Monday, September 30, 2019

Operating System (Assignment)

1. In a multiprogramming and time sharing environment, several users share the system simultaneously. This situation can results in various security problems. a. What are the two such problems? Ans: The two problems in Multiprogramming and time sharing environment are Stealing or copying a user's files; Writing over another program's (belonging to another user or to the OS) area in memory; Using system resources (CPU, disk space) without proper accounting; Causing the printer to mix output by sending data while some other user's file is printing. ttp://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_main_two_problems_in_multiprogramming_environment_when_processes_are_run_concurrently_and_share_the_resources b. Can we ensure the same degree of security in a time shared machine as in a dedicated machine? Explain. Ans: No, because time-shared machines are far less secure, and are very easy to overload the buffers. Also they are much slower to catch a virus. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/Can_we_ensure_t he_same_security_in_a_time-shared_machine_as_in_a_dedicated_machine . The issue of resource utilization shows up in differenct forms in different types of operating systems. List what resources must be manged carefully in the following settings: a. Mainframe or Minicomputer systems Ans: Memory, CPU, Storage b. Workstations connected to servers Ans: Storage, Network Bandwidth c. Handheld computers Ans: Memory, CPU, Storage, Power 3. Describe the difference symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing. What are three advantages and one disadvantages of multiprocessor system? Ans:The difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing is that in Symmetric processing treats all processors as equals; I/O can be processed on any of them, while Asymmetric processing designates one CPU as the master, which is the only one capable of performing I/O; the master distributes computational work among the other CPUs. Advantagesmultiprocessor system: ?Can save money, by sharing power supplies, housings, and peripherals ? Can execute programs more quickly ?Can have increased reliability Disadvantagesmultiprocessor system: More complex in both hardware and software. Additional CPU cycles are required to manage the cooperation, so per-CPU efficiency goes down. http://www. studymode. com/essays/Os-Assignment-419243. html 4. Distinguish between the client server and peer to peer models of distributed systems. Ans: A client-server model can be defined as a centralized environment, where all users, objects, resources, and so on are administered in a centralized location and can, if configured, use any network resources on any workstation on the domain. while a Peer-to-peer model can be defined as a decentralized environment, where the user must be assigned permissions on each workstation in order to access any available resources. 5. What is the purpose of interrupts? What are the difference between a trap and an interrupt? Can traps be generated intentionally by a user program ? If so, for what purpose? Ans: The difference between Interrupt and Trap is that Interrupt is a hardware-generated signal that changes the flow within the system. While a trap is a software-generated interrupt. 6.Define the essential properties of the following types of operating systems. a. Batch: Jobs with similar needs are batched together and run through the computer as a group, by an operator or automatic job sequencer. Performance is increased by attempting to keep CPU and I/O devices busy at all times through buffering, off-line operation, spooling, and multiprogramming. b. Interactive: Composed of many short transactions with input and output read/written on the screen; the results and timing of the next transaction may be unpredictable. Note that a urely interactive system (no time-sharing) only has one user; e. g. , a PC). c. Time-sharing: Uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to provide economical interactive use of a system. The CPU switches rapidly from one user to another. d. Real-time: The system must respond to inputs/commands within a fixed amount of time to ensure correct performance. Input is typically read from sensors. e. Network:Consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications.The computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light beams. f. Parallel:More than one event happening at a time. It is usually contrasted with serial, meaning only one event happening at a time. g. Distributed: Divides computation up among several computers. The computers do not share memory or a clock; they communicate with each other over communication lines (e. g. , high-speed bus, telephone line). h. Clustered: i. Handheld:A handheld computer is a computer that can conveniently be stored in a pocket (of sufficient size) and used while you're holding it.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Lather and Nothing Else (Short Story) by: Tellez Essay

Q: What is the possible message of Tellez’s story? Explain In the short story â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else†, the possible message of the story would be how our roles determine our actions. In society today the work we do, the responsibilities we have and the work or decisions we choose to do is what would determined our actions. In the short story theres two main facts proving that our roles do determine our actions. Firstly, when Captain Torres talks about killing the revolutionaries subject proves how he once killed those specific people because of his job and that is what he is known for: â€Å"some of them we brought back dead; others are still alive. but they’ll be all dead.† not one will escape; not a single one (Tellez 35)†. These comments proves and explains how Torres is really eager to kill everyone. This shows Torres’s role how he acts like a dictator and kill the revolutionaries. His action were chosen for him and that were to kill the revolutionaries. Secondly, the part when the barber talks to himself and convinces himself that he has to do his job no matter what: â€Å"I would gave to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just as though he were a good customer, talking heed that not a single pore should emit a drop of blood (Tellez 36)†. This part shows how the barber’s role is to shave the beard without any choice, because that is his job and this is what he is known for. His actions is chosen for him too because of his profession. These situations shows our profession determines our actions, our decisions and our actions will determine our work. Whether it is a future that we would enjoy or a future we will not enjoy.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Building Restoration

