The Organization System - Culture and HR Policies and Practices Term Paper

The Organization System - Culture and HR Policies and Practices - Term Paper Example Hence resource-based view of the firm suggests that if an organization has any resource which is valuable, immobile and inimitable it can be used as its sustained competitive advantage which will work as a weapon against its competitors. Wright and McMahan (1992) identified four criteria for a firm’s resource to provide as a source for sustained competitive advantage as: 1) Contribute positive value to the firm 2) Unique among competitors (both current and potential) 3) Must be imperfectly imitable 4) Must not have any alternative resource to get replaced This means that for a resource to provide competitive advantage to a firm it must be unique, rare, difficult to copy and without alternatives; above all it must add positive value to the firm. Applying this concept to Southwest Airlines it can be seen that Southwest Airlines has utilized its human resources and nourished the relationship among various levels of staff to offer quality services to its client. Competitive advant age of Southwest Airlines as identified by many authors and researchers is the relationship between its employees which ensures the firm, overall, has a shared knowledge and goal base to proceed on. Gittell (2005, p. xii) explained it beautifully â€Å"Southwest's most powerful organizational competency--the "secret ingredient" that makes it so distinctive--is its ability to build and sustained high performance relationships among managers, employees, unions, and suppliers.   These relationships are characterized by shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect†. Hence this characteristic of shared knowledge and shared goals arrived at by mutual relationship among employees is what makes it distinctive among its competitors. Applying the four criteria identified by Wright and McMahan (1992) on the above discussed competency of Southwest Airlines, we can say that being a part of an industry where customer’s experience matters a lot this is a competency which abso lutely adds real value to the company. Only when employees work according to a shared goal will their actions work in the same direction, which is, of course, utmost important in achieving customer satisfaction. As far as being unique is concerned, in an industry where there’s cut throat competition and every airline is striving hard to improve its services, achieving a level where the resource become an irreplaceable competency is certainly considered as unique. Though the resource is not completely inimitable however it is difficult to imitate. This is because though every airline works to improve its customer relationships via embedding a sense of shared goals among its employees however doing is perfectly is what only Southwest Airlines is doing. There exists evidence in literature that Southwest Airlines is unleashing its employees’ relationship in such a manner that it promises the firm a valuable and inimitable resource. Hence the resource can be considered as i mperfectly imitable. Lastly, since human resources, specifically human intellect, as suggested by Zairi, Jarar & Aspinwall (2010) â€Å"is fast becoming the executive skill of the age† it is difficult to find an equally worthy alternative. They added that there is no doubt many facets in an organization like IT, new processes, new products and services etc however they are well replaceable, whereas the only irreplaceable resource is workforce in

Project Management - Module 1.6 not 1.4 Coursework

Project Management - Module 1.6 not 1.4 - Coursework Example Subsequently designer is expected to insure that all sub-consultant work is coordinated. Pertinently conceptual design approves further details that may emerge. This document should clearly outline the prearranged civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection design and plumbing. It is vital to include up-dated cost approximation of all key features and component of design. Upon the approval of the design by the owner, the design team immediately starts the execution of this final contraction design particulars (Norman, E. et al 2008).The authenticated design development package entails a completer concept therefore no further alteration to the plans, elevations, or building systems will be permissible except when it comply with construction or code supplies. 1) Guideline and objective establishment- the first project stage is to outline the scope which sets up the expectations, estimated cost, constituted high level plans, and finally established timelines for each activity to be executed. 2) The concepts which involve mapping, user training, and walkthrough phase where the new system is learned, business process is revised to ensure that they carry out flawlessly corner to corner in meeting the organization’s objective. 5) Customization (infrastructure phase); it is the stage where the data from the old system is transferred into a newly developed supplementary system. The appropriate information technology infrastructure is constructed. 6) Cover phase is the final phase in that the old system is closed down and new system kicks off fully with a constant improvement in the method of undertaking business. However, the methodology used does not contend to limit the choice of the software to be used for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. The pertinent issue is faithfulness to the methodology in organization for the team to produce

Effects of Film on Driving Behaviour

Effects of Film on Driving Behaviour Mass Media Society Jeremy Philip Monteiro      Imbert Narumanan Sebastian Lim Jit Shern Contents page (Jump to) Introduction We conducted a study on college students here in Tunku Abdul Rahman University-College Penang to see if a movie could affect their driving behavior. We selected the movie, The Fast The Furious. The choice of movie is selected because the movie itself is involves high-speed chases and racing with vehicles that are modified to push itself to the limits. The movie itself is an action and also a thriller; it was released in 2001 and directed by Rob Cohen and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main cast of the movie are Vin Diesel and Paul Walker; Walker plays as an undercover cop who must stop a team of hijackers who are led by Diesel. Brian gets involve with the hijackers and falls in love with Diesel’s sister and must choose to be an accomplice in Diesel’s plan or blow it all over by arresting him and his crew. Throughout the movie there will be conflict, some family oriented scenes but its main focus are on the adrenaline-rushing fast cars. This research was done on college students, specifically in TARUC Penang. There were about 30 students who were asked to be interviewed using a prepared set of questions. The interview was conducted informally as it would make the interviewee more comfortable as well as to stimulate open ended answers rather than close ended. The idea is to see if these college students who have watched the movie affected in anyway in terms of driving. The title of our research is â€Å"Do movies affect students’ driving? A review on The Fast The Furious. Literature Review The theory that is used in this research is the Media Effects theory. Media Effect theory explains as how the media can affect the society and how the society can affect the media. The concept of this theory relies on both the media as well as the society. However there are several implications that are negative made of this theory which is saying that people try to follow exactly as to what they see. For instance, â€Å"copycat murder† that took place in 2004 when a boy was murdered by his best friend and the game ‘Manhunt’ was instantly banned due the style of murder was assume to be similar to the game. The theory defines moral panic in relation to representations of sex, violence and deviant behavior and its supposed effects on youth. Moral panic is the feeling that the situation is out of control in some way, and therefore represents a threat to the moral order. The media effects theory was firstly proposed by the Frankfurt School of social researchers in the 1920’s from people’s reaction to Nazi propaganda. The hypodermic model explains that the media is like a drug that society may be addicted to, stating that the audience are helpless to defend themselves against the media and just behave passively. This theory is quite similar to the Social Learning theory by Bandura where a studied made on 2 groups of children who are exposed to the violent content on television and the other group is exposed to the positive content. Later, both groups were given a doll and the group who were exposed to the violent content reacted violently towards the doll. This helps determine that children may behave according to what they see or exposed to. Research The purpose of this research is to find out if a movie such as The Fast The Furious may or may not be an affect or influence the driving in any way. In order to ensure that the information we use in this research is accurate and reliable, we decided to use a primary research method to obtain our results. Which is to interview our respondents face to face and gather their feedback. The idea of an interview is to obtain a qualitative research which is in hope to receive in-depth answers to the questions. The target audience were selected at random in college and most of them were from the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities. Based on the nature of the movie, we could assume that the producers of the franchise were targeting teenagers and young adults. Therefore we have decided to interview our fellow college-mates for this research. Moreover, most the students in TARUC have just gotten their driving license and are experiencing unsupervised driving for the first time. Our team has chosen 30 individuals within the campus grounds and approached them in the canteen, the library and the foyer. Below are the ten questions that were prepared for the interview: Have you watched The Fast and the Furious? Where did you watch the movie? What do you think of the movie? How many times have you watched the movie? Do you think the movie influences your driving style? In what way? After watching the movie, do you see yourself attempting to replicate the stunts you have seen? Which scene in the movie would you say made an impact on your driving? Do you think it is dangerous or safe to be mimicking the driving from the movie? After watching the movie would you say that your driving abilities have improved? Do you feel that the movie can play a role in how you drive? These ten questions are made specifically to understand how the student thinks or feel after watching the movie, especially to see if the movie has made a change on their driving abilities and if they are aware of it. We took note of what the 30 individuals had answered and evaluated them. Findings Based on the questions above, we have found that all 30 respondents have answered that they have watched the movie before. Since it being an old movie that was released in 2001, majority of students answered that they have watch the movie on television. However there were a minority that had answered cinema. Majority of students had answered that they think that the movie is a good and entertaining movie which falls as a positive review. However a minority of them had also answered that the movie comes off as an unrealistic and bad movie which implies as a negative review. To the question above, majority of students answered once and minority of them had answered twice. Based on the question above, all 30 students who have watched the movie claims that they are unaffected by the movie. To question 6, only 2 students answered â€Å"yes† where else majority of them answered that they will do not see themselves wanting to replicate the stunts they see in the movie. As to question 7, majority of students claimed the there is no scene applicable. However, a minority of 6% answered the racing scene made an impact on their driving. Based on the question, all 30 students have answered that it is dangerous to be mimicking the driving from the movie. According the chart above, minority of students claimed that their driving abilities have improved after watching the movie. However, majority of them said that the movie did not improve their driving abilities. Based on the final question, majority of students feel that the movie does not play a role in how they drive today and a minority of 23% said that it does. Conclusion We’ve learned that the conducting research isn’t an easy task and takes time to produce result. We also learn that most students find it hard to produce quality answers as they rather provide brief answers. From the findings above, we are able to deduce that the influence brought upon by a movie has not affected the driving style of college students in our campus. This is solely based on their answers of course; however we are unable to physically prove at the moment if it has taken an effect Most students found the movie to be fun and entertaining but however manage to realized that the movie is unrealistic and are aware of the dangers involve if they were to follow what they see in the movie. Despite having good overall reviews of the highly action packed scenes from the movie itself, students find that stunts coordinated in the movie is rather dangerous and definitely will not be attempted in their daily driving routine. In short, based on the majority of answers we gathered, after a watching the movie, The Fast The Furious, students at Tunku Abdul Rahman University-College are not affected by it. Bibliography/References Neal H.M (Producer), Rob Cohen (Director) (2001).The Fast and the Furious[Motion picture]. United States: Universal Pictures (Distributor). Martyn Shuttleworth(Jul 5, 2008). Survey Research Design. Retrieved Nov 22, 2014 from Explorable.com:https://explorable.com/survey-research-design Robson, C. (2002)Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers, Oxford, Blackwell. Biagi, S. (2012). Media impact: an introduction to mass media (10th ed.). CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Vivian, J. (2012). The media of mass communication (11th ed.). Singapore: Pearson. Burton, G. (2005). Media and society: Critical perspective. New York: Open University Press. Krish, S. J. (2006). Children, adolescents, and media violence: A critical look at the research. CA: Sage Publication. Appendix Survey 1 Have you watched the movie The Fast and the Furious before? Yes Where did you watched the movie? I watched it on TV, one of the Astro movie channels. What do you think about the movie? Very fast paced and entertaining action movie, But like all actions movies, it is filled with unrealistic action sequences, involving cars mostly, and violence. How many times have you watched the movie? Twice. Do you think the movie influences your driving style? In what ways? No, the move did not influence my driving style. After watching the movie, do see yourself attempting to replicate the stunts you’ve seen? No. What scene in the movie would you say made an impact the most on your driving? No scene in particular as I think the entire movie did not have any impact on my driving skills. Do you think it is dangerous or safe to be mimicking driving acts from the movie? It is dangerous of course, People have to know that Fast and Furious is a movie and the driving sequences are made to look unrealistic and dangerous to meet the criteria of an action movie. These sequences are mostly carried out by experienced stunt drivers. After watching the movie, would you say that your driving abilities have been improved? No, not at all. Watching the movie did not affect my driving skills at all. Do you agree that movies can play a role in how a person drives? Yes. Those who watch the movie and are into to automobiles might try to imitate the driving sequences done in the film, which depict illegal racing, speeding and reckless driving to be fun. Also, some people might get the idea that it is safe to do all those things and not get in trouble or get hurt as the characters in the movie remain unscathed and always get away with what they’re doing. Unfortunately, this does not apply in real life. Survey 2 Have you watched the movie The Fast and the Furious before? Yes. Where did you watched the movie? When it played on TV. What do you think about the movie? Good, quite entertaining. I thought it was very cool with the fast cars. How many times have you watched the movie? Once. Do you think the movie influences your driving style? In what ways? No. After watching the movie, do see yourself attempting to replicate the stunts you’ve seen? Nope, not at all. What scene in the movie would you say made an impact the most on your driving? No particular scene. Do you think it is dangerous or safe to be mimicking driving acts from the movie? Dangerous, of course. After watching the movie, would you say that your driving abilities have been improved? Nope, I was too young at the time when I first watched it. Do you agree that movies can play a role in how a person drives? Maybe. Sometime Maybe. Sometimes people will go too far and imitate their role models on screen without knowing the risks of actually doing so. Survey 3 Have you watched the movie The Fast and the Furious before? Yes. Where did you watched the movie? On the television. What do you think about the movie? Quite a cool movie. How many times have you watched the movie? Once but I watched it halfway through. Do you think the movie influences your driving style? In what ways? Nope. After watching the movie, do see yourself attempting to replicate the stunts you’ve seen? Not really, I wouldn’t dare. What scene in the movie would you say made an impact the most on your driving? No particular scene. Do you think it is dangerous or safe to be mimicking driving acts from the movie? Quite dangerous, After watching the movie, would you say that your driving abilities have been improved? No. Do you agree that movies can play a role in how a person drives? No. Survey 4 Have you watched the movie The Fast and the Furious before? Yes, unfortunately I have. Where did you watched the movie? It is quite an old movie, I think it was on TV. What do you think about the movie? It’s good but very unrealistic. How many times have you watched the movie? Once. Do you think the movie influences your driving style? In what ways? Absolutely not. After watching the movie, do see yourself attempting to replicate the stunts you’ve seen? No. What scene in the movie would you say made an impact the most on your driving? None in particular as I can barely even remember the movie. Do you think it is dangerous or safe to be mimicking driving acts from the movie? Very dangerous. After watching the movie, would you say that your driving abilities have been improved? Not at all. Do you agree that movies can play a role in how a person drives? Yes, there will always be some crazy sod out there who think they can pull of movie driving-stunts on an actual road an attempt to speed on the highway. Its ridiculous.

