The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization is a documentary and TV series about the rises and falls of Athens. Liam Neeson narrates throughout the documentary of the civilization of ancient Greece. The filmmaker Anthony Geffen covered both the fourth and fifth centuries B. C. Actors were also used to portray historical events and people during this period. The documentary starts with the history of Athens beginning with the rule of Peisistratos whom transformed the city. He needed allies, in that way his son could have the throne.Peisistratos encouraged farming and provided loans and soon Athens was exporting olive oil to nations around the Mediterranian to Egypt, Persia, and Phoenicia. The booming trade made Athens wealthy and prosperous. Athens became the big apple of Greece. At this time potters were the lower of the lows in Athens. After the death of Peisistratos, his son Hippias took over. He ruled fairly at first, but after his brother’s death, he turned to be a tyrant. Self d efense was his only motive and since his only threat was from aristocrats, he turned against them.The aristocrats under the leadership of Cleisthenes captured Hippias and banished him from Athens. The people of Athens then took destiny into their own hands. Isagoras and his partners locked themselves in the Acropolis, but they were forced to surrender and he was forced into exile. Cleisthenes was recalled from exile and asked to form a Government. He came up with the idea of people, both rich and poor, discussing the issues facing them and casting votes to make a decision.On issues like rising of taxes, building of roads and going to war, votes were cast, with a white stone for yes and a black one for no. The super power in the world at that time was Persia. Athens was attacked by the Persians in the battle of Marathon. Athens asked for Sparta’s help, but did not receive it. Though outnumbered, Athens won the battle. A man who participated in the war was Themistocles. He was risen to power through democracy. He was one of history’s greatest leaders and he knew that to hold out against another Persian invasion, they would need a strong navy. The Triremes were warships.They became useful in another war against the Persia when Athens defeated them in the Straits of Salamis. Themistocles was then ostracized, and then died in Persia. The other people highlighted in the documentary were Pericles who built the Parthenon. A major decision was taken by Pericles to attack Sparta resulting in the Peloponnesian War. This war lasted 27 years and finally Athens surrendered to Sparta. Aspasia was his lover. She was made fun of in the theaters and in some tragedies. Pericles died from the plague, which was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history.Socrates was a man who used reason and logic and cared about individuals. He was a man who loved debates. He was later blamed for Athens defeat by Sparta. He was pleaded guilty with the death penalty. The reason why he dies was because he questioned the world around him and was easiest person to blame. Though the film is called The Greeks, however it is essentially a story of Athens and its people. The movie contains re-enactments of various scenes which consist of people dressed in ancient costumes moving in front of an out of focus camera.It gives the viewers a basic knowledge of their society at the time. However, the music in the background was too loud and very distracting making it difficult to hear the movie. One information that struck to my attention that they forgot to mention is that there were four major battles in this war; Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea. Only Marathon and Salamis are noted in the documentary. This film covers the basic information about the history of Athens and is directed towards people who are beginners in this subject.However, for the people who are experts might find some inaccuracies and embellishments in this documentary. In conclusio n, Athens had been through many battles and changes throughout their history, from the battle of Marathon to the creation of democracy. It shows viewers who are new to this subject a good understanding of their leaders and famous philosophers. The documentary does a great job explaining and depicting the social, economic, political and cultural aspects of that period.

Outline for arts speech †story of Hamlet Essay

IB TOK R3 1. Story of Hamlet A. Hamlet son of late king Claudius, mother remarried less than 2 months after her husband’s death. B. Ghost of late king visits Hamlet and tells him that the new king murdered him. C. Hamlet lashes out at everyone around him, including his love Ophelia. D. Hamlet plots to kill king E. Hamlet stages a play called â€Å"The Mousetrap,† in which a king is murdered by his brother, who then takes up with his wife, Claudius freaked out and Hamlet Claudius is guilty. F. Hamlet visited his mother and derides her for taking up such man. G. Polonius, Ophelia’s father, hid himself in Gertrude’s, Hamlet’s mother, room behind a curtain. When he calls out for help, Hamlet kills him thinking that it is the king. See more: outline format for essay H. Because of the murder, Hamlet is sent to England and when he returns to Elsinore, he sees a funeral-taking place, he finds that Ophelia has drowned. Her brother Laertes, blaming Hamlet for the death his father and sister, challenges Hamlet to a duel. I. At the duel, Laertes poisons his blade to make sure Hamlet will die. At the same time, Claudius inserts a poison pearl into a wine cup in hope that Hamlet will drink it. J. Every important character dies: Gertrude gets to the cup first, and dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poison blade, Hamlet mortally wounds Laertes. Hamlet then finds out that Claudius put poison in the cup and he goes after the king and kills him. Then Hamlet lies down and dies. K. This play is often referred to as â€Å"the one in which everybody dies.† 2. Differences between the two A. Mel Gibson version directed by Franco Zeffirelli 1. Starts differently 2. Only 135 min. cut out huge sections. 3. High number of extra- King actually seems to have power 4. Color -can relate 5. Play-in-play with spoken words- much more importance- used by hamlet as proof. 6. Seemed to be made to retell an old story 7. Switched around to make it more entertaining 8. Said by a critic to be written for the masses a. short b. cut out dialogue- easier for common people to understand c. fun to watch B. Olivier as hamlet directed by himself 1. Starts as the play does 2. Less extras- King seems to rule no one 3. 155 min -missing huge sections 4. Play-in-play in mime less importance done to jab at the king and queen for what they have done 5. New interpretation of an old story 6. Black and White cannot relate to lack of color as well 7. Friends of Hamlet left out a. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern not in b. Allows Hamlet to be less insane 8. Better sword play- build more suspense as to who will win 9. Cinematography changes feeling Darker a. castle is dark and so is the sky, see more of the dark sky b. Humor is cut out 3. Differences in Hamlet A. Soliloquies in Olivier to self allows him to get closer to subjects, inner turmoil, in Zeffirelli it is out loud, insanity 1. Kill Claudius when praying 2. To be or not to be B. In Zeffirelli- acts much more insane- wild eyed, over the top. C. In Olivier- much more reserved, caustic when speaking. 4. Other differences in characters A. Queen Gertrude 1. In Olivier a. actress is 29 years old Olivier is 41- looks strange b. drinks the poison knowing that she will die- to save Hamlet, a noble death 2. In Zeffirelli a. Devastating and tragic death- didn’t knew that the cup was poisoned, more of an impact on viewers. B. Ophelia 1. In Zeffirelli a. Completely mad, gives out bones and sticks and calls them flowers 2. Olivier a. Semi-mad, more out of it than insane C. Dead King 1. Zeffirelli a. King looks like he is alive and is just back visiting not freighting 2. Olivier a. Never see the face of the king, comes surrounded in fog b. Scary c. See the murder acted out 5. Conclusion A. Way the director influenced my perception of the story 1. Same story, many of the same lines, same characters, but different feelings emitted from both. a. Zeffirelli humorous, have fun watching it makes the ending more tragic more of a dramatic change b. Olivier is dark always fell that something terrible is going to happen end not as devastating c. Polonius: Words, words, words B. Olivier version constitutes what I believe to be a masterpiece when following Clark’s definition from unit four of our book. 1. follows all of the guidelines a. The original play by Shakespeare that it is based off of fills the first 5 requirements as well as the last. b. Olivier’s version creates the feeling of complete supremacy of the artist’s art. Whereas Zeffirelli’s is entertaining but not a masterpiece. c. Olivier’s version won 5 Oscars, Zeffirelli’s, none. Show preview only

