The structure and development of curriculum

The construction and development of course of study involves many characteristics, including how it is organised, the ends to be achieved in instruction, procedures of instruction, larning and appraisal, and eventually how it the course of study will provide for the hereafter scholars. We will detect how the course of study model is broken into these classs to organize the construction and development. Department of Education and Training ( 2008 ) Queensland course of study criterion demands province â€Å" All schools are required to develop and keep up-to-date course of study programs in audience with the school community. This planning ensures that appraisal, instruction and coverage match the intended course of study. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) Curriculum planning is divided into three degrees in schools, whole-school course of study, plan the sequence of larning across all twelvemonth degrees, program each twelvemonth degree, term and unit. The cours e of study procedure is to educate scholars, develop accomplishments and cognition so they will be able to lend within society. To specify course of study in footings of a papers which includes inside informations about ends or aims, content, learning techniques, rating and appraisal is the cardinal values that represent educating. The Department of Education and preparation of Queensland ( 2008 ) states the course of study is â€Å" all the planned acquisition that is offered and enacted by a school. † The model of Queensland course of study includes a acquisition environment, resources, learning attacks and schemes, appraisal and plans methods, values relationships, and behaviors between equals and instructors. All these elements are linked and supply the experiences that contribute to scholars larning. â€Å" A good course of study has each of these elements aligned so that intended acquisition is what is assessed and what pupils achieve. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) .Therefore, this papers attempts to widen the focal point on specifying a specific position on what a scholar can carry through under the counsel of school acquisition. Curriculum is organised through range and sequencing. Scope refers to the degree and the agreement of the course of study elements that occur across topics, while, sequence refers to the interrupting the content and acquisition experiences into manageable stairss to ease acquisition over a period of clip. Example of range and sequence used in schools is the grammar range and sequence which each twelvemonth degree will cover a selected component of grammar. Year two ( 2 ) instructors teach larning elements of nouns, by placing appellative words, word edifice with nouns, and twelvemonth six ( 6 ) will utilize the elements of complex genitive nouns, introduce abstract and common nouns. The range considers the procedures or accomplishments that occur in topics. Scoping is structured how topics are taught through activities or incorporating units. Scope and Sequence provides information for instructors about the literacy genres, numeracy chances and demands, and possibilities for utilizing ICT in the acquisition plan for each of the Key Learning Areas in each twelvemonth. By utilizing the range and sequence administration it allows instructors to concentrate chiefly on the intended course of study, supplying support for instructors on what to learn, how to learn it and how to measure it. Therefore, leting instructors to do the most of larning in their category. â€Å" The sequences for each Key Learning Area outline nine old ages of schooling. In peculiar, the learning descriptions sketching what is indispensable for pupils to cognize, understand and be able to make by the terminal of Old ages 3, 5, 7, and 9 are critical for future acquisition and progress.. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) Within each of the eight Key larning Areas: English, Health and Physical Education, Languages other than English ( LOTE ) , Mathematics, Science, Studies of Society and Environment, Technology and The Arts there is a sequence, statements depicting what indispensable acquisition is to be addressed within the Queensland Curriculum. Using the range and sequence acquisition depict what the scholar does as a consequence of the acquisition chances and environment hence provides a consequence, or result of the learning procedure: The construction of the Queensland course of study relates to several theoretical accounts of course of study, the process-based theoretical account affecting consecutive stages of course of study design and development relates to Tyler ‘s theoretical account of course of study, which includes aims followed by content or acquisition experiences, so utilizing a method or organizing larning experiences such as range and sequencing, and eventually rating or appraisal. But, the Queensland model of course of study besides relates to Skilbeck ‘s theoretical account because â€Å" A course of study that maximises the acquisition of all pupils is one that recognises and celebrates diverseness and engages all pupils in intellectually disputing larning experiences. It provides pupils with clear guidelines on what they are larning and how they will be assessed. It involves a scope of learning schemes to run into different larning demands and explicit learning to scaffold pupils â⠂¬Ëœ larning so that they develop and consolidate the needed cognition and accomplishments to run into the awaited hereafter demands of work and citizenship. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) Skilbeck ‘s Situation theoretical account examines the chief context and needs that continues throughout the procedure of development and execution of plans hebdomadal or day-to-day instruction. The consideration of these factors stairss in the course of study procedure of state of affairs analysis, end preparation. plan edifice, reading and execution and feedback, appraisal & A ; Reconstruction. Skilbeck ‘s theoretical account, to the full considers the ‘situation ‘ or context of the course of study holding external factors and internal factors. The external factors includeCultural and societal alterations outlooks and alterationsRelationships between grownups and kids, community premises and valuesEducational system demands e.g. policy statements, appraisal processsChanging nature of capable affairSupport systemsExpected flow of resourcesInternal FactorsStudents pupil: aptitudes, abilities and educational demandsTeachers values, attitudes, accomplishments, cognition, experience, particular strengths and failings, functionsSchool ethos and constructions and decision-making construction, power sharingResourcesProblems and defects in the bing course of studySchool communityThe intent or end of instruction is to advance instruction and acquisition construction within a schoolroom and or school environment, is to do the most of a scholars ‘ acquisition and support scholars to accomplish their full potency. That larning experiences connect with bing cognition and accomplishments, pupils educational learning encourage a deeper apprehension and that scholars can link purposeful. The rules found in the Model policy provinces â€Å" Quality course of study maximizes each pupil ‘s educational potency All instruction and acquisition should be founded in the belief that, with good instruction, the right support and sufficient clip, every pupil can develop cognition, accomplishments and understanding to accomplish at higher degrees. Teachers need to believe in their pupils as scholars, have high outlooks, and see themselves as responsible for bettering the learning accomplishment of their pupils. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) The development of the course of study involves a course of study for all learning facets of the indispensable ways of working and knowledge guaranting that scholars are engaged with acquisition and develop their cognition and apprehension. â€Å" This includes advancing excellence through a course of study that supports all pupils to develop a deep apprehension of of import capable affair and the rational tools and schemes to believe for themselves and to pull off their ain acquisition † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) . Curriculum engages scholars with schemes to develop sound apprehension. Teachers using these larning activities will steer scholars, to work towards constructing on their cognition, by using, explicating, interpretation, and processing. Guaranting that a scholar will accomplish and take part within their acquisition is an intended portion of the course of study. Teaching and larning patterns within a school environment promote the pupil to maximize their educational potency. Through good instruction, back uping scholars, it will help with the developing their cognition and apprehension. .Therefore, scholars are prosecuting with support and scaffolding between each other to derive farther apprehension, guaranting that the cirrculum provides pupils the key tools and schemes to believe for themselves and larn how to pull off their acquisition. The quality appraisal of pupil acquisition is an go oning class of action of roll uping relevant informations to find what a scholar knows, understands and reflect on country of the course of study that need support. The rules of appraisal require appraisal be applicable, and should supply dependable information on the scholars accomplishments. Students should cognize what they have to larn and what the standard or criterion will be set for assessment undertakings. Learners showing their high order of thought, they can use their new accomplishment to other contents. By supplying feedback, it will supply scholars to reflect on their acquisition and place different stairss to better. Assessment is to reflect on the apprehension of their acquisition. â€Å" Achievement of the intended course of study including the quality or criterion of accomplishment, assessment patterns should besides play an educative function for pupils, enabling them to reflect on their acquisition -particularly misconceptions and spreads in their cognition – and take some duty for their ain ongoing acquisition † . ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) . This new coevals has wholly different larning manners these demands should be considered in schoolroom instruction ; engineering plays an built-in portion within today ‘s society. Learners are prosecuting larning to suit with new engineerings. â€Å" The course of study should reflect and construct on the digital literacy ‘s that pupils already have. † ( Department of Education and Training, 2008 ) Therefore, in decision, schools course of studies make the critical part to the pupil ‘s hereafter, wellbeing, prosperity, and societal society accomplishments. The course of study needs to work towards developing capablenesss, every bit good as accomplishing outcome ends in the gaining of specific cognition. The course of study must travel beyond merely schooling foundation of instruction ; these accomplishments are farther required in the workplace, community and recreational milieus. The course of study is one manner to anchor the construct of life-long acquisition in a cognition society. Quality instruction and acquisition patterns within a school environment promote the pupil to maximize their educational potency. Through good instruction, back uping scholars, it will help with the developing their cognition and apprehension. .MentionsBrady L: Kenndy, K. ( 2007 ) . Cirriculum Construction ( 3rd ed. ) . Pearson Education Australia.Department of Education and Training. ( 200 8 ) . Department of Education and Training. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from P-12 Curriculum Framework: hypertext transfer protocol: //education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/framework/p-12/index.htmlMarsh, C. ( 2003 ) . Cardinal Concepts for understanding cirriculum. New York: RoutledgeFalner.Nicholls, A.. Nicholls, H.. ( 1978 ) . Developing a cirriculum. London: Biling & A ; Sons Ltd.Queensland Studies Authority. ( 2010 ) . Queensland Studies Authority. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.qsa.qld.edu.au/

