“Enduring Love”: How appropriate is the title of the novel?

At first glance, â€Å"Enduring Love† may seem a simple title for a novel, not one that invokes serious thought for the reader. Although we expect a story of love, we are presented with a much more complicated array of events revolving around three people, all with their own version of â€Å"Enduring Love†. Ultimately the story revolves around the somewhat content relationship between Joe Rose, an accomplished and well-respected science writer and his partner Clarissa Mellon, a Keats scholar and university lecturer that is until the intrusion by Jed Parry. Brought together by a ballooning accident, Joe and Jed momentarily exchange words, but this moment is the catalyst for a fixation by the younger man, Jed Parry, for the protagonist of the story, Joe Rose. Clarissa also witnesses the accident but she, like Joe, misses the moment that spawns the obsession, which rips their lives apart and in due course, breaks apart their relationship. There are two types of love themes running through this novel, one of obsession and one of pure love. The one of obsession is obviously the love Jed feels for Joe and the pure love is that of Clarissa and Joe. As Jed becomes more and more fixated on Joe, Joes relationship with Clarissa increasingly dwindles until the point where they call it a day and end their relationship. Early on in the novel Joe says â€Å"Lately I'd had the idea that Clarissa's interest in these hypothetical letters [of Keats] had something to do with our own situation, and with her conviction that love that did not find its expression in a letter was not perfect. Every word of this comes true but not in a way Joe had first believed. The title and the events throughout the novel rouse questions on love itself, how to define love, the nature of love, obsession, sanity and insanity. It is very difficult to decipher between love and obsession. If we look at the love Jed feels for Joe, its zealous, crazy and passionate but we could also argue that the love between Joe and Clarissa is all of these things too. So, where do you draw the line? Enduring Love tells the story of a love that is endured and of a story that endures (Joe and Clarissa). It challenges what is defined as a normal relationship and a love that is pathological. We later find out that indeed Joe and Clarissa relationship did endure the intense strain and disturbing fascination of Jed Parry as they are later reunited and go on to adopt a child, so in this sense the title is very appropriate to the novel. There are also a number of other occurrences of love to be endured throughout the novel. There is the story of Jean Logan and her frustration and also obsession at her attempts to uncover her dead husbands secret affair. She turns to Joe for help to find this mystery woman who has caused her so much pain. In this modest sub plot of the novel, it is later proven that John Logan was in fact not having an affair, that is was all an innocent mistake. So all along Jean had been cursing her dead husband, whom she had loved so much. This is another love that needs to endure as Jean seeks forgiveness but she will never truly get that forgiveness as her only hope lies in a grave. Will their love be strong enough to endure this doubting on Jeans part, even if one partner is beyond the grave? It is important to note that seeing Jeans agony and grief over her dead husband, made Joe realise just how much he really loved Clarissa. Joe says, â€Å"It was urgent that I return to London and save our love†. He also realises â€Å"when it's gone you'll know what a gift love was†. A relationship that did not endure their love was that of Clarissa's brother Luke and his wife. Joe calls Luke the â€Å"adulterous brother† and we learn that they are going through a divorce. After this meeting with her brother, Clarissa is evidently anxious as the first thing she says to Joe â€Å"I love you and I've had such a terrible evening with Luke. We discover that Luke is leaving his beautiful wife and two daughters for an actress whom he had met three months before. Clearly Luke is not prepared to give the commitment pure love requires and sees fit to go live in a room over a hairdressers, with this new woman. This relationship provides a stark contrast to Joe and Clarissa's love as it highlights just how deeply in love Joe and Clarissa truly are. Now this new love shall be tested, will their love endure? Once again this is relevant to the title of the novel. The most explicable interpretation of the title of this novel would have to be of Joe enduring Jed's pathological love. Jed Parry's strange homo-erotic religious obsession with Joe in turn leads Joe to almost breaking point. So in this sense Joe is enduring Jed's love, yet this love Jed feels for Joe will never end. We learn that from the appendices, Jed, whilst in a secure mental hospital still writes letters to Joe everyday. The letter we are shown demonstrates that Jed's love is just as strong and passionate as ever. I believe that at the conclusion of the novel, Joe has indeed endured Jed's love as he has survived the bombardment of phone calls, eccentric letters, incessant stalking, an assassination attempt and total intrusion of his private life. The style and techniques implored by Mc Ewan provide us with an engrossing, swift novel, and his unpredictable style further enhances the chilling factor that plays a part in this novel. His style can be deemed as moderately complicated, for example chapter nine when he narrates the chapter from Clarissa's perspective, yet I believe his style is somewhat simple. Joe, being the average science writer not overly interesting or riveting, would initially have been a quite boring protagonist until the obsession begins, that is Joes obsession. In watching Joe become obsessed with being obsessed, whilst everyone else doubts him, this is where the entertainment lays. His techniques of writing make us truly question love and how much love a person can really endure. Jed is prepared to endure Joe's love with his continuity of writing letters and constant thinking and obsessing over Joe. Yet Joe was not prepared to endure this love and in order to end it, he purchased a gun. Clarissa at first was not prepared to endure the love yet she had to endure both her love for Joe and Jed's love for Joe. But we later find out Joe and Clarissa are reconciled. In conclusion, I believe the title â€Å"Enduring Love† is a very appropriate for this novel, not instantly recognisable as a great title but at the closing stages of the novel, it becomes vividly apparent just how satisfying it truly is.

Human and Utilitarianism Essay

Let me begin by defining Utilitarianism: utilitarianism is the belief of doing what is right for the greater number of people. It is a theory used to determine the usefulness of the happiest outcome and how it will affect everyone else. Now, this sounds like a amazing theory, what would be better than making yourself and others happy? I found myself at first agreeing with this theory up until I really looked into it. At first I found myself thinking that not everything is about being happy; some may have to suffer for the happiness of others. For example, there were two boats one contains three criminals on death row being transported to prison and the other boat contains ten happy, loving families simply enjoying a vacation. Both ships have bombs that will go off in a matter of seconds, blowing up both ships and killing everyone. However, there is a solution. I for some odd reason have a device that sets off a bomb on ONE SHIP and deactivates the other. Now the morally right thing to do would be what? What is moral and right? Taking lives? Or saving them? I do not believe in ‘playing God’ or taking lives. I would simply ignore the Utilitarianism way of thinking and walk away. I would let nature take its course. If God has arranged this to happen, then it is meant to happen. Who am I to walk in and ‘play God’ ? I have to say I agree with Hospers when he says â€Å"A hundred men might gain great pleasure from beating up or killing just one Insignificant human being; but other men’s lives are not theirs to dispose of. † (Hospers) A Utilitarian would approach this situation by asking himself/herself, what will bring happiness? What will do good for greater numbers of people? Why should the prisoners get to live? There are only three prisoners, and have done nothing good but cause harm to society. What have these families done? The Utilitarian will start to analyze each detail of the situation. They first see that there are only three prisoners as opposed to ten large families. Hence, there are less people on the prisoners boat. Then he/she will see that the prisoners have already been sentenced to death, all being on death row. However, the main point will be that these are three bad men. Doing bad things, and causing pain and sorrow to others. Why should ten happy families be punished for their wrong doings? The Utilitarian would settle for simply deactivating the bomb on the prisoners boat. Believing that killing them will bring greater good and happiness to all. My argument to this is a human life is a human life; what if one of those men are actually innocent and were convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? What if the other criminal was to be released in the morning and go home to a family of eight children and a loving wife? Truth is we don’t know. Utilitarianism fails to acknowledge that a life is a life- we are not suppose to be playing God. We don’t decide who lives and who dies, even if it is for the greater good. We should just let nature run its course. Utilitarianism is a theory of always choosing pleasure over pain for the greater good of all. I believe that I have kept a closed mind towards Utilitarianism. The prisoners are already on death row, which means they are going to die for the evil they have set loose on our world. Why should I sacrifice the lives of innocent families, for a couple of men that have caused unhappiness to all? I want to reach happiness, as does everyone else in the world. I mean does the world function over what the greater good for all is? Is that why we have soldiers in Iraq sacrificing their lives for the greater good of America? Maybe I have just overlooked all the positive outcomes of Utilitarianism. I find myself agreeing with a lot of what it has to say. I want happiness, I want innocent lives to be saved, and I want to strive for the greater good of all. I find it interesting how easy it is to fall into the comfort of Utilitarianism. It goes along with my morals and values and yet I still feel a sort of guilt. If I were to deactivate the bomb on the ship with the families and let the prisoners die, I would still be taking a human life. In my religion (Catholicism), a life is a life. We must forgive sinners and those who have sinned against us. But if these prisoners are on death row†¦were they already destined to die? Would that already be in God’s plan? Was it God who sacrificed his only son for all of us sinners? I feel in a way that makes God himself a follower of utilitarianism. He set the example of offering his only son for our sins, to open the gates of heaven for everyone. Yet one of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill. † Is that not hypocritical? As I keep analyzing this situation I realize that God is God. He decides who lives and who dies, not us. I feel that it’s hard to stick to my morals when hearing the theory of Utilitarianism. Allowing someone to die at my hand for the greater good, for happiness of others. That just sounds selfish to me, kind of like the holocaust. Did all those innocent Jews endure experimentation and torture for the greater good of all? I mean, if it weren’t for these grotesque experiments we wouldn’t know the maximum altitude that crews in damaged planes can parachute safely to the ground or find the cure/treatment for hypothermia. The Jews were used as guinea pigs for the greater good of everyone else. Is that not Utilitarianism? So many people could have died of hypothermia if that experiment was never conducted. But how many innocent lives were lost to reach this conclusion? Is there a limit to how much sacrifice should be made for the greater good? There should be. This is where I cannot connect with Utilitarianism, the fact that some sort of evil has to be done to help others. I see hypocrisy in this theory; it wants happiness but wants to rule out evil. People are evil, mean and rude. No one can be happy all the time; no one can bring eternal happiness. This takes me back to my original example, who would I save? The prisoners on death row or the innocent families? The Utilitarian’s seem to have a more interesting argument. Its funny how by writing this paper, my views changed. I look at the situation differently now. I do not feel as biased and conservative as before. My ideas have changed to a more liberal understanding sense. Why release these evil me back into the world? We have enough chaos and evil. These are just three men who chose their paths and now have to pay for it. They were sentenced to death for a reason, I will not be held responsible for the innocence of happy families, children, parents, aunts and uncles. They are not in prison because they have not done anything wrong. They simply stepped onto a ship, whose fate I now hold in my hands. I have made my choice; I will deactivate the bomb on the families boat and let the prisoners face death.

Marketing Audit of ARAMEX company Research Paper

Marketing Audit of ARAMEX company - Research Paper Example This business model is in stark contrast to other companies which invest heavily in procuring assets such as aircraft and fleets of vehicles. This strategy of differentiation has significantly contributed to the success of the company in its business since it has a strong customer base. Though there are positive signs of growth of the company, it has been noted that it should take certain measures into consideration in order to improve its business. Therefore, it has been recommended that the company should ensure that it adequately trains the managers so that they can cope with the new demands of managing new business acquisitions. . It has also been recommended that the company should invest in infrastructural development such as building warehouses given that this segment of business is the most profitable compared to other segments.This paper is designed to carry out a marketing audit for Aramex Company which operates in the transport and logistics sector. The paper is divided in to various sections and it starts by outlining the historical background of the company. The main part of the paper will analyse the environmental factors that impact on the operations of the company in this sector of the industry which is characterised by stiff competition. The paper will also outline and discuss the strategies used by the company in order to gain a competitive advantage in its operations. ... The main part of the paper will analyse the environmental factors that impact on the operations of the company in this sector of the industry which is characterised by stiff competition. The paper will also outline and discuss the strategies used by the company in order to gain a competitive advantage in its operations. The last part of the paper will outline suggested recommendations that should be implemented by the company in order for it to sustain its operations in a competitive manner. 1.1 Background information about Aramex â€Å"Aramex is a leading global provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions and it was established in 1982 as an express operator. The company also rapidly evolved into a global brand recognized for its customized services and innovative multi-product offering,† (Aramex, 2012). It currently employs more than 12,300 people in over 353 locations across 60 countries, and has a strong presence across the whole globe. According to Aw an (2008), Aramex specialises in six different categories of business outlined below. International express delivery This service is meant for retail and wholesale delivery and this segment includes companies, banks as well as other retail stores. The packages delivered range up to 50 Kg and the customers can track their consignment through the company’s website. Freight Forwarding These services include air, land and sea transport and the route mainly involves all major cities. . Logistics These services include warehousing, inventory management as well as supply chain management and they are offered in the Middle East and North Africa regions Awan (2008). These services can still be tracked using the company website. Domestic

