Determination of Glucose Concentration Using Trinder Method

Determination of Glucose Concentration Using Trinder Method The Trinder method is used to determine glucose concentration only, (Lott et al, 1975). This method was first described by Trinder in 1969 thus named after him, (Lott et al, 1975). It uses an enzyme glucose oxidase for the first reaction and peroxidase for the second reaction thus the name of the enzyme Glucose oxidase/peroxidase (GODPOD), (Meiattin, 1973). Enzymes are biological or any chemical catalysts that speed up a reaction without it being used up, (Jan, 2010). It functions to catalyse a reaction by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Activation energy is the energy needed to initiate the reaction. It is a point of high energy and requires more energy than the substrates. An enzyme also contains an active site for the substrate to catalyse the reaction. Its efficiency depends on the concentration of the substrate and conditions like temperature or pH, (Hames et al, 2005). The Trinder method, is based on two sequential enzymatic reactions, the first one involves the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid and H2O2, (Casabnon et al, 2005). This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme Glucose oxidase. Then, the H2O2produced is quantified by a chromogenic reaction with peroxidase (POD), as the enzyme that catalyses the reaction with the reduced dye, (Casabnon et al, 2005). The oxidised dye changes colour to pink or red according to the glucose concentration. The colour formed is stable at room temperature for at least two hours after development, (Anon, 2010). The main advantage of this method is that it is very specific. It doesnt target other sugars except glucose. It is also simple straight forward and easy to manipulate. Its results are very reliable and specific, (Bauninger, 1974). Its final products are stable as they are not reactive at room temperature. Other colorimetric methods to identify glucose include, oxidation of glucose in the presence of Cu+2 to give Cu2O, and different types of Chromatography, (Casabnon et al, 2005). Glucose can be detected with o-toledine or other amines, (Casabnon et al, 2005). The experiment had to check for the specificity of the assay thus other carbohydrates were assayed. These were galactose, fructose, maltose and ribose. Maltose is a disaccharide which is made up of two glucose molecules joined together by a glycosidic bond. Galactose is a major sugar found in milk, (Hames et al, 2005). Its structure consists of six carbons with a glycosidic bond to join the next glucose molecule, (Berg et al, 2007). Fructose is abundant in fruits. It is a monosaccharide with six carbons as its structure. Ribose is a pentose sugar molecule with 5 carbons. It is mostly abundant in the nucleotides. The aim of the experiment was to determine glucose concentration in different concentrated solutions and unknown solutions. The specificity of the assay was to be determined by application of the assay on different sugar molecules. A standard curve was to be drawn from the absorbencies acquired from the spectrophotometer at 515nm Materials 12 Test tubes 2 Long pipette tips 1ml of 0.5mM Fructose 1ml of 0.5mM Maltose 1ml of 0.5mM Galactose 1ml of Unknown Glucose 1ml of 0.5mM Ribose 5ml of 0, 5mM Glucose 5ml of Distilled water 7ml of 0.1% Phenol 20ml of GODPOD Reagent 9 pipette tips 8 Disposable Cuvettes Black Marker Stop watch P100 Pipette Automatic pipette Recoding paper and pen Spectrophotometer at 515nm Water bath at 37oC Test tubes rack Blotting paper Method The test tubes were marked T1 to T6, for those that had to be inoculated with glucose and S1 to S6, for those that had to be inoculated with different types of sugars. They were arranged in order of concentration on the rack. One row was left out for agitating the test tubes. Inoculation commenced by transferring glucose into different test tubes T1being the least concentrated. 0.5mM of Glucose was transferred using a P100 pipette and not changing the tip. 0.2cm3 was inoculated into T2, 0.4 cm3 into T3, 0.6 cm3 into T4, 0.8cm3 into T5 and 1.0 cm3into T6. Distilled water was then inoculated into the test tubes using a different tip to avoid cross contamination. One centimetre cubed was inoculated into T1, 0.8 cm3 into T2, 0.6 cm3 into T3, 0.4 cm3 into T4 and 0.2 cm3 into T5. There was no water inoculated into the last tube T6. Phenol was then inoculated into all the twelve test tubes. It was transferred using a different tip to avoid cross contamination. One centimetre cubed of different sugars were inoculated in specific S tubes. 0.5mM of Galactose was inoculated into S1, 0.5mM of Glucose was inoculated into S2, Glucose unknown was inoculated into S3, 0.5mM of Fructose was inoculated into S4, 0.5mM of Maltose was inoculated into S5 and then 0.5mM of Ribose was inoculated into S6. These transfers were done with different tips for different sugars. One and half millilitres of GODPOD reagent was then inoculated into all the test tubes using an automatic pipette and a long pipette tip. The test tubes were then agitated on the rack and incubated in the water bath for forty minutes. The temperature was constantly checked during incubation. After forty minutes, the solutions changed colour from colourless to light pink according to the concentration. These different solutions were then read on a spectrophotometer in a cuvette. The spectrophotometer was zeroed at first then absorbencies of Glucose and other sugars were read and recorded. A cuvette was wiped on the soft side to minimize absorbencies caused by contamination. These different absorbencies were recorded on a table. Discussion The reactions of glucose with the GODPOD were slow due to the fact that the enzyme was stored in ice thus it took long for the reaction to take place. The enzymes structure was disrupted because it was kept in cold thus it took time to equilibrate with the conditions. The reason why GODPOD was slow to react was because it is sensitive to its environment, (Teal et al, 1985). Enzymes are sensitive to pressure, temperature and pH. This added to the fact that the colour produced was not very dark because the enzyme was adjusting to the conditions. The enzyme also didnt denature because it was kept in ice at 4oC not in the heat above 40oC. On the graph, the points that are not on the line of best fit might have appeared because there might have been a competitive inhibitor thus the reaction didnt go on well owing to reduced absorbance. The inhibitor might have been so because of cross contamination. The same pipette might have been used to transfer the solutions thus cross contamination. The specificity of the enzymes might have caused the other solutions not to produce reliable results. Enzymes are sensitive to pH, (Jan, 2010). The pH of the test tube might have been so low or higher than the required thus some of the points are not in the line of best fit. This might have been avoided by carrying out the experiment repeatedly and then getting average values. When the enzyme was applied to the other sugars, there was no absorbance at all because the enzyme is specific to one substrate thus it didnt catalyse the reaction of other sugars and GODPOD. There might have no absorbance because these sugars might have their own wavelengths they absorb the light. This might have been avoided by scanning the various wavelengths and determine the exact wavelength. The unknown glucoses were determined by the use of the graph. The line of best fit was used to determine the glucose concentration. An equation was used also to determine the concentrations. The other points not on the line of the best fit might be there because the transitional state might have been great, thus when thirty minutes had passed, the enzyme had not gone past the transitional stage. This might have been characteristic of the colours produced according to the concentration of the different solutions. The unknown glucose solutions showed to have the same concentration as the stock solution. It might have the same compounds and properties as the stock solution. The results of the experiment were according to the literature values. This was highlighted by the absorbencies of stock solutions and different sugars. The specificity of the reaction was achieved. In conclusion, the aims of the experiment were achieved by obtain reliable data and results. The standard curve showed the absorbencies of the different solutions and unknowns.