Essay --

Odonata The damselfly species is part of an insect group called Odonata. Odonata consists of dragonflies, which are the suborder Anisoptera, and damselflies, which are the suborder Zygoptera. The insect group Odonata is very small, probably containing only about 5,000 living species (Corbet, 1999). Odonata, typically called Odonates, are usually found close to bodies of water, looking for small insects to eat. Adult Odonates catch their prey while in flight, while younger Odonates, called nymphs, hunt for their prey at the bottom of the body of water they live in. Nymphs eat almost any insect small enough for them to digest (book on iCloud). Nymphs Nymphs live in water throughout their entire developmental stage, which can take anywhere from three weeks to more than eight years, depending on the species of the nymph and it’s location and habitat. They undergo eight to seventeen molts (Corbet, 1999), although the amount of molts undergone depends on the species. When a nymph’s developmental stage is complete, it climbs out of it’s previous home in the water, a final molt is undergone, and an adult damselfly appears (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010). Nymphs have a set of gills along their abdomen, which are used for breathing as well as a transportation device and a way of escaping from predators in an emergency. Water is ushered into the gills, and then forcefully emitted, propelling themselves forward and farther away from their enemies (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010). Nymphs, despite their excellent predatorily abilities, are usually hunted by fish, although occasionally they are also hunted by birds, crayfish, frogs, and each other. When their development is complete and they are finally an adult dams... .... Transferring sperm depends on the species of damselfly because the sex organs are particularly elaborate and specific to the each species. Organs in the male damselflies that allow the end of its’ abdomen to attach to the back of the females’ head correspond between each individual species, making mating between separate species nearly impossible. Some species of damselflies lay their eggs either inside or on plant tissue, which is either above or in water. Some females climb beneath the surface of the water to position their eggs and remain there for an hour, or perhaps more. Some species submerge their abdomen in the water, so the eggs wash off, or put them on leaves close to the water’s edge. This is sometimes done while the damselfly is in flight. Other species simply allow their eggs to drop onto the surface of the water while they are flying (Corbet, 1999).