Reed Supermarkets: a New Wave of Competitors

Reed Supermarkets. Spring 2013Meredith Collins faces the problem of choosing the most appropriate marketing strategy for Reed Supermarkets to implement so that the company increases its market share in the Columbus, OH market from 14% in 2010 to a target of 16% in 2011. This goal should be accomplished in spite of the new competitive challenges posed by the rising prominence of dollar and limited selection stores in the food retailing industry.SWOT AnalysisInternal Strengths Reed’s quality image and exceptionally attentive customer service;Full range offerings;Attractive stores, long hours, and elegant service? case displays.Internal WeaknessesMany consumers perceive Reed’s prices are high;Capital expenditure policy freezing; 3. No consensus within management on what strategy to implement for market share growth.External OpportunitiesThe new consumer is more savvy, health and cost? conscious;Growth of private label merchandise; 3. Columbus’s economic environment is more favorable than state’s and nation’s economic environments;External Threats Dollar and Limited Selection Stores increasing market share / Aldi’s projected new stores;Economic downturn; . Significant dwindling of customer loyalty.Reed’s management is currently assessing the following alternatives to increase its market share in the Columbus market:Continue its ongoing â€Å"dollar special† campaign;Terminate the â€Å"dollar special† campaign and implement an everyday low pricing model;Convey the value created to consumers by reinforcing the range and quality of offerings;Increase low priced specials, expand private label brands, and introduce double couponing.In addition, I would also consider the following alternative: Make an offer to buy some of Galaxy’s troubling Columbus stores.In evaluating the aforementioned alternatives, Reed’s management will have to take into account that, in order to meet the targeted market s hare of 16% in 2011, they will have to increase their sales volume by $94 million, which represents a 14% increase compared to 2010 (see appendix). The present â€Å"dollar special† campaign was an attempt from Reed’s to change consumer’s perception that they have higher prices. Some Reed’s managers are confident that in another six months they will be able to change this perception while, at the same time, they reinforce customer loyalty.However, some executives believe also that the campaign detracted from Reed’s quality image as it seemed to be too close to the offering of dollar stores which could damage Reed’s image through association. The scope of this campaign (250 out of 50,000 items) does not seem sufficient to generate the additional sales required. Other executives suggest implementing an everyday low pricing model in order to tackle, in a more aggressive fashion, the high? priced image that Reed carries. This would likely requir e a complete switch of the company’s positioning from a high? nd store to a medium, more value? focused positioning. Reed’s image, as a quality and customer service oriented, could be extremely damaged by such a switch. Additionally, it would be expected that other discount stores would be reacting aggressively to this strategy. Another option is to reinforce Reed’s current positioning as a high? end store by emphasizing the range and quality of its offerings. Such strategy appeals to the more affluent households, which are more keen on premium private labels and organic produce.This customer segment has been the backbone of Reed’s growth in the past 20 years, and the company wants to be ready to satisfy its upscale tastes as the economy recovers. Operations Director Jane Wu offered yet another alternative: increase low? priced specials, expand private label brands, and introduce double couponing. The new consumer that emerged from the 2007? 2009 recessio n is more savvy and cost? conscious, which is demonstrated by the increasing share of wallet captured by dollar and limited selection stores.By acknowledging this new reality and resorting to the strategy suggested by Director Wu, the company can potentially attract new customers and appeal to both fill? in â€Å"trippers† and full grocery â€Å"runners†. This seems to be a sound strategy in order for the company to capture, in the short? term, the $94 million additional sales required to meet the target market share. It is unclear, however, if this strategy could hurt the quality image recognized to Reed’s supermarkets and as a result drive high? nd customers away. On the other hand, during difficult economic times, such as the downturn of 2008? 2011, consumers tend to opt for value. Finally, we should not discard the introduction of new stores as a strong alternative for increasing sales. The company has consistently expanded the chain in the past, with the ne w stores accomplishing similar results to existing ones. Reed’s management has made it clear that it does not wish to have capital expenditures in form of new stores in 2011.But, a struggling Galaxy chain in the Columbus market could represent an interesting opportunity for Reed to acquire some of its stores at a discounted price, and this way meeting the sales volume required for the 16% market share. Given the resistance from Reed’s management to resort to additional capital expenditure, my recommendation is that the company implements the alternative suggested by Director Wu, i. e. increase low? priced specials, expand private label brands, and introduce double couponing. For the

Art essay Essay Example for Free

Art essay Essay Essay Topic: Art , Essay Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Does art imitate life – or is it the other way around? Traditionally, we have believed that art imitates life. The painter represents what he or she sees by producing a scene on a canvas. The sculptor does the same with bronze or stone. A photographer or film maker does it even more directly. A writer describes life in his or her books. This simple concept is known as mimesis. But some have questioned the one-way nature of mimesis by arguing that art also changes the way we view the world, and in fact, life sometimes imitates art rather than the other way around. The person who first articulated this belief effectively was Oscar Wilde. Speaking about the foggy conditions in London in the late 19th century, he wrote that the way we perceive them changed because of art. Referring to the â€Å"wonderful brown fogs that come creeping down our streets, blurring the gas lamps and turning houses into shadows† he argued that â€Å"poets and painters have taught [people] the loveliness of such effects†. According to Wilde, â€Å"They did not exist till Art had invented them. † [pic] And you don’t have to look too far to see anti-mimesis in our lives. To what extent is our outlook on life altered by ideas we read in books? The portrayal of people in films? The styles we see in fashion photography? One great example of this is the TV series The Sopranos, and how it affected both the Mafia in the USA and the FBI. Art’s influence on society: propaganda and censorship Throughout history, it has always been the case that art has the power to change society, especially when new media are used to express an idea. During the First World War, for example, movie cameras were used for the first time to record trench warfare – when the film was shown in cinemas in Britain, audiences ran out screaming. This led to the government censoring further such use of such a powerful medium. And in government censorship, and use of art as propaganda, we see how seriously governments take the effect of art. All of the major dictators of the C20th understood the power of art to influence the population. In Nazi Germany, Hitler set up the Ministry of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. It was headed by Goebbels, who made sure that nothing was published, performed, or exhibited without his approval. [pic]When this happens, you know there isn’t going to be a happy ending And what Goebbels approved, of course, only fit in with Nazi ideology and ideas. In terms of art, this meant no modern and abstract art, certainly nothing hostile to the regime, and nothing that featured images other than the stereotypical blonde-haired, blue eyed set in idyllic pastoral scenes of blissful happiness. [pic] [pic] In Stalinist Russia, there was also a keen understanding of the power of art. Art portrayed contented peasants, industrious workers, and Stalin himself. In fact, Stalin was shown god-like in many paintings, a phenomenon known as the Cult of Stalin. Just as in Germany, gigantic architectural projects expressed the power of the state. [pic] [pic] However, there is no doubt that in Russia there were greater artistic achievements than in Nazi Germany. Composers worked with fewer hindrances – as seen in the works by Prokoviev and Shostakovich, and film-makers such as Eisenstein emerged. Art’s influence on society: the trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover But even under less oppressive governments, the artistic expression of certain ideas can be subject to control. One great example is the book ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ by DH Lawrence, which was deemed offensive on many levels. In this book, Constance Reid, a woman from a progressive liberal middle class family marries a minor member of the aristocracy, Lord Clifford Chatterley, and takes the title ‘Lady Chatterley’. But her husband is injured in the First World War, confined to a wheelchair, and left impotent. Despite this, he becomes a successful writer and businessman. It is more his obsession with financial success and fame rather than any physical difficulties which come between him and his wife, and she begins an affair with their gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. The largely aristocratic ‘establishment’ of Britain at the time – the book was published in Italy in 1928 – were shocked by many aspects of the book. First, there was the fact that the book was ‘obscene’, in the way it went into explicit detail the affair that took place (see below). Second, there was the fact that a women was breaking her marriage vows, something considered far worse than a man behaving in the same way. Finally, it represented an intimate relationship between a member of the ‘lower’ classes (although it emerges during the story that Mellors is actually well-educated, and became an officer in the army during the First World War) and the ‘upper’ classes, a concept that was totally taboo in Britain at that time. The book was duly banned. [pic] But the book was republished by Penguin books in 1960. The attorney general, Reginald Manningham-Buller (dubbed ‘Bullying-Manners’ by the journalist and author Bernard Levin) had to read only four chapters to decide to prosecute Penguin books for publishing it. What annoyed him was not just the content, but the fact that the price of the book meant it was affordable to women and members of the lower classes (remember that only few women worked at this time, and husbands were generally in charge of family finances). The trial was a disaster for Manningham-Buller and the prosecution. They had failed to find any experts to support their case, in stark contrast to Penguin’s defence team, which had brought in authors, journalists, academics, and even members of the clergy to defend the book. Manningham-Buller and his team had very little idea of what Lawrence had been trying to express in his book, regularly being caught out by the superior insight of the witnesses they were trying to catch out. And although they tried to shock the jury – in his opening speech, Manningham-Buller announced: â€Å"The word ‘fuck’ or ‘fucking’ appears no less than 30 times . . . ‘Cunt’ 14 times; ‘balls’ 13 times; ‘shit’ and ‘arse’ six times apiece; ‘cock’ four times; ‘piss’ three times, and so on. † – they were unable to prove that the book would have a negative influence on the readers it was aimed at. According to the Guardian: No other jury verdict in British history has had such a deep social impact. Over the next three months Penguin sold 3m copies of the book – an example of what many years later was described as â€Å"the Spycatcher effect†, by which the attempt to suppress a book through unsuccessful litigation serves only to promote huge sales. The jury – that iconic representative of democratic society – had given its imprimatur to ending the taboo on sexual discussion in art and entertainment. Within a few years the stifling censorship of the theatre by the lord chamberlain had been abolished, and a gritty realism emerged in British cinema and drama. (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning came out at the same time as the unexpurgated Lady Chatterley, and very soon Peter Finch was commenting on Glenda Jackson’s â€Å"tired old tits† in Sunday Bloody Sunday and Ken Tynan said the first â€Å"fuck† on the BBC. ) Homosexuality was decriminalised, abortions were available on reasonable demand, and in order to obtain a divorce it was unnecessary to prove that a spouse had committed the â€Å"matrimonial crime† of adultery. Judges no longer put on black caps to sentence prisoners to hang by the neck until dead. Can we say, though, that it was art in this case that changed society, or was it an interaction between human sciences (ie, the law) and the arts (the book) that led to change? This is from the same Guardian article: †¦the message of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, half a century after the trial, is that literature in itself does no harm at all. The damage that gets attributed to books – and to plays and movies and cartoons – is caused by the actions of people who try to suppress them. See: â€Å"The trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover† The effect of art: presentation [pic] What other piece of art has profoundly changed the way we view the world? And was it the art that did it, or the way it was used that made the impact? Use the link below to help you introduce to us an influential piece of art. Think about the type of change it wrought, for example, ethical, social, metaphysical, etc. Art essay. (2017, Jun 01).

