An Insight into Academic Writing Essay

Authors Gerald Graff and Cathy Berkenstein claim in their book, They Say, I Say, that academic writing is not about â€Å"playing it safe and†¦ piling up truths and bits of knowledge,† like many people assume. Rather, it is about the dynamic interaction between other people’s points of view and the author’s response to those perspectives. In chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book they emphasize the necessity of balance when implementing certain writing â€Å"moves,† specifically, when introducing a counter-view, summarizing other’s arguments, and when quoting someone else’s words. Graff and Berkenstein contend that by opening an argument with an explanation of what the thesis is responding to–introducing a counter-view–gives the main point clarity and relevance. They encourage stating the opposing view or assumption initially so that it will define and explain what the thesis is addressing. But, they also caution the writer not to bloat their introduction with extraneous information for fear of losing the audience’s focus and engagement. What Graff and Berkenstein suggest, then, is that â€Å"as soon as possible you state your own position and the one it’s responding to together, and that you think of the two as a unit. † Basically, they insist that the best way to give a â€Å"genuine response to other’s views† during academic writing is to have a balance between introducing what â€Å"They Say† (the opposing point of view) and what â€Å"I Say† (the writer’s response). If being in a constant dialogue with others’ positions is essential to arguing persuasively, as Graff and Berkenstein claim, â€Å"then summarizing others’ arguments is central to [the writer’s] arsenal of basic moves. † All too often during a summary, writers will provide their own opinions on an article’s topic rather than revealing what the article is actually stating. On the opposite extreme, there are the writers who â€Å"do nothing but summarize,† which dilutes their own views in an ocean of someone else’s ideas. Graff and Berkenstein remind us that a â€Å"good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. † In other words, an exceptional summary contains the perspective of the original author, while emphasizing the points the responding author wants to address. One of the best ways to initiate an effective argument is not only to summarize what they say, but to quote their exact words. According to Graff and Berkenstein, â€Å"Quoting someone else’s words gives a tremendous amount of credibility to your summary and helps ensure that it is fair and accurate. † By quoting someone else’s exact statement it serves as a proof of evidence that you are not just fabricating another’s claim, but that you are disclosing their true ideas. Like introducing a counter-view and summarizing, quoting requires that you find an ideal balance between the quantity of quotes and content of commentary. A common issue with quoting is when the author assumes the quote speaks for itself. As Graff and Berkenstein, quotes are like literary orphans that have been taken from their original context, â€Å"they need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings. † In simpler terms, a quote needs to be introduced, interpreted, and then connected to the central idea. I found chapter one of Graff and Berkenstein’s book, â€Å"They Say,† to be extremely interesting and useful. The way they tied all their information to a central idea, while explaining how to do just that fascinated me. I felt like their writing had a constant flow from introduction of a move, to implementing balance, to common problems, how to fix those problems, and then to exercises that would reinforce their primary concepts. Their style and content kept me engaged and focused. Also, I learned a handful of writing tactics, like introducing a counter-view, summarizing, and inserting quotes, that I was not one-hundred percent sure on how to do prior to the reading. Overall, I found the chapter to be engaging, informative, and beneficial to me and my writing style.

HR Roles and Responsibilities Essay

Human Resource is a field that has attained reasonable and due attention by many leading firms in recent times. Human Resource has been recognized as an important factor for achieving success in the global arena and in gaining a competitive advantage in the industry. Many leading firms put special importance on the behavior of their work force playing an important role in the success of the organization. To maintain this they have planned and organized their human resource function in such a manner that it provides them a competitive advantage in the industry they operate. If we talk about Human Resource Management which has been a dedicated field for improving Human Resource function of any organization puts special emphasis on certain important aspects to be taken care of regarding the employee to achieve success in formulating a successful Human Resource department. These factors are the compensation plans and strategies, Reward and incentives plan, Training and trainability of the employees, Hiring and Recruiting and Future or career development plans (Mathis and Jackson, 2007). All these factors play a strong role and go side by side in the formulation of a competitive Human Resource Department. Human Resource has recently achieved a huge amount of success due to the realization of its importance in the organizational environment. It has been identified as a competitive advantage by some of the organizations due to the importance of Human Resource in the related industry. Human Resource Management has also changed its shape according to the trends in the World and the factors that drive change. These factors include Globalization, Technology, Diversity, and Ethics. All these factors go side by side as the business spreads due to these factors (Dessler, 2007). Globalization has been due to the technological advancements and because of which diversity increases and more ethics related situations arise in an organization. The work of human resource at one hand increases due to globalization, diversity and ethics but on the other hand Technology helps them to resolve these issues. There have been recent trends of using more and more technological equipment in the Human Resource processes. The major work of the Human Resource is to provide the organization with quality people that become the work force of the organization. In this paper we would concentrate on two functions of the Human Resource Department and how they have changed according to the trends of the human society and development of Humans. First we would discuss induction which is a very common practice in the current scenario of any organization. Induction is basically the first step in which an employee gets to know about his or her workplace environment. This covers each and every activity that helps the employee in adapting to the environment and people around him at his or her workplace. Induction can also be termed as the process of building a relationship between the employee and the organization the nature of this relationship is of a two way communication process (French, 2006). Starting on a new position and with a new organization can be a process which might take some time for the employee and the organization to get settled with. There are many new things that need to be understood and get familiar with these include fellow employees, supervisors and managers to interact, entirely new processes that need to be understood and followed, new offices and buildings that are required to be navigated, learning to work on new software, new and unknown employment environment to understand and new tasks to learn. This transition or all the above mentioned activities are made easier and more effective for the new employee as well as for the employer if the induction schemes in the organization are effective and efficient (Mathis and Jackson 2007). There are obviously costs for implementing effective and efficient induction schemes but the benefits are more far reaching and long lasting if a comparison of both costs and benefits are made. Induction is a process that has been recently added in the organizational hiring and recruiting process by the Human Resource function. There was no concept of induction some 15 to 20 years back. As organizations tend to realize the importance of working environment, which factors affect the performance of an employee and the importance of organizational culture induction has been the solution or the bridge to reduce the gap between an employee and its surroundings in a new environment (Ivancevich, 2009). This not only helps the employee in speeding up the level of his performance in the organization but also reduces the time to know different people around the organization. Performance Appraisal is another important task that needs to be completed by the Human Resource Department. This task requires a great amount of analyzing and insight on the work an employee has been doing. The employee performance is not the only criterion that is considered while creating performance appraisals. Other aspects such as employee’s attitude towards his or her job, how he or she behaves with the colleagues and other aspects such as absenteeism and the following of ethics in the work environment are also criteria that need to be studied while making performance appraisals. All this is not an easy task as studying qualitative aspects of an employee and evaluating them becomes a very difficult task to do. Apart from that employee performance can only be evaluated through the direct supervisor or manager who the employee reports to (Mondy, 2007). This can bring in to play the personal feelings and impression of the supervisor or manager under which the employee works and can create biasness in the evaluation process. Apart from this judging behaviors and attitude is another complicated task. Performance Appraisals have now included a great amount of technological tools to be used for helping in this process. Organizations have online forms for employees, which reduces the time to gather data about the performance of an employee and even retrieving it hence helping in quick appraisals and employee satisfaction of his or her performance. Not only it has reduced time but also made the procedure very effective than before helping in the work of the Human Resource Department. To conclude this paper I would like to mention the fact that all the trends and advancements in the field of human resource management have helped the organizations in making the function more effective and efficient. Some organizations proudly say that their Human Resource department is the competitive edge they have in the industry. Especially in the IT industry it is very important to maintain a effective and efficient Human Resource Department due to the fact that it can provide competitive advantage to the organization.

Book Review On Life Along The Silk Road History Essay

Book Review On Life Along The Silk Road History Essay The book that I had been given for review is† LIFE ALONG THE SILK ROAD†. The book offers a glimpse into the character and characters of the Eastern Silk road between AD 750 and 1000. The author of the book Susan Whitfield is the director of the British Library sponsored Dunhuang project, which makes a remarkable collection of Ancient Silk Road manuscripts including those acquired by legendary explorer Sir Auel Stein, available on the internet. Her knowledge of this treasure trove of primary material shows throughout the book. She has written extensively about china and therefore is in a good position to give an account of the all the details regarding the network of roads and paths crossing central Asia and concentrates on the 8th to 10th centuries A.D. The author has an extensive research on the Mongolian Empire and middle kingdom. She has travelled to central Asia several times and has written this novel as reflection of the stories of the Silk Road. She has dedicated the book to prof.Edward Schafer whom she credits for literary excavation of this historic trade route. This book Life along the Silk Road gives a rich account of the varied history of the Silk Road. It is a good read for people with special interest in history. The book recounts the stories, the lives of ten individuals who lived along the Silk Road in different era. The tale of ten different individuals a merchant, a soldier, a horseman, a monk, a nun among others, all form a different walk of life. The author has tried to reconstruct the history of the route through the personal experiences of these characters. The region covered in the book corresponds to modern day eastern Uzbekistan, western China, Mongolia, south to the Himalayas and including Tibet. Today that region is largely occupied by Turkic peoples, mainly the Uighur, as well as Chinese colonists and is more Islamic than not. In the time period covered by the book it was more Indo-European in character, mainly Buddhist, and a great deal more cosmopolitan, with many towns and cities home to Turks, Indians, Chinese, Tibetans, and Mongolians as well as followers of Manicheism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorian Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and shamanism. Many Silk Road towns, once some of the most populous cities in the world, now have largely been reclaimed by the desert sands due to a decline in population and a drop in the water table, a land now rich in archaeology but vulnerable to thieves looking for artifacts to sell on the black market. The major source of information for this book and indeed much of the scholarship done on this region and era comes from the over forty thousand documents uncovered in a Buddhist cave complex outside Dunhuang, now in Gansu province, China. Sealed up in the eleventh century, it was uncovered by accident in 1900. Though many of these precious scrolls, paintings, and sculptures have been lost since then for various reasons (and others tainted by the existence of forgeries ), more than enough remained; the importance of the Dunhuang documents cannot be overstated. A whole field of study, Dunhuangology, grew up around the study of the documents. Not only were there many Buddhist texts, but as paper was rare and often recycled (and once Buddhist scripture was written on paper it was considered nearly blasphemous to destroy at that point), many non-Buddhist writings were preserved, unique in providing glimpses into the lives of everyday people.

