Information Systems Strategic Planning Essay

Situational analysis is defined as a methodical compilation and assessment of past and current economical, political, social, and technological data. This has an objective of assessing the organizations PEST and SWOT analysis, and also identification of internal and external forces that may affect the company’s performance and choosing of strategies. Market opportunity analysis is the utilization of forecasting techniques to the market factors that may influence the demand a product. It is also defined as formal ordered effort to recognize future situations which can be utilized to gain competitive advantage. Several techniques ranging from simple extrapolation complex technological forecasting and decision support systems can be used in market analysis. The purpose of market opportunity analysis is to determine is there is sufficient demand for the envisioned product or service and to establish if he product or service can be offered on profitable basis in the market as argued by Boar (2010). The function of market opportunity analysis is to synchronize the operations of the company with the goals and objectives in order to gain competitive advantage. Task Information Systems is an organization with twenty three years experience whose business is the provision of strategic information systems for organizations, the company offers several Information and Communication technology based services such as M. I. S. / I. T. Department Management and Technical Project Management, Information Technology consultancy, network design, tailor made software, web development and user Training. A customer market opportunity analysis at Task information systems involves analysis on the firm’s priorities if they are in agreement with the organizations goals and objectives. The company intents to be a world class player in the information systems market , however, its objective is to provide information systems to fifty companies in two years. An analysis reveals that the goal and the objectives may not be in agreement since to be a world class player requires offering services to more customers in a year, not just fifty in two years. The company needs to clearly segregate customers, so as to be understandable on the criterion of determining the fifty companies to be served in two years. An analysis on the flexibility of the company in terms of willingness to tailor services to suit the needs of the customers, involves working with customers to design and redesign products. An analysis of the firm’s strengths reveals that the company has good community customers, moreover Task information Systems is relatively flexible organization which can be attested by its strategy on customer satisfaction. Another important concept on market opportunity analysis is on the products offered by the company, if they can be supported over a long duration of time for a number of targeted customers. The company offers M. I. S. / I. T. Department Management and Technical Project Management, Information Technology consultancy, network design, tailor made software, web development and user Training among several other services, this can be compared with the available knowledge base and expertise. The analysis reveals that the company is promising more than it can deliver to the satisfaction of customers, since if it is to offer all the advertised services the workforce would be overwhelmed. An analysis on ways in which the organization can make better, more productive use of the information to which is already in its domain to create effective customer satisfaction and relations, reveals that the company has the opportunity of faster information,that allows business with no boundary limit in terms of potential customers, furthermore the organization has positioned itself to deal with the latest innovations in the market. Task information utilizes the latest innovations such as Search Engine Positioning, NetObjects Fusion, Sonicwall, ZoneAlarm, and Kerio Firewalls this therefore reveals that the company is dynamic and stands to benefit from its strong capacity to consolidate on various innovations. On analysis of the existing policies, procedures and practices governing the management and utilization of information throughout the organization, reveals that information utilization in the organization is not centralized and there exists no centralized management structure, this reveals therefore that the company lacks good managers with good leadership skills, which may affect customer experience and relations. An analysis on the opportunities available for Task information systems, which can be utilized to gain competitive advantage include deregulation allows the company to advance into new markets hence more customers, in addition, the company can utilize the opportunity of faster information allows business with no boundary limit, this is because most of the services, offered by the firm are internet based, therefore the company can reach several clients at a time. Another present opportunity is in the strategies utilized by the organization to gain a market niche, the company utilizes added value, customer satisfaction, training, aggressive marketing, e-commerce and lower cost, in order to increase the customer base and gain competitive advantage. Conclusion To gain competitive advantage therefore, Task information systems has to focus on effectively identifying and meeting the unmet/underserved customer needs, and eliminate barriers that block some/all potential customers, while at the same time innovating opportunities that enhance the customers’ experience. The strategic moves to be taken are value chain which is a set of value creating activities within the company. This includes trapped value which is concerned with efficiency, accessibility and customer empowerment. New value involves personalization, extension, community-building, collaboration while horizontal plays improve functional operations to satisfy customer experience, in addition the company should adopt vertical plays which in concerned with improving industry specific business activities. Importance of gap analysis, determining weakness in other organizations Determining weakness in other organization is very important to assist the organization in deciding upon marketing strategies and tactics, knowing the weakness of the competitors is beneficial in understanding how to exploit those weaknesses while marketing the products of the company and pointing out the strengths of the company to the customers. Determining weaknesses of competitors is also important to assist the organization to avoid those weaknesses, and avoid actions and situations that may lead to the same weaknesses.

Audiences are not only entertained Essay

For centuries, drama has acted as a mirror for culture and society. Through the power of dramatic form, we have been invited to be entertained yet also engaged in the social concerns, which can both be provocative and surprising. Both ‘Stolen’ by Jane Harrison and ‘A Beautiful Life’ by Michael Futcher and Helen Howard address contemporary social concerns and issues in Australian society. Stolen employs dramatic styles, techniques and conventions to portray the social issues caused by the stolen generation. On the other hand, A Beautiful Life again employs dramatic styles, techniques and conventions to portray the unforgettable story of a refugee family who escaped the hardships of Tehran Jail, only to find themselves suffering racism and injustice in the High Court of Australia. Stolen addresses the Stolen Generation and the social concerns surrounding the impact of individuals and the Indigenous community. Harrison splits up the action between five diverse characters, tracing their independent stories from childhood to adulthood. We have the sexually and physically abused (Ruby); the hopeful turned hopeless (Jimmy); the stolen child who in turn has her children stolen from her (Shirley), the lost (Sandy) and the ‘black’ girl in a ‘white’ man’s world (Anne). In a workshop of the opening scene, ‘Arriving’ (pg. 1) in which the characters speak in the ‘stream of conscious style’ the difference in what each actor produced to portray their particular character was very noticeable. Harrison’s use of a wide breadth of characters is effective in reflecting the broad spectrum of social concerns the Stolen Generation faced: physical, sexual and mental abuse, ‘I promised not to tell’ (Ruby: pg. 8); high suicide and depression rates, ‘I can’t fight’ (Jimmy: pg. 34); cultural loss, ‘Who do you think you are?’ (Voices: 29); loss of belonging, ‘Always on the run’ (Sandy: pg. 3) and loss of family, ‘This time I’m going to hold my baby and never let go’ (Shirley: 2). Stolen uses absurdist techniques, including a non-linear and episodic plot  structure and undefined place and time to convey the disconnection and lost culture that has resulted within the Indigenous community as a result of the Stolen Generation. The dialogue closely follows the conventions of spoken language creating a sense of realism to the audience, to emphasis the fact that these events did happen and cannot be reversed. One of the most typical techniques with Stolen is the use of monologues. The experiences of each child are portrayed through these monologues – the delivery indicates how these experiences are traumatic and a fundamental part of their psyche that is not easily spoken about through normal conversation. Through a class workshop I was able to watch a class mate act Jimmy’s monologue ‘Racist Insults'(pg. 33-34). I found this scene particularly engaging because we are not only watching a young man end his life, but we watch a fraction of how our ‘White Australians’ treated the Indigenous. The audience gets a first hand view of the racism and abuse copped by most Indigenous Australians, this scene shines a direct light on the hardships we put forward onto our Indigenous and why a whole culture is missing from our nation. While Stolen deals with how we treat our Indigenous, A Beautiful Life cover the social issues surrounding refugees and the ignorance of Australian people regarding human rights. This play covers the period when 5000 Mojahedin freedom fighters were killed by Iran’s government regime. The play interweaves the experiences of Hamid: his torture in jail in Tehran and witnessing human rights abuses before making a dramatic escape to Australia; and his arrest and trial following a protest outside of the Iranian Embassy in Canberra in 1992. Hamid, his wife Jhila and their son Amir – who represent refugee culture – are represented in the court by Australian lawyers Brendon O’Sullivan and Stephanie James. Both present the Australian culture as being ignorant ‘bloody Arabs’ (pg. 21), racist ‘a bunch of Muslim fanatics’ (pg. 7) and stereotypical ‘ranting bloody slogans to Allah’ (pg. 7). Futcher and Howard emphasis the un-empathetic nature, stereotypical and racist culture of Australians through Stephanie and Brendan. Amir (Hamid’s son) makes the perfect narrator as he grows and develops through the play from a young Iranian boy into a 20 year old Iranian/Australian who can believable comment on both countries. The character of Amir has humour ‘She’s Irish, she can get really angry’ (pg. 41), compassion, ‘It’s all  right, Mum’ (pg.11) and a desire to tell the story of his Iranian/Australian family, ‘What about the Boltons, Dad? (pg. 13). Brechtian techniques such as the used of a non-linear and episodic storyline, as well as historification and the breaking of the forth wall (through Amir) give insight into contrasting cultures and systems of justice. The use of performance styles, such as physical theatre, engage the audience so that the play has heighten reality: allowing the audience to follow Hamid, through the racism, prejudice and his lack of human rights. The use of dramatic dialogue allows the characters in A Beautiful Life, persuade, argue, threaten, provoke and inspire the audience. Language techniques include the use of the Farsi accent or clipped tone to lend authenticity to the Iranian feel of the text and of course to show the reactions of ‘Australians’ – represented by Brendan and Stephanie – when the characters speak their mother tongue. I first encountered the use of the accent when acting the character of Jhila in _SCENE FIVE,_ I feel as an actor that use of accent does add authenticity and a sense of realism throughout the scenes making it easier for the audience to connect with the character rather than the actor. Through the power of dramatic form, we have been invited to be entertained yet also engage in the social concerns explored throughout Stolen and A Beautiful Life. Through the performance of scenes in workshop activities and in-depth study of both texts, I have come to understand the styles, form and conventions Harrison, Futcher and Howard use to convey their points of view. Whilst Stolen uses absurdism to portray the social issues caused by the stolen generation, A Beautiful Life uses Brechtian techniques to portray the unforgettable story of a refugee family who escaped the hardships of the pain and suffering caused by the Stolen Generation on both the personal and societal side Tehran Jail, only to find themselves suffering racism and injustice in the High Court of Australia. On a final note both composers worked well using dramatic forms, techniques and conventions to engage the audience to understand the social concerns explored in the plays.

