Non traditional health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Non traditional health care - Essay Example Therefore, there is no uniform approach towards non-traditional healthcare as each form envisages a different set of applications in the course of treatment. This explains why some forms of non-traditional healthcare are acceptable in some places and not others. Non-traditional methods are also based on different knowledge and belief systems that guide the processes of treatment. These belief and knowledge systems may connote the causes of disease and how to tackle treatment. Essentially, several non-traditional healthcare processes are used in different parts of the world; examples of these forms are acupuncture, folk remedies, and naturopathic medicine among others. I live in a community of Native Americans, Asian and Dutch; there are a few acupuncture and naturopathic clinics in my area. The document provides the findings of a research on the availability of non-traditional healthcare in my area of residence. The findings will be centered on the prevalence of non-traditional healt hcare forms namely, acupuncture and naturopathic clinics in my community. Naturopathic clinics in my area use natural interventions to restore health. Naturopathic medicine involves the applications based on nature to replenish the health of people. As a result, majority of the naturopathic clinics in this area are based on the natural operations that are applied in a diversity of ways to restore health. On a broad plane, naturopathic medicine and care as offered in these clinics involve treatment, prevention along with optimal health. Naturopathic medicine, therefore, offers a wide array of health services that are all centered on guaranteeing the health of individuals. Naturopathic treatment is a distinct health care practice that focuses on treatment, optimal wellness and prevention, treatment via the application of therapeutic methods and substances which encourage individual healing processes (Hechtman, 2012). Broadly though, naturopathic

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J Essay

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J. Asmussen , John W. Creswell - Essay Example The credibility of the study is highly supported by its research method: the qualitative case analysis; a relevant incident ‘in the campus of a public university, cited in a Midwestern City’ (case study, 338) is analytically presented and explained aiming to highlight the various aspects of student gun violence but also to provide information regarding the measures that are most appropriate for the limitation of the phenomenon – as these measures have been applied on the University involved in the specific case study. The examination of the article’s sections – in terms of structure, content and language used – has led to the assumption that the particular study can be quite valuable for legislators, educators and community leaders – helping them to understand the emergent character of the problem and propose appropriate plans of action. However, the conclusion section of the paper has been rather discouraging regarding the above perspe ctive – emphasizing on the lack of interest by the educational and local authorities in regard to the prevention of such incidents. However, even under these terms, the existence of studies like the one under evaluation proves that the expansion of violence in educational units across USA has attracted the attention of the academia. As for the level at which the authors of this study have contributed to the achievement of the above target, this can be identified by referring to the characteristics and the content of their study and by evaluating its credibility – taking into consideration the relevant rules of academic research. Evaluation of the article The study of Asmussen and Creswell highlights a quite important problem: the increase of violence in university campuses across USA; reference is made specifically to the student gun violence. The particular study can be characterized as quite valuable, mostly because it deals with a problem, which is avoided by most a cademic researchers – an issue also notified in the study under examination. The importance of the study – meaning especially its contribution in the particular field – can be identified and understood by referring to its content but also to its structure; the theme chosen should be also evaluated – compared to other, most common, themes of academic research. On the other hand, the research methodology employed should be evaluated, as of its appropriateness taking into consideration the fact that the literature in regard to the issue under discussion – and the research methods which are most appropriate for such studies – is quite limited, a problem also highlighted by the authors. The development of the above tasks would allow the evaluation of the following facts: a) whether the study has been appropriately structured, b) whether the research methods chosen were the most appropriate, c) which were the most critical challenges that the auth ors had to face and d) whether the authors managed or not to achieve their aims – as these aims are included in the research questions on which the study under