Harriet Tubman Essay

Her deeds not only saved lives during these terrible time’s but also gave other African Americans the courage to stand up for what they believe in and achieve equal rights for men in women in the world no matter what their skin color or gender was. Born to the parents of slaves Harriet Tubman changed the world in more ways than one and will be explained in the essay. Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross to her slave parents Ben and Harriet Green. The specific date of her birth is said to be between the years of 1820 and 1821 but there is no actual record of her birthday. This was a common problem of the time for many of the American slaves born in this era. Being born into an African American slave family during the 1800’s, Harriet took on the task of being a slave during the early time in her life period. Her first task as a child was to take care of her of her younger brother and also was responsible for the care of one of one of the slave owner’s babies. The work that Harriet was assigned was work that the men never had to do but all work that was done on these plantations or farms should’ve been looked at as equal in all ways. During this time even women slaves were being discriminated against, they automatically were discriminated against at birth when they came out as a girl. The women were thought of as less because they didn’t go out into the fields to do the hard work, but without the women doing their work the men’s work wouldn’t have been done. Life was hard for Harriet during these early years as she was responsible for this young baby and had to take care of it day and night. One would perceive that taking care of this baby at such a young age would be a reason for Harriet’s motherly side towards all the slaves she later helped escape from slavery so they could be free. Harriet’s young life was filled with many experiences and hard times during her childhood. She contracted the measles at a young age she had an incident when at a store, a slave owner threw a two pound weight at another slaves head and hit Harriett. The other slave had left their field without out permission and went to the store. The slave owner told her to help restrain the irate slave but she refused to. The slave owner threw the two pound weight at the problem slave but missed and instead hit Harriet. Harriet did not have any serious damage done to her from the weight but one would think this was a key point in her life when she realized she wanted to be free and to also help other slaves become free of these evil slave owners. Women have been oppressed in the world since the start of time. Men have always been looked at as if they are more important or more useful in the world we live in. We can see that in Harriet Tubman’s case, Her work as a child was mainly as a babysitter of the children or used in the house as a slave. Even during the time of slavery women weren’t granted the same rights as their men counterparts. Most of the time the women slaves were used as maids, caretakers, or doing gardening. These were duties that they thought were suitable for the women and without the women doing these duties the farm or plantation wouldn’t run. Men were mainly used to the harder and more physical labor on the plantations or farms. They were sent out into the fields every day to harvest the crops so that the owner could make his money to maintain his lifestyle. The women were kept back to do the chores around the house and this is where the persona that women are supposed to stay home and do housework comes from even today. The sad part is that people that thought the men were the most important workers, but without the women none of the duties would have been finished. They served and equal role in making the plantation work and weren’t given the credit they deserved. Without the women staying in the house and looking after the children or cooking the meals, none of the men would have food or somewhere to sleep when they were done with their work. One can see that every duty should’ve been seen as equal. The women could do the same duties as the men and vice versa either way the duties are all needed to make the system work. Women’s rights have improved drastically since that time but there still is a stigma that men are better than women. This type of view is wrong and shouldn’t even be thought about in the world we live into today. Woman server a great purpose in the world we live in and should be considered equal in all aspects of life. If one were to ponder this idea seriously we can see without out women no children are born. The sad truth is that women still have to fight for their rights in every aspect of their daily lives. The typical women in society makes only . 70 cents for every dollar that a man would make doing the same job. One would think that one hundred and fifty years later women would be considered equal counterparts to men. â€Å"There has been progress toward greater workplace equality, but we still have a long ways to go. In the United States, most occupations are gendered. Many jobs are segregated by sex; there are large wage gaps, and numerous women experience sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination. These types of walls are being broken down every day but still need to be dealt with in a faster and more efficient fashion. As we know slavery was a horrible part of the American society until December of 1865 when it was abolished and Harriet Tubman experienced this horrendous travesty of American society. Harriet Tubman experienced this until one day she decided it was enough a nd escaped from her slavery with her brothers on September 17, 1849. This escape was delayed because of her brothers wish to go back to his family, but weeks later Harriet had had enough and finally escaped. Guided by the light of the moon Harriet traveled at night for the fear if she traveled during the day she could be caught by slave catchers, who would’ve taken her home for a bounty. She passed through many conductors’ houses during her travel, conductors of the Underground Railroad, and finally escaped to Pennsylvania a northern state that had already abolished slavery. This escape thus allowed Harriet Tubman to one day become a conductor in the underground railroad herself to allow other slaves to escape to the freedom they deserved. The author explains how and when slavery was finally abolished throughout the whole United States and a cause of the civil war. [ â€Å"The U. S. House of Representatives passes the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States. It read, â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude†¦ shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. â€Å"] This single, yet monumental, law would go on to start a bloody civil war of the north versus the south and end with freedom of all slaves throughout the whole United States of America. When the Civil War began, President Lincoln’s professed goal was the restoration of the Union. But early in the war, the Union began keeping escaped slaves rather than returning them to their owners, so slavery essentially ended wherever the Union army was victorious. In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in areas that were still in rebellion against the Union. This measure opened the issue of what to do about slavery in Border States that had not seceded or in areas that had been captured by the Union before the proclamation. In 1864, an amendment abolishing slavery passed the Senate but died in the House as Democrats rallied in the name of states’ rights. The election of 1864 brought Lincoln back to the White House and significant Republican majorities in both houses, so it appeared the amendment was headed for passage when the new Congress convened in March 1865. Lincoln preferred that the amendment receive bipartisan support–some Democrats indicated support for the measure, but many still resisted. The amendment passed 119 to 56, seven votes above the necessary two-thirds majority. Several Democrats abstained, but the 13th Amendment was sent to the states for ratification, which came in December 1865. With the passage of the amendment, the institution that had indelibly shaped American history and had started the Civil War was eradicated. † This excerpt shows that the hard work and dedication of Harriet Tubman had paid off during her times a slave and thus created freedom for all her African American brothers and sisters to become free. Though it did not make an immediate impact for African Americans to have equal rights it started that movement that has caused everyone in the United States to be equal today. The amazing aspect of Harriet Tubman is her knack for always wanting to help other’s in their slavery. In 1851 Harriet decided to go back to her hometown of Dorchester County to get her husband any many other slaves. Even thought this amazing woman was free she decided to risk her own life and freedom to help other have their own freedom. After a short time of being there she helped eleven other slaves escape in the December of 1851. They escaped safely back to Harriet’s new life in Philadelphia and in freedom. For someone to risk there own life just to help others shows the humanitarian she is. Harriet’s life was full of many different stories but the most important one is work in suffragist activism towards the end of her life. She was one of the women who fought for all women’s rights and also the right to vote. Sadly that would not be passed during Harriet’s life time. Harriet was a woman who fought for the freedom of slaves and also showed that a woman can change the world. She was one of the very prominent women who helped to free slaves and help them start their new life’s and even risked her own life doing so.

