Strategic Planning Report to Mr. Komori Term Paper

Strategic Planning Report to Mr. Komori - Term Paper Example Currently, the profits are falling and copy approach that is engraved deep into the veins of the company is not doing justice to its potential. Hence, Fujifilm needs to follow a policy that gives chance to employees to bring out their create efforts and innovate in order to make sure that the company does not lose on money and does not lose on profitability. In simple terms, the company needs to kill the elephant and bring out a lion. It should be more creative, more aggressive and fiercer in dealing with opportunities, competitors and its clients. It cannot afford to be passive anymore due to the fast-changing nature of the world, and cannot use the same strategies to catch its prey anymore; instead a new more innovative approach is need every time the company goes out to catch its prey. The word â€Å"prey† in this context is Fujifilm’s market share and profitability. It is one thing that every company, and not just Fujifilm, would love to catch every time its goes ou t in wild to hunt. The competition will also be harsh since they are fighting the same battle, but Fujifilm needs to be harsher if it wants to succeed in the current market place and environment. There is an old saying â€Å"You have to be cruel to be successful† and Fujifilm needs to adopt this philosophy to be successful. However, it does not need to be cruel to its own people, but instead it need to tackle its competition by being fiercer and more aggressive. (Robbins, 2004) Mr. Komori recently moved to a more centralized approach. The restructuring plans showed that Research and development department was put under the control of the Board of Directors. In other words, the Research and Development department was accountable to the board rather than the departments for which it would be working for. This approach may lead to cost-containment, but it may kill the purpose of carrying out proper research and development. Hence, the decentralized research and development depar tment is the need of the company if it wants to become more innovative. The board should not interfere with the operational issues in the company; it should only give vision, mission and sense of direction to the company. Hence it is suggested that Research and Development should be dropped from Board of Director’s agenda and should be placed under the control of departments and division head. However, these department heads should be accountable to the board if it is deemed that the Research and Development is not being used properly or cost is rising rapidly. Since the film and camera business is declining and professional photography is much less in demand, Fujifilm cannot afford to cling onto its historical film and camera business. It needs to diversify to maintain the historical profit margins and rates. If the company keeps following the elephant approach or passive approach then it can die. Hence, the new vision and mission statement should show that the company is aw are of the needs of its shareholders and client and will do everything to make sure that their needs are fulfilled. (Daft, 1994) A good mission statement usually consists of three parts. It discusses the purpose of the firm, its values and also talks about the business that the firm is in. In the case of Fujifilm, the purpose of the company has changed since the decline of its Film and Camera business. The new war that the company

Mercedes M class Essay Example for Free

Mercedes M class Essay This year Mercedes-Benz Company announcing the new M Class SUVs for their middle aged costumers. The M Class offers a stylish alternative to box-on-box SUVs, and can be equipped with as much off-road capability as most drivers would ever need. It doesn’t go light on luxury or amenities, either, and its cabin feels more like a Mercedes sedan than a premium sport-use. In fact, Mercedes has made an effort to step up its materials, fit and finish game on the inside of third-generation M Class models, and its efforts show. Market segmentation strategy The purpose for segmenting a market is to allow your marketing/sales program to focus on the subset of prospects that are most likely to purchase your offering. There are four different dimensions used to describe a product’s market segmentation. These four things are demographic, behavioral, psychographic, and geographic. The most popular marketing segmentation used by researchers is the demographic segmentation. Demographic segmentation: Mercedes Benz M class demographic includes adults, both male and female, mostly middle-aged people. They are not very popular with youngsters since the brand is very expensive. Yes there is college kids and in some cases even high school kids with Mercedes Benz cars, but they were still purchased by their parents. Due to their relative expense, * 2013 Mercedes-Benz M class /http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-mercedes-benz-gl-class-photos-and-info-news The M class is targeted to people of middle to high incomes. Unlike Chrysler or GMC, for instance, Mercedes doesn’t offer prices ranging from high to low so the products don’t resemble consumers with a low income. Behavioral segmentation: is the most powerful approach because it uses actual consumer behavior or product usage to make distinctions among market segments. When referring to the M class behavioral segmentation, it is purchased among heavy users, it’s a car you can use on a day-to-day basis, whether going to work or to the grocery store. Most of the people that purchase the M class do it for different reasons; quality, beauty, speed, etc. Psychographic segmentation: the M class is commonly purchased among  people who have a family, since it’s a SUV. Some of the reasons its customers prefer the M class is for its safety, and by being a luxury car it gives you a certain status among society. When referring to the geographic segmentation of the M class, it is mainly targeted toward somewhat wealthy countries. The M class is sold worldwide m even though its biggest market is in the United States. Other target markets for the M class may include single males, females, single parents with or without children or teenagers, married couples, and males and females who are divorced. There are many different target markets for the M class and the ones mentioned before are its main target markets. Positioning: Mercedes Benz has always been known for delivering quality, reliability and its safety. Delivering Mercedes-brand qualities and features at a more moderate price is a luxury marketing strategy conceived with a long range vision. Their goal is to build lifetime brand loyalty by meeting the automobile consumer at nearly every price point throughout their progress through different life stages. In line with the Mercedes-Benz brand philosophy, the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class represents the embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz holistic safety concept of Real Life Safety, which is derived from what happens in a real accident situation. In combination with the front and rear deformation zones, the high-strength passenger cell of the M-Class provides a highly effective foundation for the occupant protection systems. Both active safety and driver-fitness safety in the new M-Class are further improved by assistance systems that will already be familiar, primarily from the S-Class and E-Class. Reference: 1. Benz says its like a three-row S-class, but theres also a heck of a lot of M-class. / http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-car-buying/mercedes-benz/m-class/review/ 2. Mercedes Benz M class /http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-mercedes-benz-gl-class-photos-and-info-news/ 3. On Mercedes Benz’ luxury /http://www.smallbusinessadvocate.com/small-business-articles/on-mercedes-benz-luxury-1111/

The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Literary Analysis, Tennessee Williams

Tennessee William’s â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† and John Updike’s â€Å"A & P† are both tales of anguishing confinement and eventual escape. Tom and Sammy are trapped in a place where they work away their existence, unable to abscond from their miserable conditions due to an opposing force holding them captive. Their families rely on them to bring in what income they can, and neither Sammy nor Tom wishes to let down those dependent upon him. Both have jobs which are stable and potentially life-long; however, they desire excitement and freedom rather than the perpetual routines to which they are bound. The men are despondent in the circumstances to which they are confined, and it requires a catalyst to spark the ambition to become independent. Undergoing a change which opens their eyes to a world that lies beyond the limited lives of oppression they previously led, they make the difficult transition to greater personal freedom. Complete liberty is only achieved by Sammy, however; Tom is physically free yet left with the memory of his dear sister Laura, forever binding his heart to the home he once knew. Sammy and Tom are constrained to monotonous jobs which lack gain or reward; their disgust of the work environment and those who hold them hostage is evident. Sammy lacks respect for the customers, whom he appraises to be â€Å"sheep pushing their carts down the aisle† (Updike 1493). He describes his boss, Lengel, as a â€Å"very patient and old and gray† (Updike 1496) man who is â€Å"pretty dreary† (Updike 1495) – a manager with a dry personality which matches that of the store itself. The A & P is a store which runs on policy, like a clock whose gears are expected to interlock and click away steadily but are of no value individually. Feeling ... ...u behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be! I †¦[do]†¦anything that can blow your candles out!† (Williams 97). While he has achieved a freedom in the sense of space and finances, he is still pulled back home by the constant though of his sister whom he loved deeply. He feels a sense of remorse for being yet another man to abandon Laura, a burden that Sammy does not carry because he left only a job, not his family. Both Sammy and Tom are liberated from the desolate situations they find themselves in, though Sammy finds his actions to lead to a more optimistic future while Tom can only dwell in the past. They learn that life cannot be lived based completely on the desires of others, nor can an occupation be solely for monetary gains; there must be goals toward which to stride. Only when they realize this are they able to find true freedom in life.