Essay questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Questions - Essay Example It would mean that he will not be able to turn a new leaf within his repertoire and hence his success is not guaranteed. â€Å"Life is like a roller coaster† means that life has twists and turns within it and it is not easy to understand the different life events. I have used â€Å"no risk, no gain† when I told one of my subordinates to be more liberal within her approach towards work. I told her specifically to take risks so that she could become more serious about her work tasks. The mantra of â€Å"life is a roller coaster† seems applicable in my case when I have used it with my friend who was not able to understand how life can be so bad with him. He tried to understand how he could have failed the exams that he was supposed to pass. In the future, I would be able to use these mantras productively if I ascertain the exact manner in which their role becomes magnified. This is so done through an understanding of the different life events, as and when they shape up. I would find out the true meaning of these mantras if I make their proper usage because this is deemed as very significant at the end of the day. Hence the mantras represent their own meanings and should be understood as such. 2. How do you stop a Run away horse? Name, define and explain the three strategies which don't work and the one strategy which does work. Provide a specific example of a "runaway horse" situation in your own real life. Explain how you (or could you have used) each of the three strategies which don't work and what the results of using each strategy was (or would have been). Explain how you used (or could have used) the strategy which works and what the results of using these strategy were (or would have been) Stopping a runaway horse is indeed a difficult thing to do, and more so within the reins of changing workplace scenarios. These three strategies which would not work include abandonment, acceptance and manipulation. The strategies which do not work in the wake of the runaway horse include the fact that they are given more room to expand their basis and thus lead the company from the front. The other strategy that is employed but does not work at all for their sake is to make them sit at important positions within the office environments. Lastly the strategy that is made use of and still does not work at all is that of finding more subordinates or peers to work along side them so that they can feel comfortable about the same steps by the organization. However these three strategies remain as failures and the runaway horse finds a new ground where it can start again. The strategy which does work however is that of a better pay or salary that is given to this individual who could later on be remarked as the runaway horse. In my own life, I switched companies when I found a golden opportunity up my sleeves. I cashed in on the chance because it gave me a better future and a career to long for. I would have used these strategies (aban donment, acceptance and manipulation) to good effect by having everything in writing and making use of the important pointers within their realms to extract the best possible returns for my professional commitments. Also I would have made use of the strategy that worked by asking for more remuneration so that the organization allots me a better package at the end of the day. The results would have been much better had I made use of this strategy than most of the people would employ in their respective cases. 3. Select one relationship which is important to you

Practical Project Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Practical Project Report - Essay Example During my visit, I maintained my study to concentrate on the quality of services offered by the service providers of the restaurant. Glass Brasserie is a unique restaurant in its own way; it is incomparable to other restaurants. My initial observation upon reaching the restaurant was the cool, well-maintained and welcoming environment. Glass Brasserie is located in a human-friendly environment where no client would resist visiting often. This first impression at the entrance of the restaurant depicts an image of what to expect once in the restaurant. In the restaurant, all guest tables are perfectly arranged awaiting the arrival of new clients. The service providers are neatly dressed, and from their looks, one can easily know they have a passion for their profession. Quality in any organization determines the success or failure of the organization (Jane, 2001). Glass Brasserie’s management has enhanced quality delivery of services. The services providers are quick to respond to any new client who comes in the restaurant door. A warm welcome, hand washing and passing of menu to the clients is a welcome gesture. Such a warm welcome makes the client feel appreciated for his/her visit despite the fact that they will pay for the services. In this case, Glass Brasserie has succeeded in aspects of welcoming their clients and making them feel appreciated. Upon the client settling, the service providers take time to display their different type of foods and beverages to clients, expecting the clients to choose what they would like to consume. In the event the menu does not have a food or beverage the client wants to consume, the service providers ensure they find a means to provide the client’s expectations. This once again is a gesture to show appreciation of the clients in their restaurant. The physical aspects of the restaurant in my view are perfectly developed and deployed within the entity. Despite the physical factors of this restaurant, the means of delivery are professional and unique. Service providers in this restaurant deliver client’s order in a stylish and fashionable manner. Professionalism and style-decency in food and beverages is an essential factor to please clients. The manner in which you serve clients determines the reputation of the restaurant to the public. In Glass Brasserie restaurant, the service providers are very innovative and passionate in their tasks. Delivery of cutlery to the clients is on a dish; the cutleries wrapped perfectly in serviettes. This type of delivery shows the level of neatness observed within the restaurant. Upon delivering the cutlery on the table, the service providers carry along the client’s order in a tray. It is common for any restaurant to pack their deliveries on trays, however, the manner in which the service providers at Glass Brasserie deliver makes the difference; their passion for the job makes it look unique. Looking around the restaurant, you can tell tha t the clients are enjoying their stay at the restaurant. This is because they have exposure to quality services of their expectation and to some, beyond their expectations. Once finished taking meals a client has an option to be entertained or leave for the guest room to have some rest. The guest rooms neatly arranged: the level of catering professionalism is of high quality. Each guest is served with all essentials such as towels, bathing soaps, tooth

HRM450-0704B-02 Organizational Change - Phase 1 Discussion Board Essay

HRM450-0704B-02 Organizational Change - Phase 1 Discussion Board - Essay Example to change model of change management, a leader’s job is be foresighted and bring the change in their organizations through informing and educating the employees about the change and finally committing them to the changing process. By informing the employees of such a change, it prepares them for changing their behavior and makes them aware of change and the reason for its occurrence. Education about the change is an understanding process and helps employees to make decisions whether to accept or reject the change. An important thing here is to portray a positive perception to the employees about the change so that they finally commit to the change and act upon it. The Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Model of change management describes that employees of an organization may differently react to the change initiation process. In extreme cases employees may deny that any change can take place and show anger and depression to ward off the change. Leaders must give enough time to such employees so that change can sink in the employees’ minds and their routine. In some cases employees may bargain or even accept the change without any problems especially if the employees are new and young as they are in the case of the Tech department. But in organizations that have decade full of history, change may not be only difficult to implement, it might just become more of a problem just like in the case of CF&F. The cultural indicator tree model looks to identify the core beliefs and commonly held assumptions of the employees working in the company so that leaders can focus their attention to the roots of change management. Cultural indicators like values, beliefs, stimuli, legends etc. all need to be identified to give a chance to the leaders to properly understand the reasons behind change acceptance. Custom Food and Feed Corporation has been a major player in the industry for quite a few years. Overtime in has built on its name and reputation however with recent allegations this

UK contract and employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UK contract and employment law - Essay Example She became negligent with her work. She committed 2 negligent acts which were both serious in nature and affected the company. After the first incident, Clarissa was informally warned but the manager still showed faith in her. But after the second incidence, manager lost confidence in her and she was fired with a six month notice. Her contract will terminate on 31st March 2012. Also keeping in the mind the safety of her colleagues, she was asked to take â€Å"garden leave† wherein she was not needed to come to office during the notice period but would be paid for it. She was not happy with this and wanted to continue working. She has received an offer from Flare Missiles to work for them, provided she joins on the 1st of February 2012. She needs advise on whether she can successfully pursue a claim for unfair dismissal compensation against Cascade and whether she can lawfully accept flare's offer of employment. Unfair Dismissal Compensation The question of whether Clarissa can pursue a claim for unfair dismissal compensation will depend on whether it was an unfair dismissal. The fact that she was dismissed is clearly established in the facts of the case. She will be able to successfully claim the compensation if she can prove that the dismissal was an unfair one. If Precision Missiles had followed all the procedures and abided by the law, then she will not be able to claim the compensation as it will not be an unfair dismissal. First and foremost for Clarissa to have a right against unfair dismissal, she should have worked in the company for at least one year and Clarissa fulfils this requirement as she has been working for over 30 years in the company. Now, Clarissa has to be prove that the dismissal was unfair according to the Employment Rights Act of 1996, Section 98A(1) (‘Procedural fairness’)1 The Employment Rights Act of 1996, Section 98A(1) (‘Procedural fairness’) states that: A dismissal without completion of the standar d procedure (wholly or mainly attributable to the failure of the employer) will be unfair. Whether the dismissal was an unfair dismissal will depend on the 2 stage test that any an unfair dismissal must go through2. Stage One: The Reason Once the unfair dismissal compensation claim is made, the responsibility to show that dismissal was based on a reason falls on the employer3. In this case, Precision Missiles will argue that they had a fair reason to dismiss Clarissa. According to the Employment Rights Act of 1996, Section 98(2) they have to prove that their reason was a fair one. In the current scenario the reason for dismissal was negligence and carelessness in carrying out her responsibilities which are a part of her job profile. This was not a one distinct incident but was repeated twice and in both cases the consequences of her negligence could have been critical. In the first, incidence her negligence would directly impact negatively on the brand images that Precision Missiles had built with its client. This could seriously damage its image and affect future business. The second incidence if not rectified by her colleagues could have been a disaster for the company. Even though it was found out that her negligence would not have caused serious damage, a repetition of the incidence could have been critical. The above reason could be justified as a fair one by using

International students could not work in the US Essay - 1

International students could not work in the US - Essay Example In-campus and off-campus job offerings for international students are limited and not that profitable so that a person can meet his/her personal and educational needs easily. Most employees prefer to offer jobs to the citizens of the United States because that appears for them to be beneficial not only for their companies but also for the economy of the country. For companies, recruitment of local people is beneficial because they are able to adjust in their organizational cultures more quickly as compared to foreign students. They understand the norms and values of the US companies because of which the employee training costs of the companies go down. For the economy of the United States, offering jobs to local citizens is beneficial because it reduces the unemployment rate, thus improves the overall economy. The problem statement for this paper is that, ‘in-campus job offerings for international students are not much profitable because of which they have to search for jobs outside the campuses. There exist many challenges for international students both within and outside the campus for international students that need to be

Human Geography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Geography - Assignment Example Viewing New Orleans as a cultural artifact (a material thing that reflects and reveals something about our life), discuss what New Orleans (both pre- and post-Katrina) tells us about urban life in the United States. What specific changes in urban structure are illustrated by the article â€Å"New Orleans still a fraction of its former self†? Response: The Pre-Katrina in New Orleans revealed the musical influences of various urban artists, ranging from the Cash Money Rappers to the No Limit Rappers. These musical influences shaped the urban life in the United States and ultimately influenced the use of various terms, such as Bling Bling. The term Bling Bling refers to the New Orleans Rapper Lil Wayne’s love for diamond jewelry. The term was used throughout the United States, and many people of all classes referred to their jewelry or diamonds as Bling Bling. The Post-Katrina New Orleans still has these musical influences, but due to the impact of the hurricane, many artists struggle to maintain their musical influence. Many people have abandoned New Orleans, and as a result, took their musical influences that once contributed to the culture of the city. The Post-Katrina New Orleans struggles to maintain its identity as a musical influence. The specific changes in the urban structure that are illustrated in the article, â€Å"New Orleans still a fraction of its former self,† are the lack of housing development projects. Because the housing project is at 0%, the urban structure in New Orleans has abandoned the city because there is no place for these residents to live. Many urban areas, such as the Seventh Ward, were completely destroyed. These areas have not been restored, and many residents who left New Orleans will not return. 2. Cities are important sites of cultural production. Consider the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the impact the storm had on arguably the city’s greatest asset: its cultural