billy Budd By Herman Melville: Captain Vere Essay -- essays research p

"Billy Budd" by Herman Melville: Captain Vere In the novella "Billy Budd" by Herman Melville, Captain Vere is the â€Å" tragic hero†. he is neither good nor evil, but rather a man whose concept of order, discipline, and legality forces him to obey the codes of an authority higher than himself even though he may be in personal disagreement. Captain Vere is sailor that is distinctive even in a time of renowned sailors. He has noble blood in him, but his advancement through the naval ranks to that of captain is due more to his outstanding service and personal merits than through any connections that he may have had. He was made a post-captain because of his â€Å"gallantry in the West Indian waters as flag-lieutenant under Rodney in that admiral's c... billy Budd By Herman Melville: Captain Vere Essay -- essays research p "Billy Budd" by Herman Melville: Captain Vere In the novella "Billy Budd" by Herman Melville, Captain Vere is the â€Å" tragic hero†. he is neither good nor evil, but rather a man whose concept of order, discipline, and legality forces him to obey the codes of an authority higher than himself even though he may be in personal disagreement. Captain Vere is sailor that is distinctive even in a time of renowned sailors. He has noble blood in him, but his advancement through the naval ranks to that of captain is due more to his outstanding service and personal merits than through any connections that he may have had. He was made a post-captain because of his â€Å"gallantry in the West Indian waters as flag-lieutenant under Rodney in that admiral's c...

The Right to Information Act

The Right to Information Act, 2005 is a landmark legislation in the history of independent India. Before the passing of this historic Act, there was â€Å"The Freedom of Information Act, 2002† But to ensure smoother and greater access to information and to make it more progressive, participatory, and meaningful certain important changes was felt necessary. The Government examined the suggestions made by the National Advisory Council and others and decided to make a number of changes in the said law. The Government in view of the significant changes proposed in the existing Act, decided to repeal the Freedom of Information Act, 2002. As a result, â€Å"The Right to Information Bill, 2005†, passed by Lok Sabha on 11th May, 2005 and by Rajya Sabha on 15th June, 2005 and received the assent of the President on 15th June,2005. The Right to Information Act, 2005 contains VI Chapters and 31 Sections. Some of the important Sections of the RTI Act can be stated as follows—- Under the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005, any citizen can seek information in writing in the form of an application or by e-mail and should be addressed to the Public Information Officer (PIO) or Assistant PIO of the concerned office/public authority either in English Hindi or in the official language of the area. Even if one submits an application for an information to a PIO whose public authority is not in possession of information, has to accept the information and forward the same to the concerned public authority about such transfer [section 6(3)] In such cases, the second public authority becomes responsible for providing the applicant with the information that is requested within prescribed time limit [section 5(5)] Reason for securing information is not required to be stated in the application. Normally the PIO is to provide the information within 30 days. However in case of life and liberty, the PIO is bound to provide information within 48 hours. If the required information is part of a proactive disclosure of section 4 (I) (b), then it should be provided instantly by the PIO without any application fee, except the printing cost of the information. No prescribed format is necessary to apply under RTI Act,2005. An application on a plain paper comprising full postal address of the applicant, PIO or Assistant PIO’s address, details of information required with a statement that the information is sought under RTI Act 2005, are the basic requirements. Application fee of Rs. 10 (in case of Government of Assam office/organization) is required in case of a Government of Indian office/organization. If the applicant does not receive the information or is not satisfied with the information received from the PIO, he/she can file an appeal with the first appellate authority (FAA) under section 19 (I). There is no prescribed format for an appeal. Moreover, neither Govt. of India nor Govt. of Assam prescribed any fees for the first appeal till now. The Act prescribed maximum 45 days time for the disposal of first appeal by the FAA. If an applicant does not receive information within 45 days, then he/she can take the matter forward to the second appeal stage. The RTI Act, 2005 is a historic legislation and no such strong provision has been made in any Act or code in India till date. The right to information covers inspections of works, document, record and its certified copy and information in the form of diskettes, floppies, video cassettes in electronic form, taped or stored information in computers etc. Though certain information are prohibited, every public authority is under obligations to provide information on written request or request by electronic means with payment of fee. The Act vehemently provides for restrictions for third party information. It has been stated earlier that there is the appellate provision in the Act. As such, the appeal against the decision of central information officer and state information officer can be made to a senior officer in rank. The penalty for refusal to receive an application for information or for not providing information is Rs. 250 per day, but the total amount of penalty should not exceed Rs. 25000 The Central Information Commission is to be constituted by the Central Govt. and State Information Commission by the respective state governments. In spite of having the various important and powerful provisions the state Governments are not ready to implement the RTI Act, 2005, in letter and spirit. The case is pertinent in Assam too, which so far has seen the government drag its feet when it comes to implementing the various provisions under the Act. Consequently Assam is among those states where the State Information Commission has been unable to perform to the desired extent, or simply failed to bring in probity and transparency in matters of public finance. When state Government will come forward to implement the provisions of RTI Act then only the true objectives of the Act will be fulfilled. The Act will be able to curb corruption and misuse of taxpayer’s money will be stopped, and can be utilized for the sake of common good and welfare of the state. The posts of Information Commissioner should be filled up by qualified and impartial persons. Free legal education should be provided to the people, to be more conscious about the legal benefit of the Act and help to access the information and exert their rights in true spirit.

