Indigenous Australian Philosophy Essay

While a variety of factors have shaped the diversity of Indigenous Australian philosophy and prac? ces across the Australian con? nent, one of the central characteris? cs of the Aboriginal worldview is the concept of the ‘Dreaming’. Outlinesomeofthekeyaspectsofthisbeliefsystemandre#ectonthisin comparison to your own worldview. THE DREAMING LAID DOWN THE PATH FOR THE ABORIGINAL WAY OF LIFE, AND IT DICTATES THEIR KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, LAW, BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIETAL CUSTOMS. IN AUSTRALIA, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ABORIGINAL CLANS, EACH ABORIGINAL CLAN HAS THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION AND NAME FOR THE DREAMING. EVEN TODAY ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO THE DREAMING THROUGH THEIR BELIEFS AND RITUALS. WHILST ABORIGINAL SOCIETIES MAY SEEM COMPLICATED TO AN OUTSIDER THIS BEAUTIFUL CULTURE FOSTERS A SENSE OF BELONGING, RESPECT, HARMONY AND CONSERVATION. THREE ASPECTS OF THE DREAMING ARE THE ANCESTRAL BEINGS, KINSHIP TO RUWI AND RESPECT OF THE LAWS. THE DREAMING CONSISTED OF ANCESTRAL BEINGS WHO ROSE FROM THE EARTH AND WATER, THEN TRAVELLED THE LAND SCULPTING THE EARTH. THE ANCESTRAL BEINGS TOOK ON THE FORMS OF HUMANS, ANIMALS, PLANTS AND EVEN COMBINATIONS OF THESE FORMS. THE ANCESTRAL BEINGS CREATED THE PEOPLE, PLANTS, ANIMALS AND KINSHIPS BETWEEN THESE KEY. MANY OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF THE LAND CAN BE LINKED TO THE ANCESTRAL BEINGS, AND TO THE EVENTS PLAYED OUT DURING THE DREAMING PERIOD. THE ANCESTRAL BEINGS CREATED THE LAWS AND A PATH TO BE FOLLOWED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THESE LAWS MUST BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO ENSURE A BALANCE AND A CONTINUATION OF LIFE AND HARMONY. FURTHERMORE, ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ARE DEVOTED TO THEIR LAND. WATSON EXPLAINS THAT ABORIGINAL PEOPLE DO NOT SEE THE LAND AS A COMMODITY THAT CAN BE OWNED OR SOLD, P a g e | 2. THEY ARE A PART OF THEIR LAND, AND THEIR LAND HAS ITS OWN SPIRIT. ABORIGINAL PEOPLE LIVE A STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE AND ONLY TAKE FOOD THAT IS NEEDED. WHEN FOOD IS TAKEN FROM THE LAND, THEY MUST GIVE THANKS TO THE LAND AS A SIGN OF RESPECT. ABORIGINAL CLANS WERE SEPARATED BY THE DREAMING AND HAVE DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS AND LANGUAGES, SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FIGHT FOR LAND OR FOOD. ABORIGINAL RUWI IS MARKED BY GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES, WHICH CAN INCLUDE RIVERS, TREES, ROCKS AND PAINTINGS; THE PERIMETERS OF THE LAND ARE LEARNT THROUGH SONGS. THE DREAMING LAWS MADE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND. THE LAWS DO NOT NEED TO BE WRITTEN DOWN AS THEY ARE LEARNED THROUGH THE LIVING OF THE LAWS. ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ARE GUIDED BY THEIR WAY OF LIFE THROUGH ELDERS, AND KNOWLEDGE PASSED DOWN FROM THE DREAMING. STORIES OF THE DREAMING ARE TAUGHT THROUGH ORAL STORIES, SONG, DANCE, RITUALS AND ART. THESE STORIES PASS ON THE IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE, VALUES AND EXPECTED BEHAVIOURS. ABORIGINAL CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT THE DREAMING STORIES WHICH ARE APPROPRIATE TOR THEIR AGE. THESE STORIES SOCIALISE CHILDREN ON THE ABORIGINAL WAY OF LIFE. EDWARDS’S STATES THAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALSO DICTATED FROM THE DREAMING, THERE IS A COMPLEX KINSHIP ORDER AMONG ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. THIS ORDER DETERMINES A PERSON’S PLACE IN THEIR MOIETY. THIS KINSHIP SYSTEM ALSO DICTATES HOW FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD BEHAVE TOWARDS OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, WHICH HELP TO KEEP HARMONY AND AVOID CONFLICT. THE DIFFERENT PLACES WITHIN THE MOIETY ALSO DETERMINE A SUITABLE MARRIAGE PARTNER. FROM A WESTERN CIVILIZATION PERSPECTIVE, I ONLY KNOW MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND THE ABORIGINAL SYSTEM OF KINSHIP LEAVES ME FEELING THAT I MAY BE LACKING A GREATER SENSE OF SELF AND PURPOSE. YES, I CAN TRACE MY FAMILY’S GENEALOGY BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS. THESE ARE NAMES ON PAPER WITH NO CONNECTION TO ME, AND I FEEL NO BOND TO THESE P a g e | 3 PEOPLE. THE ABORIGINAL SYSTEM OF KINSHIP FOSTERS A BOND TO EVERYTHING ON THIS LAND, WHICH CREATES A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND BELONGING. ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT THAT WATSON IDENTIFIES IS THAT THE DREAMING LAW IS ABOUT LOVE, SHARING, RESPECT AND CARING AND THIS IS WHY THE LAND IS CONSERVED AND CARED FOR. I SENSE THAT WESTERN CULTURE NOW SEEMS TO BE BASED ON A SUPERFICIAL AND SELFISH EXISTENCE. I OBSERVE THAT WESTERN CULTURE IS FUELLED BY GREED, A DESTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEPLETING OF RESOURCES. I WONDER WHERE WE WOULD BE TODAY IF THE COLONISERS HAD LIVED IN HARMONY AND LEARNT FROM THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ON HOW TO RESPECT AND CONSERVE RATHER THAN STEAL AND DEPLETE THE LAND. I FEEL WE MAY HAVE BECOME A BETTER SOCIETY FULL OF APPRECIATION AND WARMTH. THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HAVE A CULTURE THAT BINDS THEM TO THE LAND AND TO EACH OTHER. IT CREATES A SENSE OF PRIDE; RESPECT AND ORDER FOR THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN, ARE AT THE MOMENT AND WILL BE IN THE FUTURE. EVEN THOUGH THE DREAMING IS INTERPRETED UNIQUELY BY DIFFERENT ABORIGINAL GROUPS, IT HAS CONSERVED THEIR SOCIETIES AND GIVEN THEM BONDS THAT HAVE LASTED THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