Week 2 - IT STRATEGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 2 - IT STRATEGY - Essay Example Therefore, by determining both the short and long term impact of the project to the organization through evaluation, the governance body finds stable grounds to prioritize an IT project (Dye & Pennypacker, 1999). Secondly, IT projects can be prioritized, by the governance body, through analysis of the value of the business to all the stakeholders (both external and internal). This analysis need to define the business value in terms of cost, quality, efficiency and flexibility. All these factors are crucial as they allow the governance body to identify or rather find the priorities of different stakeholders. Involving the key stakeholders is as important as the business itself because they need to have an understanding of the projects’ nature and how they will impact on the entire business. This levels the playing field for all stakeholders and cuts across the culture and political aspects in the organization. Therefore, an IT project can be given priority according to the preferences or priorities of the business’ stakeholders (Rad & Levin,

Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cause and Effect - Essay Example In middle- and upper-class families, parents often encourage their children to be successful; indeed, many parents become too involved in their teenagers’ lives, pushing them to overachieve and not allowing them to live or accomplish life on their own. This not only causes stress in these teenagers’ lives, but it also causes them to often feel like they are falling short of their parents’ expectations. They begin to feel that they are not good enough, which leads to the teenager feeling depressed. When the teenager is unsuccessful in making their parents happy, they tend to take it out on themselves, often by telling themselves that they are worthless or helpless. Another way in which parents can cause depression in their teenagers is if they are going through a divorce, or are otherwise constantly fighting with one another, which puts undue stress on the younger members of their family. In many cases, especially after a divorce, teenagers feel as though they are at fault for the actions of their parents. Unfortunately, in many cases, these fears are not put to rest. During the teenage years, people are concerned with how others view them, which effects the way they view themselves. Pressure is put upon teenagers to act a certain way, aim for certain goals, look a specific way, et cetera.

Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pakistan National Conservation Strategy - Essay Example The design of the Institute was initiated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature-Pakistan (IUCN-P) with significant support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), gratefully acknowledged as the Institute's key source of institutional support. The committee formulated for the constitution of SDPI consulted government officials, academics, intellectuals, NGOs and journalists while formulating the by-laws and identifying the first Board of Governors. During eleven years of SDPI's existence, there have been six changes in government. SDPI, as a policy-oriented research institute, has had to re-establish relationships with government each time the administration has changed. Despite this relatively unstable political environment, SDPI has, and intends to continue to produce quality policy research and advocate democratic governance and pro-people initiatives. to contribute to strengthening the social and physical infrastructure for research in Pakistan including the construction and dissemination of databases and research indices and the improvement of library systems There has been little amendment to the existing mandate and goals of the Institute. However, there has been a process of clarification and prioritization. We are keen to retain the strengths that have made SDPI the highly respected Institute it is. We are also aware that a process of restructuring and changing priorities is essential to maximize our comparative advantage and ensure we continue to improve our effectiveness. The strategies below reflect these needs and desires: strengthen linkages between policy, research, advocacy and training maintain the transparent, participatory, 'moral

Organizational Behavior Terms and Concepts Essay

Organizational Behavior Terms and Concepts - Essay Example There is still some disagreement over the topics that contribute to the composition of the framework for organizational behavior but most people agree that the core topics, part of it would include motivation, leader behavior, leadership power, interpersonal communication, attitude development and perception, learning, group structure and processes, work stress, change processes and conflict management (Robbins, 2004). Now incase of Organizational Behavior, diversity usually refers to the workforce diversity. Workforce diversity refers to the increasing heterogeneity of organizations with the inclusion of workers from different groups. These groups may be created on the basis of ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, immigrants, etc. The key, however, to managing workforce diversity is to bring about flexibility in the organization's culture (Robbins, 2004). The organization might need to come up with better work schedules, compensation plans, physical and work settings, benefits and employees' other varied needs, such as, offering child and elder care, job sharing, flexibility in work hours, etc. Communication, in general, can be defined as the transfer and understanding of meaning or ideas or information (Griffin, Moorehead, 2009). This is basically how information and ideas can be conveyed and holds due relevance for an organization. As the world has globalized, information has become an organizations most vital resource, and organizations are willing to invest heavily in ensuring secure and efficient flow of information from one part of the organization to another. Perfect communication, if such a thing were to exist, would only be achieved if an idea or message was transmitted in such a manner that the picture perceived by the receiver would exactly be the same as envisioned by the sender (Robbins, 2004). Organization, in general, is composed of people, i.e. individuals. So, one way of looking at an organization's effectiveness and efficiency would be to look at aggregating the efficiency and effectiveness of all the individuals who are part of the organization. So, Organizational Behavior would tend to focus on factors that may impact the efficiency and effectiveness of an employee. Now there can be a variety of aspects of the organization's culture or the work environment that may negatively impact an individual's effectiveness and efficiency, which may ultimately hurt the organization in the long run. So, the idea is to tweak and change the work environment, so as to raise the level of effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. Factors such as employee morale, compensation, flexibility of the work environment and leadership play a very vital role in it (Griffin, Moorhead, 2009). These factors result in defining the commitment levels of the individual and ultimately the entir e organization. The concept of a learning organization was something managers and organization theorists came up with in response to the growing interdependence of organizations in times of globalization and change. In simple terms, a learning organization is one that has the capacity to continuously adapt and change given the dynamic nature of the macro or external environment. Just as individuals learn, so do organizations, i.e. all organizations learn whether they consciously choose to or not, in order for their sustained existence learning is a basic requirement. However, some companies such as, Wal-Mart, Xerox,

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Management - Essay Example So what challenges do international firms face in a global marketplace? What is the nature, and role of INRP that impact international businesses? This essay explores the diverse elements of INRP in terms of the political, economic, cultural, ethical, and social environment prevalent in different countries; and analyses their impact on businesses with examples drawn from different countries, and trade. This paper concludes with a concise summary of the emerging global challenges to international trade, and business imperatives to overcome them. Globalization has wide encompassing connotations. Whilst the economic integration of businesses has rapidly grown, the political, social, and cultural interfaces across the borders continue to pose challenges to international trade. With maturing economy, institutional transformations become inevitable. In the nascent or emerging phases, economies are often unpredictable and volatile (Meyer, 2001, pp. 357-367). Managing investment and capital in such a market without an understanding of the economic regulations, and trade practices, could turn nightmarish. Scott (2002) categorized the governing institutions as â€Å"regulatory, normative, and cultural-cognitive.† Formal institutions are often characterized by rules, policies, and enforcement laws. Informal institutions on the other hand, are woven around norms, values, and mental models peculiar to a particular geographic region, or country (North, 1994). Such classifications are often useful in international business management for purposes of market analyses. Five decades ago, Hall (1960, pp. 87-96) enunciated five factors that affect bonding of global businesses, which are relevant even in modern day times. Brief interpretations from Hall’s article in the Harvard Business review are summarised below:- Nuances of time: Time has its own silent interpretations across national boundaries. For instance, a delay