What Are the Guidelines for Issuing an AMBER Alert

When children are reported missing, an Amber Alert sometimes is issued, but sometimes its not. Thats because not all missing child cases meet the guidelines necessary for an Amber Alert to be issued. Amber Alerts are issued to call the publics attention to a child who has been abducted and is at risk of being harmed. Information about the child is broadcast throughout the area via news media, on the Internet, and by other means, such as digital highway billboards and signs. Guidelines Although each state has its own guidelines for issuing Amber Alerts, these are the guidelines recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ): There is a reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.The abduction is of a child 17 years old or younger.The childs name and other critical data elements have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) comptuer system. Runaways This explains why Amber Alerts usually arent issued when children are held past the agreed upon time by noncustodial parents: They are not considered to be at risk for bodily harm. However, if there is evidence that the parent might be a danger to the child, an Amber Alert can be issued. Also, if there is not an adequate description of the child, the suspected abductor, or the vehicle in which the child was abducted, Amber Alerts can be ineffective. Issuing alerts in the absence of significant evidence that an abduction has taken place could lead to abuse of the Amber Alert system and ultimately weaken its effectiveness, according to the DOJ. This is the reason that alerts are not issued for runaways. History On Jan. 13, 1996, a witness saw Amber Hagerman, a 9†year†old Arlington, Texas, girl, being snatched from her bicycle in a parking lot. Four days later, Amber’s body was found 3.2 miles from her home. Among the Dallas†Fort Worth area residents outraged by the abduction was Diana Simone. She suggested that an emergency alert system be implemented to notify residents and allow them to assist in searching for abducted children. Simone asked that such a program by dedicated to Ambers memory. The program, known as America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response plan, or Amber Alert plan, was instituted later that year in the Dallas†Fort Worth area through the National Center for Missing Exploited Children and spread across the country. Statistics According to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs: As of April 2019,  957 children  had been rescued specifically because of Amber Alerts.As of March 2019, there are  83 Amber Plans  throughout the United States.From January 1 to December 31, 2017, 195 Amber Alerts were issued in the U.S. involving 263 children. Of those cases, 193 resulted in a recovery, 39 of which were a direct result of an Amber Alert being issued. Sources Amber Alert Statistics. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs.2017 Amber Alert Report. National Center for Missing Exploited Children.

Lydia Pinkham Was an Inventor and Marketer

Only a woman can understand a womans ills.- Lydia Pinkham Lydia Pinkham was an inventor and marketer of famous patent medicine Lydia E. Pinkhams Vegetable Compound, one of the most successful products ever marketed specifically for women. Because her name and picture were on the label of the product, she became one of the best-known women in America. Occupation: inventor, marketer, entrepreneur, business managerDates: February 9, 1819 - May 17, 1883Also known as: Lydia Estes, Lydia Estes Pinkham Lydia Pinkham Early Life Lydia Pinkham was born Lydia Estes. Her father was William Estes, a wealthy farmer, and shoemaker in Lynn, Massachusetts, who managed to become wealthy from real estate investments. Her mother was Williams second wife, Rebecca Chase. Educated at home and later at Lynn Academy, Lydia worked as a teacher from 1835 to 1843. The Estes family opposed slavery, and Lydia knew many of the early abolitionist activists, including Lydia Maria Child, Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimkà ©, Angelina Grimkà ©, and William Lloyd Garrison. Douglass was a lifelong friend of Lydia. Lydia herself became involved, joining, with her friend Abby Kelley Foster the Lynn Female Anti-Slavery Society, and she was secretary of the Freemans Society. She also became involved in womens rights. Religiously, the Estes family members were Quakers but left the local meeting over a conflict around slavery. Rebecca Estes and then the rest of the family became Universalists, also influenced by the Swedenborgians and spiritualists. Marriage Lydia married widower Isaac Pinkham in 1843. He brought a five-year-old daughter into the marriage. Together they had five more children; the second son died in infancy. Isaac Pinkham was involved in real estate but never did very well. The family struggled financially. Lydias role was primarily as the typical wife and mother of Victorian middle-class ideals. Then, in the Panic of 1873, Isaac lost his money, was sued for nonpayment of debts, and generally fell apart and was unable to work. A son, Daniel, lost his grocery store to the collapse. By 1875, the family was nearly destitute. Lydia E. Pinkham Vegetable Compound Lydia Pinkham had become a follower of nutrition reformers like Sylvester Graham (of the graham cracker) and Samuel Thomson. She brewed a home remedy made of roots and herbs, and including 18% to 19% alcohol as solvent and preservative. She had shared this freely with family members and neighbors for about ten years. According to one legend, the original formula came to the family through a man for whom Isaac Pinkham had paid a debt of $25. In desperation over their financial circumstances, Lydia Pinkham decided to market the compound. They registered a trademark for Lydia E. Pinkhams Vegetable Compound and copyrighted a label which after 1879 included Lydias grandmotherly picture at the suggestion of the Pinkham son, Daniel. She patented the formula in 1876. Son William, who had no outstanding debts, was named the legal owner of the company. Lydia brewed the compound in their kitchen until 1878 when it was moved into a new building next door. She personally wrote many of the advertisements for it, focusing on female complaints which included a variety of ailments including menstrual cramps, vaginal discharge, and other menstrual irregularities. The label originally and assertively claimed A Sure Cure for PROLAPSIS UTERI or Falling of the Womb, and all FEMALE WEAKNESSES, including Leucorrhea, Painful Menstruation, Inflammation, and Ulceration of the Womb, Irregularities, Floodings, etc. Many women were unwilling to consult physicians for their female difficulties. Physicians of the time often prescribed surgery and other unsafe procedures for such problems. This might include applying leeches to the cervix or vagina. Those supporting that eras alternative medicine often turned to home or commercial remedies such as Lydia Pinkhams. The competition included Dr. Pierces Favorite Prescription and Wine of Cardui. Growing Business Selling the compound was at core a family enterprise, even as it grew. The Pinkham sons distributed ads and even sold the medicine