Case Study on Organizational Behaviour and Analysis Essay

Case Study on Organizational Behaviour and Analysis - Essay Example Case Study on Organizational Behaviour and Analysis This is a testimony of the company’s positive organisational behaviour strategies, designed to retain employees and customers on a long term basis. The founder and present CEO, Howard Schultz has been pivotal in steering the company’s organisational behavioural systems over several years. Having nurtured and guided the company’s fortunes in its formative years, his return as CEO marks a new era in organisational success of the company. Initially, he was keen on opening new stores all over the country for which funds were required. He arranged for floating a $25 Million Initial Public Offering (IPO) during 1992, which provided necessary funds for his expansion plans to make Starbucks coffee drinking a part of a world wide accepted culture. However, over the years, impact of market forces led to downward trends in the business fortunes of Starbucks, and with receding markets and lowered profits, organisational remodelling, especially at the top level, was needed to solve the vexing issues that confronted the company and also provide sound and substantive leadership. It was also to provide organisational and managerial decision making processes, based on experiences to face competitive incursions into its business. Schultz provided organisational restructure when he decided to close down 100 underperforming stores and reduce opening of new stores to just 1,175 during the year, lower by 34% as compared to earlier figures. (Starbucks: Maintaining Principles as We Grow, p.16).

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers Thesis

LAssessing Public Library Services to Homeschoolers - Thesis Example Other objectives will be to investigate how libraries attempt to respond to the needs of homeschoolers, the challenges for libraries in delivering services to homeschoolers, and discerning what might constitute best future service improvements for librarians. The level of services offered to homeschoolers is uneven in the United States; this may be due to the philosophical or political stance of institutions, personal bias, resource availability, lack of information or absence of a communicated need. Requests by homeschoolers for library services are occasionally denied and homeschoolers do experience a negative reception in some cases. This research will seek to gain an understanding of how homeschoolers use and perceive the public library. It will also look at how effectively library staff responds to the needs of homeschoolers as a user group. Proposals and recommendations for service improvements are also included. Participatory observation of participants and staff, over an eleven-week observation period, during which, a six-session targeted homeschooling program was conducted, at Manross Memorial Library was used. A questionnaire for participants in this program was also administered on-site at the beginning of the observation/program period. The sample population consisted of 21 children and 10 families. I would like to thank the faculty and staff of Aberdeen Business School for their responsiveness and helpfulness during the course of my degree program—absolutely priceless to a distance learner from across the ocean! I am especially grateful to Dr. Peter Reid who went to bat for me more than once when it counted. Thank you. I would also like to thank my advisor Roddy Smith for his advice and feedback during the dissertation process. Homeschooling is generally defined as the home-based education of a preschool or school-age child, by a parent or guardian,

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Organizations or Individuals) 1 Assignment

Marketing Planning and Strategy (Organizations or Individuals) 1 - Assignment Example A consumer is more important to the marketer since the marketer takes into account the disliking and liking of the consumer to produce goods and services in that regard. Studying consumer behavior is important in reference to research conducted by Gilligan (2012) on factors that influence purchase decisions made by consumers such as social influences, cultural influences, psychological factors and personal factors. Furthermore, Pride and Ferrell (2006) noted that these factors are especially vital when applied as marketing strategies. Some of the cultural influences that concerns marketers in marketing are religion, nationalities and lifestyle of the targeted consumers. Psychological considerations include how consumers feel, reason, think and select different alternatives. Also, Sorger (2011) stated that customer service considerations after marketing products, builds strong relationships between the organization and the consumers and enables companies to gain valuable information that helps in designing future marketing efforts that are more effective. Sorger (2011) further noted that social influences are values and norms that are held by the community that is marketed and they vary by ethnicity, way of life and race. If a marketer has the capability of analyzing these features of their potential customers, then they can tailor their marketing strategies. The understanding of utilizing information obtained from consumers is the key to a successive organization. Marketers can then utilize this information to focus on producing services and/or products that the targeted markets are specifically interested in and also figure out ways of developing effective

Locke's point on view about empiristics Assignment

Locke's point on view about empiristics - Assignment Example Explain why Berkeley maintains that if empiricists take these ideas seriously, Locke's account actually leads to radical doubts about the existence of the material world. What solution to this problem does Berkeley think that empiricists should accept? Berkeley's solution, however, is widely seen to be highly problematic. Which of these two problems---the (alleged) problems facing Locke or Berkeley's solution to these problems---seems to be the most damaging or difficult problem facing empiricism? Why? Critically defend your position. The empiricist claim of Locke proposes that knowledge only comes from experience and feeling while the rationalists asserts that reason is already an innate attribute and is already previously present in Descartes Cartesian proof. Locke posits that the human consciousness evolves and therefore starts as an â€Å"empty mind† or a tabula rasa. It continuously evolves with experience, learning and sensation which are the sources of our ideas. The ra tionalists like Rene Descartes however, presupposes that reason is already inherent in man. It is already there even before he or she attempts to evolve or make a conscious effort to even think. For Descartes, the mere exercise of thinking is already a validation that one exists. Even the process of doubting one’s existence, in Descartes perspective, is already a proof that one exists due to the sheer exercise of thinking.

Guanxi and corruption in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Guanxi and corruption in China - Essay Example In this short essay, I will start out by outlining problems of corruption in contemporary China. Then, I will explore to what extent Guanxi may contribute to what many perceive as a crisis of rampant corruption in the country. China has in the recent past been an object of scathing criticisms from both the local and international players over its apparent tolerance to corruption. Gong (2011) portrays the perception of China by Westerners who associate business culture in China with Guanxi. Regardless of the favour or job one wants in China, all that matters most is the ability to give gifts or bribery. Guanxi illustrates the complex form of corruption where relationship with bigwigs and those in powers motivate most of the decisions. In addition to enhancing business prospects for the corrupt in China, Guanxi has further led to the formations of monopolies pegged on capitalistic endeavours. This practise in fact threatened the survival of China as communist country. To further illustrate the problem of corruption in China, a survey one conducted on 100 people who were prosecuted for bribe-giving. The result indicated that 94.2% of them asserted that â€Å"they would â€Å"warm up the relationship† first before they would bribe with money† (Ling Li 7). Corruption through Guanxi has harmed Chinese image on both the local and international spheres. Illegal businesses that fail to adhere to human rights have been allowed to operate without legal charges. Also, the level of property rights violations and manufacture of counterfeit products without concomitant legal actions has left many questioning the willingness of China to fight corruption (Zhang). The Chinese judicial system is one of the areas significantly affected by cases corruption. â€Å"Guanxi† is evidently a factor into a judicial or arbitral decision. However, worth noting is the fact that this corruption does not necessarily assume the traditional form of bribe,

SLP - RECRUITMENT 401HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP - RECRUITMENT 401HRM - Essay Example CCGB is accountable for promoting and evolving original and prevailing trademarks. Reputable in West London and hiring 130 people, it manages over 20 brands in the Great Britain. On the other hand, CCE produces and dispenses soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Corporation and other additional brand owners. It hires approximately 4,500 people in the Great Britain and has a total of six industrial locations across the republic. The Coca-Cola Corporation employs the use of the following administration style: consultative democratic. This is a management style where the executives permit the workers to create ideas that are then sent to the directors who then consult their team to make the ultimate resolution. This corporation prefers to use this style since the resultant decision is from all the employees and management team. Consequently, the outcome is that it assists in motivating employees as they are conscious that they have a say in the corporation to some degree. The shortcomings of this style, is that the procedure is very time consuming and power will be necessary during the whole process. Management at Coca-Cola Company emphasizes on the procurement and preservation of exceedingly skilful and well-informed workers so that it can uphold its top place in the marketplace. It provides such environments of service and measures that permit all workers to progress a logic of harmony with the corporation and to carry out their responsibilities in the most enthusiastic and operative methods. It also provides for the sanctuary of service to the employees so that they may not be preoccupied by the reservations of their prospect. These goals, policies, guidelines, and curriculums are pre- specified by the firm, which leads the administration and unions in taking decisions. Also, they are in harmony with the administration’s aims, goals, policies, guidelines and its and internal and exterior settings. Job analysis is the process for