Discussion board one Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion board one - Coursework Example For majority of the patients visiting my nursing unit, I have offered quality health care and for those with specialized needs I have offered referrals. This ability to work within my knowledge scope and to offer appropriate referrals have contributed to high autonomy which has resulted to informed decision making when combined with patient trends and cues. Besides autonomy, my exercise of power over the context of practice has seen me yield high quality patient outcomes. My work is in a well equipped nursing unit which is delegated to the duty of ensuring that there are nurses closely working with the patient at all time especially given that the patients are expected to acquire a changed way of life. Additionally, the nursing unit is designed such that each nurse has equal opportunity to contribute or participate in informed decision making especially when it comes to patient needs. I believe that by possessing the power to participate in patient related decision, whether at their bedside or within the nursing unit, I get empowered and empower others which then yield overall improved patient and nursing outcomes. As a nurse, the good health of patients is something I always look forward to achieving. According to Amer (2013) when nurses, especially in rehabilitation units, manages to effectively control both content and context of th eir practice, the result is high quality patient outcomes and job satisfaction for the nurses eliminating burnout and depersonalization. Within the rehabilitation unit, there are rewards for brilliant ideas on handling and relating to patients. However, the people in management opt to wait to reward in future other than go for rewards in the present (Sullivan, 2013). On one such occasion, I managed to contain a difficult patient and every nurse in the unit got excited about the patient’s outcome in a week. I was not rewarded as the unit management remained quiet. However, during the next progress meeting held once a month

Mathematics and Linguistics Essay Example for Free

Mathematics and Linguistics Essay How is Mathematics and Linguistics related with each other? Linguistics is the science of language. Linguists seek to understand the proper uses of natural human language. How languages are structured, how and why they vary and change, how they are acquired, and how people, in communicating use them. Mathematics on the other hand is the language of science. It is used to understand areas as diverse as the structure of DNA and the motions of planets. Mathematics abstracts the fundamental issue at the heart of an example, frequently  finding connections with other, initially contradictory problems. Language is a universal theory. Everyone uses language as a form of communication. This is the same in Mathematics. Math, like linguistics can be broken down into many different sub-categories such as geometry, trigonometry, algebra, etc. Algebra, being a great example of this because, instead of using words, it uses symbols to convey an idea. Forming sentences is like forming an equation. Once the pattern is understood, a person who speaks this type of language is able to understand. Once  one knows the pattern, it is easy to understand the overall meaning of a language without even knowing the vocabulary; therefore linguistics like mathematics is a universal concept. In my research and study of mathematics and linguistics I discovered how important and inter-related both subject areas are to each other. Mathematical linguistics is the study of statistical structure of texts and the construction of mathematical models of the phonological and grammatical structure of languages. Today, the fields of linguistics are used by computer scientists, engineers, and by  mathematicians who are interested in the nature of language processing. To summarize,math deals a lot with patterns, as does linguistics, so understanding patterns is very important. Noam Chomsky , a notable Linguist and Philosopher once stated â€Å" A linguist does not need to have deep understanding of the more complicated fields of mathematics; However a good linguist, is educated enough to see a pattern in language and from there, they are able to properly study and dissect the on going patterns and changes that occurs with languages everyday. †