door to door around New England and New York. Isaac folded pamphlets. They used handbills, postcards, pamphlets, and advertisements, beginning with the Boston newspapers. The Boston advertisement brought in orders from wholesalers. A major patent medicine broker, Charles N. Crittenden, began to distribute the product, increasing its distribution to nationwide. Advertising was aggressive. The ads targeted women directly, on the assumption that women understood their own problems best. An advantage that the Pinkhams emphasized was that Lydias medicine was created by a woman, and the advertisements stressed endorsements by women as well as by druggists. The label gave the impression of the medicine being homemade even though it was commercially produced. Ads often were designed to look like news stories, usually with some painful situation that could have been alleviated by the use of the compound. By 1881, the company began marketing the compound not only as a tonic  but also as pills and lozenges. Pinkhams goals went beyond commercial; her correspondence including advice on health and physical exercise. She believed in her compound as an alternative to standard medical treatment, and she wanted to counter the idea that women were weak. Advertising to Women One feature of the advertisements of Pinkhams remedy was an open and frank discussion of womens health issues. For a time, Pinkham added a douche to the offerings of the company; women often used it as contraception, but because it was marketed for hygienic purposes, it was not targeted for prosecution under the Comstock Law. The advertising prominently featured Lydia Pinkhams image and promoted her as a brand. Ads called Lydia Pinkham the Saviour of her Sex. The ads also urged women to let doctors alone and called the compound A medicine for women. Invented by a woman. Prepared by a woman. The advertisements offered a way to write to Mrs. Pinkham and many did. Lydia Pinkhams responsibility in the business also included answering the many letters received. Temperance and the Vegetable Compound Lydia Pinkham was an active supporter of temperance. Despite that, her compound included 19% alcohol. How did she justify that? She claimed that the alcohol was necessary to suspend and preserve the herbal ingredients, and so she did not find its use incompatible with her temperance views. Using alcohol for medicinal purposes was often accepted by those who supported temperance. While there were many stories of women being affected by the alcohol in the compound, it was relatively safe. Other patent medicines of the time included morphine, arsenic, opium or mercury. Death and Continuing Business Daniel, at 32, and William, at 38, the two youngest Pinkham sons, both died in 1881 of tuberculosis (consumption). Lydia Pinkham turned to her spiritualism and held seances to try to contact her sons. At that point, the business was formally incorporated. Lydia had a stroke in 1882 and died the next year. Although Lydia Pinkham died in Lynn in 1883 at age 64, her son Charles continued the business. At the time of her death, sales were $300,000 per year; sales continued to grow. There were some conflicts with the companys advertising agent, and then a new agent updated the advertising campaigns. By the 1890s, the compound was the most advertised patent medicine in America. More images showing womens independence began to be used. Ads still used Lydia Pinkhams picture and continued to include invitations to write to Mrs. Pinkham. A daughter-in-law and later staff members at the company answered the correspondence. In 1905, the Ladies Home Journal, which was also campaigning for food and drug safety regulations, accused the company of misrepresenting this correspondence, publishing a photograph of the tombstone of Lydia Pinkham. The company responded that Mrs. Pinkham referred to Jennie Pinkham, the daughter-in-law. In 1922, Lydias daughter, Aroline Pinkham Gove, founded a clinic in Salem, Massachusetts, to serve mothers and children. Sales of the Vegetable Compound peaked in 1925 at $3 million. The business decreased after that point, because of family conflict after Charles death over how to run the business, the effects of the Great Depression and also changing federal regulations, especially the Food and Drug Act, that affected what could be claimed in the advertisements. In 1968, the Pinkham family sold the company, ending their relationship with it, and manufacturing was moved to Puerto Rico. In 1987, Numark Laboratories acquired a  license to the medicine, calling it Lydia Pinkhams Vegetable Compound. It can still be found, for instance as Lydia Pinkham Herbal Tablet Supplement and Lydia Pinkham Herbal Liquid Supplement. Ingredients Ingredients in the original compound: False unicorn root, true unicorn rootBlack cohosh rootLife rootPleurisy rootFenugreek seedAlcohol Newer additions in later versions include: Dandelion rootBlack cohosh root (as in the original)Jamaican dogwoodMotherwortPleurisy root (as in the original)Licorice rootGentian root The Lydia Pinkham Song Responding to the medication and its widespread advertising, a ditty about it became famous  and remained popular well into the 20th century. In 1969, the Irish Rovers included this on an album, and the single made the Top 40 in the United States. The words (like many folk songs) vary; this is a common version: We sing of Lydia PinkhamAnd her love of the human raceHow she sells her Vegetable CompoundAnd the newspapers publish her Face. Papers The Lydia Pinkham papers can be found at Radcliffe College (Cambridge, Massachusetts) at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library. Books About Lydia Pinkham Elbert Hubbard. Lydia E. Pinkham. 1915.Robert Collyer Washburn. The Life and Times of Lydia E. Pinkham. 1931.Sarah Stage. Female Complaints: Lydia Pinkham and the Business of Womens Medicine. 1979.R. Sobel and D. B. Sicilia. The Entrepreneurs: An American Adventure. 1986. Background, Family Mother: Rebecca ChaseFather: William EstesSiblings: nine older and two younger Marriage, Children Husband: Isaac Pinkham (married September 8, 1843; shoe manufacturer and real estate speculator)Children:Charles Hacker Pinkham (1844)Daniel (died in infancy)Daniel Rogers Pinkham (1848)William Pinkham (1852)Aroline Chase Pinkham ( 1857)

Descartes Claim Of The Universe - 1211 Words