The Origins Of Theatre And Playwrights English Literature Essay

The Origins Of Theatre And Playwrights English Literature Essay This essay aims to discuss the effectiveness of political theatre in causing social change, looking specifically at the practice of the contemporary political playwright Augusto Boal including the influence of social theorist Karl Marx on Boals work and how Marxism affected Boals style of theatre. This essay will begin by looking at the origins of theatre and how it has been used since then as a medium of promoting political thought. However, in order to understand political theatre we must first be able to understand what is mean by politics, the Oxford Reference Dictionary (1991:647) describes something political as affecting the State or its Government; of public affairs. From this definition we are able to deduce that political theatre is theatre that is produced in order to affect or influence the community and those in power with regard to public affairs. This type of theatre has been used and enjoyed since the very beginning of theatre as we know it today, which began in Ancie nt Greece in the celebration of the festival of Dionysos, the God of ecstasy. The festival included prayer and procession as well as singing and dancing, there may also have been groups of performers who would answer each other through the medium of song or dance. It is believed that it was Thespis who stood out and performed first without the chorus, and thus creating what we understand to be a protagonist. (GREEK THEATRE 1) Competitions then began to take place during the festivals in which playwrights would enter their plays to be performed, either a tragedy, or a comedy and satyr play. The Greek playwrights would present the audience with ideas to think about and reflect over; during the plays a Parabasis, or stepping aside would take place, this was an opportunity for the playwright to comment upon the state of city affairs or anything else that he so wished. Aristophanes thought that, the dramatist should not only offer pleasure but should, besides that, be a teacher of morali ty and a political advisor.(in Boal 2008:xiii) In his plays, Aristophanes would satirise the most important people of the day, in between the scenes the chorus would perform short, satirical pieces of song and dance always attacking well known individuals by name, for example he ridiculed the demagogue Kleon in his play Babylonians. However, a plays success depended on the funding from the wealthy aristocracy ay the time, the choragus therefore the plays produced may be seen to reflect the view of the choregus rather than that of the playwright, because without them a play would not have the funding to be performed. Greek society was much controlled by the economic minority, the Bourgeoisie, but nothing was done to change this. This state of affairs in Ancient Greece is very similar to the social situation that Karl Marx was fighting against when he introduced his communist manifesto; the alternative to capitalism. Marx believed that human beings have been conditioned throughout his tory to behave a certain way by economic institutions and that in order for an equal society without a social hierarchy then the proletariat must seize power from the bourgeoisie through a social revolution and place everything in collective ownership. In his book Theatre of the Oppressed Augusto Boal writes how Marx believed that art is a key way of offering knowledge, but this knowledge is conveyed from the perspective of the artist, social surroundings or whoever provides sponsorship or payment. Mainly, it is the part of society that maintains economic power that holds control over any means of communication. Bordwell and Thompson (in Woodson, no date) back this up: Each art form is controlled, not by the artists, but by larger social institutions. In a capitalist society, an artist may believe he or she is using the art form for personal expression, but he or she is actually producing merchandise of a kind acceptable to the society. It is only from the arrival of Karl Marx and his theories on socialism that playwrights and practitioners have begun to use theatre as a means for change. Bertolt Brecht was greatly influenced by the Marxist theory because he too wanted to create change, the major goal of the historical avant-garde was to challenge the institution of bourgeois art (Kistenberg 1995:29); Pescator described Brechts work as a Marxist-based analysis of social relations. Brecht agreed with Marx that it was the capitalists that created the bourgeois society, and that drama can be used as a medium of didacticism. It was from this belief that Brecht adopted Piscators form of avant-garde theatre known as epic theatre. Epic theatre has many parallels with Cartesian tradition in which people are encouraged into rational thought; it underlines the socio-political content of drama rather than trying to manipulate the emotions of the audience. Brecht stated that there must be a transformation of psychological confl ict into historic condition (in Basuki no date) in theatre in order to release the self and to create rational thought. This Cartesian belief is needed so that neither the audience nor the actor tries to empathise with the action and characters on stage and are able to view the action with a critical mind. In order to do this Brecht proposed that theatre needed to give to the audience a process of alienation because alienation is necessary to all understanding (Brecht in Basuki no date) so that they are able to form an opinion unfettered by empathy. The term Brecht used to describe this distancing of the audience is Verfremdungseffekt, which when translated, means alienation. In a description about epic theatre Brecht gives an explanation about the difference between a spectator watching dramatic theatre and one watching epic theatre: The dramatic theatres spectator says: Yes, I have felt like that too-Just like me-Its only natural-Itll never change-The suffering of this man appals me, because they are inescapable-Thats great art; it all seems the most obvious thing in the world-I weep when they weep, I laugh when they laugh. The epic theatres spectator says: Id never have thought it-thats not the way-Thats extraordinary, hardly believable-Its got to stop-The sufferings of this man appal me, because they are unnecessary-Thats great art: nothing obvious in it-I laugh when they weep, I weep when they laugh (Brecht in Basuki no date) This quote from Brecht shows us how he intended epic theatre to work and its popularity among playwrights and directors is a great example of how successful epic theatre is as a form of didacticism. However, in Brechts plays the separation between the stage and the audience is still present. The spectator is persuaded to think the thoughts and opinions that presented to them through the action on stage because it is the playwrights who condemns the characters or the events that have taken place; the audiences thoughts are merely pointed in the right direction by the dramatist (OPPRESSED xx) Augusto Boal, though highly influenced by the likes of Marx and Brecht took the format of epic theatre to a new level. He found ways of combining Marxist theory with new ways of writing and analysis. He believed that in order to liberate the audience from the constraints of stage and spectator, they themselves must be part of what is happening on stage To transform is to be transformed.(Boal 2008: xxi) and thus becoming spect-actors. From this belief Boal created the Theatre of the Oppressed in which the audience are asked to intercede, and suggest the next course of action for the actors to perform or actually perform themselves, whilst the actors assist and persuade the audience to take the role of a spect-actor. For example, in forum theatre, the actors perform a short play with which ends with unresolved oppression and then it is performed again but this time the spect-actor is able to become involved and suggest ways to fix the oppression. Boal saw the spectators invasion of the stage as a symbolic moment in their transformation, This invasion is a symbolic trespass. It symbolises all the acts of trespass we have to commit in order to free ourselves from what oppresses us. (Boal 2008:xxi) By doing this the spect-actor is made aware of what he needs to do in order to change the situation in his real social setting, and by breaking down the wall between spectator and acto r, Boal also breaks the wall between the oppressor and the oppressed. (BOAL ESSAY) English Theatre company Cardboard citizens is one of the leading producers of Forum Theatre in the UK, this company is made up of homeless people or those at risk of becoming homeless. Cardboard Citizens tour the UK, performing for other Homeless people, and as it states on their website, aiming to problem-solve together. (CARDBOARD WEBSITE) Although this is an excellent way of trying to create social change, it may be the case that the company perform to an audience who are already aware of the situation being presented to them, and are therefore preaching to the converted. In The Transparent Closet: Gay Theatre for Straight Audiences, Richard Hall (in Kistenberg 1995:76) suggests: Theatre is inefficient as an instrument for social change. It either speaks to those already in support of its views, or to those who are so secure in their power that they dont mind hearing themselves abused, as long as the abuse is entertaining. Although theatre is an excellent form of communication, it is unable to access the parts of society in which people do not watch theatre that is seen to be anything other than mainstream entertainment i.e. Musicals etc. This then stops the theatre from being its most effective. As well as this, political theatre may become an outlet for people to confirm their opinions, for example, David Hares play Stuff Happens was written as a reaction to the Iraq War, somebody who has negative beliefs about this event may watch the play just so their opinions are confirmed. This again may stop the theatre from being at its most effective. Although Cardboard Citizens use of forum theatre has helped many homeless peoples situations and is working to gain understanding of the struggles homeless people encounter, Elizabeth Burns states that the audience view themselves as part of a performance rather than performance as part of their lives (in Kistenberg 1995:32) She believes that the audience are me rely props for the actors and that because they are in a state of being neither fully part of the performance nor full separate then it isnt much different from their usual role as spectator. If this is the case then the spectators of Cardboard Citizens performances, even if they were able to present their theatre to a much wider and varied kind of audience, would not be much changed by what they have seen. Boals next step in creating social change could be seen to have a great impact on society, he generated a form of theatre named Legislative Theatre in which theatre is used to create an active and practical change in society. Boal ran for election and was voted in to be one of 42 vereadores  of Rio, (BOAL ESSAY) he used his new political position to create Legislative Theatre. In this type of theatre Boal attempted To use theatre within a political system to create a truer from of democracy (Boal 2008:i) This type of theatre uses all the techniques of the theatre of the oppressed in order to create new laws, Boal would take his theatre to the streets of Rio and asked the people what they thought of certain issues then proposed his findings to the council chamber. In this way he was able to put forward laws to be passed that had a significant impact on the people of Rio, for example, one law that was passed was one which protected the witnesses of crimes. (LEGISLATIVE THEATRE 104). Theatre is not just about entertaining the masses; it provides a means in which to get a message across. Although all of theatre could be said to be political in a broader sense, it is political theatre that has been established as designing a theatre that is left wing and that expresses the need for radical change. Political theatre has thrived under oppressive governments as a means of communicating political opinions; however this has not always been the case. In spite of how seemingly political Greek theatre appears the censorship of the plays provides evidence towards the fact that it was not and it did little to challenge and change the social hierarchy of the time because it was controlled by the people in power. Greek theatre started by being interactive and an open form of communication; however the right to speak was taken away when the citizens were split into chorus and audience. It is seemingly ironic then that it was someone speaking out of turn that first created this form of theatre but by being made to be the audience the rest were stifled. Looking back at how political theatre has developed over the years it is clear of the relevance of each individual practitioner at the respective times in which they were writing, for example, in the years of extreme censorship by the Bourgeoisie when Brecht was writing he was one of the first practitioners to use theatre to make people aware of their situation therefore enlightening them because it was the first time they had been shown the truth. However now, in the 21st Century when people are able to access, via the means of the internet for example, all types of imformation without censorship they are given the opportunity through practices such as Boals to actively change society. Boals Legislative Theatre encapsulates the aim of political theatre. As Brecht used Epic theatre in order to create social change, Boal took his format and physically created change through the placement of new laws. This is ultimately the aim of political theatre, to release the oppressed from the op pressor. Conclusion. Zortman (2) says that The avant-garde artists were denounced as breeders of the proletarian world revolution Quotes 356 / 1403words.

Globalization and Regional Institutions Essay examples -- international

In the field of human rights, the issues surrounding globalization are widely debated. Some argue that globalization is a scourge that destroys the unique and multifaceted cultures of the world; while others argue that it spreads universal ideals, such as the concept of human rights. Regional organizations fit into the idea of globalization by creating unifying ties between nations; sharing values, trade, and promoting a strengthened identity. The two most well-known and influential regional organizations are the European Union (EU), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). While these two are the largest, they inspired many smaller organizations; a process which has increased the liberalization of international trade (Ardalan, 2). Regional organizations are distinct from the ideas of a supranational government or the formation of a nation-state, although common policies may be implemented through the enforcement of treaties; each state ultimately maintains governmental control (Ardalan, 5). Regional organizations, refers to organizations that extend across regional areas, they often have strong ties to political and economic areas, and can influence the member states within their boundaries. Globalization denotes both a process and an outcome, created by the sharing of values and technological advances shared internationally. Relationships between member-states are enhanced, such as by the advent of a common currency, such as 18 states of the European Union that use the Euro (European Commission). Values are spread throughout regional organizations, once again we can look to the European Union, to see how socialized schooling once found in some member countries was dissolved to conform to the desired standard, ... ...peace operations. Global Governance, 19(3), 377+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA341129378&v=2. 1&u=wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=7ba9d7d00b335ed7392305169958 593b Legler, T. F. (2012). The shifting sands of regional governance: the case of Inter-American democracy promotion. Politics & Policy, 40(5), 848+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA309727752&v=2.1&u= wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=820ae530c5fee2f671440f99e21dbb46 Nagheli, S., Nagheli, E., & Sadeghi, B. (2013). The impact of foreign direct investment and regional integration on poverty reduction case study: D8 countries. Advances in Environmental Biology, 1412+. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA347003716&v=2.1&u= wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=c7dfc8771eaf17febe13d068035b0240 Globalization and Regional Institutions Essay examples -- international In the field of human rights, the issues surrounding globalization are widely debated. Some argue that globalization is a scourge that destroys the unique and multifaceted cultures of the world; while others argue that it spreads universal ideals, such as the concept of human rights. Regional organizations fit into the idea of globalization by creating unifying ties between nations; sharing values, trade, and promoting a strengthened identity. The two most well-known and influential regional organizations are the European Union (EU), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). While these two are the largest, they inspired many smaller organizations; a process which has increased the liberalization of international trade (Ardalan, 2). Regional organizations are distinct from the ideas of a supranational government or the formation of a nation-state, although common policies may be implemented through the enforcement of treaties; each state ultimately maintains governmental control (Ardalan, 5). Regional organizations, refers to organizations that extend across regional areas, they often have strong ties to political and economic areas, and can influence the member states within their boundaries. Globalization denotes both a process and an outcome, created by the sharing of values and technological advances shared internationally. Relationships between member-states are enhanced, such as by the advent of a common currency, such as 18 states of the European Union that use the Euro (European Commission). Values are spread throughout regional organizations, once again we can look to the European Union, to see how socialized schooling once found in some member countries was dissolved to conform to the desired standard, ... ...peace operations. Global Governance, 19(3), 377+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA341129378&v=2. 1&u=wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=7ba9d7d00b335ed7392305169958 593b Legler, T. F. (2012). The shifting sands of regional governance: the case of Inter-American democracy promotion. Politics & Policy, 40(5), 848+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA309727752&v=2.1&u= wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=820ae530c5fee2f671440f99e21dbb46 Nagheli, S., Nagheli, E., & Sadeghi, B. (2013). The impact of foreign direct investment and regional integration on poverty reduction case study: D8 countries. Advances in Environmental Biology, 1412+. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.wlu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA347003716&v=2.1&u= wate18005&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=c7dfc8771eaf17febe13d068035b0240