Dell Financial Statement Analysis of Profitability Ratios

Dell Financial Statement Analysis of Profitability Ratios Introduction Dell is a transnational corporation that develops, manufactures, sells and supports personal computers and other computer products. It came into success during the 1980s and 1990s and became the largest seller of personal computers and servers. The main difference between Dell and it competitors is that Dell sells its products directly to customers. They do so in order to better understand customers needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs and this make Dell so unique. Furthermore Dell uses configure to order approach which means that they deliver computers configured to special customer specifications. To minimize cost just-in-time approach is implemented. Dell maintains a negative cash conversion cycle(CCC) because it uses a direct-sales model via the internet and the telephone network and receives payments for the products before it has to pay for the materials. Other very important aspect is that Dell uses pull system by building computers only after customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed and so they avoid overproduction. Dells major competitors are Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Sun Microsystems, Gateway, Lenovo, Sony, Acer, Toshiba and Asus. Dell stocks are trading on the NASDAQ stock market and Dell belongs to Information Technology Industry (Computer Hardware). Financial statement analysis Profitability ratios Comparing Dells and industrys operating margin, Dells is relatively larger. That means that Dell earns more per dollar of sales than industry. Same is with the 5 year average. Net profit margin is higher as well during the 2009 and 5 year average. That means that Dell generates more profit for every dollar it generate ­s in revenue or sales and of course it is a good signal for the investor as well. Dell has higher gross profit margin comparing to the industry both in recent year and 5 year average. That means that Dell is financially healthy and has a bigger proportion of money left. Return on assets is higher as well comparing both recent year and 5 year average, indicating that Dell has an efficient management and that company is able to generate more profit with its assets. To sum up all indicators shows that Dell performs better comparing to the industry, same in the short-time and in the long-time. Financial strength Dells current ratio comparing to the industry ratio is 0.28 less but still companys current ratio is larger than 1 and that means that company can easily meet short-term debt obligations. So Dell is in relatively good short-term financing standing. Since we could not find the industrys total debt to equity ratio we took Apple Company which is Dells competitor and belongs to the same industry to compare it to the Dells ratio. Dells total debt to equity ratio is 5.2 while Apples is only 0.95. Its a huge difference and it is obviously seen that companys have different management approach. Talking about Dell this kind of total debt to equity ratio can be a little bit frustrating because company with a higher debt/equity ratio may be riskier, especially in times of rising interest rates due to the additional interest that has to be paid out for the debt. But since now interest rates are at all time low, there is not a big issue, of course we need to have in mind that sooner or later interest rates will be changed and it will affect companys performance if it dont manage its debts or increase shareholders equity. We couldnt find industrys quick ratio as well, so we used Apples ratio to compare with. Apples quick ratio is 1.59 which is considerably higher than Dells 1.05. That means that Dell has less ability to use its near cash or quick assets to immediately extinguish its current liabilities To sum up Dell in financial strength didnt perform as good as in the profitability. Of course we should take into account that both companies are fallowing different strategies and overall Dells figures are not bad but should be improved to attract more investors. Growth rates Since we couldnt find industrys earnings per share average we used Apples EPS as the measure to compare with our company. Dells EPS is 1.27 while Apples 0.69. That indicates that Dells stockholders retains more earnings than Apples and its a good signal for the investor. Dell has a higher positive beta comparing to the industry. That means that stocks generally follows the market and has higher response to the market change. We think that in this time its generally good, because after credit crunch market will eventually stabilize and return to its previous positions. Dell pays no dividends because company are buying backing its stocks. Generally its a good signal for the investors because its a signal of confidence. Buy backs also increase demand for stocks driving up prices and by taking shares out of the publics hands, buybacks make earnings-per-share look better, since there are fewer shares among which to divide profits. To sum up Dell in growth rates performs well and has all attractive ratios for the investor. Fundamental analysis shows that Dell performs very well in profitability and growth rates. On the other hand it should increase its financial strength. Overall Dell seems to be good investment. Now we should examine when its the right time to buy dells stocks both for the short and long times. We will ground it by technical analysis. DuPont analysis ROE had the biggest return in 2006 and decreased sharply in 2007 because of the financial crisis. The average ROE during the 5 year period is 0.66 and Dell probably will seek to increase its REO to attract more investors. Technical analysis To analyze Dell as the investment opportunity its not enough just to rely on the fundamental analysis, so we decided to do some technical analysis to determine is it the right time to buy stocks of the company. Graph below shows the trend of the Dells stocks: Source: Nasdaq As you see now it is not the right time to buy Dells stocks. Price of the stocks break through the lower support line and decreased. We dont think that its due to companys financial stability or other major factors related to the company. For short-term investment we could recommend to wait until trend will reverse. Furthermore Dell predicts higher demand for the next year due to stabilization of the world economy, and that of course will increase shareholders equity. We think that if the world economy will stabilize and we already have indicators showing that and there will be no W shape recession Dell stock as the long-term investment is considered as good investment. Individual case analysis Capital Structure There are some possible ways how to use Debt and Equity data to get an informative info about capital structure, so to be more informative will show three charts in which there several possible ways to check how capital structure are placed. As is seen from chart Debt / Equity, debt is higher than equity and this leads to: company is aggressive in financing growth with debt. This growth expansion by issuing debt may effect on future profitability high interest expense. Debt / Equity ratio is falling down in 2009 it is good information, cause in 2008 economical turndown, debt has in proportion to equity decreased which means in more difficult times Dell have reduced risk of default. Interesting information could be taken from Debt / Market Capitalization proportion changes. As can be seen from graphs that comparing market value of a company and equity value from balance sheet, market valued company many times more than it actually is in balance sheet. This could be a signal to be more careful on investing in Dell, because it seems that Dell market price is overvalued. And in 2009 market capitalization of a company has been less then debt is it is very bad signal, but on the other hand market capitalization is going by the trend to get closer to equity value. Dell currently have long term debt by issuing bonds in the bond market, all of which are rated in A, it is in category of investment level. Longest bond maturity date is 2038-04-15. Coupon differs from 3.38% till 7.1% correlates to maturity date. Weighted Average Cost of Capital for Dell is extremely high 38%, the biggest impact of high WACC value is made by very high cost of equity which is based on calculation of ROE. ROE = 65%. High WACC shows high risk probability, increases risk of insolvency. From WACC point of view there must be issuing new debts to repurchase equity, cause by now equity requires big interests expenses. In today situation there is other sources for lower prices of debts than equity holders supplying. Payout policy One-way oriented payout policy Payouts are often called dividends. But not only dividends could be a form of companies payout, companies can repurchase its shares, and it will be called payout. As data showed Dells board of directors made a decision not to pay dividends. Company is only repurchasing its shares. It could be a signal for investors that shares are undervalued. Retained earnings and payout. From 2005 to 2009 Dells retained earnings more than doubled, from 9174 millions to 20677millions. but payout sum havent changed, and for all these 5years it was above 3000millions only in 2005 it skyrocketed to 6000millions. (See Dell balance sheet) Shares repurchases As one of the Dell corporation officers argues, Dell uses only shares repurchase as payout because of business climate. Company is located in climate which requires permanent growth. So Dell needs to invest in order to be competitive in laptops market. Shares repurchases also has same advantages over a dividends. Firstly repurchase of shares helps to reduce opportunity of dilution, or even eliminate it. Secondly it is easier for Dell to balance return for shareholders with other business objectives. And finally it gives more flexibility for shareholders to make a decision then they want to withdraw their investment. Also where some disadvantages of shares repurchases as: There could be some agency conflicts inside the company, if managers have same inside information which is unknown for other share holders they could repurchase shares for less value than intrinsic value of the shares. Shares repurchases can negatively affect liquidity of firms stock, because the will be decrease in shares outstanding. Shares repurchases can also be a result of penalties, because government or other responsible organizations can view shares repurchases as way to help shareholders to avoid taxes. It can also be a negative signal of firms future growth. Key competitors payout policies IBM IBM is one of two key competitors for Dell. Its payout policy differs from Dell, IBM pays dividends for shareholders and also repurchases shares. One of the main reasons why IBM pays dividends could be its revenues which are almost twice as big as Dells. (see table1a, table1b) HPQ HPQ second of Dells key competitor. HPQ also as IBM pays dividends to its shareholders, but amount paid in dividends is two times smaller than IBM. So companies payout policy is the middle compared with IBM and Dell payout policies. (See table2) Dell Company has long term debt. Long term debt is at the moment much bigger than in recent years. In 2009 April, Dell sold 500 million notes, later in June they sold 1 billion worth of bonds. This explains why Dell long term debt is much bigger than in recent years . In comparison Apple had no long term debt in recent years. Apple company has a lot of cash so they do not need to release new bonds and increase long term debt. Dell is an American company which as many other companies hold their part of cash outside the US. Dell chose to access capital markets in order to supplement liquidity ratio in the United States. By accessing the capital markets Dell needs to raise its long term debt. Dell also believes that its share repurchasing is good for the company, that increases operating leverage and this keeps shareholders happy to, so they spend a big part of long term debt for share repurchasing. As we see from the graph in period from 2005-2008 long term debt was not changing dramat ically. In 2008 long term debt was smaller than in last 3 years. One of the main reasons why it was lower is, that Dell was suffering from interest expenses, so they decided to repay their loans and buy back some of bonds in order to decrease interest payments. Company released coupon bonds as well. There are 7 types of bonds, all of them have A rating, and that means that these bonds are high quality. Bonds differ by coupon worth, price and maturity. Dell .GH has the longest maturity (until 2038). All bonds are callable, and that means that the issuer can redeem the bond before the maturity. These bonds most time have higher coupon rate. Short term financing Net working capital during 2005 2008 didnt change a lot, with the average NWC of 1971 million dollars, but in 2009 NWC increased dramatically nearly four-fold comparing to net working capital of 2008. To understand why Dell had such a huge increase in net working capital we need deeper investigation of its Balance Sheet. During 2007 2009 Total Current Assets increased only by 212 million dollars, so its not the driving factor which led to such huge increase in Net Working Capital, but on the Current Liabilities side a situation is different. Accounts payable decreased by 3183 millions dollars to 8309 millions by 2009 and it was the main factor which led to decreased current liabilities and furthermore an increase in Net Working Capital. Other factors like accrued expenses, notes payable, and other current liabilities decreased as well, but they played only a minor role due to a small amount of decrease. Looking at Net Working Capital, we could strongly say that Dell NWC increased due to decrease in accounts payable, which is a good signal to the investors. Dell maintains a negative cash conversion cycle(CCC) because it uses a direct-sales model via the internet and the telephone network and receives payments for the products before it has to pay for the materials. Looking at the last two years Dell improved its accounts payable and decreased to 60 days. Accounts receivable has improved as well to 28 days. Due to its improvements CCC has decreased. If we exclude years 2007 and 2008 as the abnormal receivables and payables due to the financial crisis, average accounts receivable will be 27 days, and accounts payable 73 days. From these calculations we can strongly say that Dell improved and that company will try to keep these figures stable, or improve even more. Industries receivable turnover is 6.17 (source:http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financialHighlights?symbol=DELL.O) while Dells 9.48 in 2009. This implies that Dells collection of accounts receivable is more efficient comparing to the industry average. Industries inventory turnover is 10.26 (source: http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financialHighlights?symbol=DELL.O) while Dells 57.84 in 2009. Comparing to the industry level, Dells inventory turnover is five-fold bigger. That may mean that company is not keeping enough inventories to meet demand. This could equate to loss of sales. But because Dell proceeds its orders only after customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed they avoid overproduction, so high measure of inventory turnover doesnt mean that Dell is in trouble unless other companies which supply Dell with materials will struggle to meet Dells demand But that is another case. To sum it up, I think that Dell manages its working capital well, and performs in most of the cases better than the industry average. Furthermore Dell uses configure to order approach which really helped them during the crisis to avoid overproduction. Dell Net Working Capital increased dramatically and Cash Conversion Cycle decreased almost by the half. All these figures are good signals for the investors. Following the company as financial analyst Since 2005 Dells prices slightly started to fall. Even though there were periods when it lifted, the whole trend was shifting down until it plummeted during end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. From this period company slowly recovered. However at the end of November prices dropped again. In this article stock values during September-November 2009 and major factors affecting it are described. There are also comparison of Dell with other companies, future prospects and solutions for investors included. Using a weekly review of prices following findings were made. Graph above was made by using weekly prices (in dollars) At the beginning of September stock prices started to rise quite significantly till it reached 16.6 in day 8. Then the growth became smaller and from 16.69 in day 14 it dropped to 15.04 at the end of the month. October hadnt been too promising either. At the beginning there was a rise to 15.81 then followed by slight fluctuation stock value dropped from 15.48 in day 19 to 14.45 seven days later. November seemed to be inspiring at first when the trend started rising, but then it dropped from 15.4 at day 9 to 14.29 at day 16. Towards the end of the month trend was pretty much stable, however still slightly decreasing and reached the point of 14.12 at November 30. The graphic shows some fluctuations during these three months. However after each major rise in stock price there is a lot bigger fall which determines the decreasing trend in the whole period. Stock value due to given time span lessened by 1.57. By looking from a bigger scope (the whole 2009 year) stock prices were reaching a peak during these three months which was at September 14th. However an eight month climb in stock prices slackened and continues to head down. There are few main events affecting the trend of stock prices shown in the graph. One of them is acquisition of Perot Systems the other is Dells lost position in worldwide sales from 2nd place to 3rd and the last one is sharp drop in PC sales. The agreement of Perot Systems acquisition on September 21 shows Dells willingness to expand in business and get some market share from IT services was a good sign to investors. It was a move made against Hewlett-Packard (HP) which also used this kind of expanding strategy by acquiring another service company, Electronic Data Systems Corp. This reflects that hardware industry is not as profitable as services. However Dell expects to gain earnings from this deal only at fiscal year 2012. This event hadnt boosted the price of shares significantly but at least helped keeping it from dropping even more. Dell gave its position in worldwide sales and production of PCs to Acer and it made the company lose some of its market share. This was due to strategy not to lower the prices too much even though its market share can suffer. Thats how company wanted to increase profitability. Its worth mentioning that Dell had increased sales internationally. In China, India, Brazil and Russia it was up 18 percent. China is Dells second-largest country in terms of revenue, sales there increased 20 percent. However this did not help much in keeping companies position in worldwide sales. At the end of November a big decline in PC sales appeared. This made Dells stock prices plummet. Dell has been hit by economic crisis just like other brands in computer industry. The only difference is that this particular brand has problems getting back its wellbeing even at the recovering of the IT sector. Companies like Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Acer and some others start to feel the improvement of market conditions and during November had bigger than expected profits. This was influenced by boosting their presence in retail stores and also by the popularity of so called netbook computers that mostly supplemented Acers wallet. The reason why Dell recovers so slowly is its target market. Company focused on corporations and large government agencies that had tightened their spending even at economic recovery and the demand for PCs isnt as robust as hoped. Since these customers made up to 80% of Dells revenue, loss in earnings was substantial. This benefitted Dells rivals and shaped the market by making HP top seller of PCs worldwide. Acer advanced to the second place and pushed D ell to third. Now Michael Dell CEO of company is starting to put some effort to expand Dells presence in consumer PCs sold in stores to improve its condition. When comparing Dell with its competitors big difference in their stock price can be seen. For example when looking at share price of HP during September-November there had been an increasing trend that rose by 3.96 at the end of period when looking at weakly closing prices. Apple had also boosted stock value that lifted from 170.31 to 199.91 during these three months. There are more examples of increasing value of companies in IT sector unfortunately Dell is not joining them. In future Dell market position should start recovering. Firstly the acquisition of Perot Systems should lead to an expansion not only in hardware but also in IT service niches. Also company announces to increase its earnings in short future, but mainly they are hoping to boost sales in holidays which might lead just to a seasonal uplift. Company started to change the ways of making and selling PCs by focusing on contracting the retailers and manufacturers instead of doing everything themselves. Expanding acquisitions is also the goal towards reaching more profitable markets. The release of a new operating system Windows 7 according to Dell CEO Michael Dell will hopefully also increase the sales due to positive views towards it. There seems to be many changes and factors that could help Dell to recover its wealth again. According to the trend of historical stock prices, taking into account the position of Dells competitors and considering changes that have been and will be made in the future the following solutions for the investors have been made: The stocks should not be acquired by investors that seek to gain earnings in short term and who want to invest lets say for 6-8 months and then sell their basket (a proposition also made by Jayson Noland, a senior analyst at investment firm Robert W. Baird), because there is a possibility for them to lose earnings due to down sloping trend in share price. However there can be boost in sales of PCs during holidays that can increase earnings, but this would only be a seasonal uplift. Long term investors can benefit from buying Dells shares. The price is relatively cheap comparing to other hardware producers and sooner or later the company is going to recover and bringing profit to shareholders. The only question is how long will it take for it to recover completely. Existing investors that already bought Dells shares should not panic, keep the stocks to themselves and wait for Dells recovering. By selling shares now most of them will definitely lose money and the opportunity to retrieve their accumulated earnings. There is another possibility. Investors could focus on companies in PC industry that are more successful and stable than Dell. For example HP. The price of shares is bigger, but so is the opportunity to gain wealth. In conclusion Dells financial situation comparing to other companies in IT and hardware industry does not look very good. High expectations didnt come true, but there is still a possibility to recover. By expanding to other fields and restructuring operations Dell will be able to stand on its feet however this might take several years to happen.