Adn vs. Bsn Essay

The nursing profession continues to argue whether a nurse who holds a BSN is desirable to the Associates-Degree-prepared nurse. This has been a topic of debate since 1965, when the American Nurses Association published an opinion paper advocating for the baccalaureate degree to be the minimal standard for entry-level nurses. While some say that the level of education isn’t relevant once you orient a nurse to a certain setting, others disagree and assert that the baccalaureate degree prepared nurses demonstrate higher levels of skill in communication, delegation, assessment, teaching and supervision. Most agree, however, that each degree program provides a different level of preparation and competencies for the graduating nurse. The focus of ADN programs has been to prepare the nurse with considerable clinical experience and technical nursing skills needed to provide patient care at the bedside, while the BSN program concentrates on evidence-based practice, research, leadership skills and communication. An additional difference is the target client. Associate-degree graduates are prepared to meet the needs of the patient. The baccalaureate graduate’s scope is widened to include the family and interdisciplinary groups. According to a study done in 1988 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, nursing competencies across the spectrum of nursing education, â€Å"varied in complexity, depth, and breadth. †(Poster, 2006) Entry-level competencies were evaluated on three categories: provider of care, coordinator of care, and member of a profession. There was virtually no difference noted in the provider of care category other than the use of an evidence-based analytical approach by the baccalaureate-prepared nurse, as opposed to a critical thinking approach to decision making by the associate-degree-prepared nurse. In the category of coordinator of care, the major contrast was between how the advanced-degree-prepared the nurse to act as more of a facilitator of care between multiple factions of the healthcare team. As a member of a profession, the BSN nurse acted as a leader rather than in the participant role of the ADN nurse. Where the major differences occurred was in the â€Å"knowledge required for achievement of competency. †(Poster, 2006)The diploma prepared nurse bases her plan of care on the nursing diagnosis. The advanced-degree nurse’s basis for developing the plan of care uses â€Å"evidence-based and theoretical analysis of available data. †(Poster, 2006) An example of this difference might be in the care of patient who has a chronic condition, such as congestive heart failure. This patient undoubtedly is seen multiple times in the course of a year for symptoms pertaining to his health condition. Nurse A, with the associate’s degree, does a good job of taking care of the patient. She sees to it that he gets all of his medications in a timely fashion, and that he completes all of his scheduled tests; that his basic needs are met. Her plan of care would include all of the interventions to reflect such care. She would weigh him daily, make sure his meals followed the proper diet, and etc. Nurse B, with the BSN, also provides the afore-mentioned care. However, in addition, she may look at why this patient has frequently been admitted to her floor. She would perhaps investigate whether the same symptoms precipitated his decline and question the patient as to whether he is weighing himself daily, what types of food he is eating at home, and whether he has been taking his medications on a routine basis. She might find that he doesn’t have a scale at home, does not have access to his medications all of the time, or is simply non-compliant. Her plan of care may include a social worker and case management are more involved in his discharge planning to insure that the patient has the equipment and resources required to manage is illness at home. Nurse B might also collaborate with the patient to develop a plan he can agree to follow and provide a list of community resources that are available. Both Nurse A and Nurse B have seen to it that the patient got what he needed during his hospital visit. The healthcare industry is changing rapidly. The life expectancy of the average patient has extended due to the increase in technological advances and life-saving measures and requires that professional nurses have the ability to mange these complex patients. The baccalaureate-degree program provides an opportunity to build on the communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills taught in the ADN program to facilitate better patient care. Whether it be a an associate-degree-prepared nurse or one holding an advanced degree, one thing I am sure we can all agree upon is that better educated nurses will better serve the profession as a whole.

Liberty and the Pursuit of the Tuth Essay

Liberty and the Pursuit of the Truth In my essay I’ll direct my efforts to write about the thing that holds the American society together which is their values. Values are very important because all our actions based on them. I’ll address the importance of liberty and the pursuit of the truth. Liberty is defined as equality, state of being free or having freedom of choice. Sometimes our freedom can be limited because of the government policies. We shouldn’t just follow whatever the government addresses without thinking deeply about our options because sometimes they can lead us to a dead-end road. We should follow our instincts, and essence. Government responsibility to provide our needs and protect our right but sometimes that is not the case, they might direct us to the wrong way â€Å"They think that, if that they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it’s the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than evil† Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience. Liberty gives us the freedom to say no that what make it very important. Around 1962 our society suffered from a dysfunction because of the unequal rights caused by the segregation between black and white and the lack of liberation. Martin Luther King Jr. peaceful stood up for liberty and equal civil rights. He had a dream that blacks and whites could sit on the table of the brotherhood and that will give all of us a quality life â€Å"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed† Martin Luther King Jr. , I have a dream. Because of liberty now our society rose up and gave everyone equal rights. The fidelity meaning is based on fact or reality as you can experiences the same result constantly. Scientists did a lot of discoveries that were true because they stood for all of the challenges but they still didn’t accomplished the complete truth, as Adler Mortimer mentioned in the Pursuit of the Truth about scientist and mathematician experiments that these are matters of a taste rather than of the truth. Life is evolving and people looking for the complete truth and if we found the complete truth there is no point of life. We don’t have a reason to get up every morning to go to work, read, and explore. We will never reach the complete truth so life can evolves. Life will continue because we all have a goal to know the complete truth, and we will not accomplish that â€Å"the complete realization of the ideal that is the goal –the whole truth and nothing but the truth—will never be achieved in any stretch of time† Adler Mortimer, Pursuit of the Truth. The pursuit of truth give us a motivation to survive. The pursuit of the truth leads us to a realization of the differences between the native home and being immigrant or slave. People realized the true meaning of their homes. Even though you might be poor but at least you will not be segregated â€Å"The Scotch and the Irish might have lived in their own country perhaps as poor, but enjoying more civil advantages† Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur What is an American. Liberty and the pursuit of the truth brought our society to a great position of equality and motivation to keep looking for more in life. They are very important in order for us to live a fair life and have a functioning society for now and the next generations.

The Great Strike of 1877 Essays

The Great Strike of 1877 Essays The Great Strike of 1877 Essay The Great Strike of 1877 Essay On July 16, 1877, in Martinsburg, West Virginia began the Great Strike of 1877.On this day railroad workers for the Baltimore Ohio Railroad were informed of a ten percent wage cut; this was the second cut like this in eight months.After one train crew abandoned their post other workers followed and the strike was under way.Strikers forbade any trains through the town of Martinsburg.Local authorities were sent out but were unsuccessful on getting the trains running again. The number of strikers grew.After sometime, the strike encompassed more then simply railroad workers.The strike involved workers from a variety of other occupations as well. The strike spread and started occurring in other parts of the country and parts of Europe. The strikers were given an image of beggars and not the image of a hard worker asking for a decent wage.This misportrayed image was given to these strikers by newspapers that were being controlled by corporations.The acts of strikers setting trains and roundhouses on fire were deeply etched in the communities head. Perhaps it gets over looked or forgotten, but it was in fact the acts of upset citizens, opposed to the railroad rates that initiated most, if not all, fires.Millions of workers which had immigrated from other countries in hopes of being better off than they were; had their hopes and inspirations of success crushed.The compression of these hopes was the work they acquired when they settled. The companies rewarded stockholders but were holding out on the workers.The companies paid a worker around a dollar a day.The employers regarded that dollar a day as enough for living for the worker and the workers family.The companies werent surprised by the strike for they set laws before the laws even existed. For example railroad owners had a law passed making it illegal to go on strike with out returning locomotives to the roundhouse (s

Culture and organization learning

Culture and organization learning The article Culture and organizational learning by Cook and Yanow explores the issue of organizational learning and the types of learning that they undergo as well as answers an intriguing question on if organizations learn.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Culture and organization learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The writer’s argument from the cultural viewpoint is that an important characteristic of human beings is their potential to act or capacity to operate in teams or groups. Groups of individuals, who share a common practice or experience, are considered to be of the same culture. A culture is constructed on the basis of inter subjective meanings where constituents get across in their joint practice through actions, language, and objects (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 368). The meaning-holding language, acts, and objects are cultural relics through which the combined knowledge possessed by an organizat ion is utilized, expressed, and transmitted. Organizations are persistently engaged in actions that uphold or transform their cultural identity. These activities create organizational learning since organizations, which are viewed as cultures, undergo learning via activities that involve cultural relics. Learning involves organizational attainment, preservation, or changing the capabilities of undertaking initiatives that should be fully understood (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 370). There are four key points raised in the article regarding organizational learning and culture. One of the points states that there is a possibility that an organization may have numerous cultures, none of which may be dominant or among its numerous cultures, there may be one dominant over the others. Another significant point is that cultural comprehension of organizational learning is an important way of creating appropriate channels of exploring new ideas. The third point states that in most cases, organizati ons acquire new members who provide a great learning opportunity for the organization.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the article, error detection and correction are important subjects in organizational learning because a company can learn by detecting its own faults so it is easy for it to seek fir appropriate remedies (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 378). In my opinion, there are a number of questions that the article raises. The issues are if organizations learn given the fact that they are made up of many people who have different goals and opinions, and if different cultures can promote organization learning as people come from different cultural backgrounds. Thus, if the organizational culture contradicts the values of its members cultures, it becomes difficult for them to adopt it. That is why the next questions are if the fear of change affects group learning since this process involves changes in the way people perceive each other and their surrounding, and if detecting errors and correcting them assist in organizational learning aimed at bringing innovations. Moreover, the knowledge gained is not only through learning some facts about the things that go wrong, but also considering the positive changes that are essential for organization growth. Organizational learning is important for managers when implementing organizational change because by adopting strategies that enhance acquisition of new knowledge, it would be easier to develop and adopt strategies that bring changes without much resistance from other members. In order to achieve a meaningful change, organization culture should be dynamic so as to accommodate other cultural inputs and promote cultures that assist the company in achieving its goals. Since an organization involves people and groups, it can learn if its members agree to work as a group and chart out a comm on course in developing and adopting change strategies (Cook Yanow 2005, p. 370-378).Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Culture and organization learning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference Cook, SDN Yanow, D 1993, Culture and organizational learning, Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 373-390.