Making Connections Essay Example for Free

Making Connections Essay In â€Å"Werner†, Hoeflich is sharing very intimate and specific details about his experience. Beard Probably met Hoeflich on several occasions in order to gain his trust before he was able to collect some of the details that he included in his work. It most likely took Beard days of asking just the right questions to write â€Å"Werner. † In this piece, Werner is presented as both weak and strong. In the beginning of the story, he is completely caught off guard by the fire in his home, but then the author follows with a story of Werrner cliff diving. Beard describes Werner diving out of his apartment window with athletic elegance, and then proceeds to tell us about Werner crying in the ambulance. At the end of the story, Beard describes Werner â€Å"never being able to confuse himself with the old Werner. † I am left wondering what Werner did after his accident. We know he always felt pain since, but I wonder in what other ways it affected his life. Zinner emphasizes balancing quotes with narrations which Beard did very well. He also spoke of not changing the quotes in order to preserve the character’s voice. Beard did a very good job of depicting Werner’s personality through the quotes he chose. 2. Gladwell began the piece by describing an event very vaguely, and then slowly gave us more details. He ended the story by teaching us one of the lessons that Cesar learned through his experience. I like that Gladwell keeps us wondering at the beginning of his piece. He could be talking about any number of things. I liked the ending because the reading was able to see another side of Cesar. Bow, not only was he an expert on dog behavior; he knew quite a bit about human behavior as well. I didn’t like that he chose to describe Cesar in his introduction. I also didn’t like that in the conclusion, he told a story of Cesar failing to be able to do his job. I would have described Cesar after I finished telling the story of Sugar and Lynda. I would have told the story of Cesar failing before I talked about Cesar learning about human behavior. Gladwell did a good job of hooking the reader. After the first sentence, I was left wondering what Gladwell was talking about. He also did a good job of knowing when to end the story. If he had continued on for much longer, the reader would have lost interest. 3. Ingram’s message was that this was she experienced was a very confusing time for everyone. Not all Germans hated Jews, and not all Jews resented Americans. She wanted to provide a different perspective on the war than the ones we hear most often. When I was finished reading this piece, I felt a sense of sadness. Ingram wanted us to see that although the Hamburg people were grateful for being saved, they were still haunted by the sight of their dead neighbors and friends. In order for any good to come, sacrifices had to be made. Ingram begins her memoir with a story of her bravely saving her mother’s life and uses very frank and blunt language in order to establish power. Zinner recommends that an author write without being to egotistical and to use vivid sight and smell language. Ingram did a very good job of painting a picture in the reader’s mind without making herself the hero in every situation. 4. Rodriguez was trying to tell us that there is a big change coming in California and in America. No longer do you have to come to California to live your dream. A person can stay at home and achieve it just as easily, but don’t be surprised when it doesn’t come true. I imagine that the audience had a love/hate relationship with this piece. They thought it was beautifully written and brought up excellent points, but hated to admit that what Rodriguez was saying was true. In describing East Cobb, I would use the terms† large houses, fast food, many cultures, crowded schools, crowded streets, expensive cats, large lawns, family secrets, intelligent kids, and drug abuse. Rodriguez described the California that we all know, but he also went deeper and described to us in great detail the California that very few people see. 5. Singer posed a question. Then, he spent a paragraph or two answering the question. He did this repeatedly throughout his work and added supporting details along the way. Singer gave a very convincing argument. He appealed to the emotions of a sensitive reader with the child in the pond analogy. HE appealed to the logic of a skeptical reader with all his statistics. This article would persuade most people to be more charitable. It would not provide a very convincing argument to the people with lower incomes. Singer did a very good job of cutting the clutter. He used simple language and said exactly what he meant. I also felt Singer’s personality through his writing. He is very realistic and believes that we should all be more charitable.