Why President Truman Decided to Drop Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Naga

Why President Truman Decided to Drop Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki At 02:45 August 6th 1945, the B-29 Superfortress the Enola Gay took off from the specially lengthened North Field on the Island of Tinian in the Marianas. The plane piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets was 7 tons. At 0815 hours the bomb doors of the B-29 opened and flying at approximately 32,000 ft the uranium based atom bomb code-named â€Å"Little Boy† was unleashed upon the city of Hiroshima. Over 70,000 men women and children were killed by blast alone. And over the next half century approximately another 40,000 would die from related illnesses. With this 70,000 were wounded at Hiroshima. The co-pilot of the Enola Gay could see, â€Å"smoke and fires creeping up the side of the mountain†. Then again on August 9th a second holocaust was unleashed on Nagasaki. â€Å"†¦a giant ball of fire rose as though from the bowels and a giant pillar of purple fire†¦shooting skyward and with enormous speed† The effects of the bomb here were much less spectacular than at Hiroshima. There were only 80,000 initial casualties of which 40,000 were dead. Japan surrendered to the allied forces on August 14th, 1945. Emperor Hirohito made the announcement to a stunned nation, â€Å"I can not endure the thought of letting my people suffer any longer. A continuation of the war would bring death to tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of persons, the whole nation would be reduced to ashes†. Who had ordered this barbaric act, and for what purpose? To find the answer we examine the military situation surrounding the final stages of the war on Japan, Americas diplomatic rivalry with Russia, the need to app... ...ium bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The USSR still held onto large areas of Eastern Europe and forced communism onto the held territories. The bombing showed the Russians what incredible power the new weapon had. If the USSR were to keep up the balance with America then they too must have one. This set the scene for the nuclear arms race between the US and the USSR, it was democracy against communism, an â€Å"iron curtain† descended across Europe and already the Cold War had begun. If the Cold War prevented a more conventional war between the two superpowers then the fact that they both had weapons of mass destruction acted as each others deterrent. And so if this is the case then the use of the bomb although unknown at the time has been justified, as it is the only time that a weapon of its kind has ever been used in anger.

WEARABLE COMPUTING :: Essays Papers

WEARABLE COMPUTING Wearable computing is the next step to the computer revolutionary world. At MIThril lab, they are working on a wearable computer. Like a sleeveless winter coat or a sweater, they are working toward they goal. With the complicated project, they don’t know the finishing line yet. But with every step the MIThril team takes, they freely document and post on the web for worldwide access. The name MIThril derives from the fictional classic The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. As comfortable and unnoticeable as the Dwarves’ ring-mail tunic, MIThril’s team promises our gifted society the future clothes of electronic. The world exists where people no longer wear just clothes, but a person wears a watch or a shirt that is always functioning and require a minimum of the wearer’s attention. Laptops are no longer need because with wearable computer on him why needs of a lab top. MIThril’s vision of this project is to provide our gifted society with a better way to computing. Laptops are the thing of the past; wearable computer is the step to the future. Their main goal toward this futuristic project is to create a power computer, running Linux operating system, that is lightweight, unobtrusive, reliable, and always doing its job. The MIThril design is based on the use of one or more low power computing cores, each of which is capable or running a full-blown operating system. It is going to be there whenever a user needs. There is no need to carry a compatible, but a simple display vision on the user class. The military is looking forward to have a full combat package for their trained soldiers. The soldiers will have advantage with high tech in the field. MIThril task is to make a wearable computer as unnoticeable and light as possible. There are not kits for marketing, but an easy and clear document available to anyone who is willing to attempt of making one himself. This is a task that gets people to get involved and make a wearable computer to be worldwide.

Justice of America :: essays papers

Justice of America The Greek philosopher Plato thought that there were four virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. The most important of these is wisdom, which is knowledge of that which is truly good. People who have wisdom and, as a result, know what is truly good will tend to do what is right. These people will act in their own true interest and be in harmony with themselves. This harmony is the basis of all justice. People who have justice, in Plato’s view, will tend to have other virtues as well. (World Book Encyclopedia; Ethics, Justice.) We as a country all believe in justice and that it works to preserve our country’s heritage. So it is worth fighting for when people threaten our freedom. Justice is a hard term to define. Each society and country has different views and moral standards, so it is hard to completely define it in one definition. The United States looks at justice as a moral standard that applies to all human conduct. The Taleban does not see it this way. The Taleban and other groups like them have very different views of justice. To the Taleban members human conduct is directed by religion and culture, whereas we are directed by civility and reasoning. They thought that they were serving â€Å"justice† to the United States when they flew airplanes into both of the World Trade Center Buildings and killed thousands of innocent people on September 11, 2001. â€Å"The United states is wrong for their actions.† That was their religious reasoning for doing â€Å"justice† to the United States. But that is not what was done to our country. In the United States we call it terrorism. But could this terrorism have been avoided? It possibly cou ld have if both sides were willing to listen and try to understand where each other are coming from. To further answer that question we have to look at both sides of the coin. Their way of life is so different from our every day lives in the United States that there is no way our definitions of justice are going to agree. They have different standards, beliefs, and priorities. Part of their culture says that women are not even allowed to be part of their society, whereas we allow women to be elected officials in our nations Senate and Congress. As you can plainly see, our views are completely different. But no matter how different we are from each other, nothing they say or do can justify what they did to our country.