Advantages and Disadvantages of Building Restoration Using examples explore the advantages and disadvantages of allowing redevelopment and reconstruction of historic buildings. For the purposes of this discussion it is primarily important to determine what is meant by historic and to rationalize the terms redevelopment and reconstruction. The terms will be used in the context of preserving and conserving buildings. This includes maintaining their predominant features and characteristics, whilst enhancing new features in keeping with the style and building constraints relating to traditional use of materials and resources. According to English Heritage buildings exist across the UK that span over a thousand years. They also work with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and local authorities to allocate buildings such as these according to their criteria for listing – or categorizing for the purposes of their historic importance. These are identified using the following criteria: Those having architectural interest: bu ildings which are nationally important for the interest of their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship; also important examples of particular building types and techniques. Those deemed of historic interest: this includes buildings which illustrate important aspects of the nation’s social, economic, cultural or military history. A variety of places that have a close historical association with nationally important buildings or events. Places which have group value, especially where buildings are part of an important architectural or historic group or are a fine example of planning (such as squares, terraces and model villages) [1] English Heritage define historic in relation to a number of factors. All buildings constructed before 1700 are automatically listed. Similarly this is the case with most properties up to 1840. A number of post 1945 buildings are also included in these terms. A comprehensive breakdown of listed buildings statistics across the UK is illustrated below: 38% are domestic dwellings 15% date from before 1600 nearly 20% date from the 17th century 31% from the 18th century 32% from the 19th century 3% from 1900-1944 0.2% from 1945 or later [2] Introducing conventional features can have negative consequences on properties such as those defined above. Not only for cosmetic or domestic purposes but also in relation to implementing safety measures into a property. and accessibility by way of lifts and hand rails etc for the benefit of people with disabilities. There is also a trend for interpreting properties of historical interest into entertainment or ‘edutainment’ orientated experiences which can be argued devalues the historic importance and often encourages historical inaccuracy from the learning perspective. The final consideration to be made in relation to this essay question is the notion of whether old buildings should remain preserved exactly as they are without any enhancement, improvements, additions or restorations. That they should reflect the period they were constructed in and be immortalized as a historical or scientific study. This paper will seek to exemplify many of these issues relating to the redevelopment and reconstruction of historic buildings which covers a broad argument for discussion. The English Tourist Board published a paper in 1991 entitled ‘Maintaining the Balance’ which proposed new schemes designed to ensure that historic town environments worked in sync with their communities whilst providing the visitor with a traditional experience. Visitor Management Plans were adopted and Town Centre Managers were recruited as means of taking these initiatives forward. The conservation and preservation of built heritage often involves maintaining tight restrictions and limited planning opportunities which is not conducive to new housing projects or business opportunities which could generate enterprise and economic benefits. Inste ad many of the UK’s classified historic towns remain stagnant and non progressive. [3] Similarly there are currently plans to renovate and restore the city centre of Amsterdam in keeping with its cultural heritage. The city centre is divided by two groups of residents. One enjoys the aesthetic benefits of living in this area, while the second are simply living centrally for the purposes of work and being close to amenities. This second group is unconcerned with the historical importance of the city and is not prepared to invest in maintaining or developing it as such. Often when areas such as this are under preservation orders high costs are incurred for maintenance and renovation in the style accustomed to the period. This in turn raises the rents of properties which become too high for existing residents to afford, eventually forcing them out of their homes, as is feared in Amsterdam. [4]

Friday, September 27, 2019

Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Review - Research Paper Example With a sound Quality Assurance in place, customers and end users of products and services of a particular company is guaranteed that its output conforms with the required quality of such product and service that will meet and exceed the customer’s need. Kaizen is a Japanese Quality Assurance system of continuous improvement in quality, technology, processes, company culture, productivity, safety and leadership. It is a system that involves every employee - from upper management to the cleaning crew. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a once a month or once a year activity. It is continuous quality improvement process. Japanese companies, such as Toyota and Canon receive a total of 60 to 70 suggestions per employee per year which are written down, shared and implemented (Anon., 2011). The limitation of Kaizen is that it is dependent on communication due to the nature of its system improvement coming from suggestions. Any breakdown in communication will impair its efficacy. TQM on the other hand is a comprehensive and structured approach to organizational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements in response to continuous feedback (Anon., 2011). TQM requirements may be defined separately for a particular organization or may be in adherence to established standards, such as the International Organization for Standardizations  ISO 9000  series. At its core, Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services and the culture in which they work (Anon., 2011). TQM as a matter of quality principle is not known to have limitation but only the employees who are implementing it. C. The main