Different types of play Essay

The activity called playing is a form of enjoyment that provides pleasure, excitement and competition. A person playing more often than not is enjoying himself and having fun. Games are the factors of playing that creates the whole essence of the word. Studying two â€Å"types† of games can help provide more understanding regarding this subject matter. The Traditional Games that have been active from different nations during the course of time, and the technology-based Video games, particularly in China and Europe are the two main aspects of this paper. II. TRADITIONAL GAMES Traditional games are the games that nations have produced due to people’s love for enjoyment and leisure. These are the games that were inspired by the times and have been kept alive through the passing of the knowledge of the game from generation to generation. A. TRADITIONAL GAMES IN ASIAN COUNTRIES Traditional games very much vary due to the differences of cultures and nationalities. Taking a look at examples of two different Asian countries can help assist compare and contrast traditional games. Two nationalities that have interesting traditional games are China and the Philippines. 1. ) China Due to China’s rich history, it has produced so many different traditional games throughout the years of the civilization’s existence. Here are some of the games (The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, 2007). â€Å"Chinese Yo-Yo or Pull-Bell† The bamboo â€Å"empty bell† is represented in Records of Scenes at the Capital from the Ming dynasty (1386-1644 A. D. ): The two ends are circular saucer shapes. In the center is a horizontal bit of wood. Mount it on a string and twirl with a vibrating motion. It emits a humming sound. This was a game played by girls and boys during the springtime, when the willow leaves turns green. It became specifically famous in the North. A poem was even made about it. â€Å"Kites† Different folk tales about the beginning of the kite do exist. A Sung Dynasty statement makes their initial appearance in the Warring States era. But Lin K’un of the Yuan dynasty perceived that the kite was created in the Han dynasty to faze the opponents by the eerie sounds of connected whistles. History displays that the kite was also utilized to call for help. In Taiwan, kite flying is incorporated with the season of autumn. Cut bamboo, which is strong and light, is the conventional material for creating the frame of the kite. â€Å"Jump Rope† The jump rope dates back 1,500 years to say the least in China. It was named â€Å"jumping one hundred threads† due to the rope’s appearance displaying like a hundred different ropes as it circled in the air. During the Spring Festival in the South, this was the time that â€Å"jump rope† was most famous. It can be created with the utilization of different materials such as cotton and grass, straw and cotton combinations with wax coating. Group and single jumping are both popular in China as well as in the Wes. â€Å"The Shuttlecock (Chien-tsu)† The Shuttlecock developed out of an ancient military exercise It was famous during the time of the Han and T’ang dynasties. Subsequent to the Sung dynasty, the game was named Chien-tsu, the Chinese term for â€Å"arrow† which sounds just exactly like the word for â€Å"shuttlecock†. Consisting of a small, weighted round base with tassels or feathers at a single end, the Shuttlecock is usually kicked with the heel, the toe, instep and outer side of the foot, and the same with the knee. This game was most appropriate for cold weather because this energetic exercise warmed the body. The Tawainese government during the year 1975 included this game in physical education programs of their elementary schools, and it somehow brought back the popularity of the game. 2. ) Philippines The Philippines, despite having a diverse history due to different colonial periods, has produced such enjoyable and challenging traditional games. Most of these games were usually played during town â€Å"fiestas† (feasts) while some are just the usual pastime of Filipino children. The following are samples of Filipino traditional games (Filipino Games, 2008). â€Å"Agawang sulok† Agawang sulok – catch and own a corner – The â€Å"it† or tagger stands in the center of the ground. The participants in the corners will try to exchange places by running from one base to another. The â€Å"it† must persevere to protect a base or corner by running to any of the corners when it’s left vacant. â€Å"Araw-lilim† Araw-lilim – sun and shade – The tagger or it attempts to touch or tag any of the participants who directly in contact with the sunlight. A player saves himself or herself from being tagged by simply staying within the shade. The tagged player will in turn become the next game’s tagger. If there are five or more players participating, two or three taggers can be allowed as the taggers at the same time. â€Å"Bulong-pari† Bulong-Pari – whisper it to the priest – It is composed of an it and two teams. Team A’s leader goes to the priest and whispers one of the names of Team B’s players. Then he goes back to his place and the priest shouts out, â€Å"Lapit! † (â€Å"Approach! †). One of team B’s players must approach the priest, and if it happens to be the one whom the leader of team A whispered, the priest will then say, â€Å"Boom† or â€Å"Bung! † The participant then falls out of line and stays somewhere close, serving as the priest’s prisoner. â€Å"Luksong-tinik† Luksong-tinik – jump over the thorns – Two players acts as the base of the tinik (thorn) by placing their left or right feet together (soles touching gradually building the tinik). Players shall set a starting point, providing a runway for the participants to attempt a higher jump, so as not to hit the tinik. The other players of the team starts jumping over the tinik, then the other team members follow. â€Å"Langit-lupa† Langit-lupa – heaven and earth – An â€Å"It† chases after participants who are permitted to run on level ground (lupa) and climb over objects (langit). The â€Å"tagger† may tag participants who stay on the ground, but not those who are standing in the â€Å"langit† (heaven). The player who gets tagged then becomes â€Å"It† and the game continues. â€Å"Patintero† Patintero or harangang taga – try to cross my line without letting me to touch or catch you – The group’s members who is it stands on the water lines. The middle perpendicular line allows the â€Å"it† appointed on that line to cross the lines occupied by the â€Å"it† that the parallel line intersects, thus adding up to the opportunities of the runners to be cornered. â€Å"Palosebo† Palo-sebo – greased bamboo pole climbing – The challenge of this game includes a bamboo pole that is greased that players must accomplish to reach the top by climbing. Usually played during town fiestas, more often in the provinces, the game’s objective is that for the participants to attempt to be the first person to reach the prize which is usually a little bag placed at the peak of the bamboo pole. The bag normally has money or toys inside. â€Å"Piko† Piko – hopscotch – The participants stand behind the edge of a box, and each must have to throw their cue ball. The first to play is dictated depending on the agreement of the players (e. g. nearest to the moon, wings or chest). The one who had success in throwing the cue ball closest to the point or place that they have agreed upon will be the first to play. The next closest is second, and so on and so forth. â€Å"Sipa† Sipa – game of kick – The thing being utilized to play the game is also named â€Å"sipa†. It is consisted of a washer with colorful threads, commonly plastic straw, connected to it. The sipa is then thrown above for the participant’s toss utilizing his/her foot. The participant should prevent the sipa to reach the ground by hitting it several times using his/her foot, and sometimes the portion just above the knee. The participant must count the number of times he/she was able to kick the sipa. The player with the most number of kicks shall win the game. â€Å"Sungka† Sungka – The game’s objective is to amass stones or cowrie shells in the participant’s home base (bahay) by ceaselessly distributing the shells around smaller holes until the participant have no more shells to use. The player who gathers the most number of shells in his or her bahay wins the game. â€Å"Ubusan lahi† Ubusan lahi – game of conquer – A player attempts to conquer the members of a group (as in claiming the members of another’s clan). The player tagged from the main group then transforms as an ally of the â€Å"it†. The more players, the better it is. The game shall begin with just a single it and then try to conquer and tag other participants. Just as soon as one player is tagged by the tagger, he or she then will assist the â€Å"it† to tag the other remaining members until no other player is left on the original group. B. TRADITIONAL GAMES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 1. ) England There are also many famous traditional games present in England, one example of it is the game â€Å"Skittles†. â€Å"Skittles† Skittles or Nine Pins has existed in the Inns of England for a long time. Generally, participants take turns to stroke balls of wood down a lane at the end of which are several skittles also made of wood, to try to knock them all over. Across England there are a number of skittle games. Undoubtedly, Skittles has been one of England’s most popular games. Different books have made mention of this game. Seemingly, for numerous centuries up until today, a bunch of the different games of Skittles are still being played. 2. ) Scotland Scottish people are considered as Highlanders, their traditional games are called the Highland games which they held throughout the year. This is their way of celebrating Celtic culture and Scottish heritage. The common facets of the games almost are epitomes of Scotland. They use the bagpipes, the kilt and the heavy events. Held in Dunoon, Scotland every August, the Cowal Highland Gathering, (better known as the Cowal Games), is the biggest Highland games in Scotland, appealing to around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 15-20,000 of international crowd (Grondin, 2006). III. VIDEOGAMES A video game is a game that regards interaction with a user interface to create visual feedback on a video device. The term video in video game usually referred to a raster display device. But with the famous use of the term â€Å"video game†, it now connotes any type of display device (Newman, 2004). The electronic systems utilized to play video games are named as platforms; sample of these are video game consoles and personal computers. These platforms range broadly, showing from big computers to little handheld devices. Video games that are specialized such as arcade games, while previously common, have gradually declined in use as home video game consoles have grown to fame and notoriety (Garrat, 2004). Moreover, Video games have changed the landscape of playing games, or the more common term of today, gaming. Almost being a more comfortable way of playing, Video games provide a person with the chance of enjoying himself at home. The genre of Video games has evolved throughout the years. Starting off with the Atari System and evolving to the Nintendo Wii and XBOX 360s of today, Video games have changed and made an impact to the youth of today’s generation (Silberman, 2007). It can be said that Video games have transformed a lot on people, almost affecting their way of life and their perception of play. A. VIDEOGAMES IN ASIAN COUNTRIES A lot of countries in Asia have many addicted people with regards to Video games. The following two countries can be considered as one of the top countries in Asia who have a large following for Video games. 1. ) Korea In South Korea, most people are linked to Video games due to the influences of their history. A sense of integration and correlation with regards to what people need to accomplish in Video games somehow make Koreans feel more attached to the game. Online games are the most popular among Korean citizens and most of them seem to like playing as an organized group different from Americans who loves to play in a solo way. Coordination and cooperation among Korean players somehow makes them much different from other nations (Crego, 2003; Lachlan, 2003). They consider their country as a game nation who accepts different styles of games, especially online ones. The passion for Video games has made Koreans stand out as one of the most addicted nations in terms of Video games. 2. ) China Another interesting country to look at regarding video games would definitely be China. A country with a magnanimous population combined with the huge territory, China has been also expanding in terms of technology development and economic growth. The popularity of Video Games is really high, but it has not yet reached its full potential due to the low Internet penetration within the country. Improvement of this matter can help China be more acquainted with Video games. China has a large market and it draws attention of corporations that create games due to that reason. China is different from Korea in terms of Video Games due to their different favorites. It is predicted that if in the future, 10% of Chinese people would be playing online games, it would showcase that there will be more people playing games online in China than the whole population of any single country in Europe (Lachlan, 2003). B. VIDEOGAMES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Video games in Europe are not as popular compared to Asian countries. The drive for online games is just not as fierce unlike in China or Korea. In Europe, Video Games are not as big as compared to China or Korea. Video games in Europe does not become a sensation to the whole of the population. IV. COMPARISON & CONTRAST There is a huge difference with regards to the Traditional games compared to Video games. The Traditional Games somehow creates an image of a more cultural approach while Video games showcase a more technological approach (Smith, 2007). Another major difference regarding the two is that Video Games need power or energy and online games need Internet to provide full satisfaction. Without electricity, Video games won’t even exist. Traditional games tend to become more substantially formed for exercise as compared to the usual Video games, with exception to the Nintendo Wii (Hanson, 1999; Lachlan, 2003). There is a huge difference with regards to different nations’ perceptions about Video games, and it may be influenced by the country’s moral characteristics or traditional aspects. The difference with regards to Asian countries to European countries is that Asian countries freely accept the Video games and allows it to become a huge phenomenon in their respective countries, unlike in Europe. V. CONCLUSION All in all, it can be concluded that there are huge differences regarding Video games and Traditional games. For one, the physicality factor differs a lot. In traditional games, physical exercise is more utilized than in Video games. The latter promotes some sort of laziness while the former encourages fitness and health. It may not be disregarded that both are fun to play and that’s the reason why they both exist in the world today (Smith, 2007). But Video games have displayed both positive and negative sides. The positive side is that it helps educate people towards the advancement of technology. It promotes modernity and futuristic possibilities. These Video games even take the players to different sights and sounds. Only a Video game could provide varying places of fantasy, past, future and other surrealistic worlds or universe. Video games expand man’s creative thinking. But despite all of these positive factors that Video games can create, there are also the negative implications that go along with it. Violence has been a concern with regards to Video games. Due to the freedom of ideas and the creative side of gaming companies, there are huge risks of exposing the youth to violence with the use of these Video games. Many killings are attributed to Video game addictions. The effect of Video games to a person’s mind can be magnanimous. Today, there are so many different violent games that somehow scare many nations. This seems to be a wrong path for children who love to play Video games. The influence of Video games to children can be surmountable and be hard to analyze. The school killings in the United States somehow showcase the suspects as attributed to love for video games with violent content. Overall, Video games are not bad, they just need to be utilized and maximized for the good because they can even influence the youth for education. Video games used as academic tools are a big help for educators and students alike. Tradition and modernization must coincide for a better future. The traditional games should not be regarded as a threat to children’s development. Instead it should serve as the basis for people’s concept of play and parents must ensure proper guidance and child-rearing. The video games should be inspired by these traditional games that have lasted for centuries and has proven that they are fun that’s why they last. Hopefully this lasting impression could still be present in the next generations to come. Traditional games and Video games may sound different but they both posses the access to fun and enjoyment in terms of playing and they can help improve people’s socialization, fine motor and psychomotor, intellectual, leadership, time management, problem solving, decision making, and planning skills. REFERENCES Crego, R. (2003). Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press. Lachlan, K. (2003). Popular Video Games: Quantifying the Presentation of Violence and Its Context. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 47, 58. Newman, J. (2004). Videogames. London: Routledge. Silberman, L. (2007). Incorporating Video Games into Physical Education: Between Their Popularity and Their Efficient Delivery of Information, Video Games May Help to Enhance Students’ Motivation, Understanding, and Performance in Sports. Journal Title: JOPERD–The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 78, 18. The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project (2007). Traditional Games. [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 12, 2008, from http://www. chcp. org/games. html Hanson, G. (1999, June 28). The Violent World of Video Games. Insight on the News, 15, 14. Garrat, P. (29, August 2004). Videogames: Play To Win. Mail on Sunday, 48. Grondin, K. (18, June 2006). Fun and Games †¦ Scottish Style Residents Bask in Music, Traditional Competitions. Daily Herald, 10. Smith, K. (15, July 2007). Don’t Give a Childtoys, Says Expert; CHILD’S PLAY: But Traditional Games or Role Play Can Be Better Fun Than Toys. The Mail on Sunday, 41. Filipino Games (Mga Larong Filipino). Retrieved May 12, 2008, from http://www. seasite. niu. edu. /Tagalog/Filipino_Games/mga_larong_pilipino. htm