Hunger Games essay Essay

The Hunger Games is a fictional book, which establishes the relationship between the protagonist Katniss, and the protagonist Peeta. Katniss is a 16 year old girl who lives in District twelve, Panem. She is the sole provider for her family and competes in the Hunger Games, a game where two people from each of the twelve districts are chosen to fight to the death. Peeta is a 16 year old boy who is also from District Twelve who competes in the Hunger Games with Katniss. Throughout the book there is great debate on whether Katniss and Peeta are in love, or not in love. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta because it helps her in the Games, and it is an act of survival. Peeta on the other hand is deeply in love with Katniss. Throughout the book Katniss often finds herself making multiple references back to her friend, Gale, who has been her best friend for years. She wonders what life would be like with Gale. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta. She sees it as her only way of survival in the Games. When she and Peeta are in an affectionate state, the Capitol audience is entertained. This results in her and Peeta getting both food and messages from their mentor Haymitch and their sponsors. Luckily, they entertain the audience enough to survive the games but towards the end of the book Peeta says to Katniss, â€Å"It was all for the games, how you acted. † (Pg. 372) This is legitimate proof that Katniss only pretended to be in love with Peeta. Based on much evidence from the book, it is revealed that Peeta is deeply in love with Katniss. Prior to the beginning of the Games, both Katniss and Peeta had to take part in a pre-game interview. In Peeta’s interview, he tells the audience how winning the games would not help his situation because he is deeply in love with Katniss. Katniss was not happy with Peeta’s statement, but later in the book calmly asks him, â€Å"Peeta, you said at the interview you’d had a crush on me forever. When did forever start? † (Pg. 300) Peeta responded, â€Å"Oh let’s see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair†¦ it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed your out. † (Pg. 300) This is the most heart-felt moment between the two; however Katniss only asked Peeta the question because she knew she had to keep entertaining the audience. Her strategy to manipulate Peeta’s emotions was a great advantage to her game. Katniss often makes references back to her friend Gale, her long time best friend that is back home in District Twelve. She has mixed feelings about him because when Katniss was about to leave for the games, Gale was saying good bye to Katniss and was cut short with the slamming of a door. There are many misinterpretations about what Gale was trying to say to Katniss. Most people, including Katniss, think that he was about to say â€Å"I love you. † This unfinished sentence disturbs Katniss during the games when she has mixed feelings about Peeta. Katniss thinks to herself, â€Å"Gale’s not my boyfriend, but would he be, if I opened that door? † (Pg. 280) Any person who is truly in love would not be thinking about other men in this way. Throughout the Hunger Games there is great talk on whether Katniss and Peeta are in love, or not. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta because it helps her in the Games, and she uses it as an act of survival. Peeta on the other hand, is deeply in love with Katniss. During the book Katniss often finds herself making multiple mentions back to her friend, Gale, who has been her best friend and hunting buddy for years. She wonders what life would be like if she was with him. Too conclude, Katniss and Peeta are not meant to be. They have completely different individualities and although it may seem that their pretend love is mutual, it is not.

Key Success Factors in Online Ventures

The chaotic development of the Internet has left many attempts to route commerce through it stranded. Icons of the brick-and mortar age have often been the most hapless victims, floundering in vain attempts to attract the attention of browsers, and to deliver value. This makes the eminent online success of Office Depot especially worthy of study.The business-to-business model has been especially difficult for middle-aged industrial and corporate buyers to comprehend. Those who have never learnt to write in code feel threatened by the very mention of a web site, and take refuge in the exaggerated risks of buying online (Tillinghast, 2002). The first key success factor of Office Depot lies in the simplicity of design of its web site, requiring no familiarity with computers or programming to place orders, pay for them, and to receive supplies.Office Depot, by virtue of the variety of products and services on offer, tempts customers to become frequent web site visitors (Office Depot, 200 6). Office supplies for coffee are positioned in the upper left quadrant where it is likely to catch first attention. The lay out is inviting, and is bound to generate curiosity and interest even in the minds of skeptical browsers. Overall, Office Depot scores through a web site, which is akin to the shop windows of the most popular retail outlet in the physical world.A third success factor is that Office Depot makes it easy to return goods purchased on incorrect impulses, even arranging to pick them up at the door (Johnson, not dated). This must alleviate natural fears about making buying decisions without seeing and feeling products, and meets most objections of electronic commerce head-on.Office Depot respects customer choice, emphasizing the availability of trusted brands (Office Depot, 2006). Generic products, new brands, and the most established ones such as Hewlett-Packard are offered with even prominence. This is in contrast to the online business forays of some others, whic h are blatant efforts to promote particular brands at the cost of customer degrees of freedom.Broadly, Office Depot has succeeded in online business, because it has put customer needs ahead of technological innovation in electronic communication, ensuring that the Internet serves business needs rather than dictate terms to it.Lessons from the Office Depot Online SuccessConventional marketing promoted the targeting of relatively narrow segments. This made sense as long as a business offered its products and services within the confines of a segregated area. An over-riding feature of the Internet is that the whole world becomes a single market place. Conventional marketing which is highly focused on a spatially limited segment pays the costs of existence on the World Wide Web, but without the attendant market potential and size benefits. We can learn from the success of Office Depot that online marketing has to address clusters (Payne, 2002) rather than narrow segments. Office Depot d efines its customers as enterprises of all sizes, from the small to large corporations, and has combined its Internet foray with international operations. It is therefore able to use the full power of the medium.The Internet makes the Process element of the Marketing Mix (Payne, 2002) a key determinant of success. Office Depot has a prominent promise on the web site of deliveries, without extra charge, within one business day. The enormous planning and investment efforts made to make this promise come true over incredibly large numbers of transactions everyday, has to be appreciated if anyone wishes to repeat the Office Depot success story. Perhaps the facility of the medium makes other enterprises offer commitments which they are not geared to meet, leaving customers disillusioned. There is a large and complex operation of logistics behind the Office Depot success, to keep adequate inventories of such a large number of items within a day’s reach of all customers.The sophisti cation of online business tempts many enterprises to segregate Internet operations from conventional business. A lesson from Office Depot is that the medium should be integrated in to the mainstream in manners which lend synergy (Johnson, not dated). Office Depot treats customers on its web site just as it would if some one walked in to one of their conventional stores.Finally, Office Depot enhances its physical and generic products with useful services (Johnson, not dated). The articles and discussions on small business and commercial resources must be particularly valuable for customers.Competitive Advantage in MarketspaceScale matters in marketspace (Johnson, not dated). Office Depot is successful because of the breadth of its product and service offers, because of the vast territory it serves, and the sheer weight of over a billion dollars of revenue, which is growing rapidly as well. These dimensions act as barriers to new entrants, and strengthen the company’s competiti ve strength from day to day.Marketspace is first about customer needs, and not about the elegance and creativity of software engineers. Other enterprises have web sites with flash, multi-media, and other features which delight programmers, but which take time to load, and can even scare away customers. Web sites should have clear objectives (Tillinghast, 2002), and serve the business, rather than drive it. It is important for enterprises to avoid being overwhelmed by the aura of the Internet, and to keep it tightly within the reins of customer needs.Limits to Online Business Success and the Office Deport ExperienceThere are 5 important limitations to online business in general, and to the foregoing account of the success of Office Depot in this regard: firstly, credit card and related payment frauds plague most electronic commerce ventures. The case does not mention the actual experience of Office Depot in this regard, and even if the company has not suffered any significant losses in this regard, it remains vulnerable for the future.Secondly, products such as copiers and facsimile machines may require considerable product demonstration and after-sales-service, which the online business model is not geared to provide. The decision-making for pins and staples is certainly not the same as for equipment such as filing cabinets: Office Depot runs the risk of building revenues faster in low value-addition lines, as opposed to modern office products of the future.Thirdly, Office Depot has tasted success during the halcyon years of a global economic boom. The serious fixed cost growth which it has encountered in terms of warehousing and logistics could become a serious drag on profitability during a future economic downturn.Fourthly, the practice of offering products in kiosks which are not available or offered online, may rebound on the company. Customers may move away from the company’s web site once they realize that more choice is available in real stores. Finally, the Office Depot experience lacks universal relevance. Many competitors, and companies in other lines of business may realize better returns from conventional business channels, and failures if they copy the high fixed cost and infrastructure-intensive online business model of Office Depot.ReferencesJohnson, W. C. (not dated) Case 13: Office Depot Goes Online-E-Service Quality, publication details not availablePayne, A. (2002) Services Marketing, Prentice-HallTillinghast, T. (2002) Tactical Guide to Internet Marketing, Xlibris CorporationOffice Depot, (2006) Company website, retrieved January 16th 2007 from: http://www.officedepot.com/