Children’s ASPIRIN Essay

In 1986, FDA adopted a preliminary rule requiring aspirin manufacturers to add warnings to product labels about the possible association between aspirin use and the development of Reye’s syndrome. The permanent rule became final in 1988, and the labeling reads: Children and teenagers should not use this medicine for chicken pox or flu symptoms before a doctor is consulted about Reye’s Syndrome, a rare but serious illness. Until now, some questions about the relationship between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome still remain. Although figures show that 90 to 95 percent of Reye’s syndrome patients in the United States have taken aspirin during a preceding viral illness, it is estimated that less than 0. 1 percent of children having a viral infection and treated with aspirin develop the syndrome. Are other factors involved? Apparently so. Reye’s syndrome has always been a puzzling disease and the research on possible causes has been hampered because no one can come up with a simple specific diagnostic test for the syndrome. The waters are further muddled by the existence of at least 19 viruses, including the chicken pox and flu viruses, which cause infectious illnesses that can precede Reye syndrome development. Some experts have proposed that Reye’s syndrome develops from the interaction of a viral illness, genetic susceptibility to the disease, and exposure to chemicals. Soumerai, Ross-Degnan, and Kahn (1992) tell the story of the virtual disappearance of Reye’s Syndrome over a short period. Their narrative shows how debate in the scientific community and the health policy community was played over media outlets. The attention over both professional and, particularly, public communication channels were closely associated with the decline in disease incidence. They make a convincing case that the decline was not primarily associated with the timing of declared changes in policy or particular recommendations made to physicians, or even with the warnings placed on aspirin bottles. Rather, the decline followed immediately on increased coverage on these issues in the mass media. This is sensible, because much use of aspirin was independent of visits to physicians, and thus would be most sensitive to sources of change in public knowledge. Although there are no empirical studies that determine the link of aspirin and Reye’s Syndrome, Bayer should take this controversy seriously by doing research about it in order to finally lay this issue to rest. If Bayer proves that there is indeed no link between RS and Aspirin, it will be a positive feedback for the company and it will surely gain more support from the consumers. 8. ) What is the product strategy that Bayer is using as far as the placement of aspirin globally? Would you suggest something else? Since the early 80s, Bayer’s Children’s ASPIRIN business had been continuously falling downwards spiral. This scenario occurred when the US medical community suggested that there is an associated link between the consumption of children’s aspirin and the occurrence of a dangerous condition in children known as Reye’s Syndrome. Though the link was never proven, Bayer acted responsibly to the public relations crisis by self-imposing a worldwide ban on all promotion and advertisement of Children’s ASPIRIN in 1988. In the years that followed, Bayer had not fully reconsidered its strategy for Children’s ASPIRIN, nor had it considered introducing other analgesic products for children. For years, Zander had wanted to conduct a brand audit to determine the future of ASPIRIN in the children’s segment. But the project always fell behind something more pressing; given this new wave of publicity, it seemed like the time for the audit was now or never. Incidentally, with the decline within the children’s segment, there had been new discoveries opening other business opportunities. In 1985, the medical profession revealed that aspirin is effective in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. As the prevention market developed, Zander and other managers at Bayer realized that an increasing percentage of Children’s ASPIRIN sales went to prevention. This was due, in part, to its lower cost but also to the lower dosage recommended for prevention (81–100 mg. compared to 325–500 mg. in adult aspirin). Unfortunately, the percentage of sales of Children’s ASPIRIN accounted for by the prevention market was unclear. In the creation of awareness of a pharmaceutical that generated additional sales, transferring market from ethical drug to over-the-counter (OTC) status is a strategy to increase market share and sales over the product life cycle of the drug. This strategy is one means of prolonging—and possibly increasing—sales revenues of the drug as generic copycats arrive on the market upon patent expiration. The value of the brand to the consumer differentiates otherwise identical and competing products. In placing the product globally without the aid of advertising, it is best to market through word-of-mouth of happy consumers who had found the product as effective. Also, producing empirical studies that disprove the link of Reye’s Syndrome could also thwart the past scare and would increase the credibility of the corporation. However, the combination of direct selling to doctors and direct advertising to consumers is expected to become the predominant global strategy of pharmaceutical companies in both ethical and OTC categories in the future. References Bayer Website. Buchanan, L. & Merker, C. K. (2002). Bayer AG : Children ’ s Aspirin. In A. A. Thompson, A. J. Strickland, & J. E. Gamble. Crafting and Executing Strategy -The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 14th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin). Soumerai S. B. , Ross-Degnan D. , & Kahn J. S. (1992). â€Å"Effects of professional and media warnings about the association between aspirin use in children and Reye’s syndrome†. Milbank Quarterly, 70( 1), 155-182.

Film Analysis Essay on Crash (2004)

The movie â€Å"Crash† – from director and producer Paul Haggis – pictures one day in the lives of various characters in Los Angeles, all of them from different social and racial backgrounds but nevertheless connected and intertwined throughout the story. The movie’s story is being told in a mostly chronological way, except that it puts one scene to the very beginning of the film and then cuts back to the day prior, indicated by the visual text â€Å"yesterday†.In this first sequence, detectives Graham Waters and his partner Ria have been rearended when they arrive at a crime scene, leading to a fight between Hispanic Ria and the accident responsible, furious Chinese Kim Lee, involving race-related insults towards each other. Breaking through the temporal order and showing everything that has happened prior to this fight gives the explanation why Kim Lee is so furious and why she was in such a hurry, as her husband is in hospital for being run over by a car.This strategy of playing with the viewer’s opinion and sympathy about the single characters is one that is central for the movie. Therefore a lot of prejudices are implicitly and explicitly presented through the narrative and the movie’s surface. Anthony and Peter for example are being pictured as two young adolescents just leaving a diner and discussing the (non-)discriminating treatment of the waitress. In Anthony’s opinion even other black people are racist towards Afro-Americans and that white people are scared of them although they are not even dressed like â€Å"gang-bangers†.This gives the impression of young people being worried and angry about ungrounded racial discrimination. Then the dialogue suddenly changes, both of them pull a gun and they steal the car from Rick and Jean Cabot – the two white people they just accused of having prejudices about them – leaving the viewer with a sudden change in the characterization they were given before. The movie continues like this when it shows the Hispanic locksmith Daniel Ruiz – mean-looking, tattooed and with a shaved head.Jean Cabot’s assumption about him being a Gang member who will sell the keys to their house as soon as he is out the door is consistent with his outward appearance. It is not until later in the movie, when he arrives at home taking loving care of his daughter, that the first impression is negated and turned into the opposite. Most of the characters in Crash turn out to be different than the first picture that is drawn of them all the time turning the story towards unanticipated events and revealing important information bout character backgrounds. Beyond that, it is important mentioning the complex net of connections and entanglements that occur between the characters and their stories and events. There is Jean Corbet, accusing her locksmith Daniel Ruiz of being a gang member, whose daughter is almost shot by the Persian sho p owner Farhad, whose daughter works in the mortuary where Detective Graham Waters dead brother is identified as Peter, who stole Jean Corbets car, making her change the locks in her house in the first place.This list of connections could be continued with for another while, as there are more characters involved with even more links between them. This motive of connection is also shown by the cuts from one scene to the next via an audible and/or a visual connection. For instance when Ria storms out of Graham Waters apartment and slams the door after her, the film cuts to Officer John Ryan lying in his bed – suddenly being woken up by his Crash – 2004 Identity and Diversity in American Film Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 groaning father.To the viewer it looks like he is wakes up from the slamming door, although there is no diegetic connection. Another example is the cut from Anthony and Peter just having stolen the black navigator, t o the crime scene of the shooting between two drivers. As the car with Anthony and Peter drives through the picture it cuts to a police car passing by in exactly the same camera-shot and revealing the crime scene behind it. Match-cuts like this are a reoccurring stylistic element, emphasizing the just specified net of entanglements.The central topic of racism and prejudices in the movie Crash is shown from various different angles, pointing at the complexity of this issue. It states that nothing and no one can be easily characterized and the importance of looking at the bigger picture instead of pigeonholing someone. All the different characters with their intertwined stories make it clear that everyone is connected and the range of influence of one person’s behavior is further than one would expect.

Reflection of a public health nurse

Development of   handwashing program in schools has been a challenge to the medical team   especially among   public health nurses. Many questions could   be raised before this program   be   implemented. As public health nurse, what can I contribute in the handwashing   program in school? Is my knowledge sufficient enough to initiate a program that could be of great help to everybody especially to children? What are the informations and   materials   do I need to gather to help me with this handwashing program?As public health nurse, I am one of the witnesses of the proper and improper ways of   Ã‚  hand sanitation among children. It is very important that this practice is initiated in schools among students. The importance of handwashing should be instilled in the minds of the students. They should be informed of what may be the possible diseases   or illnesses that can be acquired without handwashing. They should   practice on how and when to wash their han ds.Handwashing   Ã‚  remains the most cost effective way of disease spread prevention   such as colds, flu,   infectious diarrhea and even hepatitis A (Quan, 2006).   Since elementary school children are the most susceptible of acquiring the infection through   unwashed hands, Morton (2004) conducted a study   that determines the effectivity of   an alcohol gel as an adjunct to handwashing. This study resulted in reducing absenteeism secondary to infectious   illness.Campaign on hand hygiene through handwashing can be more effective  Ã‚   if there are materials that could remind every school child about   it. As public health nurse, we can conduct a program that needs parents and children’s participation. The program will showcase the importance and proper ways of handwashing.   Parents and school teachers will be given guidelines on how school children would be reminded of practicing handwashing.Based on the transtheoretical model, there are three prima ry components of changes to undergo to attain the goal of the program (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992).   According to the model, the people must pass through the stages of changes. At first, it is important to recognize the problem. In handwashing program in school, it is very important to impart to the   children even to the teachers and parents   that   their behavior towards the program is very crucial in the attainment of its objectives.They must bear in mind that this program will help them in prevention of acquiring disease.   After this stage, they should be ready for some changes in their individual habits especially when it comes to handwashing. Since children may not be ready for any changes in handwashing habit, it is very helpful for them if they could see or read some informations regarding the program.Placing some notes or posters of reminders on the board   Ã‚  or walls   in school would be advisable. Make   them reader- friendly. Making it c olorful, with graphics and pictures would surely attract their attention. They should be reminded to wash their hands when they are dirty, before and after eating and   Ã‚  after using the bathroom. Children should be encouraged to use tissue paper when blowing and wiping their nose. Even after playing with domestic animals such as cats and dogs. It is also   important   to wash their hands before and after playing with their friends (Quan, 2006).In this part, changes are made in individuals’ behaviour   Ã‚  and   practices toward   handwashing. Action of the teachers and parents   Ã‚  would   Ã‚  play a big role. It   Ã‚  is advisable to make the environment suitable for the children just like making the sink at their level of reach. Most of the children are not fond of washing their hands after the activity because the sink is too high for them. Soap and towel should also be present.   Finally, it should be borne in mind the integration of the  Ã‚   ch anges made.As public health nurses,   we should be ready to attend to the needs of   the people especially when it concerns with the implementation of health policy. It would be easier if the people   are concerned enough to the welfare of   one another. Program like this, handwashing in school is just the beginning of   a more   serious way towards healthy life. The most important thing is that  Ã‚   there are individuals who are willing to lend their hands to help for the betterment of   everybody. I think this is just one of the most important roles the public health nurses play.