Ethical Decision making by School Principals Essay

Principals are faced with the challenge of managing schools and there is need for them to be ethical, respectful, inspiring, creative and knowledgeable about methods of instruction and the culture of the school and curriculum. These principals are also faced with the challenge of knowing and identifying areas of support that is able to enhance the school’s mission and also manage the areas that impede the achievement of a stated mission of the school. Since the needs of students are ever changing, they should also be in a position to make both smaller and larger adjustments that could be beneficial to the school and easily manageable by the organization in the management of these decisions. (Sousa, 2003, pp. 195-198). A decision is termed as ethical when it is able to bring about positive results and does not harm other people or the third party. These decisions are able to bring forth respect, trust, fairness and caring, responsibility and demonstrate good citizenship. When a decision accomplishes the needs of people together with their purposes, it is then termed as an effective decision. Ethically sound decisions are mostly advanced by two critical aspects namely discernment and discipline. For a decision to poses the aspect of discernment, it requires judgment and knowledge. The strength of character on the other hand, makes up a good decision and this takes moral change and the will power to be able to do what needs to be done (Hoy & Tarter 2004, pp. 56-60). Ethical decision making calls for good leadership from principals. Leadership may be described as the authority or ability of an individual or individuals to lead others towards the achievement of a goal. It involves directing and influencing others towards the accomplishment of the stated common objectives and involves responsibility and accountability for the group. There are various leadership styles that are used today in many organizations and institutions. The autocratic type of leaders apply unilateralist while dominating their team-members in order to achieve a particular objective. However, this method often results to resistance from the team- members, as this style generally requires constant pressure and a lot of direction to get things done. On the other hand, this style could be more effective in urgent situations requiring urgent action (Schiminke, 1998, pp. 107-110). In the Laissez-Faire leadership, little control is exercised by managers over their groups. This allows the team-members to sort out their duties and obligations but the manager is not in any way involved with them. This style of leadership however is ineffective at certain circumstances since the team is left floundering with limited motivation and direction. Laissez- faire is effective in cases whereby a manager leads a team that is highly skilled and motivated and these people have in the past produced excellent work. The Democratic leader on other hand often uses participation and the groups’ teamwork towards attaining a collaborative decision. This style focuses on communication between the leader and the team and hence a positive climate for achieving results is created. The leaders consult their teams before making a decision while still in control of the team. These leaders allow the team to make decisions on how certain duties will be carried out and by whom (Schiminke, 1998, pp. 107-110). In addition, a good democratic leader is one who approves participation by team members and delegation of duties or tasks is done wisely. This kind of a leader values the points put forward from them and also encourages any group discussion. He also empowers the team through motivation. On leadership styles include a coercive leader, authoritative. Leader, affiliative leader, pace setting and a coaching leader. A coercive leader demands obedience, which should be instantaneous and applies initiative, achievement and self-control. In times of crisis or company turn around, this style is considered to be more effective but it mostly creates a negative climate for the performance in an organization. The authoritative leader on the other hand is considered to be one of the most effective as this leader inspires employees to follow a vision, facilitate change and creates a strong organizational climate that results in positive performance. The affiliative leadership values people, their emotions and their needs and relies on friendship and trust to promote flexibility, innovation and risk taking. A pacesetting leader can create a negative climate because of the high standards he or she sets. This style works best in attaining quick results from highly motivated individuals who value achievement and take the initiative. Lastly, the coaching leader builds a positive climate by developing skills that will foster long-term success. This type of leader also delegates responsibly, and is skillful in issuing assignments that are quite challenging. Leadership entails organizing people in a bid to achieve the stated goals of the group. It is therefore essential that leaders should posses certain basic qualities that will enable them to be effective leaders in whatever situation or task they undertake (Guy, 1990 pp. 105-107). Leaders should display a good work ethic that will enable other employees to emulate. A good work ethic includes: being on time, being organized giving praise to employees, being well prepared for meetings and having good communication within the venture that will go a long way towards achieving emotional and financial success. Therefore a leader should set an example with an ethical set of values for other managers and employees. For a leader to be effective, he/she should be willing to constantly learn at the same time integrate the knowledge they have acquired through learning into their leadership style. They must also develop skills that will promote them into being good leaders. Another quality of a good leader is that they should constantly keep up with the current trends in leadership and be aware that the leadership styles are constantly changing. In other words these leaders should be open to change. A good leader should also be able to mobilize people and acquire their trust in the process. Good leaders should also have the ability to communicate effectively with their subordinates communication is an essential aspect since it involves both listening and sending messages or telling others what needs to be done. Moral leaders are in a position to produce good moral leadership. They mostly apply restraint and power in their leadership. They are willing to accept any results without imposing control on other people. This is stewardship. It enables leaders to accept their faults which are human instead of shielding themselves under their authority and status. Ethics can be described as the codes of conduct that guide on how one should behave regarding moral duties and virtues. These moral principles guide a person in determining what is wrong or right. Morality by principals can be termed as personal ethics. This is because personal ethics reflect the expectations of people of all works in the society. Ethics has got two aspects: the ability to determine right from wrong, propriety from impropriety and good from evil. The second perspective concerns the commitment to perform an action that is proper, right and good. The principles of personal ethics include: trustworthiness and honesty, concern for the well being of others preventing harm refusing to take unfair advantage, respect for the autonomy of others and basic justice. Ethics as displayed by principals in schools or any other leaders could be classified as under written and unwritten codes of ethics: codes of ethics are the efforts which are systematic in nature and are used in defining the right conduct. They also provide guidance and help in the installation of confidence in various aspects of life from the government and all organizations. The main guidance is reflected in the decision making process especially where values seem to conflict. Written codes of ethics can be made known by an organization, professional or jurisdiction. On the other hand unwritten codes that exist and that help us in our lives are more effective than the written ones. Un written codes of ethics include rules such as honesty, security, loyalty among others. These unwritten codes of ethics mostly arise from family and cultural tradition and can also be found in workplace. These written and unwritten codes of ethics mostly arise from family and cultural tradition and can also be found in workplace. These written and unwritten codes of ethics are found in the society and they help one in establishing their personal belief system. Ethical behaviors should be a part and parcel of an individual’s daily routine (Murphy & McMurty, 2000. pp. 110-115). I believe that Principals need to make strategic decisions since society and environment are dynamic and this provides them with a means that is strategic in nature that could enable them consider the external environment by focusing on the strength of the school organization, reducing weaknesses in school and also identify all the available opportunities that could put the school at a better position to be able to gain a competitive advantage. School principals are able to make an ethically defensible decision when the decision is well thought considering all the formal possible angels meaning that everybody takes part in decision making. In addition, ethically sound decisions in corporate all the possible solutions regarding the positive and negative outcomes of the decision. The decisions made by school principles need to involve a consultative process, team or group process or delegated duties to the staff members. This will help principals to come up with an ethically sound decision that will have a positive impact to all the members of the society which includes the students. Today, school leaders are the people who are accountable ethically, legally and morally for any decisions that they make in schools. Dempster and Parry (1999) note that the schools pressure mainly arise from four sources that is pressure of involving non-educationalists in the decision making in schools; changes in the growth of knowledge and applying the new advanced technology in learning processes; increased social problems such as suicide, violence and unemployment. This means that school leaders are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas while making decisions in schools hence resulting in conflicting ethical principles. Therefore how ethics/morals impact on decision-making is profound as this could easily change the way society operates. Foster (1986) also notes that it is the actions by the officials of the school that will strongly determine personal codes of ethics and values (Shapiro, 2000, pp. 120-125). On the ethical decision making by principals in schools, Denig and Quinn (2001) proposed a philosophical model with two moral principles namely; care and justice. They argue that most of the decisions that are made by school leaders, are mainly based on formalism which is policy and law and this is aimed at bringing about the greatest good to all (utilitarianism). In other words, this approach clearly views decision making as a rational approach that involves the use of universal principles. The decision maker performs what is right that could result in good deeds to all rather than individualism hence equity becomes the desirable outcome. They also point out that it is only through making decisions by collaborative means that these leaders can be able to analyze the dilemmas and get prepared to encompass the principle of working together with the school system and this eventually results in making decisions that are ethical (Sousa, 2003, pp. 195-198). Greenfield (19991) on the other hand argues that school leaders experience distinct sets of demands concerning ethics. He notes that schools being moral institutions are designed to bring for the social norms and other principles. They should be able to make decisions that are morally acceptable. He further notes that although schools are charged with the responsibility of creating moral values and making moral decisions by dedicating themselves to promote the well-being of their students, it is surprising that the same students have virtually no right to express themselves to what goes on in their schools and it is for these reasons that the conduct of these school leaders need to be moral (Kowalski, 2001, pp. 5-98). Robert Starratt (1991) also talks of equality in social arrangement benefits by arguing that today’s social arrangement results to unequal benefits among people. He argues that school principles should not only behave ethically but also be responsible individuals. Lastly, Green field argues that the authority of the principal is moral and teachers should be convinced that the decisions make by the principal reflects all the values that they support (Nutt, 2002, pp. 50-54). Kidder (1995) defines an ethical dilemma as the responsibilities that people face in making choices between two rights cherished values that conflict are the principle cause of dilemmas. For instance a principal is bound to be faced with a dilemma if at all he/she cherishes both the teacher and student and the teacher decides to enact a policy that will result in low expectations. Some philosophers and thinkers have come up with a number of guidelines that could help to solve these dilemmas faced by school leaders. They argue that leaders should be able and willing to act along the set standards of ethics. They could also address and also should be caring and conscious reflection whenever they lead other people (Nutt, 2002, pp. 50-54). School leaders could also form ethics committees to help them solve ethical dilemmas as these committees could prove helpful in raising the awareness concerning ethical issues, advising educators and also in the formulation of codes of ethics. A quality decision that is made by a school principal will depend on a number of factors made, extent to which others are able to generate a quality solution, how the problem is structured and the degree of commitment. Moreover, decisions made in schools require a lot of staff decision and support. School principals also need to understand the culture of their schools while attempting to make any decisions as this will establish whether the decision made is appropriate for the school. Therefore, these head teachers need to analyze and comprehend any relevant and comprehend any relevant information presented to them together with data. They also need to gather and measure evidence, issue judgments and finally make the necessary decisions. Creativity is essential as these will help in solving any anticipating problems hence development of opportunities for the school. Finally, school principals should be in a position to demonstrate quality judgment. This will enable them to know how and when they need to make any decisions among others. Decisions made by school principals could be autocratic, consultative, Group or Delegated decisions. An autocratic decision is that which the school principal makes it himself / herself by use of the available information or gathered from other groups or people. This therefore requires these school leaders to make appropriate and quick decisions when expected to do them at a particular point in time consultation on the other hand means that a problem has to be shared amongst individuals in order to obtain collective views or ideas but the school principal has to make the final decision afterwards.

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PERSUASIVE MESSAGE - Assignment Example t in place to ascertain that we are the best in the industry, we came to an agreement that we will need the best instructor in the industry to walk with us through this journey and after consultations it was decided that you are the best in the industry and came to a conclusion to request fro your prowess to enable us achieve our goals. With your skills and prowess in ballet we believe that we have a great opportunity to grow together both financially and professionally. With the goal of being the best, we had a meeting and came to a consensus that we can introduce special classes in our studio for new members who we will charge a premium to join. We target at creating something new in the industry and with your help we believe that this is a great business opportunity for you and our company. We want to make our business stand out and because our company is renown, we will get new students fast and easy and because you are popular we believe that you are the right person for this job. We intend to start a three-days-a-week beginning ballet class with you as the instructor to achieve this endeavor. We understand your busy schedule and have factored all these in our program and we will highly appreciate your approval. It is our understanding that you have free evenings and were kindly requesting you to spare this time to work with us as we move forward towards becoming the best as a team. We believe that you teaching in our studio will promote ballet, which we know is your heartfelt desire. We have dedicated students and have the conviction that not only will you enjoy teaching in our studio but it will also be an exciting experience as you will also interact with our team. With our renown studio, this will also be an opportunity for you to add credits too your resume as we are an established and recognized company. In terms of compensation we have a hefty package, which we intend to discuss with you further so that we can come to an agreement that will be

