North Korea and South Korea

In North Korea, a dictator rules the county and currently their dictator is Kim Jung l_JNI. Also, North Koreans government is very strict about people from other countries traveling to North Korea. Tourists are only allowed to enter the country if there is a guided tour and independent traveling to North Korea is not allowed. However, South Korea, is a republic with a president. As of now, their president, who is the first female president elected, is park Gun Hey. Their country has elections for a new president every five years.Additionally, anyone and everyone can travel to South Korea whenever they want. Every country or state has different cultures and lifestyles. In North Korea, art is didactic and they create many beautiful artworks. Calligraphy, music, painting and pottery are all various types of art that is produced in North Korea. Their paintings are usually drawings of events that have happened in the past or drawings of nature such as flowers. North Koreans play many game s, especially races and they like to participate in a lot of active activities. In addition, their diet does not contain spicy foods such as chime.In South Korea, art and music is very well known. Buddhism was a great inspiration towards South Korean art and outstanding architecture and artworks are found in Buddhist temples and paintings. Music is very popular in South Korea and one type of genre is Kop. Kop is short for Korean pop and is known all over the world. Just like North Korea, South Korea loves to play games and their traditional board game is bad. Also, South Koreans diet is the total opposite of North Koreans diet. In South Korea, spicy foods are very common and the national dish is chime.Lastly, both North and South Korea have a traditional dress called handbook that is mainly worn on New Years. Education is an essential need in everyone's lives. In North Korea, people are mainly interested in the subjects technology and science. Also, in the early 1 sys the education system was divided into one year Of kindergarten, four years of primary school for ages six to nine, and six years of senior middle school for ages ten to fifteen. The most important institution is Kim – sung University. South Koreans academic environment is very competitive.Nearly all the nation's top schools are located in Seoul, South Korea. Primary schools consists of grades one to six and secondary schools consists of seventh to twelfth. The most popular university in South Korea is Seoul National University. The two countries that were known as one are now split into two and has tons of differences and similarities. They compare and contrast in government, culture, and education. Imagining what life would have been like back if North and South Korea were one is difficult due to the disparity in the people's lives and in the country.

An Innovative Approach: A Secured Automated Diagnosis System for Heart Diseases

An Advanced Approach: A secured automated Diagnosis System for Heart Diseases Abstract –The diagnosing of bosom disease is a important and complicated procedure that requires high degree of expertness. Development of computing machine methods for the diagnosing of bosom disease attracts many research workers. This paper has developed an automated diagnosing system to place assorted bosom diseases like cardio vascular disease, coronary arteria disease, myocardiopathy, bosom onslaught etc. This diagnosing system is a package plan or application that identifies the diseases based on the cognition available at the system. This system uses symptoms of patients to foretell the likeliness of patient acquiring a bosom disease. This diagnosing system is 3rd party waiters that are potentially non to the full trusted which raises privateness concerns. The usage of encoding algorithm before naming preserves the privateness of the patient informations and the determination. The patient informations is encrypted by utilizing an AES encoding algorithm. The encrypted i nformation is processed by this system to sort the happening of bosom diseases by utilizing lucifer devising algorithm. Hence the waiter involved in the diagnosing procedure is non able to larn any excess cognition about the patient informations and consequences. Keywords: AES encoding, clinical determination support system, diagnosing system, lucifer devising algorithm. I. Introduction Now a day’s, in this universe bosom disease is the major cause of deceases. There are several hazard factors for bosom disease such as age, gender, baccy usage, intoxicant ingestion, unhealthy diet, fleshiness, household history of bosom disease, raised blood force per unit area, raised blood sugar. The World Health Organization has estimated that 12 million deceases occur worldwide, every twelvemonth due to bosom diseases. Heart disease is besides known as ( CVD ) cardiovascular disease, encloses a figure of conditions that influence the bosom non merely bosom onslaughts [ 2 ] . Heart diseases besides include functional jobs of bosom such as infections in bosom musculuss like myocardial inflammation ( inflammatory bosom diseases ) , bosom valve abnormalcies or irregular bosom beat etc these grounds can take to bosom failure [ 4 ] . Heart is the most indispensable critical organ in the human organic structure ; if that organ gets affected so it besides affects the other critic al parts of the organic structure. In this fast moving universe people want to populate a really epicurean life so they work like a machine in order to gain batch of money and live a comfy life hence in this race they forget to take attention of themselves, in this type of life style they are most tensed they have blood force per unit area, sugar at really immature age and they don’t give plenty remainder for themselves and eat what they get and they even don’t bother about the quality of nutrient, if they are ill they go for their ain medicine, as a consequence of all these little carelessness it leads to a major menace that is bosom disease. Therefore it is really of import for a people to travel for bosom disease diagnosing. This paper has developed a diagnosing system to place assorted bosom diseases in an early phase. The intent of this machine-controlled tool is to assist people who are non able to run into the physicians straight and for the people who are busy in plants and non even have clip to see infirmary. This diagnosing system is a computing machine based system which identifies the disease based on the cognition available at the system. II EXIXTING SYSTEM A clinical determination support system ( CDSS ) is a computerized medical diagnosing procedure for heightening wellness related determinations [ 6 ] . It is helpful for patient or clinicians to diagnosis the diseases. Now clinicians, who want to verify whether their patients are affected by that peculiar disease, could direct the patient informations to the waiter via the radio medium to execute diagnosing based on the health care cognition at the waiter. However, there is now a hazard that the 3rd party waiters are potentially non sure waiters. Hence, let go ofing the patient informations samples owned by the clinician or uncovering the determination to the non trusted waiter raises privateness concerns. III. PROPOSED SYSTEM The chief purpose of the proposed work is to develop privateness preserved automated diagnosing system. The patient can utilize this system to name the disease in an early phase. Patient encrypts each component of his / her informations utilizing the AES encoding algorithm and sends the encrypted informations and the corresponding public key to the waiter [ 1, 6 ] . The private key resides at the Patient side ; hence, it is non possible for the remote waiter which participates in this categorization operation to decode. This system provides privateness to the patient informations by coding the patient informations before naming [ 4 ] . The encrypted information is sent to the waiter for naming. The waiter uses the healthcare information from its ain depository and classifies the symptoms by utilizing matchmaking algorithm [ 3 ] . The block diagram for the proposed system is given below. Figure: Work flow diagram of the proposed method. The above Figure.1 explains the proposed work flow method for naming the bosom diseases. The measure by measure procedure of proposed method is as follows. 1. The list of diseases associated with bosom and the related symptoms are collected from the medical resources. 2. The collected symptoms are uploaded into server database through generator tool in an encrypted file format. The intent of the generator tool is to hive away the informations such as name of the disease and the associated symptoms. 3. The patient sends the list of symptoms that he / she may experience to the waiter. These informations must be encrypted by utilizing an AES encoding algorithm [ 1, 6 ] . The usage of encoding algorithm before naming preserves the privateness of patient informations. 4. The encrypted informations to be processed by the waiter is normalized. Normalization splits the encrypted symptoms into each single symptom. This normalized information is in indecipherable signifier. 5. This diagnosing waiter procedure the normalized information to sort the disease based on the cognition available in its database. The categorization of bosom disease is done by utilizing lucifer doing algorithm [ 3 ] . IV. METHODOLOGY The proposed work involves four faculties: informations aggregation, client waiter communicating, encoding and decoding and standardization. A. Data Collection Data aggregation is a most of import measure in any type of diagnosing system. The assorted diseases related to bosom and the associated symptoms are collected from medical resources for better determination devising. All these informations must be uploaded into waiter database through the usage of generator tool. The generator tool upload these item in an encrypted file format. This information will be used by the diagnosing system during the diagnosing procedure. This information will be used for two chief intents: First, the informations will be used in pull outing utile cognition and supply scientific determination devising. Second, the informations will be used in measuring the results of the symptoms. B. Client Server This measure performs the node creative activity and communicating between the beginning and finish. The client and server communicating is done through sockets. Socket is a package end point that establishes the bidirectional communicating between the client and the waiter. In this application we can make a figure of clients that can pass on with the waiter at the same clip. The client is a user of the system i.e. the patient. The patient sends the list of symptoms they may experience to the waiter via the web. The waiter processes those symptoms and provides response to the user. C. Encryption and Decryption Use of encoding before diagnosing preserves the privateness of both patient information and the consequence of the diagnosing procedure. AES ( Advanced Encryption Standard ) encoding algorithm is used for coding the patient. AES is a symmetric block cypher. This means that it uses same key for both encoding and decoding. AES algorithm accepts the block size of 128 and may utilize either 192 or 256 spots cardinal size. In this algorithm full information block is processed in parallel during each unit of ammunition utilizing permutations and substitutions. The input is a individual 128 spot block for both encoding and decoding and is known as the in matrix. This block is copied into province array which is modified at each phase of the algorithm and so copied to an end product matrix [ 1, 6 ] . The four phases of the AES encoding algorithm are as follows: 1. Substitute bytes 2. Shift rows 3. Mix Columns 4. Add Round Key D. Normalization The standardization is done on the encrypted information before naming. Normalization splits the encrypted symptoms into single symptom. This normalized information is in indecipherable signifier. Hence the waiter is non able to larn any information about the patients. In standardization map it besides performs scaling. It is done to avoid the happening of mistakes. The normalized information is processed by the waiter to sort the patient’s symptoms. The waiter uses matchmaking protocol to sort the patient disease. Matchmaking Algorithm Matchmaking algorithm is done to happen the perfect lucifer for the symptoms to place the disease [ 3 ] .At foremost the symptoms entered by the patient is splitted into separate symptoms.Then each symptom is matched with the informations in the database one by one.For each symptom the possible disease and its symptoms are listed.Now the symptoms of each disease are matched with the splitted informations one by one.If all the symptoms entered by the patient is matched with the symptoms in the database means so the disease is diagnosed easy.If the group of symptoms produces more than one disease, so the system will expose all the relevant disease.V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This subdivision shows treatment of experimental consequences for the proposed diagnosing system. The diagnosing is done by supplying assorted symptoms the patient feel. These symptoms are encrypted to continue the privateness of the patient informations. The diagnosing system processes the symptoms in an encrypted signifier. The patient information ever remain in an encrypted signifier during the diagnosing procedure. And besides the disease identified by the system is in indecipherable signifier this can continue the privateness of the diagnosing consequence. At last the patient decrypts the consequence. If the data’s provided by the patient is non plenty for naming so it will impact the truth and public presentation of the diagnosing system. VI. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK This work has proposed a privateness continuing diagnosing system for placing assorted bosom diseases. Since the proposed system is a possible application of emerging outsourcing techniques, rich clinical informations sets available in distant location could be used via the cyberspace without compromising privateness, thereby heightening the determination devising ability. The proposed system provides privateness to the patient informations by utilizing an encoding algorithm. The patient information ever remain in an encrypted signifier during the diagnosing procedure. Hence the waiter is non able to larn any excess cognition about patient informations and consequences. In future we extend our work to include informations mining algorithm together with encoding to supply more efficient and effectual diagnosing. We can besides utilize existent informations from wellness attention organisations to better the determination doing capableness of the waiter. Use other encoding algorithm to better the security of the patient informations and consequences. Besides we will develop the diagnosing system for many diseases and supply solutions to the identified diseases. Mentions 1.Ashwini R.Tonde, Akshay P Dhande ( 2014 ) , ‘Review Paper on FPGA based execution of Advanced Encryption Standard Algorithm’ , International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering, Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2014. 2.Chitra R and Seenivasagam V. ( 2013 ) , ‘Heart Disease Prediction System Using Supervised Learning Classifier’ , International Journal of Software Engineering and Soft Computing, Vol.3, No.1. 3.Ji Sun Shin, Virgil D. Gligor ( 2003 ) , ‘A New Privacy Enhanced Matchmaking Protocol’ , IEICE trans.commun, Vol.E96- B, No.8, pp.2049-2059, Aug 1. 4.Lin K.P and Chen M.S ( 2011 ) , ‘On the design and analysis of the privateness continuing SVM classifier, ’ IEEE trans.Knowl.Data Eng. 5. Mai Shouman, Tim Turner and Rob Stocker ( 2012 ) , ‘Using Data Mining Techniques in Heart Disease Diagnosis and Treatment’ , IEEE dealing on Computer Science and Engineering. 6.Minal Moharir ( 2012 ) , ‘A Novel Approach Using Advanced Encryption Standard to Implement Hard Disk Security† International Journal of Network Security & A ; Its Applications ( IJNSA ) . 7.Ratnam D, HimaBindu P, Mallik Sai V, Rama Devi S.P and Raghavendra Rao P. ( 2014 ) , ‘Computer based Clinical Decision Support System for anticipation of Heart Diseases utilizing Naive Bayes Algorithm’ , International Journal of computing machine Science and Information Technologies, Vol. 5 ( 2 ) , 2384-2388. 8.Samesh Ghwanmeh ( 2013 ) , ‘Innovative Artificial Neural Network based determination support system for bosom disease diagnosis’ , Journal of Intelligent Learning Systems and Applications. 9.Sellappan Palaniappan, Rafiah Awang ( 2008 ) , ‘Intelligent Heart Disease Prediction System Using Data Mining Techniques’ , IJCSNS International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, VOL.8 No.8. 10.Shaikh Abdul Hannan ( 2010 ) , ‘Diagnosis and medical prescription of bosom disease utilizing SVM and feed frontward Back extension technique’ , International Journal on computing machine Science and Eng.