Active Listening

Active Listening Hear What People are Really Saying Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. * We listen to obtain information. * We listen to understand. * We listen for enjoyment. * We listen to learn. Given all this listening we do, you would think we'd be good at it! In fact most of us are not, and research suggests that we remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear.That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they pay attention to less than half of the conversation. This is dismal! Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren't hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25-50 percent, but what if they're not? Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from impr oving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate.What's more, you'll avoid conflict and misunderstandings. All of these are necessary for workplace success! Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others. About Active Listening The way to become a better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening. † This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent.In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by whatever else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you'll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you al low yourself to get bored, and lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. If you're finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say them – this will reinforce their message and help you stay focused.To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you've ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it's even worthwhile continuing to speak. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it's something you want to avoid. Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple â€Å"uh huh. You aren't necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and â€Å"uh huhing† says you're interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well.Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. 1. Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental fact ors. For example, side conversations. â€Å"Listen† to the speaker's body language. 2. Show That You're Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. * Nod occasionally. * Smile and use other facial expressions. * Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. * Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh. 3. Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said.This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. * Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. â€Å"What I'm hearing is,† and â€Å"Sounds like you are saying,† are great ways to reflect back. * Ask questions to clarify certain points. â€Å"What do you mean when you say. † â€Å"Is this what you mean? † * Summarize the speaker's comments periodically. If you find yourself responding em otionally to what someone said, say so, and ask for more information: â€Å"I may not be understanding you correctly, and I find myself taking what you said personally.What I thought you just said is XXX; is that what you meant? † 4. Defer Judgment Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. * Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. * Don't interrupt with counter arguments. 5. Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process. Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood – communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated. Listening is so important that many top employers give regular listening skills training for their employees.This is not surprising when you consider that  good listening skills can lead to: better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and innovative work. Good listening skills also have benefits in our personal lives, including: a greater number of friends and social networks, improved self-esteem and confidence, higher grades in academic work and increased health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that, whereas speaking raises blood pressure, listening brings it down.Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus. Listening me ans paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages. â€Å"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. † Rachel Naomi Remen We spend a lot of our time listening Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication, of this an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing. (Adler, R. et al. 2001). 10 Principles of Listening A good listener will listen not only to what is being said, but also to what is left unsaid or only partially said. Listening involves observing body language and noticing inconsistencies between verb al and non-verbal messages.For example, if someone tells you that they are happy with their life but through gritted teeth or with tears filling their eyes, you should consider that the verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict, they maybe don't mean what they say. Listening requires you to concentrate and use your other senses in addition to simply hearing the words spoken. Listening is not the same as hearing and in order to listen effectively you need to use more than just your ears. 1. Stop Talking â€Å"If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear. † Mark Twain. Don't talk, listen.When somebody else is talking listen to what they are saying, do not interrupt, talk over them or finish their sentences for them. Stop, just listen. When the other person has finished talking you may need to clarify to ensure you have received their message accurately. 2. Prepare Yourself to Listen Relax. Focus on the speaker. Put other things out of mind. The human mind is easily distracted by other thoughts – what’s for lunch, what time do I need to leave to catch my train, is it going to rain – try to put other thoughts out of mind and concentrate on the messages that are being communicated. 3.Put the Speaker at Ease Help the speaker to feel free to speak. Remember their needs and concerns. Nod or use other gestures or words to encourage them to continue. Maintain eye contact but don’t stare – show you are listening and understanding what is being said. 4. Remove Distractions Focus on what is being said: don’t doodle, shuffle papers, look out the window, pick your fingernails or similar. Avoid unnecessary interruptions. These behaviours disrupt the listening process and send messages to the speaker that you are bored or distracted. 5. Empathize Try to understand the other person’s point of view.Look at issues from their perspective. Let go of preconceived ideas. By having a n open mind we can more fully empathise with the speaker. If the speaker says something that you disagree with then wait and construct an argument to counter what is said but keep an open mind to the views and opinions of others. (See our page:  What is Empathy? ) 6. Be Patient A pause, even a long pause, does not necessarily mean that the speaker has finished. Be patient and let the speaker continue in their own time, sometimes it takes time to formulate what to say and how to say it.Never interrupt or finish a sentence for someone. 7. Avoid Personal Prejudice Try to be impartial. Don't become irritated and don't let the person’s habits or mannerisms distract you from what they are really saying. Everybody has a different way of speaking – some people are for example more nervous or shy than others, some have regional accents or make excessive arm movements, some people like to pace whilst talking – others like to sit still. Focus on what is being said and tr y to ignore styles of delivery. 8. Listen to the ToneVolume and tone both add to what someone is saying. A good speaker will use both volume and tone to their advantage to keep an audience attentive; everybody will use pitch, tone and volume of voice in certain situations – let these help you to understand the emphasis of what is being said. 9. Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words You need to get the whole picture, not just isolated bits and pieces. Maybe one of the most difficult aspects of listening is the ability to link together pieces of information to reveal the ideas of others.With proper concentration, letting go of distractions, and focus this becomes easier. 10. Wait and Watch for Non-Verbal Communication Gestures, facial expressions, and eye-movements can all be important. We don’t just listen with our ears but also with our eyes – watch and pick up the additional information being transmitted via non-verbal communication. Do not jump to conclusio ns about what you see and hear. You should always seek clarification to ensure that your understanding is correct.

Journalism and Publicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journalism and Publicity - Essay Example To ensure that it effectively reaches out to its target audiences MTV Base broadcasts, music that the target audience can relate to or rather understand, for instance, in South Africa the channel will air music either in English or Zulu which is a predominant indigenous language there. In Nigeria, it will broadcast music in English or Igbo as these are the traditional languages there. In the East Africa region, the standard music that is played is either in English or Swahili with Buganda being common in Uganda (Haig, 2007). Culture is yet another aspect that is commonly emphasized to ensure the target audiences get programs or rather music that they can relate. Case in point the Afro genre of music is predominant in Nigeria thus a significant amount of airplay will be dedicated to artists from that genre likewise in South Africa Kwaito is the type of music that aligns with the local culture thus it will receive massive airplay than any other type in that country. That notwithstanding, the interest of the audience plays a significant role in determining the kind of programs that are aired, for instance the Hip-hop genre of music that is Western by origin and cultures tends to have a huge following in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania thus the program airs this kind of music to appease the interests of the people that are huge followers of that genre (McLeod and Kuenzli, 2011). Free to air channels can be accessed by the general public without any form of subscriptions thus they entirely depend on the commercials that they run to foot their bills. I’ll choose NTV in Kenya as an example of a free to air channel for the purpose of this analysis. Evidently, most free to air channels have a substantial fan base given the fact that they can be accessed without paying any amount of money (Cramerotti, 2009). These channels tend to come up with all sorts of innovative programs so as to command a huge following to entice more companies to advertising with them based on the fact that they have a vast audience.  