The Rise of Technology in the Two Decades

The Rise of Technology in the Two Decades Free Online Research Papers The contexts of teaching have changed since the last century. The classroom has evolved from the humble one room schoolhouse to a virtual classroom. With this enormous change come changes in the role of the teacher. What we have seen is the phenomenal rise of technology in the two decades; it has taken place against a complex backdrop of cultural and social change, advances in technology and shifts in educational theory and practice. We see new tensions, new requirements, new pressures and changes in the environment socially, economical and technological, this has led to modified teaching jobs. In my experiences students have become more difficult, less motivated, more requiring, more inclined to defend their rights than to fulfill their duty. The administration or the educational authorities are making more pressure for greater accountability. Bodies such as the Adult Learning Inspectorate (FE) and the Quality Assurance Agency (HE) oversee standards and assessments, and incorporate both inclusive learning and teaching strategies, and effective use of information and learning technologies (ILT), within their remit. There it seems less and less social recognition of the teaching job†¦ The question is are teachers prepared for these changes and pressures? The traditional picture I have of the teacher as the â€Å"Master of the knowledge† with an institutional power is disappearing. What we see now is a new style of teachers: leadership style seems more appropriate to respond to those challenges. This implies new competencies: the emotional competencies. Those ch anges remind us that the teaching act is not only a cognitive action but also and first a social and affective action where emotions interfere in the class and work atmosphere. Education, along with all public services in the UK, also faces calls for greater accountability, Accountability that in essence is a positive and productive step but in the larger frame of things damages the profession as ones actions stereotype the whole profession and not to mention taint it. Different educational disciplines enjoy various learning styles, delivery techniques, Resources and Support. Flexible Learning requires support but no teaching, Distance learning requires Resources and support but not 100% teaching, Practical Professions like medicine and accountancy require Teaching as well practical learning opportunities. What the article is stressing time and time again is that there is no denying that the future and existence of HE and teaching is intertwined and that there is no substitute to the teacher in such learning environments all other supporting profession and resources and technologies are important and have their place but the human presence in HE shows no sign of diminishing no matter how strong, professional, research proven, quality focused the proposal may be. On the contrary there is a greater need for experienced and Un-experienced practitioners to be trained on a standardized platform which may be beneficial to them and to the institution as sometimes a change process may be required to benefit institutional needs and enhance sustainability. Another issue which forces Education establishments to focus on is the volume of service it has to provide and commit to as each year the no of applications in HE are increasing. This leads to the subject of cost to be discussed, to counter this the role of a teacher is carried out by supporting professionals through personalized teaching. The cost of specialist teachers personalized delivery compared to a supporting professionals cost is tremendously higher hence more and more supporting teachers roles are being created to counter and keep under control the ballooning cost. Another theory for all parties involved is that the word â€Å"Teacher† is over emphasised, the important thing is that â€Å"is effective learning being accomplished† because that is the main issue here and Priority. As described from different points of view but the statement remains the same that Education, teaching, delivery, core competencies, Resources and practice are evolving, with the introduction and expansion of the e-learning components and supporting teacher roles in all professions the road to the future is a very uncertain one. Conclusion The changes which have taken place in recent years and which continue to shape the educational landscape of the UK Higher Education sector pose many new challenges for teaching staff. Nonetheless, perhaps because of rather than in spite of these challenges, it is evident that there are unique opportunities for the enhancement of teaching and learning in the higher education sector. The current emphasis on student-centred teaching, on promoting inclusion, and developing criticality all contribute towards improving the student experience and towards maximising learning potential. It is anticipated that the present trend towards collaborative learning which emphasizes key skills (such as ICT, communication and numeracy) will hopefully address a concern expressed by employers for many years by ensuring that graduates are better-prepared for the workplace. In conclusion I would state that various changes would occur when a fundamental shift in education is required and hence the future we need to be careful of how we implement strategies and policies when in HE as it importance to any nation is Paramount. Research Papers on The Rise of Technology in the Two DecadesStandardized TestingThree Concepts of PsychodynamicOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Free Essays on Paul Cronan Case Analysis

Introduction: The Paul Cronan case deals with an employee of New England Telephone Company (NET) of Boston who developed AIDS, lost his employment, and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the company. He charged that â€Å"†¦NET had discriminated against him based on a handicap, AIDS; had violated his right to privacy; and had coerced him not to return to work†.1 Legal Issues: There are two main legal issues in the Paul Cronan case: a) the employee’s reasonable expectation of privacy and b) is the disease, AIDS, covered by anti-discrimination laws and, if so, did NET discriminate against the employee? The laws involved in this case are The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the individual state’s privacy laws. Legal Analysis: Every employee has a certain right to privacy under the law. Certain information about the employee must be kept confidential by the employer unless the employee gives special permission for what and to whom the information is released. Paul Cronan informed his immediate supervisor and the company physician about his condition and denied permission for anyone else to be notified. The supervisor told three of his supervisors and the information gradually leaked out to all of the employees. This general knowledge led to an environment of fear and hostility toward Mr. Cronan related to his disease and also to his sexual orientation. During the year he was off work, he heard of graffiti and generalized hostile conversation about his lifestyle and his disease. When he was ready to return to work, he wanted assurances from his supervisor that he would not be physically harmed upon his return. The supervisor did not respond to these inquiries. Even though Mr. Cronan did receive a letter fr om NET offering to return him to his previous position and make â€Å"reasonable accommodation† to his situation, Mr. Cronan was convinced that the letter was just a cover for poten... Free Essays on Paul Cronan Case Analysis Free Essays on Paul Cronan Case Analysis Introduction: The Paul Cronan case deals with an employee of New England Telephone Company (NET) of Boston who developed AIDS, lost his employment, and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the company. He charged that â€Å"†¦NET had discriminated against him based on a handicap, AIDS; had violated his right to privacy; and had coerced him not to return to work†.1 Legal Issues: There are two main legal issues in the Paul Cronan case: a) the employee’s reasonable expectation of privacy and b) is the disease, AIDS, covered by anti-discrimination laws and, if so, did NET discriminate against the employee? The laws involved in this case are The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the individual state’s privacy laws. Legal Analysis: Every employee has a certain right to privacy under the law. Certain information about the employee must be kept confidential by the employer unless the employee gives special permission for what and to whom the information is released. Paul Cronan informed his immediate supervisor and the company physician about his condition and denied permission for anyone else to be notified. The supervisor told three of his supervisors and the information gradually leaked out to all of the employees. This general knowledge led to an environment of fear and hostility toward Mr. Cronan related to his disease and also to his sexual orientation. During the year he was off work, he heard of graffiti and generalized hostile conversation about his lifestyle and his disease. When he was ready to return to work, he wanted assurances from his supervisor that he would not be physically harmed upon his return. The supervisor did not respond to these inquiries. Even though Mr. Cronan did receive a letter fr om NET offering to return him to his previous position and make â€Å"reasonable accommodation† to his situation, Mr. Cronan was convinced that the letter was just a cover for poten...

Idioms and Expressions for the Verb Talk

Idioms and Expressions for the Verb Talk Talk is a common verb in English which can also be used as a noun. Talk is also used in a wide variety of idiomatic expressions. Listed below you will find an idiom or expression with talk with a definition and two example sentences to help to understand through context. Big Talk Definition: (noun) exaggerated claims Hes full of big talk, but he rarely does what he claims. Is that just big talk, or do you think its actually true? Give Someone a Talking to Definition: (verbal phrase) speak strongly to someone, berate someone She gave her daughter a talking to after she got home after midnight. Come in this room! You need a talking to! Heart-to-heart Talk Definition: (noun) serious discussion Jane and I had a great heart-to-heart talk last weekend. Now I understand her. Have you had a heart-to-heart talk with your wife yet? Jive Talk Definition: (noun) something stated that is obviously not true Come on Tim! Thats just jive talk. Stop the jive talk and tell me something interesting. Money Talks Definition: (idiomatic phrase) the most important thing is money Dont forget that money talks, so everything else doesnt matter. In the end money talks so your business needs to be profitable as soon as possible. Pep Talk Definition: (noun) a short discussion intended to motivate someone The coach gave the players a pep talk during halftime. My wife gave me a pep talk to help me with my job interview. Straight Talk Definition: (noun) a discussion that is completely honest, often discussing difficult issues Tom gave me straight talk at the meeting which I appreciated greatly. Id like to hear some straight talk on the investment opportunities. Talk a Blue Streak Definition: (verbal phrase) speak quickly and at length Maria talked a blue streak at the party. It was hard to say anything. Be careful when speaking with Tom, he talks a blue streak. Talk Big Definition: (verb) make large claims and boasts Take everything he says with a grain of salt. He talks big. Youre talking big today. Could you please be a bit more realistic? Talking Head Definition: (noun) expert on television The talking heads feel the economy is going to improve. They hired a talking head to represent them on TV talk shows. Talk Like Nut Definition: (verbal phrase) say things that make little sense Dont talk like a nut! Thats crazy. Shes talking like a nut. Dont believe a word she says. Talk On the Big White Phone Definition: (verbal phrase) to vomit into the toilet Doug drank too much so hes talking on the big white phone. Shes in the bathroom talking on the big white phone. Talk Through Ones Hat Definition: (verbal phrase) speak carelessly and tell lies Hes talking through his hat. Dont believe a word he says. Unfortunately, Jane often talks through her hat, so you cant believe anything. Talk to Hear Ones Own Voice Definition: (verb phrase) speak in order to hear oneself, find joy in speaking too much Henry talks to hear his own voice. It gets boring after a while. He lost a few of his friends because he talks to hear his own voice. Talk Turkey Definition: (verbal phrase) talk serious business, talk frankly Its time to talk turkey about the business. Peter, we need to talk turkey. Talk Until You Are Blue In the Face Definition: (verbal phrase) speak at length without influencing others Theres no need to try to convince her. Youll just talk until you are blue in the face. I talked until I was blue in the face, but it didnt help.