E-Commerce in East Africa

Table of Contents Definition and background2 Reasons for growth of e-commerce in East Africa. 4 Influence of e-commerce on trading practices in East Africa. 5 Types of e-commerce8 Challenges facing the growth of e-commerce in East Africa. 9 1. Poor infrastructure9 Computer illiteracy9 Lack of proper regulation9 Inadequate capital10 Inadequate personnel10 Conclusion10 References11 Definition and backgroundE-commerce refers to business conducted through the use of computers, telephones, fax machines, barcode readers, credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) or other electronic appliances (whether or not using the internet) without the exchange of paper-based documents. It includes activities such as procurement, order entry, transaction processing, payment, authentication and non-repudiation, inventory control, order fulfillment, and customer support. When a buyer pays with a bank card swiped through a magnetic-stripe-reader, he or she is participating in e-commerce. |It mainly in volves the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. Electronic commerce draws on such technologies as electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at one point in the transaction's life-cycle, although it may encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail, mobile devices and telephones as well.Originally, electronic commerce was identified as the facilitation of commercial transactions electronically, using technology such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). These were both introduced in the late 1970s, allowing businesses to send commercial documents like purchase orders or invoices electronically. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) and telephone banking in the 1980s were also forms of electronic commerce. Another form of e-commerce was the airline reservation system typified by Sabre in the USA and Travicom in the UK.Electronic commerce or ecommerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. It covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge. Ecommerce allows consumers to electronically exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance.Electronic commerce has expanded rapidly over the past five years and is predicted to continue at this rate, or even accelerate. In the near future the boundaries between â€Å"conventional† and â€Å"electronic† commerce will become increasingly blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations onto the Internet. Business to Business or B2B refers to electronic commerce between businesses rather than between a business and a consumer. B2B businesses often deal with hundreds or even thousands of other businesses, either as customers or suppliers.Carrying out these transactions electronically provides vast competitive advantages over traditional methods. When implemented properly, ecommerce is often faster, cheaper and more convenient than the traditional methods of bartering goods and services. Electronic transactions have been around for quite some time in the form of Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. EDI requires each supplier and customer to set up a dedicated data link (between them), where ecommerce provides a cost-effective method for companies to set up multiple, and ad-hoc links.Electronic commerce has also led to the development of electronic marketplaces where supplie rs and potential customers are brought together to conduct mutually beneficial trade. Just like the rest of the world, East Africa hasn’t been left behind in adopting e-commerce as a way of doing business. Many individuals, corporations and even governments have resolved to using e-commerce in consummating their business transactions, albeit on a smaller margin as compared to western countries or the more developed world economies.Countries in east Africa, that is Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have all been taking steps in the recent past to ensure that trade among them grows as a way of boosting the economic growth of these countries. One of the steps has clearly been adopting the use of e-commerce. Relevant infrastructure has been or is being established to back up this adoption. Since e-commerce ideally is all about the internet, most of the infrastructure I am referring to involves it in way or another.Most notably has been the laying of the fiber optic cable from the coast of Kenya towards the inland that allows for high speed internet access. Reasons for growth of e-commerce in East Africa. The rapid growth of e-commerce since 1995 is due to the unique features of the Internet and the Web as a commercial medium: * Ubiquity: Internet/Web technology is everywhere, at work, home, and elsewhere, and anytime, providing a ubiquitous market space, a marketplace removed from a temporal and geographical location. * Global reach: The technology reaches across national boundaries. Universal standards: There is one set of Internet technology standards, which greatly lower market entry costs (the costs to bring goods to market) and reduce search costs (the effort to find products) for the consumer. * Richness: Information richness refers to the complexity and content of a message. Internet technology allows for rich video, audio, and text messages to be delivered to large numbers of people. * Interactivity: The technology works through interaction with the user. * Information density: Information density is the total amount and quality of information available to all market participants.Internet technology reduces information costs and raises quality of information, enabling price transparency (the ease for consumers of finding a variety of prices) and cost transparency (the ability of consumers to determine the actual costs of products). Information density allows merchants to engage in price discrimination (selling goods to targeted groups at different prices). * Personalization/customization: E-commerce technologies permit personalization (targeting personal messages to consumers) and customization (changing a product or service based on consumer preference or history.Influence of e-commerce on trading practices in East Africa. As it has already been established, e-commerce is being used, even though not so widely in East Africa. The firms or organizations that have decided to employ e-commerce are benefiting from it in the following way s: 1. Exploitation of New Business Broadly speaking, electronic commerce emphasizes the generation and exploitation of new . business opportunities and to use popular phrases: â€Å"generate business value† or â€Å"do more with less† Safaricom, mobile service provider has the m-pesa service that captured so many customers and helped many people establish new businesses.There is also the m-kesho service which is a joint venture between Safaricom and Equity Bank that has enabled many small business owners and individuals to access banking services. 2. Enabling the Customers Electronic Commerce is enabling the customer to have an increasing say in what products are made, how products are made and how services are delivered (movement from a slow order fulfillment process with little understanding of what is taking place inside the firm, to a faster and rt1ore open process with customers having greater control. . Improvement of Business Transaction Electronic Commerce ende avors to improve the execution of business transaction over various networks. 4. Effective Performance It leads to more effective performance i. e. better quality, greater customer satisfaction and better corporate decision making. 5. Greater Economic Efficiency We may achieve greater economic efficiency (lower cost) and more rapid exchange (high speed, accelerated, or real-time interaction) with the help of electronic commerce. 6. Execution of InformationIt enables the execution of information-laden transactions between two ore more parties using inter connected networks. These networks can be a combination of ‘plain old telephone system’ (POTS), Cable TV, leased lines and wireless. Information based transactions are creating new ways of doing business and even new types of business. 7. Incorporating Transaction Electronic Commerce also inco11'orates transaction management, which organizes, routes, processes and tracks transactions. It also includes consumers making el ectronic payments and funds transfers. 8.Increasing of Revenue Firm use technology to either lower operating costs or increase revenue. Electronic Commerce has the Potential to increase revenue by creating new markets for old products, creating new information-based products, and establishing new service delivery channels to better serve and interact with customers. The transaction management aspect of electronic commerce can also enable firms to reduce operating costs by enabling better coordination in the sales, production and distribution processes and to consolidate operations arid reduce overhead. . Reduction of Friction Electronic Commerce research and its associated implementations is to reduce the â€Å"friction† in on line transactions frictions is often described in economics as transaction cost. It can arise from inefficient market structures and inefficient combinations of the technological activities required to make a transaction. Ultimately, the reduction of fr iction in online commerce will enable smoother transaction between buyers, intermediaries and sellers. 10. Facilitating of Network Form Electronic Commerce is also impacting business . o business interactions. It facilitates the network form of organization where small flexible firms rely on other partner, companies for component supplies and product distribution to meet changing customer demand more effectively. Hence, an end to end relationship management solution is a desirable goal that is needed to manage the chain of networks linking customers, workers, suppliers, distributors and even competitors. The management of â€Å"online transactions† in the supply chain assumes a central roll. 11. Facilitating for Organizational ModelIt is facilitating an organizational model that is fundamentally different from the past. It is a control organization to the information based organization. The emerging forms of techno-organizational structure involve changes in managerial respon sibilities, communication and information flows and work group structure. Types of e-commerce Business-to-business (B2B) Business that sells products or provides services to other businesses. Business-to-consumer (B2C) Business that sells products or provides services to end-user consumers.Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) Consumers sell directly to other consumers. Business-to-government (B2G) Government buys or provides goods, services or information to/from businesses or individual citizens. Business-to-employee (B2E) Information and services made available to employees online. Mobile commerce (m-commerce) E-commerce transactions and activities conducted in a wireless environment. Collaborative commerce (c-commerce) Individuals or groups communicate or collaborate online. Challenges facing the growth of e-commerce in East Africa. . Poor infrastructure. Many consumers and businesses in the east African region are not able to access internet services due to poor access of the internet and online services in general. This makes it difficult for them to transact through the internet and hence e-commerce has not been able to grow at a reasonable rate. This poor internet access can be attributed to the poor infrastructure currently being used in the region. Modern high performance network equipment has to be installed for e-commerce to grow as expected. Computer illiteracyMany individuals in the east African region do not have access to computers and those who might have access do not know how to use them. This has largely affected the growth of e-commerce since computers are an integral part of the online business. This is why many online transactions in the region are usually done by way of mobile phones which again aren’t that accessible to the common citizenry. Lack of proper regulation The internet is largely unregulated. Many businesses and individuals lose their money to unscrupulous and fraudulent business people who take advantage of the lack of proper r ules and regulations to play foul.The situation is even worse in east Africa and many businesses are losing money hindering their expansion and the industry in general. Inadequate capital Investment in the equipment and manpower required to run online business is very expensive and most firms cannot afford it. Computers, database managers, hard drives, software and software managers are all needed to keep on online system running. Administration of such systems is also very expensive and it needs regular updating and upgrading. Inadequate personnel Many firms in east Africa do not have the expertise needed to run these e-commerce systems.The curriculum in schools and higher learning institutions do not offer adequate skills. Expertise has to be imported from the rest of the world to complement the little that we have. This makes it so expensive to run online businesses. Conclusion Even though it has taken so long for e-commerce to be integrated into the business world in east Africa , it is finally here and it is being appreciated by those who are willing to adopt it. The governments of the countries in the region are doing a lot of investment in the required infrastructure to see to it that internet is accessed widely and cheaply.Investors from other countries have also realized that this east African region holds a lot of potential and are willing to invest their money to boost online trading establishments. There are still many challenges that need to be surmounted and e-commerce has gotten to its feet fully, but with the measures being taken by the governments, the private sector and many other stakeholders in the information technology sector, it is only a matter of time before e-commerce becomes fully operative in the region.This will present a lot of opportunities that will help improve the standards of living in the region. References * www. ecommerce-land. com * www. ihub. co. ke * The Economics of M-Pesa, William Jack and Tavneet Suri, 2nd Edition, Au gust 2010 * www. kcbbankgroup. com * www. imbank. com * The Smart Company, The Daily Nation, 17th July 2012 page 8-9

Should minors who commit violent crimes be tried as adults Research Paper

Should minors who commit violent crimes be tried as adults - Research Paper Example but before a concrete decision is made there are a few hurdles that are to be crossed and issues to be looked at, and only after the examination of these issues the pros and cons of such hurdles are discussed one can reach a decision that would not only benefit the minor but also the society as a whole. This paper would look at some of these issues and cater to solutions of those issues by highlighting the advantages of those solutions. The first problem that arises in the decision of treating a minor as an adult in a trial is to know whether a minor has the intellectual and moral capacity to judge the consequences of his crime. In this fast paced modern world where almost everyone has access to media of some sort let it be movies or internet, which makes people aware of crimes and there consequences. I believe that it is one of the most basic things a child learns in his early years that for every bad action there will be consequences and it’s through this idea a child learns what is right and what is wrong. A child who is aware of the fact that a crime is a bad deed he must then be aware of the consequences it will bring. Now a days with the increase in violence around everyone it is just hard to believe that a child not matter how young he is, is unable to understand the effects of violence. It would be childish on our part to assume that a minor who is willing to commit a crime as heinous as murder is in nocent. A child who knows how to use a gun or any weapon to kill someone or use it for violence is fully aware of the consequences it will bring on himself, victim and the society, Reaves (2001). At what age then children develop that moral sense and understand the consequences of their actions? The solution to this problem would be to find a way to know whether a minor under question has developed that moral sense or not. Before the decision is made of

Research and Evaluation in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research and Evaluation in Social Work - Essay Example Further, being able to inform policy by way of their study would increase the researcher's credibility, and make it more likely for the universities and health centres in which they work to have access to funding, as graduate students would be able to work on research projects, and government and private institutions could contract the researchers for more studies. The researchers appear to have designed an objective study in that; a thorough and up-to-date literature review was presented that identified current gaps in knowledge; a cross-sectional survey allowed for sampling of the diversity of organizations providing services to older people; snowball sampling allowed for access to organisations that may have been otherwise neglected, because of their size or their lack of exposure; a selection criteria provides a set of parameters that characterize the sample for future study comparisons; conclusions were drawn based on the data collected from the survey; and the final thesis was submitted for peer-review to be able to be published in a reputable journal. Overall, it was an empirical study, designed and carried out in a systematic manner, with evidence-based conclusion drawn. The Abstract succinctly and parsimoniously reported the main points of the research, summarizing the goal of the project, identifying the population, noting the research methods used, and mentioning the conclusions and implications. However, the abstract did not state the hypothesis of the study and whether it was supported or not. The rationale of the study was clear in its statement: A wide range of community based services and activities have evolved to combat the 'negative' experiences of social isolation and loneliness in later life. The appropriateness and accessibility of most interventions intended to alleviate social isolation and loneliness among older people, however, have remained unclear (p. 150). Also, the research questions were presented in dot point format, which made most of them clear and to the point. However, one goal, 'Explore the involvement of older people in the planning process,' was ambiguous in that it did not state clearly that the exploration would not make use of older person opinions, only those of the organisations servicing older people. All of the research questions were worthy of being answered, as availability of, and access to, social orientated activities is essential to the mental and physical health of older people. However, given that older people were not included in the sample, as a comparison group, it is questionable whether all of the research questions were comprehensively answered.The literature review was adequate in that it included up-to-date research for the UK, and identified gaps in knowledge. The theories drawn on also raised some interesting points, such as many older people do not perceive themselves to be lonely (c.f., Townsend, 1 957; Tornstam, 1995; Victor et al. 2005), despite continuous evidence that experiences of loneliness increase with age (authors,). The relationship between aging and loneliness has been suggested to be the result of changes in living circumstances, such as the loss of a partner, or moving to a nursing home, and changes to subjective health (c.f., Tijhuis et al. 1999). It appears that more research into social support could be the