Architectural Design Considerations of a Light Warehouse Essay

Warehousing – warehousing is the receiving, storage, and delivery of goods. Receiving – receiving is the acceptance of goods with a degree of accountability therefor. Storage – storage is the safekeeping of goods in a warehouse or other depository. Delivery – delivery is the transfer of goods to the transportation carrier or customer. Distribution – distribution is a function of warehousing which includes the preparation and delivery of goods according to plan or special order. Supply chain efficiencies depend upon the efficiency of logistics including transportation and warehousing operations. Warehouse efficiencies depend upon a combination of warehouse design, layout, infrastructure, systems, process and people. Warehouse Design element aims to maximize the utility of space, equipment and efficiency of operations. We will briefly cover the various elements of a warehouse design and understand their importance. In basic functional aspects, a warehouse function consists of – Material receipts including unloading, unpacking and inspection, put away and Storage of materials in various categories of storage locations, systems updating, pull materials for dispatch and delivery of materials after processing. Warehouse Location, Layout and Building The location of a warehouse should ideally be situated in a flat ground. The location should be easily approachable and in a area suited for this nature of business. Locations closer to markets or to national highways would be ideal. Public transportation and communication infrastructure should also be available. The layout of the building should be designed to accommodate fleet parking, and enable containers to drive in and drive out easily. Any time two containers should be able to pass through on the path without any interruption. There should be enough free space for vehicles to maneuver. The layout should also provide for other utility, safety and security operations. Building is normally constructed using galvanized metallic sheets mounted on C Section girdles. The flooring should be RCC concrete with weight bearing capacity as per requirement of the load to be calculated in each case. The ground should be flat, even and smooth surface to facilitate MHE movements and dust free. The roof height would be a major consideration to be able to install multi vertical storage racking installation. The walls and roof should be designed with suitable lighting panels and ventilators for air exchange fitted with bird cages. The number of loading and unloading docs and placement of these docs play an important role in the design of operations and efficiency of operation. All weather docks and the facility should enable 24 hours operations. Dock Levels. The docks should be equipped with dock levelers and all these have to be installed during construction phase itself. Ramps have to be provided to facilitate movement of forklift etc. Lighting design will depend upon the layout and the racking design. Internal Layout Internal layout design will be built taking into account the operational process, nature of goods, volumes of transactions both inbound and outbound, storage types, in house operations involving put away and pull sequences and process requirements including packing, kitting etc and the availability of floor space coupled with building layout design of inbound and outbound docks. The design aims to maximize space utilization, minimize MHE movement and Manpower movement. Types of Storage Types of storage are determined by the nature of cargo. Depending upon the cargo whether finished goods, raw material parts etc, the types of storage can vary from bulk stock, block stock, racking, pallet racking, shelf racking, binning, unit pick or loose pick face, carton pick etc. The storage types vary with nature of materials with different types of storage designs for drums, pallets, tires, cartons, tube and rods etc. Racking Designs & Material Handling Equipment Racking Design takes into account the storage type, storage unit, volume and weight coupled with the available floor space and roof height to design system which maximizes the storage capacity. Put away and picking process and transactional volumes are also taken into consideration. The inventory profile study would include detailing of number of SKUs in each category of fast moving, slow moving or other criteria as per the nature of business and the storage type would be designed as per the inventory profile and the process. Racking designs are very many and varies with the type of industries and nature of inventory. Normal racking designs include pallet racking on multiple levels. You can have shelving, binning or combination of bulk stock and forward pick face racking designs. Block stack racking and other types of high density racking can be found in FG warehouses. Mezzanine store binning and shelving rack designs are normally designed for spare parts and small parts. Highly automated racking designs can have automatic retrieval systems and conveyors in the warehouse. Material Handling Equipments are specified based on rack design coupled with pallet design, nature of cargo, weight and the warehouse layout etc. Forklifts, reach trucks, hand pallet jacks, trolleys are normal Material handling equipments in normal warehousing operations. Warehouse Layout Design – Sizing the Space Requirements Warehouse layout & sizing is a critical aspect of planning a new facility or re-designing an existing building. Many times organisations start from a fixed view of what size the facility will be, and most times the square footage is based on affordability. The problem with this, is that the building may end up be to big, and therefore more expensive or to small and put operational constraints into the facility before the design even gets off the ground. Warehouse Layout and Sizing: The correct way to size the facility is from the inside, that way the actual size required will fit the operational requirements, and will ensure that all available space is used and you are not paying for unused space. Estimating Space Requirements: Short and long term, based upon forecasts, historical usage patterns, and projected changes. Developing new layouts to maximize usage of space. Short- and long-range sizing of individual areas: racks, shelving, automated systems, docks, staging, offices, and support. The final sizing needs to come from the operational requirements of the building, this can only come from modelling the design. Key Factors to Consider during Warehouse Sizing Order Picking: Methods for Piece Pick, Case Pick, and Pallet Pick Operations. Deciding on the amount of space you will need is not just about how much product you wish to store. The type of picking you intend carrying out is a fundamental part of the decision process. The methods for order picking vary greatly and the level of difficulty in choosing the best method for your operation will depend on the type of operation you have. The characteristics of the product being handled, total number of transactions, total number of orders, picks per order, quantity per pick, picks per SKU, total number of SKUs, value-added processing such as private labelling, and whether you are handling piece pick, case pick, or full-pallet loads are all factors that will affect the decision on how much space will be required. Therefore when you have:- Full pallet picking you will need more racking space than open floor space. Lots of case picking you will need more ground floor pick faces, than you will need for full pallet picking and you may also need a case to pallet consolidation floor area. Lots of small quantity piece picking you will need packing & pallet consolidation areas on the floor. Holding requirements include defining the physical size of the inventory on hand. Unless the on-hand total is fairly stable across the year, it is usually preferable to plan for a high but not peak inventory level. To fully utilize the space, it is important to determine how product needs to be stored (e. g. , floor stacked, pallet rack, shelving, case flow) and how much of each fixture type will be required. Cube data (length ? width ? height) for each product is a very useful kind of information for many aspects of capacity planning. Workflow requirements encompass everything from how product arrives to how it leaves the facility and everything in between. The objectives of this aspect of planning are to minimize product handling, to reduce travel as much as possible, and to minimize the resource requirements (labor, packaging, transportation) to move the product to the customer. Among the factors to consider are the following: (1) Link the way product arrives with where it is to be stored (location capacity). If possible, store all of a product in one location and pick from that location as well. This does not work if stock rotation matters (expiration dates, serial number, or lot control issues). 2) Locate the highest-volume products (greatest number of orders, not physical size) closest to the outbound shipping area to minimize the travel required to pick and ship orders for them. (3) Because vertical travel is always slower, locate as many products as possible on or close to the floor. (4) Allow for staging space to handle product that is in transit, such as items waiting to be put away. Warehousing was supposed to disappear with L ean Manufacturing. This has rarely occurred but the nature of warehousing often does change from storage-dominance to transaction dominance. Warehousing buffers inbound shipments from suppliers and outbound orders to customers. Customers usually order in patterns that are not compatible with the capabilities of the warehouse suppliers. The amount of storage depends on the disparity between incoming and outbound shipment patterns. In addition, the trend to overseas sourcing has increased the need for warehousing and its importance in the supply chain. | Design StrategiesOne key to effective design is the relative dominance of picking or storage activity. These two warehouse functions have opposing requirements. Techniques that maximize space utilization tend to complicate picking and render it inefficient while large storage areas increase distance and also reduce picking efficiency. Ideal picking requires small stocks in dedicated, close locations. This works against storage efficiency. Automation of picking, storage, handling and information can compensate for these opposing requirements to a degree. However, automation is expensive to install and operate. The figure below shows how different transaction volumes, storage requirements and technologies lead to different design concepts.

The Indian Child Welfare Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Indian Child Welfare Act - Research Paper Example This comprised of only 0.3 of the entire population, with most of them surviving on reservations and exercised a minimal level of self-government. In the course of the 19th century, the natives had been alienated much of their possession, specifically land by compelled removal westwards, using subsequent treaties that were always ignored by the white authorities as well as the armed forces defeat by America as it extended its power over the American West. The biggest mainstream of land or the reservations was communally held. This means the residents could not get precise title to the land in which their home was located, one reason for the plenty of mobile homes on these reservations. Consequently, this made it difficult for Natives to set up credit and borrow loans to enhance their homes since they couldn’t use the land as security and investing in something that has no value does not make any sense (Tsoi 220). Markets had not been permitted to operate in reserve lands. Indi ans had been legislated out of American economy. If one lacked individual rights, he could not build, he couldn’t be bonded, and neither could he pass on wealth. Many small businesses never flourished because people were unable to leverage assets to raise funds. Further, at present, the issues facing Native Americans go well past citizens not having the correct incentives for upgrading their surroundings. Even casinos have not considerably benefited the many set reservations that have established them. Inventors and companies always become reluctant to carryon business operations the reservations. Indians have for a long time possessed a number of reservation resources and land over which Whites have cast jealousness. Most of this property was continually lost, and consequently, the Native Americans’ history is always presented as a morality story. White Americans acted as bad guys deceiving Indians out of their resources and land. On the other hand, Native Americans a cted as the good guys trying to hold on to their conventional way of life much more in unity with the environment and nature than the widespread capitalism of the Whites, but with no power to defend their desires and wishes (Cornell & Kalt 93). In relation to the socio-economic levels in the Native American Reservation is the Indian Child Welfare Act. Under this act, formal U.S Indian policies led to the cultural or physical assimilation or extermination of native people. Viewed as the most obviously offensive was the wholesale private and public Indian elimination of Indian children out of their respective homes, looking down upon Indian families, and intimidating the Indian culture and tribal survival. Worst of all, the Congressional hearing dated in the 1970s highlighted the national crimes such as: placing Indian children for adoption or foster care thrice more than the rate placed for children of the non-Indian nature; and removal of about 40% of all Indian children from their habitats and taken to adoptive institutions or homes. In addition, individual states reported incidents of higher levels of Indian child removal. The acts were validated by the supposition that Indians lacked moral standard and they were supposed to be civilized. Ethnic communities learned that children who

Strategic Management Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Management Assignment - Essay Example What this study found was that firms in the restaurant industry varied in their responses to such outside pressure depending on their levels of susceptibility or vulnerabilities based on multi-theoretic models. The findings provide important lesson for strategic management on how to respond to such external pressures for organizational change. Special interest groups (SIG) are not entirely new but they are becoming more activist in their demands to get what they want. Companies cannot avoid their influence as they are forced to respond in order to preserve legitimacy, goodwill and public image. The first theory is institutional perspective in which business firms are pressed to conform to certain norms depending on their degree of visibility. The next, resource-dependence theory, organizations can be particularly vulnerable to pressure if they are dependent on vital external inputs and are therefore more likely to make certain accommodations or concessions to outside demands as they are afraid of disruptions in resource or input inflows. The third resource-based theory looks at the firms internal capabilities in how it can predictably respond to such outside pressures. Those firms with dynamic capabilities are better able to resist such pressure as they can efficiently and quickly alter their ways of competing through innovative skills. The flexibility allows them more rapid responses. The last theory is organizational cognition in which firms are considered interpretive systems based on their top managers sense of urgency and