Writing Assignment # 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing Assignment # 2 - Essay Example First, there is no performance management system in place hence it is difficult to appraise or evaluate performance of workers. Since performance is not measured, the training and development needs of employees are also difficult to recognize. Further to that, it will be difficult for her to determine who deserves a promotion, a pay rise or who to transfer to another location if a vacancy arises as the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of employees are not known. Another difficulty is aligning the jobs of employees with organizational objectives. Since there are no performance expectations or targets set, it is difficult to know if the employees are moving in the right direction and if company objectives are being achieved. Moreover, it is difficult to design rewards for performance if performance is not measured in the first place. This poses difficulties for HR director of improving performance through motivation. Lastly, it is difficult for her to help employees progress with their careers if no performance management plan is in place. As regards compensation, many difficulties are bound to be faced. Compliance with the law is vital for an organization which seeks to reduce costs of litigations. Since there is no strategy as to how employees will be compensated as employees are paid by number of hours logged in, it is likely for HR Director to come into conflict with the law such as law on wage and hours or pay legislation. There may also be problems with worker retention due to poor compensation. The HR Director will have to address the type of compensation plan to be put in place. It is to be based on task or skills, internal equity or external competitiveness, or is it fixed or variable? These concerns must be addressed and they are complex especially because they have to be in line with company objectives while at the same time in compliance with labor laws. One alternative to improving performance is

Syrian Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Syrian Government - Research Paper Example It states that Syria is an integral part of the Arab homeland and that all the people of the country have all the legislative power. The president and the members of parliament are elected by the people through their votes. However it appears that the enforcement of these principles is not ensured by the government since many years. Branches of the Government The structure of the Syrian government consists of the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches. The Executive Branch The president is the head of the state and the chief officer of the government. He is elected by the people through referendum for a term of seven years. The constitution required that the president be of no less than 34 years of age and a Muslim. The constitution gives right to the president to appoint two vice-presidents, to name the prime minister and to dismiss him, other deputy minister, the members of the Cabinet and the military officers. Dr. Bashar al-Assad is currently serving as the preside nt (Britannica). The Legislative Branch The legislative branch is called Majlis-al-Shaab or the People’s Assembly. It is a 250-member unicameral body. The members are elected by the people through elections for a term of four years. People’s Assembly is represented by the members of different political parties. However, the majority of the seats are reserved or the National Progressive Front (NPF) which consist of the members of the Baath Party (Cafe Syria). The Council nominates a candidate for the presidential elections, discussion of economic matters and approval of the budget and the government policies. It also enacts the laws; however, initiation of law is not covered under its functions. The Judicial Branch The judicial system of Syria consists of courts at three levels: Courts of first instance (which comprises of magistrate and peace courts), courts of appeal (there is one court of appeal per province like a High Court), and the Constitutional courts which is the highest tribunal authority. The judicial system itself has the elements of Islamic, ottoman and the French Laws. The Supreme Constitutional Court is the head of the judicial system. It’s members consist of a chief justice and a bench of four different judges who all are appointed by the president for a period of four years (Mongabay). Problems with the Syrian Political System Although the constitution of Syria says that its people have every right to elect and appoint the president in general elections, the president is actually imposed through the unopposed popular referenda. The passing of presidential title by virtue of hereditary entitlement is quite apparent although the constitution says the government is of the republic form. And many attempts are made by the government to remove the opposing forces and continue to pass the title in this way. For example, in order to make Bashar (Hafiz al-Assad’s son), eligible for nomination in the presidential election, th e minimum age restriction was changed from 40 to 34 in 2000. Moreover the people cannot change the government. Most of the power resides with the president and he has the power to dissolve the legislature as well. The People’s Assembly may criticize the government’s policy or express its views on the economic matters, but it cannot initiate the law. The degree of public accountability is minimum and the government does not tolerate any political opposition (Mongabay). Syrian and U.S Political Systems Compared In this section

Fashion journalism and Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Fashion journalism and Internet - Essay Example It is not clear when this great disparity in the presentation of media began, but it is evident that there has been a great change in the presentation of fashion journalism by the media (Hall-Duncan 1979 pp.23). Among the contrivances that led to the development of fashion journalism before the introduction of internet include use of print media like magazines, televisions that aroused the curiosity of many people towards journalism. Breward (2003 pp.18) indicates that with the invention of internet, the mass had already devised an idea about fashion and its benefits. It is as a result of internet that people who had already invested or rather had an interest in the field of fashion journalism ended up presenting their ideas in a better and easier way. These personalities not only ventured in their localities but in a global context. The advent of the internet, however, seemed unwelcome by many individuals, not aware of the fact that it was bound to benefit various aspects of the eco nomy, fashion journalism being one of them. ... Deuze (2007 pp.19) on the other hand indicates that the numbers of people who purchase fashion magazines as a source of information related to culture have resulted into a shift in the use of internet as a source of information. Magazines and articles related to fashion have recorded a tremendous decrease in sales per annum, due to the fact that a majority of the people prefers the use of the internet. Majority of the households in the UK have access to the internet and find it cheaper to use the internet to update themselves on fashion unlike the print media, which majority of the people toady refer to it as stressful ‘paper work’. Freedman (2006 pp.61) traces the advent of the internet on the promotion of fashion journalism in the early twentieth century. Majority of the journalists had an easier time covering stories on fashion with the use of the internet unlike in the era of ‘darkness’ (Fuery 2009 pp.56). This essay will endeavor to highlight and critic ally analyze the impacts of the advent and use of the internet in fashion journalism according to the views of various analysts that have contributed to this topic. The essay will also attempt to highlight specific examples of the use of the internet in various circumstances to improve on fashion journalism. 1.1. Body 1.1.1. Access to material The internet has influenced fashion journalism in various ways. Thanks to the internet, many journalists in the field of journalism are in a good position to view as many images as they can form the internet. This is unlike before when the journalists only relied on information that was presented by specific print media. In short, the journalists were not presented with a

Tell us about 2 activities that is important to you, and why (1 page Essay

Tell us about 2 activities that is important to you, and why (1 page per activity) - Essay Example In similar terms, societal predicaments seem to fascinate a number of people, challenging them to ethically reflect on past transgressions before moving forward towards promising prospects (Katz 70). In a way, reading news articles can make people recall things that had already happened, but still have a way of influencing the habits of the present. All these are important points that are deemed logical to the reason behind the practice of reading daily newspapers. On the part of the writer, all these partly account for the reasons why news articles are important. Most importantly, the act of reading relevant news can stimulate the mind of an academic individual. Although not all people claim this as such, there is a cognitive development happening when new pieces of information are assimilated. Old beliefs are replaced, while blank slates in the mind are rejuvenated. All in all, the act of reading news articles fulfills not only the natural instinct of every person to learn, at best , it promotes the learned response exhibited by a well-read individual. The more one learns, the more open-minded the behavior is towards self and environment in general.

Politics of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Politics of Globalization - Essay Example The increase in foreign inventory and trade deficit are blamed for the decrease in wages, decrease in incomes, and the exploitation of low income workers in developing nations. In addition, conservatives in the United States believe that government regulation affects the country’s economy, therefore recommending that the market should have the freedom to regulate itself. The conservatives argue that excessive government regulation leads to a crowd-out situation (test item 2, p.4). Globalization has also transformed the world, an issue that raises concern on the rising irregularities; for instance, illegal drug trade in Mexico, gang violence, human trafficking and the import of tainted drugs and food from foreign countries such as China. These are the negative effects of globalization, which could cost loss of innocent lives; Mendelson adds that the government should intervene through creating a balance in competition, and control globalization (test item 2, p. 3). In addition, the hunger for energy or natural resources leads to unfair competition, and global race, which may create instability of nations. Moreover, globalization can be viewed as a zero sum game, mainly because growth of jobs and opportunities in the fast developing nations like China makes them winners, while high levels of unemployment and poor living standards in some states like Indiana, in United States, result in such states being losers. In addition, globalization is said to create inequality among countries, as the developed nations continue to succeed.

'Loser Pays' Rules Make A Comeback Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

'Loser Pays' Rules Make A Comeback - Article Example Under the current system, lawsuits have proven to be outrageously expensive for corporations. These lawsuits have generated up to $73 billion being paid by corporations, out of which a staggering amount of $17 billion has made its way into the pockets of plaintiff attorneys. Out of the latter, the plaintiffs fail to claim the amount that rightfully belongs to their corporation. The implemented taxes that should serve to protect shareholders instead cause more harm due to added litigation charges. Lawsuits are initiated because of a third party harming the corporations. These lawsuits add to the damage and do little to control the initial problems. Because there are no added costs involved, shareholders have been relentlessly filing lawsuits against the third parties that harm corporations. In such an event, the authorities have decided to implement a loser-pays rule. According to this rule, the party which loses in the trial has to pay the costs incurred by the winner as well. Since the trial never really subjects the parties to any costs whatsoever, through this rule, the shareholders will have to take precautions before going ahead with the lawsuit. This is because the probability of winning a trial is not definite for all cases. Therefore, shareholders are risking higher costs when initiating a lawsuit. If they lose, they will have to ‘compensate’ for the resulting costs incurred by the winning party. The loser-pays rule is very different from the American Rule applied in the United States. Under the latter, the long-term shareholders bear the costs of added litigation which are not obvious at the time of the trial. This rule is not new to economies as it has been the basis of shareholder lawsuits in the United Kingdom. If this rule is implemented it would alter the business model currently being followed by introducing actual financial risk. However, this rule needs to be implemented at the