IKEA Current Operations and Future Strategies

IKEA Current Operations and Future Strategies IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in the year 1943. It started as a small town Swedish furniture company that was founded on the principles low prices and good quality. This simple idea was able to transform the organization along with strategic management and excellent decision making. It now has over 250 stores and a presence in 30 countries. IKEA has become an international giant with whom local furniture companies have to struggle against. The fundamentals of the organization did not change drastically with expansion however the organization did adapt to the culture and practices in the host countries. The strategy was simple, give the people lower price compared to the peers, allow them to check the quality, do no compromise on the quality, save on costs from every possible angle and make them feel happy about the purchases they made (10 Keys to IKEAs Low Prices, 2009). This made their brand strong and helped in vertical and horizontal integration and expansion. IKEA maintained strong ties to its home country. Its colors are a representation of the Swedish flag and its name is the initials of its founders name along with the initials of the town he was born in. The organization has used policies that have baffled researchers and lead to various analyst studying its reasons for success. TASK 1 APPLICATION OF THEORIES AND STRATEGIES When IKEA was first created, its owner had the vision of making it an international giant. He had started international meetings and proceeded for a quick expansion strategy of the organization. No other furniture company has had such an exponential growth in only a few years. First, it expanded from a small town to chains all over Sweden. This was not an easy task. The organization had no means of managing so many stores however through the excellent entrepreneurship of its founder, his strategy and global vision, the organization grew strong. The stores main concern would be to find ways in which they could decrease costs. They started with lowering electricity costs during day time by opening windows; they used energy saving lights and did not have a large profit margin in the start. They then expanded to Germany, France and other European nations. Once they expanded to other countries, they maintained the same policies and store strategies in every store. This was done through im peccable management practices, which further helped the organization open stores in other continents. IKEAs business model became famous and the store called for publicity. Their process analysis and operational strategies are unique. All of their decisions have been successful and their management of inventory, staff and stores is one of the best in the world. IKEA used to purchase raw materials from manufacturers but after it expanded internationally, it started its own production company. This resulted in saving costs as well as making new designs reach the stores faster with the least amount of compromise on quality (Ikea: How the Swedish retailer became a global cult brand, 2005). They started economies of scale by starting a production company near its stores. These companies were generally located in areas where labor was cheap and it would be cheaper to ship the goods. They also used a very different style of marketing technique which concentrated on making people happy and reaching out on their base emotions. Most of the stores which sold products at lower prices were considered to have cheap quality like Wal-Mart; therefore IKEA had to use a lot of advertising to put the simple message across that the quality was not compromised in the deal. They did so by hosting customer parties, sending free samples, giving huge discounts and maintaining a happy customer care service. This increased their goodwill. They also took active participation in local events and helped the community, increasing their goodwill and sales. IKEA believed in constant innovation which is one of the reasons for its strong presence. It comes up with furniture pieces that are classic and as well as new. This adds to its brand presence along with rotation of furniture so that the customers are never viewing the same thing each time they visit. Another strategy that IKEA came out with was to keep huge inventories in its stores. This would mean more space and more wastage as well as high inventory management costs however compared to the costs of maintaining the stores, the predicted sales were higher. This made them even more famous because they were the only store which was capable of holding huge inventories allowing customers to buy any product by jus t entering the store. They managed to do so by holding flat line products. These products would them have to be assembled by the customer hence they were made in an easy to assemble manner. By holding flat ling products, the organization could store millions of product. These strategies enabled them to increase their market share (Ikea Components is Setting practical Business Targets, 2011). COST ANALYSIS OF CURRENT OPERATIONS IKEA is a privately held organization. It has seen an increase in costs over the last couple of years and is struggling to survive given the recent global recession and low sales turnover. Although its new and innovative strategies have increased sales and helped them earn profits, the margin of profits and the sales turnover has decreased along with increase in the cost of raw materials and operations. An increase in sales from Euro 21534 million in 2008 to a Euro 21846 million in 2009 is considered slow however considering the marking conditions, it is above its peers. IKEA needs to find more ways to cut costs in order to generate healthier results. It has started doing so by creating solar powered lamps etc and using solar power and saving on electricity. Its costs increased from Euro 7078 million in 2008 to Euro 7198 million in 2009. Reducing its costs will also be another challenging for the organization (Process Analysis Model, n.d.). OPERATION MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN PRODUCT DESIGN OPERATIONS IKEA is strongly linked to its product and organization design. The process from which production starts until it reaches the stores and makes sales is very commendable for an international giant like IKEA. Although the operation process has been commendable there are still a few loopholes in the process. The main problem concerning IKEA is its inventory storage. Warehousing costs are on the high. The organization cannot afford to store thousands of products for each different store. This would not only mean high cost of storage but also wastages in products. Once the product gets old, it needs to be replaced by other more innovative products. This makes the lifecycle of the furniture short and increases the wastages that the organization will have to incur. Currently IKEA ships the unwanted goods to other stores where it might have a high demand however this not only adds to the risks of no sale but also increases the cost of shipping. Since it produces flat line furniture, the place taken up is not a lot but the store has expanded into all departments of housing and office furniture hence has to bear a high cost of storage. A good option available to the organization is to display goods in the store and ship the goods later to the customers through mail. This would help in preventing storage costs, cost to keep inventory management and save on any kind of wastages. The organization can also concentrate on re using the unsold furniture into other products. Since the organization owns its own production company, it can re use the unsold pieces of furniture and make other innovative products. Currently it does not pay too much attention into re using and re cycling however if it wants to keep costs low it needs to consider this alternativ e (SWOT Analysis and Sustainable Business Planning, 2011). Another Operation management issue with IKEA is that the organization is extremely large. It not only needs to concentrate on maintaining the current stores but also on expansion into other countries. IKEAs expansion into India and other developing countries is on the hold. It has been extremely conservative in its approach to expansion and trying to be overly cautious. A good example is its indecision over opening stores in China. Once the company decided that China would be a good market, its management was scared to take the risk of entering a market where consumers were traditional and other furniture retails offered cheaper products. However, the expansion went very well and China has been a very good turnover for the organization. The government too was pleased with IKEA. Hence IKEAs management needs to take more risks and consider global expansion while maintaining the quality of products and service given and lowering costs. By using process model analysis on the organizations approach to its day to day operations, the following flow chart was developed. A process flow chart is required in order to recreate the design of the organization and understand the process in a simplified manner. The flow chart contains these symbols and meaning: Operations Inspection Transportation Delay Storage Flowchart The above flowchart shows that there is a lot of time that is wasted in the transportation of the goods as well as in inspection of the products. Waste recovery has not been given a lot of attention as required and time spent on planning needs to be increased in order to develop products that lead the furniture market. Analysis models using classifier analysis, location analysis, cost and duration analysis and resource analysis have shown that the organization has been using all possible forms of increasing business however there is more scope and a lot it can do to improve its current standards. It does not utilize its resources like space for storage, marketing for customers and training employees for better customer satisfaction and higher sales. It is very conservative in its approach to location and store openings and production company locations. It needs to get more aggressive in order to build a stronger more stable and more profitable brand. The overall design of the organization is excellent with importance given on lowering costs; the only problems are inventory management and cautious expansion. MODULE 2 QUALITY MANAGEMENT IKEAs simple business strategy of low prices has created a lot of trouble for the organization. By lowering prices, the quality of products offered lowered and although the organization has been thriving to maintain its quality it has sometimes been unable to meet international standards. The products are also a little below quality but their quest for lowering prices has also affected their quality of service offered. Customer care does not get proper attention and the workers do not have the time or resources for proper international training (Levine, 2010). The organization is barely scrapping through with the quality required which has adversely affected the business. The sales have gone down and prospective sales from elite consumers have seen a sharp decline. Another noticing factor on quality management is the advertising campaigns that the organization holds. They are unable to research well on the market because of being very cost conscious and have therefore missed out on their target customers in their marketing plan. Because IKEA is an international brand, it not only has to consider international policies but in order to do well in the host country, the organization also needs to pay special attention to the customs and traditions of the host country. It has been failing to do so correctly resulting in profits dwindling below expectations in certain regions and countries like the United States (Levine, 2010). IKEA is a privately held organization, hence information on IKEA is difficult to attain. IKEA follows a very difficult return service with delays and sometimes refusal to take back the goods purchased by consumers. This reflects back on their credibility and goodwill. For any organization that works directly with customers, service needs to be impeccable especially for an international organization like IKEA however IKEA has not been very good with its quality management approach. The organization has however taken a lot of steps to maintain its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and taken many steps to make a difference in the host country. IKEA can take many steps to improve quality. The organization can adopt TQM (Total Quality Management) in its operations in order to ensure quality. It needs to spend money on its processes however the returns it could possibly earn are potentially higher than the costs. The organization needs to adopt a six sigma approach to management and strategically increase the quality of products and service provided. This should increase collectively in all the stores. It has been seen that most of the sales come from EU nations which makes up of about 50% of its sales with only 5% coming from North America. This is a potentially untapped market and IKEA needs to improve quality and assure the consumers of its products and quality so as to increase its potential in not only the markets it already has a presence in but also the markets in which it plans to open stores. IKEA can use the theories for quality improvement in order to manage the quality. Management stresses on the following important principles and theories for quality improvement that IKEA can use to its advantage. 1. Develop customer focus in each step of the process and train employees to provide the best customer satisfaction. IKEA depends on its consumers and it needs to prove to the consumers that they can depend on IKEA as well. Customer focus is very important internally as well as externally in the workings of the organization. 2. Leadership. The international size of the organization makes it difficult for them to manage and lead the process. Leadership is required for each different store and all the leaders need to have a similar set of rules, aims and objectives. This can be done by training each leader of the store together. With the values that needs to be used in the organization. 3. Process based quality management. One theory of quality management states that if each process in the organization deals with the optimum use of resources and time, the overall outlook of the organization will be much different. 4. Decision making approach of the organization needs to change. The management needs to realize that they can no longer be over cautious in their approach if they want to gather all the market share and potential sales if they continue being conservative. They need information that is correct and they need to work slowly because of their mere size but they also need to take an aggressive role in this slow recession filled economy in order to survive and compete. 5. Continual improvement in quality. Quality management is not a onetime approach, the organization has to imbibe it into its day to day workings, control the quality and give feedback on the improvements done. The constant feedbacks would be supplied along with the advantages that the organization achieved due to the process of quality management. IKEA can also use the Crosby theory of quality management which stresses on zero errors, prevention of errors, quality being an adherence to requirement and quality as being a price paid for non conformity. It sets goals for lower period of days so that the results would show, it requires total commitment from the upper management, encouragement to the employees, training given accordingly, creating incentives for high sales, determining the costs for quality etc. TASK 3 IKEA being the worlds leading furniture retailer does not utilize its capacity or use capacity management to its advantage. It uses Data Core Virtual Storage Solutions globally considering its size. The new version uses auto provisioning which is allocation of products to its demand, auto failover which is mirroring and using high availability in its products and snapshot functions which means creating backup for all the information that is feed from all its stores worldwide. The software is the latest and expected to improve the management of inventory. Before the implantation of the software, IKEA struggled with its supply chain management. It sometimes had over supplied products and sometimes there was a lag in products which diminished demand. Since it is not an internet based supplier, it needs to keep a good amount of product as reserves. It needs to create a balance between oversupply and under supply so as to reduce wastages. IKEA has tried to take advantage of the technologi cal improvements to sort out its supply chain management. The organization had earlier used JDA system in 2006 to solve its problems in supply chain management (IKEA Services, 2011). For an organization like IKEA the primary concern in capacity management are as follows: 1. It needs a technology that can forecast with a great level of accuracy based on past results and future market environment the market demand and supply movements. This forecasting accuracy will help the organization improve its functions and save millions of dollars in shipping, storage and recycling. 2. It needs an approach that improves the sales forecasts and predicts consumer behavior. The predictions need to be translated into sales figures so that the organization can plan on expansion and innovation. All the departments in the organization are interrelated and using capacity management to its highest level could help create more potential from the other departments as well. 3. Another area where IKEA needs to focus on is the anticipation of problems before they occur. A large organization is prone to have problems in its supply chain management and capacity management however if it is in a position to predict the changes and challenges well ahead of time, it can be better prepared for the threat or even to a certain extent help prevent it. This is an integral part of management function through which the organization can gain further market share and capital. 4. Transportation and logistics methods need to be simplified with each consignment being traceable so that the management can better predict the product whereabouts and avoid loss in transportation. With the rise in fuel costs the management needs to carefully lay out its supply chain management as well as logistics problems. With over 12000 products and 250 stores in 30 countries the organization needs better capacity management solutions (Supply Chain Management, 2006). IKEA store layout is in the form of a maze. The consumers need to walk through different custom rooms build to give them an idea of the product they might like. The stores are therefore multi layered with additional space given for storage. This has proven to be a good thing because this marketing strategy makes the customers view all the products and increases sales. It does however have the following disadvantages: It wastes a lot of its store space It confuses the customers who find it difficult to return to the product they liked before It irritates consumers who are looking for a particular product and have to go through the entire store for it and it wastes a lot of time which consumers do not prefer. However, this marketing strategy is important but it can be improved upon to avoid the above hindrance. There are many other store formats that the organization can select from instead of its free flow layout. An image of the store layouts is mentioned below. Therefore IKEA can select a grid layout or a spine layout to avoid confusion. Having different layout on each store can also be helpful and avoid any wastage of space. Since the organization has 20000 products they need to be displayed in an arranged format with utmost importance given to layout so that they appear attractive for the customers to buy. The lighting also should be set up in a way that enhances the qualities of the products. The benefits of having a store layout are that it helps the customers organize their wants. It has been proven in countless studies that a good display of the products makes the customers more inclined to buy the products. This means that a layout can make or break a sale hence needs attention from the upper management (Waters, 2011). CONCLUSION IKEA has a great future ahead. It needs to take an aggressive role in this market because its sales are now stagnant and costs are on a rise. It has used the best method for inventory management along with supply chain management it can further expand its dominance over the other furniture retailers by becoming a public company instead of staying private and add additional funds to its disposal. The has been orthodox and conservative in its approach to management so far but it needs to change its policies into being more innovative not only in the products it makes but also in the strategies it follows. The company has great potential and a business plan that matches no other organization in the world. It size and its success by far have been commendable. It company also needs to change into being more web based which would reduce the cost of transportation and logistics. It has a lot of potential and a goodwill that precedes every country it decides to open a store in, however marketing is also an important feature IKEA needs to look into. Its current marketing strategies were effective in an expanding economy where people where ready to spend however in this current recession the only way IKEA can make more sales is through advertising its fundamental business objective; low cost. It needs to cash into the recession and increase sales by lowering prices and making its products quality checked. IKEA also has a lot of improvement to do in the customer care area where it is lacking behind due to its policy to lower costs. The organization needs to train its employee so that they are more efficient and better equipped to make a sale. To conclude I would like to add that IKEA has great potential not only in its existing countries but other countries where it does not have any stores. It needs to tap into the sales before some other organization does.