How do people respond to economic incentives Term Paper - 1

How do people respond to economic incentives - Term Paper Example Literally, positive incentives offer benefits to stakeholders within an economic environment. For example, discounts reduce prices of products while bonuses are monetary gains sued to incentivize people. Contrarily, negative incentives discourage behavior by presenting undesirable economic consequences when pursued. Examples of economic incentives include fines paid upon violation of predetermined economic regulations (Bowles 369). In practice, the use of economic incentives elicits particular reactions from people. Succeeding sections of this paper contain comprehensive evaluation of varied people’s reactions attributable to the use of economic incentives. As aforementioned, positive incentives encourage the pursuit of one’s preferences. Economically, financial gain feature as the most important preference among people. Organizations use economic incentives to encourage frequent occurrence of desirable employees’ behavior. On the other hand, negative economic incentives are used to discourage certain behaviors within a workforce. For example, employees who meet or exceed predetermined levels of productivity are often rewarded with cash bonuses (Butler and Town 99). Contrarily, employees with low levels of productivity are often exempted from incentive programs, until their productivity levels increase desirably. In this context, cash bonuses provide positive economic gains to the over-productive employees, while exemption from incentive programs provides negative economic effects to under-productive employees. Conventionally, financial achievements feature as a relatively uniform interest for most stakeholders within an economic environment (Bowles 371). In this case, economic objectives are often accomplished easily when positive economic incentives are used as rewards for accomplishing the objectives. Therefore, economic incentives invariably encourage desirable behaviors high employees’ productiveness. In the economics

Assisting Teachers to choose the appropriate e-learning tool PART 2 Assignment

Assisting Teachers to choose the appropriate e-learning tool PART 2 - Assignment Example A goal of Blooms nomenclature is to motivate teachers to focus on all three areas, creating a more rounded form of teaching. Blooms nomenclature is considered to be an introductory and essential component within the teaching community. A tradition has developed around the nomenclature, possibly due to countless people learning about the nomenclature over second hand data. Bloom himself reflected the Handbook "one of the highly cited yet least read in American teaching". ISTE Values (formerly the NETS)Â  for Instructors (ISTE Standards) are the principles for estimating the skills and information educators need to instill, work and study in a progressively connected universal and numerical society. As technology incorporation continues to surge in our society, it is vital that teachers retain the skills and comportments of digital age specialists. Moving onward, teachers need to become contented being co-learners with their apprentices and coworkers worldwide. An algorithm is an involved way to clarify your philosophies using step-by-step directions. A clear procedure basically means that not only you can comprehend it, but persons who are relying on your procedure in order to comprehend your notion can do as well. A procedure that is perfect however, is not fundamentally correct. The good thing about a language is that there exists numerous ways to extant one idea. A correct procedure means that it will essentially perform as anticipated. Efficacy can be termed as working fast and accurately. Would you quite have a game that opened in 10 or 5 minutes? That can be exacted by your algorithm’s efficacy. Having an effectual algorithm means it operates as smoothly as probable and in the least amount of time. A clear system consists of proper classification. For instance while writing a package; you might have variables whose information is dog, pink and

Political action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political action - Essay Example Firstly, by joining a national citizen activist group called Americans for Responsible Solutions, the intention was to take head on the influential gun lobbyist in terms of their coverage and resources. This involved constantly getting on the phone and email to contact legislators, engaging in online discussions, blogs, as well as twitter communications. The objective was to act serenely and rationally in order to make the legislators understand that there will be electoral repercussions of not voting for meaningful gun control measures. Secondly, before the congressional votes on existing plans took place, there was massive and coordinated booking of appointments from the representatives and senators office. The intention was to let them know the feelings and emotions driving genuine gun control measures. Thirdly, protest march also formed a major aspect of demanding meaningful legislation, and with the support of citizen activist groups referred to as Washington CeaseFire, protest marches and demonstrations were organized near Capitol Hill and state legislators’ buildings to commemorate victims while demanding legislative responses so as to transform the tears into concrete action. Furthermore, television ads urging Congress to take steps without delay were prepared from state to state, and this involves contributing amount s even less than $5 per person. Signing of online petitions calling for enactment of gun laws was meant at augmenting social media campaign as it is a useful resource for dealing with anticipated counter-petition (Carroll, 20). Hence, lawmakers should be made to understand that assault weapons or any high-capability ammunition magazines, does not have any place in the streets and communities The key issue driving such approaches is that the loopholes within current gun ownership and registration laws have enabled criminals and individuals with suicidal mental health to acquire

The Mona Lisa Curse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Mona Lisa Curse - Assignment Example Towards the end of the film, Hughes says, â€Å"If art can’t tell us about the world we live in, then in don’t believe there’s much point in having it†. Herein I disagree with his view, since art has always been a reflecting of the contemporary culture. It is kind of rule followed by artists in every era, and is reflected in renowned pieces of modern art. According to Hughes, art is now controlled by the rich who can pay high price for them rather than the critics. However, giving the power back to the critics is not the solution. The solution lies in viewing art from the perspective of the artists since they have created art and so have the answers to all questions. .It is an undeniable fact that people learn to love only those things about which they grow to learn. The same thing can be applied to Godhead. Since the beginning of restoration, many truths have come forward regarding the Godhead. Many such truths were lost during the Apostasy. It is because of Restoration that today we have realized that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings but with a common purpose. We now believe that Father and Son are two separate beings with flesh and blood, while the Holy Ghost is personification of the spirit, who took the form of dove when descending from heaven. It is only by understanding the true essence of God, mankind can introspect themselves. Restoration of Godhead has also inspired us to believe that although Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings.

Answer the questions Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer the questions - Term Paper Example The liberals then were seeking for the expansive role played by the political class. People that shared common interests were seeking for liberal freedoms. During the 18th century, many people were undermining the political arrangements in Europe, in addition to Britain having a gradual expansion on individual rights. The people believed that Governments should serve their citizens, while limiting their powers to natural rights of its citizens and the morality of the law such as the right to acquire property (Mehta, 29). Mehta believes that. in the late 19th century however, liberalism shifted its focus of protecting citizens from governments to using the governments to achieve a meaningful life. The government became a chance to positively shape the human life and society he lives in, only if it was properly used and controlled by the political leadership and other people. Liberals realized that if powerful government institutions were controlled and regulated by people’s instruments. In this case, therefore, true liberation is inevitable. The vast economic growth of many organizations enhanced capitalism, making people believes that Governments would play a major role in helping the citizens to benefit. The liberals now focused on forming labor unions to protect employees’ rights (47). Nationalism is an ideology that believes that a person’s loyalty and devotion to the government is more important than his interest or other groups’ interest. As such, individuals are more inclined towards helping the government to achieve its goals in the expense of individual’s goals. Before the development of nationalism, individuals developed loyalty towards specific leaders and cities. It was evident through the French and American Revolution. After the American and French revolution, nationalism became very crucial and it influenced the World War 1 and 11. Nationalism has helped serve the national interest of a state, which protects the interests of

Ethical dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical dilemma - Essay Example However, a nurse’s past experiences, values, and beliefs may influence this solution. In addition, one ethical dilemma can be solved in a variety of ways. In this paper, I will give a case of an ethical dilemma in nursing, and discuss how this can be resolved using the 2009 Ethical Decision-making algorithm by Catalano. Ethical issues vary and may involve legal issues, pro-life issues, deception versus truth telling, quantity versus quality of life, control versus freedom, among others. A nurse will react differently to each of these ethical dilemmas (Lipe & Beasley, 2003). My case of ethical dilemma is a pro-life versus pro-choice situation, experienced some time ago by a friend who is a practicing nurse. This involved a fifty-year old woman in the ICU. She had been in the ICU for over one year, and shows no probability of getting better; instead, she gets worse each day. The patient wants her life to be terminated to save her the pain. However, her family does not agree with her wish, and advise the nurses to keep her. She undergoes multiple painful surgeries for her sustenance. The hospital knows that if they prolonged her life, it will be of low quality and full of pain. They however cannot perform anesthesia on her as the family threatened to sue the hospital if they took that step. On the other hand, the patient is bitter that her wish of ending her life has not been granted. This is a perfect example of an ethical dilemma. All the parties involved express different wishes and interests. The patient wants her life terminated to escape the pain; her family wants the nurse to prolong her life, while the nurse wants to save her patient much pain by performing mercy killing. Each party faces obstacles in fulfilling their desires. The patient’s family is the main obstacle as they threaten the nurse with suing if she terminates the patient’s life. Now, the nurse is to come up with a decision that will be neutral on side of the patient as we ll as that of her family. If the nurse prolongs the patient’s life, she will be prolonging her suffering, thus causing her harm. On the other hand, if the nurse complies with her patient’s wish, she may get in trouble with the patient’s family, and so cause a strained relationship, which sounds unethical. Catalino’s ethical decision-making algorithm would have come in handy in directing the nurse to the most appropriate decision (Denier et al., 2010). According to Catalino’s ethical decision-making algorithm, decision-making starts with assessment. This involves determining the party that will be most affected by the decision. Enough facts, including the potential risks of the patient, are gathered to arrive at this. The second step is to collect, analyze and interpret data. Here, the nurse makes use of the information they have to determine possible outcomes. Thirdly, the dilemma is identified and stated. In this case, the identified dilemma is to grant the patient her wish or to listen to her family (Deshpande, 2009). Next is to decide if the nurse can resolve the dilemma or not. If no, the nurse should not take any action, if yes, the possible solutions to the dilemma should be stated. Acceptable and unacceptable consequences are then identified. If the consequences are acceptable, an ethical decision can be taken, if they are unacceptable, no action is to be taken. If ethical decision is