American us history to 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American us history to 1877 - Essay Example While it could be expected for the government and the system to have certain rights associated with liberty and life, yet the King of Britain was found to incorporate laws that completely restricted the freedom of the colonies of the United States, and the colonies had been patiently suffering. The King had refused his assent to laws that were needed for the benefit of the public as a whole. He also didn’t allow his Governors to pass those laws that were more important needed immediate attention (The Declaration of Independence). The King restricted the accommodation of people from large districts and would allow them only if they renounced the right of representation in the legislature. He chose unusual and uncomfortable locations that were far away from the depository of public records for meetings with legislative bodies intending to exhaust them by making them comply with his measures. He obstructed the laws for Naturalization of Foreigners preventing the population of the States. Not only these, he also affected the independence of the military and civil power (The Declaration of Independence). Considering these above mentioned activities of the King, the Declaration of Independence was written to explain these reasons that restricted the independence of the States and that the States wanted to take measures against such tyranny of the King of Britain. The Representatives of the United States of America thus assembled to the Supreme Judge of the world and wanted their intentions to be supported that were meant for the good of the public in general giving them the right to be free and independent (The Declaration of Independence). From the above study, it could thus be learnt that the Declaration of Independence was written in order to reach out to the common mankind with the injustice and tyranny that they were been targets of under the rule of the then

Security Survey Essay Example for Free

Security Survey Essay A security survey at Reedy Recovery Company was conducted on September 15, 2011 by Amy Reedy who was invited and retained by DeVry University for a security assessment. Information in the report was obtained from James Write, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial officer, and Rhonda Forbes, Facilities Manager, personal observations were done by James Write during the inspection of the DeVry facility. The intentions of this report are a detailed audit of all security aspects and phases of the Reedy Recovery Company. Our company will review and evaluate areas and activities that are considered most vulnerable to theft and safety risks. It is not the intentions of Reedy Recovery Company or the writer of this report to evaluate DeVry’s employees or their integrity and this is not what this report will attempt to do. We are solely here for the security of the company alone. Summary Reedy Recovery Company is a business that acquires PC components from a number of sources, we then look them over and transform them to perform better and enhance security features on them and return them back to our clients. We are a company owned 80 percent by Pccorp and 20 percent byPCfix. com. Other services include building and assembly of Pc’s. We at Reedy Recovery Company are ranked number one in the market in the PC security industry. The Reedy Recovery Company has a great process in handling our clients merchandise and it is a very promising and satisfactory process. All of our products are equipped with ESN or model numbers, these can be scanned or imputed my hand by the receiver of the product. This insures that the product is imputed in to our computerized inventory tracking system and is safe and secure until ready for repair or production. When handled by each person in the process of repairs they are also required to scan or hand enter the model number so you the client can see where your merchandise is and it what stage it is at so you have an idea of the retrieval of your product. Before it is placed with the rest of the shipments it is scanned again so that the tracking of your device is easy for you to follow allowing you to know the date of delivery. Details General information The DeVry Center is located on a four-acre plot of land in downtown New York City. It is a 30-story corporate tower high-rise, which includes 1,250 underground parking garage spaces and a rooftop garden. Construction of the building was completed in December of 2008, and 27 of the 30 floors are occupied by tenants. Currently, there are 1,800 tenants in the building, which has a maximum capacity of 2,000. There are several computer rooms, a restricted control and observation room, a records room, human resource area which contains records, scanners and critical information. Since the end of construction in December of 2008 they have designed different access to areas to limit employees from entering an area in which they are not granted access. Due to the heavy and ongoing work of these employees, future or potential employees are processed by Reedy Recovery Company. In which we do back ground checks and drug screening. All employees present and future need sign a confidentially agreement stating that at any given time and without giving them a reason that their office space, computers, emails and files may be searched. And any employee not willing to sign this agreement may be asked to leave the company or can chose not to be hired as a direct result of not signing the agreement. Physical security DeVry is a 24 hour operating facility from the hours of 8am to 5pm there is a receptionist stationed at the front reception desk. Beginning at 5pm a security officer takes the place of the receptionist. Badges with bar codes are provided for every employee and visitor that contains their credentials, on it showing who they are what areas they are allowed to visit and what position they maintain at the company. A sign in log is also located on the desk and upon arrival the person must sign in and have their badge swiped for recognition that the person is who they claim to be and authorization to the facility. These badges are also used as swipe cards to gain access to an area, once swiped the doors will either open or give an error message that says access denied. Being that all doors are electronic and can only be opened with a badge swipe there is a 4 hour backup system that incase of fire or power outage will allow access to evacuate the premises if the power fails. In the head of security managers office there is a lock box which contains keys as well so if the system fails electronically it may be opened by key. From 8am to 5pm a security officer is patrolling the outside perimeter and the garage and garden area. A cleaning crew is also part of the DeVry facility however because of clearance issues they are accompanied by a security officer to every area they go to ensure they are cleaning and cleaning only. Alarm Systems DeVry is equipped with an alarm system by ADT however the system has never been armed and only the CEO knows the pass code. Out of the 30 stories there are only two emergency exists on the premises. There are two fire pull switches both located on the first floor, fire detectors are installed but no kind of sprinkler system is located in the building, only a single fire extinguisher. CCTV There are cctvs located on several of the floors totaling a count of 12 all together. The recordings of these can be viewed for a period of 30 days and after that are erased automatically. There are three locations these can be viewed, one is the reception desk, one is located in the facility managers office and the other in the control room at the shipping and receiving area. Visitors All visitors must check in at the receptions desk be given an id badge and sign in on the visitors log book. Inventory Control The access to the vault is limited to 6 employees. The CEO, Facility Manager, Security manager and the head of shipping and receiving along with 2 shipping and receiving employees. There is one camera located at the desk pointing at the vault itself. There is no log for the person entering it or if they have a visitor with them anything to sign or check before entering. Shipping and Receiving The shipping and receiving area is located inside the vault equipped with three doors for items to be dropped off or picked up. The access to this area is limited to the personnel listed above. Access is granted only by use of the swipe badge by the electronic system. There is no use of CCTV in the vault, but at the request of DeVry Reedy Recovery system has installed a lock box for additional security of the items. As items are processed in or out of the facility they are scanned in to the system for tracking insurance. Recommendations The security procedures of Reedy Recovery Company have proven to be thorough and extremely effective. As badges are used and swiped upon entry to the building and a sign in log used, it would be in the best interest for DeVry to also ask to see another form of ID such as a driver’s license to ensure that the person is who they claim to be. It is also in the best interest of DeVry to include in their badges tracking software that logs entry to areas and monitoring the persons activities while inside the facility. As for the reception desk it is recommended that a buzzer be placed on the outside of the entry door so that the person has to be allowed access to the facility, along with this another CCTV should be set on the outside of the door so that he or she can see the door and who is standing there before buzzing a person in. It is also recommended that the security officer who patrols the grounds while the receptionist is at her desk not only do it between the hours of 8am and 5pm, but that shift are made to patrol the grounds at all times, as anyone could find out this schedule and attempt to breach the facility when they know an officer is not patrolling after 5pm. As there are alarm systems available to the company but not being used it is recommended that these systems be armed at all times and employees be made aware of these alarms, what areas will set the alarms off, and how they should use them properly and safely as to not engage them and cause a scare that is not an actual threat. These can also be in correlation with the badge swipe system. The CCTV as it is good to have should be increased to one on every floor at each end of a hall way, placed inside the vault area for monitoring. Also the 30 days of saved recording times should be changed to a 60 day period in case something is found late it can be reviewed as needed. Also it is recommended that a CCTV be placed in the parking garages, and on the roof garden for better monitoring of the grounds, TV monitors should be placed at the reception desk, the Security Managers office and one in the control room or viewing of these areas as well. Access to visitors should not be so easy, when entering the building the receptionist or security officer whoever is on duty should log the signature of the visitor, make a copy of his or her driver’s license for security reasons and also compare the picture on the ID to the person giving it to them. Only after this should they be given a badge to allow them access to the facility. The person on duty should be aware that if a person who presents an ID that is not theirs or seems to be false, they should excuse themselves and call the security manager immediately so that proper action can be taken and local authorities notified. We spoke of fire alarms and emergency exists. As of now they are located only on the first floor. It is recommended that one fire exit be placed on each floor with access to a fire escape passage in case of a fire. Besides the two pull switches on the first floor one should be located in an easy to reach area on each floor. Also sprinkler systems should be installed on every floor and in the vault area so in case of a fire, the sprinkler systems can attempt to control the fire while the local fire department is on its way. This goes with using the security system also, when the security system provided by ADT is activated if a fire does break out ADT is notified and calls the local fire department for you, so you can rest assure help is on the way. The vault area should have CCTV on every door where the shipping and receiving goes on. A camera should be added to the hallway area monitoring employees there. Another CCTV should be monitoring the lobby outside the vault area and it should be able to be viewed by employees inside the vault area. Shipping and receiving should be more closely monitored especially when some of the items are being picked up by and external carrier. These people should also show ID for the company they are working for and along with signing the receiving slip also sign in to a log book with their name, time, date and what they are picking up and dropping off. Please be advised that these are the recommendations of Reedy Recovery Company and we take great pride in being given the opportunity to assist you in your security needs for your facility. You can rest assured that your company will be at little risk if you take these recommendations and put them to work for you. It has been a pleasure in assisting you in increasing the security of your company and if you have any other concerns or questions please feel free to contact our office and ask to speak to me directly.