Graphic Novel Deconstruction Essay

This essay will deconstruct Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel The Sandman Volume#1 Preludes and Nocturnes (1991), in order to gain an understanding of narrative is presented through the use of image. It will also comment on the codes and conventions within the chosen text. Preludes and Nocturnes is the collection of eight comics in the Sandman series, with Neil Gaiman writing for a regular series for the first time. As such Preludes and Nocturnes is somewhat a work in progress, as the creative team honed their work. If read from cover to cover you will see a marked improvement in the writing over the course of the volume culminating in a much more tightly wound climax than at the beginning. The first chapter Sleep of the Just is a good place to start looking at the panel construction of the narrative. On the page (Tab. 1) we see the first three panels over-laying the fourth panel. The first two panels are narrow and rectangular and the third is square. The gutters are very narrow and not a lot is happening in the panels. This indicates that panel-to-panel, not a lot of time has passed between transitions. However rather than use moment-to-moment transition the creators have used subject-to-subject as a method of keeping a moderate pace for the reader to become interested in what they are seeing on the page. This is continued throughout the eight panel page. Alternatively, the creators could have shown the first two panels as one, allowing the dialogue to take place straight away as the car pulls up to the mansion. The panel could then be expanded showing the mansion in more detail and allowing for the removal of panel three completely. We already know the man is here for a reason, therefore we make an assumption he will leave the car and knock on the door. ) This would potentially allow for the removal of Panel Four, going straight to the man knocking on the door and the door being answered. This would then clear up what is a relatively cluttered page and make the narrative much more direct. Dialogue and pacing are used to high degree throughout this chapter sometimes appearing cluttered and confused, and sometimes this is compound by the unusual panel shapes employed. However this has been used to great effect (Tab. 2) The thin oddly constructed/shaped panel’s one and two, are almost seen as though they are slices of Burgess’s insanity and obsession. Subject-to-Subject transitions are used to aid pacing in what otherwise would be a lengthy a page due to the amount of dialogue. Although the majority of the spoken word is short, there is a lot of it to read. A six panel page is probably right for this instance however more conventional panel shapes would probably aid the reader more. The caption box in the first panel is used in parallel to what is in the picture; the reader doesn’t actually see the words of the spell tolling in his head, but they are given a sense of the psychological effect it takes on Burgess. On the very next page closure is used perfectly. Burgess demands for the being to come forward and with each chant, that being becomes more corporeal with the end result, the creature arriving in the room. The dialogue used is interdependent to the imagery. Without one or the other the reader wouldn’t be able to pick up the full picture of what is happening. To speed this page up you could probably remove the panels with Burgess and just have the three panels of the creature appearing with the dialogue situated around him, as if surrounded by people. In (Tab. 3) we can see a classic example of moment-to-moment transitions, twelve panels depicting and old man dreaming of becoming young again as he walks along a dark corridor before realising he is in a nightmare of his own making. Twelve panels on a fifteen panel page seems like a lot, however it serves to really ramp up the tension in the terms of the narrative as this is a turning point for the whole story. Interestingly the transitions used serve as the opposite to what is actually happening; the de-aging process of decades in just a few seconds or minutes intensifies the dream/nightmare feel. For the sake of quicker pacing you could perhaps take a few panels out here and there, showing a larger passage of time between the transitions and the de-aging process, however you would then run the risk of losing the tension build up. An interesting point to note is the dialogue for Morpheus, his speech bubbles are jagged black items with white text, that serve the purpose of defining his character as not of this earth and more important than any other speaker. (Tab. 4) poses some interesting issues. Panel 1 bleeds in from the top of the page to the half-way point with the next two panels over laid. However here is where it can get confusing for a reader who reads from left to right on a single page. Panels 4-6 do not follow the traditional design of a comic book. Rather than continuing the dialogue under panels 1-3 they extend onto the next page and initially this is confusing as the readers first thought is to go down the page. It is almost as if the writer wants you to stop and think for a moment. This layout is continued through panels 7-13 and in panels 10-12 the structure becomes jagged indicating Cain’s fractured mind finally snapping and lashing out at his brother Abel, the word â€Å"IRVING † capitalised and coloured in red accents this. This section uses several different types of panelling ranging from aspect-to-aspect (panels 1-4 7-8) subject-to-subject (5-6 9-13. ) This unusual layout has been created because of the opening dialogue, Lucien the Librarian stating that â€Å"It has been a strange century. † The creators probably felt that they could accentuate this by creating this page layout. It would have worked much better if it had been done over a single A2 sheet but restrictions prevent this so readers would have to be careful to make sure they read the page right. It would flow better if the panels with Cain and Abel had been left out entirely or at least placed on a separate sheet. Again closure is shown on the final panel with blood spatter getting that message across loud and clear. (Tab. 5) brings good examples of word specific text in subject-to-subject panels, also note the colour change to black and white, given in context with each panel it conveys the message that all is well and the world is resting. The use of Morpheus’s coat as a panel enveloping Arkham Asylum is used to indicate that he is back in control of the dream realm and is repairing the damage done by his captivity. Throughout the Preludes and Nocturnes there has been a constant improvement in the way it is presented and written. In particular as the narrative continues, there are subtle changes in colours, from really quite dark to eventually ending up with a white background as Morpheus goes about his quest to right the wrongs done to him. The writers also moved to more traditional conventions of comic books in respect to panelling moving away from the sometimes claustrophobic and cluttered panels in the early chapters to the more familiar boxy panels that most sequential art uses, however that is not to say the gothic inspired artwork doesn’t have its place, in the early stages of the story, entrapment and imprisonment were key themes. As the creative team honed their skills the works became more coherent and easier to understand. It is easy to see why this series is so popular.

Chapter 4 and 5 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chapter 4 and 5 - Research Proposal Example ive behavior in students, the climate within which both educational failure and negative behavior emerges and the relationship between the educational climate and education- based prevention and intervention programming. There are many reasons in the surrounding environment of the education as well as in the students’ life that emerge as a cause of failure in the educational performance and gives rise to negative behavior. The risk associated with the high school students basically comprise those who have low performance and are drop outs, they due to such factors tend to develop negative behavior. It depends upon the educational system to identify such students and develop program to change them (Wormer, 2006). The students who are dependent upon the single mother’s income for the education purpose tend to develop negative behavior due to low level of income and lesser affordability to get educated. It is the climatic condition that is present in the lives of the student which gives birth to negative behavior and causes low performance resulting to educational failure. The relationship shows a positive link between the two. The academic climatic condition is responsible as well as the students environment is also responsible for such state. But with the education- based prevention and intervention programming it can be minimized and the performance may increase as well as the students’ negativity may turn into positivity in terms of behavior. (McKinney, n.d). The social support, family cohesion, personality and sources of income of the single mother impact the behavior (either positively or negatively) of the children. The income level brings the change in the attitude along with the impact of social support from the mother, mother’s attitude, and personality traits. The low level of income is the risk factor which that can lead to the negative outcomes in the behavior and performance of the student. It is not only the factor that causes low

Give some example of ethical issues that you have experienced in jobs, Essay

Give some example of ethical issues that you have experienced in jobs, and explain how HR did or did not help solve them - Essay Example n Kelvist insurance company where I work, cases of racism against the blacks who are [perceived as inferior workers have been rampant, one clear example is when an international non-governmental organisation approached our company to offer health insurance services to their workers in war-torn countries of Africa. The department head who would have dealt with such a case was out of office and his assistant who happened to be a black woman had been left in charge. Subordinate workers especially the whites in the department who had not been comfortable with having a black woman as their boss defied orders to serve the guest from the nongovernmental organisation on the pretext that the assistant department head is an African and therefore unqualified enough to handle a case of such a magnitude with the respectable NGO (Weiner 1492). Disciplinary action against the workers who were undermining the leadership capabilities of the assistant head of department were taken and all of them were interdicted except one who was transferred to another department in a lower capacity and with further disciplinary action in case he was involved in such an incident again. This has helped reduce the cases of racism in the organisation drastically since no single such case has been experienced after the disciplinary action was taken against the racist

Writing Truly Is Re-Writing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing Truly Is Re-Writing - Personal Statement Example The exercises are particularly interesting because they cater to arousing critical thinking. I have to be more aware of everything that may indicate something in the comprehension of the text. It requires more than just shallow reading or scanning through the words. It is very much like being a detective and looking through the words to find out clues to solve a mystery. Critical thinking was among my favorite task to do because it is particularly interesting as it stimulates the brain. I have learned to be analytical in figuring out what the paper is all about and in trying to make sense of all that I read. The hardest part is trying to put thought into the paper. This, I learned, is an arduous task that requires time and effort. Writing truly is re-writing. The way that I see it, even the best of writers have editors. Being accepting of criticism and taking what you have learned from it to apply it in the future is the true measure of humility. Because it is next to impossible to say that your own piece of writing is perfect. If anything, to say so is either downright arrogant or foolish. Others are born with the talent to write and they only need very little editing as it comes naturally. But I have learned that it is also something that can be acquired. The secret to this is organization. One must first organize his thought as they may not make sense at first glimpse.