Clamp and clamp stand Essay Example for Free

Clamp and clamp stand Essay In this project I am going to investigate rates of reaction of an indigestion tablet when added to hydrochloric acid. The variable I am going to use will be the temperature of the acid. (All background knowledge used in this project was taken from previous experience notes and experiments from work done in year nine) What are rates of reaction? The rate of a reaction is the speed at which a reactant is turned into the product. Chemical reactions can take place at very different rates (eg. explosions, rock formations). A rate is measured as: A change in something (eg.loss of mass/mass of gas given off) Divided by The time it takes to change/disappear Rates of reactions can be measured in two different ways: How fast reactants disappear How fast products appear Many factors affect rates of reaction:   Surface area The greater the surface area of a solid, the greater the area of the particles that is exposed and likely to collide with other particles, meaning more successful collisions can take place per second. Therefore reaction between acid and a finely powdered salt will take place faster than a reaction between the same acid and a lump of salt. Concentration of solutions The rate of a reaction increases as the concentration of the solution increases. This is because there are more solute particles to collide with a fixed volume of solvent particles. Therefore more successful collisions take place. The rate of a reaction is directly proportional to its concentration (i. e. as concentration doubles, rate doubles. ) (This is assuming that any reactions taking place are not exothermic and that no other variables are changed)   Temperature The rate of reaction increases as the temperature increases. This is because at a higher temperature the particles move around faster (due to heat energy being converted into kinetic energy) and have more chance of colliding with each other. Also, there is a greater chance of effective collisions. However, unlike concentration, this is not proportional. As the temperature begins to increase, the rate increases slowly, but as it gets higher the rate increases faster, creating a curved graph.   Catalysts Catalysts are substances which increase the rates of chemical reactions but are not used up or altered in any way altered themselves. They provide an alternative method of collision requiring less energy. (eg. enzymes in the body are natural catalysts). Pressure of Gases When the pressure of a gas is increased, the molecules have less space to move around in. This increase in concentration makes them collide more often. What is Collision Theory? Collision theory states that the more successful collisions per second there are, the higher the rate of reaction. In order for a collision to be successful (or effective) there needs to be enough energy, speed and strength to break the bonds in the colliding molecules. Collisions between molecules are stronger at higher temperatures. In an ineffective reaction, the molecules just rebound off each other. My Experiment I am going to investigate the relationship between rates of reaction and temperature. I chose temperature because it is easy to keep the concentration constant and from previous experiments I have noticed the graph has more points of interest than that of concentration (see page 2). I could do this in two different ways:   Measure how fast reactants disappear This can be measured either by weighing a solution before and after to check mass change, or by sight (for example seeing how long it takes before a cross under a cloudy solution is no longer visible. ) The latter is inaccurate and not easily measurable as human error plays too large a part. However, I could weigh the mixture before and afterwards   Measure how fast products appear This can be measured in many different ways, depending on the state of the product. If it is a gas, the gas can be collected and measured in a gas syringe. First, I need to look at the equations for the reactions of the active ingredients in the tablets with the acid. These active ingredients are: Magnesium Carbonate Calcium Carbonate Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate General Equation: These equations show that the final products are a metal salt, water and carbon dioxide. I can either measure the mass before and after adding the tablet to the hydrochloric acid or collect the gas given off. I chose to measure the gas (after my preliminary experiments see page 7) because:   I think this method can be modified to produce good results. Also in the preliminary experiments I worked out a good volume of gas to collect (see page 7). It does rely on human judgement (in starting and stopping the stopclock) but all other methods involving timing do also. Within this, there are two different ways that the gas given off can be measured:   I can measure how long it takes for the reaction to give off a fixed volume of gas.   I can see how much gas is given off in a certain time. I am going to use the first method, as I think that the stopclock will be more accurate than the gas syringe as I only want to measure the time to the nearest second. Also the gas syringe only has markings every for every 5cmi of gas given off, and therefore it would be easier to measure to a marking on the syringe. Prediction and Hypothesis. I predict that as the temperature increases, the rate of reaction will increase also. This is because at a higher temperature there is more heat energy to be converted into kinetic energy, making the particles move around faster. Faster moving particles have more chance of colliding with each other and the greater quantity of heat and energy means more effective collisions are created. As I wrote earlier (see page 2), a graph of temperature/rate should look like this: a. Because the two wouldnt mix at 0i C or less I have to start at a temperature above that. Therefore the graph wont go through the origin. b. To begin with the rate of reaction rises slowly. c. It increases faster as the temperature increases, giving a line which gets rapidly steeper. Plan NB. Although this is the final plan for the actual experiments, a lot of the volumes and other measurements werent worked out until the preliminary experiments were done (see pages 6, 7 and 8). In the preliminary experiment section I have specified the areas that I was investigating.   Get out equipment as specified.   Measure out 50cmi of hydrochloric acid (concentration 4mol/dmi ) into a conical flask using a burette. Measure the temperature of the solution and adjust it until it is the required temperature (by adding more cold/hot water into the beaker its in).   Make sure the gas syringe is back to 0.   Add two whole tablets to the solution, put the bung in and start the stopclock (or get someone else to start the stopclock).   Swirl the solution gently to aid the reaction. When 50cm i of gas has been collected stop the stopclock   Remove the bung from the conical flask to avoid too much gas being collected. Note the temperature and the time taken.   Repeat the experiment, and then do the same for six other temperatures. To ensure that this is a fair test, there should only be one variable, temperature. Therefore the temperature of the acid is the only thing that I should change. I should try to keep the volume of acid the same (by using a burette), keep the concentration of acid the same, only use whole tablets (to keep the surface area the same) and try to swirl the acid in the same way each time. Range and Readings Before the preliminary experiments I had decided to take six readings, all with repeats. These readings would have been either five or 10i C apart and would have ranged from approximately . During the preliminary experiments I investigated this further (see page 8), and revised this original method. However, I did realise beforehand that there were several different ways I could get temperatures of 50i C. I could use a Bunsen burner to heat the acid or I could stand the acid in a beaker full of boiling or hot water. The second method seemed the best because it was easily controllable, the temperature wouldnt rise too quickly, and you could also stand the acid in ice to cool it to 10i C. I didnt change this part of the method, as it seemed to work effectively. Equipment Use Conical flask. This will hold the hydrochloric acid and the tablets. It needs to have a bung in it and a tube with a bend in it which can be connected to the gas syringe, to stop any gas escaping during the reaction. As I am using two whole tablets, I dont need to have one with a particularly wide neck. Clamp and clamp stand These will hold the gas syringe at the correct height to connect to the conical flask. Gas syringe This will measure the volume of gas given off during the reaction, or the length of time it takes to give off a given volume of gas (50cmi ). It should measure to the nearest cmi. Burette This will be used to measure out 50cmiof hydrochloric acid accurately (it measures to half a cmi , and therefore is more accurate than for example a measuring cylinder. ) Thermometer This will be used to ensure the temperature is kept correct and constant leading up to the experiment. It measures to half a degree. Tub I will stand the conical flask in a tub full of hot water/ice which will bring the acid to the temperature needed. Stopclock This will time how long it takes to collect 50cmi of gas. This should be accurate to the nearest second. Diagram of Equipment Safety Certain safety precautions must be taken when using acids and other potentially harmful substances: Goggles must be worn to protect eyes. This is especially important as I am heating acid (although gently) and hot acid may spit before or during the reaction.   If there are spills with corrosive acids they must be cleaned up immediately and thoroughly to prevent accidents (for example slipping on acid), and any skin that comes into contact with the acid must be thoroughly washed. Hands should be washed anyway after using acid.   After my experiment I must make sure that everything is cleared away effectively. I must not leave any acid or other substances out to prevent it becoming a safety hazard.