Hamlets Contradicting Traits Essay Example for Free

Hamlets Contradicting Traits Essay William Shakespeare created many complex characters in his play Hamlet. One of these complex characters being the protagonist, Prince Hamlet. Hamlet has many contradictory traits, two of them being that Hamlet sometimes thinks rationally, and that being overcome by the command left by the ghost of his belligerent father, King Hamlet, he tends to make irrational decisions. When Hamlet is first introduced to the ghost’s commands in scene one, act 5, they begin to consume him with thoughts of vengeance, to murder Claudius, his father’s murderer. Throughout the play, Hamlet acts in such a way to provide evidence supporting both traits. Conflicted by these two opposing traits, Prince Hamlet has a war of two spirits in his mind, deciding which side is right. During the length of the play, Hamlet frequently argues with himself. Many of his soliloquies are debates between Hamlet and the warring side of his mind that believes he should listen to the vengeful plan of his father’s ghost. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is a rational scholar from Wittenberg. When he returns from Wittenberg, his mother, Queen Gertrude confronts him concerning his melancholy. He replies â€Å"Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not ‘seems’† (1. 2. 76) He is very straightforward with her and speaks in a sensible and rational manner. This conversation happened before Hamlet encountered the ghost; therefor the militant and vengeful spirit has not yet influenced him. When Hamlet is preparing to rig the play to gage a reaction from Claudius to prove he is guilty of murdering his father, he is thinking rationally. Ill have these players/Play something like the murder of my father/Before mine uncle: Ill observe his looks; /Ill tent him to the quick: if he but blench, /I know my course. † (2. 2. 601-605) it takes and intelligent, sensible, and rational person to develop such a precise and functioning plan, therefor proving Hamlet is able to think rationally. Once Hamlet has met and been influenced to his father’s ghost, he becomes consumed with the thought of avenging his father. Hamlet is not a violent person; therefor the thought of murdering Claudius causes a lot of internal conflict for Hamlet. As Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave, Hamlet says to Laertes â€Å"For, though I am not splenitive and rash, /Yet have I something in me dangerous, /Which let thy wiseness fear† (5. 1. 265-267). This quote proves that Hamlet is aware that though he is not generally a violent person, he now possesses something dangerous in him due to his dead father’s command. Later, Hamlet claims to Laertes that he is mad. â€Å"Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. /†¦ Who does it, then? His madness: ift be so, /Hamlet is of the faction that is wrongd; /His madness is poor Hamlets enemy† (5. . 224-233) according to Hamlet it was not him who killed Polonius it was his madness. Again, Hamlet is aware that avenging his father has driven him to be something he is not, and to do irrational things such as murdering Polonius. Hamlet had stabbed Polonius through a curtain simply because there was a slight chance it would have been Claudius hiding. Before chec king, he quickly stabbed Polonius, this is completely irrational and risky on Hamlet’s part. This dramatic turn of events caused negative repercussions towards Hamlet. By killing Polonius, Hamlet pushed Laertes to decide to avenge his own father and in the end, he murders Hamlet. The overwhelming urge to avenge his father caused Hamlet to act without thinking, putting Hamlet in a dangerous situation. Due to Hamlet’s strongly contradicting traits, he frequently argues with himself, usually in his soliloquies. Hamlet’s soliloquy â€Å"To be or not to be† is a literal debate between scholarly, rational Hamlet and Prince Hamlet as the soldier-son, seeking revenge for his pugnacious father. In this soliloquy, Hamlet questions his motives and morals. To be, or not to be: that is the question:/Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, /Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, /And by opposing end them? † (3. 1. 56-60) he is debating with himself on whether or not it is worth it to avenge his father. This way of making a decision is a rational and logical thought process in which Hamlet is evaluating all of his options and their repercussions. However, had Hamlet not had irrational thoughts to begin with, he would not have to go through with this process. Eventually Hamlet`s irrational urge to avenge his father consumes him. Most of his rationality has vanished and all of his thoughts concern revenge, or are not fully thought through. In his â€Å"My thoughts be bloody†¦Ã¢â‚¬  soliloquy, the irrational part of Hamlet`s divided soul is convincing him that if he does not avenge his father essentially he has no purpose â€Å"What is a man,/If his chief good and market of his time /Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more† (4. 4. 36-38) Hamlet says if he has no purpose, he is nothing. At the end of the soliloquy Hamlet decides â€Å"My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! (4. 4. 68) this is him saying that if his thoughts are not concerning violent actions towards Claudius, they are worthless. These thoughts are completely irrational, and the benefits and downfalls of this decision have not been taken into consideration. Later when Hamlet is asked whether he would prefer to battle Laertes now, or give himself some tim e to prepare, he quickly responds that he will fight him now, leading to Hamlet’s death. Again, Hamlet has irrationally made a decision without considering each side of the argument. The command left by the ghost of his father has completely overcome his mind leaving him not thinking logically or rationally as he was at the beginning of the play. Hamlet is an irrational rationalist. Before the ghost confronts him, Hamlet is a rational scholar from Wittenberg, however afterwards, the ghost’s vengeful thoughts consumes him, giving Hamlet an irrational and violent mindset. During the play, these two combative traits are warring in his mind, and expressed through soliloquies. Many of Hamlet’s soliloquies are debates between these two opposing traits. Eventually, the vengeful thoughts consume Hamlet and he becomes highly irrational. He does not plan or think anything through as he did at the beginning of the play. Hamlet’s irrationality is potentially the cause of his madness, and death. Had Hamlet not been so irrational whilst making decisions and allowing the vengeful thoughts left by his father to consume him, Claudius would not be seeking to murder him. Though Hamlet is genuinely a rationalist, his need to avenge his father’s death consumes him, causing him to make irrational and illogical decisions.

Thomson Additional Scanners Essay Example for Free

Thomson Additional Scanners Essay Our training partnership and scanner promotion has been a great success. To date, 19,987 Retail Sales Associates have enrolled in the training program. The program can be completed in just four hours with a 98% completion rate.   In line with this, we would like to enlist your help on a subsequent project. As you can recall, the initial promotion was to give away scanners to the first 500 RSAs to complete the training. Due to an error in our email notification system, we inadvertently notified 1,000 RSAs that they would receive scanners. I assure you that the system has been repaired and no further notifications have been sent out.   In order to immediately repair this problem, we are seeking your professional help to determine how we can provide additional scanners in a timely manner and at a minimal cost. Please contact me as soon as possible with: Order details and requirements . Cost estimates and rebates you can offer us . Delivery time frame estimates Bob OBrien and Sheila Gallagher have been informed about the situation and both agreed that we can work together on a solution.   If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 702-458-8316. In the last meeting, we have tackled the problem about the mix up in the promotion of scanners. We have discussed the cause which was a technological lapse in the automatic response email system. As a consequence, 1,000 RSAs were notified that they will be given free scanners through the promotional endeavor of our company and Thomson. However, the IT manager assured the company that the email notification system has been fixed and that it is currently functioning well. In addition, the head of the IT department ensures that this kind of incident would not happen again. More so, you have also requested the formulation of suggestions on how to deal with the problem and to resolve the dilemma of providing an additional $500 scanners at a lesser cost.    Recommendations The following were the recommendations and options discussed during the meeting: Purchase 500 scanners from Thomson and distribute it to the the other RSAs who were notified. Through this, the possibility of having strained relations with the retail partners or RSAs will be prevented because the company has complied with its promo. Also, the good reputation of the company would be maintained. Creating an e-mail that would inform the 500 RSAs that there have been an error with the companys email notifications system that wrongly notified them about the free scanners. As a consolation, the company could send a token of consolation for sending a wrong message regarding the scanner promo. This approach could prevent the influx of calls from dissatisfied RSAs and even litigation by the RSAs. Request the Thomson company if they could give away free scanners since the partnership and the promotion have been successful. By doing this, the company would comply with its promise of giving free scanners to RSAs and at the same time satisfy them with an excellent. Based on my own opinion, I would suggest buying the extra 500 scanners to the RSAs as indicated in the promo. To minimize the cost, we should ask Thomson for a bulk discount or   if they can shoulder some of the expenses of the scanners since we already have established a strong business relationship with them. This mix up with the promotion was an honest mistake and there was no intention at all in our part to ruin the promotion. So I think Thomson would understand our predicament and hopefully they would help us with our problem. In the end, we can assure our business partners and clients that we would continue to provide   first-rate services.

Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay

Why Students Drop Out Of High School Education Essay High school dropouts have become a crisis in the United States that is continuously increasing. There are various reasons as to why students drop out of high school. These reasons range from simple factors having an impact upon why a student drops out to complex reasons as to why a student drops out of high school. On the contrary, there are various factors that keep students in high school. These factors include being involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school and interaction with the family. However, dropping out of high school not only affects the individual who has dropped out. The action will also affect those who surround the individual and as the number of high school dropouts increases, this rate will continue to have an effect on the United States economy. The negative impact of high school dropouts worsens the economy every time a student chooses to drop out of school. There is no typical person who dropouts of school. This epidemic that is increasing has become a vicious cycle that must be put to an end. Studies have shown that one must attain a high school degree in order to combat poverty. Moreover, studies have also shown that high school degree is not seen the same now as it was in the past. More often than not, a high school dropout will earn less in a lifetime than an individual who has graduated high school and continued to further their education. This paper will seek reason as why the rate of high school dropouts has increased with the research that has been conducted in the past and is currently being conducted now. This paper will also propose why the rate of high school dropouts increases with the policies and programs that have been implemented by the government. The findings in this paper will not discuss minorities or gender in regards to high school dropouts. This analysis will discuss high school dropouts in the United States in general. There will also be research showing the correlation between why a student drops out of school and what program can assist them getting back into school. This research is significant to the society because high school dropouts not only effect them personally and those surrounding them. High school dropouts affect the economy and the society as a whole. Research must continue to be conducted to decrease these rare and eventually stop students from dropping out of high school. If student continue to drop out and this rate increases, eventually there will be very few skilled workers in the United States. This will result in the shipping of jobs overseas, which will weaken the United States economy. Furthermore, this research is significant in academia. Scholars and researchers must continue to conduct research as to why youth continues to drop out of high school. With the continuation of this research, there is a probability that there will be an end to high school dropouts or the rate of dropouts will significantly decrease. In addition, this research will allow other researchers in academia to draw conclusions and make recommendations in regards to the kind of programs and policies that should be implemented into the law in the future. Then, the government will have the ability to analyze the data that has been collected by scholars in order to put these policies into place. Theoretical Framework During this research, there was a use of quantitative data in order to show a cause and effect relationship between the increasing rate of high school dropouts and what needs to be done to decrease this rate. The data will also show how the programs and policies can reformed in order to decrease the rate high school dropouts. A survey was constructed in order to better understand why the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been conducted in the past. In addition, the data came from fifty students on campus. The survey consisted of twenty questions that asked general question about personally knowing high school dropouts. The survey also asked questions that were complex in regards to opinions about what kind of policies and programs the government should implement in the future. Literature Review There were four main areas that were discussed by scholars in during the research process. Those areas included (a) the personal and public effects of dropping out of high school, (b) educational equity, (c) dropout prevention and recovery efforts, and (d) the effects of high school dropouts not taking the advantage of second chance opportunities such as attaining a GED. There were other areas that were discussed as well; however, there was not as much emphasis as the former. Those areas were adolescent employment, parent involvement, and the effects those components have on high school dropouts. There are several effects that results from dropping out of high school. These effects mount upon one another, which results in one problem turning into another. Dropping out of high school impacts an individual personally and effectively in several ways. Everyday, there are seven thousand high school dropouts. If a student does not complete high school, they will obtain a low income, therefore, contributing less to the society (Rouse, 2005). An individual who has not completed high school is classified as having an inadequate education. High school graduates earn thousands of dollars less than high school graduates and one million less than college graduates in a lifetime. High school dropouts are more liable to slip into poverty than high school graduates. In regards to personal issues, high school dropouts are more likely to have worse health, employment issues, become pregnant as a teen, and be incarcerated than high school graduates are. This cycle will continue from generation to generation if more programs are not reformed and created (Rouse, 2005). In regards to high school dropouts and the society as a whole, there will be less productive workers, which will result in less revenue that would have been made. More often than not, high school dropouts will need government assistance, which is not likely not a need of a high school graduate (Rouse, 2005). Another topic of discussion that was debated among scholars was educational equity. The United States education is not equivalent among public school systems. There is an achievement gap among students, therefore, creating more dropouts. Studies show that there needs to be more basic work taught in schools and there needs to be tougher academic and attendance standards. These same studies go on to say that higher expectations produce higher achievement. There also needs to be more schools competing to get the best students. According to McLaughlin, this will create a rise in American education. (McLaughlin, 1990). There needs to be a higher standard held by the administrators and the students themselves. Dropout prevention and recovery efforts need reforming if there is going to be a decrease in the rate of high school dropouts. Some of the programs are not preventing high school dropouts efficiently. There are some programs that have had good results, but not good enough for what needs to be accomplished in the long run (McLaughlin, 1990). According to Christenson and Thurlow, there should be five factors taken into consideration when creating dropout prevention programs. Those five considerations towards completion and engagement, and the importance of empirical evidence.  [1]   Moreover, there were two areas of discussion during the research process that also impact high school dropouts. Adolescent employment and parent involvement have a major influence on how a student performs in school. According to McNeal, there is a possibility that students are being pulled out of school. McNeal discusses the effects what is occurring with students who work while attending grade school. He goes on to write how in previous studies of high school dropouts, the main focus was how demographics was the main cause of students dropping out of high school. However, there are a plethora of reasons as to why a student drops out of school. These reasons are referred to as push and pull factors that take a student out of school.  [2]   Additionally, parent involvement was considered to be another element that influenced a students performance in school and whether they remained in school or not. According to Crosnoe, parent involvement enhances academic competence. Parent involvement, just as adolescent employment, not been emphasized in previous studies of high school dropouts. Nonetheless, both are circumstances that effect whether a student will graduate from high school Interpretation of Results The results of the data revealed various answers that can be interpreted to understand the correlation between the climbing rate of high school dropouts and what will make this rate decrease. The survey showed how many people knew a high school dropout personally and why that individual did not attain a high school degree. There were several surveys that reflected little or no knowledge about programs and intervention for high school dropouts. This disclosed information that answered questions as to why the rate is so high and why the rate has yet to be decreased. Some of the data from the survey can be compared with statistics from other researchers. The results show that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness about the crisis that is occurring within the United States education system. In addition, there is a message that is conveyed through the data that has been collected. The message being conveyed is that there is not a sufficient amount of information being provided becaus e there has still not been a decrease in the number of high school dropouts. Likewise, there were many results that coincided with one another. There was little or no effect on the student if they were raised in a single parent home. However, if the student was raised in a single parent home and in a tumultuous environment, the student had more of a tendency to drop out of school. There were various factors that motivated a student to graduate from high school. Those factors included family, self-motivation, engagement in extracurricular activities, and school staff such as teachers, administrators, and coaches. There was also an abundance of feedback that showed a majority of the dropouts were dramatically affected by employment. The dropouts either found it difficult to obtain a job or they still are having difficulties in doing so. There were a few responses that showed that some of the dropouts came from good environments. These outcomes imply that there can be some chaos within a good environment. The environment as a whole may not be chaotic. However, the household which the student lives within may be in disarray. Some of the surveys showed that there were several students who dropped out between sophomore and junior year of high school. There were also answers that had a connection between a disorderly environment and the tendency to drop out of school. More often than not, if the answer was yes to living in the chaotic environment such as the inner city, the person also circled that the person they knew who dropped out was either pregnant or had a personal illness, in the criminal justice system, had family financial needs, and did not see the value of education. For the most part, these answers were linked together. Discussion Dropout Rate Increases The rate of high school dropouts continues to increase with the research that has been done. There is no specific answer as to why this crisis is occurring and will persist to worsen if drastic measures are not taken. This national crisis continues to worsen because there is not a single answer to decreasing the rate. The challenge of increasing the graduation rate is difficult because increasing the graduation consists of many components. There are several steps to accomplishing the completion of high school. A student must pass certain tests and must pass the required curriculum before attaining a high school degree. Therefore, the programs to keep students in school must essentially be compatible with each student because the reasons for dropping out of school differ from student to student. In addition, high school graduation rates have not significantly decreased since 1990. These challenges become more difficult when the national reform efforts push for higher academic standards. This problem calls for more effort because the students will not have the skills they need after graduating from high school.  [3]  Dropping out of high school is not something that occurs instantaneously. It is a process that must be stopped before it can stop. Allowing a student to become disinterested in school is a process that should not begin because it will be more of a task to end. Programs to End Crisis There have been a number of programs created to decrease the rate of drop outs. The programs assist at-risk youth, students who did not perform well in school, and programs to prevent students from dropping out. Recently, the Obama administration has been focusing on high school dropouts. President Obama has brought it to the attention of the nation that there is a national crisis. According to the National Center for Education (NCES), this is a crisis that has been occurring for over a decade now. The Obama administration is taking the necessary steps to reduce the number of dropouts. President Obama asked the states to pinpoint schools that had graduation rates below 60%. The administration has devoted $3.5 billion to transform schools that are not performing at their best.  [4]   Also, there are programs such as Americas Alliance Program (Grad Nation) and the Educational Equity Project. Americans Alliance Program is a partnership alliance committed to ensuring children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed. The Educational Equity Project is to eliminate the racial and ethnic achievement gap in our nations public school system. Another program is Gateway to College. This program is a high school dropout recovery program. This program helps dropouts between the ages of 16 and 21 to earn a high school diploma. Dropping Out Before 18 Some states have risen the dropout age to 18. If a student is not 18, they are not permitted to dropout before 18 without parental consent. Several states have risen the age to 18. However, some states still have the age to dropout at 17 and some states remain at 16 years old. However, the lower the age, the worse the crisis will become. Raising the age to dropout will decrease the rate of dropouts. Some students will take the initiative to graduate instead of dropping out at 18 years old. Also, there are students who graduate high school at 17 years old. This will also decrease the rate of dropouts because they will not be 18 until after graduation. Therefore, legislators should not give not give the option to dropout. If a student chooses to dropout, he or she should receive consequences. However, if legislators do not want to require all states to graduate all students, every state should be made to raise the age to 18. Conclusion In conclusion, there is still an abundance of progress that must be made. The government should take serious measures in order to make the dropout rate decline. Education is the key to upward mobility. Students have to be motivated in order to remain in school. If not, they will become disinterested and the contemplation of dropping out will become a process. In addition, if this crisis is going to end, the schools need to have the best educators who are willing to not only teach, but to interact with the students to assure that they are doing their best. In regards to further research, there will have to be more research done after more programs and laws are implemented. More research has to be conducted in order for the researchers to better understand how to decrease the rate of high school dropouts and to keep the rate low. Furthermore, there was no research found in regards to how to end the crisis altogether. The main reason for this may be that the rate has to be decreased before researchers and scholars can look into how to rid the nation of dropouts. Appendix High School Dropouts, Effectiveness of Programs, Prevention Survey 1.) Do you know anyone who has dropped out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 2.) What year did he/she drop out of high school? a.) Sophomore b.) Junior c.) Senior 3.) What kind of high school did he/she attend? a.) Public b.) Private 4.) What is he/she currently doing in regards to a career and/or their future? 5.) What kind of environment did he/she grow up in? a.) Suburban b.) Urban (inner city) 6.) Was he/she raised in a single parent home? a.) Yes b.) No 7.) Did he/she participate in any extracurricular activities? a.) Yes b.) No 8.) Some states allow students to drop out of high school at the age of sixteen (16). Should all states require students to graduate from high school? a.) Yes b.) No 9.) If you believe that more programs should be implemented to keep students in school, what kind of programs would you suggest? 10.) Why do you think that the rate of high school dropouts continues to increase? 11.) If you know someone who dropped out of high school, did they ever go back to? attain a GED? a.) Yes b.) No 12.) If they did not go back to school, what did they choose to do? 13.) Has that individual been dramatically effected in regards to employment because of dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 14.) Have you ever contemplated dropping out of high school? a.) Yes b.) No 15.) Who and/or what motivated you to graduate from high school? 16.) Have you heard about any of the programs or policies that are directed towards? keeping students in school and/or high school dropouts? a.) Yes b.) No 17.) Did he/she dropout due to personal illness or pregnancy? a.) Personal illness b.) Pregnancy 18.) Was the student in the criminal justice system? a.) Yes b.) No 19.) Did he/she dropout because of family financial needs? a.) Yes b.) No 20.) Did he/she dropout because they did not see the value of education? a.) Yes b.) No