St. Matthew's Passion by Bach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

St. Matthew's Passion by Bach - Essay Example The music was text bound and therefore difficult to measure because of its spiritual and expressive intensity. Bach was counterpoint master as he used all baroque era musical language resource with ease. He could combine Germany intricate counterpoint, French rhythmic dances and graceful melodies of Italy in a single composition. Some of his work include Christmas oratorio which include St. Matthew Passion and ascension cantata (six cantatas) (Robin, 1999). Master of St. Matthew Passion It is an oratorio written by Bach for orchestra, choir and solo voices. Matthew’s gospel chapter 26 and 27 are set into music with arias and chorale that are interspersed throughout the musical text (Robin, 1999). Composition The setting of Bach’s passion present chapter is in 26 and 27 of Matthew’s biblical text in a simple manner by use of recitative. In addition, latest poetic texts are set by ariaso and aria movements which explain various biblical events in a narrative form ( Robin, 1999). Lyrism and monologue are used to present the state of mind of the characters that are involved. St. Matthew Passion has the following aspects: a) Double-choir which originate from double-choir motets. b) Chorales are used extensively and appear and are found in four parts as an arias extension. In polyphonic movements which are large, chorales appears as cantus firmus. This quite evident in the finale of the first movement Mensch, bewein dein’ Sunde gro?. Chorale cantus firmus is also used in opening chorus, as Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen where soprano in ripieno create harmonic and polyphonic anxiety, singing O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig verse (Robin,1999) The oratorio is a twelve score concertato with eight soloists performing in two choirs(Robin,1999). Furthermore, extra parts have two bass and single soprano voices in the bit parts which include Peter, Pilate Wife, High Priests, and Judas with another section for soprano in ripieno. vocal ensembles has three voice parts (three basses, three tenors , three sopranos and three altos and residual which has two parts that provide soloists ( Concertists) for the composed cantatas together with other vocal works. Secco recitative is used in the gospel narration with continuo accompaniments (Robin, 1999). Words describing various characters are sung in recitative form. Apart from Jesus, other named parts, include two ancillae(maids),two witness, Judas, two high priest, peter and Pilates’ wife. Arias are often assigned to character soloist who sings with the choir(Robin,1999). In addition, a pair of soloists sings the two duets which concurrently represent two speakers. Turba (Crowd) are passages for many speakers and is sung by either one or two choirs. There is special treatment for the words of Jesus Vox Christi. This is by creation of accompagnato recitatives which are accompanied by continuo and orchestral string section by use of long notes that are sustained and stressing sp ecific words (Robin, 1999). Instruments St Matthew Passion has a setting of two orchestras and two choirs and it include two Gamba, two flutes, and two oboe and basso continuo. Instruments create a particular mood in arias for example Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben which is #49 soprano arias where there is no security as a result basso continuo and string absence (Robin, 1999). Compositional style Recitatives create a mood

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics Essay

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics - Essay Example Americans no longer have to search high and low for this information; instead, they simply need to turn on any news channel or go to any news website and they are presented with all of the facts that are needed, and then some. It is because of media that more people than ever are involved in the world of politics (Rozell & Mayer, 2008), even if they are just spectators. However, media is not always a helpful, reliable tool when politics are involved. Media influences people in regard to politics by feeding them the information that its deems to be important; those in charge of media have their own agenda. This is often dependent on the news station, the individual relaying the news, or the political party of anyone involved in the broadcast (Curran, 1995). If a story is being presented by Democrats, there is a good chance that the Republican party will not be shown in a good light, and vice versa. The same holds true for issues regarding propositions or bills that are waiting to be p assed, such as the growing concern of border control along the southern states. What originally began as a method to keep Americans informed of political goings-on has long since become a battle to make one side look worse than the other, all because of the universality and bias of media.

People and organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

People and organisations - Essay Example They were based on Taylor’s scientific management processes which emphasised close supervision. However, more advanced studies such as the Hawthorne studies found out that specialisation created boredom, low productivity and high turnover. Furthermore, modern organisations operate in a global competitive climate which requires them to be flexible enough to adapt quickly to changes. As such, modern organisations now rely on contingency factors to structure organisations and teamwork to motivate workers. The organisation culture also plays an important role in defining how employees experience their work and how organisations are operated. The paper will discuss how two organisations differ in the way they are operated and how people experience work. This will be achieved by looking at their approaches to teamwork and teamworking, approaches to organisation structure and design, and the organisation cultures. Biogenia plc is a world-leading business dealing with crop-protection products (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) with 15000 employees in over 80 countries and has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries. Its activities are grouped into four functional areas but employees also work in cross-functional teams. The company is driven by innovation and employs highly qualified employees from diverse backgrounds. It also offers room for development through training courses and sponsoring education. It is also engaged in community activities by offering sponsorship. Sleepeasy Hotels on the other hand, is a mid-market hotel chain offering services to traveller and city-break tourists. Each hotel is headed by a manager who is responsible to the head office and manages day-to-day activities of the hotel. All the hotels perform similar functions such as reception, bar tending, room-cleaning, and cooking according to standard procedures and routines. Each manager recruits employees with assistance of central Human Resource function; some room-cleaners ar e permanent while others work part-time. The chain has a culture of performance management and review and disciplinary procedures. Approaches to Teamwork and Teamworking According to Forsyth (2009 p. 351), â€Å"teams are groups but not all groups are teams.† Some organisations work as a group to accomplish organisational goals while others form teams for specific purposes which are aimed at accomplishing the organisational goals. He points out the difference between groups and teams in that, teams require more collaboration and coordination in addition to having multiple members, interdependence and sharing of collective goals (p. 352). Each member is also assumed to possess unique knowledge, skills and abilities that he/she contributes to the effectiveness of the team. Classical organisations stressed individual work hence complex division of labour and specialisation but contemporary organisations have realised the need to utilize teamwork to achieve goals as well as trans mission of skills and knowledge between individuals’ hence organisational learning and increased motivation. Sleepeasy is an example of a classical organisation as each employee is responsible for his/her work which is monitored closely by a supervisor. The room-cleaning employees are supposed to attend 4 rooms in an hour failure to which disciplinary action is taken. For Biogenia, even though workers belong to a functional area they also belong to a cross-functional team. As observed by Forsyth (2009) teams come in different forms and perform different functions depending on organisational needs. Cross-functional or project teams comprise of members from different functional areas or departments, have different backgrounds and areas of expertise. These teams may

How do companies in the retailing industry use twitter to interact Dissertation

How do companies in the retailing industry use twitter to interact with their customers Is Twitter a good tool to interact with - Dissertation Example The notion of â€Å"going global† that was once considered as a prestigious strategic option and it was reserved for mighty organizations in the past (Hennig-Thurau 2010). But in the current scenario of the global economy all of the companies regardless of age and size have the option to serve globally. The common examples that started small and with the passage of time went global include the names of Microsoft and Wal-Mart. The former one has its roots in a small room and the other one started out as a tiny shop in the village. The only thing that has helped the process of evolution in the business world is known as entrepreneurial skills and instincts. The abovementioned attributes has the power to help the process of economic growth and the internet grew significantly because it subliminally fulfilled the purpose of the business that is to experience growth (Raacke & Bonds-Raacke 2008). The cliche is true that states that the company which is not growing then perhaps it is dying out. The global reach is going to be the decisive factor of success in the futuristic market conditions of the international economy in the near future. The internet’s role is increasing in driving the lives of humans (Baird & Parasnis 2011). The internet technology is a huge network of networks that has infiltrated every aspect of human life and the essence of social life is also being lost because it is a complete rarity to communicate face to face. Everyone is using Twitter as the source of socializing (Kaplan & Haenlein 2011). According to modern psychology, the practice of e-socializing is bad for community because in the practical sense, the practice is playing a very powerful role in terms of adding loneliness in the lives. Introduction The information technology has become an integral part of common man’s life throughout the world and therefore, the companies have to adapt their practices in order to accommodate changing and fluxing preferences of the cu stomers (Edvardsson & Gruber 2011). The internet has grown as a notable and major means of doing business in the modern era of the 21st century. The e-commerce is effectively allowing the smaller firms to compete the larger ones in the global marketplace and because of this reason, the playing field has been leveled and that is allowing the organizational and managerial focus to shift from growing in size to efficiency (Kima & Ko 2012). The core business philosophy that is currently being followed in all walks of life is to drive down the costs so that product and service quality can be improved while, experiencing significant growth in terms of profitability (Thackeray, Neiger, Hanson, & McKenzie 2008). The modern times have also witnessed a massive level of knowledge explosion that has indeed made all of the world’s knowledge available on the web and therefore, every business has the ability to avail the information against minimal costs and this information is then, implem ented in the several fields (Boulton & Panizzon 1998). The Chinese nation has developed as an economic superpower because it managed to gather the knowledge that was created and implemented in the west. After gathering the information, Chinese government provided an infrastructure that supported and helped the local scholars in the process of contextualizing the knowledge and that very