Gallimimus Facts and Figures

Gallimimus Facts and Figures Name: Gallimimus (Greek for chicken mimic); pronounced GAL-ih-MIME-us Habitat: Â  Plains of Asia Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (75-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and 500 pounds Diet: Unknown; possibly meat, plants and insects and even plankton Distinguishing Characteristics: Long tail and legs; slender neck; wide-set eyes; small, narrow beak About Gallimimus Despite its name (Greek for chicken mimic), its possible to overstate how much the late Cretaceous Gallimimus actually resembled a chicken; unless you know many chickens that weigh 500 pounds and are capable of running 30 miles per hour, a better comparison might be to a beefy, low-to-the-ground, aerodynamic ostrich. In most respects, Gallimimus was the prototypical ornithomimid (bird mimic) dinosaur, albeit a bit larger and slower than many of its contemporaries, such as Dromiceiomimus and Ornithomimus, which lived in North America rather than central Asia. Gallimimus has been featured prominently in Hollywood movies: its the ostrich-like creature seen galloping away from a hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex in the original Jurassic Park, and it also makes smaller, cameo-type appearances in various Jurassic Park sequels. Considering how popular it is, though, Gallimimus is a relatively recent addition to the dinosaur bestiary. This theropod was discovered in the Gobi Desert in 1963, and is represented by numerous fossil remains, ranging from juveniles to full-grown adults; decades of close study have revealed a dinosaur possessing hollow, birdlike bones, well-muscled hind legs, a long and heavy tail, and (perhaps most surprisingly) two eyes set on opposite sides of its small, narrow head, meaning that Gallimimus lacked binocular vision. There is still serious disagreement about the diet of Gallimimus. Most theropods of the late Cretaceous period subsisted on animal prey (other dinosaurs, small mammals, even birds venturing too close to land), but given its lack of stereoscopic vision Gallimimus may well have been omnivorous, and one paleontologist speculates that this dinosaur may even have been a filter feeder (that is, it dipped its long beak into lakes and rivers and snatched up wriggling zooplankton). We do know that other comparably sized and built theropod dinosaurs, such as Therizinosaurus and Deinocheirus, were primarily vegetarians, so these theories cant easily be dismissed!

International Finance and Banking Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Finance and Banking - Case Study Example Using the corporate spot rate, the cash inflow will be equivalent to 30,375,000/1.04 MYR. By converting these into dollars it is equivalent to 29,206,730*0.305 = $8,908,053. For three months this is equivalent to 8,908,053*1.035 = $9,219,835. The three month forward rate will be an equivalent of $8,762,019*1.035 = $9,068,690. Yankee has two hedging alternatives for the EUR receivable includes the option to sell the product at the current spot rate of $1.355 per euro or three month forward rate at $1.355 per euro. By discounting the amount receivable in three months, the gain from the sales is equivalent to thirty six million Euros. Using the current spot rate, thirty six million Euros accumulated for three months is equivalent to 36,000,000* 1.35 = $48,600,000. If Yankee uses three month forward rate, this amount will be equivalent to 36,000,000*1.355 = $48,780,000 in three months. I think it is easier for Yankee to hedge its outflows and inflows denominated in foreign currencies because the outflows of Yankees are responsive to payable amount denominated in foreign currency in respect to current changes in currency exchange in the market and the future currency values. Therefore, since Yankee has formed a two years agreement with the two clients the inflows and outflows will be only affected by changes in currency value (Tarullo, 2008). There is no need for Yankee to over the hedge in regard to question 2 above. Even though Yankee could over hedge the put option under normal situation, Johnson wishes to hedge the total coverage and has only 125,000 pounds in a put option. Since Yankee will receive 36,000,000 pounds in three months it means that the client will be required to purchase 288 put options so that they can completely cover disclosure. Since Yankee has formed an agreement for exporting the products to the two clients in the foreign countries over hedging is not an option in the month forward rate.

Analysis of organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of organization - Essay Example He calls this the 20 mile walk and gives an analogy of two people walking from one city to another separated by a three thousand mile distance. Jim Collins says that the first person goes through a journey of 20 miles per day and makes sure that despite the bad weather or any other challenge, he manages this. This first person also makes sure that even when the weather is good, the person will still only walk the twenty percent and not more. The second person on the other hand walks longer distances during good weather but slips back to rest during the bad weather. Jim Collins shows hwy the first person is likely to reach the second city faster than the second person and also easy that the second person ay never be able to reach the destination. What the author is talking about here is that the first controlled progress is very important and involves setting achievable but significant goals that must be achieved no matter what. This, as the author puts it, means that the firm has to have the ambition to achieve and the discipline to restraint itself. Controlled progress then becomes the best way to steer the firm to the right destination and therefore means t that the firs will be able to grow during the bad weather as well as the good weather. Good versus bad leadership Jim Collins also identifies leadership as a very important factor to determine how the company will grow. According to this book, leadership is very important in determining how the organization will be able to fight through the fog of economic hardship. Good leaders, he argues, will be able to help their followers to achieve better and to achieve growth regardless of the situation the economic condition. Good leaders will help those under them to have the willpower and the motivation to press on even through the bad times. They will also inspire those under them to be able to act in the professional and ethical way. This book identifies that the leaders are most able to go on and make a bi dif ference in the way the organization will be able to survive in a very harsh marketplace. Jim Collins’ revolves around the role of leadership in determining whether the organization will manage to growth during the bad times and even during the good times. He gives an illustration of how bad leadership can lead the failure of an organization. To do this, the author uses the real life example of two team that set to visit the south pole and gives and account of how the first team, led by Scott was able to arrive at the south pole over a month earlier than the second team and managed to come back safely while the other team perished. Good leadership combined with controlled growth makes organizations to be able to grow evenly regardless of the economic conditions or even regardless of the bad situation they may be going through. Jim Collins lists a number of organizations which can be seen to be able to achieve this kind of growth and those which have failed to achieve this kind of growth. One example of an organization that Jim Collins says has been able to achieve this is the Stryker Corporation which is a medium scale firm that manufactures medical equipment. Stryker Corporation was able to achieve continued growth even during the time when many other

Cultural Immersion Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Immersion Experience - Assignment Example From the rich ethnic Diversity at Sparks Hall, I observed an interesting aspect. People of extremely different diversities and races worked together harmoniously and seemed to get along well despite their differences. I also observed that people were allowed to exercise their beliefs and tastes in fashion or code of dressing unlike in the previous case where there were conservative norms of dressing and fashion. Importantly, I observed increased tolerance and respect for personal beliefs and values though these personal beliefs were not much integrated in the workplace. There seemed to be set codes of conduct that each employee had to stick to in the workplace. The group had a norm of not interfering with other’s personal lives as no instance was noted where employees crashed over personal issues. However, most of those whom I noted to be from the Asian origin seemed to enjoy a conservative company and dialogue with each other compared to interacting more with others. I did interact with some of them slightly just to understand what goes on in the place. I was involved in short conversations with several employees on general issues regarding their daily work to note how they interacted with persons of different ethnic diversities; I was from a different race compare to other employees at Sparks Hall. Through the short conversations, I was able to note how they interacted with different ethnic people, as they were willing to participate in the conversation and even to answer my questions. The group was very receptive and even made a few jokes with me to welcome me at Sparks Hall. They were particularly interested in knowing much about where I come from, how I could compare life at my home place to Murray State University community, and how best I was fairing. Regardless of gender, most of the native people seemed to enjoy the rich ethnic diversity and willing to welcome even more to their group. At first I was nervous

Finance and Accounting Math Problem on Cooperate Finance

Finance and Accounting on Cooperate Finance - Math Problem Example Contribution from the parents would be invested at 6% annually for a period of 3 years. However the remaining amount will be raised from Aunt Hilda’s gift. So, at the moment, the future value of the contribution from the parents would be calculated and then this future value from the parents would be deducted from $10,000 to find the future value of the amount that would be raised from the Aunt Hilda. Once this amount is identified, the present value of Aunt Hilda gift will be calculated to identify the amount required from her. Parents would contribute $5,000 and that will be invested for 3 years at 6%. Therefore the future value of $5000 after 3 years would be FV = $5000 (1+ 6%) ^ 3 FV = 5,955 As the total value after 3 years required would be $10,000. So, after three years amount required for the trip except from the contribution of the parents would be $10,000 - $5,955 = $4045 $4,045 would be the amount that would be needed after 3 years. So, this is the future value of th e gift of Aunt Hilda. As this amount would be invested for three years at 10% therefore the present value of this amount would be: PV = 4,045 / (1 + 10%) ^ 3 PV = $3,039 Therefore, $3,039 would be taken from Aunt Hilda as gift. Question #2 Quark industries has four potential projects and the summary and expected cash flows of these projects have been shown below: Project M Project N Project O Project P Year 0 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 Year 1 500,000 600,000 1,000,000 300,000 Year 2 500,000 600,000 800,000 300,000 Year 3 500,000 600,000 800,000 300,000 Year 4 500,000 600,000 400,000 300,000 Year 5 500,000 600,000 200,000 300,000 Rate 6% 9% 15% 22% The above table shows the cash flows of each of these projects. In order to determine which project should be accepted, Net Present Value will be used. Net Present value discounts the future cash flows of the project and identifies its work in present (McLaney, 2009). After using the NPV following values have been identifi ed of each of the project: Project M Project N Project O Project P Rate 6% 9% 15% 22% NPV $100,171.60 $306,230.05 $285,765.03 ($935,170.55) Ranking 3 1 2 The above table shows that the project N would be the most feasible one for Quark industries. Ranking has been made that is showing that the Quark industries should invest first in Project N and then in Project O and then in Project M. The company should not invest in Project P as it has a negative NPV. References McLaney, E. (2009). Business Finance: Theory and Practice, New Jersey, Pearson Education Ross, S., Westerfield, R. and Jordan, B. (2009). Fundamentals Of Corporate Finance Standard Edition, New York,