Proposed Guidelines for Civil Commitment Research Paper

Proposed Guidelines for Civil Commitment - Research Paper Example The police run criminal background records of that particular individual and also collaborate with prison warders to establish the conduct of the person while they had been confined. This information together with that of mental health workers is presented in front of the judge or jury as evidence against the release of the sex offender and if the evidence is substantial, the person is incarcerated once again in order to protect the human rights of the society at the expense of that of an individual person. The evidence is usually based on the level of danger the person poses to the society and to himself or herself once released, if it is more on the society (which is usually the case), then the sex offender is incarcerated (Melton et al. 2007). Washington Law which was passed several decades ago allowed for release of dangerous sex offenders. Following cases of violent attacks in the 1980s, this law was changed and a community protection Act of the 1990 was passed. This act provided provisions for formation of civil commitment laws in the states which allowed incarceration of a person previously determined as a sex offender based on the reasons of mental abnormality (Leon 2011). In 1997, the Kansas v. Hendricks case further acted to cement the civil commitment. In this case, the Supreme Court used civil commitment to continue to incarcerate a sex offender who was found to have mental abnormalities which was said to pose a danger to the community. The court acted according to the constitution and hence protected the society whose rights and interests are deemed more important than individual interests (Mears 2010). Following this policy set by statutes, other states have come up with state-specific laws that are connected with the civil commitment and which serve to strengthen the evidence of incarcerating a sex offender for the interests of the society. The mental health civil commitment act of Minnesota is one such example and which defines sex offenders

Powerful Women In Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Powerful Women In Politics - Essay Example   A list developed by the Forbes Magazine in 2011 ranked some of the powerful women in the world today, depending on how much influence they have. This list included female politicians considered powerful. Among all the women politicians, the influence and power of Angela Merkel in world politics supersedes the others. Her influence and power is manifest in the fact that she is responsible for Germany, which is the world’s largest economy, as well as the European Union economy (Goudreau 2011, para. 2). Merkel is the first woman to hold the position of a chancellor in Germany, apart from being the head of her political party, the Christian Democratic Union party. She has held this political office in Germany since 2005 and re-elected in 2009. Merkel is also responsible for overseeing the operations of the Eurozone, ensuring stability, and unification of the members, as well as overseeing operations of the European Union. This makes Germany the only country among the top world largest economies to be headed by a female (Gedmin 2013).The USA secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is ranked among the top world’s powerful female politician, because of her political position, achievements, and influence in the world politics. She holds the fourth position after the president of the U.S.A and serves as a world ambassador of the world’s largest economy. Hillary Clinton is among the few women in the U.S.A. who have attempted to run for the presidency in the country.   ... This makes Germany the only country among the top world largest economies to be headed by a female (Gedmin 2013). The USA secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is ranked among the top world’s powerful female politician, because of her political position, achievements, and influence in the world politics. She holds the fourth position after the president of the U.S.A and serves as a world ambassador of the world’s largest economy. Hillary Clinton is among the few women in the U.S.A. who have attempted to run for presidency in the country. She is popular in the U.S.A and across the globe for advocating for women issues and education, as well as development, which are among the top interests and policies of the U.S.A (Goudreau 2011). The first female president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, is among world’s powerful female politicians, given her political influence. Previously, she served as the Minister for Energy and Chief of Staff, where she made a big achievement, sa ving 24 million people in the country from utter poverty. Today, she is faced with a larger responsibility ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, which are to be hosted by Brazil (Goudreau 2011). Although Rousseff owns her success to the former Brazilian president, most analysts have credited her for economic reforms in the country, especially her concern for low-income families (Torregrosa 2010). On the other hand, Michelle Bachelet, the first female president of Chile is popular for advocating for women rights, thus, breaking down the barrier for females in the country. She was given the responsibility of heading the UN agency of UN Women, because of her

Capital Budgeting and Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Capital Budgeting and Business Ethics - Essay Example The above-detailed case is an illuminating example for this. The financial management was experiencing the difficulty of how to obey governments rule and follow business ethics whereas how to deal with the inventory in a way that is the best interest of the shareholders. Financial management is expected to evaluate a number of factors in making capital investment decisions. They need to estimate how much is the future cash flows of the firm and how it will change if it invests in a project, but more specifically, the management has to evaluate and foresee the uncertainty associated with these future cash flows (Peterson and Fabozzi, 2002, p. 4). In capital budgeting, the financial management is primarily responsible for searching for the best alternatives, just as with zero-based budgeting, so as to avoid any likely risks (Finkler and McHugh, 2008, p. 246). It is thus the fundamental responsibility of the financial managers in capital budgeting to study and assess whether there can be any legal, economic and financial troubles in carrying in the business in the future and to find best alternatives from many options it has. The financial management, especially in order to ensure that they could save the interests of the shareholders, must evaluate the projects even after it has started manufacturing or marketing of the particular products. In the case detailed above - fire-retardant pajamas- the financial management has to evaluate that this can be a risky project due to its contents that are carcinogens, and therefore over-production can result in greater risks. There must be a proper mechanism in the capital budgeting so that it can avoid complaints of individuals that things are not done the way they should be done.  

Company Closing Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Closing Process - Essay Example Basically there are three procedures completed under month-end process: adjustments, calculations and reporting. Adjustment is the first step where necessary amendments are done on the financial data or information already recorded. During the month, the organization earns revenue and incurs expenses and matches the two. This practice, result in differences between the estimated amount and the actual amount of an item (Bosua & Beer, 2009). For example, interest expense incurred on the prevailing firm’s loans increase the amount to be paid (principal and interest). The original amount to be paid was the principal, while the actual amount paid at month end is the principal plus interest. Therefore, adjustment has to be made to reconcile the two amounts. Calculations After the above adjustments are made, the affected individual accounts have to be updated. The amounts for adjustment are calculated and appropriate entries made to the appropriate ledger accounts. For example, in ba nk accounts adjustment calculations, it is started with the opening balance, add on the deposits made and then subtract the debits for that month. The final figure got, reflect the actual cash balance on the bank account as opposed to the opening balance figure. Reporting After ascertaining the actual amounts of each ledger account, the figures are entered into the organizations database. The personnel responsible for the month-end procedures avails several reports reflecting the organization’s financial position in different ways, such as profit and loss statement, to the management. Year end close process The year end process refers to a set of activities the company performs to close financial books, make adjustments, correct errors and produce financial statements such as balance sheet in correspondence with existing rule and regulations such as international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These activities involve several personnel such as accountants, bookkeepers and financial manager working under guidance of senior staff (Warfield, Weygandt & Kieso, 2008). There are four basic activities completed: adjustment entries posting, error correcting, trial balance preparation and financial statement preparation. Under adjusting entries, postings are made to reflect exactly what the company made and spent of the period under review. The adjustments concern prepaid expenses and unearned revenues. Prepaid expenses refer to cash paid by the business in advance understanding that specific tasks will be performed in its favor in the future, whereas unearned revenue refers to the cash money the company accepted promising to provide services or goods at a future date. In correcting errors, the company’s management is able to remove the mathematical imprecision from the book closing mechanism. The errors are a result of regulations changes, numerical incorrectness and poor accounting rules applica tion. This is a vital activity as it is integral to the closing process of the company’s financial statements. Trial balance preparation comes after error corrections and adjustment postings. The trial balance preparation helps managers verify the accuracy of the already completed and closed accounts. The trial balance checks the total debits and credits of all the involved accounts. If the two, total debits and total credits, are equal most likely the accounts are accurate. However, it should be noted