The Crucible Essay Example for Free

The Crucible Essay In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor shows his protagonist character by the respectable and honorable man he lives to be. In order to understand why John Proctor is the protagonist of the story, a definition of the word protagonist is indispensable. A protagonist is essentially the main character of a story, mostly known as the good character. The author spends most of his time on him, and usually the character changes or evolves during the course of the novel. The protagonist is frequently the hero of the novel and rivals with the minor ambitious character also known as the antagonist. With many complex characteristics, he is the center of the plot. Proctor has failed in his marriage, been accused of witchery, and concludes his life with forgiveness. Proctor exemplifies true heroism in his acts of clamorous times. As Proctor’s truths of adultery are revealed, he settles these rumors with claiming that it is truthful. John Proctor is most likely the true protagonist. In the Crucible, Abigail Williams is portrayed as the antagonist of the allegory. Proctor cheats on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail while Elizabeth is ill. The story proceeds with Abigail becoming jealous and desiring John for herself. John shows that he regrets his affair by stating to Abigail, I will cut my arms off before I ever reach for you again. The focus of this sequence of events is how John deals with this situation. The Crucible literally means a hard test. His test is to overcome his troubles in his marriage and society. Society at this time is accusing its people of witchery. John works through his marriage problems and stumbles upon false accusations. As Abigail creates chaos throughout the town, the idea of witches has spread too. Proctor is accused of being a witch. He was chosen to be accused by the author because he is the protagonist. The focus is mainly on his life and his family. He chooses the right thing as he goes through the trials. He admits to his adultery with Abigail to prove that she lies. Proctor realizes what he has to do to save his wife. He is a hero by admitting his wrong doings and confessing his sorrow for acting upon them. Proctor learns to forgive through these trials. John knows how to represent his beliefs and stand up for his rights through forgiveness. After he admits to his sin, he is told to write on the church door for what he did. He refuses to after already admitting his actions. Proctor did not want to put his family to shame even more. I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. Im not the man (Act 4, pg.109) He knows that God knows and forgives but he shall not exploit it for others to judge and assume. Proctor concludes his life being content with the final decision he has made. He shows that he is a hero to his family and neighbors. John Proctor shows many characteristics of a protagonist. He is a hero to many as he risks his life because he knows he believes in God. The story focuses on his marriage and the aftermath of the direction of his wrong doings. Often the novel will focus mainly on the protagonist’s personal situation. Proctor is the main character as Abigail Williams serves as antagonists throughout the story. She fights to break down Proctor and make him love her. Proctor prevails by doing the morally correct action by confessing and sticking to his beliefs. John Proctor displays qualities of a heroic protagonist.