Marketing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Research Proposal Example f data from fifteen respondents randomly selected to present their views on the issue and in relation to Burger King and their attitudes towards the company and its products and services before and after the scandal. The respondents were selected randomly from the general population, and all were aged above 18 years. The research was conducted through qualitative collection of data using questionnaires. The results of this study showed that the Horse meat Scandal had a significant impact on the marketing strategy of Burger King as a company. Many of its previously loyal customers lost trust, and some indicated an onset of worry. Of all the 15 respondents from whom the data was collected, only 4 (27%) indicated having not changed their attitude towards the company. The rest 73% of the respondents were angry with the revelation of the scandal and would not recommend the company to anyone in the future. This attitude was present even among 2 respondents who had not eaten at Burger King before. These results indicate that must companies to observe business ethics and ensure that they do not lose customers out of such scandals. It, therefore, recommends that Burger King should be open and admit the flaws in the suppliers’ scrutiny and accreditation and assure the consumer of vigilance and seek apology. In early 2013, a wave of consumer uproar was experienced in the food industry in Western Europe. The outrage was in regards to companies unethical practice claims. I had been reported through several media that horse meat was being added to beef products from several main producers of burgers and other foods in the industry. Among the companies who were indicated to be involved in this scandal were Burger King and Tesco, the two giants in the industry. This issue of meat adulteration came to be referred by many the â€Å"Horse Meat Scandal† (HMS). The scandal did not only have immediate effect on the meat business, but also the idea of shopper trust in items offered

Finance and Accounting Math Problem on Cooperate Finance

Finance and Accounting on Cooperate Finance - Math Problem Example Contribution from the parents would be invested at 6% annually for a period of 3 years. However the remaining amount will be raised from Aunt Hilda’s gift. So, at the moment, the future value of the contribution from the parents would be calculated and then this future value from the parents would be deducted from $10,000 to find the future value of the amount that would be raised from the Aunt Hilda. Once this amount is identified, the present value of Aunt Hilda gift will be calculated to identify the amount required from her. Parents would contribute $5,000 and that will be invested for 3 years at 6%. Therefore the future value of $5000 after 3 years would be FV = $5000 (1+ 6%) ^ 3 FV = 5,955 As the total value after 3 years required would be $10,000. So, after three years amount required for the trip except from the contribution of the parents would be $10,000 - $5,955 = $4045 $4,045 would be the amount that would be needed after 3 years. So, this is the future value of th e gift of Aunt Hilda. As this amount would be invested for three years at 10% therefore the present value of this amount would be: PV = 4,045 / (1 + 10%) ^ 3 PV = $3,039 Therefore, $3,039 would be taken from Aunt Hilda as gift. Question #2 Quark industries has four potential projects and the summary and expected cash flows of these projects have been shown below: Project M Project N Project O Project P Year 0 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 -2,000,000 Year 1 500,000 600,000 1,000,000 300,000 Year 2 500,000 600,000 800,000 300,000 Year 3 500,000 600,000 800,000 300,000 Year 4 500,000 600,000 400,000 300,000 Year 5 500,000 600,000 200,000 300,000 Rate 6% 9% 15% 22% The above table shows the cash flows of each of these projects. In order to determine which project should be accepted, Net Present Value will be used. Net Present value discounts the future cash flows of the project and identifies its work in present (McLaney, 2009). After using the NPV following values have been identifi ed of each of the project: Project M Project N Project O Project P Rate 6% 9% 15% 22% NPV $100,171.60 $306,230.05 $285,765.03 ($935,170.55) Ranking 3 1 2 The above table shows that the project N would be the most feasible one for Quark industries. Ranking has been made that is showing that the Quark industries should invest first in Project N and then in Project O and then in Project M. The company should not invest in Project P as it has a negative NPV. References McLaney, E. (2009). Business Finance: Theory and Practice, New Jersey, Pearson Education Ross, S., Westerfield, R. and Jordan, B. (2009). Fundamentals Of Corporate Finance Standard Edition, New York,

Decisions in Paradise Part II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decisions in Paradise Part II - Essay Example Despite the business risk associated with the Kava project there are also tremendous opportunities and benefits associated with the project if the company takes advantage it. At the turn of the second decade of the 21st century we have reached a point in our history in which society expects more from corporations than ever. A company that finds a special needs community such as Kava which has been forgotten by the rest of society can utilized their business investment as a catalyst for a global social responsibility campaign. The first alternative solution is to build a brand new factory in Kava to expand the production capacity of the enterprise. This alternative implies the highest capital commitment of any other alternative. The company is facing political pressures from the Kava government for greater involvement in the community. The solution would comply with the political factor, but it might not be the best alternative because there are other stakeholders to consider. The business risk associated with this alternative is high. Kava has a topography and geographic location that makes it susceptible to natural disasters such as tidal waves, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes (Decisions in Paradise: How to Be, or Not to Be, 2009). There are other issues in Kava. The population is at high risk for Avian Flu and the population faces an HIV / AIDS epidemic. The island is susceptible to petroleum spills, which is an undesirable business risk due to the pot ential ecological disaster in the entire island. The region has a high risk for both domestic and foreign terrorist attacks. The shareholders of the company that invested a lot of money in the firm must be considered, thus the philanthropic plan in Kava cannot exceed business logic. In order to provide an analysis utilizing critical thinking techniques a model that applies

Word War II Essay Example for Free

Word War II Essay The book â€Å"PT 105† written by Dick Keresey was published in the year 1996 and was highly-acclaimed because it tells an exciting and accurate story about PT boats. Furthermore, the book sheds new light on the distinctive contributions made by these boats to the war effort in the South Pacific. During the Word War II, PT boats were considered as the fastest craft on the water in spite of its small size and vulnerability. PT boats were described as nimble, tough, and considered as the most heavily armed ships in the U. S. Navy. The PT 105 boats are patrol boat considered to be of the same class as John F. Kennedy’s PT 109 but execute test maneuvers in the Atlantic. Usually, a PT boat, also called as a â€Å"mosquito boat†, contains a crew of 12-14. These PT boats positioned at the Solomon Islands agilely stalked Japanese warships. The main objective of the boats in the Solomons was to thwart the delivery of supplies and troops to the bases of the Japanese. Moreover, these boats were very important because they fought in the very front line of the greatest sea war in history. Nevertheless, until today barely anybody truly understands and recognizes what they did. Due to the book of Keresey, the story regarding these strong little fighters offers new account on the roles and involvement of these boats to the war effort. Dick Keresey was the captain of PT 105 and he was also in the same battle as John F. Kennedy when the PT 109 of Kennedy was crushed and sunk. According to Keresey, the well-known event has frequently been portrayed erroneously and the PT boats were often described as ineffective and undependable. Aside from informing the readers regarding his experiences as a PT Boat skipper during the Pacific War, Keresey likewise imparts what it was like to be a young American involved in famous incidents of his time. PT 105 as written by Dick Keresey During the World War II, Dick Keresey had skippered a PT boat in the Pacific and, subsequent to spending the rest of his life practicing law, Keresey made a decision to write regarding his Navy career because when Keresey becomes a PT man, he happened to be intensely loyal to the boats and the men on them. Hence, the book â€Å"PT 105† was born. With Keresey’s book, the story about the incident was truthfully explained by means of illustrating the real picture of PT boats that makes use of Keresey’s personal experience at New Georgia, Guadalcanal, Choiseul Island, and Bougainville. Keresey’s book is action-filled and tells about avoiding night bombers, saving downed airmen and coast watchers, participating in cruel guan battles with Japanese barges including small freighters, setting aside Marine scouts behind Japanese lines, and dealing with disease, heat, and loneliness. I believe that Keresey’s story is full of varied emotions funny, scary, melancholy, exciting, and angry—this last feeling was triggered not just by infrequent past operational follies visited upon the boats by commanders far from the fighting but likewise since the boats’ involvement in the war effort has been either forgotten or misunderstood. Due to the fact that Keresey sets the record straight in his book with such clarity and energy, he was instantly requested to write an article for American Heritage. Moreover, in order not to lose Keresey’s proficiently drawn strategic picture and his personal anecdotes as well, Keresey was asked to condense his entire book into the compass of a magazine article. Nevertheless, I personally believe that the situation in the book that might have given me the most delight is a minor, nearly parenthetical one—although it concerns the most famous of all PT-boat men. JFK’s shadow has been the topic of a lot of cold scrutiny in current years that it is good to be offered an unanticipated preview of him plainly being a good guy. In the book, JFK, who was still young then, graciously greeting his forerunner is in effect furtively assisting a Navy friend. This Navy friend is Al Webb, who following his PT service turned out to be vice president of sales for Cavanagh Hats. With his fellow skipper’s famed bare headedness ruining his venture, Webb instructed Cavanagh to make two top quality custom hats and rushed to the White House to offer one to the President and one to Kennedy’s long-time friend, Red Fay who is a businessman. According to Keresey, Kennedy met the challenge of endorsing and promoting the hats in his own way. Because the following day after Webb brought the hats to the White House, Kennedy greeted ex- President Eisenhower at Camp David and after that sent Al a picture of the momentous event. The picture portrayed Kennedy bending forward, his right hand extended; and in his left hand he held a hat, the inside layer facing out toward the camera; hence, the Cavanagh Hats label was clearly obvious and noticeable. After several years, Keresey said in his book that he called the Kennedy Library to ask if he could obtain a copy of the said picture for his book. As written in the book, Keresey informed the curator what he wanted to ask and why. Keresey wrote in the book that the man in the library was thrilled because according to the man, Keresey has solved the mystery because Kennedy carried the hat around for two weeks, and no one has ever been able to work out or understand why. Furthermore, the subject of Keresey’s great memoir is his days when he was still a PT commander in the Solomons in the years 1942 and 1943. Written in a series of vignettes with a flowing narrative line, Keresey’s book concludes with a long explanation of a moral preference or decision made in the area that came back to him years afterward. I think that based on reading the book, I can say that Keresey is candid and frank regarding himself, his men, and the Navy he served in. Particularly astute is his frank admittance that what made him look extremely composed in battle was his cornered-rat inclination. In addition, Keresey likewise protects former Lt. John F. Kennedy for his actions and decisions in Blackett Strait when he sunk by a Japanese destroyer. In conclusion, I believe that Keresey’s PT 105 is a must read if the reader would like to take pleasure in learning what day to day life was actually like in the small command Navy. Moreover, I think that this book is an exceptionally well written factual story regarding life in the Pacific seen thru the eyes of PT 105 commanding officer Dick Kersey. Hence, if the reader wants personal eye witness accounts, then definitely he/she would love to re read this book over and over. # Reference Keresey, Dick. (2003). PT 105. Naval Institute Press; New Ed edition.