The Efficacy of Lithium in Treating Bipolar Disorder Essay -- Treatmen

The Efficacy of Lithium in Treating Bipolar Disorder Lithium is a psychotropic drug that became available in 1970 as a mood stabilizing medication for the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. It has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of manic states, as well as the depression that is concomitant with bipolar disorder. Much research has been done in the short duration of lithium's employment to evaluate its efficacy and side effects. As stated above, "Lithium stabilizes the mood of a bipolar patient, preventing a relapse into either mania or depression" (Kalat, 2004, p.472). Bipolar disorder (also known as manic- depressive illness), is characterized by the presence of the following symptoms: motor hyperactivity, flight of ideas, elation, a diminished need for sleep, grandiosity, poor judgment, aggressiveness, and possible hostility (FDA, 2005, 4). Manic-depressives are recognized by their constant mood swings, wherein they may be overly euphoric, subsequently becoming rapidly irritable, sad, or hopeless. A person is experiencing a depressive episode if five or more of the following symptoms are experienced for most of the day, every day, for at least two weeks: difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in sex or formerly enjoyed activities, a lasting empty mood, decreased energy, difficulty making decisions, chronic pain that is not caused by physical injury, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide (MedicineNet, 2005, 3). A manic episode is diagnosed if a person displays three or more the following symptoms for most of the day, every day, for one week or more: increased energy and restlessness, extreme irritability, distractibility, unrealistic beliefs i... ... Increased Lethargy Somnolence Weakness Confusion, drowsiness Gross confusion Unsteady balance Gross ataxia Profound loss of balance Nausea Vomiting Urinary incontinence Decreased Slurred speech Random muscle twitching concentration Worsening hand Muscle twitching Coma tremor Diarrhea Note. From Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder (p.48), by Monica Ramirez Basco and A. John Rush, 1996, New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Conclusion At this point in time, it is not known exactly how lithium alleviates the symptomatology of bipolar disorder, only that it is highly effective and will be continue to be one of the primary treatments in alleviating bipolar disorder until new remedies are discovered.

Super Athletes :: Essays Papers

Super Athletes In the last ten years there has been a drastic change in professional athletics. Players are coming out of college much bigger, faster, and stronger than players of the past. When players reach the High School level of sports it is forced upon them that their sport is twelve months long, and it is basically a job. Players are expected to run and condition, as well as lift weights every day in the off-season. Players training so hard and so much they come out of college fully matured and developed. Jevone Kearse of the Tennessee Titans was given the nickname, â€Å"The Freak, due to his massive size, amazing speed, and phenomenal strength his rookie year in the NFL. Players are much bigger than they were twenty years ago. In 1979 the NFL's heaviest offensive lineman, Max Montoya of the Bengals, weighed 285 pounds. At the NFL scouting combine in February, 48 of 53 offensive linemen weighed more than 300 pounds (Oehser 2). The receivers are still fast, and the fastest guys these days are generally as fast as they were then. The difference is in who is running these speeds. As an example former Cowboys wide receiver and Olympic gold-medal sprinter Bob Hayes, ran a 4.4 forty yard dash, and he weighed 185 pounds. Jevon Kearse is 30 pounds heavier and he runs only 3/10 of a second slower in his forty yard dash (Oehser 2). Athletes are driven by a fierce competitiveness to achieve at the highest levels. Athletes in professional sports getting bigger, faster, and stronger, has led to drastic changes in the entire world of sports. More frequent and severe injuries are occurring, which is leading to changes in rules, and proposed changes for current rules. Equipment has also changed along with demands according to the physique of the players. Some have proposed changes in size and dimensions of the playing field in both the NHL and NBA. As players continue to get bigger, stronger and faster, the collisions between them cause more and more serious injuries. In the first four weeks of play in the NFL in 2001 there were 22 serious injuries, with five cases resulting in broken bones, eleven players tearing ligaments in their knees, and six severe sprains (King 106). With bone shattering collisions due to increased player speed and size, leagues have been forced to change rules and policies on hitting and contact between players.

Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics Political

Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Writing in the 1830s Tocqueville saw democracy as the way of the future, and envisioned a world where revolutions would be rare. Yet writing not long after that, with a thorough knowledge of Tocqueville, Marx predicted a season of revolutions. The difference between these two views comes from a different take on the effect that the economy has on people. Both men saw the economy as producing an almost economically equal majority. For Tocqueville this majority was fairly well-off and had the ability to seek individual happiness through material wellbeing, without concern to control the government. This pursuit of individualism would keep the people quiet and peaceful. For Marx this majority was poor and had nothing to lose by revolting. Poverty would unify the people beyond borders and they would work for change. Marx acknowledged the growing individualism that Tocqueville had identified, but underestimated it and he ignored the possibility by which through democracy the wealthy could be isolated and ignored peaceably. According to Marx, "The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoisie itself. But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the men who are to wield these weapons ? the modern working class ? the proletarians." The proletariat is the group described in the Communist Manifesto as the 9/10th of the population which does not own "private property". The private property he is referring to are not items of individual consumption, like toothbrushes or clothing, but the means of production. The proletariat does not own the means of production but m... ...as to whether they will be able to survive the growth of major chains like Wal-Mart. With the fall of small businesses, more and more people will be forced to sell their labour-power to the large ones, and perhaps Marx was just a little before his time. Works Cited Marx, Karl. "Civil War in France." In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 301 - 314. "Communist Manifesto." In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 157 ? 186. "Marginal Notes on Baukunin?s Statism and Anarchy". In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 333 ? 338. Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. Abridged by Sanford Kessler. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2000. Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Essay -- Politics Political Comparing Alexis Tocqueville and Karl Marx Writing in the 1830s Tocqueville saw democracy as the way of the future, and envisioned a world where revolutions would be rare. Yet writing not long after that, with a thorough knowledge of Tocqueville, Marx predicted a season of revolutions. The difference between these two views comes from a different take on the effect that the economy has on people. Both men saw the economy as producing an almost economically equal majority. For Tocqueville this majority was fairly well-off and had the ability to seek individual happiness through material wellbeing, without concern to control the government. This pursuit of individualism would keep the people quiet and peaceful. For Marx this majority was poor and had nothing to lose by revolting. Poverty would unify the people beyond borders and they would work for change. Marx acknowledged the growing individualism that Tocqueville had identified, but underestimated it and he ignored the possibility by which through democracy the wealthy could be isolated and ignored peaceably. According to Marx, "The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoisie itself. But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the men who are to wield these weapons ? the modern working class ? the proletarians." The proletariat is the group described in the Communist Manifesto as the 9/10th of the population which does not own "private property". The private property he is referring to are not items of individual consumption, like toothbrushes or clothing, but the means of production. The proletariat does not own the means of production but m... ...as to whether they will be able to survive the growth of major chains like Wal-Mart. With the fall of small businesses, more and more people will be forced to sell their labour-power to the large ones, and perhaps Marx was just a little before his time. Works Cited Marx, Karl. "Civil War in France." In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 301 - 314. "Communist Manifesto." In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 157 ? 186. "Marginal Notes on Baukunin?s Statism and Anarchy". In Karl Marx: Selected Writings. Ed. Lawrence H. Simon. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 1994. 333 ? 338. Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. Abridged by Sanford Kessler. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2000.