The Introduction And Background Of Sime Darby Finance Essay

The Introduction And Background Of Sime Darby Finance Essay The Sime Darby in 1910 got the name from two European business partners by name; William Sime and Henry Darby. William Sime, a traveler and adventurer from Scotland, ventured to Malaysia when he was in his late 30s. Sime Darby Berhad is the largest conglomerate in Malaysia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia . Within its territory are more than 270 operating companies in 23 countries, while foreign operations in Hong Kong of which account for 25% of revenues, Singapore (14 %), and Australia (11%). The company generates 38 percent of its revenues domestically. Its broadly diversified activities include a wide range of industries, with the core businesses being plantations including oil palm and the companys original business, rubber, tire manufacturing, heavy equipment and motor vehicle distribution, property development, power generation, and engineering services. Natural rubber synthetic rubber was still being developed and had just been introduced to the country from Brazil. Sime and other entrepreneurs at the time recognized that the climate of Malaysias jungle region was similar to that of Brazils. Therefore, rubber could just as easily be grown in that country and sold not only in Malaysia but throughout Southeast Asia and the world. However, Sime Darby encountered opposition to its venture from locals, who were wary of outsiders coming in to operate a plantation in Malacca, in order to overcome this, Sime and Darby forged friendships with several members of the Chinese business community. The company expanded, becoming a manager for owners of other plantations and then moving into the trading end of the industry. Sime set up a branch office in Singapore in 1915 and shortly thereafter established a marketing office in London. Demand for rubber eventually outstripped Sime Darbys production capacity, and by the late 1920s the company found it necessary to clear more jungle. To do so, Sime Darby purchased Sarawak Trading Company in 1929. Sarawak (later renamed Tractors Malaysia) held the franchise for Caterpillar heavy earthmoving equipment. That important purchase signaled Sime Darbys expansion into the heavy equipment business, which would eventually become a major component of its expansive network. In 1936 the companys head office was relocated from Malacca to Singapore. Sime Darby made a fortune in the global rubber industry during the 1920s and 1930s. Growth in the industry began to fade, however, as natural rubber was gradually supplanted by synthetic rubber. Sales of natural rubber boomed during World War II as warring nations purchased all available supplies. The war, however, also led to significant advancements in synthetic rubber technology. A good deal of it was used to acquire other companies, thereby expanding Sime Darbys reach into several other industries. Much of Sime Darbys success during that period was attributable to its acquisition of the giant Seafield Estate in 1971 and the establishment of Consolidated Plantations Berhad that same year. Through Consolidated Plantations, which became the companys main plantation subsidiary, Sime Darby became a leading force in the regions thriving agricultural sector. In addition to growing the oil palms and cocoa, the company began processing the crops into finished products for sale throughout the world. As its sales and profits spiraled upward during the early and mid-1970s, Sime Darby became a shiny feather in Britains cap. To the surprise and chagrin of the British stockholders, however, the company was wrested from their control by the Malaysian government late in 1976. The intriguing events leading up to the takeover began in the early 1970s. During that time, Sime Darbys chief executive, Denis Pinder, began investing the companys cash in new subsidiaries throughout the world. The companys stock price soared as Sime Darbys sales spiraled upward. At the same time, some observers charged that Sime Darby was engaged in corrupt business practices (with critics coining the phrase Slime Darby). Allegations of corruption were confirmed in the eyes of some detractors when, in 1973, Darbys outside auditor was found stabbed to death in his bathtub. The Singapore police ruled the death a suicide, but Pinder still ended up in prison on misdemeanor charges. Pinders successor took up where he left off, investing in numerous ventures, most of which were located in Europe. Unfortunately, many of those investments quickly soured. Some Malaysians felt that Sime Darby was taking profits from its successful domestic operations and investing them unwisely overseas. So, in 1976 the Malaysian government trading office bought up Sime Darby shares on the London stock exchange. It effectively gained control of the company and installed a board made up mostly of Asians. Also in 1976, Asian and British board members were able to agree that Tun Tan Chen Locks son, Tun Tan Siew Sin, would be an acceptable replacement as chairman of Sime Darbys board. In 1978 Sime Darby was reincorporated in Malaysia as Sime Darby Berhad. Its headquarters was moved to Kuala Lumpur the following year. Staggering in the Early 1980s; Rebounding in the Late 1980s and Early 1990s Sime Darby jettisoned some of its poorly performing assets during the late 1970s and early 1980s under Locks leadership. But it also continued investing in new ventures. It purchased the tire-making operations of B.F. Goodrich Philippines in 1981, for example, and secured the franchise rights to sell Apple Computers in southeast Asia in 1982. The addition of B.F. Goodrich Philippines marked the companys entrance into the tire manufacturing sector; also in 1981 came the establishment of Sime Darby International Tire Company, which in 1988 was renamed Sime Darby Pilipinas, Inc. In 1984 the company purchased a large stake in a Malaysian real estate development company, United Estates Berhad, and used it to begin developing plantation lands. This company later was renamed Sime UEP Properties Berhad. In Malaysia, Sime Darby acquired the franchises for BMW, Ford, and Land Rover vehicles. By the early 1980s Sime Darbys push to diversify had given it a place in almost every industry, from agricultural and manufacturing to finance and real estate. Although it did diversify into heavy equipment, real estate, and insurance businesses, new management also plowed significant amounts of cash into the companys traditional commodity and plantation operations. Sime Darby became a favorite of investors looking for a safe bet. Indeed, the mammoth enterprise tended to minimize risks after the investment mistakes of the early 1970s and seemed content to operate as a slow-growth multinational behemoth that could withstand any market downturns. Even if something did go wrong, the company had a war chest of nearly a half billion U.S. dollars from which it could draw. Unfortunately, Sime Darbys staid strategy negatively impacted its bottom line. Sales dipped to M $2.78 billion in 1992 before plunging to M$2.17 billion in 1983. Sime Darby lumbered through the mid-1980s with annual sales of less than M$2.5 billion, and net income skidded from about M$100 million in the early 1980s to a low M$59 million in 1987. To turn things around, Sime Darbys board promoted Tunku Ahmad Yahaya to chief executive. Ahmad was a veteran of the companys executive ranks and was a favorite nephew of Malaysias first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Under Ahmads direction, the giant corporation began a slow turnaround. Significantly, Ahmad was instrumental in luring Tun Ismail to Sime Darbys board. Ismail was a highly influential central bank governor and the chairman of Sime Darbys biggest shareholder. Ismail became nonexecutive chairman of the company following the death of Tun Tan Siew Sin in 1988. During the late 1980s and early 1990s Ahmad invested much of Sime Darbys cash hoard into a bevy of new companies and ventures. Sime became a relatively big player in the global reinsurance business, for example, and tried to boost its activities related to heavy equipment and vehicle manufacturing. Most notably, Sime began pouring millions of dollars into property and tourism in key growth areas of Malaysia in an effort to get in on the development and tourism boom that began in that nation in the late 1980s. The success of that division prompted the company to invest as well in tourism overseas. Through its UEP subsidiary, for instance, Sime Darby bought a full-service resort with condominiums in Florida (Sandestin Resorts) and a hotel in Australia, among other enterprises. As the company dumped its cash into expansion and diversification, sales and profits bolted. Revenues climbed from M$2.53 billion in 1987 to M$4.98 billion in 1990 to M$6.20 billion in 1992. During the same perio d, net income soared from M$85 million to M$353 million. Sime Darby realized a stunning 65 percent average annual growth in earnings during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Despite its gains, though, critics charged that the company had concentrated too heavily on traditional commodity industries and had failed to move into the 1990s with the rest of Malaysia. In fact, Sime Darby continued to garner about 43 percent of its sales from commodity trading activities in 1993 and only 18 percent from manufacturing. The rest came from heavy equipment distribution, insurance, and its property/tourism holdings. Although building strength in those businesses had added to the companys sales and profits during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the strategy had caused Sime Darby to fall behind more progressive holding companies in the region that were participating in booming high-tech, gaming, brokering, and manufacturing sectors. Many company insiders believed that Sime Darby would have to eliminate its heavy reliance on commodity industries if it wante d to sustain long-term growth. The Crisis The companys stock price began to fall in 1993 and its rapid revenue and profit growth began to subside in comparison with late 1980s levels. In 1993 Ahmad stepped back from control of the company when he named Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob to serve under him as chief executive. Among Mohameds first moves was to initiate the merger of the companys plantation assets, organized as Consolidated Plantations, and the parent company, The company also bolstered its regional insurance business in 1993 by joining forces with AXA of France for its insurance operations in Malaysia and Singapore. These efforts signaled an end to the companys historical emphasis on commodities and reflected Mohameds desires to increase activity in manufacturing, high-tech, financial services, and other fast-growth businesses and reduce Sime Darbys bureaucracy. The turn around after the crisis The company began increasing investments in businesses such as power generation, oil and gas, and heavy equipment exporting. In heavy equipment, Sime Darby bought the Australian distributor of Caterpillar equipment, Hastings Deering (Australia) Ltd., in 1993. In power generation, a key move came in 1994 when Sime Darby took a 40 percent interest in Port Dickson Power Sdn. Bhd., an independent power producer in Malaysia. That same year, the company acquired U.K.