Time To Celebrate The Last Fifteen English Literature Essay

Time To Celebrate The Last Fifteen English Literature Essay A Quinceanera is described in many ways. A Quinceaà ±era is a party. A Quinceanera is a girl growing up to be a woman. A Quinceaà ±era is a time to celebrate the last fifteen years of a young Hispanic girls life. Many Americans see a Quinceaà ±era as a party. They see it as Hispanic people throwing a fifteenth birthday party for a girl. Peoples view of a quinceaà ±era is different for everyone. Some see it as flattering and beautiful while others see it as a way to gain attention ($). To Hispanic people, however, a Quinceaà ±era is much more than just a party; it is a time when a girl grows up and becomes a woman. Although many people believe a Quinceaà ±era is simply a party, it is actually a celebration, a milestone, and a drastic change from child to young adult in a girls life. While a Quinceaà ±era is a big party, the milestone also requires many traditions to be upheld by the Quince and her family. Traditions lead back hundreds of years to when Quinceaà ±eras began. Quinceaà ±eras originated from the Aztecs who celebrated a girl gaining her womanly responsibilities and, therefore, growing up (Karthik np). Quinceaà ±eras were unpopular until the 1930s when people started showing interest in celebrating them again (Quinceaà ±era! A Celebration of Latina Womanhood np). Years ago, fifteen was when a girl grew up and left the house to marry and have children. Now, girls become women at fifteen but with different responsibilities (%). Recently, our society has been drawn to hosting crazy and large parties. By far, quinceaà ±eras are said to be the biggest and best of parties in America due to their popularity as well as many other factors (!). Many of these traditions are carried out during the mass; however, few are also performed at the reception. Origi nally, the Quinceaà ±era was meant for girls to become women in the Hispanic culture. However, more and more boys have been requesting the blessing of the Quinceaà ±era as they turn fifteen (X). Much like a wedding, before the Quince girl enters the church, flower petals are spread where she will walk. The flower petal tradition is normally performed by two small children. When the children finish spreading the flowers, they place a small pillow, usually embroidered for her, under the alter so she may kneel at various times during her ceremony (Cuevas De Caissie np). Looking as spectacular as a bride, a young girls quinceaà ±era is very close to a wedding and just as important to everyone. The only true difference is that a quinceaà ±era celebrates a girl turning into a young woman (@). During the mass, the girls Godparents present her with a scepter and the girls parents replace the original headpiece with a tiara or a crown. These two items represent her new responsibilities b efore God and before her people. Following the mass, the girl performs one more act before going to the reception, At the end of the ceremony the children pass out bolos or small gifts to those who attended the mass as the Quinceaà ±era places her bouquet upon the altar of the Virgin Maria.(Cuevas De Caissie np). The Quince girls act of giving her bouquet to the Virgin Maria shows respect to holy figures. Continuing to follow tradition, a few important customs are carried out at the reception. One tradition for a Quinceaà ±era is that the girl chooses a Court of Honor, which consists of seven girls and seven boys. The Quinceaà ±era chooses her Court of Honor for her ceremony and reception. It usually consists of people in her life, around her age, that are special and who she wants to spend her big night with (~). They perform and speak at her reception. The Quince girls Court of Honor is there to support her and to celebrate her birthday with her (Hennessy-Fiske np). Another cus tom performed at the reception is the girl being presented with a bible, a cross, and a Rosary to symbolize her faith and to remind her of her promises to God as a woman (Cuevas De Caissie np). Many traditions ultimately keep the culture of the ceremony as well as keeping the Lord present. These traditions, however, do not come without much preparation beforehand. One of the biggest factors of hosting and celebrating a Quinceaà ±era is the cost. Naturally, the size of the Quinceaà ±era as well as other things such as the venues and the attire of everyone depends on the money that a family can spend (Cuevas De Caissie np). Quinceaà ±eras can be as pricy as a decent-sized and beautifully decorated wedding, right down to the invitations (Alvarez np). Americans save money for college and weddings of their children. While Hispanics save for college and weddings, they first must think about saving for a Quinceaà ±era and what it will cost them to pay for it. In the past, people with a low income threw small quinces or simply did not have them. Today, many people of this class throw crazy quinceaà ±eras and also get money from friends and family for the cost (^). Many Hispanic families rely on Godparents and other members of the family to help with the cost of the Quince aà ±era and even then, many take out a second mortgage on their homes to simply pay for this one special night (Cuevas De Caissie np). An additional component that Hispanic parents must remember is planning this night for their daughter. A Quinceaà ±era cannot be planned in two months. Most Quinceaà ±eras are planned two to three years in advance (Cuevas De Caissie np). There are many things that have to happen for a quinceaà ±era to go off without a hitch. Similar to every popular event in society, the celebrations of quinceaà ±eras has been taken over by the party industry. This has caused it to grow in many big ways, including the cost (*). Quinceaà ±era has become very popular among many cultures of people. It is a great way to celebrate a fifteenth birthday. In most cases, the people celebrate this custom without knowing what it really means (/). For each fiesta, those elements can be religious or non-religious and they are different for each quinceaà ±era. This depends on the quince and the people attending it (). Nonetheless, parents are not the only people who should plan for a Quinceaà ±era. For Quinceaà ±eras, some parents do not think twice about managing their money. Parents do crazy things for their little girls coming-of-age such as getting a second mortgage or just spending all the money they have (`). The Quince girl should prepare herself for the day as well. The girl can do a number of things in preparation for her day. One act of preparation is to devote a day to prayer. She should pray for her night and her family and friends. She should read the word of God to spiritually prepare herself for the blessings she will be receiving and the commitments she will be making to the Lord (Gà ³mez-Ruiz 224). She should also rehearse the mass and the reception with her family and Court of Honor to ensure that the night will be flawless. The Quince girl should also meet with the priest conducting her ceremony to make sure she acquires all the necessary elements in order for the service to be holy (Gà ³mez-Ruiz 218). After assuring that all the aspects of the night are accounted for, a schedule should be determined for the night, also ensuring that it will be flawless. Most Quinceaà ±eras begin with the mass, which is held in a church. Following the mass, the group and its audience travels to a different venue for the reception. When all the guests are seated, the Court of Honor takes their place, followed by the Quince girl, who makes a grand entrance to her party. Before the festivities begin, a toast, known as Brindis, is proposed in the girls honor and everyone has a chance to speak. Once the crowd finishes Brindis, the Court of Honor assembles and prepares themselves for the Waltz. At this celebration, the Waltz is split into three sets; The Waltz with the Chambelanes, the Family Waltz, and the General Waltz. The Waltz with the Chambelanes starts the festivities. The first Waltz is the time where each Chambelan of the Court of Honor dances with the birthday girl. Subsequently, the Family Waltz is next. The Family Waltz is the duration of the night when the Quince girl dances with all her immediate family members. Ending the Waltz sequence is the General Waltz when the guests are invited and encouraged to come and dance together. After the Waltz time has ended, the first song played is one chosen by the Quince girl to start the party (The Tradition np). This continues for the rest of the celebration until around midnight when the reception ends and the guests depart. Towards the end of the ceremony, more rituals are performed. Of all the traditions and rituals presented at a Quinceaà ±era, the following rituals are most important. The first is the lighting of fifteen candles. The lighting of the fifteen candles takes place when the cake is presented to the crowd. Fifteen important people, usually family or close friends, are chosen before the night to light one candle, and the girl prepares a short speech for each person that lit a candle on her cake. The second ritual is La Ultima Muà ±eca, which is the ritual of the last doll. The Quince girl chooses one doll from her childhood and carries it with her throughout the night. At the end of the celebration, the girl gives up her doll, which symbolizes her childhood, as a sign of reaching adulthood (The Tradition np). In most South American countries, the Quinceaà ±era celebration consists of a reception. Godparents are not required, there is no ceremony, and many of the traditions are not perfor med (+). While these rituals are significant to the fiesta, one of the best components is the Quince girls dress. The dress symbolizes her purity and her promises to God. Normally, the dress is white as a way to stand for her purity and promises to God, but today, many Quinceaà ±era dresses are made in bright colors with many sparkly accessories. One of the best details of a Quinceaà ±era is the dress. The color and the design all adds to the beauty of the ceremony. Quinceaà ±era dresses are almost exactly like wedding dresses from the cut to the material (=). The dresses are not very different from wedding dresses, and after Quinceaà ±eras became more popular, many wedding dress designers started a line of Quinceaà ±era dresses to be sold in boutiques and wedding shops. The only true difference between a wedding dress and Quince dress is that a Quince dress does not have a train (Cuevas De Caissie np). The final touches to the ceremony are the decorations. For what decorations are used, there are no restrictions. Many people use flowers and drapes with colors that correspond with the theme of the Quinceaà ±era party. These rituals and decorations are displayed to the invitees at the reception. The most important part of the reception is the time when rituals are fulfilled to symbolize womanhood. The most important ritual of a Quinceaà ±era is the changing of the shoes. Through the mass, the Quince girl wears ballet flats and when she arrives at her reception; her father presents her with her first pair of high heels (Cuevas De Caissie np). This father-daughter moment is the ultimate time where a girl becomes a woman. She exits the reception later that night wearing the heels and stepping into the world as a woman. While this ritual is significant during the reception, the real reason for the reception is to celebrate the transition into womanhood. One aspect of the passage into womanhood is sharing it with the immediate family of the Quince girl. The Quince girl also has a privilege for her Quinceaà ±era if she qualifies for it. She can be Miss Quince. However, there are some rules she must fol low and qualifications her life must meet, Not every girl wants to be Miss Quince. Like Miss America, Miss Quince cant have a past. She must sacrifice present pleasure for a future fiesta that comes after baptism and first Communion. Both her parents must be church members. She should not drink or smoke. Above all, she must be a virgin (Hennessy-Fiske np). If a girl is able to be Miss Quince, it is a true honor for her and her family. Her family is also included in the prayer ceremony. The ceremony is a time to come together and prayerfully celebrate the transition into her womanhood and her faith to God (Pope np). Following the family moment of prayer and times of ritual performance, the new young adult is free to go and enjoy the night with her Court of Honor and all guests. Her night includes dinner, dancing, cake, and speeches for the guests and for the Quince girl. After the Quinceaà ±era, a series of things a girl must follow in her transition from young adult to adult in her life are given to her. One thing she must do is dress modestly. The new young lady has to remember that she is a figure under God, and she must dress to show that. Her apparel must be modest and her actions also have to reflect her pureness. Her overall appearance, which consists of wardrobe, attitude, and language, must reflect that of God. A set of privileges come with being a woman and the Quince girl will acquire those privileges throughout her life. These privileges include the ability to participate in holy activities of the church and to teach younger people about the Lord and His great ways. The Quince girl is also allowed to wear heels, shave, and dance publicly. In many Latin American countries, a Quinceaà ±era meant that a girl was available to marry. Today, some people now view it as a sexual coming-of-age for girls (?). These things are allowances given to her graciously by the Lord for becoming a young woman in His sacred place and continuing to follow Him passionately. A Quinceaà ±era consists of many things. A Quinceaà ±era is a time to grow, a time to love, and a time to appreciate family, friends, and God. Though celebrating quinceaà ±eras have fluctuated in popularity over the years, recently people have been seeing more and more of them coming back (#). While many people see this as just a party, a Quinceaà ±era is actually a milestone and a transition into womanhood for young girls of the Hispanic culture.