School Development Planning Process | Research Study

School Development Planning Process | Research Study School Development Planning is an ongoing process that helps schools as complex communities to meet the dual challenge of enhancing quality and managing change. (DES, 1999:9, Online). In recent years schools started giving more thought to how the planning and management of change need to be taken more into account and carefully planned. Decentralisation, a common characteristic of quite a few of the national educational systems worldwide such as the USA, Canada, England and Wales (Anderson, 2005) and in Malaysia, Honk Kong, Singapore, China and Korea has opened doors to development and effectiveness in schools (Bolam, 2006:77). Over the years, the education scene in Malta has likewise witnessed a paradigm shift from an essentially centralised system to one that encourages self-government. One of the most effective implications of this shift is that of a systematic and whole school approach to development planning enhancing freedom [and] allowing institutions to shape the possibilities provided by greater autonomy (Lumby, 2007a:86). Moreover, Bush and Coleman, (2006) argue that, placed in a competitive environment, self-managing schools have to meet the students needs efficiently if they are to achieve survival and success. While increasing autonomy (Karstanje, 1999), self-managing schools are encouraged to shoulder more responsibilities and promote their own identity and character. One of the most beneficial implications of this shift is that a School Development Plan (SDP) can be tailored by the same school. Considering that, the Maltese Education Authorities are at present discussing at length the process and the implementation of a national reform in the education system, the topic seriously appears to be of great interest. This study may be expected to serve as an eye-opener to the strengths and weaknesses of the SDP being currently implemented at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Consequently, the study might be envisaged to be an asset to the school, before it actually starts to negotiate the tailoring of a new SDP as will be suggested in the education reform to take place. The purpose of this study is to investigate the SDP as an effective tool to enhance appraisal and collegiality among the teaching staff and to promote improvement among the learners. The Literature review shall briefly justify the need for and the process of development planning in relation to what literature has to say about the subject. Furthermore, the following research questions will be discussed and analysed, mainly: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the planning process carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? After conducting a case study through qualitative and quantitative research, an analysis will emerge, based on a questionnaire distributed to teachers and an open-ended interview with the Head of School. The research findings will be analysed and compared to the literature findings. Finally, suggestions will emerge in respect to what can be done in order to evaluate, maintain and/or change what has been done during the past seven years since development planning has started to be organised in an official way at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Literature Review Introduction All schools should have a vision of where they hope to go and what they hope to achieve. This implies that a school plan should aim at leading the whole school community in the direction for improvement and growth. With its insistence on schools to have their own SDP, the Maltese National Minimum Curriculum (NMC) came into effect on the 1st of October 2000. Following is a brief description of the SDP both as a process as well as a product. It examines the concepts of development, improvement, collegiality and appraisal through effective planning. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? A school without planning is like a boat without a rudder. We cannot achieve goals unless we plan ways and means of getting there. (Bezzina, 1999:58) In order to keep on course, schools require a clear sense of direction, expressed in vision and mission statements and aims and objectives, as well as an effective strategic plan and good efficient action plans (DES, 1999, Online). The SDP can be a great asset to the school in various ways. Bezzina claims that it: helps in giving the school a sense of direction establishes aims and priorities identifies the needs to be done in order to bring about improvement identifies staff needs monitors the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process evaluates the success of the changes made, and implements any changes to the planning cycle (1999:35). The SDP is a means whereby the vision, believed by Jenkins to be the strategic intent which guides planning (1991:38), is transformed into reality through clear priorities, targets and actions. It is an instrument, through which schools are able to articulate their needs and also their priorities (Ministry of Education, 2001:14). Moreover, it is meant to indicate the institutions capacities and limitations and thus open doors to school improvement. An English publication defines the SDP in that: It will be based on the schools analysis of current levels of performance, its assessment of how current trends and future factors may impact on the school and set out priorities and targets for improvement for the period ahead. (DOE, 2005:1, Online). This implies that the concept underpinning a SDP is that each school would undertake, on an on-going basis, a limited number of small-scale development projects, which the staff identifies as significant priorities. The SDP has at its heart the learning of all students while raising standards of attainment. It is a process of learning and growth for all those involved in it. Moreover, it allows schools to organise their programmes of innovation and change with much greater efficiency and success (Hargreaves and Hopkins, 1991). Furthermore, the SDP is highly beneficial for schools since it is worked out by those who put their heads together in a common effort to develop a realistic strategy as to how the educational goals are to be reached (NMC:85). How is the process of School Development Planning carried out? The School Development Plan Initiative (SDPI) in Ireland considers the Mission, Vision and Aims of the plan to be the core of the SDP process (DES, 1999:16, Online). As depicted by Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Bezzina (1999) and Nathan, a SDP is made up of four stages, mainly: Audit when the school analyses its strengths and weaknesses and assesses its own needs Planning and decision making generation and evaluation of options Implementation putting the plan into action, and Evaluation checking the success of implementation and reviewing targets (1996:61) This entails that the SDP works in a cycle. Furthermore, the SDPI suggests three features through which the SDP is accomplished, mainly through: Initiation: where the school decides to embark on school development planning,  ensuring that there is commitment to it among members of staff and preparing for participation. Familiarisation: when the school community is learning how to carry out the whole process. Embedding: when school development Planning becomes part of the school life and of the normal way of doing things at school. (DOE, 1999, Online). The Irish Document (1999) further argues that the SDP process needs to be systematic, collaborative, ongoing, progressive, enhancing and flexible to work properly. It therefore involves a systematic approach to the planning work, which draws the whole school community together in shaping the schools future. This needs to be an on-going process, rooted in a school culture where policies and plans are continuously being developed, implemented, evaluated and revised according to the schools aims and the changes which continuously take place in the community. It is also flexible since it offers a framework for collaborative creativity and each school is free to adopt the framework to suit its own particular needs. Who is involved in the planning process? Nathan (1996) maintains that, to a large extent, the work entailed in the school plan is performed by the Head of school and the SMT. However, Bradley (1988) argues that a partnership in which people work together will lead to the successful achievement of their goals. This is also depicted in an English publication. The document highlights parental, pupil and staff involvement in the planning process as one of the factors that will help schools achieve high standards and improve the quality of learning and teaching (DOE, 2005:6, Online). Through partnership, the educational needs will be identified and action will be taken accordingly (DES, 1999:15, Online). Bradley (1988) further claims that partnerships are encouraged when they are willing to yield to some of their autonomy. Their sense of joint ownership strengthens and encourages partnership and is extended beyond the planning process into the actual implementation of the activity. Parent participation is seen as very important in schools. According to Braithwaite (1994) 22 Actions are involved in the Australians SDP process, among which is parental involvement. The NMC (2000) claims that parents should be seen as partners in the education of their children, so much that it believes in site-based curriculum development, where teachers and administrators can work alongside with parents and the local community to be able to respond to the needs of that particular school. In explaining how a shared vision is achieved, Lumby (2007a:89) holds that notwithstanding the principal leading the planning process, all staff [should] share in the re-creation and adjustment of vision. Furthermore, Jenkins considers staff involvement as the most useful part of the planning process (1991:38) in not only arriving at plans but also in raising the chances of their successful implementation (Lumby, 2007a:98). While being a threshold to school improvement, Newton and Tarrant declare that Evaluation needs the co-operation of the whole organisation to be effective and accurate. (1992:33). Is the School Development Plan opening doors to school improvement? Bush and Coleman say it quite simply: The origins of school development planning lie in the move towards school improvement and effectiveness (2006:75). The SDP enables the school community to develop a clear vision of what the school is about and where it is going, a shared sense of purpose, a common set of goals and consensus on the means of achieving them. It characterises the school as a learning organisation that focuses on meeting the professional needs of teachers in order to meet the educational needs of pupils. The Irish National Progress Report 2002, states that This focus is essential if SDP is to achieve its core purpose: school improvement. (DES, 2003:55, Online). As seen by Law and Glover (2000), school improvement is the result of a three-stage process: establishing targets, planning to attain them and finally monitoring and evaluating them. Moreover, studies conducted by Gray et al. lead an improving school to be measured and defined as one that increased in its effectiveness over time (1999:137). It is also worth mentioning that, an English publication states that Appraisal should support development planning and vice versa. (DES:1991) According to Jones (1993:12), improvement in the teaching and learning is guaranteed when appraisal is considered an integral part of the SDP. Likewise, through their research, Horne and Pearce maintain that integrating appraisal into the SDP resulted in a way of improving the quality of education for the pupils and of raising standards (1996:62). One reason to which Davies attributes an ineffective school is to the teachers lack of punctuality resulting from a low motivation that keeps the teachers lingering in the staffroom till the last minute (1994:35). This implies that lack of appraisal may lead to low motivation in teachers, which in turn will result in ineffectiveness. Furthermore, in discussing the issue about strategic planning, Sergiovanni compares the Traditional with the Alternative rule of planning. He suggests that the latter brings about school improvement in that it emphasizes first the means appraising people involved, then the ways allowing them to discern what needs to be done, and finally the ends in that they themselves will decide on and attain aims (2009:95). Conclusion Dalin and Rust believe that: A good school is one which itself learns; it is a learning school, a living institution that changes in order to remain an institution that stimulates learning. (1996:7) This implies that, the changes that take place in a school, must support the preservation of what has worked well in that school, to be able to give it stability and reputation. The schools SDP is a means of implementing change. It must, in the process, provide a way of dealing effectively with new developments so as to ensure school improvement whereby, all stakeholders are empowered to make decisions and engage in planning their own educational future. Investigation Introduction The first part of this section presents the aim and objectives of this study. Some methodological considerations are then examined. Subsequently, the research instruments are considered. Finally, this section gives an account of the ethical framework considered, the school context, the procedure and the data analysis used. The Aim and Objectives of this Research This research was undertaken in an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of the process of school development planning of the school under consideration. Also, the research project has more specific objectives, mainly to investigate: the importance of a SDP to the school how the process is carried out who is involved in the planning process whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement. Methodological Considerations There are two approaches to academic research that can be adopted by a researcher quantitative and qualitative (Bell, 2008; Briggs and Coleman, 2007). In this study, an educational case study (Bassey, 2007:142) was used, conducted through both qualitative and quantitative research. According to Bassey, one of the strengths of case study research is that it is carried in its natural context [it] entails being where the action is (2007:143). The case study is aimed at improving educational action (Bassey, 2007:142) and which has theory seeking and theory testing as an end point (Basset, 2007:147). This leads to a theoretical structure that not only provides sound data and limits assumptions but also attempts to tease out why a situation is good, bad or mediocre (Bassey, 2007:154). In this research project, an interview with the Head of School was carried out in order to seek insights rather than statistical perceptions of the world (Bell, 2008:7). One should say that the major advantage of qualitative approach is adaptability (Bell, 2005:157) as it emphasises direct human experience. On the other hand, the major disadvantage is that it is time-consuming and generalisation is much more limited (Bell, 2005:157). In an attempt to take advantage from the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, Triangulation is used to cross-check findings (Bell, 2005:116). In this manner, the findings are compared in order to determine the accuracy of information (Bush, 2007:100) rendering them more reliable. The Research Instruments used for Data collection The Interview with the Head Teacher (HT) An approximately one hour-long unstructured interview was carried out with the HT. Although it takes a great deal of time to analyse, the unstructured interview was deemed best for this research as the interviewee is free to talk about what is of central significance (Bell, 2005; Ribbins, 2007). The interview consisted of ten questions aimed to elicit detailed information about the HTs personal view of the SDP, how the process is managed and who is involved to participate and whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement (see Appendix 1). The face-to-face interview (Ribbins, 2007:212) served as a means of getting the real feelings of the HT, regarding the content, the process and the implementation of the SDP. The Teachers Questionnaire Quantitative research was also used in a questionnaire consisting of ten closed statements and one open-ended question (see Appendix 2). In order to select a group which is as representative as possible (Bell, 2005), stratified sampling was used (Fogelman and Comber, 2007). In fact, the questionnaire was distributed to eighteen teachers one teacher from every subject being taught. The respondents were asked to tick one of three options: Yes, No, or Do not know. Statements 1-8 were intended to investigate positive perceptions on the SDP while statements 9 and 10 were intended to bring to light any negative perceptions, if any. Moreover, an open-ended question was set in order to give the respondents the opportunity to give their personal views on SDP matters at school. This question placed each teacher in a position to reflect and answer freely, thus reducing the interviewer effects regarding emotionality and free response (Cohen et al., 2000). Procedure and Ethical Considerations An appointment was made with the HT of St.Helen School (a pseudonym used to maintain confidentiality) and the date for the interview was agreed. Permission to carry out the research was informal, due to the fact that the investigation was carried out in ones own institution. The interview with the HT was carried out onsite (Busher and James, 2007:110) and in the Heads office. At the beginning of the interview, the Head of school was shown the set of questions prepared for the interview as well as other relevant material that proved the interview was required for the research. Though very time-consuming to transcribe, the interview was recorded to ensure data collection and maintain eye contact with the interviewee (Bell, 2005). The HT was given assurance of confidentiality. It is also worth mentioning that the questionnaires were anonymised so as to assure protection to the participants. Moreover, the respondents were made aware of what the research was about and also of its purpose (Bell, 2005:156) (see Appendix 2). Consent for answering the questionnaires was granted freely and without force. The School Context The investigation was carried out at St. Helen Girls Secondary School one of the 22 church schools on the island operating at secondary level. A profile of the school is given in the Table below. ST.HELEN GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL PROFILE Year founded 1999 Secretary Clerk Affiliation Church Librarian Student Admission Feeder Area Counsellor Student Population 364 Guidance Teacher Number of Classes 15 Spiritual Director Average Class size 24 Pastoral Care Team No. of Assistant Heads 2 Discipline Team Teaching Staff 37 P.T.A. Classroom Support Staff 4 Student Council Ancillary Staff 3 Eco School Council Table 1: School Profile Conclusion This section has served the purpose of describing and giving an explanation for the methodology used in carrying out this research supported with all the necessary ethical issues arising from the same research. Following is an analysis of the findings that emerged from the investigation. Analysis Introduction This section includes the significant features that emerge from the Teachers Questionnaire as well as the Head Teachers Interview. Both research tools were based on the following research questions: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the process of development planning carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? The presentation and discussion of the findings that follow, aim at providing answers to these questions. Presentation of Findings Teachers Questionnaire The questionnaire, consisting of ten statements and one open-ended question was distributed to 18 teachers. All questionnaires were collected. Following are the results for statements 1-10 of the questionnaire. Open-ended question The teachers questionnaire ended with an open-ended question asking the respondents to comment in general about the SDP at their school. Only 6 (33.3%) out of 18 respondents answered this question. Four respondents agreed that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. They claim that at their school, the SDP is discussed thoroughly most especially during the Staff Development Days. However, they argue that it is hardly mentioned during the rest of the scholastic year. Another respondent states that more time should be allocated to see if everything planned has been carried out, and if not, why. Similarly, another respondent argued that the SDP should be more carefully monitored and evaluated, and that while it is frequently very cautiously planned, however, it is not adequately implemented. The Head Teachers Interview Following is a summary of the Head Teachers responses to the Interview (see Appendix 1). The Head Teacher (HT) of the school under investigation holds that the SDP conducted since 2002 plays a very important role in the life of every school. Asked about who is involved in the process, the HT mentioned various stakeholders. Regarding the process, the HT states that it takes place in different stages. The difficulties encountered during the process are time and the staffs interest and cooperation. However, since the latter has become an annual process, nearly all teachers help in formulating objectives and action plans. The HT declares that the SDP definitely provides a framework for evaluation and improvement; otherwise it will be of no value. Finally the HT expressed her hopes that the SDP will lead to open wide the doors to school improvement. Analysing the Findings The following section is an attempt to go into the main concerns and interests raised during research. After being collected and classified, the research findings will be discussed and analysed in relation to the research questions and compared to the literature review. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? As shown in Table 2, all 18 teachers interviewed consider the SDP as important to their institution. Moreover, in an attempt to answer the open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire, one teacher claims that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. As suggested by Bezzina (1999), another teacher claims that the SDP is important to enhance the students potential and that it must be used to tackle all their needs. While Bezzina acknowledges that a SDP encourages team effort (1999:37), the Irish document holds that it is a great benefit to the whole school community (DES, 1999, Online). Similarly, the HT holds that: It is a great opportunity to enhance teamwork, collaboration and collegiality among the whole school community, that is, the Senior Management Team, the staff, the students and their parents, and all those who rightly give their share. (Interview with HT). Also, this implies that the style of leadership of the HT at St.Helen is participative (Coleman, 2005a:18), as the issue of decision-making is shared with other stakeholders. Moreover, the HT confirms what is suggested in the DES document (1999, Online), mainly that the SDP gives the teachers a sense of direction as They all know what the school is after (Interview with HT). Who is involved in the process? Bezzina claims that A SDP calls for a co-ordinated effort, a belief in each others worth, and a sincere willingness to work together to achieve set goals (1999:36) Similarly, Lumby maintains that even though the principal may lead in the process, all staff is responsible for the recreation and adjustment of vision on a daily basis (2007a:89). This is evident at St.Helen, so much that the HT mentions the following as stakeholders: Staff Members, P.T.A Members, Ladies Circle, the School Handyman, Parents, Students Council and Students. Moreover the participation of groups such as the Pastoral Team, The Green/Eco-School Team and Discipline Team is encouraged. The HT claims that, All these groups give their contribution. Different meetings are held with different groups on different topics; they all do their utmost to achieve goals. (Interview with HT) Teachers Participation Although The Principal plays a prominent role in the leadership and management of the planning process (DES, 1999:26, Online) 83.3% of the questionnaire responses claim that teachers participation is encouraged in the planning process. Researchers like Bush and Coleman (2006) and Lumby (2007b) hold that the involvement of staff might cause difficulties. However, Early (2007) maintains that staff involvement in becoming increasingly important for school success. Moreover, the above mentioned Irish document states that The whole-hearted participation of the teaching staff is crucial to the success of the planning process and that the whole staff should be actively involved to enable all members of staff to participate in discussion and decision-making (DES, 1999:27, Online). In fact, 55.6% of the responses show that the teaching staff is committed to the SDP. Also, this implies that the staff should be made aware of what the SDP is, why it is inevitable and how it is to be organised. If not, there will be the risk of having staff members who are uninterested, sceptical of the whole process and determined to resist change (Lumby, 2007b:97). In fact, this might be the case with a couple of teachers who joined the school only recently and who in the questionnaire (11.1%) expressed their doubt whether the SDP is threatening to the school or not, while another (5.6%) does not know whether or not the SDP is an added burden to the school (see Table 11). This implies that while the rest of the respondents (94.4%) are rooted in the three features constituting the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online), these newly recruited teachers are not. According to the HT, the teachers are called in for SDP consultation through questionnaires and also on Staff Development Days. In addition to this, some teachers volunteer to work together in teams and in collaboration with the SMT in order to analyse audit results as well as to prioritise and draw strategic plans (Interview with HT). The response of 83.3% of the respondents shows that at St.Helen teacher participation is quite evident. Nevertheless, the HT feels that some teachers still need to be reminded to give their contribution. Also worth mentioning is the fact that, once a month or twice in a term, the HT holds subject meetings with teachers in order to sustain continuity and on-going monitoring (Interview with HT). Parent Participation Epstein (1992) states that parental involvement is an asset to their childs education in that the school equips them with the necessary tools to help them. While learning more about educational programmes they also get familiar with how the school functions. The NMC also holds that parents or guardians should be involved as partners in their childrens education (NMC 1999:31). Although this idea is confirmed by the HT, however it is not so in style with 44.4% of the teachers who have doubts as to whether or not the SDP has brought about greater parental involvement (see Table 8). This also implies that the teachers at St.Helen are not yet embedded with parental involvement in the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online). Student Participation The HT believes that feedback from students is an essential input to the school (Interview with HT) so much that Hargreaves holds that they play an active role in implementing the plan and have an interest in the outcomes (1989:17). This implies that the students are to be involved throughout the whole process. This is likely so at St.Helen where the SMT takes into great consideration any suggestions proposed by the student council especially when they have to do with any aspect of the SDP. Also, a questionnaire is distributed annually to the students so as to ascertain their views (DES, 1999, Online). How is the process of development planning carried out? The HT gave very vivid and clear explanations of how the school goes about the process of development planning. As expressed in the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), the HT maintains that it takes place at different stages, mainly at three Staff Development Days together with monthly afternoon staff meetings. On such days, the teachers are grouped according to their subject, interest or specialisation, and so they are more motivated to contribute to the discussions which usually focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the targets implemented. From these elements, decisions are taken as to what the school will be tackling as aims. Moreover, these meetings offer the SMT and the Staff an ideal opportunity to audit and evaluate progress. Furthermore, the HT asserts that, speakers who are authority on different subjects as well as Personnel from the Education Department also give their contribution during these meetings. Most of the teachers feel a sense of ownership and commitment when carrying out the SDP tasks assigned to them. This emerges quite plainly in the questionnaire with 83.3% of the respondents considering the SDP to be an on-going process while 55.6% believing that the school community is motivated to implement plans. According to the HT, the SDP establishes a clear programme to follow; it defines targets, implements strategies, time limits, necessary resources and evaluation procedures. Similar to what Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Nathan (1996), Bezzina (1999), the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), and Bush and Coleman (2006) suggest, the HT identifies four main processes to SDP in St.Helen, mainly, the Audit, Construction, Implementation and Evaluation. This implies that St.Helen Girls Secondary is meeting the standards that are required by the SDP. Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? Sammons, Khamis and Coleman state that The normal measurement of effectiveness is usually to do with better than expected academic outcomes (2005:137). Consequently, 77.8% of the questionnaire responses show that the SDP promotes improvement among students. Following are three positive outcomes in addition to the acquisition of examination results (Ouston, 1999:176) and as elicited from the HTs interview, in which the process to SDP implemented at St.Helen proves to be fruitful in being effective and in bringing about improvement. Improving the attitude towards Literature Literature is Fun is one of the target-titles listed for implementation in this years SDP. The HT argues that after finding that Literature and Culture of Languages was weakening, the management provided a Literature Room, which h