Classical management theory and scientific management

Classical management theory and scientific management The Classical Management Theory is thought to have originated around the year 1900 and dominated management thinking into the 1920s, focusing on the efficiency of the work process. It has three schools of thinking: Scientific management, which looks at the best way to do a job; Bureaucratic management, which focuses on rules and procedures, hierarchy and clear division of labour; and Administrative management, which emphasises the flow of information within the organisation. Scientific Management Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) is known as the father of scientific management. His approach emphasised empirical research to increase organisational productivity by increasing the efficiency of the production process. In the United States especially, skilled labour was in short supply at the beginning of the twentieth century. The only way to expand productivity was to raise the efficiency of workers. Scientific management theory states that jobs should be designed so that each worker has a well-specified, well-controlled task and specific procedures and methods for each job must be strictly followed. Taylors management theory rests on a fundamental belief that managers are not only superior intellectually to the average employee, but that they have a positive duty to supervise staff and organise their work activities. Thus, it was only applied to low-level routine and repetitive tasks that could be managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles of scientific management: 1. A best methodology should be developed scientifically for each task. 2. Managers should select the best person to perform the task and ensure that the best training is given. 3. Managers are responsible for ensuring that the best person for the job does the job using the best methodology. 4. Remove all responsibility for the work method from the worker and give it to management. The worker is responsible only for the actual job performance. Taylor based his management system on production-line time studies. Using time study as his base, he broke down each job into its components and designed the quickest and best methods of performing each component. He also encouraged employers to pay more productive workers at a higher rate. Scientific management became very popular in the early part of this century as its application was shown to lead to improvements in efficiency and productivity. Advantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã‚ - Introduced a scientific approach to management. à ¢Ã‚ - Improved factory efficiency and productivity. à ¢Ã‚ - Used as a model upon which the creation of modern assembly lines was based on. à ¢Ã‚ - Allowed managers to reward workers for higher performance and productivity through the differential rate system. à ¢Ã‚ - Built a sense of co-operation between management and workers. Disadvantages of Scientific Management à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Limited by its underlying assumption that workers were primarily motivated by economic and physical needs. It therefore overlooked the desire of workers for job satisfaction. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Led, in some cases, to the exploitation of workers and it has been often suggested that scientific management was at the centre of many strikes prevalent in those days. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Excluded the tasks of management in its application. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Instilled an authoritarian leadership approach. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢ Focused only on the internal operations of the organisation. Bureaucratic management Max Weber (1864-1920), known as the father of Modern Sociology, was the first person to use the term bureaucracy to describe a particular, and in his view superior, organisational form. He considered the ideal organisation to be a bureaucracy whose activities and objectives were rationally thought, whose divisions of labour were explicitly spelled out. He believed that technical competence should be emphasized and that performance evaluations should be made entirely on the basis of merit. Weber defined the key elements of a bureaucracy as: I. 1. A well defined hierarchy with a clear chain of command where higher positions have the authority to control the lower positions. II. 2. Division of labour and specialisation of skills, where each employee will have the necessary expertise and authority to complete a particular task. III. 3. Complete and accurate rules and regulations, in writing, to govern all activities, decisions and situations. IV. 4. Impersonal relationships between managers and employees, with clear statements of the rights and duties of personnel. V. 5. Technical competence is the basis for all decisions regarding recruitment, selection and promotion. Webers model of bureaucratic management advanced the formation of huge corporations such as ford. Bureaucratic Management Contributions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensured that the organisation would be operated and managed by qualified/high calibre personnel only. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed many organisations to efficiently perform routine organisational tasks through job specialisation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allowed management and employees to be more objective in their judgement and approach due to rules and procedures for doing specific tasks being clearly set. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Placed emphasis on job position, specialised employees and job continuity thus providing the organisation with long-term perspectives and quality employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Surpassed the loss of any employee or even of any manager due to the nature of job specialisation. Hence in such a bureaucracy, anyone can be replaced. Bureaucratic Management Limitations o Overwhelming concentration on authority discourages innovation and creativity; o Imposed a formal and structured chain of command which is not compatible with organisations that require flexibility and rapid decision-making. This is truer today where organisations are constantly faced with a turbulent external environment of increased competition. o the emphasis on impersonality and division of labour leads to boredom, dissatisfaction and discontent within the workforce o rules and procedures may become so important in their own right that there is a tendency to forget the underlying processes that they are meant to make more efficient. Administrative Management Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French industrialist and one of the most influential early management thinkers. Scientific Management was concerned with increasing the productivity of the shop floor. Classical Organisation Theory grew out of the need to find guidelines for managing such complex organisations as factories. An early attempt was pioneered by Fayol to identify the principles and skills that underlie effective management. He believed that sound management practice falls into certain patterns that can be identified and analysed. He focused on management, which he felt had been the most neglected of business operations. Based on his experience in management, he developed fourteen general principles of management: 1. Division of Work and specialisation to produce more work for less effort. 2. Authority to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3. Discipline and respect between a firm and its employees. 4. Unity of command where an employee receives orders from only one superior. 5. Unity of direction where there is only one central authority and one plan of action. 6. The general interest is superior to individual interests. 7. Remuneration is fair and provides satisfaction both to the employee and employer. 8. There is centralisation, where there is always one central authority. 9. There is a scalar chain, where a chain of authority exists from the highest level to the lowest ranks. 10. Order, where the right materials and people are in the right place for each activity. 11. Equity, kindliness and justice are seen throughout the organisation. 12. Stability and tenure of personnel to maintain a stable work force. 13. Initiative is encouraged to motivate employees. 14. Esprit de Corps is recognised as important, and teamwork is encouraged. Before Fayol, it was generally believed that managers are born, not made. Fayol insisted, however, that management was a skill like any other one that could be taught once its underlying principles were understood. Chester Barnard (1886-1961) developed the concepts of strategic planning and the Acceptance theory of Authority, which states that managers only have as much authority as their employees allow them to have. It suggests that authority flows downward, but depends upon acceptance by the subordinate. Barnard considered that the acceptance of authority depends on four conditions: 1) That the employee understands what the manager wants them to do. 2) That the employee is able to comply with the directive. 3) That the employee thinks that the directive is in line with organisational objectives. 