Sparta: Uncultured Discipline Essay -- essays research papers

Sparta: Uncultured Discipline The Spartans were the most formidable warriors in all of history. They dedicated their entire lives to warfare. They were taught to endure cold, hunger, pain, their courage on the battlefield was second to none. The Spartan code was to fight hard, follow orders without question and to die rather then retreat or surrender. To achieve all this, Sparta sacrificed everything; the arts, culture, and other things that make life worth while. I believe the price was to high they went to far and shut off all that was creative and human in Sparta. A culture that can't change or adapt doesn't survive. This is exactly what happened , after a single major defeat in 360 B.C Sparta was no longer a significant factor in the region (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 178). The original founders of "modern" Sparta were the Dorians. At around 1100 B.C these savages came from the north into what is today Greece. They attacked the Mycenean civilization thriving there and quickly defeated them. The secret behind the remarkable victories against the Myceneans was iron, the Dorians knew how to forge iron weapons which completely outclassed the bronze weaponry of the Myceneans (Carl Roebuck, 1966, p. 119). In Mycenean times Sparta had been a important city, but after Dorian conquest it sank to insignificance. Over the next three hundred years it recovered and began to prosper. By 800 B.C it ruled over the region called Lacedonia. Up to about 650 B.C Sparta was pretty much like every other Greek state. They had music, art and poetry. During the seventh century, a musician named Terpander came to Sparta and established himself their. He is called the "father of Greek music," he's also supposed to off improved the lyre (a harp like instrument). The most widely known Spartan musician was Tyrtaeus. He lived during the Second Messenian War and his music inspired many Spartan soldiers to new heights of bravery (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 53). But then something happened, a war with the Messinians. The First Messenian War broke out in 730 B.C, when the Spartans marched into Messenia eager for more land. After 20 long years of war the Messenians were forced to surrender. They were made into helots (slave... ...sp; In order to achieve military glory the Spartans gave up nearly everything. Later on Greeks from other city states admired the Spartan way of life because it seemed so noble. They were wrong to think this way, to art, music, literature and other such pursuits they donated nothing. She only had a cruel, inhuman way of life to offer, dependent on a barbaric slavery of most of her population, with only a kind of blind animal courage as a virtue. Before long the Spartan way of life was more show then substance, Sparta seemed strong as long she was victorious, but other states could survive defeat and rise again. After a single major defeat (against Thebes) Sparta lost her domination of Greece. This catastrophic loss exposed the Spartan fraud and disposed of her. Reference List - Asimov, Issac. (1965). The Greeks A Great Adventure. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company - Hillyer V.M, E.G Huey. (1966). Ancient World 500 BC - 500 AD. New York: Meredith Press - National Georgraphic Society. (1968). Greece and Rome Builders of Our World. Washington D.C: Author - Roebuck, Carl. (1966). The World of Ancient Times. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons

The Stress Encountered by a Police Officers

There has been a lot of research on the negative effects of stress on people in general. I am sure you know that police work is one of the top rated professions for job stress next to air traffic controllers and dentists. A good way to start this presentation, I think, is to give a good working definition of police stress. Here it is: The feeling and desire along with the ensuing bodily effects, experienced by a person who has a strong and true longing to choke the living crap out of someone who desperately deserves it, but you can't. Now, while this may sound funny there is a real element of truth to it. An element of truth that says an awful lot about police work. And that is the part of the definition â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦but you can't†. Police work, by it's very nature, calls for an incredible amount of restraint. Continual restraint and draining restraint. It is stressful. The demands on police officers to show even greater restraint have been increasing over the years, and so has the effects of stress on police work. With the recent attention that police suicide has received in the media there have been a number of reviews on it. Between 1934 and 1960 police suicide rates were half that of the general population. Between 1980 to the present, suicide rates in some departments almost doubled. What is the difference? You can't choke them anymore! Street justice is all but gone. Everyone has video cameras. The media gets off on putting down cops. Politicians continue to throw new laws and restrictions for police officers that further tie their hands, and you can't choke anyone with your hands tied! So you start to feel that you're choking yourself. Lets take a quick overview of police work and look at the research of what the biggest stressors are:  · Killing someone in the line of duty.  · Having your partner killed in the line of duty.  · Lack of support by the department/bosses.  · Shift work and disruption of family time/family rituals.  · The daily grind of dealing with the stupidity of the public. Interestingly, physical danger is ranked low on the list of stressors by police officers. One of the worst effects of stress on police officers is of course suicide. We are becoming too familiar with police suicide, especially with the attention the media has given New York City. Twice as many police officers die by their own hand as do in the line of duty. (New York Times, 1994) A study of 2376 Buffalo NY police officers found that, compared to the white male population police officers, there were higher mortality rates for cancer, suicide, and heart disease. The suggested reason: Higher stress levels. Every study done points to the higher levels of stress police officers face, but what form does that stress take? With suicide there seem to be four factors: 1. Divorce. 2. Alcohol, not alcoholism. That was one of the early theories. But in actuality it was the use of alcohol right before the act to â€Å"get up the nerve†. 3. Depression. 4. A failure to get help. (Most officers who commit suicide have no history of having sought counseling). All four factors are symptoms that can come from an officer's stress levels. Police suicide is more directly related to relationship problems than to job stress. Of the last 14 suicides among the police officers in New York City, 12, or 86%, had to do with divorce or relationship breakup. Suicide is often an impulsive act, and the handgun at the officer's side is guaranteed to be lethal in the hands of an experienced shooter. UB professor, John M. Violanti, Ph.D thinks the biggest reason for the high rate of police suicide is because officers think they have nowhere to go for confidential help when personal problems or job stress overwhelms them. â€Å"Police officers are more hesitant than the average citizen to get help for emotional problems. Because of their role, they mistrust many things, and they especially mistrust mental health professionals,† Violanti said. â€Å"Departments should include some sort of suicide awareness training in their stress management program.† Police officers going through a divorce are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than that of an officer in a stable marriage. Relationship problems however, are highly related to job stress. If we consider that officers have an important relationship with their department, we can examine the effect of that relationship gone bad. Officers who get in serious trouble on the job, suspended or facing termination, are 7 times more likely to commit suicide. (Apparently cops like their jobs better than their wives). So we see that stress has an enormous effect on police officers lives, especially their home lives. Studies have called police work a â€Å"high risk lifestyle†. Not high risk in terms of the physical dangers of the job, but a high risk in terms of developing attitudinal problems, behavioral problems, and intimacy and relationship problems. So you learn something about the effects of police work. You learn if you ask the average cop â€Å"Hey, what's been the scariest experience during your police career?† They will answer â€Å"My first marriage!† The national divorce rate is 50%. All research shows police suffer a substantially higher divorce rate with estimates ranging from 60 to 75%. One of the casualties of police work is often the marriage. Although law enforcement officers deal with stressful situations in the normal course of their duties, excessive stress on individual officers may cause them not to carry out their responsibilities. In order to keep law enforcement organizations at 100%, administrators must be able to identify the causes of dysfunctional stress on individual officers. Much of the articles we find today on the causes of law enforcement stress, focus primarily on the factors that are personal to the individual officer. However, other researchers suggest that an officer's ability to live with this stress is hindered by the structure and operation of the organization within which he or she works. â€Å"Police stress† is considered by many to be an important societal problem (Cullen, et al., 1985), and police work is thought of as stressful (Kelling and Pate, 1975). Law enforcement officers must be aware of the dangers of psychological stress. Stress is the result of â€Å"demands placed on the system† and need not be harmful unless it is â€Å"mismanaged† or â€Å"present in large quantities.† However, some analysts say that occupational and life stress can cause mental and even physical problems. For example, one study of 2,300 officers in twenty-nine different police departments reported that thirty-six percent of the officers had serious marital problems, twenty-three percent had serious alcohol problems, twenty percent had serious problems with their children, and ten percent had drug problems. (Kendrix, 1989) Yet, police were well below the average in seeking [medical and] mental treatment. The â€Å"macho† image of a police officer may well keep a police officer from seeking such treatment. Law enforcement officers have significantly higher rates of health problems, premature deaths, suicides and general hospital admissions than other occupations (Richard and Fell, 1975). Law enforcement stress has been categorized into three sections. These are: 1) stress that is internal to the law enforcement system; 2) stress that is in the law enforcement job itself; and 3) stress that is external to law enforcement. Stress internal to the job may be found when police and correctional officers find themselves with conflicting roles. Police spend much of their time in activities not directly related to law enforcement functions, while correction officers are placed in both the role of providing â€Å"custody [and] treatment.† Law enforcement officers can develop personal conflicts by being placed in the position of having to choose between one or more contradictory goals. Such contradictions include the loyalty to fellow officers and honesty within the department. Post Traumatic Stress is a type of stress encountered at incidents that are, or perceived as, capable of causing serious injury or death. The person encountering the stress does not have to be the one whose life is threatened. This stress can also occur to witnesses. By it's nature, Post Traumatic Stress is one of the worst types of stress a person can encounter. It is stress of a nature that is threatening to a person's survival. The psychological and physical reactions of our mind and body to Post Traumatic Stress are at the extremes. Examples of life threatening traumas that can cause Post Traumatic Stress, in their general order of severity, include: natural disasters, serious accidents, serious accidents where a person is at fault, intentional life threatening violence by another person, life threatening trauma caused by betrayal by a trusted individual, and life threatening trauma caused by betrayal by someone you depend on for survival. Police officers, by the nature of their jobs, can be exposed to more stress and trauma in one day than many people will experience in a considerable period of time, maybe even their entire life. Some police officers thrive on stress. They seek out incidents that most people would not care to encounter in their lifetime. Many people seek out a job in police work for this challenge and the personal rewards it provides. Overcoming stress of great magnitude can provide great personal rewards, but these jobs can and do ruin many lives. Dr. George Everly, a noted researcher on emergency services stress, estimates that at any given time15-32% of all emergency responders will be dealing with a reaction to Post Traumatic Stress, and there is a 30-64% chance that they will have a reaction to it during their lifetime. For law enforcement working in urban areas, 20-30% of the officers will develop a reaction to Post Trauma Stress during their lifetimes. These figures are higher than the percentages for the general population (1-3%), urban adolescents (9-15%), and, surprisingly, Vietnam Veterans (15-20%). For a variety of reasons, some of which are not known, many police officers work through Post Traumatic Stress and its affects. The impact of Post Traumatic Stress on their lives is short-lived (if they suffer from it at all). In the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), this is defined as Acute Stress Disorder. It lasts more than two days, but no longer than 4 weeks. There are those, however, that will not be able to cope with the Post Traumatic Stress they have encountered. They may have handled many traumatic incidents without a problem, until one happens that breaks through their ability to cope. These officers will develop what is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is Acute Stress Disorder that lasts more than 4 weeks. In their book on â€Å"Emergency Services Stress†, Dr. Jeff Mitchell and Dr. Grady Bray estimate that without proper Post Trauma Stress training, response, and follow-up, roughly 4% of all emergency workers will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These figures do not include those who will develop a reaction to accumulative stress, which can have affects similar to, and additive to, Post Traumatic Stress. They also do not include police officers who grew up in an urban environment and are Vietnam Veterans, of which there are more than a few. These figures also do not separate out those working patrol or traffic duties from those working specialty assignments (narcotics, vice, metro teams) from those working investigative or â€Å"inside† jobs. Uniformed assignments and certain specialty assignments place officers in positions that they will be more likely to encounter traumatic stress.

Misconception and Misdiagnosis of Tourette Syndrome

{draw:g} {draw:g} {draw:g} Tourette syndrome, (TS), named after Gilles de la Tourette who discovered the condition, is a disorder that causes motor and vocal tics due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Neurotransmitters constantly misfire in the brain of a TS sufferer releasing a chemical, known as dopamine, which transmits signals to many parts of the body causing these uncontrollable tics. Lange, Olivier and Meyer (2003) states, â€Å"This neuropsychiatric disorder is, in all likelihood, genetically determined and associated with neurotransmitter (â€Å"chemical†) imbalances in the brain. Although there is no known cure for TS, medications are available that help control the condition. Society often misunderstands those who suffer from TS, because the condition is commonly misdiagnosed and misunderstood. There are many misconceptions about TS and much of society is poorly educated and misinformed about the condition. Physicians do not refer to TS as a disease, but more c ommonly as a â€Å"condition†, even though people lend to view those who suffer from TS as having some debilitating disease. Although this is not an accurate conception of syndrome, some patients with severe case may suffer some type of debilitation. One of the most common misconceptions that society has regarding TS patients is that they curse uncontrollably in public. The media contributes to this by depicting characters with the syndrome in movies displaying this type of behavior. This is entirely inaccurate and represents only a small percentage of TS patients with more severe cases. Society is also guilty of misrepresenting and misunderstanding people with TS, often using hurtful quips or acting out in jest towards people who have this condition. This is not only psychologically damaging to TS patients but can temporarily cause tics to become more severe due to stress and discomfort associated with ridicule. TS is no joking matter and is a serious condition that affects the daily lives of many people. There are public awareness groups that have information needed to provide better understanding of TS as well as how to live with the condition once diagnosed. The most notable is the Tourette syndrome association (TSA) founded by group of medical professionals, laypeople and TS patients. This organization educates people about the condition and provides assistance, information and encouragement to those who have it. TSA has been instrumental in bridging the gap between the medical profession and the public. Tourette syndrome generally develops in early childhood between ages of four and eight. Mayo clinic staff (2004) wrote the following: â€Å"The first symptom of Tourette syndrome is usually a facial tic, such as eye blinking. As many as 1 in 200 children develop tics that last only a few weeks or months and then stop. Tourette syndrome, however, involves multiple motor and vocal tics that have lasted longer than a year. Children with TS, like a percentage of children who develop tics that eventually disappears, often experience a wax and wane of tics over a long period, making it difficult condition to diagnose. The symptoms of TS include motor and vocal tics as well as behavior symptoms such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit hyper-acti vity disorder (ADHAD). Motor tics may include heard jerking, eye blinking or twitching, shoulder shrugging as well as unusual torso or limber movements. Vocal tics include throat clearing, coughing, humming and uncontrollable cursing. OCD and ADHAD are psychological co-morbid behaviors that are associated with many patients with TS. Although there is no guaranteed predisposition to these co-morbid behaviors for every TS patient, it does play an active role in most cases. Budman and Feirman (2001) stated, â€Å"Disturbances of affective regulation, including mood disorders, OCD, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, non-OCD anxiety disorders, ADHAD, personality disorders, and self-injurious behaviors, have been reported to occur more frequently among patients with Tourette’s syndrome who are seen in clinical settings. Again, this is not a medical adherence to a guaranteed predisposition to these behaviors. It is; however, a good indication that they are likely occurring more often than not in TS patients. This supports many doctors and physicians belief that TS is a genetically inherited condition. Effective diagnosis of TS is a long-term process. In order for doctors to make a positive diagnosis, monitoring of patients for a period of several months is necessary to determine critical question is the degree to which tics are interfering with the child’s emotional, social, familial, and school experiences. To determine this, it is useful to monitor symptoms over a few months in order to assess their severity and fluctuation, impact on the family, and the child’s and A medical professional skilled in the observation and treatment of TS is required to make accurate diagnosis. Just as Gilles de la Tourette observed long ago, most doctors and leading experts still believe there are genetic linkages associated with TS. Leckman (1997) states, â€Å"Gilles de la Tourette’s original reports hypothesized an etiologic role for hereditary factors. Subsequent twin and family studies confirm that genetic factors play an important role in the transmission and expression of TS. † practitioners believe that natural and behavioral methods can assist in the control and tolerance of TS, although there is no agreement about treatment in this manner. The most effective treatment, although not without substantial risks and side effects, is that of pharmacotherapy. Medications can reduce symptoms of TS significantly but ultimately may cause side effects, which are also difficult to live with. Alpha-adrenergic medications such as Clonidine and Atypical and typical neuroleptics such as haloperidol and pimozide, though studied and administered the most can have more severe side effects. Neuroleptics cause side effects that include weight gain, sedation, and EKG abnormalities. Alternative treatments such as relaxation and discipline techniques can be effective in reducing the onset and severity of tics but only provide temporary relief of symptoms. As TS patients learn how to cope with their condition and adapt to the challenges that it can cause in everyday life, sustaining a normal, fulfilled life as possible. Social ramifications can have devastating effects on TS patients who are incapable of finding self-worth due to social anxiety and/or personality behavior disorders associated with the condition. These challenges can be more difficult to overcome than the condition itself. Due to misunderstanding and lack of patience between parents and children, problems in home can have a profound effect on a child’s emotional and psychological state. The key for a family is to seek professional guidance and counseling to learn how to deal with and accept the challenges that TS may cause at home. The long-term, lifelong challenges that TS poses to patients are complex. First, acceptance of the condition is imperative. Secondly, and even more important, professional guidance is encouraged in order to help TS patients deal with and adapt to the changes and challenges that he or she will face in life. . Third, as TS sufferers deal with social and personal conflicts, each must find balance in his or her own life through combination of emotional, physical, and medical treatments and methods that are necessary to gain control over the condition. Lastly, it is extremely important for TS patients to find positive experiences and factors in his or her situation. Most people with condition demonstrate certain gifts or abilities such as increased determination and drive, inner and physical strengths, creativity and intelligence. the gifts that TS patients demonstrate. Swain and Leckman (2005) state, â€Å"Children with TS are often observed to be particularly attuned to the concerns and well being of others, possibly because of their own experience of illness. † These positive traits can help offset the negativities often experienced by TS sufferers. As with anything, the more positive attitude a person adapts in life, the more likely he or she is to succeed and flourish. TS is a condition not considered debilitating or handicapping to anyone, although more severe cases reported have such effects. For society to understand and accept people who suffer from TS, more information needs to be readily available via the internet, medical journals and media coverage in order to educate the general population on this fascinating condition of the human mind and body. Society often misunderstands those who suffer from TS, because the condition is commonly misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Tourette syndrome is not contagious; therefore, no one has a reason to fear or reject those who suffer from the condition. References Mayo Clinic Staff (2004, March). Tourette syndrome. hhtp://www. mayoclinic. com Swain, J. J. , & Leckman, J. F. , (2005) Tourette syndrome and tic disorders: Overview and Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment. _ Psychiatry_ Leckman. J. F. , (1997, April). What Genes Confer Vulnerability to Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome? Psychiatric Annals. Olivier, M. A. J. , Meyer, L. W. , & De Lange, N. (2003). Tourette’s syndrome: isn’t that the foul mouth disease? Early Child Development and Care Prestia, K. (2003, November). Tourette’s syndrome: Characteristics and Interventions. Intervention in School and Clinic. Budman, C. L. , & Feirman, L. (2001, September). The relationship of Tourette’s syndrome with its psychiatric co-morbidities: Is there an overlap? Psychiatric Annals.

