tendency towards combined active-passive finger flexure without gum elastic set grip, because gum elastic set grip bounds full extension of the finger ; while extension loss is a frequent complication ( 21 ) . In Duran and Houser, 1975 protocol, a dorsal splint or dramatis personae holds the carpus in 20 grades of flexure and the finger in a relaxed unspecified place of protective flexure by agencies of a gum elastic set attached to a sutura through the fingernail, to maintain the sinew on slack. Two times a twenty-four hours, the patient performs six to eight repeats of two exercisings. Both exer cises push flexor sinews proximally and so draw them distally: inactive flexure and extension of the DIP articulation while the PIP and MP are held in flexure, and inactive flexure and extension of the PIP while the DIP and MP are held in flexure. Through intraoperative observations, it was observed that these exercisings imparted 3 to 5 millimeters of inactive semivowel to the sinew, and they considered this to be sufficient to forestall formation of restrictive adhesions. Strickland and Glogovac, 1980 introduced the modified Duran attack which is in usage by many healers today: a dorsal splint holds the carpus and MP articulations flexed, and the interphalangeal ( IP ) articulations are strapped in extension between exercising Sessionss. The original Duran exercisings are supplemented by composite inactive flexure and active extension every bit far as allowed by the splint. Both logic and clinical surveies tell us that including composite inactive flexure will bring forth greater inactive flexor sinew motion. Some of the best consequences with an early inactive mobilisation protocol are in patients who unwittingly or consciously flex their fingers actively. This makes great sense logically. Passive flexure efforts to force the sinew proximally, but the sinew is designed to draw, non to force. Edema is a normal portion of mending after fix, even if the sinew is cut flawlessly, with minimum hurt to next tissues, and is repaired efficiently and good. Any fix is bulkier than an uninjured sinew. Any associated hurt will bring forth extra hydrops. All of these factors produce opposition to tendon motion. Some have noted †buckling † of the sinew instead than gliding with inactive motion. Obviously, carefully controlled active flexure should bring forth greater sinew motion than does inactive flexure. These active mobilisation protocols are possible merely because of the development of surgical techniques. It is good established that the strength of the nucleus sutura is related to the figure of strands traversing the fix ) and that a strong peripheral sutura both improves gliding and additions suture strength ( 22 ) . In our survey, farther direction was based on the fact of that early mobilisation will heighten the intrinsic healing of the sinew, minimizes adhesions, stiffness, and therefore minimizes the restrictions of motion. And in the same clip, immobilisation helps extrinsic sinew healing and adhesion formation. So, we splinted the carpus in 20 grade of flexure and MPJ at 40 grade ( 23 ) , we planned for dynamic splinting of involved figures with early passive and active but controlled gestures to avoid possible jobs related to early motion such as rupture of the repaired sinew. Controlled active motion ( CAM ) after flexor sinew fix was advised by several writers since the last decennaries till now ( 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 ) . We found that the CAM protocol that was described by Elliott, 2002 ( 23 ) easy to be described to and to be applied even by the patient him/her ego. The protocol starts the CAM from the first postoperative twenty-four hours, every hr for 10 repeats active extension and f lexure of fingers while the manus is in the splinted place, and passively the DIPJ is so to the full flexed. In our application, we waited till postoperative hurting subsided during which the patient may be hospitalized as describe besides by Elliot, et Al, 1994 ( 29 ) . The usage of Postoperative curative ultrasound from the fifth twenty-four hours, was done for a limited figure of instances, taking of cut downing hurting during finger motion, cut downing hydrops, and heighten ripening of the collagen fibres and intrinsic sinew healing. That was based on the survey done by Gabriel and Dicky, 2007 ( 30 ) who used curative ultrasound on sinew Achilles. In decision, immediate active mobilisation following fixs of complete subdivisions of the flexor sinews is, at present, a challenge in manus surgery which faces two major faltering blocks.. On one manus, sawbones has to obtain a sufficiently solid fix to allow active finger flexure and, on the other manus, to find a sector of mobilisation which would let maximum jaunt of the fix site without extra hazard of early rupture ( 18 ) . The tensile strength and glide maps are greater in the postoperatively mobilized sinews, whereas adhesion formation is greater in immobilized sinews ( 11 ) . We found our protocol is a safe, simple, scientifically accepted protocol and gives an first-class functional consequences for a repaired sinew with no or at least minimum morbidity.