The Keys to Entrepreneurship Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursewo

The Keys to Entrepreneurship What makes a successful entrepreneur? What can one do to put oneself in a position to succeed on their own? Jay Goltz, for example, is an extremely successful entrepreneur who started his business from the ground up. In the summer of 1978, Jay Goltz founded the Artist’s Frame Service. His business started by using his father’s basement as his office, but eventually moved to an old factory district in Chicago. Today, Goltz’s business in the largest retail, custom picture framing facility in the United States, with over 120 employees and more than $9 million in sales. This success has led Goltz to earn several awards, including being inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. What did Goltz do or possess to make his business venture so successful? Perhaps if one asks the right questions the answers will reveal themselves. Why do entrepreneurs like Jay Goltz succeed when so many others fail? Can a person develop the personality traits to become a suc cessful entrepreneur, and how would one attempt to do that? How important is a business plan when getting started in a business like Goltz’s Artist’s Frame Service? By examining Jay Goltz, and how he started his business, one should be able to identify the attributes that are required to be successful in entrepreneurship. Jay Goltz succeeded in business, I believe, because he was much more prepared than the average person was. Along with possessing key personality traits, Mr. Golt...

The Coquette Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hannah Webster Foster

The Coquette, written by Hannah Webster Foster in 1797, chronicles the life of an affluent woman in the 18th century. There are a few themes that are presented throughout the whole novel: correspondence, sexual freedom, and ideal womanhood. Elizabeth Whitman has been an icon of American history since the 19th century because of her bravery and contempt for the caged position of women in society. It is stated that the tombstone of Elizabeth Whitman is a popular tourist attraction; â€Å"her grave was a popular destination for New England travelers, who beat paths to the far corner of Danvers’s Old South Cemetery through the entire nineteenth century.† (Waterman) The Coquette was loosely based on the story of Elizabeth Whitman, born in 1752 and dead in 1788. Women were typically not objects of novels because women were not deemed important by society, therefore it is surprising when a novel about a woman becomes very popular among the general public. The Coquette was advertised as a dime novel in the late 17 and early 1800s but come the turn of the 21st century, it is one of the most popular novels about women’s liberation and sexual freedom. Since The Coquette is based on true events, there must be a primary or credible secondary source; in this case, the epistolary novel was compiled using themes from the original letters written by Elizabeth Whitman. There were only 15 letters that remain of the correspondence between Elizabeth Whitman and Joel Barlow that exist in the Baldwin Family Papers. (Waterman) In her novel The Romance of the Association, Caroline Wells Healy Dall had to personally contact the Baldwin family in order to review the original letters. This is why correspondence is so important in novels of this time period. ... ...est stick since she lost her life and her reputation, the two most important things to her. However I would argue that the punishments were the same, Sanford lost the two most important things to him as well, Eliza and his money. Depending on one’s view point, it may be better to die than to live without the love of your life. Works Cited Castiglione, Balclesar. "The Book of the Coutier ." Castiglione, Balclesar. The Third Book. London: Norton & Company, 1523. 147-187. Elizabeth Whitman Grave. Peabody, n.d. Photograph. Foster, Hanna Webster. The Coquette. Oxford University Press, 1797. ebook. Waterman, Bryan. "Coquetry and Correspondence in Revolutionary-Era: Reading Elizabeth Whitman’s Letters." Early American Literature (2011): 541-563. Wenska Jr., Walter P. "The Coquette AND THE AMERICAN DREAM OF FREEDOM." Early American Literature (1977): 243-256.

Capital Punishment Essay: Clarifying Impressions of Death Penalty :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Clarifying Impressions of Capital Punishment      Ã‚   There are many false impressions floating around through American society concerning the death penalty; this paper hopes to clarify some of the more prominent, noticeable ones.    Does the death penalty deter? Scientific studies have consistently failed to find convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other punishments. The most recent survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations in 1988 and updated in 1996, concluded: "Research has failed to provide scientific proof that executions have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment and such proof is unlikely to be forthcoming. The evidence as a whole still gives no positive support to the deterrent hypothesis..."(Hood 238)    Reviewing the evidence on the relation between changes in the use of the death penalty and crime rates, a study conducted for the United Nations in 1988 and updated in 1996 stated that "the fact that all the evidence continues to point in the same direction is persuasive a priori evidence that countries need not fear sudden and serious changes in the curve of crime if they reduce their reliance upon the death penalty".(Edwin)    Recent crime figures from abolitionist countries fail to show that abolition has harmful effects. In Canada, the homicide rate per 100,000 population fell from a peak of 3.09 in 1975, the year before the abolition of the death penalty for murder, to 2.41 in 1980, and since then it has declined further. In 1999, 23 years after abolition, the homicide rate was 1.76 per 100,000 population, 43 per cent lower than in 1975. The total number of homicides reported in the country fell in 1999 for the third straight year.(Hood 253)    One of the most important developments in recent years has been the adoption of international treaties whereby states commit themselves to not having the death penalty. Three such treaties now exist:    * The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has now been ratified by 46 states. Seven other states have signed the Protocol, indicating their intention to become parties to it at a later date. * Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("European Convention on Human Rights"), which has now been ratified by 39 European states and signed by three others.