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes Research Paper

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes - Research Paper Example The land was devastated by famine,inundations, and pestilence. This, combined with the invasion of the Lombards. Additionally, the position of the Church threatened by the claims of Constantinople for imperial power of the church.   Much is owed to Gregory, to whomstrength and firmness of character were complimented by charity and gentleness. It is through this exhibition of power, authority of the papacy that many of the evils were conquered.   Of particular significance were the Pope’s relations to the Lombards. The Pope used his position as Pope, in 592–3, to reach what amounted to a separate peace with them. Through such an unprecedented step he defined the authority of the papacy.    It was throughout this period characterized by unrest, treachery of the Byzantine authorities and aggravated by the weakness that the Pope followed a  course of independent action. Gregory the great appointed governors to the Italian cities. He further provided war materials. T his is what that established the temporal power of the papacy.   In his administration the church established vast estates. This is where the Pope spent great sums on charity work. The Pope Gregory exhibited conspicuous ability. Although his relations with the East were strained, he upheld the supremacy of the Roman church. He refused to recognize the title of ‘Oecumenical Patriarch’ that had earlier been adopted by the Patriarch of Constantinople.   Pope Gregory’s greatest achievement when head of the pontificate was the conversion of England. He selected St. Augustine, later of Canterbury, delegating to him about 40 missionaries from the Pope’s own monastery. He also intervened with great effect in strengthening the Church in Spain, Gaul, and Northern Italy.it was during the time of Gregory the Great and all through to the Popes of the 11th century that the papacy really established itself as a center of power in Rome. It is this power that has been important to the activities of the papacy up to today. Scanty evidence pieces that date back to the 11thcentury AD point to the church in Rome already attaining some form of prominence in matters doctrinal. This was among the few churches that could lay claim to the apostolic foundation. By the 3rd century, roman bishops began presenting themselves as successors of the primacy that was enjoyed by Saint Peter. They wanted to wield the universal church’s primacy of authority in all matters doctrinal. After the roman emperor granted a toleration to Christianity in the 4th and 5th century, (the Edict of Milan, 313) Christianity rose to a status of an official religion. A series of Popes, chief among them Leo l (r 440 – 61) then translated this to be a claim to the primacy of jurisdiction over the church. This claim was, however, matched by a rival. The church at Constantinople claimed jurisdictional primacy in the East that was equal to that of Rome in the west. It was the Byzantine emperor of Constantinople, for at least another century who could claim to be the functioning supreme leader of Christians in temporal and spiritual matters (Miller 89). It was during the 11thto the 16thcentury that the papacy was to rise to a position of unique prominence within the community of Christians. This position, despite vicissitudes, it has managed to retain. Pope John Paul II’s effect on our times is something conceded by critics and admirers alike. The

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 5

Strategic Management - Essay Example The story of the ‘Subway’ is an indication of just what organizations need to do in an increasingly globalized environment. Winning customer confidence and remaining true to organization’s policies and priorities lies at the heart of just what has to be done. To achieve this, an organization has to have a strategy that delivers capabilities which enable the firm to cope with challenges from within the organization itself as well as outside of it. In the case of Subway, this is what enabled the company, small as it was, to be able to stick it out in a market dominated by global players such as the McDonald’s and Burger King. However, once opportunities in the domestic market shrink, it may no longer be tenable to continue pumping resources in such a market. Expansion outside the domestic market becomes the only option for growth. Having a strategic capability ensures that the company’s competitive edge can be sustained into the long run. In the current globalized environment, firms need to grow in order to survive in the market. This growth is difficult to attain due to intense competition. Therefore, organizations need to develop clear strategies that earn them competitive advantages. Otherwise, they will not survive the competition. Organizations need to understand their resources and use them creatively to attain competitive advantages that ensure they brave the competition. It, therefore, calls on the management to come up with sound priorities and strategies which can be achieved in light of resource constraints.

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes Research Paper

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes - Research Paper Example The land was devastated by famine,inundations, and pestilence. This, combined with the invasion of the Lombards. Additionally, the position of the Church threatened by the claims of Constantinople for imperial power of the church.   Much is owed to Gregory, to whomstrength and firmness of character were complimented by charity and gentleness. It is through this exhibition of power, authority of the papacy that many of the evils were conquered.   Of particular significance were the Pope’s relations to the Lombards. The Pope used his position as Pope, in 592–3, to reach what amounted to a separate peace with them. Through such an unprecedented step he defined the authority of the papacy.    It was throughout this period characterized by unrest, treachery of the Byzantine authorities and aggravated by the weakness that the Pope followed a  course of independent action. Gregory the great appointed governors to the Italian cities. He further provided war materials. T his is what that established the temporal power of the papacy.   In his administration the church established vast estates. This is where the Pope spent great sums on charity work. The Pope Gregory exhibited conspicuous ability. Although his relations with the East were strained, he upheld the supremacy of the Roman church. He refused to recognize the title of ‘Oecumenical Patriarch’ that had earlier been adopted by the Patriarch of Constantinople.   Pope Gregory’s greatest achievement when head of the pontificate was the conversion of England. He selected St. Augustine, later of Canterbury, delegating to him about 40 missionaries from the Pope’s own monastery. He also intervened with great effect in strengthening the Church in Spain, Gaul, and Northern Italy.it was during the time of Gregory the Great and all through to the Popes of the 11th century that the papacy really established itself as a center of power in Rome. It is this power that has been important to the activities of the papacy up to today. Scanty evidence pieces that date back to the 11thcentury AD point to the church in Rome already attaining some form of prominence in matters doctrinal. This was among the few churches that could lay claim to the apostolic foundation. By the 3rd century, roman bishops began presenting themselves as successors of the primacy that was enjoyed by Saint Peter. They wanted to wield the universal church’s primacy of authority in all matters doctrinal. After the roman emperor granted a toleration to Christianity in the 4th and 5th century, (the Edict of Milan, 313) Christianity rose to a status of an official religion. A series of Popes, chief among them Leo l (r 440 – 61) then translated this to be a claim to the primacy of jurisdiction over the church. This claim was, however, matched by a rival. The church at Constantinople claimed jurisdictional primacy in the East that was equal to that of Rome in the west. It was the Byzantine emperor of Constantinople, for at least another century who could claim to be the functioning supreme leader of Christians in temporal and spiritual matters (Miller 89). It was during the 11thto the 16thcentury that the papacy was to rise to a position of unique prominence within the community of Christians. This position, despite vicissitudes, it has managed to retain. Pope John Paul II’s effect on our times is something conceded by critics and admirers alike. The