Free Essays - The Significance of Sleep in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Significance of Sleep in Macbeth The sleepless are affected by fear that kills those whom are close to the victim of sleeplessness. In the book of "Macbeth" it expresses the theme of death and fear by associating the character with the key word "sleep" and all of its associations. In "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, various words are used that can be associated to different meanings through the different characters. The book talks about a great warrior during the medieval period that overcomes his adversaries through brutal military tactics and deceit. Macbeth stole the throne of Scotland from the rightful Prince Malcolm, and threw the country into chaos through his evil reign. His own conscious eats away at him until he reveals that he had murdered people to get to his position after which he is killed in a battle for control of Scotland and his reign ends. Through the actions and behavior of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their associations with fear, the reader learns that even the strongest of people have fears. Sleep is a word that is thought to be associated with rest, and being tired. But, when used through Macbeth it tends to take a whole new meaning. Macbeth is one of those characters that are violent by nature. He cannot live unless he is causing harm or death, but his own conscious eats away at him until he finally snaps, "Were the graced person of our Banquo present; who may I rather challenge for unkindness than pity for mischance!" (3.4.51-54, Macbeth p.99). After having Banquo murdered, Macbeth sees his ghost sitting at the dinner table. Macbeth grows impatient and worried, which reveals that he had a hand in Banquo's murder. Through Macbeth's actions, his wife Lady Macbeth begins to go crazy, "Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One; two." (5.1.34, Lady Macbeth p.155). Lady Macbeth is plagued with the guilt of those who have been murderd by here husband. She also realizes that she has set up her husband to die. In terms of sleep Macbeth refers to sleep as death. Which is so mething he does not fear until he realizes that he is not invincible, "I will not yield, to kiss the ground before young Malcom`s feet and to be baited with the rabble`s curse.

Charles Dickens :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Charles Dickens Something about Charles Dickens and his ability to take his reader to unbelievable places with his imaginative powers allows him the honor of being the most popular English novelist of the 19th century. Dickens has thrilled his readers for many years with his down-to-earth stories about real people forced into real situations. Charles Dickens has the ability to tell his stories from personal experiences. He fine-tuned his ability to tell his own story through the life of another character or cast of characters. Born on the evening of February 7, 1812, Charles Dickens was the second child of his parents, John and Elizabeth Dickens.. Although he was a solitary child, Dickens was observant and good natured . Looking back on this period of his life, Dickens thought of it as the golden age (Carey 6). In the first novel that he wrote, The Pickwick Papers, Dickens tries to bring back the good old times as he remembers them with their picturesque nature. Gary Carey believes that this novel displays the happiness of innocence and the playful spirit of the youth during the time of Dickens's youthful days (7). Overtaken by financial difficulties, the Dickens family was forced to move into a shabby suburb of Camden Town. This move must have shown the family how good they had it back in Chatham. There Dickens was removed from school and forced to work degrading menial jobs in an effort to help his struggling father put food on the table. Dickens was put to work in a blackening factory among many rough and cruel employees, probably the worst job in town. Shortly after Dickens started working in the factory his father was thrown into jail for failure to pay his debts, only to be released three months later. This period of time affected Dickens greatly as he went into a period of depression. He felt abandoned and destroyed by this evil roller-coaster ride of life he was on. From this time period come many of the major themes of his more popular novels. Perhaps the most popular of these novels is David Copperfield. In this novel Dickens depicts a young man who grows up in a very similar way to that of his own (Allen 28).

Stalking :: essays research papers fc

Based on a study done by Schwartz-Watts and Morgan at the American Academy of Psychology Law, they found that stalking was far more prevalent than anyone had imagined: 8% of American women and 2% of American men will be stalked in their lifetimes. That’s 1.4 million American stalking victims every year. The majority of stalkers have been in relationships with their victims, but significant percentages either never met their victims, or were just acquaintances - neighbors, friends or co-workers. I have broken down types of stalkers into three broad categories: Intimate partner stalkers, delusional stalkers and vengeful stalkers. Obviously, there is overlap. Intimate partner stalkers are typically known as the guy who "just can’t let go." These are most often men who refuse to believe that a relationship has really ended. Often, other people - even the victims - feel sorry for them. But they shouldn’t. Studies show that the vast majority of these stalkers are not sympathetic, lonely people who are still hopelessly in love, but were in fact emotionally abusive and controlling during the relationship. Many have criminal histories unrelated to stalking. Well over half of stalkers fall into this "former intimate partner" category. Delusional stalkers frequently have had little, if any, contact with their victims. They may have major mental illnesses like schizophrenia, manic-depression or erotomania. What they all have in common is some false belief that keeps them tied to their victims. In erotomania, the stalker’s delusional belief is that the victim loves him. This type of stalker actually believes that he is having a relationship with his victim, even though they might never have met. The woman stalking David Letterman, the stalker who killed actress Rebecca Schaeffer and the man who stalked Madonna are all examples of erotomanic stalkers. The final category of stalker is not lovelorn. He is the vengeful stalker. These stalkers become angry with their victims over some slight, real or imagined. Politicians, for example, get many of these types of stalkers who become angry over some piece of legislation or program the official sponsors. But, disgruntled ex-employees can also stalk, whether targeting their former bosses, co-workers or the entire company. Some of these angry stalkers are psychopaths, i.e. people without conscience or remorse. Some are delusional, (most often paranoid), and believe that they, in fact, are the victims. They all stalk to "get even." In general, for any type of stalker, the less of a relationship that actually existed prior to the stalking, the more mentally disturbed the stalker.