Morality and Importance of Moral Values

Raising a family in a society that is fast-paced and ever changing can make it confusing to know just which values to teach your children. As a general rule, it’s up to you to teach your children what to believe, and how they should live their lives. But when it comes to teaching and instilling moral values, I’d love to pass on a few values to teach your children from a young age. These are simple and common everyday values that are quickly fading from our younger generation. Read on to discover what they are!1. RESPECTOne of the most important values to teach your children is respect. Having worked in several daycare facilities, I’ve seen children who have no respect for authority at all. It’s exasperating to the teacher, and to the parent when they arrive to pick up their kids. By teaching your kids respect, you are doing the world, yourself, and your child a favor! Life will go much easier for them with a little respect under their hat. If you have got to give a speech on moral values you have to stress the significance of moral values in life and should never ignore them. Here are some things you may use so that you can present this essential subject to your audience.You can say moral values are necessary because the Bible instructs us to be moral. Actually, during history moral values have been the foundation of our education. First of all mom and dad, then school, and finally universities and colleges were instructing us to be kind, honest, sincere, warmhearted, and so on. Religion used to be one of the most effective instruments to instill moral values into people. Religion has been getting rid of its impact in many states around the globe. These days it is still vital to many, but only for a segment of lots of societies. Moral values are still widely used as a debate topic, but regrettably they are often no that significant for a lot of people.The importance of moral values in life is one thing nobody can seriously argue with , despite the fact that today it is a popular practice. Many well known film and popular music superstars, political figures, and other successful people speak about liberal values – freedom of expression, religious beliefs, a hedonistic lifestyle, etc. Their point is that individual freedom is the most significant value to fight for! No person can  make you do what you do not want to do, so you are free to be bad or kind, sincere, or not – it is your individual decision, and everyone have to appreciate it.That is why it's acceptable to abuse alcohol, take drugs, and be impolite, rude or even cruel – if you prefer to act like that, it is your right. Freedom is the only value! Needless to say, liberal values are not that awful. The problem is they in some way destroy the moral foundation of the modern society. When the Bible is no longer the primary instructor of moral behavior, at least, for Christians, there's a risk people will stop thinking about moral valu es as important.This is currently happening in most liberal democratic nations in comparison to traditional Eastern ones, where the religious impact of Islam is still big. We may discuss the political regimes of those states, and the exercise of individual freedom and human rights there, but there’s a thing most people will agree with – they stress the importance of moral values in life; it's the key component of their tradition.Speech on Moral Values and the Importance of Moral Values in Life: Are They truly Important?In your speech on moral values you have to find out the actual importance of moral values in life. In the modern world of income oriented individuals it's hard to stay a moral person; nevertheless it's not extremely hard. Many do. Every single day we hear that a lot of people are murdered by criminals; in a number of states they brazenly shoot and kill rival gangs members on the streets all simply because of money.Cash is the value. Not kindness or princ iples. Not morals. Greed for money is the only driving force of these people! Every single day we see how people tell a lie, do everything possible to have the job they need, even it demands that they do something awful, against the law, or immoral. Young men try to have a girl they wish without any idea about moral values. This ought to help you with materials for your speech on moral values. We realize the significance of moral values in life, don’t we? And right now, after having a short speech on moral values, we're ready to write a moral values essay.Moral Values Essay: Writing TipsWhen writing your moral values essay do not forget to stick to the structure. Your essay should contain an introduction, a body paragraph and a conclusion. Moreover, your moral values essay should present your own point of view on the topic. In fact, you may use the ideas listed above and support them with your additional thoughts. When summarizing your essay, give your readers a clear conclus ion on the importance of moral values in our life.Speech on Moral Values and Moral Values Essay: HelpIf you continue to think your speech on moral values or your moral values essay can not be done without qualified help, or you simply lack the spare time to do it on your own – professional writing company is ready to assist you! We have authors skilled in different disciplines. Furthermore, all of them have a Masters degree or a PhD; so composing an essay or a speech for university won't be a problem for them. It'll be created from scratch in accordance to your recommendations and within your deadline.Besides, you'll also get: Absolutely free on-line 24/7 help. Free of charge proofreading and editing. Free of charge preview of the primary page of your order. The possibility to pick the best writer for your task. You manage the progress of your order, and can easily make corrections. A warranty the work will be plagiarism free. All this is offered at an inexpensive price as we understand students are on restricted budgets.Do not think twice to post your order now and get the finest grades for your written task! We always do our best to please our customers.

Bad Drivers

Please note that the drivers used in this rant are full driving license and know the ‘Do's and Don't of driving! What is a bad driver? A bad driver is the moron who lacks the brain capacity to drive like a normal person. Instead of looking at a situation and thinking about it logically, the driver chugs along In their own little world blissfully unaware of the world around them. It Isn't that they don't want to care about the others around them, the problem Is that their brains are actually so tiny that they are enable to comprehend more than one thing at a time.This Is why you will often spot a bad driver stopping in the middle of the road. What has happened, Is that In the middle of attempting a maneuver that requires them to think about multiple things at the same time, their brain and body has suffered a complete overload and shut Itself down. A few weeks ago I suffered a mentally disturbing experience. As usual I was running late for my football class, so I decided to ask my parents If I can go by car. Surprisingly they agreed.After a fairly peaceful Journey, possibly the worst possible outcome occurred. It was a minor road and 2 cars have met. What should have happened is either one of the drivers reverse into an opening to clear the way, saving everyone loads of time; however neither one of the drivers had the decency to clear the way and soon enough a 2 car roadblock became a bundle of cars all mindlessly honking at each other. What have we become? Human Being†¦ Seriously, is there some kind of driving epidemic going on that I haven't heard about?

Social Media: Positive or Negative?

Social Media: Positive or Negative? By: Michele Dean Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube have become the fashionable way of communicating with the masses. It seems that you are not somebody until everybody knows about you. Actors, athletes and reality television stars use social media to connect with fans. As society becomes more interested in gossip, social media will become more popular. But, is this a positive step forward or could this fascination have negative consequences? A couple of years ago a Bulgarian diplomat was fired from his job for playing FarmVille on Facebook during budget meetings.Dimitar Kerin had been warned about playing the game while at work but he failed to pay heed to his superiors. When he was let go from his position, Dimitar stated that he wasn’t the only member of the committee to play the game. Dimitar pointed out that he was only level 40 whereas other committee members were level 46. (Bosker, 2010) In 2009 an employee of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was fired because of a post he placed on his Facebook page. The employee, Dan Leone, was upset that the team traded a player he liked. Dan decided to take to his Facebook page and let his friends know how he felt.He used a curse word and called his employers retarded. A short time later, Dan decided that his post was not professional and he deleted it. But, it was too late. Someone from the office had seen the post. Dan was fired a few days later. He had worked for the company for six years and never had any issues. He apologized profusely but the words fell on deaf ears. (ESPN News Services, 2009) Aside from employers tracking your use of social networking while on the clock, they are starting to use these sites to assist in the selection of new employees.In January of 2012 the job search website Career Builder hired Harris Interactive to find out how many companies searched social networking sites for information on prospective employees. The study found that 37% of the companies polled currently looked at the social media pages of applicants while another 11% stated that they would be starting that practice soon. The companies polled stated that they looked mainly for references to substance abuse, posts of inappropriate pictures, bad grammar and negative comments about former employers.One third of the companies polled admitted that they had passed on hiring someone based on what information they’d found. (Richard, 2012) So, what does this mean for those of us seeking employment in a future where nearly fifty percent of the employers we give our resumes to will be scouring Facebook, Twitter and You Tube for dirt on us? It means that privacy is of the utmost importance. Make sure that the information you share is only available to your friends. Be sure to update your privacy settings on a regular basis.Let your friends know what is acceptable to post about you and what isn’t. Remember, they can snap a picture of you and po st it on their own accounts. Basically, you should look at anything and everything that you do or say on any social network and assume that you are shouting it to the entire world. Eventually, someone important will see that information. So be careful. The Internet is not as anonymous as it used to be. References Bosker, B. (2010, May 30). Politician Dimitar Kerin Fired For Playing Farmville On The Job.Retrieved November 24, 2012, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2010/03/30/dimitar-kerin-fired-over-_n_518635. html ESPN News Services. (2009, March 9). Facebook post gets worker firec. Retrieved November 24, 2012, from ESPN. com: http://sports. espn. go. com/nfl/news/story? id=3965039 Richard, J. (2012, April 20). 37 Percent Of Employers Use Facebook To Pre-Screen Applicants, New Study Says. Retrieved November 24, 2012, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/04/20/employers-use-facebook-to-pre-screen-applicants_n_1441289. html

Loan Management System Essay

The Traditional way of maintaining details of a user in a bank was to enter the details and record them. Every time the user need to perform some transactions he has to go to bank and perform the necessary actions, which may not be so feasible all the time. It may be a hard-hitting task for the users and the bankers too. The project gives real life understanding of Online Banking System and activities performed by various roles in the supply chain. Here, we provide an automation for banking system through Internet. Online Banking System project captures activities performed by different roles in real life banking which provides enhanced techniques for maintaining the required information upto-date, which results in efficiency. The project gives real life understanding of Online Banking System and activities performed by various roles in the supply chain. Scope of the Project This Project investigates the entry threshold for providing a new transaction service channel via the real options approach, where the entry threshold is established by using an Internet banking system designed for the use of normal users(individuals), Industrialists, Entrepreneurs, Educational Institutions(Financial sections), Organizations and Academicians under transaction rate uncertainty. Customer must have a valid User Id and password to login to the system If a wrong password is given thrice in succession, that account will be locked and the customer will not be able to use it. When an invalid password is entered a warning is given to the user that his account is going to get locked. After the valid user logs in he is shown the list of accounts he has with the bank. On selecting the desired account he is taken to a page which shows the present balance in that particular account number. User can request for the details of the last ‘n’ number of transactions that he has performed. A report can also be taken of this. User can make a funds transfer to another account in the same bank. User is provided with a transaction password which is different from the login password. User can transfer funds from his account to any other account with this bank. If the transaction is successful a notification should appear to the customer, in case it is unsuccessful, a proper message should be given to the customer as to why it failed. User can request for cheque book/change of address/stop payment of cheque’s User can view his monthly as well as annual statements. He can also take print out of the same. Generate reports at every section Administrator can take a back up of the database for every instance that is happening, periodically. All users are authenticated to avail the services FAQ section is also included for end users benefit.