Nurse Client Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nurse Client Relationship - Essay Example Psychodynamic perspective theories explains that one’s behavior is determined by what they think of most of the time and thus not until they get on the issue, they are likely to be stagnated at the same point in time. Lastly, antisocial disorder theory explains that some people inherit the traits of failure to conform to society norms, being manipulative and deceitful aggressive or irritability. Thus, this is an inherited disorder that may lead to maladaptive behavior. Sigmoid Freud’s theory explains the reason as to why W.S is so much involved in her substance abuse. Probably the memory of her grandmother and significant other is still fresh in her conscious mind, hence making it hard for to go one with life (Townsend, 2014). The client is using marijuana to reduce anxiety. Due to the loss of her significant others, most of the time she is subjected to anxiety and that grieving and bereavement, hence leaving her with delusional thoughts and hallucinations. Thus, by using marijuana, she is psyched up leaving less anxious than before. Secondly, it is definite that W.S I am dealing with self-esteem issues, love and affection. It is like she is lonely after losing her grandmother and a significant other. Thus, by receiving more affection and love, she is likely to recover from the loss she had. At the same time, she needs canceling on her self-esteem to enable her move on. The patient is admitted for psychotic disorder where she has presented for the last two weeks a very bizarre behavior which is as a result of excessive smoking of marijuana. Social history of the patient is that she is very addicted to smoking marijuana but neither does she drink alcohol nor smoke cigarettes. She is not yet married and does not work anywhere at this point in time. She endorses learning with disability and she is a high school graduate with a special ED. The patient has had a history of smoking bhang on his daily life which she could do several times in the day. This

Terrorism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Terrorism - Term Paper Example Its history has been long and significant. This paper shall now seek to study and trace the history of terrorism in America. First, a general overview of the significant events in American terrorism shall be discussed. Secondly, a more specific discussion of relevant terrorism attacks in America shall be carried out. Lastly, this paper shall be summarized and concluded with specific points of discussion for future studies. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear picture of terrorism in America. It is being conducted as a means of understanding the patterns of attacks as well as the impact of these events in the life of the American people. Body Overview Terrorism in the United States is said to be caused by the various issues and conflicts which exist within and outside its borders. The country is a unique country because of its ability to contain the masses in a state of relative peace and harmony (Kelly, 2012). On further evaluation, terrorism in America is bo rne out of an extreme distrust of the American democratic ideals and of the illusion that people from varied backgrounds can all live loyally under the US political system (Kelly, 2012). In effect, despite significant variations in the expressions of terrorism, terrorism in the US can sometimes be explained as a violent claim on American values. The distrust is based on various expressions from different groups and in different time periods. The earliest manifestation of terrorism was seen in the early republic time period. The Boston Tea Party is an incident which is not considered terrorism in the technical sense (Kelly, 2012). The incident was a staged rebellion launched by colonists as a means of pressuring Britain into shifting its policies on the US (Kelly, 2012). Although this incident is not significantly violent, it can be placed in the category of terrorism as it was an act which sought to secure the goals and styles of national liberation groups. After the Civil War, terr orism came in the form of white supremacy movements and activities. The first form of terrorism seen in the United States was based on the ideals and activities of white supremacists (Kelly, 2012). These supremacists were Protestant Christians who believed that they were superior to other races and ethnicities and that general society must also exhibit such superiority. Before the Civil War, American society displayed such supremacy, especially as slavery was a legal practice (Kelly, 2012). Only after the Civil War ended was slavery made illegal, and white supremacy was soon to emerge. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was the most infamous white supremacist group formed. This group used various means of terrorism and harmful activities against African-Americans and other sympathetic whites (Kelly, 2012). This group was later outlawed by Congress and the group branded as terrorists. Various incarnations of the group have become apparent over the years and various similar violent and terrorist acts have been perpetuated by these incarnations. The Ku Klux Klan still exists, but in a less violent fashion, however it has since grown in membership and continues to support its white supremacist ideals, not just against African-Americans, but against other minorities as well, including Asians, Arabs, and Jews. The Bolshevik revolution which later led to the establishment of the Soviet Union had a significant impact on revolutionaries all over the world, including America (Kelly, 2012). The

History of horror gener and two media crtiques (film analysis) about Essay

History of horror gener and two media crtiques (film analysis) about Dracula 1931 and Frankenstein 1931 - Essay Example Since, the stories that are not relating to realty or generated to exaggerate a scene about a situation, many sorts of genre were introduced to the film industry. Such forms of stories are categorized as fiction. In all the cultures around the world there is a concept of the devil, demon, and negative darkness. In the earlier centuries, civilizations had a strong concept of non-physical spirits, which were meant to horrify people. The legends about monsters and heroes that defeated them and saved lives of many have been heard for over several millenniums. Even in the Chinese dynasty, it is found to be believed on ancestors worship since 1500 years B.C. Probably every culture having a set of stories and tales that  make a  person wondering and having  chills gave rise to horror movie’s genre in films (Spadoni, 2009). In the horror category, first the Gothic tradition took part with a novel, The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole (1764). That novel gave popularity to the word ‘Horror, leaving its readers stilted as it had a supernatural shock. Then came other writers who gave us the short stories and novels in this category. One of them was the first great and classic novel ‘Frankenstein’ in 1818, written by Mary Shelley. Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe were also the famous gothic writers of the 18th century. It was through the gothic literature that the horror genre inspired the filmmakers as a unique category. This genre also gave rise to the Halloween monsters, which is a fast approaching concept. The term ‘Horror’ is a projection of fear, it is a part of  the  imagination, whether we appreciate it or not. The modernized horror genre had been introduced for about 200 years ago. This genre was popular in books and theater. The first horror film was made in 1930, ‘Spook Tale’ from 1895, by Lumpier brothers. In the 19th

Strategic use of Design-Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic use of Design-Thinking - Essay Example Design thinking is quickly emerging as the best method for strategizing on developing the future of a business or an organization and is gradually replacing the scientific method or analytical thinking or as a strategic method (Jones, 2008). Strategic design thinking as a method is emerging as one of the most influential techniques in the management and design of several programs that are geared towards improving the management operations. It is one of the most powerful tools for transforming the current operations of an organizations and creating strategies for future improvements in designs, programs, projects and business operations (Jones, 2008). Design thinking is solution focused or solution based and aims at producing practical and creative resolutions to emerging problems and improving future results of the organization’s operations (Kelly, 2006). Strategic design thinking starts with the goals or the objectives as opposed to starting with the problems. By focusing on both the present and the future aspects of the problem, all parameters of the issues at hand are explores simultaneously. Strategic design thin king mostly occurs in artificial or in the built environments such as in the artefact industry. The concept of design thinking is however also very important in management of large corporations that seek to maintain their market share and create new designs if their products as a way of maintain and attracting more customers as the companies move in to the future. One company that has benefited a great deal over the years from strategic design thinking is Apple Inc. Apple Inc is one of the leading multinationa ls in the technology industry, known for its computer brands such as Macintosh Computers or simply the Mac and mobile phone brands including the iPhone among a host of other technological brands (Fisher, 2008). Apple is the second largest technology firm in the world by revenue and is the world’s third largest manufacturer of mobile phones (Fisher, 2008). This places the company among the biggest firms in the world of technology amid immense competition from other established multinationals in the industry. In 2012, Apple was ranked by Fortune magazine as the most valuable brand in the world today (Fisher, 2008). The company’s position in the market requires a lot of innovation as it moves forward in to the future. The company has to keep producing the best designs for mobile phones and computers as well as coming up with other creative solutions that will keep the company alive in to the futur