The Definition of Hydrophobic With Examples

The Definition of Hydrophobic With Examples To be hydrophobic means to fear water. In chemistry, it refers to the property of a substance to repel water. It isnt that the substance is repelled by water so much as it has a lack of attraction to it. A hydrophobic substance exhibits hydrophobicity and may be termed hydrophobic. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar molecules that group together to form micelles rather than be exposed to water. Hydrophobic molecules typically dissolve in nonpolar solvents (e.g., organic solvents). There are also superhydrophobic materials, which have contact angles with water greater than 150 degrees. Surfaces of these materials resist wetting. The shape of water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces is called the Lotus effect, in reference to the appearance of water on a lotus leaf. Superhydrophobicity is considered a result of interfacial tension and not a chemical property of matter. Examples of Hydrophobic Substances Oils, fats, alkanes, and most other organic compounds are hydrophobic. If you mix oil or fat with water, the mixture will separate. If you shake a mixture of oil and water, the oil globules will eventually stick together to present a minimum surface area to the water. How Hydrophobicity Works Hydrophobic molecules are nonpolar. When they are exposed to water, their nonpolar nature disrupts hydrogen bonds between water molecules, forming a clathrate-like structure on their surface. The structure is more ordered than free water molecules. The change in entropy (disorder) causes nonpolar molecules to clump together to decrease their exposure to water and thus decrease the entropy of the system. Hydrophobic vs. Lipophilic While the terms hydrophobic and lipophilic are often used interchangeably, the two words dont mean the same thing. A lipophilic substance is fat-loving. Most hydrophobic substances are also lipophilic, but exceptions include fluorocarbons and silicones.

Essay on Meaningful Use for Nurses Implications and Recommendations

Essay on Meaningful Use for Nurses Implications and Recommendations Essay on Meaningful Use for Nurses: Implications and Recommendations Essay on Meaningful Use for Nurses: Implications and RecommendationsThe current paper focuses on the problem of meaningful use for nurses and recommendations concerning this issue in the contemporary clinical setting. At first, the paper provides the overview of meaningful use for nurses and gives insights to the essence of this concept. The next part of the paper uncovers the detailed analysis of the meaningful use for nurses and its application in the contemporary clinical setting. In fact, the paper reveals possible challenges and difficulties associated with the application of meaningful use for nurses in the health care environment. Finally, recommendations concerning the current application of the meaningful use for nurses are provided and the paper is summed up with the conclusion. The findings of the paper reveal the gap between new technologies and their potential and nurses’ understanding of their use grows wider that deteriorates the quality of nursing care and decr eases the effectiveness of the application of new technologies in nursing care. Therefore, meaningful use is one of the main challenges for nurses today but the successful implementation of new technologies and innovations can improve consistently the quality of nursing care and increase the effectiveness of nurses’ performance.Overview of meaningful use for nursesMeaningful Use is an umbrella term for rules and regulations that, among other things, involve electronic record keeping and e-documentation of care that hospitals and physicians must meet to qualify for federal incentive funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). At the same time, meaningful use has broader implications since nurses deal with diverse technologies, which they have to be able to apply successfully and consciously.In fact, meaningful use was designed to occur in three stages:Stage 1 began in 2011 and involved adoption of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) (France, et al., 2009).Stage 2, which impacts nursing, brings greater emphasis, among other things, on disease management, clinical decision support, transition of care, documentation of care plans and patient access to health information. In the original proposal for stage 2, healthcare providers must record care plan fields, including goals and discharge instructions within 36 hours of being released from the hospital, for more than 10 percent of patients. Although stage 2 begins in 2012 only, final regulations have not been publicized. The federal government solicited public comment on proposed stage 2 regulations until May 7 and are reviewing those comments. Final regulations will be published in August or September, according to Murphy (Singer, et al., 2009).Little has been explained about stage 3, which begins in 2015, and is expected to continue building on the goals of stage 1 and 2 (Hartmann, et al., 2009).In such a way, the implementation of meaningful use is occurring now and this issue remains under-regulated, to a certain extent, while new regulations will be introduced along with the introduction of new technologies and respective legal norms and rules.The wide introduction of new technologies in the field of health care and nursing care raises the problem of their effective use of nurses because often nurses are unprepared to use new technologies (Singer, et al., 2009). The complexity of new technologies and the lack of understanding of their application to nursing care raises the problem of widening gap between nurses’ attitude to new technologies as unimportant and routine and the real potential of new technologies.Analysis of meaningful use for nursesThe use of information technologies, e-documentation and other technological advances can apparently facilitate the performance of nurses and increase their effectiveness. New technologies have a considerable potential and can enhance consistently the performance of nurses and improve the quality o f nursing care. However, today, the problem is that nurses cannot always use the full potential of new technologies, especially information ones and have difficulties with the adoption of new technologies.On the other hand, the introduction of technological innovations and their meaningful use by nurses raises the problem of their effective application by nurses and some other issues. First, the meaningful use means that new technologies are used effectively and consciously (Speroff, et al., 2010). In this respect, it is worth mentioning the fact that one of the main issues nurses confront today is the lack of the adequate understanding of how to use new technologies and what new technologies serve to that helps nurses to use their full potential.The unpreparedness of nurses to use new technologies raises another problem, the problem of the meaningful use proper. What is meant here is the fact that nurses face difficulties with adequate understanding what they need new technologies for and how to apply them successfully. For example, nurses often believe that their conventional paper work makes no difference compared to electronic medical records and they use new technologies rather because they are obliged to than because they are aware of the higher effectiveness of new technologies.Furthermore, the meaningful use raises ethical and legal issues, such as the threat to the privacy right of patients, because e-documents and electronic use of information as well as other technologies implemented in the field of health care services expose the private information of patients to the risk of revelation to third parties, in case of the unauthorized access and misuse of new technologies or available information by nurses.One of the main challenges for the meaningful use is, therefore, the technological, legal and ethical/cultural unpreparedness of nurses for the meaningful use. From the ethical point of view, nurses cannot always use new information technologies bec ause of their lack of understanding how to apply them properly. Moreover, they may be unaware of possible risks associated with the misuse of new technologies because they do not understand how technologies actually work. As a result, they may uncover the private information of patients to third parties, for example.In addition, current legal regulations are not always sufficient to regulate the meaningful use of new technologies. As a result, nurses face the problem of technological advancements, on the one hand, and the lack of legal regulations, on the other. Hence, they often confront serious ethical issues and questionable situations, which require clear legal regulations but there are no such regulations so far and they have to take decisions on the ground of their professional ethics and their vision of existing legal norms and particular situation or case.Meaningful use recommendationsThe training of nurses is an essential step to the enhancement of the meaningful use. The t raining should focus on three major areas, technological, legal and cultural/ethical. The training is essential for the professional development of nurses and their adequate understanding of meaningful use. In fact, the training helps nurses to understand new technologies better and they can also learn how to realize the full potential of new technologies. As a result, nurses will grow aware of the importance of meaningful use and, more important, they will be able to use new technologies adequately and meaningfully.Technologically, nurses should be able not only to use new technologies but also be able to learn how to use technological innovations successfully. In this regard, training will help nurses to learn new technologies and understand them better. More important, they will be able to learn how to use new technologies autonomously, if they develop basic skills required for the adoption of new technologies. At the same time, new technologies should be user friendly to facilit ate the learning their use by nurses.Nurses should know and understand succinctly new legal norms and regulations concerning the meaningful use. Legal norms evolve and change respectively to changes in the health care setting and under the impact of new technologies that are introduced in the field of health care services. Training can help nurses to learn recent legal changes and respect them in their regular work.Moreover, the law enforcement and development of clear and extensive legal norms regulating meaningful use is an essential step toward the overall success of meaningful use in the nursing environment. Nurses should have the extensive and clear legal basis, on the ground of which they can perform their professional duties and apply basic meaningful use principles. The introduction of legal changes and new norms is essential the adaptation of existing legal norms to actual technological environment.Cultural and ethical training is also essential because nurses work in the m ulticultural environment and they have to respect patients’ cultural norms along with ethical norms associated with the meaningful use, such as the respect to the patients’ confidentiality, for example. Nurses need to expand their cultural views and norms to adapt to the work in the multicultural environment (Speroff, et al., 2010). The enhancement of the communication between nurses and managers of health care organizations can help to communicate key principles of the meaningful use and help nurses to adopt new technologies and principles of work successfully. Finally, meaningful use should motivate nurses to apply it in their regular practices. In this regard, new technologies introduced in the field of health and nursing care should facilitate the work of nurses. For example, they should be user friendly to facilitate their use by nurses but more important they should manifest their advantages and key goals clearly to make their use by nurses meaningful.ConclusionT hus, the development of new technologies raises the problem of their meaningful use by nurses, especially in regard to information technologies. In actuality, the development of meaningful use is a long-lasting program that has a solid legal background, which helps nurses to implement new technologies successfully. However, nurses still need training to be able to use new technologies meaningfully. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish three main fields, where extra training of nurses is needed, including legal, technological and cultural/ethical training.