Replacing a Legacy Application Essay Example for Free

Replacing a Legacy Application Essay â€Å"Because we live in a highly competitive and ever-changing world, at any given time most organizations are improving or replacing their information systems† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 579). As an organization needs change due to increase competition, regulations, business growth and other reason and company needs to respond by also changing its system in order to meet the needs of the business. The need for changing to a new system helps the business because the new system has much more capabilities then the older system allowing the company to be able to perform business more efficient and effectively. The need for changing to a new system helps to eliminate flaws and system incompatibilities created by the old system. â€Å"A reliable information system is a necessity for all companies. Companies must properly maintain accounts and detailed records or face unnecessary costs. A well-devised accounting information system, which ensures relevant and reliable information is reported in financial statements, benefits every type of company† (Pettir Accounting, 2013). I believe that a company should change to new systems in order to keep up with technology and their competition. An updated â€Å"accounting information system can help businesses run better by providing timely information on internal operations† (Small Business-Chron, 2013). A company should consider their budget and because accounting information systems can be very expensive to purchase and maintain. Firms should make sure that they can afford purchasing an accounting information system and set realistic expectations. Firms should also make sure that they accounting information system has been through tested by performing simulation before the system goes live to avoid any potential problems that could cause firm time and money. Firms should also make sure that employees have been properly trained on how to use the new and/or updated accounting information system. (1) Potential Benefits One of the potential benefits associated with changing a new system is that its help increases a company’s competitive advantage. As technology increases and changes companies will need change its system in order improve and increase the quantity, quality, speed and accuracy of information. Also companies need to stay ahead of their competitor so any upgrade in technology that will provide a competitive edge is crucial for a company. This will also help to improve products and services, lower cost and to provide other competitive advantages. Secondly, another potential benefit associated with changing a new system is that is provides productivity gains. By having a system that can perform certain employee tasks reduces money spent on hiring and paying employees and also increases performance time. This also helps relieve employees of certain clerical tasks allowing them to focus on other important issues. Thirdly another benefit associated with changing a new system is it eliminates outdated systems†. System become old and need to be updated constantly in order for them to remain effective. The benefit of updating an outdated system results in better system capabilities and faster processing time. (1) Potential Risks One of the potential risks associated with changing a new system is how the employee will react to the change. Employee will either view the changes being made as good or bad depending on the individuals being affect by the system change. â€Å"Management view changes positively if it increases profits or reduces costs. Employees view the same change as bad if their jobs are terminated or adversely affected† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 588). Employees who view the changes as bad will act out displaying aggression, projection or avoidance. All of these forms of resistance can result in decrease company performance, low morale and sabotage. Resistance usually takes places because of: fear, lack of top management support, negative experience with prior changes, lack of communication, disruptive nature of change, manner in which the change is introduced, person biases and emotions and personal characteristic and background. Managers can help minimize the risk of behavioral problems by electing a manager who can help rally, boost employee’s moral and encourage coworker to help and cooperate with the systems development. Secondly, the manager needs to involve anyone that is affected by the change in the development of the new system. Management should let employees offer suggestions and help in the decision making. Management needs to let employees know which feedbacks will be used and which will not be used and why. By doing this employees become more â€Å"knowledgeable, better trained, and more committed to using the system† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 90). Thirdly management should effectively communicate with anyone who is going to be affected by the system change immediately. The employee should be told of the changes that are going to be made and the benefits the changes will provide to them. Lastly, management should help ease employee fears and stress by â€Å"addressing their concerns and provide assurance (to the extent possible) that job losses and responsibility shift will not occur† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 590). Management should also reassure employees that they will be properly trained on how to use the system. Secondly, another potential risk associated with changing a new system is â€Å"employees are not properly trained†. Companies will sometimes take short-cut because of time and cost associated with training employee. This however can result in the company not being able to reach its expected benefits and return on its investments. Lack of employee training can also result in employees having to ask other employees who are experts in using the system for help thereby â€Å"decreasing productivity of coworkers and increasing company costs†(Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 49). This threat however, can be reduced my companies providing employees with proper training, system documentation and procedural manuals for employees to use. Thirdly, another potential risk associated with changing a new system is â€Å"poor system planning†. Management sometimes may have unrealistic goals and expectations of what they want the system to do or the system may be too complex to under stand which can result in the system failing. In order to mitigate this threat management should set realistic goals and expectations. Management should prepare a feasibility analysis were they address the five aspects (economic, technical, legal, scheduling, and operational feasibility). Management should also prepare a system analysis in order to address the â€Å"current problems, the reason for the change, the proposed system’s objectives, and its anticipated benefits and costs† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 590). Management should evaluate design alternative and have the steering committee to evaluate and chose the best decision that will meet the organization’s needs. Lastly, another potential risk associated with changing a new system is â€Å"not testing the system properly†. Poor system testing can be very costly for a company. Testing should be done in order to discover and eliminate problems as early on in the development process as possible. â€Å"The Gartner Group estimates that bugs discovered later in the SDLC cost 80% to 1,000% more to fix than those discovered earlier† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 646). In order to reduce this threat companies should use debugging techniques in order to discover and eliminated problems. Companies should also test the system by using system testing techniques such as; walk-through, processing test data and acceptance tests. (2a) Purchase Software One of the advantages of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle and having it maintained by the company’s information system group is the company doesn’t have to worry about the risk of â€Å"loss of control† that could result from outsourcing its AIS system. The company is able to manage its system and data without the threat of having to worry about their losing its system and data. Secondly, another advantage of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle and having it maintained by the company’s information system group is increased service. Poor service can result if the company chose to outsource its AIS to Oracle. By the company housing its own AIS will result in the company be able to better respond to changes in organization. Lastly, another advantage of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle and having it maintained by the company’s information system group is flexibility. The company is under no contractual agreement so if at any time the company becomes dissatisfied with the product or needs to change products because of structural changes, the company can do so without consequences. If the company would have chosen to outsource its AIS to Oracle then the company would have to follow the terms and agreements stated in the contract or risk legal and costly consequences. One of the disadvantages of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle is risk of the software â€Å"not being flexible, easily maintained and user friendly-software. This can result in the company having to spend money in order to maintain the system and to keep it running efficiently. By purchasing a system that is not user friend will result in employee who will be resistance to use the system and time wasted trying to train employees on how to use the system. This threat can reduce by the company investigating and researching other companies that use the software and their feedback on the program. Secondly, another disadvantage of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle is the risk of the software not having adequate control capabilities. Software that doesn’t have adequate control capabilities can result in internal control threats that can cause the company money in time in order to correct. An example is the software the companies purchase for Oracle should not give accounts payable employees access to accounts receivables duties and vice versa. This threat can be reduce by the company performing tests on the software in order to make sure that the software is error free and that the controls are working properly. Lastly, another disadvantage of the company choosing to purchase the software from Oracle is the risk of the software not meeting all mandatory specifications. By the software not being able to meet all of the companies need will result in the company having to waste money in order to modify the software or to purchase software that will meet the company’s needs. This threat can be reduced by the company evaluating all system proposals and selecting the best system. The company should compare the software with the â€Å"system requirements in order to determine if all mandatory requirements are met and how many desirable requirements are met† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 614). (2b) Modifying Current AIS  One of the advantages of the company choosing to modify its AIS with the help of consultants is â€Å"freeing up systems resources†. According to the information provided the information system group will rely on the consultants to assist in the development, configuration, and testing of the system. This will help free up systems resources and â€Å"reduce both the invisible and the invisible backlog of systems development projects† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 618). Secondly another advantage of the company choosing to modify its AIS with the help of consultants is â€Å"versatility and ease of use†. The software developed by the consultant will easy to understand and use because the consultants can modify the information they produce or change application at any time the company needs them to be changed. This is helpful work employee who work from home or employees on business trip and employees on airplane for business meetings. Lastly, another advantage of the company choosing to modify its AIS with the help of consultant is timeliness. Consultants are able to develop the software more quickly and with little ease than the company would be able to. This due to the company having to get budget approval, provide detailed requirement definitions, cost/benefit analysis, and other political requirements that may halt or slow the development process. One of the disadvantages of the company choosing to modify its AIS is â€Å"poorly controlled and documented systems†. According to the information given the company’s information system group is going to rely on consultants to assist in the development, configuration, and testing of the system. The company runs into problems this way because the consultants may not install controls in order to protect the system. Also because the consultants may view documenting the system as boring and unimportant, this may result in them not creating very good system documentations. By consultant not creating or creating poor system documentation will lead to the employees not fully understanding how to operate the system. Secondly another disadvantage of the company choosing to modify its AIS with the help of consultant is â€Å"inexperienced consultants†. This can result in the company hiring consultants who have little understanding about the business environment and how it operates result in poorly written software that does not meet the company’s strategic plans and goals. In order to mitigate this threat the company should evaluate each consulting group that has experience in the company’s industry and an in-depth understanding of how the company conducts its business. Lastly, another disadvantage of the company choosing to modify its AIS with the help of consultant is â€Å"poorly written and vague contracts†. This can result contracts having to be rewritten causing the company money for having to reimburse contractors. This can also result in the consultants not creating systems that didn’t specify system requirements and performance criteria. In order to mitigate this threat the company should â€Å"sign a contract that rigorously defines the relation between the company and the developer, places responsibility for meeting system requirements on the developers and allows the project to be discontinued if key conditions are not met† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 617). (2c) Outsourcing is hiring an outside company to handle all part of an organizations data processing activities† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 619). The company is considering hiring an outside company in order to do the installation because this will involve very little work on the company’s information system side. One of the benefits of the company choosing to outsource its AIS system to Oracle and have them to maintain the system is the â€Å"development time is lesser†. According to the information given if the company chooses to outsource it will take no more than 15 months to complete the project. If the company decided not to outsource, it may result in the development of the system taking longer than 15 months to complete and the company only has 18 months to complete the project. It would also take Oracle less time to develop the system then the company, because Oracle is the maker of the application â€Å"PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management†, because of this Oracle would be able to â€Å"develop and implement the system faster and more efficiently than in-house staff† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 620). Oracle will be able to cut through the development politics unlike the company which may have to follow stringent guidelines when developing the AIS. Secondly, another benefit of the company choosing to outsource its AIS system to Oracle and have them to maintain the system is the â€Å"access to greater expertise and better technology†. By the company letting Oracle install, configure and maintain the AIS application, this greatly reduces the cost and time that would be wasted by the company â€Å"in staying at the cutting edge of technology were rising significantly† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 20). Since Oracle already know the system it would be more logical to let them be responsible for upgrading and keeping the system maintain because they would have a better understanding and knowledge of how the system functions. Lastly, another benefit of the company choosing to outsource its AIS system to Oracle and have them to maintain the system is, it is an â€Å"Excellent strategic and economic business solution. By allowing Oracle to handle the AIS this will give the company a chance to focus on other important areas of the business. â€Å"Outsourcing is a viable strategic and economic business solution that allows companies to concentrate on core competencies† (Romney Steinbart, 2012, p. 620). The company is able to work on the areas that is does successful in and leave the AIS application â€Å"PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management† to people who understand and know how to maintain and handle the system. The company will need to treat Oracle as a partner and work side-by-side with them in order for the company to meet its strategic and operational objective. One of the disadvantages of the company choosing to outsource its AIS system to Oracle and have them to maintain the system is because of the â€Å"inflexibility in contracts†. If the company becomes unhappy or decides to change its AIS it will be extremely difficult or costly to break the contract. For example the contract between the company and Oracle may stipulate a 10 year contract with a cost of $5 million dollars if the contract has been breached. If the company changes its mind whether because being unhappy with Oracles performances or structural changes and decide to cancel the contract at year five, this will result in the company having to pay $5 million dollars because they breached the contract which was for 10 years.