Beowulf the Archetypical Hero Essay Example for Free

Beowulf the Archetypical Hero Essay An archetype as defined by Carl Jung is a universal and innate pattern of behaviors that fit a person or character and define their characteristics and actions. The hero is a popular figure in many stories and is a well-defined archetype. For example the classic or mythical hero like King Arthur, is one who has a mysterious birth of royal lineage, is spirited away as a child, guided on a journey to discover his past, prove his courage, win the princess and become king. Later this archetype loses favor, kingdom and his life but his accomplishments form the foundations for the future. Another is the tragic hero who struggles against a fate predetermined by the gods and ultimately dies frustrated and unfulfilled. Beowulf represents yet another hero archetype, the Germanic hero. The Germanic hero archetype is defined by his great strength and intelligence and similar to the mythic hero, is a great warrior willing to face overwhelming odds and to fight to the death for the honor and safety of his people. Unlike the Mythic hero the struggles are less motivated by individualism and rather driven by a great sense of honor never to be destroyed by selfish activities. Finally the archetypical Germanic hero must also exercise humility and restraint. Like all other hero’s this archetype also dies and with death comes destruction. The story of Beowulf’s life demonstrates the building of his character into the archetypical Germanic hero. The story begins with Beowulf on an epic quest where he will define himself as a powerful and courageous warrior and also one of great honor. When Beowulf arrives at Heorot he meets Hrothgar the ruler of the kingdom and immediately states that he has come to defeat Grendel who has been terrorizing the land for twelve years. Consistent with the archetype of the Germanic hero we are introduced to the knowledge of Beowulf’s great strength. As Hrothgar proclaims Beowulfs merits, he states that he has heard of his awesome strength and declares â€Å"a thane with the strength of thirty in the grip of each hand. † (380-381) The reader is then given the knowledge that the quest is not simply designed to prove Beowulfs great strength and courage but rather to define him as an honorable man not motivated by the selfish desire, but rather a greater desire to act honorably. This is demonstrated by Hrothgar recounting his memory of him as a young boy with his father. The story then departs and tells of how Beowulfs father had killed Heatholaf a member of the Wulfing tribe. Hrothgar had ended what could have been a bloody feud by giving treasure to the Wulfings with the result that Beowulfs father swore allegiance to Hrothgar. Through this lens we understand the Beowulf is not simply here to slay a monster but that there is even deeper meaning to this quest, he his here for the honor of his family, to repay a debt and to honor the allegiance sworn to Hrothgar by his father. Beowulf’s arrival in Heorot also demonstrates Beowulf’s intelligence and self-confidence when his courage and honor are questioned by Unferth who accuses him of losing a swimming race with Breca. Beowulf defends himself by recanting his own side of the story boasting that he was drug down into the sea by a sea monster which he killed and then killed eight others. Even though this is a boast, Beowulf is able to convey the idea that the competition between he and Breca is not one based on personal vanity but rather a respectful match between friends. Beowulf ultimately puts Unferth in his place and defends his honor by telling him that he (Unferth) was a killer of his brothers, and could not have battled the sea monsters because he could not even defeat a single monster such as Grendel. â€Å"You killed your own kith and kin, so for all your cleverness and quick tongue, you will suffer damnation in the depths of hell. The fact is, Unferth, if you were truly as keen or courageous as you claim to be Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity, attacks on your king, havoc in Heorot and horrors everywhere. † (587-594) This shifting of the focus from being accused of defeat to the public reclaiming of his heroic status while stopping Unferth without further argument defines Beowulfs intelligence and secures his status and heroic reputation with the Danes. The ensuing battle between Beowulf and Grendel further defines this heroic archetype by defining Beowulfs prowess as a warrior and his immense strength. As the battle commences the reader is shown a mighty and powerful monster that not even Beowulfs men could defeat. Beowulf meets the enemy on equal terms, unclad with armor and with no weapon but brute force. Beowulf quickly dismembers Grendel and the monster runs from the Mead Hall to its death. This demonstration of Beowulfs super human strength, agility and warrior powers defines this hero as a godlike figure that is immensely powerful. In the morning when the Danes return and begin to celebrate, Beowulf shows the humility and restraint that is characteristic of this archetype by stating that â€Å"Nevertheless,/ if you could have seen the monster himself/ where he lay beaten, I would have been better pleased. He does not boast of his accomplishments nor does he exercise selfish desire for treasure or power. Even though this battle has defined Beowulf as a mighty and godlike warrior he never attempts to act in anyway to usurp the authority, leadership or power of Hrothgar even though he was not strong enough to defeat Grendel and could easily have tried to take the throne. Although Beowulf has defeated the adversary that he came to kill, Grendels mother is still terrorizing the kingdom, in seek of revenge for her sons death. After Grendels mother returns to the hall and retrieves his arm and claw, Beowulf is offered more treasure and fame to kill Grendels mother. Beowulf could leave and return to Getland having satisfied the debt owed to his father but instead demonstrates devotion to Hrothgar and agrees to battle Grendels mother. The unfaltering courage of the hero is demonstrated by his facing of evil in the â€Å"dismal wood† (1414) and ultimately his plunge into the bottomless lake to battle Grendels mother. After an epic battle Beowulf returns to Heorot with Grendels head. To complete the picture of the hero and end the story of the early life of Beowulf, Hrothgar praises Beowulf after his victory but cautions him on the evils of pride by using the example of a king named Heremod who was not generous and allowed arrogance to destroy him. Taking this to heart Beowulf symbolically casts off arrogance the following day by returning the hilt of a sword given him by Unferth who had initially challenged Beowulf upon his arrival to Heorot. The middle part of Beowulfs life deepens the sense of Beowulf as the Germanic hero. He remains loyal while keeping his ambition in check and continuing to be virtuous in all of his activities. Hygelac is shortly after killed in battle and Beowulf is given the opportunity to take the throne from Heardred as he was viewed as weak â€Å"Both owned land by birth in that country, ancestral grounds; but the greater right and sway were inherited by the higher born. †(2197-2199). But Beowulf declines opting instead to faithfully follow and support Heardred. At some point Heardred is killed and Beowulf assumes the throne legitimately and with honor. He then rules for fifty years during which Beowulf bore himself with valor; he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honour and took no advantage(2177-2179). â€Å"He ruled it well for fifty winters, grew old and wise as warden of the land† (2108-2110). Beowulf has taken to heart the earlier words of Hrothgar and not allowed pride to destroy him thus he has assumed nearly all living aspects of the Germanic hero archetype. The last phase of Beowulfs life completes the final aspects of the Germanic hero. Near the end of Beowulf’s life a dragon is awakened and is terrorizing his kingdom. After the deaths of many of his men he is confronted with a decision as to whether or not he should send a brigade of men to try to stop the dragon or face it himself. Although old and growing weak, in an act of selfless courage to save his kingdom and prove his honor once again, he decides to face the dragon. With the help of his loyal thane Wiglaf, the dragon is defeated but Beowulf is mortally wounded and approaching the end of his life. The final characteristic of the Germanic hero, death and destruction, is symbolized by the destruction to Beowulf’s land wrought by the dragon and the encroaching armies of surrounding nations. Without the hero all that has been gained is lost and destroyed by old enemies that will bring further destruction and loss to what the hero had created, â€Å"Now war is looming/ over our nation, soon it will be known/ to Franks and Frisians, far and wide, / that the king is gone. † (2911-2914). As Beowulf dies what he has created is destroyed and the picture of the Germanic hero is complete. According to Carl Jung the archetype resides in the unconscious mind as a pattern or image. The existence of such a form can only be made visible by finding the pattern in images, art religions or myths. The tale of Beowulf clearly illustrates the archetypal pattern of the Germanic hero. As the story develops the reader sees Beowulf fully develop the characteristics of the Germanic hero. Beowulf begins his life obscurely but matures to be the strongest and bravest of all great warriors, never willing to back down from a battle and always motivated by honor and the need to protect his people. He becomes a great and fair king who is respected by all and treats everyone fairly and with kindness. Ultimately Beowulf faces the final assault on his people and although he triumphs his life is forfeit. With his death comes the end of the hero’s journey and fulfills the Germanic hero archetype.