Adverse selection and moral hazard in the health insurance market

Adverse selection and moral hazard in the health insurance market In the circumstance of free competition, the resources can be allocated efficiently in the market for most commodities. However, such competition mechanism in health care market can lead to ethic issues and inefficiency. Through our research, market failure can be attributed to the following reasons. Externalities is present whenever some economic agent’s welfare (utility or profit) is ‘directly’ affected by the action of another agent in the economy (176,H,D). In certain health care, people can benefit from others’ consumption, which will result that the social marginal benefit of health care is higher than the individual. Subsequently, the problem of underproduction will arise. Adverse selection and moral hazard in the health insurance market Health care is significantly different from common commodities such as food and clothes, since we don’t know when we need and how much we need pay. With response to the uncertainties, the market tends to deve lop insurance, which makes people better off via reducing the uncertainties. Problems specifically adverse selection and moral hazard inevitably exit in the market. Adverse selection is caused by the asymmetric information between the insurance company and the consumers, inducing high insurance fees. Nonetheless, people in low risk will be driven out of the market. Another problem is the moral hazard. When people have insurance, they tend to be less careful about their health status increasing their demands of health care service. The patients with insurance will demand more health care resources than they actually need, which will cause a welfare loss. Assume that marginal cost is constant. The amount of health care that should be provided is Q1, where marginal cost equal to marginal benefit. However, because of the excess demand of patients, Q2 will be provided. And the shaded area represents welfare loss. The information asymmetry between patient and doctor: agent problem In heal th care market, the relationship between the doctor and patient is much different from the normal buyers and sellers. The patient is there to give the doctor all the information t doctor needs in order that the doctor can make a decision, and the patient should then implement that decision once the doctor has made it (CD, 45 Williams). As a result, patients’ consumption largely depends on the doctor. Therefore doctors have an incentive to make patient consume more in order to make more profit. Hence overproduction occurs. Monopoly With respect to two reasons, the certain hospitals in some areas can easily achieve local monopoly. Firstly, People in one community may have only one choice of the hospital or doctor for others far away from their living areas. Secondly it is the natural monopoly. Because of the contradictory between the high fixed cost and the confined demands, only one hospital can make profit. Part 2: Perception from the U.K. market For the health care, the reso urce cannot be allocated efficiently in the free market. Government interventions play an essential role in providing the health care. In order to cope with such flaws, the UK government established NHS providing the civil with the health care.

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Retail supply chains in the fashion industry are networks distributions options which performers the roles of procurement of, conversion of the materials into intermediary and finished goods, and the distributing of these end products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm. (Rhys, 2005) Codes of conduct of an organization or a company, define the ethical standards that are developed by the Organization or Company. Therefore, the two go together. There has to be a document that describes the responsibilities of the company towards the people that it regularly gets in contact with. For accompany to ensure that the codes of conduct are complied with its employees, it sets up programs to ensure that the employees are made aware of the existing codes of conduct put in place by the company. This is also to carry out audit compliance. It is the process of measuring, evaluating, reporting, and adapting a company's social impact and ethical behaviour in light o fits values and expectations of the people it gets in contact with. This is often difficult for most companies to undertake alone. Therefore a more practical approach is them using existing certifications like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The latter is concerned with safety issues while the former dictates the aspects inv olving the environment. The two issues are the ones that are responsible for continued innovation. There are other certifications which protect Companies from various problems in their day to day operations. Example, there is one that protects suppliers from customers' unethical behaviors. Labour conditions are also set by some of the certifications. In general, the is-certifications and codes of conduct improve on the accountability of a company to its stakeholders and employees. (Sternberg, et al.2000). This paper will try and examine the ethical social responsibility and environmental considerations of a fashion company operating in the UK. The Gap In the last ten years or so, The Gap Company has underwent a course of vibrant growth through its diverse trademarks (Gap, Gap Kids, Banana Republic, Baby Gap Store, Gap Shoe Stores,) which the company markets and have a direct control all through the world. Following this success, Gap Company since 1999, became the second largest apparel retailer stores. The company, which usually subcontracts every one of its production, has since formulated a code of conduct that creates company selection criterion and the particular ways of submission. The company in emphasizing the way it values it code of conduct has undertaken services of an external monitoring company to monitor how its ethical code of conducts is followed. (Gap, 2008) Ethics Companies view The ethical standing of products is has of late become a main concern of many consumers. Presently the fashion industry is undertaking ethical fashion as championed by fashion designer Hamnett Katherine, at the present moment GAP as a company view with a lot of seriousness and it has undertaken strategies to ensure that

Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Strategic Plan - Essay Example To complete the strategic plan for â€Å"Sir Harry†, a SWOT analysis would be provided, in conjunction with stipulating the lounge’s mission and vision statements, values and objectives, as well as strategies and goals. â€Å"Sir Harry’s† aim to provide top of the line service to customers looking for a quiet respite from the busy life through posh and romantic ambiance and the luxury of enjoying cocktails in the company of friends. The lounge bar embodies the perfect get-away to unwind and spend quality time to treat oneself or friends to an extraordinary nightlife experience. The vision is to employ initially a small staff of highly qualified and competent personnel totaling 10 in all to increase annually by 3 to 5 personnel depending on the number of guests and visitors that patronize the lounge. These personnel would assume the roles of a lounge manager, finance, human resources and operations manager, and the rest would be in charge of directly addressing the needs of the customers through expertise in cocktails, specialty hors-doeuvres and canapà ©s, serving, as well as security and maintenance. The projected sales are initially $5,000 per night for the first month, and to increase by 10% until the sixth month. From the sixth to twelve months, sales is expected to pick up by 20 – 25% until the 2nd year. The values that would make â€Å"Sir Harry’s† stand out among the rest of the lounges in Hawaii is its adherence to exemplary service that would not only satisfy customers but delight them into coming back for more. In addition, the luxurious, sophisticated and romantic ambiance makes clientele extend their stay and look forward to more nights of experience with â€Å"Sir Harry’s†. 1. Owner/Proprietor: Prepare and develop a comprehensive business plan and forge contacts with suppliers to position the lounge as an upscale bar within the Hawaii district with the next 3 to 5

PERSONAL EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PLAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PERSONAL EMERGENCY AND DISASTER PLAN - Essay Example dence of tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and other forms of natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more deadly each year that it now poses as a potent threat both to the personnels and students of Indiana University Bloomington because it does not only disrupt the regularity of activity in the campus but can also be destructive to life and property. Earthquakes should also not be discounted even if Indiana University Bloomington is not on a fault line. The most comon threat posed by nature to the students and personnels of Indiana University Bllomington are hurricane, tornadoes and blizzards because of their increased frequency and intensity in the Midwest which IUB is located each year that is caused by the climate change. There are also disasters which are not caused by nature and neither intentional. This are disasters caused by accidents which can also be lethal if the campus personnel and students are unprepared. Given the structure of the campus of IUB, it can be vulnerable to gas leaks and fires. There are also disasters which are becoming common these days which are neither caused by nature nor accidental but is rather intended to inflict harm to other people. These intentional threats can either be carried out by terrorists or by armed individual/s and/or active shooters. The incidence of active shooters in public places has been becoming more frequent that IUB has to prepare for such threat. For IUB community to become prepared for any disastrous eventuality, a vulnerability analysis has to be made to determine where the IUB community is vulnerable to emergencies. This analysis could be used as an input in developing a a mitigation strategies that will alleviate the effect of such disasters. Inclement weather – storms, hurricane and tornado are highly probable given their increased frequency and intensity every year. They do not only disrupt regularity in the school activity but could damage both life and properties. Fires - IUB