Organistional behaviour

Plan Formal & Informal Groups Formal groups are based on defined role relationships – in formal are based on based on personal relationships and agreement Formal Groups are created to achieve specific organisational objectives and are concerned with the co-ordination f work activities – informal groups serve to satisfy the psychological and social needs of group members not related necessarily to the tasks to be undertaken Formal group members have defined roles and the nature of work tasks to be undertaken is a predominant feature of the group – informal groups are based on personal relationships and membership can cut across the formal structure of the organisation Formal groups tend to be relatively permanent, although there may be a change in the membership of the team limitations of group decisions:Groups make better decisions than the average group member, but not as good as the best person working alone; Groups involve everyone -advantageous in certain cir cumstances (changing attitudes) the process is usually slower than for individuals Group working usually produces more workable solutions Social loafing – the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working as a member of a group than as an individual. (Ringelmann) Teams can be elevated into a ‘silver bullet' – a magic solution to all business problems. .

Writing about theme

Writing about Theme in â€Å"The Necklace† Directions: Your assignment is to write a response to literature identifying and explaining how the theme is made clear by the action of the story â€Å"The Necklace. † You must have a topic sentence that includes the name of the author, the title, the genre and the main idea of your paragraph. You must state the theme of the story. The theme must be stated in one sentence. You must summarize the action of the story, focusing on those events that are important to the theme. You must use words and phrases from he text of the story in your summary.You must put quotation marks around those words. You must have a final concluding remark. Refer to your lesson – Theme â€Å"The Necklace† as you write. If you are not sure what to do, please review the Writing About Theme presentation. Topic sentence – In â€Å"the Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant, the main character, Mathilde Loisel pities herself because she does not have everything in life she desires. Theme Statement – The theme of the story is that Mmm. Loisel's selfishness causes M. Loisel to loose out on a new gun and hunting trips with his friends to buy her a new dress.Their dishonesty causes them to loose thousands of dollars to pay off a necklace that they find later is fake. Summary of the Story – Mmm. Loisel is invited toa ball. She is unhappy with her social standing therefore she feels she can not go to the ball in measure up to the social standings of the other guest. M. Loisel gives her the 400 francs so that she can go out and buy a new dress for the ball. She then borrows a necklace from her friend which she then looses at the ball. After searching desperately for the necklace, instead of telling the friend that they had lost it, they decide to replace it.When they find one that looks similar it cost thousands of francs so they borrow the money. It takes ten years to pay back the money. By this time Mmm. Loisel has lost her beauty which she coveted so much. She runs into her friend only to find out that the necklace was fake and only cost 500 francs at most. Final Concluding Remark – The main idea is that selfishness and dishonesty get you work and labor. When if she would have been honest with her friend she wouldn't have had to gone through all that trouble. Also if she would have been happy with what she had she wouldn't have ended up broke.

Mobile Phone Addiction Essay

The mobile phone is one of the greatest invention in 20th century. We can not imagine how is our life without the mobile phone. It is an obvious truth that the mobile phone gives us benefits in some aspects of life. Using mobile phone distributes our communication to make it easier than before. Besides a mobile phone can provide us with a lot of functions like relaxing with music, chatting or playing games. However, today people especially young people are becoming addicted to using the mobile phone. They can not stay away from their phones, even for a minute. Perhaps, because of the benefits of the mobile phones, most people do not realize lots of negative effects that the mobile phone has brought to us. Using mobile phones too much not only affects our health seriously but also causes some personal problems and limiting communication face to face. In the high-tech world, the mobile phones are equipped with all necessary functions. People can chat together for hours whenever they ha ve time. They talk together from hour to hour, from day to day. As a result, using mobile phone for a long time affects our health. Do you know how dangerous the wave from the cell phone is for our brain? The waves from cell phone are very harmful to our physical body such as our heart and brain. A recent study tells that our brain is seriously damaged when using mobile phone too much. Have you ever experienced the headache with talking on the cell phone for a long time? It is the wave from the mobile phone that causes the headache. Due to the danger of the cell phone wave to our brain, using phones too much can cause a poor memory. Besides, the wave of cell phones is very strong so it can cause heart disease if we keep cell phone near our body, especially under the pillow while sleeping. With many functions of the cell phone, the young can listen to music anytime they want. By using a headphone, people can enjoy some video, some music all time without annoying anyone. However, one effect of listening by earphones for a long time is that it damages our ear, even it can cause deaf. Moreover, the excessive use of cell phones causes teens and young adults to experience restlessness and it can make them feel difficult to fall asleep. It is an obvious fact that using cell phones too much can affect our brain, because sleep loss and damage our ears. Our life is becoming more and more convenient and the mobile phone has become an indispensable and inseparable object. People use mobile phones in every place, every time to manage their business. They talk on the cell phone when working, even when they are on the road. A lot of drivers listen to cell phone conversations while they are driving on the road. Consequently, they can cause dangerous accidents for other drivers on the road. Getting caught up in conversations on a cell phone can lead to the loss of focusing and highly distracted driving. Furthermore, it is generally observed that drivers using cell phones often forget to give proper signals disobey street signs and tend to cut lanes without warning. It is such a careless driving that results in many crashes and fatalities every day. Therefore, our government should give the law to ban drivers from using mobile phones while driving. Besides, another result of using phones too much is the expenses for cell phone cards every month. We often spend a lot of money using mobile phone. Not only the expenses for cell phone cards, sometimes using phones in a public places also causes some problems. We can see some rude people who speak loudly in public places, particularly in libraries, trains and theatres, which disturb other people a lot. For example, the camera of mobile phones sometimes disturbs a person’s privacy. Some people use the Bluetooth and the camera in a bad purpose. In short, using mobile phone can cause some personal problem like accidents on the road, money for cell phone cards and some trouble in public places. Mobile phone has become crucial part of our life. One of the most important functions of the phone is that it helps the communication become easier and quicker. However it also causes a lot of problem in communicating. Firstly, cell phone use has effects on the direct human to human interaction. Talking on the cell phones is gradually replacing the communication face to face between people. There was a time when the purpose of a telephone was to convey the important messages and not many people owned telephones. Thus, to talk together about something, they often met directly. Today owning a cell phone is held as a necessity and anyone including children have their cell phone. Therefore, the communication face to face between people is limited. Nowadays parents can be at the work place to talk to their children, to remind them of studying at school. Friends like chatting together for hours by mobile phone so they do not have anything to tell together when meeting at school. It seems that using cell phones too much destroys the pleasure of direct interaction. Another effect in communicating by mobile phone is misunderstanding between people. Always, people send messages to ask for information or congratulate someone. And the problem is that sometimes they forget to type the punctuation marks or they misspell, which makes the receiver misunderstand. More seriously, this can destroy the relationship between them. Therefore, to avoid some problem in communicating by cell phone, people should be careful in using it. Mobile phone is really necessary for our life because of many convenient functions of it. However, sometimes mobile phone can cause us many problems. The advantages or disadvantages of using mobile phones depend on the way how we can use it in right ways or in wrong ways.

Mgmt Quiz

1. While there are many routes to competitive advantage, they all involve B. delivering superior value to buyers in ways rivals cannot readily match. 2. A low-cost leader can translate its low-cost advantage over rivals into superior profit performance by B. either using its low-cost edge to underprice competitors and attract price sensitive buyers in large enough numbers to increase total profits or refraining from price-cutting and using the low-cost advantage to earn a bigger profit margin on each unit sold. 3. The major avenues for achieving a cost advantage over rivals include A. liminating or curbing non-essential cost-producing activities and performing essential value chain activities more cost-effectively that rivals. Â   4. A differentiation-based competitive advantage E. often hinges on incorporating features that (1) raise the performance of the product or (2) lower the buyer's overall costs of using the company's product or (3) enhance buyer satisfaction in intangible or non-economic ways or (4) deliver value to customers by exploiting competitive capabilities that rivals can't match. 5.Which of the following is not one of the pitfalls of a low-cost provider strategy? B. Using a cost-based advantage to improve the company's bargaining position with high-volume buyers 6. Opportunities to differentiate a company's product offering C. can exist in supply chain activities, R, manufacturing activities, distribution and shipping or marketing, sales and customer service. 7. In which of the following circumstances is a strategy to be the industry's overall low-cost provider not particularly well matched to the market situation?When buyers have widely varying needs and special requirements and when the cost of switching purchases from one seller to another are relatively high.8. The objective of competitive strategy is to B. build advantage in the marketplace by giving buyers superior value relative the offerings of rival sellers.9. Successful differentiation allows a firm to D. command a premium price for its product and/or increase unit sales and/or gain buyer loyalty to its brand.10. The generic types of competitive strategies include C. ow-cost provider, broad differentiation, focused low-cost, focused differentiation and best cost provider strategies.11. Easy-to-copy differentiating features A. do not offer the promise of sustainable competitive advantage.12. A competitive strategy to be the low-cost provider in an industry works well when E. All of these.13. The most appealing approaches to differentiation are E. those that are tough for rivals to duplicate and that also have considerable buyer appeal. Read also Quiz Week 414. A company that succeeds in differentiating its product offering from those of its rivals can usually E.All of the above.15. A strategy to be the industry's overall low-cost provider tends to be more appealing than a differentiation or focus strategy when C. the offerings of rival firms are essentially identical, standardized, commodity-like products.16. Which of the following is not one of the five generic types of competitive strategy? E. A market share dominator strategy17. Perceived value and signaling value are often an important part of a successful differentiation strategy when E. All of these.18. A competitive strategy of striving to be the low-cost provider is particularly attractive when E. switching costs are high, price competition is strong, and buyers tend to use the industry's products in many different ways.19. A low-cost leader's basis for competitive advantage is D. meaningfully lower overall costs than competitors.20. A company's competitive strategy deals with A. management's game plan for securing a competitive advantage relative to rivals.