Living Through the End of the World by Paul Wapner Essay

Living Through the End of the World by Paul Wapner - Essay Example 6-7) In his important text on the post-modern environmental movement entitled â€Å"Living Through The End of The World,† Paul Wapner engages the modern view of nature as something to be dominated and traces this trend to its apotheosis in â€Å"the end of nature†. In this manner, he traces the evolution of Western thinking about nature from Descartes to the work of Bill McKibben, who argued that modernity had reached a level where human behavior became an actual threat to the balance of life on the planet. This trend can be seen in the innumerable species of plants and animals that have been forced into extinction or placed on the endangered list due to the increasing population and technological prowess associated with human growth and civilization. Wapner worries about the loss of â€Å"wildness,† that part of nature that has consistently be viewed as â€Å"other† and outside of humanity’s conscious will and control. Wapner builds this argument f rom Thoreau, who wrote, â€Å"In wildness is the preservation of the world.† (Wapner, 2010, p.4) Thus, the heart of his argument is that human civilization and technology have progressed to such a level of ubiquity in the land, sea, and sky that there is hardly any true â€Å"wildness† remaining. ... This is seen in the extension of roads, airplanes, ships, and other forms of transportation which replace the natural trails our ancestors walked in mythologies at one with nature. The difference between Native American and modern American civilization probably illustrates these changes most starkly, but the same effects are seen worldwide. Nuclear power and weapons threaten the destruction of all life in the environment, even the possibility of a nuclear winter that could be an extinction event for large numbers of species and plants. Because nuclear energy is widely considered the â€Å"pinnacle† of modern civilization, in its destructive power and unleashing of energy by splitting the atom, it is also an example of modernism that can be most extremely contrasted in its destruction with the traditional way of living harmoniously with nature by sustaining it. Wapner elevates â€Å"the feral† as an archetypal example of the wild and those parts of our planet not domesti cated my humans. (Wapner, 2010, p.41) Similarly, he contrasts spontaneity with the scheduled and regulated nature of modern society. In this manner, the potential loss of quality in human civilization can become an issue, as certain integral relationships with plants, animals, and natural forces have been lost to humans existing in almost a completely artificial and media-driven environment daily. Wapner seeks in the feral aspects of a primordial relationship which elude empirical control of human civilization, for these processes themselves would not be considered natural if they are part of human will or ego-centric lifestyles and able to be twisted to our self-serving desires. The return to wildness or the feral elements of nature also relates to enchantment

Safeguarding Vulnerable Elderly from Physical Abuse Essay

Safeguarding Vulnerable Elderly from Physical Abuse - Essay Example The elderly old are prone to physical abuse and physical neglect. Physical abuse is defined as any act of violence that may lead to injury, pain, disease or impairment. This kind of abuse may take the form of: pushing, pinching, slapping, force feeding, improper administration of medication, incorrect positioning, etc. Signs of physical abuse may include rope marks, lacerations, bruises, fracture and burns. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is typified by a failure by the caregiver to prevent harm or provide desired living condition for an elderly old. This form of abuse encompasses acts such as failure to provide physical aids e.g. hearing aids and eye glasses, and denying health maintenance care to an elderly person (White, 2000).Reasons why the elderly are vulnerable  Vulnerable elderly old may faces abuse from their relatives, family members or paid care givers. The reasons for their vulnerability are quite varied. Physical abuse of elderly people can happen once or may happ en repeatedly. Sudden outburst by the elderly person might lead the care giver to slap the elderly, an act that is considered abusive. Sometimes the care giver might not know how to handle or support an elderly person. This lack of proper training can lead to injuries (Acierno et al, 2010). Most elderly old are slow in conversation and movement. This may frustrate the care giver resulting in rough handling and annoyance. Hot temper from the care giver might result Family members may find it cumbersome and stressful to care.... Physical abuse is defined as any act of violence that may lead to injury, pain, disease or impairment. This kind of abuse may take the form of: pushing, pinching, slapping, force feeding, improper administration of medication, incorrect positioning, etc. Signs of physical abuse may include rope marks, lacerations, bruises, fracture and burns. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is typified by a failure by the caregiver to prevent harm or provide desired living condition for an elderly old. This form of abuse encompasses acts such as failure to provide physical aids e.g. hearing aids and eye glasses, and denying health maintenance care to an elderly person (White, 2000). Reasons why the elderly are vulnerable Vulnerable elderly old may faces abuse from their relatives, family members or paid care givers. The reasons for their vulnerability are quite varied. Physical abuse of elderly people can happen once or may happen repeatedly. Sudden outburst by the elderly person might lead the care giver to slap the elderly, an act that is considered abusive. Sometimes the care giver might not know how to handle or support an elderly person. This lack of proper training can lead to injuries (Acierno et al, 2010). Most elderly old are slow in conversation and movement. This may frustrate the care giver resulting in rough handling and annoyance. Hot temper from the care giver might result into actual physical harm on the elderly person. In a family setup, abuse may occur due to long-standing hostilities between the elderly person and the family members. Family members may find it cumbersome and stressful to care for the elderly relative. Some of these families may leave the elderly person unattended to, exposing him to suffering. Abuse of the elderly old can also take place in a

Mental Illness Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mental Illness - Case Study Example AD differs from other autism spectrum disorders because there is absence of speech or language delays and symptoms are less severe in asperger syndrome unlike other autism spectrum disorders, which have language delays and severe symptoms. AD is one of the mental illnesses commonly experienced among varied children during their childhood development process; thus, many children develop cognitive difficulties, language skill problems and lack effective nonverbal communication skills. The exact cause of AD is unknown but many researchers have attempted to base their arguments on the genetic basis as the major cause of asperger syndrome. Although there is no clear treatment for AD, cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and other intervention measures are among the effective therapies for improving symptoms and function of the patient. Mental Health History The client is a six years old child who grew up well and did not have any linguistic or speech problems but started experiencing some minor problems earlier at the age of five years. The child started having trouble in some basic elements of social skills including failure to make friendships with other children, lack of emotional reciprocity and impaired nonverbal behaviors. When the child was admitted in school, the teacher realized that the child displayed some repetitive behaviors, which were sometimes abnormal. Parents of the child also had already noticed earlier some displayed behaviors, activities and interests of the child which were repetitive but they could not take them seriously. Some of the behaviors of the child became apparent after the age of 5-6 years and this was the period their parents started seeking medical attention. For example, the child could memorize camera model figures but could care little about photography. Although these behaviors kept changing from time to time, they typically became narrowly focused and even dominated social inter action in the extent that the family members of the child became worried and stressed. According to Matson, Matson and Rivet (2007), repetitive motor behaviors are among the major symptoms for asperger syndrome but these behaviors tend to change from time to time. In addition, the client developed problems in understanding figurative language and ended up using language literary something that forced the teacher of the child to employ effective teaching intervention strategies and prepare Individualized Education programs in order to meet the demanding learning needs of the client. Although the child had excellent auditory and visual perception, some differences in perception with motor, emotion and sensory perception became apparent. The client was diagnosed and the diagnostic criteria required the treatment of the impairment social interaction, repetitive behaviors and many other problems. Rodriguez (2012) argues that employing effective diagnostic criteria and carrying out compre hensive assessment process in a multidisciplinary team approach is vital. Earlier intervention was carried out because AD does not have clear treatment but some therapies offered to the client included, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), social skill therapy, physical, speech therapy and other intervention programs were carried out. Assessment Process The first step of diagnosis is the assessment process, which includes observation and evaluating developmental history of the child. The medical professions or qualified social workers with experience should carry out assessment process in order to determine the causes and symptoms; thus offer effective

Corporate Governance in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Governance in Germany - Essay Example This brings us to Germany, who has a seemingly flawless method of Corporate Governance. Most corporate infrastructures receive work from all ends of the company. With smaller investment groups and smaller group of shareholders who are only out for profit for themselves, German companies receive feedback from employees, management, banks, partnered companies and even consumers. In this way, they can touch on all aspects of thought about the company. It is a rather long-term method of thinking which has become absent in the modern day with life being so hectic and all. But it has worked to bring the German economy back into power ever since the debts incurred from World War I and II. Companies are supposed to help the good of the people before bringing in pure profit. Although the point of any business is to turn a profit, by helping out the community first, this strengthens Corporate Philanthropy 2, or the idea that helping others and taking personal hits for the company for the good of the consumer will help company image and thus bring in more sales. In the end, although the German system of Corporate Governance may seem a bit slow, it has helped to fuel their economy and reduce their unemployment throughout the years. However, there is always a downside to everything, and although you might be asking how there could really be a downside to this way of company thinking, in the end, it all comes down to the economy. While companies are growing, the German economy as a whole has slower growth.... Although the point of any business is to turn a profit, by helping out the community first, this strengthens Corporate Philanthropy 2, or the idea that helping others and taking personal hits for the company for the good of the consumer will help company image and thus bring in more sales. In the end, although the German system of Corporate Governance may seem a bit slow, it has helped to fuel their economy and reduce their unemployment throughout the years. However, there is always a downside to everything, and although you might be asking how there could really be a downside to this way of company thinking, but in the end, it all comes down to the economy. While companies are growing, the German economy as a whole has slower growth, and entrepreneurism has been suffering. Without easy ways for people to get out if things turn bad, it has become less and less fitting to start a business in Germany. So in the end, if you cannot support yourself and the good of the community, your business will fail with the current structure of Corporate Governance in Germany. Now this brings us to the connection between the United Kingdom and German Corporate Governance. Where the United Kingdom has succeeded in helping to jump start entrepreneurism and new businesses, they suffer from corruption inherent in many companies. Germany, on the other hand, has low levels of corruption, but also low levels of economic growth spurts. So, there are many ways we can approach this. Europe has been trying, as a whole continent, to support all countries and combine the best of all worlds. So, you could take the good points of the United Kingdom's Corporate Governance, boards of directors and outside investors, and the stability of the German's Corporate