-based Lec Refrigeration plc, which was involved in the manufacturing, marketing, and servicing of refrigeration equipment and related products. At the same time, Mohamed worked to absorb the flurry of acquisitions conducted during the previous several years and streamline the company into some sort of cohesive whole. Despite restructuring activities, Sime Darby managed to boost sales to US$3.15 billion in 1994, about US$186 million of which was netted as income. In 1995 Sime Darby stepped up its acquisition drive through the purchase of a controlling 60.4 percent interest in United Malayan Banking Corporation from Datuk Keramat Holdings Berhad. The US$520 million purchase deepened the companys involvement in the countrys fast-growing financial services sector. United Malayan, which was the fourth largest bank in Malaysia in terms of assets, soon was reorganized as Sime Bank Berhad, with the companys brokerage arm becoming a subsidiary of Sime Bank under the name Sime Securities Sdn. Bhd. For the fiscal year ending in June 1997 Sime Darby posted record net income of M$835.8 million (US$322.9 million) on record revenues of M$13.24 billion (US$4.35 billion). Sime Bank and SimeSecurities played a key role in these stellar results (accounting for 30 percent of pretax earnings), but the eruption of the Asian financial crisis in July 1997 quickly proved that the acquisition of United Malayan had been ill-timed, if not also ill-advised. The severity of the crisis in Malaysia, which included a steep decline in the Malaysian stock market and a sharp depreciation of the ringgit (the nations currency), led Sime Bank to post the largest loss in Malaysian banking historyM$1.6 billion (US$431 million) for the six months to December 1997. In turn, Sime Darby posted its first loss in decades for the same six-month period, a loss of M$676.2 million ($172.7 million). With other Sime Darby units being hit hard by the crisis as well, the company posted the first full-year loss in its clo se to 90-year history in the 1998 fiscal year, a net loss of M$540.9 million (US$131 million). Subsequently ,it beat a hasty retreat from its aggressive expansion, determining that the prudent course would be a return to the companys core areas: plantations, property development, tire manufacturing, heavy equipment and motor vehicle distribution, and power generation. In June 1999 Sime Darby sold Sime Bank and its SimeSecurities subsidiary to Rashid Hussain, who merged it with RHB Bank to form the second largest commercial bank in Malaysia. During the 1999 fiscal year, the company also sold Sandestin Resorts for US$131 million. In 1999,it returned to the black with net earnings of M$821.8 million (US$216.3 million) on revenues of M$9.91 billion (US$2.61 billion). A further pull-back from the financial services sector came in March 2000 when Sime Darby sold its interest in Sime AXA, its insurance joint venture with AXA of France. Meantime, an area of growing interest was emerging at the turn of the millennium as Sime Darby increased its interest in Port Dickson Power to 60 percent, giving it majority control and turning Port Dickson into a company subsidiary. Flush with cash from the sale of its financial services units, Sime Darby appeared poised to make additional forays into the power generation sector. Given the near disaster of its aggressive moves into financial services, however, the company was likely to proceed with much caution in all of its future expansionary endeavors in a return to its traditional style of conservative management. Business activities: Plantation: Plantation is Sime Darby largest revenue generator with about 70% of the conglomerate profits come from this segment. The company operates palm oil and rubber plantations in Malaysia and Indonesian islands of Sumatera, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. With a land bank of over 633,000 hectares, including 300,000 hectares in Indonesia, it is one of the largest plantation company in the world. Property: The company is involved in the property development business in eight countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, PeopleHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Republic_of_ChinaHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Republic_of_Chinas Republic of China, Australia and United Kingdom. Industrial and Monitoring :The company is involved in the purchasing, leasing and selling of industrial equipment such as Caterpillar Inc. heavy duty trucks and tractors.. it has partnership with Ford, it sells Fords cars and trucks together with the Land Rover brand. It is also a major BMW dealer in Singapore, Australia and Thailand. In Southern China, the company sells BMW and Rolls-Royce. In addition, Sime Darby co-owns Inokom Corp Bhd, a joint-venture with Hyundai Motor Company which assembles and sells Hyundai vehicles in Malaysia. Energy Utilities: The company is an Oil and Gas services company which provides equipment for exploring oil and gas assets in the South East Asia region. The company is also an independent power provider in Malaysia and Thailand. The company also provides engineering services in the system integration and sales sectors, security and oil gas sectors. Healthcare: The company owns hospital named Sime Darby Medical Centre Subang Jaya Sdn. Bhd ,SDMC Formerly known as Subang Jaya Medical Centre, and college formerly known as SJMC Academy of Nursing and Health Sciences which was established in 1995 and now is known as Sime Darby Nursing and Health Sciences College. Other businesses: The company has a port utility company named Weifang Sime Darby Port Co Ltd. Other businesses that the company is involved in include healthcare, aerospace (divested from Asian Composites Manufacturing (ACM) in 2009), bedding, consumer and industrial products, logistics and packing.The company also owns the 30% of the Malaysian arm of Tesco stores. Sustainable Practices: Sime Darby plantations implemented Zero Burning Planting Techniques Techniques (ZBPT), a practical and environmentally sound technique of replanting, in 1989. The Board of director and audit committee profile: Company Profile Bhg Dato Mohd Bakke, was chosen on13th May 2010 as the new president and group chief executive (PGCE) and formerly group president/CEO of Felda Global ventures Holdings SDN Bhd, he has necessary experience in corporate restructuring exercises as well as in management expertise in the plantation. Dato Azhar Abdul Hamid, Chairman,board of Directors and Managing Director of Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd. He is head of the Sime Darby Groups Plantation and Agri-business Division Internal and External Audit Duties and comments To say that the group had processes in place its just that they had not been implemented properly certainly laughable because it is all too  familiar. If one was to seriously respond to this excuse, it would be that is why you have internal and external auditors. And when the internal auditors raised the red flag in August 2008, it was conveniently swept under the carpet! If the excuse was that, the non-executive independent directors were obliged to give the benefit of the doubt to management, the external auditors, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) certainly had no such obligation or professional reason to do so! This was their red flag to delve into the issue of cost over-runs including its recovery of such costs. This is no more an ordinary run of the mill statutory audit. PWC had been put on enquiry and were obliged to look into the concern meticulously. The question to be answered is that, what did PWC do? They signed off the accounts of Sime Darby for 2008 and 2009 with a clean audit report! Not even an emphasis of matter especially on the possible cost over-runs and its recoverability! The fact that official media had highlighted these matters, besides the media report prior to the finalization of the 2008 and 2009 accounts speak volumes about the role (or lack of it) of PWC The official media currently has been quite polite about this latest incident .yes, they have been polite relatively speaking, but if you read in between the lines, the insinuation is the total collapse in the check and balance roles of the other parties involved with Sime Darby notably the auditors and members of the Audit Committee headed by the ex-chairman of PWC. Andrew Sheng, a proponent of strong corporate governance is unfortunately embroiled in this mess as director and he cannot easily extricate himself out of this especially when he was appointed in 2007.He has to regain credibility by insisting massive and fundamental changes to the way things are done in the Malaysian corporate world in general and Sime Darby in particular. The audit committee In April 2008, for example, there were news reports that Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd had incurred cost overruns of between RM120mil and RM150mil in its offshore engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning project for Maersk Oil Qatar (MOQ). In February 2009, a report also alleged that there had been costs overruns in the same project, but this time, the figure mentioned was far bigger. At a media briefing on Feb 4, Zubir dismissed this: Theres no such thing as the RM800mil losses. The Minority Watchdog Group (MSWG) wrote to Sime Darby chairman Tun Musa Hitam in March 2009 on issues in the energy and utilities division. At the companys AGM last November, the MSWG also raised questions about the divisions shrinking bottom-line. Moreover, it has been reported that Sime Darbys internal auditor has come up with reports highlighting the divisions losses and that longtime independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) had delayed signing off Sime Engineerings 2008 accounts. Boardroom strength: The former executive director of a Big Four firm says When PwC does not sign off the accounts of a significant subsidiary of listed company and yet signs off the parent companys accounts. It is understood that the auditors could issue an unqualified audit opinion on the Sime Darby accounts despite not doing so for Sime Engineering because the issue in dispute at the Sime Engineering level was not material on a group basis. The current public discussions about accountability and the suggestions that more heads must roll at Sime Darby are making the headlines, but the core underlying issue is quite different: How could this mess have happened in spite of the conglomerates governance structure and controls? Going by the information in the annual report 2009, Sime Darbys system of checks and balances at the boardroom and top management level is sturdy and robust, befitting its status as a sprawling multinational corporation. Beside Ahmad Zubir, Sime Darby has 12 directors. Half of these are independent directors and all 12 are non-executive directors. Together, they form a team with deep and varied experience and knowledge. Among the independent board members are stalwarts such as Musa, Raja Tan Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda, Datuk Seri Panglima Andrew Sheng and Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali.You cant accuse the board of being sleepy. There are some heavyweights there, says the research head of a foreign investment house. Yet, the directors have missed the extent of Sime Darbys project woes until, reportedly, PwC went to Musa last year to express its concerns over the energy and utilities division. In the financial year 2009, there were 12 board meetings. Not many listed companies in Malaysia hold these meetings this frequently. In addition, there are seven board committees and they each meet several times a year. Above all, Sime Darby has supervisory committees that were set up to assist the board in the oversight of the respective divisions (of the company). The board has identified certain non-executive directors to sit on these committees. Definitely, this is not a case of the directors having limited exposure to the companys management and affairs. So how is it that the many warning signs had not prompted the board to initiate a probe until October last year, when it established a board work group to review the energy and utilities divisions operations? The boards defenders say the management convinced the directors that in spite of the auditors concerns and the rumors, the situation was under control. The argument here is that the board has to constantly maintain a balance between objectivity and the ability to work well with the management. In other words, in the absence of strong evidence to the contrary, the board saw no reason to doubt the information provided by the management. That is why, it took a bit of time for the Sime Darby board to get into full swing once it became clear that it must investigate the corporate governance and performance of the division. The directors have to shift from a position of trus t to skepticism to disbelief and finally, to outrage, says a corporate insider Rajawas executive chairman and senior partner for 18 years, retired from PwC in June 30, 2005. Raja Arshad was appointed to the board of the pre-merger Sime Darby on July 1, 2007 exactly two years later, thus fulfilling the criterion for boardroom independence at Sime Darby. Raja Arshad was not necessarily the best choice to head Sime Darbys audit committee, PwC insisted that his position in the audit committee does not change how the firm conducts its audit of Sime Darby. Therefore, what is PwCs part in the Sime Darby fiasco? The four key findings disclosed by Sime Darby on May 13 was that , only one decision to reverse revenue of RM200mil for the Qatar Petroleum project relates to a matter taken up in accounts already audited. The other three relate to items that have only surfaced in the current financial year. This means PwC could not have known about these figures until it begins auditing Sime Darbys 2010 accounts. Nevertheless, some in the accounting fraternity say this may be a test case for the newly constituted Audit Oversight Board.