Religion Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion - Movie Review Example Diana Eck, in her book, â€Å"A new religion America† she talks about the growth of different religions in America. Hindus started their religious life at Boston and carried out the religious norms at the lake â€Å"ganga†. Muslims had started building Mosques, there were Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists temples built and also the meditation centers at Boston. Looking at this she concluded that a lot to religions have been emerging and not only in Boston but was happening throughout America. Pluralism project was started by Prof. Diana Eck at Harvard with the help of students and colleagues from different places in order to make the map of changing religions and look into towns and cities in order to know how many religions have come across. Many groups are engaged in an effort to make communication among the people from diverse cultural and religious background in order to concentrate on interfaith dialogue and collaboration. Near Golden gate (presidio) interfaith center has been established which has 800 buildings. It was started in 1995 and participates at the United Religions Imitative (It is a worldwide network of organized cooperation circles). It has members in 50 countries representing more than 100 faiths. The president of the center says that the dialogue between the religions is not asking them to change or bring amendments but it is linking them together and is helping in sorting out the matters in a peaceful manner. In 1983 Chicago hosted a world religion conference in which leaders from different religions participated.it was the first meeting. Ten years later in 1993 Chicago again hosted such conference. These meeting proved to be a helping point as many people talked to each other and came to know about others opinion. Syed Hussain Nasir, President at the Harvard Islamic Society traveled to Montreal to take part in the international conference that developed as an outgrowth of the

Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Final exam - Essay Example To undertake the responsibilities charged to the army, the US government deploys large military troops to maintain law and order as well as ensure that all the activities under the US control are run efficiently. According to the international law, the occupying powers in the stated territories should take all the measures within their power to restore law and order and to ensure that the safety of the public is maintained (Moten 157). One of the goals and objectives that the US military is supposed to accomplish in their services is the general protection of human life, through the implementation of the humanitarian law which protects human beings against life violation through murder, torture or inhuman treatment (Moten 179). They also uphold the humanitarian law by protecting the citizens from being taken hostages and ensuring that the personal dignity of the citizens is guaranteed. The US military also accomplishes the objective of caring for the sick and ailing people by providi ng food and medicine. The military ensures that the sick are collected and cared for, and that food and medical supplies are availed where they are inadequate. Another objective the US military accomplishes through Iraq and Afghanistan is applying adequate forces and correct procedures to enhance the prosecution of criminals involved in the violation of human rights (Moten 183). What type of government would be recommended in a non western nation? If asked to develop a government in a non western developing nation, I would recommend the establishment of a democratic government. Democracy means a rule by the people where the people govern. A democratic government is where the people are given a chance to elect the leaders of their choice to represent them. This type of government will allow the citizen to be directly involved in government decisions, an act which is not common in monarchy, dictatorial and communism systems. Unlike other forms of government such as dictatorial, commun ism and monarchy, democracy also ensures the change of government without violent behaviors. To prevent monopoly in the ruling authorities as practices in a monarchy and dictatorship governments, a democratic government allows elections after certain periods of time to ensure change of authority. Unlike in the other forms of governments, a democratic government gives the people a sense of pride having participated in the choosing of their ruling authorities (Moten 98). Democratic governments however have the disadvantage because the citizens may make the wrong choices while electing their leaders due to influence by the majority. What could be the reason why countries that are not democratic governments go to wars with each other? Unlike the democratic government where the citizens elect the leaders of their choice, countries practicing forms of government such as dictatorship, monarchy and communism are subjected to one kind of leadership. In dictatorship governments, the authority is held by one person who rules according to his beliefs. Dictatorship may lead to internal wars due to differences in the views of the leadership approach. In a communist type of government, all the economic activities are controlled by the central government. This may cause internal conflicts due to lack of economic independence by other citizens. A reason for conflicts in the communist government could be the scrabble for resources such as minerals and cash

Innovation to Sustainability about Lexus Electric Car Essay

Innovation to Sustainability about Lexus Electric Car - Essay Example The paper tells that Lexus has its headquarters at Nagoya in Japan and operational centers in the US and Europe. Through its innovation management, Lexus was able to produce Lexus CT 200h series in 2011 which even surpassed Toyota Prius in terms of performance and luxury. Lexus CT 200h is a hybrid car which derives its energy from a gasoline engine and electric motors. The power of the battery is very powerful and transmits 27 kW (kilowatts) of power the motors (The three main strategic innovations are; Innovation based on problem-solving vs. continuous innovation, R & D department vs. firm-wide innovation and Radical vs. incremental innovation. Lexus has opted to use radical innovation over incremental innovation owing to the fact that it has shifted completely to hybrid cars. According to Thomas and Christian, incremental innovation is very good for competitiveness but in most cases, it is adopted by competitors who want to catch up with leading innovators. In addition, it also use s innovation through the R & D over firm-wide innovation. In the case of Lexus, their innovations are technology-based which forms their strength in designing the Lexus CT 200h series. Technical innovation is basically the utilization of different forms of technology to come up with a product which competitive and sustainable. Technical innovations are very popular in the auto industry because a consumer is always looking for a car that has an edge over other in terms of technology. Using technology, auto manufacturers are able to increase the comfort and efficiency of cars. Organization Lexus has adopted the mechanistic structure which is quite elaborate in order to handle the challenges of manufacturing their Lexus CT 200h. This form of organizational structure is also good for enabling the accommodation of many lines of production which lead to high production. For ample technical innovation, mechanical structuralisation is good for allowing research and development with regards to technology. However, recent research tries to paint the idea that a combination of mechanistic structure and organic structure is best sustainable innovations. Organisation in the context of innovation management is concerned with the leadership structure and how physical plant. The leadership structure or organizational structure is conceptualized in the manner in which labor is fragmented into different tasks and their subsequent coordination. The auto industry is highly devolved whereby there are different levels of production of car parts. This is important because luxurious cars have many technical parts which require specialized fabrication.

Final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Final exam - Essay Example To undertake the responsibilities charged to the army, the US government deploys large military troops to maintain law and order as well as ensure that all the activities under the US control are run efficiently. According to the international law, the occupying powers in the stated territories should take all the measures within their power to restore law and order and to ensure that the safety of the public is maintained (Moten 157). One of the goals and objectives that the US military is supposed to accomplish in their services is the general protection of human life, through the implementation of the humanitarian law which protects human beings against life violation through murder, torture or inhuman treatment (Moten 179). They also uphold the humanitarian law by protecting the citizens from being taken hostages and ensuring that the personal dignity of the citizens is guaranteed. The US military also accomplishes the objective of caring for the sick and ailing people by providi ng food and medicine. The military ensures that the sick are collected and cared for, and that food and medical supplies are availed where they are inadequate. Another objective the US military accomplishes through Iraq and Afghanistan is applying adequate forces and correct procedures to enhance the prosecution of criminals involved in the violation of human rights (Moten 183). What type of government would be recommended in a non western nation? If asked to develop a government in a non western developing nation, I would recommend the establishment of a democratic government. Democracy means a rule by the people where the people govern. A democratic government is where the people are given a chance to elect the leaders of their choice to represent them. This type of government will allow the citizen to be directly involved in government decisions, an act which is not common in monarchy, dictatorial and communism systems. Unlike other forms of government such as dictatorial, commun ism and monarchy, democracy also ensures the change of government without violent behaviors. To prevent monopoly in the ruling authorities as practices in a monarchy and dictatorship governments, a democratic government allows elections after certain periods of time to ensure change of authority. Unlike in the other forms of governments, a democratic government gives the people a sense of pride having participated in the choosing of their ruling authorities (Moten 98). Democratic governments however have the disadvantage because the citizens may make the wrong choices while electing their leaders due to influence by the majority. What could be the reason why countries that are not democratic governments go to wars with each other? Unlike the democratic government where the citizens elect the leaders of their choice, countries practicing forms of government such as dictatorship, monarchy and communism are subjected to one kind of leadership. In dictatorship governments, the authority is held by one person who rules according to his beliefs. Dictatorship may lead to internal wars due to differences in the views of the leadership approach. In a communist type of government, all the economic activities are controlled by the central government. This may cause internal conflicts due to lack of economic independence by other citizens. A reason for conflicts in the communist government could be the scrabble for resources such as minerals and cash

Marketing demographics Essay Example for Free

Marketing demographics Essay The profile for the potential customers of Bob Bicycles consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behavioral factors: It is said that the immediate geographic target of the company is London. In terms of demographics, the company’s market segment includes male and female whose age ranges from 25 above. In a study conducted, it is noted that commuter cycling in the city is mainly dominated by white males with ages ranging from 25-44; this is because women is facing more barriers in cycling than men (See Figure 2). Most cyclists are also employers and employees who have seen the benefits of cycling with their health, economic and personal factors. As can be seen, children are not considered as a potential market since London is not allowing children to use bicycle for transport. Aside from this, other factors to be considered in the demographics of the potential customers of Bob includes the levels of bicycle usage, reasons for use, behavioral factors and geodemographic factors. Figure 2 Profile of Commute Cyclists 2006-2007 Behavior Factors. In terms of behavioral and cultural aspects, it can be said that Bob bicycles can be considered to have a big potential in London because of the high quality bicycles of Bob which meets the current trends in the bicycle market. In addition, there is a value attributed to the used of bicycle as a means of transport. There are various attitudes to cycling that should be considered by Bob in the London market (See figure 3). This result was based on the study conducted by TFL Omnibus Survey in 2007. Most of the perception of the individuals with regards to cycling is its economic, personal and health benefits. Figure 3 Attitude towards Cycling. Based on the analysis, it can be said that Bob’s plan of expanding his business in the London market, is very feasible and potential based on the current trends in business environment and the pool of demographics and potential target markets. Reference Automatic Traffic Count Data (2007). London Travel report 2007, 2007, TfL. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/corporate/London-Travel-Report-2007-final. pdf. Retrieve October 6, 2008. Heywood, C (2004). The Near Market for Cycling in London. Online available at http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-market-report. pdf.retrieve October 6, 2008 Cycling Action Plan (2004). Creating a chain reaction The London Cycling Action Plan. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-action-plan. pdf. Retrieve October 6, 2008 Cycling and Motorbikes (2008). Online available at http://www. bbc. co. uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/14/cycling_inlondon_feature. shtml. Retrieve October 6, 2008 Synovate Ltd (2008). TfL Omnibus attitudes to cycling, 2007, Synovate. Online available http://www. tfl. gov. uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/cycling-training-effectiveness-results-summary-2008. pdf. retrieve October 6, 2008.