Stress: Causes, Definitions and Impacts

Stress: Causes, Definitions and Impacts Rosalina Das Definition â€Å"Stress is the trash of modern life-we all generate it but if you dont dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.†Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Danzae Pace â€Å"a reaction of a particular individual to a stimulus event†. (Skinner, 1985) â€Å"stress may be viewed as the body’s response to any real or imagined event perceived as requiring some adaptive response and/or producing strain† (Elliot, 1988) â€Å"stress can be considered as any factor, acting internally or externally that makes it difficult to adapt and that induces increased effort on the part of the person to maintain a state of equilibrium both internally and with the external environment†. (Humphrey, 1992) â€Å"stress is caused by a multitude of demands (stressors), such as an inadequate fit between what we need and what we are capable of, and what our environment offers and what it demands of us†. (Levi, 1996) a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering his or her well being. (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) As can be inferred from the definitions above, there are three main ways to define stress. Firstly, we can define stress as a factor of stimuli a person is subjected to. The greater the pressure, the more will be the stress perceived. This takes into account the cumulative nature of stress. Secondly, stress can be defined as the response to aversive stimuli. This train of thought was publicised by Selye who also called the physiological changes that the body undergoes as a response to stimuli as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Stress is a usual human reaction to pressure when confronted with challenging situations. This pressure is not only about what is happening in our surrounding, but also about the demands that we place on ourselves. Stress is essentially a reply to a stimulus that interrupts our physical or mental equilibrium. A stressful event can trigger the â€Å"fight-or-flight† response which results in a sudden flow of hormones namely adrenaline and cortisol through the body. Stress is the â€Å"wear and tear† our bodies go through as we adjust to our continually changing environment. It has both physical and emotional results on us and can craft positive or negative feelings. Stress is not a medical condition, but severe stress that continues for a longer period of time may lead to a diagnosis of depression or anxiety, or other severe mental health problems. Causes of Stress Stress triggering events are different for different individuals. According to surveys, stress related to work contributes the highest percentage. In the united states, 40% workers admit to have stress caused due to their work and 25% blame work as the biggest cause of stress in their lives. In general, change in an existing situation of a human being causes stress. This is caused due to lack of control over the existing situation. The changes might be good or bad changes, but they might cause stress to a person. The few common causes of stress are: Job interview Examination New relationship/ Breaking up of old relationship Marriage Serious illness in oneself or a friend or family member Moving to a new place Death of friends or family/ Birth of a child Unemployment Insufficient resources to manage the family Caring for a disabled friend or family and many similar situations. This stress is causes as one has to re-adjust their life in accordance with the new phenomenon. The below diagram depicts the three major reasons of stress in college going students. Stress isn’t always caused by outside factors, sometimes it comes from inside. People can stress themselves by worrying about things. The internal factors causing stress are: Fear and uncertainty about events that are outside someone’s control. Worrying about such events can only cause stress, but not any improvement of the situation. Attitudes and perceptions of the world. A person’s point of view of events and situations can make a huge difference. The same situation may be perceived differently by different people and thus generate different level of stress. Unrealistic expectations. When expectations don’t match reality, it causes stress. The below graph shows the causes of stress in American citizens according to a survey. Types of stress All animals, including human beings have a natural stress response and it is very helpful. But severe stress can cause both physical and mental harm. There are various kinds of stress depending on its causes and effect. A little amount of stress, called â€Å"acute stress† is the most common form of stress. It could be tolerable, in fact it might be constructive in the sense that it keeps a person active and alert. It is usually for a short term of time. Also stress in long-term termed as â€Å"chronic stress,† can have major effect on both physical and mental health of a person. It often develops when a person loses hope of getting out of a bad situation and they stop giving effort to get out of it. â€Å"Episodic Stress† is the kind of stress that originates from a continuous exposure to mismanagement and crisis in life. This is usually found in type ‘A’ personalities as the are always in a hurry, but always late. Episodic stress is caused by constant worrying, pessimism, anxiousness and depression. â€Å"Traumatic stress† is the kind of stress caused by events threating one’s life. For example being in a major accident, involved in war, physically or mentally assaulted or having faced a natural disaster can causepost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). Symptoms of stress The signs of stress can show in various forms. Listed below are various signs of stress. Physical Signs of Stress Increased heartbeat Sweating/ freezing hands Headache Shallow or erratic breath Causing nausea, stomach upset Fatigue Disturbance in sleep Weight gain/loss Increased/decreased appetite, increased alcohol consumption Cognitive Signs of Stress Forgetfulness Being unmindful, Difficulty in concentrating Difficulty in understanding Negative self-assessment and negative self perception Emotional Signs of Stress Getting angry, irritated easily Anxiety, feelings of panic Fear Crying Increased conflicts in personal life Getting frustrated easily Impact of stress Stress is a major concern of the modern world. The below statistics depicts how it has impacted the human race. 43% percent of adults suffer from stress related health problems Stress related ailments contribute to 75%-90% of all doctor visits. Stress is declared as a hazard of the workplace by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared. More than $300 billion is spent annually to cope up with stress in the American industry. Untreated, chronic stress reactions can cause a lifetime prevalence of emotional disorder in more than 50% of people. In long term, stress can cause serious impact on our body. Skin.Stress causes various skin problems likeacneandpsoriasis. Muscles.Stress can cause neck,shoulder and lowback pain. It also worsensrheumatoid arthritis. Stomach.Stress causes and aggravates stomach problems like irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ans peptic ulcerdisease. Heart.Stress causes coronary artery disease,heart attack, heart failure,high blood pressure, arrhythmia or erratic heartbeat,blood clotting and atherosclerosis or hardening of thearteries. Lungs.Patients having asthmaand chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are severely affected by stress. Reproductive system.Stress is found to have a impact in causing lowfertility, sexual problems in men, complexion duringpregnancy and painful menstrual periods etc. Immune system.Constant stress adversely affects the human immune system. This impacts even more for persons having chronic illness like AIDS. Stress can worsen the situation of such patients. Panic Attack. Apanic attackis a sudden, intense fear or anxiety that may make a person feel short of breath, dizzy or makes the heart pound very fast. Stress can cause panic attacks. Stress Management Stress managementrefers to the verity of medical andpsychotherapiestechniques which helps in controlling a patient’s stress levels. The treatment may be there for chronic stress or episodic Stress or traumatic stress. Managing stress is all about taking charge. If one controls one’s thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way one deals with problems, then they can overpower stress. Step #1: Identifying the source of stress The first step to manage stress is to identify the sources of stress in one’s life. The sources are not always evident and most of the times it is hard to find the real source. This might because we are well acquainted with our way of life and it’s hard to point out what is wrong with it. It is important to find the root cause of stress because that is the key to treat it. Step #2: Change the situation We should try to avoid the situation that is causing stress. If the situation is unavoidable, then we must try to alter it. Figuring out the key points to bring about a change in the current situation helps in dealing with stress. This might involve changing few things like communication, relationship or any other way of life. But this change has to be ensured so that it can lead to a less stressful situation. Step #3: Adapt to the change It is hard to adapt to any change. But we must ensure that changing the life style doesn’t result in more stress. Also it is advisable to cope up with the changes made as soon as possible. We can adopt to stressful conditions and also regain our sense of control by modifying our attitude and perception. Step #4: Avoid further unnecessary stress Stress can’t be always avoided. But we should make a conscious effort to keep it at bay. Isolating situations which causes unnecessary stress can help. Situations which might cause this kind of unnecessary stress could be eliminated in advance. We should just make sure that the peace of mind should be preserved at all cost. Step #5: Time Management Stress can be avoided by proper usage of time. Dividing up your work into small segments of doable chunks and dedicating proper amount of time to all activities in a day can reduce the stress in work environment. One should dedicate some buffer time for unexpected activities so that in case of any emergency, the time table is not shattered. Step# 6 Meditation and breathing exercises When stress takes over, the sympathetic ANS pumps adrenaline and other hormones into the body to prepare it for action. Usually, the parasympathetic ANS eventually takes over and calms the body down. You can help the parasympathetic ANS take over by practicing meditation and breathing exercises. Combine meditation and breathing into one exercise by doing the following: Sit down comfortably and close your eyes. Begin taking slow, measured breaths. Take note of where in your body the breaths originate. After a while, let your body breathe entirely on its own while still focusing on the breath. Notice which parts of the body your breathing moves: From your hands and feet to the top of your head. If you begin to think about anything other than breathing, set your concentration back on those breaths and how they affect your body Simple things can lead to relieve stress. For example talking to a trusted person (friends or family), calling up someone and have a friendly chat, talking to experts via phone helpline or internet, exercising, taking deep breaths, eating a healthy diet, taking a vacation, time management etc. Conclusion As can be inferred from the definitions above, there are three main ways to define stress. Firstly, we can define stress as a factor of stimuli a person is subjected to. The greater the pressure, the more will be the stress perceived. This takes into account the cumulative nature of stress. Secondly, stress can be defined as the response to aversive stimuli. This train of thought was publicised by Selye who also called the physiological changes that the body undergoes as a response to stimuli as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Stress is a usual human reaction to pressure when confronted with challenging situations. This pressure is not only about what is happening in our surrounding, but also about the demands that we place on ourselves. Job traits and Hackman Oldham model Motivation and job satisfaction is important. Factors like job satisfaction, job expansion, job turnover, job enrichment, etc. should be ensured to ensure the minimal level of stress occurring at workplaces. Hackman Oldham job traits model present in their paper have selected to study the impacts of job traits on job stress. In their study on a telecommunication company, Richard Hackman and Edward Lowler (1971) concluded that employees’ job satisfaction is higher and their performance and attendance in workplace is better when they feel traits like skill diversity, task nature, independence and engaging with other further in their job. This study paved the ground for Hackman and Oldham job traits model in 1975. Through a research, they found that employees’ job satisfaction and performance increase and their turnover and absenteeism decrease when they enjoy high levels of job traits such as skill diversity, job nature, task importan ce, independence and job feedback. Hackman and Oldham job traits model consists of three parts: (1) job major aspects including skill diversity, job nature, task importance, independence and job feedback; (2) mental conditions including the feeling of having an important job, accountability, being informed of job results; and (3) working and individual ramifications including promoting inner motivation on job qualitative performance improvement, job satisfaction promotion and mitigating job relinquish. Stress is part of life and sometimes unavoidable. Sometimes a little amount of stress is helpful too. It is only when stress lasts for a longer period of time and exceeds one’s capability of handling it, stress becomes harmful. Stress impacts one’s physical and mental health, relationship, family, work environment and one’s whole life. But stress can be handled. Instead of stress manipulating one’s life, one can learn to manipulate the stress by oneself. By enhancing one’s vision, raising the available resources regarding stress, one can cope up with stress. It is important to know one’s strength and limits regarding handling stress. It is always advisable to take external help if needed to cope with the anxiety and stress in one’s life. Useful contacts Emotional / Relationships Problems 1. Aasra, Mumbai Direct crisis intervention and counselling services for people who are depressed or feeling suicidal. Phone:+91 22 2754 6669 Timings:All Days :24 Hours Email:[emailprotected] Website:www.aasra.info Depression, anxiety, obsession and mental health Rethink Mental Illness Support and advice for people living with mental illness. Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm) Website:www.rethink.org Depression Alliance Charity for sufferers of depression. Has a network of self-help groups. Website:www.depressionalliance.org CALM CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15-35. Website:www.thecalmzone.net Contact the Stress Counselling helpline Talk in confidence, 24 hours a day. Call:0800 092 3189 Useful books The Relaxation Stress Reduction Workbookby Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Matthew McKay Publishers New Harbinger Publications: ISBN 1572242140 The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook By Edmund J. Bourne The Feeling Good Handbook By David D. Burns,David D. Burns (Preface by) References http://www.rose-hulman.edu/StudentAffairs/ra/files/CLSK/PDF/Section%20Two%20Instructor%20Resources/Sources%20of%20Stress%20Among%20College%20Students.pdf http://www.globalresearch.com.my/journal/management_v03n01/0007_Article_167_Final_JoGM_Jan2012_V3N1_PG093_105.pdf http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/learning/FileStore/Filetoupload,217650,en.pdf http://www.mind.org.uk/media/977061/how-to-manage-stress-2012-2-.pdf http://www.purdue.edu/swo/generalwellness/KnowItAll/stress/DifferentKindsofStress.pdf http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/impact.pdf http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/causes-of-stress http://m.medlineplus.gov/topic/stress.htm http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stress.html http://www.angeloflifehealthandnutrition.com/energy-and-stress-relaxation.html http://www.apho.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=44871 http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-effects-of-stress Every Child Matters Policy: Outcomes, Aims and Application Every Child Matters Policy: Outcomes, Aims and Application Are the objectives of the Every Child Matters policy set by the government being met in actual use and practice? Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 – Method Chapter 3 – Results 3.1 Every Child Matters Green Paper 3.2 Childrens Act 2004 3.3 Children’s Trusts   3.4 Every Child Matters: Change for Children   Chapter 4 Discussion Chapter 5 – Conclusion   Tables – Diagrams Bibliography   Abstract In September of 2003 the policy initiative â€Å"Every Child Matters† was presented to Parliament, sparked by the death in 2000 of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie, who was a victim of child abuse, and murder by her aunt Marie-Therese Kouao, and bus driver Carl Manning (BBC New, 2005). The striking as well as earth shaking factor in this tragic instance is the very strong possibility exists that Victoria’s suffering, and death could very well have been prevented. While it is impossible to predict what might have happened, the official inquiry into this case as headed by Lord Laming, investigated every facet, including the child protection system (BBC News, 2003). The preceding uncovered that there were at least twelve incidences whereby the system failed Victoria Climbie in terms of her welfare. Most noteworthy, in terms of the system becoming alerted to the potential of child abuse and or problems, were the child’s two visits for injuries to the hospital, the sec ond, which entailed a two-week stay (BBC News, 2003). The horrific summary just provided does not do justice to the details contained within this case that outraged the public as well as authorities. The Laming Report uncovered that information sharing between agencies failed to take the necessary and required steps to intercede (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). The Inquiry resulted in the recommendation of a structure that would eliminate the potential for ambiguity in the decision making process for children and families (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). This examination of child care policies shall analyze if the resulting Every Child Matters policies are meeting the purpose for which they were developed and devised. Chapter 1 – Introduction The death of Victoria Climbie resulted in an Inquiry conducted by Lord Laming to investigate the childcare system and make recommendations based upon the findings. In keeping with the aforementioned, the Inquiry Report recommended the following changes as well as inputs to the system (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003): Elimination of what the Inquiry termed as â€Å"buck passing†, through guidance procedures, Implementation of a coherent set of practices, policies, protocols and strategies for service delivery, Placement of the preceding into statues that define a clear process for monitoring as well as decision making of performance and follow up, Reduction of what the Inquiry called the ‘gap’ between the intention of the agencies, and the achievement as demonstrated by actual performance, eliminating the unpredictable facets of service delivery though the improvement of efficiency as well as effectiveness, Addressing the preventive aspects with families and increasing the support invention process that has deteriorated through proper funding and staffing, Understanding that the protection as well as support of children calls for a broader scope than just the statutory agencies. The process needs to include close association with community-based groups to broaden the scope of involvement, information, alerts and resources. A change in the manner that the agencies approach, see and work, as represented by the utilisation of their resources. The preceding calls for all agencies to carry out their part of the process, with a clear delineation to staffing of their primary responsibilities to children and families. The recommendations in these areas consisted of the following: Services must be child as well as family oriented, Be responsive to needs and opportunities, Services must have adequate resources, Be capable to delivering measurable national outcomes with regard to children, Be clear in terms of accountability throughout the agencies and organisation, Be transparent in its work processes and open to detailed scrutiny, Services, procedures, guidelines, protocols and policies must be clear as well as straightforward in terms of being understood, Services need to be placed on a statutory foundation, given the powers to ensure delivery of the outcomes desired. To achieve the aforementioned ends, the Inquiry set forth structure changes that recommended major changes within the structures that deliver services to children and families (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). It also identified that a key weakness in the system were the circumstances under which case reviews were conducted, adding that the that structure needs to be replaced by one that is more comprehensive as well as active (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). Another critical aspect in the problems uncovered by the Inquiry was the referral and response levels of the agencies. The Inquiry made specific reference to sections 17 and 47 of the Children Act 1989 whereby (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003): Section 17 The segment of the Children Act 1989 places the responsibility as well as duty on the local authority for the safeguarding and promotion of welfare for children that are in need in their area. Section 47 The section of the Children Act 1989 calls for the local authority to make inquiries in instances where it is believed and or thought necessary whereby a child is suspected of being exposed to harm. The problem with the preceding, especially Section 47, is that the Inquiry found that considerable confusion existed as to what inquiries should be made, with permission from the child’s carer required before other invention measures could be introduced if the preceding was refused (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). Under Section 17, the social services could respond only when exceptional circumstances dictated, after permission as outline above had been obtained (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). Furthermore, it was found that once the Section 17 designation assigned a label to a case, it was downgraded in terms of status and frequently poor follow up ensued (The Victoria Climbie Inquiry, 2003). The aforementioned aspects were brought forth in order to have a basis for understanding the reasons and dynamics of the recommendations of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry (2003), the resulting policies, and performance since enactment. This examination shall investigate how the objectives of the Every Child Matters policy is being met through the use of council and agency support. This document is structured to present the methodology utilised, followed by the results of the research process, which is then discussed to determine the significance of the findings, and the implications. A conclusion has been utilised to summarise the examination, drawing upon the information and research uncovered to formulate what the preceding uncovered. Chapter 2 – Methods The methodology utilised in this examination entails a combination of evidence based research techniques and quantitative research. The term research in this examination represents a systematic inquiry â€Å"characterized by sets of principles, guidelines for procedures and which is subject to evaluation in terms of criteria such as validity, reliability and representativeness† (Hitchcock and Hughes, 1995, p. 5). In the context of this paper, social research represents â€Å"the collection and analysis of information on the social world, in order to understand and explain that world better† (Hitchcock and Hughes, 1995, p. 5). Key to the preceding process is the collection of evidence to support the research process, which requires much fuller information to fulfill its directive (Evans, 2006). The foregoing calls for a strong design in the research process to generate the evidence base (Potter, 2007). The foregoing was accomplished by reviewing the legislation as well a s historical development of the Every Child Matters initiative, starting with the reasons that prompted its development. Quantitative research represented conducting the gathering of information systematically, looking for relationships in the examination in the context of the study. Newman and Benz (1998, p. 2) tell us that â€Å"Most quantitative research approaches, regardless of their theoretical differences, tend to emphasize that there is a common reality on which people can agree.† With that underpinning, this examination strived to look for a clear delineation of facts that would closely approximate the preceding statement. To this end, surveys and studies were used as a basis for correlating facts, combined with the key purposes behind varied legislation. This look into the programmes that have led up to and are part of the â€Å"Every Child Matters† initiative shall utilise evidence based practice to uncover the facts, assess what has been gathered, and critically appraise the process and strategies in their present state. Chapter 3 – Results 3.1 Every Child Matters Green Paper The †Every Child Matters† Green Paper (literacytrust.org.uk , 2003), contains four main proposal areas that were devised in response to the recommendations as made under Lord Laming’s Inquiry Report concerning the death of Victoria Climbie. These four key areas are (literacytrust.org.uk, 2003): support of parents and carers, early intervention, along with effective protection, accountability and integration, reform of the workforce To aid in achieving the preceding, the Green Paper recommended a ‘Parenting Fund’ of  £25 million to be added for a three-year period to underwrite the changes (literacytrust.org.uk, 2003). The critical aspect as identified under the Victoria Climbie Inquiry (2003) was early intervention, which the Green Paper advised represented improving the information sharing between agencies and authorities, the utilisation of a singular and unique identification number so that all information would fall under the same file, and the development of a common data network that is coordinated among all authorities and agencies to ensure that all information resides in one file database (literacytrust.org.uk, 2003). Governmental changes as identified under the Green Paper called for the creation of a Director of Children’s Services to deliver education to local authorities and children’s social services as well as the position of the Minister for Children, Young People an d Families in the Department of Education and Skills that would have the responsibility for coordination of policies across all agencies and authorities (literacytrust.org.uk, 2003). 