Descartes’ claim of â€Å"I think, therefore I am†, is an attempt to establish a firm foundation for the understanding of the universe and explores the ideas of the self and what we can know to be real. However, there is one major flaw in this approach. That flaw is how we are to create this foundation when before it we had nothing and the paradoxes in the creating definitions of words. His goal is to better understand what he is in order to reestablish the foundations of his understanding of the world around him. This is a normal human behavior to explore the unknown or not well understood. Any explorer that sails the ocean in search of new land may know what land is but new land that was unknown to him/her is a satisfying development in the person s understanding of everything that is real. The modern practice of this behavior includes, but not limited to, an astronomer using space telescopes to look deep into space where light from an ancient universe is arriving at the Earth or an experimental physicist when smashing particles together in hopes to find new and smaller part that makes up the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Descartes hopes to apply his logical process to reveal the fundamental building blocks of the universe that humans can exist in. He also wants to create a fundamental understanding of the way to observe the universe that we can per ceive with the limited senses that we have. 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He ponders on the idea that God could be responsible for tricking him, but quickly disregards that assumption believing that God, who represents everything that is good, could not deceive him; and concludesRead MoreEssay about Descartes Theory of Substance Dualism791 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes Theory of Substance Dualism Throughout the history of man, philosophers have tried to come up with an explanation of where our minds, or consciousness, came from and how we are able to have a nonphysical characteristic of ourselves. Does our physical brain automatically give us nonphysical characteristics like feelings, thoughts, and desires or is there something else there, the mind, that interacts with our bodies and makes us feel, think, and desire? Also, is the mind the

Human Resource Management and Balanced Score Card free essay sample

Research Title: The Contribution of Balanced Scorecard in Human Recourse Development. Research objective: to find out the relationship between Balanced Score Card in relation with Human Resource development. Research Questions: What are the areas of HRD in which BSC can be implemented? What is the importance of performance measurement systems for Sustainable HRD? What are the problems associated with the successful implementation of BSC? Hypotisis: Implemetation of Balanced Scorecard(BSC) has a major contiribution towards Human Resourse Development(HRD. ) Theoretical framework. writing assignment service Human Resourse Development(HRD) Balanced Scorecard(BSC) Business Stretegies Introduction Balanced scorecard: By carrying out a preliminary research, I have found out that the organizations of 21st century is facing a fires competition and arising new challenges due to increase in the global competencies. Therefore it is very critical to formulate the most suitable strategies for their market sustainability. Hence, it is vital for the organizations to predetermine the performance of the organizations in order to incorporate the organizational goals and objectives. Therefore it is greatly important to establish the most suitable and effective performance measurement system in order to build a concrete base on continuous Human Recourse Development(HRD). That is when the balance score card comes to view. The Balanced Scorecard is believed to be one of the best performance management approach originated by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1980’s, which was fully packed and presented in Harvard Business Review in 1992. Silk (1998) cited in Andrew Gautreau (2004),estimated that approximately 60% f Fortune 1000 companies either currently have or are experimenting with a balanced scorecard. Non-financial measures like quality, customer satisfaction and innovation became increasingly important, and competitors were focusing on these non-financial areas. There for, both internal and external measures are used in BSC. It is vital for the companies to have a balanced approach on external measures like customer satisfaction and internal measures li ke employees satisfaction. Companies must have both types of measures in order to implement a strategy (Andrew Gautreau,2004). Elements of Balanced Scorecard Kaplan and Norton (1992), in their balanced scorecard (BSC) model, proposed the division of firm performance to four perspectives: financial, customer, internal process and innovation and learning. They put competences and resources in the fourth perspective, signalling that they enable achievement of performance levels in other dimensions. For each perspective, financial, customer, internal process and learning, they have performance indicators, which must be filled in as targets. The BSC also drives actions strategically to attain the vision and deliver excellence in all areas of an organization. According to Schmidt et al. , (2006), the BSC is a powerful tool with several features, and to get the most benefits, it must be well implemented in a dynamic environment. Amaratunga et al. , (2002), BSC systems can assist the organizations to gather critical information on both financial and non-financial grounds to provide a reliable guidance to pinpoint the problems. There for this could lead to effective improvement in the business process to achieve organizational goals. He also says that BSC is recognized as an effective tool which can be understood by all levels of the organization. Human Resource Development (HRD) Human Resource Development (HRD) is the frameworks for helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities. HRD includes such opportunities as employee training, employee career development, performance management and development, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and organization development. Along with this, BSC is believed to have a balancing effect on maximizing the potentials of all the resources employed in the organization (Amaratunga et al. , 2002; H. Rocha et al. , 2005). Therefore in my opinion, it would have a strong linkage to the HRD of the organization, because this combination of recourses can be achieved through continuous improvements in the human capital. A well-prepared and motivated workforce is possibly the most important of the three intangible assets to support an organization’s value creating processes (Garavan et al. , 2001). According to him the most valuable asset of a 20th century company was its production equipment, while the most valuable asset of a 21st century institution will be its knowledge workers and their productivity. This clearly indicates the importance of HRD for the sustainable organizational success. According to Rocha (2005), if we increase employee training about products, then they will become more knowledgeable about the full range of products they can sell; if employees are more knowledgeable about products, then their sales effectiveness will improve, followed by improvement in sales effectiveness. Then the average margin of the products they sell will increase. Progression up the hierarchy is replaced by the accumulation of competencies. Thomas N. Garavan(2001),argues that the dominant theme is one where individuals are required to exhibit competencies such as team working the development of network relationships and the acquisition of knowledge and learning capability. He argues that the level of expenditure on TD is increasing and there is evidence of a strategic imperative guiding the nature of much of the training that is being provided. Linkage between the elements of HRD Ideally, education involves learning which leads to development and could contain training