The Maternity Leave Benefits

The Maternity Leave Benefits The governments of every high-income economy in the world take measures to support parents in their efforts to care for newborn children. These policies reflect the national interest in promoting the health and well-being of infants and young children as well as societys recognition that the first months and years of a childs life require substantial and sustained attention from parents. THE LEGAL BACKGROUND OF MATERNITY LEAVE BENEFITS IN THE PHILIPPINES The words of the law itself, as guaranteed and embodied in no less than the highest and fundamental law of the land, affords utmost protection and safety to women, taking into high consideration their maternal functions. The exact provision avowingto such intention can be found in Article XIII, Section 14 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution  [2]  , which states that: Section 14. The State shall protect working women by providing safe and healthful working conditions, taking into account their maternal functions, and such facilities and opportunities that will enhance their welfare and enable them to realize their full potential in the service of the nation. Such intent of the law is further reiterated and emphasized in the provisions of Article 133 of the Labor Code of the Philippines as it expressly recognizes the need for, and grants to women employees Maternity Leave Benefits. The exact provisions of said Article 133 are as follows: ART. 133. Maternity leave benefits.  [3]   Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employee who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six (6) months for the last twelve (12) months, maternity leave of at least two (2) weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four (4) weeks after normal delivery or abortion with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages. The employer may require from any woman employee applying for maternity leave the production of a medical certificate stating that delivery will probably take place within two weeks. The maternity leave shall be extended without pay on account of illness medically certified to arise out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work, unless she has earned unused leave credits from which such extended leave may be charged. The maternity leave provided in this Article shall be paid by the employer only for the first four (4) deliveries by a woman employee after the effectivity of this Code. Another statutory provision which further upholds the governments intent in providing women employees certain benefits in relation to the exercise of their maternal functions is Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161 (An Act to Create a Social Security System Providing Sickness, Unemployment, Retirement, Disability and Death Benefits for Employees), better known as the Social Security Law. It more specifically provides for the conditions on how such benefits can be availed of. Section 14-A. Maternity Leave Benefit.  [4]   A covered female employee who has paid at least three monthly maternity contributions in the twelve-month period preceding the semester of her childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage and who is currently employed shall be paid a daily maternity benefit equivalent to one hundred per cent of her present basic salary, allowances and other benefits or the cash equivalents of such benefits for sixty days subject to the following conditions: That the employee shall have notified her employer of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth which notice shall be transmitted to the SSS in accordance with the rules and regulations it may provide; That the payment shall be advanced by the employer in two equal installments within thirty days from the filing of the maternity leave application; That in case of caesarean delivery, the employees shall be paid the daily maternity benefit for seventy-eight days; That payment of daily maternity benefits shall be a bar to the recovery of sickness benefits provided by this Act for the same compensable period of sixty days for the same childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage; That the maternity benefits provided under this section shall be paid only for the first four deliveries after March 13, 1973; That the SSS shall immediately reimburse the employer of one hundred per cent of the amount of maternity benefits advanced to the employee by the employer upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof; and That if an employee should give birth or suffer abortion or miscarriage without the required contributions having been remitted for her by her employer to the SSS, or without the latter having been previously notified by the employer of time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee would otherwise have been entitled to, and the SSS shall in turn pay such amount to the employee concerned. The aforementioned provision was amended in the year 1992 by Republic Act No. 7322 entitled, An Act Increasing Maternity Benefits in Favor of Women Workers in the Private Sector, Amending for the Purpose Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161, as Amended, and for Other Purposes. The exact words of the law as taken from the said statute are as follows: SEC. 14-A. Maternity Leave Benefit.  [5]  -A covered female employee who has paid at least three monthly maternity contributions in the twelve-month period preceding the semester of her childbirth, abortion or miscarriage and who is currently employed shall be paid a daily maternity benefit equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of her present basic salary, allowances and other benefits or the cash equivalent of such benefits for sixty (60) days subject to the following conditions: That the employee shall have notified her employer of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth which notice shall be transmitted to the SSS in accordance with the rules and regulations it may provide; That the payment shall be advanced by the employer in two equal installments within thirty (30) days from the filing of the maternity leave application: That in case of caesarean delivery, the employee shall be paid the daily maternity benefit for seventy-eight (78) days; That payment of daily maternity benefits shall be a bar to the recovery of sickness benefits provided by this Act for the same compensable period of sixty (60) days for the same childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage; That the maternity benefits provided under this Section shall be paid only for the first four deliveries after March 13, 1973; That the SSS shall immediately reimburse the employer of one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of maternity benefits advanced to the employee by the employer upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof; and That if an employee should give birth or suffer abortion or miscarriage without the required contributions having been remitted for her by her employer to the SSS, or without the latter having been previously notified by the employer of the time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee would otherwise have been entitled to, and the SSS shall in turn pay such amount to the employee concerned. It is necessary to point out that the maternity leave benefits granted in the aforementioned provisions are applicable only to women employees working in the private sectors. The proper and applicable statutory basis for maternity leave benefits granted to employees of the public sector is Commonwealth Act No. 647.  [6]  Such act which provides the female workforce employed in public and government offices and agencies with benefits similar to those employed in the private sector explicitly states that: SECTION 1. Married women who are permanently or temporarily appointed in the service of the Government, or in any of its branches, subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including the corporations and enterprises owned or controlled by the Government, shall, in addition to the vacation and sick leave which they may enjoy now, be entitled in case of pregnancy to a maternity leave of sixty (60) days subject to the following conditions: Permanent and regular employees who have rendered two or more years of continuous service shall be entitled to maternity leave with full pay; Permanent and regular employees who have rendered less than two years of continuous service, shall be entitled to half pay; and, Temporary employees shall be entitled to maternity leave without pay and shall be readmitted to the service at the end of their leave. No employee shall be refused readmission to the service on the ground of absence on account of maternity Awarding such benefits to women employees is unmistakably a considerate and sympathetic initiative of the Philippine government. However, there might be a necessity to look into the sufficiency of the sixty (60) days and seventy-eight (78) days of leave, periods of time for which the law providessuch leave benefit. In determining the adequacy of leave duration, it is but basic to consider (a) how long thebody needs to fully recover from delivery, either through a normal vaginal delivery or through a Caesarean birth considering that it is free from complications; and, (b) the motherly needs of a new bornchild immediately after birth. THE MODES OF CHILDBIRTH Normal Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery (NSVD) is the most common and safest mode of child delivery. It is the process wherein fetal expulsion is accomplished when the baby passes through and out of the vaginal canal. It usually requires minimal medical intervention as it is the normal and natural method that humans deliver an offspring. Naturally, due to factors such as uterine muscle stretching, hormonal changes, and placental age, the uterus is stimulated and begins to contract. Also, the babys head which puts direct pressure on the cervix causes its effacement and dilatation the process by which the cervix shortens in length and thins out while enlarging or widening the opening of the cervical canal. With the subsequent intermittent contractions of the uterus and the effacement and dilatation of the cervix, together with frequentfetalposition changes to keep the smallest diameter of the fetal head always presenting to the smallest diameter of the maternal pelvis, and with the natura l pull of gravity as well, the fetus is propelled through the birth canal and out of the mothers system.  [7]  However, in some instances and due to some abnormalities in the dynamics of childbirth, the fetus cannot efficiently and effectively propel itself out of the birth canal. In such cases, the use of assistive devices such as a vacuum or forceps is necessary to guide and draw out the child from the mothers womb safely.  [8]   It is not in all instances that a vaginal delivery or childbirth is possible. Some occurrences necessitate and require the assumption of alternative methods of childbirth. Problematic occurrences such as,(a) multiple gestation; (b)unusual fetal position and presentation in relation to the vaginal passage; (c) cephalopelvic disproportion -either the fetus is too big for the maternal passage, or the diameter of the maternal pelvic, cervical, or vaginal opening is too small for the fetus to pass;(d)a dysfunctional labor such as an ineffective uterine contraction force, uncoordinated contractions, uterine rupture, or inversion of the uterus;(e) anomalies of the placenta or the umbilical cord such as placenta succenturiata, placenta circumvallata, vasa previa, the prolapse of the umbilical cord, the presence of a two-vessel cord, and an unusual umbilical cord length; or (f) an emergency situation causing severe fetaldistress, prohibit the fetus from being born safely and normally through a vaginal delivery and are thus, among the reasons for which such alternative options need to be implemented.  [9]   A Caesarean delivery or birth is the most common alternative intervention medically advised when a Normal Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery is gravely hazardous and threatening to the mother or the child, or both. This method can also be voluntarily selected by women who do not want to go through the pain and discomfort of the normal processes oflabor and subsequently, childbirth. Caesarean Delivery is the mode of birth accomplished through an abdominal incision into the uterus. It is always slightly more hazardous than vaginal birth. But, rest assured, it is one of the safest types of surgeries and among those with few complications.  [10]  A Caesarean Section (CS) surgery is accomplished by making an incision on the abdominal area which cuts open the uterus and allow for the child to be drawn out of the mothers body. As opposed to a normal vaginal delivery where the medical team waits for the natural expulsion of the placenta, the procedure of Caesarean birth includes the manual rem oval of the placenta. Afterwhich, the internal cavity of the uterus is inspected and the membrane fragments, together withcoagulated blood components and other foreign matters are taken out before the incision is closed. The healing period of this surgical procedure is dependent on several factors including the womans general health condition, her age, nutritional status and fluid and electrolyte balance. However, a major determining aspect is the type of incision made during the operation. A Caesarean section is done by performing either a classic caesarean incision (vertical incision) or a low segment incision (transverse incision, also known as the bikini cut). Between the two aforementioned incisions, the latter is more preferred as it cuts through the non-active portion of the uterine muscle, thus, it allows for a subsequent vaginal birth of future pregnancies. Another advantage of the low segment cut is its faster healing time than a classic incision, and a decreased risk for post-delivery complications.  [11]  Due to its being surgical in nature, a Caesarean birth method usually necessitates more attention and takes a longer recovery period than that of a vaginal delivery. The postpartum, peurperium, or post-partal periodis the time after the delivery of the new born up to the full recovery of the mother wherein psychological and physiological changes occur to restore the womans mind and body to its pre-pregnant state. This progression is applicable to both vaginal delivery and Caesarean birth methods. Physiological changes in the post-partal period relate both specifically to the reproductive system and to the systemic physical condition as well. In the post-partal phase the uterus shrinks and reverts to its approximate pre-pregnancy size and position, the inner membranes and uterine lining slough off and develop into the discharge of lochia a vaginal excretion composed of blood, membrane fragments and mucus, the cervix and the vagina contract and revert to its pre-pregnancy size and diameter. All these events are encompassed in the course of involution, the hallmark process of the postpartum period. Together with involution, changes in the hormonal, circulatory, urinary, gastrointestinal, and integumentary systems also occur to entirely bring back the womans pre-pregnancy physiologic condition.In general, the immediate post-partal period for both vaginal and Caesarean modes of delivery ranges from six (6)to eight (8) weeks or more, putting into consideration that the mother does not develop any postpartum complications. Though, it must be emphasized that a womans body is not fully restored to its pre-pregnant physiology until six (6) moths after delivery.  [12]   NEEDS OF A NEW BORN CHILD During the labor and delivery process, the focus and attention fully belongs to the mother, the childbearer. Conversely, after the delivery process, such focus and attention is shifted to the new born child. Newborns undergo profound physiologic changes at the moment of birth as they are released from a warm, snug, dark, liquid-filled environment that has met all of their basic needs into a chilly, unbounded, brightly lit, gravity-based, outside world.  [13]  As the child is incapable of providing its needs, it becomes fully dependent on the caregiver who, in most instances, is the mother. In viewing the new born holistically, such needs can be classified into two categories the physiologic and the psychological necessities. Encompassed in the new born childs physical needs is: (a)the imperative need for breastfeeding -it is universally agreed that breast milk is the preferred methodof feeding a new born because it provides numerous health benefits to both the mother and the child, unless there are existing contraindications such as infant galactosemia, herpes lesions on the mothers nipples, maternal exposure to radioactive compounds, breast cancer, maternal active and untreated tuberculosis, hepatitis B or C, etc.; (b) the adherence to a feeding-on-demand scheme a new born child should be fed anytime, most preferably breastfed, whenever such is demanded; (c) the observance of a consistent sleeping pattern a newborn sleeps an average of sixteen (16) of every twenty-four (24)hours, an average of 4 hours at a time; (d) maintenance of a proper sleeping position a newborn should be positioned on theback for sleep as this has shown to decrease the incidence of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), asudd en, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year of age; (e) on-time vaccination and screening tests; and, (f) proper diaper area care proper diaper area care and preventing diaper dermatitis is a practice that parents usually tend to neglect. Another aspect of the new born childs needs is the psychological part. According to a study aided by the UNICEF, between the ages of zero and five years, critical aspects of childrens physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual developments take place. The events which take place in a childs early life can impact upon their development over the rest of their lifespan.  [14]  A new born childs psychological needs are just as important as the physical ones. Babies need touch and attention from their caregivers to thrive. Cuddling, singing, talking and reading to the baby are all ways to cement the bond between newborn and caregivers. Letting a newborn know he is loved will help him grow into a secure child.  [15]  Erik Erikson, one of the pillar theorists of Psychology, identified the eight (8) stages of Psychosocial Development that a person goes through from birth to death. Stage one (1) of which involves the psychological developmental conflict of a newborn from bir th to one (1) year, and this is trust versus mistrust. According to Erikson, the baby will develop a sense of trust only if the parent or caregiver isresponsive and consistent with the basic needs being met.Babies who are not securely attached to their mothers are less cooperativeand are more aggressive in their interactions. And as they growolder, they become less competent and sympathetic with peers. They also tend to exploretheir environment with less enthusiasm and persistence.  [16]   Evidently, the aforementioned needs of a new born child entail a structured play of events which progress from the moment of birth. It is logical to infer that it takes a much longer period of time when the crucial mother-child interaction is considered than it takes plainly for the recovery from the labor and delivery processes. MATERNITY LEAVE BENEFITS IN OTHER COUNTRIES For purposes of comparison, the Huffington Post Canada shows a chart which indicates the duration of time for which the government of other countries grant maternity leave benefits to women employees.  [17]   The United Nations, as an international organization not subject to the jurisdiction of any single country, have their own legislation on granting maternity leave benefits. According to its Administrative Instruction  [18]  on such matter, an expectant mother shall be entitled to sixteen (16) weeks of paid leave benefit. Six (6) weeks of which is the pre-delivery leave and the remaining ten (10) weeks as post-delivery leave. A shorter period of pre-delivery leave may be granted at the request of the concerned staff member on the basis of a certification from a licensed medical practitioner. However, she shall not be allowed a post-delivery leave of less than ten (10) weeks. As in the case of the United States of America, there is no federal law which specifically grants women employees such paid maternity leave benefits. Instead, what exists is the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) which provides certain employees, subject to certain eligibility conditions, with up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for the following reasons: (a) for the birth and care of the new born child; (b) for the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care; (c) to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or, (d) to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.  [19]  However, according to a report of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a large share of working parents is either not covered or not eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  [20]  The same report stated that, the United Sta tes has the least generous parental leave policies among the twenty-one (21) high-income countries studied countries included aside from the United States were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. That, with the exception of only a handful of states, the U.S. law provides no rights and benefits to paid parental leave. In a much closer view, the fellow-Asian countries of the Philippines, except for a few, have also adopted and appreciated the significance of a longer duration of maternal leave. CONS AND PROS OF LEAVE EXTENSION To fairly appraise the necessity of extending the duration of maternity leave in the Philippines, here are a few grounds for which one may argue on why or why not such an appeal should or should not be granted. Some of the contentions aimed against an extended maternity leave as cited by the National Network for Child Care, are: (a) companies may find it costly to pay such employee while holding the job position open for a long period of time there will be an imbalance in the money paid to the person on maternity leave with the amount of work she has provided; (b) possibility of lesser work opportunities for women with a lengthier duration of maternity leave, companies may favor a more homogenous profile of male workers as undoubtedly, there would be minimal occurrences for excusable and compensable work interruptions; and, (c) there might exist a conflict between expectant mothers and non-parent employees the duties and responsibilities, dependent on the position left behind by the employee on leave, needs to be filled in by another worker for the effective and efficient operation of the company, such situation may imbue in the minds of the non-parents an inequity and unfairness in the grant of benefits.  [21]   On the other hand, the obvious advantages of extending the duration of paid maternity leave are as follows: (a) it affords ample time for the full recovery of the mother, especially those who have undergone a Caesarean delivery; (b) it reduces unnecessary stress as the employee adjusts to her role as a parent this supports the contention that such employee will return to work free from the tension and troubles of motherhood; (c) it allows for the fulfilment of maternal responsibilities in response to the physical needs of the new born it is a principle of human nature that there is no better person to provide care and attention to a child than the mother herself ; (d) it promotes mother-child bonding and attachment for purposes of satisfying the psychosocial needs of the new born.  [22]   A MOVE FOR THE EXTENSION OF MATERNITY LEAVE BENEFITS With the details and specifics aforecited, it appears that there is indeed a need to extend the 60-day and 78-day durations of maternity leave benefits granted to Filipino women employees. An extension of 10 days each would be adequate to apportion a reasonable time allowance and ensure that once the employee resumes work, she is a hundred percent ready and prepared, thus, assuring a more effective, efficient and competent performance. This would constitute aseventy (70)-day leave period for normal vaginal delivery instead of 60 days, and aneighty-eight (88)-day leave duration for those who had a Caesarean delivery. Such contention is based on the following grounds: (a) the 60-day period granted for those who have undergone a normal delivery is insufficient so as to enable the mother to completely recover from the effects of the birthing process before getting back to work; (b) the 78-day period granted for those who have undergone Caesarean birth is gravely insufficient as such is b oth a birthing process and a surgical procedure, it requires a much longer healing time; (c) that a longer leave duration would greatly advance the benefits afforded to the youngest generation of the country in terms of their physical and psychosocial development; and, (d) that the Philippines, as a country, has long been left behind by other nations in realizing the pressing need for a longer maternity leave. It seems as though such need has actually been recognized by the members of the Philippine Congress as evidenced by the passing of House Bill No. 3973, also known as An Act Increasing Maternity Leave Benefits from 60 Days to 120 Days or Four Months. Such House Bill was initiated by Liza Maza and LuzvimindaIlagan, representatives of the General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (GABRIELA) Partylist. House Representative LuzvimindaIlagan said that, Extending the period for maternity leave will not only give mothers the opportunity to fully recover, it will also give them the chance to breastfeed infants during the first four months. She also added that, the proposed legislation would also help address the maternal and infant mortality rates in the country.  [23]   Such matters regarding the definite and suitable length of time for which maternity leave benefits should be granted are, as of the moment, still left hanging and undecided. Thus, it is entirely within the control of the Philippine Legislature to resolve such concerns, in the effort of balancing and equalizing the interests of the concerned employee and the employers, for the greater benefit of the general public.