Electronic Human Resource Management

Electronic Human Resource Management can be defined as â€Å"The processing and transmission of digitalized HR information, especially using computer networking and the Internet† (pg. 52) basically, because technology has such a hold over most of the world, e-HRM is considered beneficial. It is faster, sometimes easier, and can be more proficient than the ‘over worked and under paid’ employee. Just because almost everything is now electronic doesn’t mean that there isn’t a need for humans any more. Someone has to sit behind that desk and enter in all of the electronic information, look through the records and make sure all of the social security numbers are correct, and be there for technical support when the system is down or someone is having a user error. Many businesses’ today rely solely on e-HRM like the Armed Forces. Here at Mountain Home Air Force Base we have such system called The Portal. Inside this Portal, everything about anything you have ever done or would want to know can be found in here. Many HRM practices are done through this portal for all military and DoD civilians. My work as a Personal Property counselor survives and is only possible with the use of e-mail. Because we work with everyone, including the deployed members currently serving overseas, what we do is damn near impossible without the use of our email. We cannot inform members of required documentation needed, deadlines that must be met, and forwarding up information to our headquarters, which is located in Colorado Springs, CO. My office at MHAFB uses the HRM practice of analysis and design of work faithfully on a daily, even weekend basis. Recruiting: With our Portal, we have an Intranet based link called AMS, Assignment Management System. Through here, you can look at every single job opening on every Air Force Base in every country. When I log onto this AMS site, I can look at every job opening and the requirements for that job based on my job title. I can also choose to apply for this job through this system. Another practice of HRM is Training. In the Portal, everyone has an account in ADLS, Advanced Distant Learning System. In ADLS you may take any number of classes, free of charge to further your knowledge of the Air Force and the programs it has to offer. Selection includes testing. Also found in ADLS are countless CBT’s, Computer Based Training. Everyone must complete specified CBT’s from Homosexual training to Chemical Warfare in a deployed location. At the end of every CBT, a certificate will be printed out with proof of completion and how well you did, giving your UDM (Unit Deployment Manager) an idea of who she’s working with. The last practice of HRM is compensation and benefits. The portal has a link you can click in that will lead you to your myPay account. Through your myPay account you can see where every last penny came from, your current and past LES (Leave & Earning Statement), even your retirement plan that you have set up with the Air Force. The Air Force is just one example of how the majority of businesses are now electronic. Sooner or later we will live in a ‘Paperless work force† and everyone will be using e-HRM in one way or another. RESOURCES Fundamentals of Human Resource  Management. Trends in Human Resource Management. (pp. 52) NewYork. Mcgraw-Hill Irwin. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright. (2007)

How should we use the public space Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How should we use the public space - Essay Example This essay deals with public spaces and private interests, which clash to abridge our rights. Let us look for a meaning of the two words ‘public space’. Word ‘Public’ is an adjective which connotes ‘open to all / accessible to all / not private, and, the word ‘Space’ is a noun meaning in this context, ‘an area / expanse’. So in essence, a public space is an expansive area, open to all and one which is not private. Or so, as most of us would like to think. Historically speaking public spaces always existed. The agoras of the ancient Greeks, the chaupals of the northern India and the temple premises of the southern India, the Hyde Park in London are some of the examples of public spaces where people gathered to participate in public discourses. Public interaction and free exchange of opinions and ideas have always resulted in progress of social, political and economical awareness, for the good of the humanity. Modernization and migration of rural populations to urban areas had a significant impact on the traditional meaning and purpose of public spaces. Rampant commercialization is encroaching more and more into our open spaces. Large open spaces with natural endowments like trees, brooks, hills, green fields and meadows are now confined to countryside only and are non-existent in cities, towns and suburbs. While the populations are shifting to suburban areas for reasons of cleaner air and peaceful environs, the natural open spaces even in those areas are also being converted to shopping malls, manicured gardens, water sport centers or walking tracks with a toll gate! These are the neo-public spaces with a private fee, like the neocons with an axe or two to grind. The fast pace of life leaves us practically no time for a stroll round the corner for a quiet chat. With the electronic media blaring its ‘breaking news’ every

Digital and Visual Literacy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Digital and Visual Literacy - Article Example The secondary purpose is to indicate the lack of usage of the same to support the teaching part in the education system with digital literacy. The question that the authors are addressing is that what is it that defines literacy correctly in today's scenario, in a world where children are highly technology savvy. The question also addressed by the authors very precisely and lucidly is that what is the tool or manner which helps us have an ability to recognize whatever we witness, and infer correctly from what we experience. Yes the answer is digital as well as visual literacy. Unlike earlier times when overhead projector, handmade slides and chalk boards were used, these days, new media literacy technical skills are used in education like real time audio video interface, use of internet links for direct access, power point presentations, streaming videos etc. The authors have assumed their description of usage of digital tools in educational information to promote visual and digital literacy. This can be very well questioned as today educational institutions have are far more advanced than the view presented in the article. The reasoning of the authors supports the digital as well as visual literacy and its usage in today's competitive world and the reasoning is well supported by proofs which make a stronger case for better implications. 7. b. If we fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, the implications are: 30 If the authors' reasoning is not taken seriously, people would still

Dubai Port World Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Dubai Port World - Research Paper Example In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted "Best Seaport in the Middle East" for 15 consecutive years. In 2008, DP World handled more than 46.8 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia - an increase of 8% on 2007. With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to around 95 million TEU over the next ten years. In the fast-paced world of today where technology is the dominant factor, it is essential for businesses to retain their customers in order to grow and expand. Dubai Port World has been concentrating on improving its organizational performance through a great deal of investment in its human resources. With a fully functional human resources hiring and compensation plan, DP World is one of the few companies in the field that can be looked up to in this field. DP World seeks to establish long term relationships with its customers and for that purpose it has constantly focused on its organizational performance. It is necessary for the company to identify the variables that affect its performance. Though there are various accounts regarding different variables being the most important ones that affect organizational performance, it cannot be ascertained that one of these is the most dominant without proper research. However, the three most important variables whose effect on organizational performance outweigh the effects of other variables are: communication, motivation and commitment. The direct effect of these variables has had proven improvements in organizational performances of other corporations in the past. It is necessary thus, to understand which of these three variables has the greatest positive (or negative) impact on the organizational performance, measured in terms of output and productivity, of Dubai Port World Company. Hypothetical Framework It is necessary to underpin a hypothetical framework to any research for the purpose of meaningful analysis and conclusions. The hypothetical framework for this research will be based upon published research and observations in human resource behavior. The framework for this report would be that communication, motivation and commitment are three independent variables that improve