Frozen Food Business in Bangladesh

Abstract This paper is a review of Bangladeshi Frozen Food Business. Frozen Foods in Bangladesh encompass from fishes to ready-to-cook foods. However, fishes and shrimps are exported and generate foreign exchanges for Bangladesh, whereas, the semi-processed foods are imported and produced locally. Indeed, it is a potential business where rural people can be benefited by investing little amount of money, and producing and meeting the emergence demand in the market.This paper additionally concerns on the constraints of business such as lack of properly trained people, stiff competition for the home made processed foods. Therefore, this paper identifies new scope for the growth and development of this segment. Since this segment has got little concerns, we hope that this paper would meet the requirements for the development of the frozen food business and aid the base for further research on this segment. Introduction Though Bangladesh is an agricultural based country, its aquaculture i s developing and contributing to the export of the country.In fact, the frozen food is one of largest contributor to the foreign exchange earnings and occupies fourth position among the export items in terms of total export earnings (Bureau of Statistics, 2004). In Bangladesh, frozen food includes shrimp and fish, and shrimp contributes to the majority of earnings from the frozen food. However, in recent years, the frozen food business has become diversified, and traditional thinking about it has also changed. In Bangladesh, it has been developing based on the fishery along with processed meat and chicken.Indeed, in Bangladesh, new trend in the frozen food business is emerging in silence, which is semi or fully prepared food in retail outlets. But unfortunately, there is not much research work on this segment of frozen food business done, which is developing and growing a new innovative concept in the vacuum space of frozen food business. In fact, this development and its policy imp lications have received little attention in the literature on export-led industrialization in developing countries (Athukorala & Sen, 1996).Therefore, for our research work, we are focusing on processed frozen food found in the retail outlets, and hope that this work would help for the further development of this segment in frozen food business in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, fishes, shrimps and prawns are exported as frozen food to various parts of the world. The frozen seafood sector is booming by exporting. Earnings from this area are increasing and have the potential to increase more. The value of these exports in 1996-97 was US$342. 26 millions (Bureau of Statistics, 1997).However, the shrimp belt of Bangladesh is always the subject of debates on law, order, safety and production process and food quality and environmental issues. As such, in 1997, the European Union (EU) imposed a ban on Bangladesh’s frozen food exports after an EU inspection team report condemned shrimp p rocessing plants in Khulna and Chittagong for their failure to comply with EU quality control regulations (http://www. ifpri. org). However, the agenda of concern is with the semi or fully prepared frozen food that is an emerging market in Bangladesh.These food items have been commercialized recently under company labels like Bombay Sweets, Rich and Aftab. In addition, there are other concerns that supply with this type of frozen food and they are called homemade items. The range of frozen food can contain prepared or semi-prepared food like parathas, pizza, franks, samucha, chops, shami kabab, puri, nuggets, and many more exquisite delicacies. The increasing demand for these types of products has given rise to domestic production of these food items, whereas, a couple of years back everything was imported (Personal Interview, Nandon).Origin of the Study Basically frozen food can be a processed or semi-processed food that is kept in freezer to preserve it for later use. However a be tter explanation may include, Frozen food is food preserved by the process of freezing. Freezing food is a common method of food preservation which slows both food decay and, by turning water to ice, makes it unavailable for bacterial growth and slows down most chemical reactions (http://www. wikipedia. com). Moreover, the condition required to keep frozen food is diifferent. Foods may be preserved for several months by freezing.Long-term freezing requires a constant temperature of -18  °C (0 degrees Fahrenheit) or less. Some freezers cannot achieve such a low temperature. The time food can be kept in the freezer is reduced considerably if the temperature in a freezer fluctuates. Fluctuations could occur by a small gap in the freezer door or adding a large amount of unfrozen food. A special kind of freezer is required to constantly cool the food and in this manner the texture of the food remains the same (http://www. wikipedia. com). Food preserved by freezing or preserved by the process of freezing, is termed as frozen food.Preserving food by freezing is a widespread method of preservation as it slows both food decays. It happens by turning water to ice, which makes it unavailable for bacterial augmentation and slows down most chemical reactions. It is not possible to grow or produce all kinds of food throughout the year or every where around the world. The need for storage and keeping food fresh for a long period of time arises to make them available in all season and everywhere. It is the blessing of science that now it is possible to keep food frozen for our betterment. Today, frozen food products are making our frantic life-styles seem a bit easier better.In fact, successfully evolving and adapting to the needs of consumers, frozen foods have been around a lot longer than we think (http://www. reference. com). History of Commercialization of Frozen Food Business The frozen food industry that we see today can be traced back to several years back to the p ast. Obviously, the existence of frozen food has always been on earth; in climates that were cold enough for the food to freeze. The Chinese were the first to harness the power of freezing foods beyond the winter months. Later, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Indians also discovered that (http://www. fraweb. org). Even though ice-refrigerated railroad cars allowed perishable food products to be shipped as early as the 1860s, major innovations in refrigeration engineering after World War II gave birth to the frozen food industry. Scientists also developed techniques to control the ripening of fruits, vegetables, and other perishables that further extended shelf-life. Advances in transportation came particularly fast – steamships in the mid-1800s, railroads and refrigerated trucks 19th century – and combined with falling oil prices to dramatically reduce the cost of shipping food.It now costs 70 percent less to ship cargo by sea, and 50 percent less to ship by air, tha n it did 20 years ago. Furthermore, invention of frozen orange juice concentration and artificial organic food items also cause the consumers located in different geographical area to enjoy seasonal fresh foods at any time season (Halweil, 2002). With the course of time, many people developed innovative techniques of food-freezing, including Enoch Piper, William Davis, and Daniel E. Somes. But, Clarence Birdseye (1886 – 1956), an American taxidermist by trade, is credited for his quick freezing method that he invented in 1924 (http://www. oc. gov) and considered the father of the frozen food industry. He invented, developed, and commercialized a method for quick-freezing food products in convenient packages and without altering the original taste (http://www. wikipedia. com). Before the quick-freezing technique came along, foods were frozen at a fairly slow rate, making the foods loose their taste and texture. However, Birdseye theorized that food must be frozen very quickly so that its taste and texture can be maintained. His theory covered the packaging, type of paper used, and related innovations along with the ‘freezing technique'.In fact, this quick-freezing process actually ended up creating 168 patents (http://www. loc. gov). The modern frozen food industry was born over 70 years ago, in 1930, when frozen foods were being traded commercially (http://www. nfraweb. org). Objectives of the Study This study attempts to identify the current condition of frozen food business in Bangladesh, especially the semi-processed food segment of frozen food. Therefore, our agenda focuses on the semi-processed food found in the retail outlet.Therefore, this study will identify the future perspective of the frozen food business, space of growth, employment opportunity and scope of developing frozen food business country wide to develop the market and export for foreign earnings. Significance of the Study As we have seen from the earlier segment, frozen food b usiness has become very important for Bangladesh due to its capability of foreign earnings and employment opportunity in this sector. However, the semi-processed food segment in the frozen food has not got any attention; consequently no proper research work is available.Therefore, we hope our study would help the frozen food sector as it would reveal the future perspective of the frozen food business and develop the ideas on what the entrepreneurs and government should do for the development and expansion of this particular segment the. Methodology To prepare the report, we will go for massive research on the frozen food business throughout the semester. The study is mainly based on secondary data and documentary methods. Documents are an important source of information and such sources of data might be used in various ways for the research work.To attain the study different books, journals have been studied. Different websites and portals have been visited when required. Furthermor e, we took interview of Deputy Manager at Nandan. Lastly, we have concluded the study by providing some recommendations based on our findings. Limitations of the Study Everything is its limitations as it has opportunities to develop. There still exist some limitations in our study. The limitations are we only focused on the secondary source but not able to visit any production facility.There is also time constraint as for any research work it requires more that two to three years; but within three month semester, we had to complete the study on the frozen food business. Literature Review International business is defined as ‘transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders' and has existed since the national borders were formed and has shown growth throughout the history with greater peace and security, economic prosperity through development in transportation and communication, and technological progress, especially advent of Internet, liberalization of t rade policies and reduction in ariffs, and creation of global institutes and agreements (GATT or WTO). During the last 30 years of twentieth century (1970-2000), the volume of international trade in goods and services has expanded from a level of US$200 billion to over US$6. 8 trillion – a 34- fold increase, which is faster than world output. Direct foreign investment (FDI) reached a level of US$4. 7 trillion by 2000. The sales of foreign affiliates of multinational corporations (MNCs) recorded a level twice as high as global exports.The driving force behind the growing/changing international business is the process of globalization, which has been accelerated during the last 2-3 decades (Hussain, 2002). A noteworthy recent development in world trade is the rapid expansion of processed food exports and it is the fastest growing component in food products (Athukorala & Sen, 1996; Australian Food Statistics, 2001). The impetus for export expansion has come from new agro-based m anufacturing activities, in particular various fish preparations and processed foods.While labor-intensive manufactures too have demonstrated impressive growth dynamism in absolute terms, this has been dwarfed by the more dramatic growth record of processed goods. There is evidence that these new product lines have many positive attributes according to which the contribution of manufactures to the objectives of industrialization is normally evaluated (Athukorala & Sen, 1996).These include economy-wide linkages, important learning effects emanating from the mastery of new production technology, higher productivity, international marketing effort and entrepreneurial skills involved in export success (Meller, 1995). Based on the conventional definition, export of manufacturing (Appendix A) share in total exports of world trade merchandise increased to 81 percent in 1994 and closely associated with the rapid expansion of manufacturing exports form developing countries those shares in wo rld manufacturing exports increased to 24 percent in 1994.On the other hand, share of processed food in world non-manufacturing (Appendix A) trade increased to 37 percent in 1994, and this share is sharper for developing countries compared to that of developed countries with increased to 38 percent compared to an increase to 36 percent recorded by developed countries in 1994. However, mong the 37 countries, some countries have performed far better than others in this area such as Bangladesh, Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand; and among the low-income countries, Bangladesh is a notable exception, with a growth rate of processed food exports that is more than double that that of any other low income developing country (Athukorala & Sen, 1996). Foreign direct investment has been increasing at a faster rate than direct exports of processed foods over the past decades.Although its impact is currently not quantified, national-level regulation is frequently cited as a potential source of non-tariff barriers to trade for food products. These barriers may be intentionally aimed at favoring domestic production, or merely be the innocent by-products of a country’s attempt to serve its consumers by assuring various food quality attributes. FDI allows food processors to avoid rules intended to disadvantage imported products by setting production within particular markets.It may also allow more precise and rapid adaptation to domestic quality regulations (Hooker & Caswell, 1996). A priori reasoning and some scattered evidence suggest a number of factors, which results in growing share of processed food in the world trade. A widely observed feature of consumer behavior in the global economy has been an increasing `internationalization of food habits’ – the increased importance of processed items in food consumption patterns in developed countries as well as in large sections of the populace in many developing countries.Factors such as international migration, the communications revolution and international tourism have contributed to this phenomenon. This may have provided a significant demand-side impetus to the growth of processed food exports from developing countries. On the supply-side, improvements in food technology, refrigeration facilities and transportation have made processed food items easily tradable across national boundaries (Athukorala & Sen, 1996). Furthermore, strategic choice of FDI or export the processed food in the international market is also influenced by national-level regulation on the ood quality standard. FDI allows food processors, by setting production within a market, to avoid rules intended to disadvantage imported products and to adapt rapidly to domestic quality regulations through greater flexibility, better designed plants, shorter shipping distance, less need for preservatives, packaging or refrigeration, superior understanding of the rules or better appreciation of local d emands for goods with differing attributes to direct food quality benefits to both firms and consumers (Hooker & Caswell, 1996).The emphasis on manufactured exports expansion in developing countries is rooted in the belief that compared to primary commodities, manufactured goods have some intrinsic characteristics, which contribute to superior growth performance. As such employment potential, terms of trade gains, knowledge and technology spill-over are among the most emphasized of these characteristics (Athukorala & Sen, 1996).However, in general, the employment potential of resource-based manufacturing, based on standard trade theory (Heckscher-Ohlin model), is that an abundant supply of labor is not a key determinant of comparative advantage in international production (Findlay, 1985; Roemer, 1979). The Heckscher-Ohlin model (1933) was first conceived by two Swedish economists, Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin at the Stockholm School of Economics. The Heckscher-Ohlin model is a gen eral equilibrium mathematical model of international trade.It builds on David Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage by predicting patterns of trade and production based on the factor endowments of a trading region. The model essentially says that countries will export products that utilize their abundant factor(s) of production and import products that utilize the countries' scarce factor(s). However, this generalization in processed food is debatable as there is no clear relationship between income levels and processed food export growth.Furthermore, unlike in the case of further processing of resources such as minerals and timber, final stages of food processing appear to be labor-intensive. Besides, terms of trade gains from export diversification depends on the degree of income and price elasticity of demand for the commodities concerned, and processed food exports are superior to primary products in terms of these criteria. Furthermore, processed food would be even superior to conventional manufactured goods, hich are by their very nature, are highly import-dependent. On the other hand, processed food industries have large domestic resource content and tend to be closely related to activities in the rural sector (Athukorala & Sen, 1996). It is very likely that recent trade agreements and developments will significantly influence national-level regulation of food quality. NAFTA, GATT and WTO are the first attempt to specifically address food quality standards as potential barriers to trade.National-level quality regulation takes on many dimensions or regimes because product quality itself is multidimensional. Trade theory provides a foundation for analyzing the impact of food quality regulation on FDI and trade. In its basic form, economic theory suggests that gains from trade arise when countries specialize in production of those goods to which they are best suited, thereby earning export income that allows for increased consumption.Trade theoryâ€⠄¢s recent focus on analyzing rent seeking and rent shifting associated with national regulation, the benefits to individual sectors of an economy from trade agreements, and the divergence of outcomes between countries with different per capita income levels are also useful. New trade theory, on the other hand, discusses the effects on trade and investment patterns of imperfect competition, economies of scale, and distortions in factor markets.It advances two quite different explanations of Intra-industry Trade – one emphasizes the interaction of product differentiation and economies of scale and second one emphasizes the literal two-way trade of identical products, with price discrimination being the driving force. It is useful for analyzing quality regulation because it focuses on the many factors that affect the welfare impacts of trade policy (Hooker & Caswell, 1996). Barriers to freer trade arising from non-tariff sources have become more prominent as progress has been m ade worldwide on tariff reduction.Parties to recent trade agreements have sought to lower non-tariff barriers or at a minimum to assure that progress toward freer trade is not thwarted by increases in non-tariff barriers. Regulation of product quality can be a major source of non-tariff barriers to trade. If such barriers are to be lowered, trading partners must develop methods of regulatory rapprochement. For processed food products the level of regulatory rapprochement on quality regulation will have significant impacts on patterns of international trade in the next