Phillip Morris

Philip Morris promotion of Marlborough cigarettes. Instituted in the sass's. The brand moved to and assured that the flavor would be unchanged by the decision of adding a filter. â€Å"Come to where the flavor Is: Come to Marlboro man,† Marlboro man was a rugged cowboy smoking Marlboro cigarettes while rolling his horse In the outdoors. The ad helped propel Marlboro to the top of the world market Threefold 1 ) Significant economic advantages. Standardized advertising lowers the cost of value creation by spreading the fixed costs of developing the advertisements over many Mounties. Ex.Coca Cola saved $90 million over 20 yr by using certain elements of Its campaign globally 2)Creative talent is scarce and one large effort to develop a campaign is much more successful than numerous amounts of smaller efforts 3)many brands are global brands Against standardizing advertising 1) cultural differences between nations- a message that works In one nation could potentially fall In anothe r nation. Cultural diversity makes It difficult to develop a single theme that Is effective on a global level 2)advertising regulations may block implementation of standardized advertising.Ex. Kellogg could not use a commercial it produced in great Britain to promote its product in other European countries. A reference to iron and vitamins in its cereal was not allowed in the Netherlands because health and medical benefits were outlawed. In France children are not allowed to endorse products. In Germany a key line was disallowed because of competitive claims. Another example would be American express offering bonus points every time the card was used. And the points could be used towards air ravels and hotel accommodations.Germany competition law was broken as it is suppose to prevent the offer of free gifts In connection with the sales of goods. Dealing with country differences Experimenting with capturing benefits of global standardization while recognizing differences in countrie s cultural and legal environments. Some features to include in all of its advertising, which can result in saving on costs while building international brand recognition. Monika in the sass's launched a global advertising campaign † 1001 reasons to have a Monika imaging phone.Did this to reduce costs and capture economies of scale. Value in trying to establish a global brand image. Used actors from regions where the advertising covered. And used local settings as well. Doves global real beauty campaign 1) Milliner, who marketed dove a storied consumer multinational with global reach, a strong positioned In fast growing developing nations, and a reputation for customizing products to condition prevailing In local markets. ( ex. Indian women OLL hair before washing , so western shampoos that TLD remove the OLL didn't sell well.However, milliner reformulated shampoos for India. Company exaggerated because it has shifted towards a global emphasis. Dove. Brand should stand for the real beauty of all women. Mission was to make women feel more beautiful everyday by widening the stereotypical definition of beauty and inspiring them to take care of themselves. 3) Following workshops held around the globe that brand managers and agencies communicate beauty. Asked 67 photographers to submit portraits of women of all shapes, sizes and ages. Dove photo tour. ) German office of Milliner advertising agency, Googol and Matter worldwide, came up with a concept for communicating real beauty based on photographs showing ordinary women in their underwear. Advertisement made its way to the I-J where they perceived it as politics and not advertising. 5) 2% of women worldwide considered themselves as beautiful and the half thought their weight was too high 6) 2004 campaign was launched globally. Radical shift form Milliner . Tweaked to take local sensibilities. 7) Milliner extended the dove product line to include skin creams, shampoos, and shower gels.Made a video on youth 8) Dove created â€Å"Evolution, depicting the transformation of a real woman into a model and promoting awareness of how unrealistic perceptions of beauty are created. † 9) â€Å"he Dove global study, Beauty Comes of Age, revealed that 91% of women ages 50-64 believe it is time for society to change its views about women and aging. The campaign celebrated the essence of women 50+ ?wrinkles, age spots, grey hair and all. It was brought to life through a communications campaign created with internationally renowned photographer Annie Leibniz. 0) â€Å"The [email  protected] Movement for Self-Esteem provides women everywhere with opportunities to mentor the next generation and celebrate real beauty. â€Å"11)†[email  protected] has created self-esteem- building, educational programs and activities that encourage, inspire and motivate girls around the world. Dove has reached over 7 million girls so far with these programs, and set a global goal of reaching 15 million girls by 2015. † -supply chains looks like -How Is it going to come in? -How you will market? Brand is the logo, 100, and connotations â€Å"Bat† night, up late.

Recession in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Recession in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The causes of the recession in general cannot be determined but the onus falls on the administration and the financial system of the economy. (Recession, n.d.) The recession in the latter half of 2000 was severe and the effects were visible in various economies of the world. The focal point of the recession of the 2008-09 was on the USA and it soon spread to the different corners of the globe. The main reason for the recession can be attributed to the housing sector of the USA and the inability of the financial system of the USA to tackle the problem. The components of the financial system like the banks and the financial companies were many ways responsible for the origin of the recession. USA, being one of the financial epicenters of the world, had a control over the global financial system. Therefore, the effects of the recession were visible in many parts of the world and the companies were cutting their manpower to cut the costs. The global economy suffered and the Governments o f the various countries had to take severe measures to counter the effects of the recession. UK being another nerve center of the global financial world faced the severe effects of recession. Another cause for the recession in the UK was that the economy of the country was dependent on the economy of the US and after the globalization of the economy companies of the other countries started to function in the UK. The Government had to put some efforts and it had to renew the policies to control the effects of the recession. The paper will explore the issue recession in the UK with special emphasis on the impact of measures undertaken by the government to tackle the recession. As discussed in the earlier part the origin of the global recession was the USA and the reasons for the recession can be attributed to the failures of the banks and the financial companies. The sector, which contributed to the

Responsibility of Internal Audit in the Detection of Fraud Research Paper

Responsibility of Internal Audit in the Detection of Fraud - Research Paper Example Auditing is mostly of two types: Internal and external audit. The internal audit team is a team appointed by the management of the company which aims at ensuring that the company is acting according to the rules and operations are in compliance to all type of internal and external rules. Internal audit prepares a company for an external audit by evaluating the operations and checking for fraud within manageable levels. External audit, on the other hand, is conducted by independent authorities who have no personal concern or take in the company and are appointed by the SEC or legal authorities to check the company’s operations. When an internal audit team audits, the company does not face any fine or legislation in case of fraud detection but in case of the external audit team, companies face legislation, fine and other legal processes in case of any fraud in their operations. Fraud in operations is one of the most occurring and costly issues faced by organizations. Studies sho w that US organizations have faced a very significant and increasing proportion of fraud in their operations every year. US economy faces the highest proportion of fraud in the period of economic downturn that is because employees and management do not get money enough for their survival or many other reasons contribute. It has also been observed that proportion of fraud had been increasing with significant percentage each year since 2001 (Howe, 2009). As a proportion of fraud is increasing in the organizations, it has brought high concerns to the management. Organizations today strive their best to lessen fraud and corruption in their operations. For this purpose, they rely heavily on the internal audit team and internal auditing activities. Internal auditor reports only to the board of directors he gets better control on fraud and corruption because of the fact that board of directors have a stake in the company and hence they don’t tolerate any kind of fraud and donâ€℠¢t hold any other personal interest. Organizations believe that as internal auditors review the activities in depth and monitor the operations independently without any personal take on them, they usually stem well in the areas where fraud is taking place. Internal audit teams get a good knowledge of the operations and organizational process over time and this is what makes it easy for them to detect any fraud happening. The internal auditors are believed to have better knowledge of the risk areas, control systems, employee profiles and this is what helps in effectively dealing with fraud in the organization. It has been stated by ACFE US that the internal audit team has detected the highest proportion fraud in organizations. The survey elaborates that internal auditors have no concern or personal interest in the organization. Rather they are independent authorities. Contrary to them, management has a personal interest in bonuses, rewards, and promotions as well as job retention whi ch given them the way to fraudulent behavior.