3.2 Children Act 2004 The Children Act 2004 put into place the legislative foundation to enable the policy changes as put forth under the Every Child Matters Green Paper (literacytrust.org.uk, 2004). The objective was the maximisation of opportunities, along with minimising risk for children and young people via the leadership of the Director of Children’s Services within the local authorities (Brachnell Forest Borough Council, 2007). The Children Act 2004 advises that the total number of children in the program has remained fairly consistent over the past ten years, with only minor upward and downward fluctuations (Department for Education and Skills, 2004). The Children Act 2004 was enacted on 15 November 2004 and established (Department for Education and Skills, 2004): A Children’s Commissioner whose responsibility is to champion the interests and views regarding children as well as young people. Makes it the duty of Local Authorities to co-operate with other Local Authorities as well as agencies and bodies to improve the well being of children through information sharing and other forms of cooperation. Made it the duty of Local Authorities to implement local Safeguarding Children Boards that include key partners to participate. The provision for databases that contain information that enables better sharing capabilities between all authorities, agencies and other bodies. The development of an integrated inspection framework, along with Joint Area reviews to provide an assessment on progress The important facets of the preceding changes and modifications to the Children Act 1989 is that it set forth the following (Department for Education and Skills, 2004): Duty to Cooperate The Children Act 2004 under section 10 sets forth the duty for local authorities and agencies to cooperate with the guidance under the Act, thus representing the authority as well as framework for children’s trusts. Guidance on the Children and Young People’s Plan Under section 17, it contains the key facet regarding the implementation of children’s trusts via a strategic plan for local authorities and allied services, partners and agencies. Guidance with respect to the roles as well as responsibilities of the Director of Children’s Services with regard to the Lead Member of Children’s Services. Guidance on Working Together with the objective to Safeguard Children. Guidance under section 11, on the Duty to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children The preceding aspects were actualised under the Children Act 2004 through a national framework for change that specifies areas, working inwards to achieve targeted timetables as shown below: 3.3 Children’s Trusts Children’s Trusts represents the framework whereby all services for children and young people are brought together in an area, supported by the Children Act 2004 (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007a). The central foundation of the Children’s Trusts is that they represent the active core of support for those who work daily with children, young people as well as families, with the objective being the delivery of improved outcomes via more integrated as well as responsive services (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007a). The integrated strategy utilises the following methodology for effective results and working processes (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007a): the use of a joint needs assessment, sharing decisions on priorities, the identification of the resources available, and the devising of a set of joint plans to deploy the preceding. The critical aspect of the foregoing is the joint commissioning that pools resources to deploy the best outcome by directing action to those resources and the people best qualified to complete the services (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007a). In March of 2007 a national evaluation of the Children’s Trust Pathfinders was conducted that took in all 35 units and included a number of evaluative reports conducted on various segments of the program (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007b). The evaluation resulted in a number of recommendations that identified shortcomings and limitations in the delivery of services (national children’s bureau, 2006): The evaluation stated that a clarification is needed regarding exactly what the term participation means as there were different interpretations uncovered in the analysis. The approach procedures concerning participation were determined to be less than effective in terms of being systematic. To move participation beyond listening to active engagement that involves users. The development of support systems to enables the end users, children – young people – families, to fully participate as well as engaging them in a strategic manner. To see that participation utilises a broad range of differing and diverse methodologies to solicit as well as gain the views of children, young people and families. Recognition that the community as well as voluntary sectors have important roles and have users that have difficulty interacting with official bodies. Take the time, along with the commitment to construct as well as improve the infrastructure needed for effective participation by end users. The study of user participation that entailed case studies in eight children’s trusts, along with three additional sites involved 107 professionals from management as well as differing levels in education, health, social care as well as local authorities (national children’s bureau, 2006). The perception of professionals was positive in terms of the increased engagement with users, children, young people and families, commenting that it helped to raise their self esteem as a result of being part of the process (national children’s bureau, 2006). User perceptions among those surveyed indicated a lack of participation, and or limited experience, also commenting that there was a lack of information regarding this aspect (national children’s bureau, 2006). The users cited that they would be interested in participatory engagement, as long as it was meaningful, as opposed to being tokenistic, and if such participation actually resulted in change (national childr en’s bureau, 2006). In addition to the preceding, the surveyed users indicated that feedback in terms of important issues as to where they were, and the actions being taken, and or the outcomes would be useful in transparency (national children’s bureau, 2006). The survey participants also indicated that they felt more involvement would improve relationships. Those surveyed added that they felt that listening was not a culture trait in the country, thus participation was not, in their opinion, a positive process unless they could see results based upon a broad feedback from issues they participated in, as well as those of other users (national children’s bureau, 2006). The users surveyed also added that they felt that participation was not really representative, voicing the opinion that the same people were asked about their views and opinions repeatedly, as opposed to the process seeking out more individuals to participate (national children’s bureau, 2006). The methodology, in terms of gathering opinions was also questioned, in that the field of reach could be widened through the utilisation of questionnaires as well as discussion groups (national children’s bureau, 2006). It was suggested that such measures should be advertised broadly, and utilise a wide variety of measures in order to make the process participato ry as opposed to being selection based (national children’s bureau, 2006). The manner in which the overall process operates, is designed and performs was also raised. Users, community and volunteer groups indicated that this represented a key area as the process is supposed to represent one of inclusion, thus, their inputs in these areas should be consulted (national children’s bureau, 2006). One specific example was the drafting of questionnaires. Users felt that they should be included in the process to design the questions that would appear on questionnaires as well as assist in the discussion panel formulations to make the process truly participatory (national children’s bureau, 2006). The preceding represent limitations that users felt did not involve them in the overall process that was designed to aid and benefit them. The foregoing factors represent clear indications that users want to as well as should be a more active part of the process. Their views indicated that they desired to be included in the developmental phases as opposed to being interview subjects, and felt that they should have a deeper, and more meaning participation level as members of the public, especially as members of the public for whom the services are targeted. Strategic involvement represents an important issue in that it engages users and provides inputs that the overall process can utilise in modifying and improving service delivery as well as the notification process on the part of the public as to potential abuse issues. The foregoing view is brought forth by Petr (2004, p. 79) who points to the importance of the inclusion of parents and users in the process as a means to heighten participation. The foregoing approach is also espoused by Northridge et al (2005), who state research partnerships should be an inclusive pro cess that involves participants and community agencies in the process. Boyden and Ennew (1997) also advocate the importance of users in the participation process in terms of taking part and being involved, as well as the benefits of gaining insights from their inputs. The study concluded that users want greater participation in the process, and that a variety of methods and approaches need to be utilised to obtain the views, ideas, input and concerns (national children’s bureau, 2006). It also recommended that a broad variety of methods should be utilised and exploited in order to obtain the views of users as well as their recommendations and suggestions, providing more transparency in the processing and outcome of the aforementioned to make the system more effective and user, community based (national children’s bureau, 2006). 3.4 Every Child Matters: Change for Children â€Å"Every Child Matters: Change for Children† (HM Government, 2004) represented the national framework to improve outcomes for children as well as young people (Brachnell Forest Borough Council, 2007). The policy indicates that it is committed to seeing that five key outcomes are achieved that are important to a child’s well being, these represent â€Å"†¦ being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well being †¦ (HM Government, 2004). The initiative sets forth key objectives and targets with regard to the underpinning of the entire framework of children’s services. The foregoing are represented by the following (HM Government, 2004). : The improvement as well as the integration of all services, covering a child’s early years, in the schooling environment, along with health services. To provide more specialised help to prevent problems, promote opportunities, and most importantly to act early as well as effectively in the event that problems arise. To reconfigure services so that they revolve around the child and family under children’s centres, extended schools, and through professionals engaged in multi disciplinary teams. To develop and have engaging as well as dedicated leadership throughout all levels of the system. The development of an atmosphere of shared responsibility throughout the system and across system lines that focuses upon the safeguarding of children, as well as protection from harm. To heighten the listen atmosphere, centring on children, young people and families in the assessment processes, along with planning facets, and especially in face-to-face encounters. The preceding bear strong similarity to the recommendations and findings as set forth under the study conduced by the National Children’s Bureau (2006), which pointed out that these lofty objectives have not fully been met. The five outcomes as represented by â€Å"†¦ being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well being †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (HM Government, 2004), upon deeper examination entail the following: Be Healthy physical health emotional and mental health sexual health lifestyles that are healthy the election not to partake of illegal drugs and that carers as well as families actively promote healthy choices Stay Safe safety from maltreatment, violence, neglect and exploitation sexually safety from accidental injury as well as death safety from bullying and discrimination safety from criminal activities, crime and anti social behaviour that security and stability are seen to Enjoy and achieve that children and young people are ready for school that children and young people attend school that they achieve social as well as personal development and have recreational activities they enjoy Make a positive contribution that children, young people and families are engaged in decision making as well as support their communities that children, and young people engage in behaviour that I law abiding, both in an out of school that they develop self-confidence that they develop behaviour that is enterprising Achieve economic well-being that young people engage in higher education, training and or employment that young people are prepared and ready to be employed that children and young people live in homes that are decent in sustainable communities that they have access to transport and that they live in households free of low income All of the preceding have been set as objectives to foster the development of children and young people through adulthood as well as address the tragic situation as brought forth by the Victoria Climbe situation. In order to attain the foregoing, local children’s services under the Children Act 2004 are held accountable for the deliverance of improved outcomes via inspection (HM Government, 2004). The preceding is to be accomplished by (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007c): Robust and active inter-agency accountability and governance The â€Å"local authority director of children’s services† establishment of cooperative arrangements with like service units and local authorities (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007c). The partners in this arrangement include