decade (Hooker & Caswell, 1996). Hirschberg et al. 1992) investigated the bilateral trading patterns of 30 countries and found that various market size variables (Appendix B) such as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the comparative size of GDP between trading partners shared border and membership in either the European Community or European Free Trade Area proved to be significant determinants of intra-indus try trade. Similarly, the study of Hartman and colleagues (1992) on processed food and beverage industries resulted stressed the positive effect on intra-industry trade of US total trade and economies of scope.The study on processed food of Handy and MacDonald (1989) found that product differentiation cultural ties, and firm size were significant determinants of FDI. Connor (1989) expanded on this evidence to suggest the importance of tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade and domestic and foreign market structure, and stressed effects of the host country's regulatory practices, patent protection and trademark laws as likely factors in determining FDI levels. Ning and Reed (1995) highlighted the importance of factors such as host market size, growth rate, and membership in a trading bloc in explaining FDI patterns.In addition, research by Sheldon and Witzke (1992) provided various quality models to trade in food products and highlighted the key role played in the market by consume rs' ability to verify standards set by another country. National-level quality regulation and within trade bloc rapprochement influences firms’ choice of strategies to increase sales abroad such as export sales, joint ventures, FDI, and licensing although not yet quantified. The demand for food quality will continue to increase as incomes increase. National-level performance expectations will increase in the future.Demand for higher quality products increases as income increases. In addition, National governments are the first in line to respond to this demand with new regulations. The demand and new national regulations are likely to outstrip harmonization efforts on an ongoing basis, leaving national regulations with an enduring influence on patterns of trade in processed food products. Quality regulation has momentum, in both more and less developed countries, making keeping up very difficult for firms and cooperating countries.For firms working under national-level qualit y regulation, a very significant problem is that the regulation is dynamic, changing, and in many cases ratcheting up (Hooker & Caswell, 1996). In addition to the national-level quality regulation, many countries have implemented labeling requirements for foods. Labeling provides processor and retailers’ choice, not necessarily consumer choice. The decision of these intermediaries is central to the outcome of any food labeling policy. Consumers will be part of their labeling decision, because retailers and processors will conduct marketing studies on consumer perception (Carter & Gruere, 2003).However, the food label is an important tool for improving the public understanding of the health benefits of following a nutritious diet. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continued to study food labels with its Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS). Data from the 2000–2001 FLAPS characterize various aspects of the labeling of processed, packaged foods, including nutrition labeling and various types of label claims. The final FLAPS database consists of 1,281 foods. An estimated 98. % of FDA-regulated processed, packaged foods sold annually have nutrition labels, with an additional 1. 7% of products exempt from nutrition labeling requirements. Health claims, structure or function claims, and nutrient content claims were identified on food labels. In addition to the resource this, survey provides to CFSAN in assessing health and nutrition information on the food label, registered dietitians and other health professionals can use FLAPS data to assist consumers in choosing a more nutritious diet to improve their health and well-being (http://www. sciencedirect. com).Food safety and Environmental Requirements in International Market It is useful to distinguish between two kinds of food safety and environmental requirements. Mandatory requirements formulated by national or local governments are here referred to as ‘regulations’, while voluntary requirements formulated by the private sector, NGOs or other organizations are referred to as ‘standards’. The latter category includes those voluntary requirements drawn up by National Standards Organizations and international bodies (United Nations, 2007). Food-safety standards and regulations tend to cover multiple issues.Apart from food safety, they cover issues such as plant and animal health, product quality, environmental protection and social welfare. Government regulations applied to imports of FFV sector largely focus on food safety, labeling and marketing requirements. Private-sector standards tend to focus on food safety, environmental protection and social welfare (Geneva, 2006). A number of factors have contributed too increasingly stringent food safety regulations and standards imposed by governments and the private sector, in particular: †¢ Recent food scares and scandals in developed countries; Demographic developments in developed countries (i. e. ageing of population, which gives rise to be more risk-averse and quality-conscious consumer behavior); †¢ Risk minimization efforts by retailers; and †¢ More sophisticated detection and testing methods. Food safety standards and regulations tend to cover multiple aspects. Apart from food safety, they cover issues such as plant and animal health, product quality, environmental protection and social welfare (United Nations, 2007). Requirements laid down in government regulations are often transmitted to producers and exporters in developing countries through the supply chain.For example, EU legislation tends to hold importers accountable for compliance with its provisions with regard to imported products. The need to take responsibility for the safety of the food they import into the EU market places importers under an obligation to exercise due diligence over supply chains (Geneva, 2006). Possible Implicatio n for Developing Countries Developing countries face considerable constraints in meeting food safety regulations and private-sector requirements due to weak institutions, lack of infrastructure, high compliance costs, lack of information, and other factors.One can even go so far to say that the new mandatory and voluntary requirements act to reinforce other strengths and weaknesses at production unit and supply-chain levels, i. e. in terms of technical or transport infrastructure (Geneva, 2006). Adoption of the HACCP approach to assuring safety Developed countries are increasingly requiring adoption of the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) approach to assuring food safety. In the EU, the use of HACCP has become mandatory for all food categories.The use of HACCP is not mandatory in the case of primary production. However, the use of HACCP is mandatory in packinghouses in the case of semi-processed and processed food, vegetables, and products that are pre-packed in th e exporting country (United Nations, 2007). Economic Environment of Bangladesh During the last few years, Bangladesh made considerable progress in stabilizing and liberalizing its economy. As a result, inflation was much lower than previously, and average annual real GDP growth was above 5%, largely led by exports.Indeed, one of the most striking features of Bangladesh's trade is that textiles and particularly clothing dominate exports. This dramatic change in the composition of exports is the consequence of Bangladesh's increased integration into the multilateral trading system. On the structural policy front, the Government has continued to pursue, inter alia, trade liberalization, financial sector reform, and privatization (www. wto. org). Unfortunately, real annual GDP growth, averaging around 6. 7% during the review period, has not been sufficient to make much of a dent in the poverty that pervades Bangladesh.Given Bangladesh's high incidence of poverty, its dense population, a nd its vulnerability to natural disasters, including periodic flooding and cyclones, food security is a major policy objective of the Government. Trade Policy Framework The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) is responsible for coordinating trade policy matters through its agencies, as well as in consultation with other Ministries and governmental bodies; national committees are formed to address specific issues on trade and industrial development.Private sector representatives, including business groups and academic institutions, are consulted in the policy-making process through their participation in the national committees. A major institutional change involves the upgrading of the Tariff Commission under the purview of the MOC; the Commission is now empowered to conduct anti-dumping and countervailing investigations (http://www. wto. org).Local regulations, standards and good agricultural practices (GAP) can assist developing countries in promoting safe and sustainable production system s and in supplying products for domestic, regional and international markets that meet the quality, safety and environmental standards of those markets (United Nations, 2007). Trade Policy Measures In an effort to encourage investment, the Government offers a wide range of open-ended tax incentives, notably tax holidays and accelerated depreciation.However, the effectiveness of such incentives in attracting investment is doubtful, particularly in the absence of fiscal transparency, which would involve a detailed account of tax revenues forgone and systematic evaluation of the impact of these incentives in relation to forgone taxes. The existence of incentives complicates tax administration and taxpayer compliance, while increasing the scope for tax avoidance and evasion, both of which are reflected in Bangladesh's low overall level of tax collection relative to GDP (http://www. wto. org). Frozen Food Business in BangladeshBangladesh as a third-world country poses poverty, unstructur ed business environment, conservative social values for living as an inherent quality. Since this country has achieved independence, it started to changing slowly and now its changing rapidly to cope with the modern and so called western country. Its business has got new dimensions and the whole country economy has started to play a good role in shaping the worlds future to some extends. The participation of developing countries in world trade is much lower than their participation in world production, as the main producers (China, India and Brazil) have huge domestic markets.Although China is the world’s largest producer, only a relatively small proportion of its production is exported, but its exports are increasing rapidly (United Nations, 2007) GDP growth of broad Industry sector was 9. 56% in FY 2005-06. The performance of the industrial sector was mainly based on the growth in textile and wearing apparel, drugs and pharmaceuticals, fertilizer, petroleum products, glass products, cement, electronics, footwear and food & beverage industries. In addition to that, we can see that the total export earnings registered a 21. 3% increase during 2005-2006 and rose to US$ 10156 million (16. 03% of GDP) from US$ 8655 million (14. 18 of GDP) in 2004-2005. Exports increased chiefly due to higher demand in both developed and developing countries. Garments had the major share (38. 86%), followed by knitwear and hosiery (35. 43%), frozen foods (4. 43%), jute goods (3. 94%) leather (2. 31%), chemical products (2. 52%) and raw jute (1. 03%) (Export Promotion Bureau Bangladesh, 2005-2006). Bangladesh is not well prepared to address the new requirements in international markets.Existing mechanisms for gathering, processing and disseminating information are not working properly and there is hardly any coordination, follow-up and monitoring. Largely, stakeholders are mostly unaware, uninformed and unconcerned. However, some private foundations and NGOs are raising awar eness among producers of quality requirements and providing them with training. They are also exploring non-traditional markets (United Nations, 2007). The processing industries in the Region’s countries (Asia and Pacific region) are essentially agro-based enterprises.There is a huge range of ethnic and traditional food products in each of the countries. The local food industry has evolved around domestically available agricultural raw materials, such as maize or corn, paddy rice, fruits, vegetable, root crops, sugarcane, coconuts, oil palm, spices, beverages (tea, coffee, cocoa) and honey. Modern food processing plants have been introduced in developing Region’s countries, initially centered on processed foods derived from processed meats, wheat and flour products, and dairy products. This has led to an increase in imported raw materials ingredients and packaging, for the roduction of this type of food. In more recent years, however, indigenous companies have set up, often in joint venture with multinational corporations, to process local raw materials such as pineapples, cassava, fruits and vegetables to be packed, labeled and exported under the corporations’ brand names. These operations include food canning, carbonated beverages, frozen food manufacture, and flour and starch production. The companies apply total quality assurance as well as comprehensive research and development procedures to ensure high quality innovative products (Hicks, 2001).Bangladesh has been involved in frozen food business for a long period of time. During the 1970s, our frozen food industry started with rapid expansion of seafood processing and exporting. Now, the industry has come a long way with the frozen foods export is the second largest export sector of the country. Currently, many firms are involved in both import and export of frozen food. Imported goods include various fruits, semi cooked food, full cooked foods, whereas, exported goods encompass froz en shrimp, lobster, crab, and various vegetables.Although the industry involves both exports and imports, it is actually an export-oriented industry with an average annual growth rate of about 28% in the export area. In 1997, the fourth leading export item in Bangladesh was frozen shrimp and fish, with a 7. 3 percent share of the total export market (www. ifpri. org). The industry includes the following sub-sectors: Hatcheries, Sustainable aqua-culture technology, Feed meals plants, and processing unit for value-added products. The frozen food could be categorized into – (1) Fresh Foods, (2) Semi Cooked/Processes Food, and (3) Full Cooked/Processes Foods (http://www. oi. gov. bd). †¢Fresh Foods: Fresh foods are those which has not cooked or baked but has done some modifications where necessary. For example, Sea Food, Beef, Chicken, Fishes, Mutton etc. †¢Semi-Cooked/Processed Foods: Semi Cooked/processed foods are those which has made or shaped or cooked in such a wa y that it can be eaten/use just by a simple cooking process at home. That means, these types of foods are already cooked to some extend and made ready to use after a short cook/bake. For example, Samucha, Singara, Noodles, Porota, etc. Full-Cooked/Processed Foods: Full Cooked/processes foods are those which has made or shaped or cooked in such a way that it can be eaten/use instantly at any time. That means, these types of foods are already cooked/processed to use instantly. For example, Ice-Cream, Juice, etc. The government of Bangladesh and many other national and international organizations have been actively participating for the quality control of the industry. Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), a company with limited liability, is the main organization that is involved with this industry and established in 1984.Its main job is to promote and protect the interest of Frozen Food processors, Packers and Exporters in Bangladesh. It also involves in establishing and Promoting, contacts with foreign buyers, business association and the Chamber of Commerce and Industries for developing export marketing and marketing of Frozen Foods (http://www. bangladeshembassy). A Fish and Fish Product Ordinance (Inspection and Quality Control) was created by the Bangladesh government and in 1985 upgraded the inspection laboratory and its personnel (www. ifpri. org).Among the international organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has helped this industry too. It has developed product standards, regulations, and fish inspection schemes. Based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach, FAO initiated a 1996 project to give a hand in the preparation of a fish safety and quality control program for the seafood plants in Bangladesh, Intergovernmental Organization for Marketing Information and Technical Advisory Services for Fishery Products in the Asia Pacific Region (INFOFISH) also aided the industry several times.It has carried out projects that focused on the export promotion of value-added products and their sustainable development (http://www. ifpri. org). Another international organization, International Technology Development Group (ITDG), promotes food processing to help the rural poor in developing countries to secure sustainable livelihoods. This is part of ITDG’s goal to build the technical skills of poor people in developing countries to improve their lives (O. Yu, 2002).ITDG links up with local organizations to provide training and support to food processors and entrepreneurs emphasizing on flexibility, little capital investment requirement, and operating in the home without the need for sophisticated or expensive equipment. Among the projects of are cereal milling in Peru, snack food production in Bangladesh, and fruit and vegetable drying in the Sudan (Halweil, 2002). ITDG began operating in Bangladesh in the early 1980s, but the ITDG–Bangladesh (ITDG -B) program was not formally established until 1990.ITDG-B provides technical assistance to small producers and local organizations, including training, product research and development, disseminating information, networking and policy advocacy (O. YU, 2002). Food processing could help the rural poor in Bangladesh, especially women, who are among the most disadvantaged. Food processing often requires only a little capital and can use local produce. Many Bangladeshi women, ITDG-B found, were already processing snack foods such as home made samucha, singara etc. Building on their own know-how, women could increase their household income by using local resources to process foodstuff.Food processing can serve several development objectives for households and small business: increased income, greater savings, food security and better nutrition (ITDG, 1999). Agro processing in the broad sense is important to the national economy, having shown a purported 32 per cent annual growth in past years (Bangladesh Economic Review, 1995). While large companies have now entered the snack food market, small producers serve local markets and boost local economies. Preserving food stretches the utility and productivity of farm produce, which is often wasted during peak seasons but scarce during lean seasons.Food processing helps to make food available during lean seasons and helps to stabilize household income (O. Yu, 2002). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has pointed out that the value realized from processing and marketing farm products can surpass primary production (FAO, 1995). The present market for these products is a sellers’ market dominated by a number of firms. Consumers have choices of different quality and price. Producers with appropriate marketing strategies are receiving market acceptance in the domestic market.The market for processed food products is becoming highly sophisticated and consumers are becoming more quality conscious. Major local ma rkets include Dhaka and Chittagong cities. Apart from a growing domestic demand, the government is encouraging the export of processed foods, which is important for this sector. Processed food products in the local market move from processors to the consumers through a chain of wholesalers and retailers. Distribution to the export market is through direct exporting or through trading companies (Hossain & Sheel, 2001). Constrains and Scope for DevelopmentWhile small-scale food processing offers numerous opportunities for improving livelihoods, several constraints that hamper development need to be addressed. A major one is that large companies such as Bombay Mix, Aftab, Rich etc. have begun producing myriad processed foods, including snacks, pickles, jelly and jam. Therefore, there is a stiff competition among the large and small scale producers in the domestic market (Hossain & Sheel, 2001). According to the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), by April 2000 approximately ten large companies were manufacturing it.Another problem is that small producers have limited know-how in the technology of preparing food products, as mentioned by Azam Ali, coordinator of agro processing programs at ITDG, lack of proper information and expertise seems to be a particular problem in the case of small-scale food processing even though it can be a major source of jobs and additional income. A number of other concerns that inhibit small-scale food processing in Bangladesh (ITDG, 1998) need to be addressed: †¢There is a significant difference between having the ability to produce for home consumption and establishing a small business based on this product.A range of skills (both technical and business) is needed to make the transition from home production to the running of a small-scale enterprise. †¢Linked to this is the ability to locate and target markets. This is a dynamic sector. Rural producers need to learn how to monitor change, develop markets and sell t heir products. Know-how in selling and locating wider markets was a common limitation. †¢Consumer perception is an important issue faced by small-scale processors. There is a common perception that foods produced by small-scale operators are unhygienic and unsafe.This may be somewhat true but is commonly exaggerated. Nonetheless, processors need to be more conscious of hygiene, quality and consistency in food handling, including dangers of adulteration. †¢ Lack of access to raw materials, appropriate equipment and packaging materials are obstacles that small-scale processors frequently face. †¢Access to credit is lacking. Many of the small-scale processors belong to the most marginalized sector of the population and do not have disposable income. To enable them to put their skills into practice, most need access to credit to purchase equipment and raw materials. They also lack access to appropriate and timely information on a range of topics. To compete effectively, s mall-scale food processors need reliable technological information and information on suppliers and prices of materials, equipment and packaging, and marketing information. †¢Recording transactions is a problem because of low literacy. In the 1990s, only 34. 4 per cent of Bangladesh’s population was literate. Literacy among women was 25. 5 per cent. In rural areas it was as low as 13 per cent (BBS, 1999). Most problems were market related: competition with large companies, inconsistent quality, inferior packaging and labeling, marketing and selling, insufficient access to quality raw materials, and lack of confidence among consumers in products of small-scale producers (Azami et al. , 1996; Azmi & Chowdhury, 1996). †¢The value-added tax imposed by the government to the processed food industry and limited promotional activities for the small scale business due to the high cost of advertisement in mass media (Hossain & Sheel, 2001).The changing role of multinational c ompanies and demographic factors, and more globalization of production and market are likely to enforce developing countries like Bangladesh to face increased competition emanating from liberal trade regimes, big MNCs enjoying economies of scale by virtue of their global operation, and lack of access to global market because of no brand name and heavy expense of advertising for local firms (Hussain, 2002). As such in case of Malaysian processed food, they have the technology and the means to locally process food into higher-value products where there is ess competition from other exporting countries such as Bangladesh (http://www. delmys. cec. eu. int). Furthermore, there is a lack of modern infrastructure and equipment for food processing in many developing countries of the Region. Inadequate transportation, poor distribution, inadequate cold storage and freezer capacity, lack of potable water and unreliable power supply are the main shortcomings. There is a shortage of trained, sk illed labor and technical competence in agriculture especially in the traditional food industry sector.This coupled with poor management, leads to inefficiency and poor competitiveness. Labor costs have risen markedly in newly industrialized countries, in the last decade. This results in higher production costs, for labor-intensive operation. Moving the operation to lower labor cost countries, or automation, is the response of modern food companies (Hicks, 2001). To compete with these challenges developing countries should create employment through economic development and promoting technologies that suit the resource endowment.A country like Bangladesh has large populations. Best way to achieve economic development by using the most abundant resource – labor. Developing countries, therefore, have to supplement the R&D effort and modify technologies to their advantage, at least in sectors where most of the population draws its living such as agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, etc. Local business and enterprise development is important for adding value to local resources, creating employment, and improving traditional products for the global market.Taiwan's herbal teas, dried/pickled fruits, India-Pakistan cooking spices, pickles and chutneys, Malaysian ready-to-cook traditional foods and paratha, are interesting innovations in business development. The potential for further development is vast and should be exploited (Hussain, 2002). The local business development also offers huge economic opportunities. Developing nations that emphasize greater food self-reliance can thereby retain precious foreign exchange and avoid the whims of international markets. There is strong evidence that local food often costs less than the quivalent foods bought on the international market or from a supermarket, because transportation costs are lower and there are fewer middlemen. In fact, rebuilding local food systems might offer the first genuine economic opportunity in f arm country in years, a pressing need in view of the huge amounts of money leaking out of rural communities. To the extent that functions associated with food production and distribution are relocated in the community under local ownership, more money will circulate in the local community to generate more jobs and income.This is particularly true if crops are not only grown locally, but also processed locally or served in local restaurants. This sort of alliance can help arrest the positive feedback loop that makes it harder and harder for independent players to survive. Cornwall in England is an icon that link local food to local food business: In Cornwall, the Cornwall County Council’s in-house meal service provider is backing local food suppliers as part of a ? 1 million contract to supply school meals to 32 county primary and secondary schools for fresh meat, frozen food and vegetables (Halweil, 2002).A study on food processing in Bangladesh assessed the market and the po tential of each activity (Chowdhury ; Sarker, 1989). Their study considered snack foods as secondary food processing. Some interesting findings included the following: †¢Many crops were produced throughout the year. Yet because the farms and production were small, the volume of crops that could be processed was smaller than the capacity of even the smallest machines. In 1996, for example, 52. 85 per cent of holdings were small, 0. 05 to 2. 49 acres. Medium-sized farm holdings, 2. 5 to 7. 9 acres, made up 11. 65 per cent, and large holdings were only 1. 67 per cent (BBS, 1999). †¢Most crops, except jute and tea, were produced for the local market, but production was still less than the country’s total demand. Some crops, therefore, were imported. †¢Crop processing could provide employment for women and the rural poor. However, without appropriate equipment, modern capital-intensive production could overrun the industry and displace women and landless workers. Fu rthermore, snack foods were identified as a focus, along with rice and sugar cane products.ITDG-B determined that there was a need to train fieldworkers on how to make snack foods so that they could guide beneficiaries in running food processing businesses. Post-workshop consultations with development organizations emphasized the need to train fieldworkers further in establishing sustainable small-scale food processing businesses, particularly since the business orientation of these organizations and their staff was inadequate. When ITDG-B looked at existing suppliers of technology and training, it found that the existing training courses were oriented towards large-scale operations (O.Yu, 2002). The search for improved quality and reliability of supply tends to create certain governance structures in the private sector along the supply or value chain. Private sector requirements function as value chain governance tools: by specifying, communicating and enforcing compliance with key product and process parameters along the value chain, large buyers and retailers can benefit from control without ownership. Specific requirements on food safety, quality, and environmental or social issues substitute, to some extent, for direct monitoring and ownership by buyers.These requirements transfer the direct costs of monitoring and control from the buyers to the suppliers, who have to bear the costs of certification yet are rarely compensated through higher prices (United Nations, 2007). Food Quality and Standard in Bangladesh Quality of products is ensured through using appropriate raw materials, the right type of equipment and qualified technical personnel. Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) standards and rules are followed to ensure high quality (Hossain ; Sheel, 2001). The BSTI can play vital role to develop and harmonize food standards for ensuring food quality and security in the country.They also emphasized fixing a standard level to promote food stan dards up to international level and norms to facilitate both the domestic and international trade for boosting the export earnings (http://www. newagebd. com). The BSTI, the national standards body, is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Industries. BSTI performs the task of formulation of national standards of industrial, food and chemical products. Quality control of these products is done according to Bangladesh Standards. Till date BSTI has come up with over 1800 national standards of various products adopting more than 132 International Standards (i. . ISO) and food standards set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (www. thedailystar. net). BSTI certifies the quality of commodities including food items for local consumption, which applies both for export and for import. Currently, 142 products are under compulsory certification marks scheme of BSTI including 54 agricultural and food items (http://www. bsti. gov. bd). The country needs food quality testing faci lities because big international corporate businesses cannot purchase many Bangladeshi food products in the absence of such facilities.One of the major issues that prevent the corporate businesses in the food sector from purchasing from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh is the lack of quality testing facilities (http://www. sdnbd. org). BSTI has made it mandatory to mention six facts regarding the product on the package. This includes the date of production, date of expiry (best before use), net contents or weight, address of the producers or marketing companies, maximum retail price (MRP) and the ingredients (http://www. bsti. gov. bd).BSTI collects random samples from the factories and buys products from the market to test. If they find sub-standard product they do not have the power to take action against the company or the industry. The BSTI Ordinance 1985 has been amended to Act 2003 for consumers' protection against low quality products (http://www. thedailysta r. net). Only the government food testing laboratory at IPH works on food safety and water quality issues. The legal provisions to ensure proper quality control of food are inadequate (world health organization, 2002).The Institute of Public Health (IPH) organizes its activities of quality control of drugs, food and water, production of vaccines, intravenous fluids, antisera and diagnostic reagents, diagnosis of infectious diseases and related research facilities. IPH is formed to assist the government to prevent and control major health hazards caused by contaminated and adulterated food and water. Besides this, it organizes training programs in the field of diagnosis, control and prevention of infectious diseases and food and water safety.It also conducts various research activities in related fields of public health, and to collaborate and co-operate with other national, international organizations and agencies in the promotion of public health (http://www. thedailystar. net). It is therefore essential to enhance awareness and understanding of the possible implications of quality, food safety and environmental requirements for the food sector in Bangladesh, and to carry out an assessment of the compliance costs and the costs and benefits of a proactive adjustment strategy for the sector, including its impact on competitiveness (United Nations, 2007).Recommendations The new product range of frozen food has put forward the market for semi processed or processed food on the run. As people are becoming more work-based, especially women, there is very less time for cooking or preparing Tiffin for children. It is a relive for working mothers and even easy for bachelors to prepare snacks or such items in no time and with less hassle. The frozen food industry has recently begun in Bangladesh, concentrating in major cities like Dhaka and Chittagong and directing towards only superstores.The growing demand from foreigners residing in cities previously to new generati on working moms and other working people has opened a huge opportunity for potential players to join in this appealing industry. Blooming companies are trying to gain awareness for market share at recent times. This benefits customers in terms of superior quality products and better customer service. Thus, the industry has to devise innovative strategies so as to attract and retain more customers. Availability: To gain more customers the companies need to reach out to retail outlets or departmental stores at various corners of the city.Although the product needs to be kept in special freezers, these companies can make it happen. They can provide incentives for retailers or even at potential customer bases can provide with freezers themselves! In order to sustain in this competitive arena, where lot of frozen food imports are pouring in, the industry in Bangladesh needs to be strong in distribution. Export: Companies should spread its boundaries to outside country to gain more revenu e. Things like shrimps and prawns and vegetables are already good frozen exports and are earning good amount of revenue. So, exporting can be good choice to expand.Science and Technology: Distribution and mass customized production may be in the form of acquiring new and advanced store equipments. Such things would increase the pace of goods delivered to customers. Specialized equipment for preserving frozen foods may be acquired. Equipment is being developed that will give both visibility and attractiveness to both frozen food, made possible by new advances in refrigeration which permit visibility but retain low temperature. Modern machinery and technology can help in product design and development, mass production, standardization and quality control, packaging and transport.Promotion: At this point, the frozen food companies should do rigorous promotional activities in order to increase awareness level in probable customers. Different programs may include in-store demonstrations of how easy the food is to prepare, leaflets of the items given to the parents when they wait to take their kids from schools. Leaflets in newspapers and colorful ads in the TV during drama time, 9:00 pm to be shown in various satellite Bangladeshi channels can also be good starting. Another ground to show off is during the international trade fairs.Placing: The cities are big and to create a place there one needs to be different. The people to be targeted are literate working people with white color jobs or students. Therefore to reach this mass a company needs to set up somewhere from where distribution is easy to retailers. Another daring step can be to have a forward linkage or integration. That is to say to have a retail outlet of only company made frozen food. This is company owned and can have a small cafe serving only snacks out of their items. The shop should have people from the company who can answer to any queries the people ay have. Innovation: Constant rendering is req uired to have a strong hold on the market share. Outside of Bangladesh frozen food has ranged from snacks to whole meals. The frozen food companies should develop new products through research and development to match with the ever changing demands. They should always try to make ways to lower cost without hampering quality much so to compete with the imports. Installment of Training Programs Manpower: Manipulative skills are available to the agro-industries in the Region.However, inadequacy of in-depth technical understanding and lack of management skills in the workforce restricts innovation and consistent performance. Therefore, government as well as private sector should develop a sound technological and industrial base, human resources in science, technology administration and management. Institutes for research and development working on the needs of frozen food industries should be established at different levels of development. Infrastructure Development and Favorable Trade Policy: Both institutional and physical, is a component of most national development plans.Establishment of basic infrastructure such as roads, distribution system, power supply, and favorable and supportive policy to have adequate cold storage and freezer system is recognized as essential for the growth of semi-processed food industries. There should be a modern infrastructure and equipment for food processing. Conclusion It is very much clear that Bangladesh potential country to produce frozen food due to its resource endowment – abundant labor force that is suitable for the production of frozen food. The essence of the frozen food business is that it becomes an income source for the local and rural people.There are large organizations associated with this industry, and thus a huge number of employees are employed. That is how this industry is keeping a great deal of contribution in removing unemployment rate and creating more employment opportunity, and, shaping its future . Furthermore, increasing demand both in local and in overseas for the frozen food and little investment requirement make this business more attractive and profitable for small-scale and larger producers. However, massive pressure from imported semi-processed foods is affecting the local small-scale producers such as home made foods.Therefore, frozen food businesses require achieving the quality standard and government should aid small-size business with tax reduction, and facilitate more investment. Here, the private sectors or larger organization can play an important role by facilitating the small producers in the value creation activities. Furthermore, consumer awareness is also a big factor to develop the frozen food industry. Unless and until the consumes are willing to buy locally produced semi-processed food and help the local producers produce quality products, the development of frozen food business country wide might not take place.