in specific techniques. Education is the process which aims at developing the intellectual capital, moral values and  conceptual understanding of a person so as to enable him/her to make a contribution to society by understanding its traditions. Training is a narrower process than education and is more planned systematic  in a way to modify  specific kills   competencies by means of events, programs and instructions  so as to attain effective workplace performance. It is an organization’s way to promote learning. Implicitly of both training and education are ways of developing human potential. Learning is a process that enables creation of knowledge and a change of behavior through practice and transformation of experience. It is seen as a major source of attaining competitive advantage by an organization by enhancing individual and collectiv e learning. Development is the growth of a person’s potential by means of learning, education training. Role of performance measurement system In order to advance performance there is a need to manage performance rather than simply measure any given aspect of it across the board. Management of performance can mean in some cases measurement of effectiveness and efficiency, in others it may mean management of important stakeholders or the organizational relations with them (Halachmi, 2005). For performance measurement to be meaningful you have to benchmark and make comparisons to it over time. However, the attention of performance measurement should be shifting from one dimension to another as circumstances are changing within or outside the organization. According to Garavan (2001), such shifts cannot be allowed when it comes to measurements. Performance management is thus a simple return to the basic notion of management with some significant elaborations on and amplifications of the need to address the human side of the enterprise while being aware of what is going on , which requires a balance in major business aspects. In other words, performance management is about assuring a greater likelihood for reaching desired outcomes by addressing issues that have to do with the business process that is expected to generate the sought after results, the organizational and environmental contexts in which these process and outcomes take place and, the involved behaviors of various stakeholders (Booth, 2006). Yet, on its face performance management has much to offer in particular when it comes to the human side of the enterprise. As this writer sees it performance management, which resembles more a Theory-Y like approach (McGregor, 1960) and where outside control is replaced by greater managerial flexibility may hold the key to success. Such an approach, that the objectives of performance management often include motivating performance, helping individuals develop their skills, building a performance culture, determining who should be promoted, eliminating individuals who are poor performers, and helping implement business strategies. Performance measurement was one of the main tools for inducing not only better productivity but also openness and accountability. The effect of Balanced Scorecard on HRD functions To test the contribution of human related resources to performance, several studies have been conducted recently. Mills and Fernandes (2004), in a review effort, classified them according to the BSC perspective that they covered and the research variable investigated. Under this study, though resources are classified under the innovation and learning perspective, this perspective is also presented as a dependent variable, as some of its indicators can result from former drivers, for instance, the impact of HR practices on labor turnover and need for an effective performance measurement system like BSC. In my study I have noticed that the great majority of the studies concentrate on HRD procedures as resources, with fewer researchers looking at other human-related resources like skills or human capital. One reason for this can be the fact that each business has different resources as drivers. For instance, high staff turnover rates can be a healthy indicator in a fast food chain, but would be a disaster in an RD department. As a consequence, the final outcome of implementing BSC approach could be different according to the type of the business. On the other hand, every company has HRD practices, which make them more comparable under this term. But studies considering the impact of this dimension alone on performance have found weak or no association at all between HR practices and performance Mueller (1996) cited in Bruno H. Rocha et al. (2005). This may indicate the need to consider other resources together with HR practices when studying that relationship and aligning them to BSC. Importance of formulating a suitable business strategy to accommodate implementation of BSC to assist HRD The benefits accruing from HRD may also be both micro and macro in scale. According to Smith (2005), these benefits include improved knowledge skill and capability on the part of employees, this in turn leading to improved organizational capability, effectiveness and productivity. The indirect benefits of HRD include improved staff morale and enhanced self esteem of individuals whose knowledge and capability has been enhanced through HRD programs which can be incorporated with actions associated in achieving the targets assigned in BSC as Schmidt et al. , (2006) has mentioned. Even though the BSC is implemented in the organization, Moullin (2004) argues that if employees are not involved in determining the measures and feel they are misguided, then they are likely to respond to measures in a very different way than was intended by management, leading to a poorer service all round. For example, they may focus on the measure given at the expense of other more important factors, they may try to get round the system, or they may concentrate on short-term issues. A BSC can help to formulate and achieve strategically attainable requirements because it encourages a framework and a language to communicate the vision and the strategy, and thereby uses measurement to inform employees about the success drivers of the company (Schmidt et al. , 2006). For this to be done, Amaratunga et al. , (2002) stressed that it is vital to breakdown the vision according to each perspective of BSC to formulate overall business strategy. By this way, employees will be very clear of what they are expected to contribute towards achieving company objectives. At the end, a BSC supports the supreme aim, the establishment and the management of a sound organization, which strives for excellence by driving all actions strategically. Impact of business culture The process of creating the BSC is a fairly involved process which requires a lot of understanding and commitment, and for some business unit leaders, a lot of facilitation. The business unit also has to focus on those aspects of corporate objectives to which it can realistically contribute (Chavan, 2009). Therefore, it is vital to have a suitable business culture within the organizations to incorporate BSC in relation to HRD. This is supported by Chaminade (2003), stressing that corporate