entities from the â€Å"public, private, voluntary and community† sectors (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007c). Area child protection committees are replaced by local safeguarding children boards Under the foregoing â€Å"Every Child Matters: Change for Children† (HM Government, 2004), the integrated strategy represents the following elements (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007c): The joint assessment of the local needs that involve users. The utilisation of a singular plan that is shared between all children’s service units. The pooling of budgets. The use of joint area reviews for the inspection of children’s services on the local level. Integrated frontline service delivery to improve user outcomes at the strategic level. In terms of integrated processes, â€Å"Every Child Matters: Change for Children† (HM Government, 2004) calls for (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007d): The use of â€Å"new common initial assessment† frameworks to â€Å"reduce duplication and improve referrals† (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007d). Improved information sharing. The re-engineering of â€Å"local processes and procedures †¦ to support integration around the needs of children. The integrated frontline delivery represents the manner via which the foregoing is accomplished within the overall framework (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007e): â€Å"Integrated, accessible and personalised services â€Å" represent the manner via which the preceding will be approached, building the processes â€Å"around the needs of children and young people† as opposed to service, and or professional boundaries (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007e). The shift of focus to prevention as well as safeguarding. Services to be co-located in locations such as children’s centres as well as extended schools. The reform of workforces to result in staffs that are well trained, with the credo that children are the focal point, understanding that their needs are uppermost. The â€Å"development of multi-disciplinary teams† along with professionals. The strategy representing the improvement of outcomes is founded upon â€Å"changing the behaviour of those working with the users via more integrated as well as responsive service delivery (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007e). The foregoing calls for the use of specialist support that is embedded throughout the system, and which can be accessed by all service units (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007e). The key to the process is in workforce reform in terms of attitudes, trained staff, the internal development of common skill sets and knowledge base, utilising the element of trust as well as information sharing (everychildmatters.gov.uk, 2007e). Chapter 4 – Discussion In equating the results achieved under the programmes established for Every Child Matters the Department for Children, Schools and Families published a report equating evidence in support of the plan (2007). The Report assessed the achievements as well as shortcomings and limitations of progress thus far as achieved: Table 1 – Results Findings – Every Child Matter Be Healthy (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2007) Table 2 – Results Findings – Every Child Matter/Stay Safe (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2007) Stay Safe < UK Iron and Steel Industry: Market Trends UK Iron and Steel Industry: Market Trends Basic Iron and steel in UK – Analysis Headlines UK’s basic iron and steel market contracted by 6.8% to  £10.6 billion in 2013 as prices of steel declined due to the overcapacity in steel production Industry of structural metal products increased its purchase of steel due to the growing private housing sector in UK in 2013 Motor vehicles, trailer and semi-trailers decreased their share of purchases in the industry by 12% as it is substituted with aluminium in pursue of lower CO2 emissions In 2013 EU Commission creates Communication Action Plan for a development of competitive and sustainable steel industry in Europe Basic iron and steel industry is expected to continue falling by 2% in 2014 due to oversupply in UK steel production and iron ore mining globally MArket Trends Basic iron and steel market in the UK declined by 6.8% to  £10.7 billion in 2013. Although the main buyer in the industry – structural metal products increased its share of purchases over the year, the industry still felt the pressure from overcapacity and declining prices of steel in Europe. Structural metal products producers were the key buyer in the basic iron and steel industry accounting for 18% of the B2B purchases which stood at  £1.9 billion in 2013. The share increased usage in construction sector which was boosted by the rapidly growing private housing segment and overall construction output in the UK. Private Housebuilding was driven by the government’s deposit guarantee programme Help to Buy designed for purchases of new homes in the UK. Motor vehicles, trailer and semi-trailers accounted for 12% of the purchases in the industry. Despite a 1.3% increase in number of vehicles manufactured, acquisitions of basic iron and steel declined by 12%. Demand of steel from automotive industry is declining due to increasing use of aluminium. Vehicle manufacturers are reducing vehicle weight in order to cut CO2 emissions in order to comply with new EU standards. Basic iron, steel and ferroalloys accounted for 46% of the market size in the industry in 2013. After experiencing a 2% decrease its market value stood at  £4.9 billion. The decline was determined by the decreasing prices of steel products. HRC Europe steel prices declined by 6.4% in 2013 due to oversupply of steel in the global market. As well as global steel market, the European market has been confronting a growing overcapacity of steel production and declining demand over the recent years. To address the issues of struggling EU market of iron and steel industry, an EU-wide plan named Commission Communication Action Plan for a sustainable and competitive steel industry in Europe was created on June, 2013. Currently, the plan is offering to reduce or remove electricity feed-in tariffs related to renewable electricity on energy-intensive industries to make them more competitive internationally. In 2013 import penetration fell by 9% and accounted for 65% of the market size reaching value of  £5.8 billion. The imports decreased due to the overcapacity in the global steel production and restart of Teesside steel plant which increased the output of steel in the country in 2013. Currently active antidumping duties on Chinese wire rods are about to expire. In April, 2014 European steel association Eurofer inquired for an over 20% anti-dumping charge for Chinese wire rod in order to protect EU producers. The new query will prolong the duty by approximately 15 months until the answer is given. production Trends Overcapacity has been pressuring UK’s as well as the global iron and steel market. Production capacity of steel increased by 118 million tonnes over the last two years and is expected to total in 2,2 billion tonnes in 2014. However, UK’s production decreased only by marginal 1% over 2013. Though different segments managed to grow as e.g. production of basic iron, steel and ferroalloys recorded a 2% increase and accounted for 62% of total industry’s production. While the industry has marginally declined some companies managed to increase their production. E.g. Teesside Steel Co owned by Thailand SSI renewed its production in the UK in 2013. In addition, during the same year Teesside Steel Co recorded its production record in Red car plant after expanding its production capacity. The steel output in the industry was also supported by improvements of the Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant. Its blast furnace was rebuilt increasing steel production over the same year. Recycling of metal waste and scrap industry accounts for 16% of basic ferrous and non-ferrous industry costs in UK. Approximately 13 million tons of scrap metal are being processed by steel industry annually. Recycling is important to UK producers as it allows to keep emissions, energy consumption and total costs at bay in comparison to steel production from ore. Mining of metal ores made 12% of total costs in UK during 2013. Despite an increase in production of basic iron and steel at constant price of 1.2% , costs related to mining of metal ores declined by 1%. Decrease in metal ore costs was driven by decline in price of iron ore in second half of the year as global production of iron ore grew by 5% accounting for approximately 2 billion tonnes in 2013. Exports of basic iron and steel accounted for 65% of total production and recorded a 0.7% growth in 2013. Exports were driven by the growing demand from emerging economies such as Turkey which accounted for 11% of the UK’s exports. Growing Turkish construction and transportation expenditures positively affected the demand for UK’s production. Steel, basic iron and ferroalloys experienced a 2% increase in the share of industry’s exports. 2013 profits almost doubled which left them standing at  £783 million. The industry benefited from a 7% decrease in its costs which had positively reflected on the profits. Competitive Landscape The top 5 companies in the basic iron and steel industry accounted for 20% of total production in the UK in 2013. The leader with 14% was Tata Steel UK Ltd. The company was followed by other industry’s players accounting for a less significant share of production: Caparo Steel Products Ltd (2%), Hill Smith Holdings Plc (2%), and Thamesteel Ltd (1%). Tata Steel UK Ltd a subsidiary of the Tata Steel Europe is a UK-based company that specializes in production of basic iron and steel. It has 3 plants located in the UK with 18,000 employees. In October, 2013 the company announced it will build Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) furnace at its Stocksbridge site in South Yorkshire, UK. It has also increased its steel output from Tata Steel’s Port Talbot plant due to the reconstuction of its blast furnace. The development had a significant impact on growing steel production in the UK in 2013. By 2016 the company is planning on investing  £400 million in long products business. However, due to the sluggish demand in the market Tata Steel has been considering selling parts of its operation in the UK due to the underutilization. Caparo Steel Products Ltd of Caparo Group is a company located in the UK that specializes in production of basic iron and steel. The company is based in London, UK, with additional locations in the UK, India, Spain, Poland, North America, Canada, and Dubai. Caparo Steel has 1,000 employees in the UK. In October, 2014 the group announced plans to invest â‚ ¬4 million in its UK and Polish operations. The company has been reviewing its operations in UK and announced plans to consolidate its production in one site considering to close the wire company in Wrexham, UK. However, workers are expected to keep their jobs as company anticipates using the other base for testing technologies and steel distribution. Hill Smith Holdings Plc is a company that produces galvanized iron and steel. It operates under the following segments: Infrastructure Products, Galvanizing Services, Building and Construction Products and employs over 700 workers. The company has also upgraded its plant in Chesterfield, UK. In general, production volumes of steel products increased by 18% in 2013 due to the the expansion into emerging markets. On April, 2013 the group acquired a large plant in Kent, UK operated by Medway Galvanising Co Ltd. In addition, Hill Smith Holdingd acquired trade and specific assets of Arkinstall Galvanizing Ltd. Thamesteel Ltd is a UK-based subsidiary of Al-Tuwairqi Holding. The company specializes in steel manufacturing and operates a 50 acre site in Sheerness, on the Isle of Sheppey, UK and employs 400 workers. The plant went into administration in 2012 it became the property of Al-Tuwairqi Group. However, the new negotiations have been taking place in 2013 to reopen a rolling mill using imported steel billets and then exporting its production again. New mill is expected to employ around 120 workers; however, the plan is still in state of negotiations. Prospects Basic iron and steel industry in UK is expected to further decline by 2% in 2014 and over the period of 2013-2019 the industry is anticipated to record a negative 1% CAGR. Drawing of iron and steel is expected to record an 11% drop in turnover due to the continuing surplus in the industry and slumping demand. Average global iron ore price in 2014 is expected to decline approximately 49% in 2013 translating into further decreasing costs for the industry. It is not expected for global iron ore price to return to US$100 level for near future as world production output is going to further increase at faster pace than demand. By 2018 global iron-ore surplus is expected to reach 300 million tons. UK’s market of steel is expected to remain weak over the forecast period due to the overcapacity of steel production in UK and globally. As a result production of basic iron, steel and ferroalloys is anticipated to experience slowdown in its CAGR. Due to prolonged decline in production of steel in Europe, steel industry is expected to become one of the main focuses by EU Commission over the forecast period. Reduction and restructuration of capacity in the industry will also play a significant role as EU Commission is aiming at reaching the contribution of steel market towards EU GDP to increase from current 15% to 20% by 2020. The industry is expected to be less pressured by the prices of power and gas as the Government has announced its prediction of wholesale prices to remain fairly steady until 2020 when electricity price is expected to reach  £54 per MWh. However, latter prices are expected to challenge the competitiveness of electricity from wind farms and nuclear plants further.