The Industrial Training Process Management Essay

The Industrial Training Process Management Essay According to Davis Industrial training is a kind of experiential learning which students take the chance to apply learned theories and knowledge from education institutional into the real world situation. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for students to learn new theories and skills from industry. According to Tony (2010) industrial training programme have the potential to help students to learn in two ways. First, students can develop practical skills through activities during the period of industrial training such as dealing with customers, using software, and experiencing work procedures. Second, they can acquire supervisory and managerial skills by practice and observation. As stated by Hughes (2012) several studies have explored the learning outcomes of industry training programme for intern students. The most common conclusion is that industrial training programme plays an important role in developing transferrable soft skills such as communication skill, customer relations, team work, leadership skill and problem solving skill. However, he also further explains that industrial training programme also provides learning benefits that extend beyond the development of skills and knowledge. Some students have reported that their industrial training experience has resulted in increasing of students confidence. Lee (2006) also support the viewpoint by proposed that the benefits of industrial training programs is significant which includes improved student self development, social skills and increased practical knowledge and skills of students. Besides that, he also identified new learning outcomes for students who participate in industrial training programm e. The new outcomes are including increased understanding of how organizations function, increased ability to view career expectations realistically, increased interpersonal skill, increased ability to take initiative, increased ability to adapt to change, increased leadership skills and increased financial management skills. 2.2 Career exploration Hughes (2012) observed that industrial training programme had provided an opportunity to students to have an intensive, work-based exposure to a broad range of operations within an organization. He further states that those students will develop a better understanding of how organizations function if they have gone through the industrial training process. Beggs and et al. (2008) stated that a successful industrial training programme produces graduates with high quality learning, knowledge, skills, and the ability to meet the needs of the industry. An industrial training will provide an opportunity for students to examine career or occupancy possibilities in a realistic and real world environment and to explore a possible fit with a particular workplace. It is an excellent way to acquire transferable both soft and hard skills and the specific detailed knowledge necessary in todays workplace. Paulins (2008) agreed that industrial training programme will prepare students with realistic expectations of their future careers and to provide them with opportunities to polish career skills. According to Hsu (2012) in the industrial training process, the students can realize that the learning knowledge from their education institutional whether applied in the workplace or not, so that he/she can gain expertise in the novice field. At the same time, intern students can also learn the way to establish interpersonal relationships either with customers, colleagues or the head of department. Industrial training programme not only aim to provide students with real world working experiences through their industrial training programme but also to enhance professional skill development by practice operation in the workplace. Feldman (1999) agreed by highlighted three benefit of industrial training programme. First, industrial training programme will help to crystallize students career interests, values, and choice of vocation. Second, industrial training may help lessen the entry shock of the real working environment. Third, industrial training may help increase students opportun ities of getting hired upon graduation either by their industrial training employer or by other companies that look on their industrial training experience. Bao and Fang (2012) proposed that students increasingly demand in well-organized industrial training programs so that they can acquire professional skills, test career choice and gain a greater understanding of the industries requirements so that they are well prepared and get ready for the future career. Chin and Jen (2012) proposed that attending industrial training programme is the most credible way to experience work reality since students could receive valuable training along with hands-on experience during the industrial training programme. Besides that, when students has pass through the industrial training programme, it might decrease the chance of reality shock when the graduates students are first in jobs. Chin and Jen (2012) also perceive that the higher the level of students satisfaction on industrial training programme, the greater the possibility of students returning to the industry after their graduation. Paulins (2008) also noted that students whose industrial traini ng experiences are satisfying will have more positive feelings toward the career search. According to Muhamad (2009) industrial training programme is perceived as the most effective strategy for the employment opportunity. Practical experience and exposure gained during the industrial training programme are found to be helpful in improving career decision making as it is the best way for students to explore the suitability of a particular job. Industrial training programme may smooth the way for permanent employment upon graduation as well as providing an in-depth understanding of actual operation practice. It was found that graduates students who have gone through an industrial training programme tend to be receiving a great number of job offers and faster gain their first jobs than those students without industrial training experience. 2.3 Mentorship According to Phoebe (2010) mentorship is the most important ingredients of a successful industrial training programme. (Liu, 2011) define mentoring is a degree to which the supervisor(or mentors) assigns challenging tasks to the intern students, provides proper assistance in completing the tasks, and purposefully helps to build the positive impression of students towards the organization. Kamler (2006) noted that mentoring has been proven effective to help students in understanding organizational culture, function of operation and natural of job. In addition, mentoring also providing access to informal and formal networks of communication, and offering professional stimulation to both supervisors and interns. (Liu, 2011) further explained that supervisors are critical figures in interns students work lives. Supervisors are responsible in determine the types of tasks assigned to interns students and responsible for evaluating students performances for future recruitment decisions. Hen ce, the most effective way for students to impress their future employers is to impress their immediate supervisors and establish good relationships with them since they are in short duration of industrial training. Therefore, a positive relationship between supervisors and intern students is a critical factor in determining the success of industrial training programs. Shimoni(2007) suggested that mentoring can consist of emotional and psychological support, direct assistance with career and professional development, and role modeling for intern students. According to Kay (2008) psychosocial functions is a critical component in mentorship that will influence emotional responses of intern student toward their workplace. Supervisors serve to delineate of students work responsibilities and offer strategies for managing conflicting of the job. Psychosocial support allows students to hold positive attitudes toward the work environment and overcome with the stress of career management. Mentoring will equips the students with improved problem solving skills in managing problems and conflicts. Students who gain a sense of satisfaction and achievement in performing and accomplishing their tasks, they are more likely to continually learn with increased competence, and gain greater recognition than those who lack mentors. Kutsyuruba (2012) suggested that supervisors providing mentoring support such as coaching, guiding and counseling to supporting their intern students will have personal benefits for students, such as stronger self-confidence, self development, and developed sense of responsibility and increased motivation. David (2000) agreed that the interns students is usually visits the mentor at the job site to learn first-hand activities, responsibilities, problems, and lifestyles associated with the mentors profession. The main purpose of mentorship  is the growth and development  of  the student beyond intellectual and skill areas. The benefits  of  mentorships are recognized as providing high-level learning experiences, providing opportunities  for  talent development, promoting psychosocial development in areas  of  responsibility, self-directed learning, feelings  of  competence, sense  of  identity, and highlighting the connections between students interests and t he larger world. 2.4 Conclusion In a nutshell, industrial training programme is a very important component in an education institutional for students. Industrial training programme provides a learning platform for students as students can develop practical skill, managerial skills and soft skills. Those skills include dealing with customer, use the latest software, enhance in communication skill and others. Besides that, students can gain learning benefits beyond the development of skills and knowledge as students can gain self confidence, self development through industrial training programme. Furthermore, new learning outcomes are defined for students who participate in industrial training programme including increased understanding of how organizations function, increased ability to view career and others. On the other hand, industrial training programme also provide an opportunity for students to examine career possibilities in a real world environment and to examine whether or not they are fit with a particula r workplace. The advance working in a realistic will allow them to polish their career skill. Moreover, industrial training programme will help to crystallize students career interests, values, and choice of vocation. Industrial training may also help to lessen the entry shock of the real working environment and increase students opportunities of getting hired upon graduation since they have working experience. Practical experience and exposure gained during the industrial training programme are found to be helpful in improving career decision making as it is the best way for students to explore the suitability of a particular job. Besides that, mentorship is also a critical component in an industrial training programme. Mentorship help students in understanding organizational culture, function of operation and natural of job. Besides that, psychosocial functions is a critical component in mentorship that will influence emotional responses of intern student toward their workplace as it allows students to hold positive attitudes toward the work environment and overcome with the stress of career management. In the case, problem solving skill and sense of job satisfaction will increase so that students would like to continuously learning. Mentorship which mentor provide guiding, counseling will benefit students from develop self-confidence, increase motivation and so on. In addition, mentorship  is a platform that allows growth and development  of  the student beyond intellectual and skill areas such as development in areas  of  responsibility, self-directed learning and other benefits as well.