4) That the employee does not think that the directive is contrary to their personal goals. Barnard believed that each person has a zone of indifference within which the individual will willingly accept orders without consciously questioning authority and that it is up to the organisation to broaden each employees zone of indifference. Advantages of Administrative Management o Viewed management as a profession which can be trained and developed. o Offered universal managerial guidelines. o Promoted communication between managers and employees. o Highlighted the needs of employees through the unity of command, unity of direction, equity, etc. o Encouraged employees to act on their own initiatives. Disadvantages of Administrative Management à ¢- ª Lacked consideration for organisations environmental, technological and personnel factors, due to the blind application of Fayols concepts. à ¢- ª Fayols recommendations are too experience-based and therefore not driven by formal research. Hence its concepts have not been tested. Although these schools, or theories, developed historical sequence, later ideas have not replaced earlier ones. Instead, each new school has tended to complement or coexist with previous ones. The ideas of classical theorists have many applications in the management of todays organizations although with some modifications. Many of the internal challenges faced by managers during earlier periods were similar to those faced by managers today. For example, Taylors concern for the productivity of employees is still shared by managers. Even today, the Scientific Management Theory is still relevant. While not as popular as in the past, this method of job design is still used. This sort of task-oriented optimization of work tasks is nearly ubiquitous today in industry, and has made most industrial work menial, repetitive, tedious and depressing; this can be noted, for instance, in assembly lines of car manufacturers and fast-food restaurants like McDonalds and KFC. McDonalds divides its com plete operation into a number of tasks such as supervising, cooking operations or operating a deep fryer and assigns people to carry out these tasks. The modern mass car assembly lines pour out finished products faster that Taylor could have ever imagined. In addition, its efficiency techniques have also been applied in the training of surgeons. Todays armies employ Scientific Management. Of the key points listed a standard method for performing each job, select workers with appropriate abilities for each job, training for standard task, planning work and eliminating interruptions and wage incentive for increase output all but wage incentives for increased output are used by modern military organizations. Wage incentives rather appear in the form of skill bonuses for enlistments. Furthermore, industrial engineers today are still taught the methods of Scientific Management including time and motion studies, job-tasks analysis, wage-incentive determination and detailed production planning with respect to the field of operation research and management. The Bureaucratic Management is still used in the USA by service-based organizations such as libraries. One concrete example where Fayols Bureaucratic Management ideas are still in use is at the Wichita State University Libraries. Bureaucracy is also still being used in the US Postal Service. In Mauritius, mass production lines and piece rate systems are used in the garment and manufacturing industries. Another industry where the Classical Management Theories are still in use is in the sea-food hub, more specifically at the Mauritius Tuna Processing Plant. Mauritius and its economy are at a pivotal point. The pace of change is exhilarating. That is why in his budget speech 2008-2009, Hon. Rama Sithanen, Minister of Finance pointed out the urgency for our economy to shift from the traditional pillars to a service-oriented economy and to a knowledge-based society. For instance, he advocated that the ICT sector must add to the pillars of the Mauritian economy. Business leaders expect ICT to have a greater impact on their business. The industries experiencing the greatest change are the technology, telecommunications and financial services. The Minister also stressed on the development of the SMEs as he formulated that in terms of job creation, new jobs will come mostly from small businesses and medium-sized companies. But since the formulation of the Classical Management Theories in the 18th century, the economic landscape has changed. Businesses do not exist in a vacuum. They are in fact open systems with constant and dynamic interaction with the environment. Todays business environment is global and highly competitive. Managers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of the business environment There are two aspects of the business environment, namely the internal and the external environment. The internal environment relates to those factors that the organisation can relatively control. These are the owners, employees, customers, suppliers, authorities and pressure groups. But the external environment that constitutes the PEST (Political, Economical, Social and Technological) factors is relatively remote from what the organisation can control. Without the ability to analyse the strength and weaknesses of the internal and the opportunities and threats of the external environments, managers risk making decisions that are not in the best interest of the organisation. At the same time, worldwide concern about the natural environment has emerged. Current natural environmental concerns are pollution, climate changes, ozone depletion and other global issues like biodiversity, adequate water supplies, population and food security. As McDonalds concluded, todays managers have to be concerned not only with the scientific facts but with public perception. Todays business environment is characterized with changes, innovations and uncertainty. It is becoming more challenging amid global economic slowdown and turmoil in the financial sector. Businesses must at all cost adapt or die. Out of five businesses experiencing a disaster or extended outage, a) Two never re-open their doors. b) One of the remaining three will close within two years. The business environment is exceedingly tough and competitive. Competition is intensifying in many sectors. Technology is constantly creating new opportunities and threats. There are changes to the regulatory environment: the advent of the Equal Opportunities Act being a clear example. Customer tastes are also changing providing a moving target. Smart companies operating in highly competitive business environments are working very hard to improve efficiency and productivity, test high-yielding new initiatives, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Command and Control Management style (as stated in the Classical Management Theories) is effective in an environment where both change and competition are limited and there is plenty room for error (high profit margins). Such is not the case in the age of computing and communications. In todays business environment, things change very quickly and profit margins are reducing. In addition, more things are happening on a continuing basis. Because of the speed at which things are changing, it is important to push decision-making down in the organization to the level that has all of the information at the time when a decision must be made. This calls for very different management attitudes, it demands a democratic and flexible point of view and of course accountability must be delegated. All these are not present in the Classical Management Theories. Rapid change that is sweeping through every aspect of the business environment today prompts managers to rethink the ways they do things. Although the Classical Management model has evolved quite a bit, it is still geared to a rigid structure and command-and-control mentality. This model was well tailored to an environment where change was slow and evolutionary rather than rapid and revolutionary. It helped organise processes and foster a sense of accountability, order and discipline. What it lacks is flexibility, making the organisation irresponsive to continuous internal and external environment changes. We have reached a limit to what can be accomplished using the Classical Management approaches. But by changing the way managers do things, that constraint can be removed. This is not to say that the basics of Classical Management should be ignored, but they are just not enough to get the job done in todays business environment. Although Classical Management Theories are quite useful in the early stages of economic development, they are not an adequate explanation of how to administer organisations in a complex, developed society. When it comes to seeking cost, efficiency, productivity and profitability improvements, the Classical Management Theories have a limited field of action. Managers need to get used to the idea that what worked yesterday wont tomorrow. They need to work on tomorrow today. When the business environment becomes more challenging, it is actually an opportune time for managers to think about ways to reinvent their business. We find that new managers are willing to investigate innovative solutions to business problems because they are unhampered by the limitations of tools and methods of the past. It is not so much that established managers are not willing to change; it has more to do with that fact that they are using methods that were designed for different circumstances. And they worked . So, established managers have to be prepared to discard something that has been effective for them. Managers need to use todays tools to solve todays problems. They must be willing to learn about new ways of doing things. To compete successfully in the global arena, managers must now act as entrepreneurs and create new business models rethink, re-plan, strategize, innovate and learn continuously. Innovation is the most important source for organisations to gain competitive advantage, and advanced innovation management is critical to a businesss sustainable development. Classical Management theories cant catch up with the dramatic changes of the business environment. Once-reliable guides for managerial actions no longer exist. In an environment virtually bereft of the old rules of conducting business, there is no safety net. Every process, procedure, rule of thumb and standard ratio is being challenged, re-engineered and morphed into a new form. This fundamental change has brought a daunting new reality to the challenge of growing and managing business. Conclusion Today, organizations are mostly influenced by the external environment (fierce market share competition, continuous technology change, globalisation, hiring and retaining qualified executives and front line workers) that often fluctuate over time. Yet Classical Management Theories present an image of an organisation that is not shaped by external influences. Classical Management Theories are now gradually fading for the principal reason that people and their needs are considered by Classical theorists as secondary to the needs of the organisation. Nowadays, The Scientific approach is very seriously challenged by Human Resource Management. Furthermore, The Bureaucratic Management is fast giving way to the Matrix Structure in organisations. However, Classical Management theories are important because they introduced the concept of management as a subject for intellectual analysis and provided a basis of ideas that have been developed by subsequent schools of management thought.