culture has also been suggested to have a significant impact on overall organizational performance in order to achieve strategic objectives. Hassan et al. , (2006), has indicated that employees’ satisfaction with HRD climate was culturally predicted by learning and training system, employee development system, action research, reward and recognition system, and information system. However, Payne and Keep, (2003) as cited in Hyde et al. ,(2005) says that workforce configuration and skill-mix arrangements are often a product of history, precedent and cultural preconception, attempts to tackle workforce reorganization and job redesign have experienced limited success. Long run Implications on HRD when implementing BSC The different elements’ linkages enable control of a number of key performance areas in relation to time horizon.. According to Kaplan and Norton (2001) cited in Steen Nielsen and Erland H. Nielsen (2008) ,the different perspectives used by an organization should be connected to the financial and monetary success of the company. Therefore, the recognition of single elements or measures and their influence on other measures including the financial area is important for a success oriented company’s control view. To bring strategies into action, measures have to be implemented that guarantee the achievement of the strategic goals and an increase in profitability in the long run. In the latest version of BSC, strategy is at the centre of the key management processes and systems. Knowledge is the main source of competitive advantage; the management of a company is becoming more about managing people than it is about managing physical and monetary assets. Key value drivers for human capital are employee knowledge, skills, abilities, innovativeness and experience which require plenty of time and effort to develop. In today’s marketplace, companies are looking for knowledge workers, for people with specific capabilities that they can apply within the organization. The key then becomes to capture that knowledge in the company’s structures, so it is transferred from individuals, to groups, to the entire organization and becomes part of the organization’s structural capital (Jacobsen et al. , 2005). Therefore, it would be vital for organizations to have a proper measurement of these intangible resources with the most effective system like BSC. The importance of feedback The BSC approach provides a linkage between employee rewards to performance in all four perspective of BSC, with suitable weightings applied reflecting the relative importance of each area. In some instances companies see the non-financial measures of such importance that a specific level of performance is set for each of the non-financials (Chavan, 2009). Only if an individual exceeds these levels, can they qualify for performance related rewards linked to the financial performance results. Therefore it is vital to provide the related feedback on time to make such decisions to cope with the most effective reward systems. Use of the BSC should improve managerial decision making by aligning performance measures with the goals and strategies of the firm and the firm’s business units based on the feedback on performance measure. Lipe and Salterio, 2000) as cited in (Chavan, 2009). Associated time lag issues The BSC approach clearly indicates to employees the level of importance the organization places on future capability building and strategic issues, while at the same time recognizing shorter term financial performance (Gadenne, 2000) cited in (Chavan,2009). Howev er, doing this sustainably could be a challenge for the organizations. According to Wong (2005), HRD is seen as a way to improve and enhance the personal value of individuals. The skills and competences of knowledge workers need to be continuously developed in order for them to produce valuable contributions to a company which could take long time and within this time frame, the organization is subject to major changes in the business environment. If not, as with other tangible assets, their value will depreciate. Hence, companies have to provide appropriate professional development activities to their employees. In order to retain employees to work for a company, it is important to provide opportunities for them to grow and to advance their career. The correlation between HRD programs and the resulting improvements by means of BSC, the broad benefits of HRD investment, can and should be actively identified and measured. Just as HRD, itself is not an optional extra but a strategic imperative, so it is the effective measurement and evaluation of HRD outcomes (Smith, 2004). Smith (2006) argues that learning from the experience and practice of other organizations through benchmarking can also contribute to improving HRD at practical operational levels. Benchmarking of HRD can provide the means for this to be achieved, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of HRD effort and the opportunity for ongoing review, assessment and improvement using identified industries best practice as the standard to continuous development of BSC. The involvement of subjectivity According to Michiel Schoemaker and Jan Jonker (2004), the transition from an industrial society towards an informational society has profound impact. Managing in industrial organizations was based upon a strict hierarchical attitude towards employees. For managers this indicates that labor could be moved around and managed like all other production assets. The emerging talent intensity of organizations implies recalibration of the nature of this relationship with respect to â€Å"exchange† and â€Å"power†. Michiel Schoemaker and Jan Jonker (2004) argue that the durability of employee relation is based upon trust, mutual understanding and shared norms and values that lead to acts and activities that connect people. The nature and content of those second-order networks are extremely valuable for each and every individual to carry out his or her job and thus for the organization as a whole. By investing talents in networks and work social capital is created and maintained. It is not easy to manage a BSC system but the benefits come through as new and greater understanding of organizational information and its connections within the own organizations. Certainly, the establishment of core indicators will not in themselves lead to success but linked and meaningful indicators identified through our extended BSC model will help in making the right decision (Schmidt et al. , 2006). Fernandes et al. (2005) stressed that though resources are classified under the innovation and learning perspective, this perspective is also presented as a dependent variable, as some of its indicators can result from former drivers, for instance, the impact of HR practices on labor turnover. He also pointed that Environmental factors related to the demand seemed to be the strongest performance determinant. Chaminade et al. , (2003) has mentioned that firms are facing a major transformation in the value creation process, (intangibles or more specifically knowledge is increasingly becoming the ajor driver of firm’s long term business success. These changes pose a great