A Concept to Avoid and Minimize Security Risks in Cloud Computing Essay

A Concept to Avoid and Minimize Security Risks in Cloud Computing - Essay Example This project declares that the existing protection mechanism like encryption failed to provide sufficient security especially from the insider attacks within the cloud network. To overcome this issue a new technology has been introduced called Fog Computing. After doing deep analysis it is apparent that fog computing is not considered as a substitute for cloud it is just an addition of the cloud computing system and introduce new applications and services. These applications ensure safety by isolating user data from each other. The foremost goal of this technology is to put data near to the ultimate consumer. This paper makes a conclusion that Cloud Computing is a technology based service which is used for protecting data and for making use of the cloud resources anywhere anytime. Further Cloud Computing is designed with a collective pool of resources which manages private data centers for clients who are utilizing web application and batch processing services. Fog computing is a virtual platform which offers computing, networking and storage resources to the end-users. Fog computing is a new standard which provide a virtual IT infrastructure. The security solutions which are designed for cloud computing does not allow fog computing devices to balance their connectivity load at the verge of the network. Fog computing offers greater security and benefits while working with cloud. In this the user has to first register and sign up fog computing.

Loss of my Grandfather Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Loss of my Grandfather - Essay Example This discussion stresses that the death of the author's grandfather meant a disorganization in their family system. Since childhood, grandfather used to tell them that their extended family was an emotional unit that could be bonded by love and unity. In addition, grandfather had been advising the entire family against isolation and self-centeredness whereby people could do things for personal or individual gain. Soon after the death of grandfather, family meetings were no longer held as the unifying factor existed no more. For example, the author's uncle relocated, aunt transferred to her work place to the city and my family decided on staying on our grandfather’s farm where they live with our grandmother.   Ã‚  From this paper it is clear that grandfather was an elder in their local church, and for that matter, we used to go to his church. He built our spirituality in terms of getting involved in organized religion, engaging in various church ministries, going to church ev ery Sunday and even doing evangelism on weekends. Once he died, there was laziness on Sunday as they go to church whenever they feel like, they no longer participate in church ministries like they used to and they completely forgot about bible studies or even praying together as a family. The spirituality of their family was adversely affected to the extent that they no longer give tithes like they used to do as a family.

Developing a strategic approach Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing a strategic approach - Research Paper Example Apart from that, several government policies such as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) where both uninsured and insured American citizens are guaranteed with the right of receiving medical attention at lower rates. This can harm the financial health of Jim’s Care Center (Wallace, 2006). Apart from that, the internal factors such as recruiting and retaining qualified employees. Hence, it is essential to devise relevant strategies that will allow the firm to remain consistent with the market situations. The first step in ensuring proper functioning of the business and ensure prosperity of the business is to set a relevant mission and vision statement. In addition, it is also essential to develop strategic goals for the firm as that will allow them to follow a proper direction and the process will be more systematic. In the subsequent sections, the mission and vision statement of the company will be developed and along with that the strategic goals of the firm will also be formulated. Apart from that, service delivery strategy and support components required will be discussed. Lastly, on the basis of the findings of the study, recommendations pertaining to the specific adaptive strategy or combination of adaptive strategies that would be most effective in ensuring that the organization achieves its strategic goals and approaches to manage those strategies will be clearly discussed. The mission of Jim’s Care Center is to provide health care services to the people at an affordable price and continue to offer medical consultation to the patient till the time he/she is fully cured. The vision statement of Jim’s Care Center is to make offer people make this world free from diseases. We believe that along with quality and timely treatment, sympathetic view and price affordability, together we can curb any disease and offer human

Culture and Education Essay Example for Free

Culture and Education Essay The institutions of education which are shaping the minds of todays youth do not all teach the same facts and curriculum. Throughout the world there are differing opinions on what, when, and how certain facts, theories, and concepts should be taught. Not all children are taught the same truths; this statement might sound unfair, or maybe incomprehensible. How, one may ask, could accepted truths not be taught as such; and what decides whether they will be or not? Cultural constructs such as norms, morals, and shared religious beliefs play a role in what education consists of and looks like for different groups of children all over the world. Let’s take a look at the common History class. When taking a History class in the United States you will most likely be learning U. S. History, and even if you take a World History class it will still focus on the U. S. and how it interacted with and impacted other countries. In Japan you would be learning Japanese History. However if you were to read through certain Japanese history text books you might be alarmed to find that Japan is portrayed not only as a victim instead of an aggressor in the context of WWII and that there is a lack of general information regarding their participation in the war all together. Largely in debate is the Nanking Massacre in which the Japanese allegedly systematically kill 300,000 people including both civilians and soldiers. There are two schools of thought, The Massacre Denial and The Massacre Affirmative. Japan’s culture is one of honor which makes it difficult for them to acknowledge their mistakes, and thus largely try to ignore the Nanking incident in a sort of sweep it under the rug fashion. In Japanese Universities many teachers will teach that while the event did happen the numbers were closer to 10,000 and included only soldiers while some classes do not cover the topic at all. In China they teach that it did in fact happen and claim the body count reached 300,000 or more. The effect of this difference in truths being taught is that in Japan younger generations do not view Japan as having been an aggressor in the war, and younger Chinese generations continue to view the Japanese as horrible people. Then there is Human Growth and Development / Sex Ed. While many believe it is a necessary section of what children learn in Health classes, some find it to go against their culture. In certain groups simply discussing opening a woman’s menstrual cycle or how a baby is made can be taboo. Not to mention once you start getting into discussions about birth control options and how to properly put on a condom all hell can break lose. To those whose culture forbids them from having premarital sex, these classes can seem obscene and worrisome in the sense that perhaps these classes will cause their children to commit these sins after acquiring knowledge about it. Then there are also cultures who simply think that school is not a place for these things to be covered, and that it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children about them themselves. Another main concern is also when these things will be taught. I myself remember being taught about the changes that would happen to my body once I hit puberty starting around 4th grade in Human Growth and Development classes. It wasnt until high school that anyone really talked about sex, and ways to make it safe. Some people think that due to rates of teen pregnancy and the way these teen parents seem to be getting younger and younger, that it may be necessary to begin bringing up safe sex much earlier on. However, many people believe this would be overstepping many cultural boundaries. Either way schools almost always allow parents to remove children from these classes as they understand that these matters are viewed differently by different cultures. The way in which the Theory of Evolution is taught throughout the U. S. s another prime example of how cultural beliefs try and sometimes succeed in shaping educational curriculum. While throughout the science community the Theory of Evolution is greatly accepted as the reason behind animals and humans being the way they are today, the fashion in which it is taught to students throughout the United States varies from state to state. A map published in a 2002 issue of Scientific American which was based on data collected by Lawrence S. Lerner of California State University the map depicts the quality of coverage given to the Theory of Evolution in each states Science Standards. It shows that while in a little over half of the states the teaching of the theory is considered very good to satisfactory, a number of states, particularly several in the Bible Belt, an area of the Southern United States where the culture reflects the strongly conservative and Evangelical population which boasts higher church attendance than the countries average; there is â€Å"unsatisfactory, useless, or absent† coverage of the theory. The battle to allow for another theory to be taught instead of, or alongside Evolution is ongoing but has been approved in Kentucky as well as Tennessee. These states now teach Creationism/Creation Science, â€Å"A literal belief in the biblical account of Creation as it appears in the Book of Genesis. Creationists believe that the creation of the world and all its creatures took place in six calendar days; they therefore deny the theory of evolution. †() In areas of the U. S. where religion is not a large part of culture it is not likely for Creationism to be seen as something which should be taught in science classes, however is areas where the religious roots of a culture run deep the attempts such as these to control education are apparent. If one were to make a list of all things which are agreed upon by their culture to be truths and compared it to that of another’s there would undoubtedly be differences. While one would hope the majority of facts matched there will always be variations. This is reflected through the words of teachers and the knowledge of their students. Ones’ culture defines what education consists of and looks like for them, perhaps it seems unfair, but it is undeniably true. Not all children are taught the same truths.