NHS Public Relations and Customer Care Policy

NHS Public Relations and Customer Care Policy Introduction Public relations are an indirect form of sales motivation ‘a psychology – coated advertising pill’. According to the Institute of Public Relations[1], public relations are defined as: the deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public. Presently in the UK (United Kingdom) most health care providers are managed by the NHS (National Health Service) – the largest public service organisation in Europe. Therefore the direction this report will take is as follows: (1) to investigate the key principles of public relations and customer care; (2) to analyse how a public service organisation deals with public relations – in particular how the NHS deals with public relations; and (3) to examine the customer care policy of the NHS. The key principles of public relations and customer care According to Hall (1971)[2], public relations are based on the following key principles: The company and customers or prospective customers – the primary objective being to create a good public image and the secondary objectives being: (1) Selling the company, by securing and maintaining public goodwill; (2) Unobtrusively advertising the product or service sold; (3) Increasing sales and profits, and paying higher dividends to the shareholders. 2. The company and shareholders or prospective shareholders – It is also important  that the company should maintain good relations with its shareholders and with  the investing public at large, for the following reasons: (1) The shareholders as owners of the company, are entitled to information  concerning its activities. (2) It is essential to keep the shareholders contented, as they are a  prospective source of capital if the company wishes to develop at some future  date. (3) The investing public at large is more likely to invest in a company with  which it has good relations. 3. The company and its employees – personnel relations and public relations are  complementary. A company’s treatment of its employees is an important factor in  enhancing or dimming its public image. Therefore it is useless to spend money on  an elaborate public relations department and then ignore the basic principles of  good personnel relations. Arens (1999)[3] agrees but argues that there are four other principles: 4. Communities – courtesy and friendly support towards the organisations immediate  neighbours strengthens the ties between the organisation and its neighbours. 5. Media – press packets, briefings, and facilitating access to organisation  news makers build trust and goodwill. 6. Government – a desire for favourable legislation and subsidies are good reasons  why organisations should earn and maintain the goodwill and trust of the  government. The systems and procedures involved in dealing with public relations The size of an organisation and the type of business it is often determines the methods of public relations to be used e.g. Large companies are more inclined to have their own public relations department – which contrasts with small companies which would most likely outsource public relations consultants. If an organisation desires external public relations can be achieved through anyone of the following methods: Press relations, comprising press releases and notices relating to the companys activities. Exhibitions and trade fairs Television and radio are used for public relations as well as for advertising. Direct consumer contacts – this is a personal approach to improving public relations and is all about implementing goodwill to others in an attempt at public relations success. Literature produced in various printed forms ranging from journals to an organisation history. Eye-catching functions used to gain public notice, e.g. The sponsorship of sports events such as the annual walk against breast cancer. Open days – the public (inclusive of employees families) is invited to visit the organisations premises – this helps promote personnel relations. The National Health Service The National Health Service of the UK is divided into two divisions; England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. The National Health Service has outlined for the both regions all the personnel who will fall under its umbrella as follows: England and Wales[4] A Patients Forum established under section 15 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002. Any person providing primary medical services or primary dental services In accordance with arrangements made under section 28C of the National Health Service Act 1977; or Under a contract under section 28K or 28Q of that Act; in respect of information relating to the provision of those services. Any person providing general medical services, general dental services, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services under Part II of the National Health Service Act 1977, in respect of information relating to the provision of those services. Any person providing personal medical services or personal dental services under arrangements made under section 28C of the National Health Service Act 1977, in respect of information relating to the provision of those services. Any person providing local pharmaceutical services under A pilot scheme established under section 28 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001; or An LPS scheme established under Schedule 8A to the National Health Service Act 1977 (c 49), in respect of information relating to the provision of those services. Northern Ireland Any person providing primary medical services, general dental services, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services under Part VI of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, in respect of information relating to the provision of those services. Customer Care Policy Davis (2003 p. 47)[5] says that patients are consumers of medical services and deserve customer care. He believes that customer care is critical especially for professionals such as surgeons and dentists; and that customer care creates opportunities for the customers to be informed and form judgements. According to Davis, customers pay for what they receive and as he explains, patients do have family and friends who from a critical public that directly affect the organisations reputation. Therefore if patients receive ill treatment the organisation is likely to have a bad reputation which would most likely lead to a loss of clientà ¨le to competition. Good customer care is also essential when dealing with patients, as this can affect the direction which a grant might take. In particular the NHS has a rating system which encourages feedback – which it then uses to improve its quality of customer service. Systems and Procedures in relation to communication with the media Media specialists are aware of the requirements, preferences, limitations, and strengths of the various media used to serve the client. They find the right media for clients messages (Baran, 2002)[6]. In public relations the accounting, legal and medical professions have had little success in policing their own members. Therefore one should ask what should be done to prevent misleading and dishonest communications from going to the public? The International Association of Businesses Communicators have laid down a code of practice which states that Members of IABC will engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understanding ¡K Accoding to Horton (2002)[7], the fact is that what a CEO wants, a CEO gets. Sometimes a board of directors has the power to stop a CEO from making false statements or misleading customers, investors, regulators and others. But, whistle blowers do not fare well, and it takes a great deal of evidence for a whistle b lower to prove that a corporation has engaged in unethical action or misleading communication. Further, even though one is personally ethical, executives can sanction and encourage unethical activity. This puts a strain on one to go along or get out. Unfortunately, it is usually easier to go along, and there are rewards for doing so. There are many ways that a CEO can corrupt a company, but one of the most insidious is the goals that the CEO sets. Horton explains that defending an unpopular person, organization or issue in the media is a tough PR challenge. He expounds that unlike a court of law where rules of argumentation and fact apply, PR practitioners face uncontrolled media, citizen rumours, political opinion, falsehoods and conclusions based on partial fact. Public relations in such times can be thankless and a losing effort. Yet, as he puts it, successful defence can be a career high point. Practitioners learn what they are made of and how well they have mastered communications. Horton has laid down some rules for dealing with the media as follows: The first rule of defending the indefensible is to start with and stick to facts as much as possible. Unfortunately, in many, if not most situations, facts are missing or incomplete. Facts put to rest speculation and opinion, and they stop a natural tendency to assume there is more behind an issue or event than meets the eye. This means PR practitioners should be trained in gathering and checking facts quickly then getting them out fast to interested parties. However, facts can tell an ugly story, a story that an individual and/or organization do not want to have told. In addition, facts may tell stories that must not be narrated because of personal, political or other confidentiality. PR practitioners often know more than can be said to journalists, and journalists are dedicated to finding out what practitioners cannot say. Silence PR practitioners are taught that silence is harmful. During a crisis, they are told that individuals or organizations must do something with media calls, skittish investors, unhappy suppliers, fearful employees and grandstanding regulators. But silence is not always harmful. There are times when silence is best even though others talk about you, especially when defending unpopular individuals, organizations or issues. An old clichà © attributed to British royalty is, â€Å"Never complain, never explain.† This stiff-upper-lip approach covered up many activities that royalty did not want to expose to public scrutiny. It worked for decades until U.K. media in search of circulation boosts broke a compact of silence about the doings of the palace. Nonetheless, silence helps when: Pressure to speak is not intense If the public, regulators, media and others are not pushing to get answers, it might work well not to volunteer them. When the issue might be a passing one – If an issue arises that is a one-day headline, â€Å"no comment† might suffice. When there is nothing one can say. The only justifiable expression may be confession and remorse. When speaking makes the situation worse. Speed It is a basic PR rule to get out factual information as quickly as possible. Delay is a mistake that happens too frequently because of internal battles, concerns for liability and dictates of privacy. Some speed techniques are: Say â€Å"No comment,† and follow orders. Deliver some kind of statement, even if inadequate â€Å"I have been instructed to tell you†¦. That is all that I can say at this time.† Let another take over. Fight hard – Collect the emerging media stories and go to the CEO to make a forceful case for what is happening to the firm’s reputation by failing to disclose the facts speedily. Resign – This is an extreme option unless a company or CEO is so far in the wrong that a practitioner can be considered complicit by acting as a spokesperson. Damage Control When compelling facts are not readily available, practitioners must use damage control to defend the indefensible individual or organization. Refutation – Paint a story as false. One attacks the teller of the story (â€Å"Consider the source.†) and the story itself as meaningless, incredible, impossible or illogical. Confirmation – Praise the person and story that favour your side. (â€Å"X is an honourable man. He would never lie.†) Note that a story is possible, probably, logical and fitting. (â€Å"From our careful reconstruction, this is the way that events unfolded.†) Of course, even though X is an honourable man, he might sometimes lie and careful reconstructions of stories might be logical and wrong. Vituperation – This has a more modern name – â€Å"character assassination.† It’s an all-out effort to discredit someone making allegations by going after the person’s heritage, education, background, lifestyle or whatever it takes to take away the individual’s credibility in the eyes of target audiences. Appeal to character – This is an effort to build the image of an individual and cast doubt on allegations against that person. Appeals to character use all of the techniques of vituperation but puts a positive spin on them. Diversion – Create a secondary issue that obscures the first issue. A popular movie came out a few years ago that illustrated how to do this by creating a phony war. The film, Wag the Dog, was a cynical portrayal of how Washington political communications work. Comments and Conclusion Defence of an unpopular individual, organization or point of view is probably no more successful than defending an accused in a courtroom. However, because the media and society do not follow strict rules of argumentation or precedent, the chances of a story â€Å"getting away† from the practitioner are greater. (Caywood, 1997)[8] When companies and individuals have been destroyed by negative publicity, only to be vindicated later, they can never recover what they have lost. There is little recourse in the law for such outcomes. One can sue for libel, but if the facts of a case were accurate to the time they were presented, there was no libel. One is a victim of circumstances. The PR practitioner’s job, insofar as the practitioner is able, is to balance perception enough to take pressure off an individual or organization or, if possible, to refute allegations. There is no chance of success unless one tries. It is imperative that public relations departments and personnel remember that they are the main point of contact for radio and television stations, newspapers, and magazines. Footnotes [1] Institute of Public Relations, Guide to the practice of public relations [2] Hall L., (1971, p. 288) Business Administration, 3rd Edition, MacDonald and Evans Ltd. [3] Arens W.F., (1999) Contemporary advertising, Irwin McGraw-Hill [4]National Health Service http://www.foi.gov.uk/coverage.htm#part3http://www.foi.gov.uk/coverage.htm#part3 [Online Source: 15/05/06] [5] Davis A., (2003) Everything You Should Know About Public Relations, Page Kogan [6] Baran S.J., (2002) Introduction to Mass Communication; Maedia, Literacy, and Culture, McGraw Hill [7] Horton J.L., () The ethics question http://www.online-pr.com/Holding/TheEthicsQuandaryARTICLE.pdf [Online Source: 15/05/06] [8] Caywood C.L., (1997) The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communications, McGraw Hill

gatdream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Seeking the Unattain