Shafer-Landau Ethical Theory Summary and Analysis

Shafer-Landau Ethical Theory Summary and Analysis Brody Kent   In this section, Shafer-Landau seeks to draw attention to a major flaw which he finds to exist in subjectivism through its incompatibility with an individuals tendency to question his or her own moral values (p. 296). To begin his argument, Shafer-Landau states that if subjectivism is correct, whatever is right is what he, Schafer-Landau, approves of. According to Shafer-Landau, this is because, under the subjectivist model of ethics, a persons own values are the ultimate authority in determining what is morally right and what is morally wrong (p. 296). In Shafer-Landaus view, however, this use of personal values as the predominant ethical authority does not make sense, as it does not account for instances where a person may be undecided as to the value of their beliefs (p. 296). Arguing to this end, Shafer-Landau claims that he, himself, has personally experienced circumstances where he has been drawn to question his values and their supporting justifications (p. 296). According to Shafer-Landau, this tendency to for an individual to question their beliefs is incompatible with the use of these beliefs as the basis of moral truth (p. 296). Through close analysis of this argument as it is made by Shafer-Landau, it appears that he is thereby reaching this conclusion based on one of two premises: either it is wrong to question ones values because they represent moral fact, or it is impossible for our individual values to represent moral fact because they are founded in beliefs that may be influenced by internal debate and which may therefore change over time; in other words, these values cannot represent moral fact because they lack consistency and objectivity. To counter this argument, I will seek to show that both of these premises are false: the first, due to its inability to describe a legitimate threat to the status of individual values as moral truths, and the second due to its inability to accurately represent the nature of individual, subjective truth described by the subjectivist model. Regarding Shafer-Landaus first possible premise to this conclusion, it seems unsound to conclude that because a fact is questioned it cannot be a fact. Certainly, there are many ideals which we now consider to be fact that have been heavily scrutinized throughout history. As a notable example, the fact that the earth is spherical and not flat has been, and in some cases even continues to be, questioned extensively. Further, it does not seem that the act of questioning a potential fact plays any role in determining whether or not an idea is truly factual. Consider, as an example, the many conspiracies which assert that the Buzz Aldrin and the United States did not land on the moon. Despite this argument and those counterarguments which assert that the United States did, in fact, place a shuttle on the moon, the actual fact of the matter, whatever it may be, is a fact in and of itself and is not affected in any way by this questioning. In other words, the legitimacy of a fact is independent of and cannot be affected by any acts of questioning its value or legitimacy. Therefore, if it was Schafer-Landaus intent to argue that our tendency to question our values is incompatible with our values forming the basis of moral fact, this reasoning seems false, as it relies on a poor argument that our act of questioning a fact damages that facts legitimacy. Shafer-Landaus second possible premise for his conclusion appears to be equally flawed, as it seems to disregard some major components of the essence of subjectivist moral reasoning. According to Shafer Landau, the act of questioning the legitimacy of ones moral values cannot make sense, since [ones own] approvals and disapprovals are the ultimate test of right and wrong (p. 296). Assuming that, through this argument, Shafer-Landau intends to say that moral values are unfit to represent moral truth because they represent ideas that are subject to change under the influence of internal questioning, it appears that Shafer-Landau is overlooking a key aspect of the subjectivist ideal. According to Merriam-Webster, subjectivism is a moral doctrine which states that individual feeling or apprehension is the ultimate criterion of the good and the right (Subjectivism, n.d.).   From this definition, it is understood that under the subjectivist model, there are no objective moral truths ; rather, the subjectivist ideal champions that each individuals values represent subjective moral truths, which are the highest level of moral truth (Ethics Guide: Subjectivism). As a result, subjectivism does not give preference to any single moral value, but supports every individual value as ethically meaningful to that individual. And it seems that the essence of this idea can easily be expanded to the individual level used within Shafer-Landaus argument. If all ideas between individuals are morally valuable so long as they reflect the subjective moral beliefs of that individual, it seems to follow that all differing values within an individual are morally valuable so long as they reflect that individuals perspective, feeling, or belief at the given time. When considered in this light, it no longer appears that the susceptibility of our subjective moral truths to change truly conflicts with the subjectivist model of morality, as Shafer-Landau may be arguing. Rather, it seems that Shafer-Landaus argument rests on a misrepresentation of subjectivism, whereby he is arguing based on a false perception that subjectivism intends for subjective moral truths to possess the level of infallibility and rigidness held by objective moral truths. Because the kind of subjective moral truths championed by subjectivist theory are not expected to possess this level of infallibility, and are, in fact, often celebrated for their tendency to differ and change across people and cultures, Shafer-Landaus argument for the presence of a conflict in our tendency to question our own moral perceptions while using them to determine our moral beliefs appears false if it intends to argue that this conflict is derived from the resulting susceptibility of our moral va lues to our own questioning. Through his argument in this section, Shafer-Landau seeks to convey that subjectivism conflicts with the tendency of individuals to question their moral beliefs (p. 296). I have objected to this conclusion in two ways, each of which correspond to one of what I perceive to be the two most likely reasons for which Shafer-Landau believes this conflict to exist. First, I have identified that Shafer-Landaus conclusion is unsound if it is based on the false premise that this conflict exists because of our tendency to question factual moral truths. Second, I have found this conclusion to be unsound if it is based on the premise that subjective moral truths cannot be susceptible to adaptation or change due to our questioning our own moral values. References Ethics Guide: Subjectivism. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction /subjectivism.shtml Shafer-Landau, R. (2015). Ethical Relativism. In The Fundamentals of Ethics (pp. 296). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Subjectivism [Def. 2.b] (n.d). Merriam-Webster Online. In Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subjectivism

The Marxist Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Marxist Hamlet In his article "'Funeral Bak'd Meats:'   Carnival and the Carnivalesque in Hamlet," Michael D. Bristol mingles Marxism and Bakhtin's notion of double discoursed textuality into an unique reading of Shakespeare's drama as a struggle between opposing economic classes.   Bristol opens with a two paragraph preface on Marxism, highlighting Marx's own abnegation of Marxism:   "Marx is famous for the paradoxical claim that he was not a Marxist" (Bristol 348).   While he acknowledges some of the flaws inherent in Marxist criticism, Bristol uses the introductory paragraphs to assert the "enormous importance" of "the theory of class consciousness and class struggle" which Marxist theory includes (349).   Having prepared readers for a discourse whose foundation lies upon "the most fundamental idea in Marxism," Bristol recasts Hamlet as a class struggle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A strange, mutli-faceted mingling pervades Bristol's argument, and, according to his thesis the drama of Hamlet as well.   According to Bristol, two contrasting texts, two opposing social worlds, flow past one another in the drama, forming a strange suspension "of grief and of festive laughter" (350).   This odd juxtaposition of opposites becomes the basis for Bristol's introduction of the carnivalesque.   The echoes of Carnival within Hamlet, according to Bristol, ceaselessly evolve throughout the play until they reach their most perfect representation in the grave-diggers' scene of the fifth act.   Bristol assigns Carnival a function that immensely strengthens his thesis:   "Carnival opens up alternative possibilities for action and helps to facilitate creativity in the social sphere" (351).   Bristol's discussion of Carnival expands in order to include the theories ... ...istol concludes his article by explaining the ultimate end of the Carnivalesque, "the dissolution, and finally the extinction of identity, the annihilation of the individual in the historical continuum" (365).   The bodies of the festival-makers, the court of Hamlet, lie on the stage like "slaughtered 'meat'" (364).   Bristol concludes that the second culture, or the second language, of Carnival within the drama of Hamlet, supplies an alternate reading for the drama by "uncrowning the shifting rationales used to explicate political intrigue," by transforming the play into a struggle between social classes as expressed by the carnivalesque (365).   The doubleness of Hamlet, the mingling of tragedy and the comic, sheds new light on the drama as an ambivalent and grotesque Carnival which diametrically contrasts the power and propriety typically associated with the play.