challenge to firms because the intangible resources are not easily identified, not measured, and not reported internally or externally. BSC contribution towards employee commitment and motivation In his study carried in Brazilian water company, Rocha et al. , (2005) has indicated that the employee satisfaction variable showed significant links with the three performance perspectives of BSC. In addition it is also been indicated that in, achieving company targets is also associated to better customer satisfaction and achieving financial goals. The results point to the fact that employee satisfaction seems to guide significantly the BU to achieve its goals. Once the goals are achieved, a slight increase in the customer satisfaction is observed and this affects the BU sales and expenses targets. In general, resources seemed to be correlated to performance. Based on the learning and growth perspective, Steen Nielsen and Erland H. Nielsen (2008) has stressed that BSC approach forms the priorities to create a climate that supports organizational change, innovation, and growth of the organizations employees. However, according to Michiel Schoemaker and Jan Jonker (2004), the commitment focuses on motivational acts in order to stimulate people to invest their talents in the work that needs to be done. This is the result of carefully â€Å"managing† the exchanges in the relationship and has everything to do with the changing balance of power. Commitment could focus on motivational acts in order to stimulate people to invest their talents in the work that needs to be done. Looking upon this changing relationship from an organizational perspective the essence is to optimise the usage of potential challanges in order to achieve the best possible added value for clients which is one of the element of BSC. Looking at the same relationship from the perspective of the individual it becomes important that talents can be discovered, developed and used in an organizational context that fits those talents by means of BSC approach. An appropriate fit will create motivation, implicitly and explicitly. The objectives of BSC should also motivate all managers and employees to implement the strategy successfully (Schmidt, 2006). According to Fernandes et al. , (2005),if we increase employee training about products, then they will become more knowledgeable about the full range of products they can sell; if employees are more knowledgeable about products, then their Sales effectiveness will improve. If their sales effectiveness improves, then the average margin of the products they sell will increase hence reaching the customer satisfaction. Employee training is the catalyst to reach these goals. Role of BSC in recruitement and training According to (Chavan, 2009), when recruiting new employees, it is vital for the organizations to formulate an identification of internally validated competencies ensured that prospective new employees could be selected with more certainty that their skills and knowledge would better match the organization’s values. This could be supported by the goals assigned to achieve in the BSC. However, Wong (2005) stressed that, effective recruitment of employees is crucial because it is through this process that knowledge and competences are brought into the organization. Employees with the required knowledge and desired skills to fill knowledge gaps should be recruited. Impact of BSC on communication of the organization The approach was an effort to achieve goal congruence amongst the various strategic measures within an organization. It is a tool for focusing the organization, improving communication, setting organizational objectives, and providing feedback on strategy (Gautreau, 2001). BSC provides a framework and a language to communicate the vision and the strategy, and thereby uses measurement to inform employees about the drivers for long run success of the company (Schmidt et al. , 2006). Understanding the strategy requires a possibility of communicating, querying or questioning it. According to Aaltonen, et al. , (2002), this can be achieved by continuous two-way communication with proper feedback and responding to these feed backs. Conclusion The available evidences suggest that BSC could be one of the best way for the measurement of performance in all aspects of business, mainly for the ontinuous development in HRD. Moreover, it is been revealed that certain factors like corporate culture are essential for the successful implementation of BSC (Chaminade, 2003). It is of great importance for employees to understand the potential positive implications that BSC has towards attaining organization’s goals and objectives and also in achieving their persona l goals in carrier development. Having done this research on BSC, I manage to generate a better understanding on the aspects of HRD which contribute to the long-run success and profitability of an organization. It is vital for the employees at all levels of the organization to recognize the complexity of the subject and acquire the knowledge needed to deal with potential issues which could arise from the implementation of BSC for the sustainable development in HRD. Based on the study that I have carried out, there is sufficient evidence to accept my hypotheses. However, since this study is carried out in a relatively small scale, there is a possibility that my hypotheses could be rejected. Therefore, further research and studies are required to derive a stronger mile stone on the subject issue. Research methodology This research is based on the population size of 2000 companies in South East Asian countries in different sectors using simplified random sampling. Sample size of 560 is selected to represent the population. Rather than census, sampling is used to minimize the use of time and money spent on the research and it is believed that the reliability of the study could be affected if the time horizon is longitudinal since the business environment is rapidly changing. Moreover, the study is based on the epistemological realism approach which means by building a radical humanis structure. Which here means the combination of both direct and critical realism. This approach consists of what is seen is believed and the critical view point of it is been presented in the study based on the analysis of the available evidence and data. In my opinion, this approach is the most suitable to use since the BSC is different from each and every company due to the differences in their strategies. in order to make the study more valid and reliable the research is done on cross-sectional study since in-depth research is not required to answer the research questions. Cross-sectional studies can be defined as studying a particular situation within a particular time horizon (Saunders et al. , 2007). Both mono and mixed method with qualitative and quantitative data is been used to derive data on different perspectives of the study. This is done in order to triangulate the study to derive more reliable result. However mainly qualitative data is used arrive most of the conclusions in the study since both BSC and HRD is a very subjective issue. 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