Great Gatsby - Seeking the Unattainable Dream What is the American Dream? America has evolved from an infant, struggling, nation to become a world power through its unprecedented economic growth. Driven by the tenets of independence, self reliance, and freedom, Americans have had the opportunity to pursue economic success. To many, this is the American Dream; to have freedom and the opportunity to pursue financial freedom. To others, such as Gatsby, Walter, and Jake, the American dream is happiness. They are driven by their dreams, seeking what they believe will make them happy. Gatsby and Jake seek happiness through love while Walter seeks happiness through money. The belief that bliss, utopia, and tranquility are within their grasps drives these characters. Yet the mere fact that their dreams are unattainable makes them flawed. Without dreams, Gatsby, Walter, and Jake lose their sense of purpose in life. Thus the pursuit of the American dream is a paradox. Achieving it is impossible, but without it, life will lose its purpose. Gatsby, Walter, and Jake are representations of the American dream because the love and happiness they seek are impossible to obtain. The birth of the desire for the happiness and love of the American dream in Gatsby occurred when he met a man named Dan Cody. After his disgust with college, Gatsby sought a new life. He found the promise of his fame and fortune in Dan Cody's yacht. "To young Gatz, resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald 106). As soon as he borrowed the row boat that transported him to the yacht, Gatsby was no longer James Gatz, he had became Gatsby, inst... ... education and money do not necessarily lead to happiness. "But excited monetary pursuit, Fitzgerald shows, goes hand in hand with personal anxiety: under the strain of competition, social life has become a medium of unease" (Fitter 8). The students of Mission should follow Walter's example and realize that their dream is oversimplified and flawed. They need to mature and realize that there are many pitfalls and problems that are created by money, and that they can find happiness through other things besides money such as family, religion, and love. Gatsby, Walter, and Jake are a representation of the American dream because the love and happiness they seek is impossible to obtain. Despite the impossibility, human beings need a dream in order to have a purpose in life. Without dreams life will become aimless, drying up like a raisin in the sun. gatdream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Seeking the Unattain Great Gatsby - Seeking the Unattainable Dream What is the American Dream? America has evolved from an infant, struggling, nation to become a world power through its unprecedented economic growth. Driven by the tenets of independence, self reliance, and freedom, Americans have had the opportunity to pursue economic success. To many, this is the American Dream; to have freedom and the opportunity to pursue financial freedom. To others, such as Gatsby, Walter, and Jake, the American dream is happiness. They are driven by their dreams, seeking what they believe will make them happy. Gatsby and Jake seek happiness through love while Walter seeks happiness through money. The belief that bliss, utopia, and tranquility are within their grasps drives these characters. Yet the mere fact that their dreams are unattainable makes them flawed. Without dreams, Gatsby, Walter, and Jake lose their sense of purpose in life. Thus the pursuit of the American dream is a paradox. Achieving it is impossible, but without it, life will lose its purpose. Gatsby, Walter, and Jake are representations of the American dream because the love and happiness they seek are impossible to obtain. The birth of the desire for the happiness and love of the American dream in Gatsby occurred when he met a man named Dan Cody. After his disgust with college, Gatsby sought a new life. He found the promise of his fame and fortune in Dan Cody's yacht. "To young Gatz, resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald 106). As soon as he borrowed the row boat that transported him to the yacht, Gatsby was no longer James Gatz, he had became Gatsby, inst... ... education and money do not necessarily lead to happiness. "But excited monetary pursuit, Fitzgerald shows, goes hand in hand with personal anxiety: under the strain of competition, social life has become a medium of unease" (Fitter 8). The students of Mission should follow Walter's example and realize that their dream is oversimplified and flawed. They need to mature and realize that there are many pitfalls and problems that are created by money, and that they can find happiness through other things besides money such as family, religion, and love. Gatsby, Walter, and Jake are a representation of the American dream because the love and happiness they seek is impossible to obtain. Despite the impossibility, human beings need a dream in order to have a purpose in life. Without dreams life will become aimless, drying up like a raisin in the sun.

The Deception of Visual Memory :: Photography Essays

The Deception of Visual Memory What is visual memory? And what does it mean to remember through images? Unlike verbal memory, visual memory functions primarily through a dependence on its materiality, on the texture and availability of the paintings, icons, photographs, films, and video clips that give it shape. We remember whole events through condensed images that reduce complex and multidimensional phenomena into memorable scenes. The meanings of wars, political conflicts, tragic romances, and cataclysmic disasters can all be found within a painter's brush or a camera's lens, as in Emanuel Leutze's 1851 rendition of George Washington crossing the Delaware River or Joe Rosenthal's photographic capture of the flag-raising atop Iwo Jima during World War II. The materiality of visual memory is deceptive, in that it overstates elements of the visual that cater particularly well to memory work. Visual memory depends on images that are simplified, conventional, schematic, and often composite. These images tend to arbitrarily connect with the event or object being remembered, rarely making explicit how they construct what we see and remember. Collectively held images thus act as signposts, directing people who remember to preferred meaning by the fastest route. These signposts are deceptive, favoring certain strategies for making, collecting, retaining, storing, recycling, and forgetting images that privilege certain ways of remembering over others. With photographs, visual memory's deception is particularly acute.We need only think of the photo of a dazed Jackie Kennedy gazing upon the swearing-in of Lyndon Baines Johnson as the next U.S. President or of the image of a small boy, his hands stretched above his head, being herded out of the Warsaw Ghetto by German soldiers, to recognize how well photographs work as vehicles of memory. But their strength is offset by the fact that in memory, one function of photography - its ability to "tell it like it is," commonly called its verisimilitude - is understated in order to privilege a second function - the ability of the photo to act as a symbol. In memory, then, contingent details matter less than the way in which contingent details are made part of a larger interpretive scheme. Holocaust photography bears this out with troubling implications for our understanding of contemporary atrocity. Photos of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps in 1945 were recorded with inaccurate or incomplete captions, with few credits, and with an uneven relationship to the words at their side.

I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died and After the Apple PIcking: An Analysis Essay

A poet uses the elements of poetry to express his/her theme. This is particularly true in the poems I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Emily Dickinson and After the Apple Picking by Robert Frost. Both poets use metaphor and rhyme scheme to accentuate the themes of these two famous poems by two of America’s most beloved poets. Metaphors, comparing two unlike or unrelated things, are essential to poetry and the purpose of poetry is to evoke an emotional response. Therefore, there must be a theme, or main point, to a poem and that point is what will awaken emotion in the reader. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died is a work that when the title or first line is read, sets a tone of uneasiness because it deals with death and flies. Most people do not want to dwell on their own mortality and no one can find tolerance for a fly. However, Dickinson portrays death in a way that it is only thought of as part of the natural process of life and she does this through the use of metaphors. The most obvious metaphor is where death is compared to a fly. The fly is seen as an annoying insect that is drawn to putrid decaying things that were once alive. The fly is insignificant where humans like to think that the whole world will be affected by their deaths, in reality, it will be as common as a house fly. The next metaphor is tied to the first in that the deathbed watchers are waiting for the King to make his presence known in the room. The King is obviously a metaphor for a royal personification of death. While they are anticipating some type of pageantry, death shows himself as a fly which heightens the theme of the commonality of death. After the Apple Picking is also rich with metaphors. The most obvious metaphor is the comparison of death with sleep. The narrator has finished a hard day’s work picking apples and he is extremely tired. In fact, he has fought sleepiness all day. The setting is late fall to early winter which also points to the end of life. This sleep is something that the narrator can not fight just as a person can not fight death. When the time comes, there is nothing a person can do but give into it. Rhyme scheme is another way that Dickinson and Frost accentuate the theme. In After the Apple Picking, the rhyme scheme is varied and subtle just as death can be. Death is certain like the rhyme scheme, but it is different for each person and it is not always earth shattering. Dickinson’s rhyme scheme in I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died does follow a pattern, but it is also subtle. Her use of subtly takes the form of slant rhyme so that there is not a harshness that would detract from the theme of the commonness of death. Theme is the major element of poetry and through the use of other poetic elements, it can be conveyed effectively. Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost knew this and made use of rhyme scheme and metaphors to enhance the meanings of their poems.