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Qualitative Data Collection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Qualitative Data Collection - Essay Example Therefore, qualitative research in education approved of the researcher’s point of view as a critical aspect of the research. Thus, qualitative research in education asserts that the bias or subjectivity of the researcher is fundamental. Consequently, the perspective and value judgment of the researcher are profoundly bonded to the research (Darlington, 2002). In this perspective, the rapport or researcher and the issue that is being studied impossible to disconnect. In simple terms, what a researcher prefers to investigate is connected to his value judgment. There is an idea that research information and researcher’s value-laden conclusions or research interpretation cannot subsist independently. To a certain extent, information and researcher’s perspective are firmly interwoven with each other. Specifically, a researcher is regarded to be an ‘insider to the research’. In principle, this perspective is founded on a ‘subject-subject relationship’ (Darlington, 2002, 15) in which realities in human societies are subjective. There is an assumption that the researcher responds based on his personal value judgment. In any research approach, whether quantitative or qualitative, one of the most important steps is the data collection. In qualitative research in education, there are four major data collection methods, namely, ethnography, educational criticism, action research and case study. Ethnographers try to record, in a systematic manner, how indigenous people behave and how they rationalize their behavior. And ethnography, in principle, is a systematic account of this documentation. Indigenous people are individuals in circumstances anywhere, including youngsters and adolescents in schools, not merely people who subsist in isolated and hostile environments such as jungles or peasant villages (Sherman, 2001). Many researchers

Primary Drawbacks of Net Present Value as Capital Budgeting Technique Assignment

Primary Drawbacks of Net Present Value as Capital Budgeting Technique - Assignment Example This entire process has multiple loopholes, for instance the uncertainty that is prevailing when it comes to estimating future cash flows of that investment opportunity is high enough to put this technique under scrutiny. Next loophole is regarding the discount rate that is used to reach the present value of a cash flow. Again the accuracy of discount rate used is of critical importance in determining the correct value of the cash flow’s present value. This makes NPV value dependent or sensitive to the value of discount rate and forecasted cash flows. Third loophole that is pretty much evident from the assessment of this tool is that this tool takes into account information that is present at the time of decision making, thus it does not take into account changes in the initial conditions of an investment opportunity. The fourth loophole that can be seen is that this tool is only applicable when projects being assessed are tangible and quantifiable. And in reality firms undert ake certain projects that are aimed at enhancing the brand equity, such projects are out of the scope of NPV (Kent & English, 2011). Question # 2: Comparison of Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return: This tool or technique is another capital budgeting technique. IRR is the discount rate that turns the net present value of forecasted cash flows from an investment opportunity equal to zero. ... A decision regarding a particular investment opportunity that is based on NPV technique will find itself under scrutiny when assessed using IRR technique. While this fact is not true for independent projects where both techniques will yield similar results, but when it comes to mutually exclusive projects (one project or the other) these tools do not yield a consistent result. The reason behind this conflict is that the set of investment opportunity that is being assessed consists of projects that vary in their size and timings of their future cash flows (Helfert, 2004). So it is clear that if a company is deciding between two investment opportunities, it will encounter a problem when it is using NPV and IRR to assess the value of these investment opportunities for the company. In this conflicting situation the company shall have to decide whether it will make its decision based on NPP or IRR (Helfert, 2004). Question # 3: Avenues to raise equity for a Profit Driven Firm: A profit dr iven firm, if assumed to be a corporation, has multiple options at its disposal to raise new equity capital. The first option that it has is to go to its existing shareholder for additional capital. The second option it has is to add more shareholders into the company by offering new share in the primary market. The third option available to a profit driven firm is that it can seek help from a venture capitalist firm; again this will be in exchange for some portion of the company’s equity. The fourth option available to the company is that it asks a bank for a loan in return for interest payments. These mentioned options are most suited to meet the company’s short-term capital requirement

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Introduction to computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to computers - Essay Example A hybrid network system incorporates both peer-to-peer needs as well as client server needs while at the same time reducing the cost of setup. In this network system, a server will be setup as well as personal computers (mini computer) setup as a client computer to facilitate access to the server. The integration of the two types of networks ensures security flexibility and prepares the company for expansion to in case it grows into a bigger corporation. With this type of network, access to the server and the company’s information requires an account and permissions from the network administrator. A software package to be acquired. To facilitate the proper running of this network system both system software and application software are required. The system software – which essentially will be windows 7 since it’s the most recent and stable version – controls all the hardware and the application software present. To guard the computer system against unautho rized access, malicious attacks, and spyware, firewall applications have to be installed. This antivirus should be able to detect and block unauthorized access to the computer system information. The best player in the market to fully protect CAL’s information is Kaspersky internet security. This is the best since it protects the system in real time. Word processing software is essential for creating, editing and formatting the company’s documents and hence it must as well be installed in the computers to facilitate these operations. As at the moment, the best word processor software is from Microsoft (MS word) which has all this functionalities plus many more. Furthermore accounting software and accounting system needs to be installed on the server to mange the inventory of the company. The based system being the web –based inventory management system Additional hardware to be attached to the CPU To enable printing of documents, printers must be attached to the CPU2. Sharing of this printer should be enabled to facilitate access by every member user of a client computer. Also, visual display units must be attached

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Operation Analysis w5 discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Analysis w5 discussions - Essay Example Graphical solutions in linear programming have limited number of decision variables. The technique of LP plots constraints on graph paper and then identifies the feasible region that is represented by the constraints. The objective function is then drawn and used to identify optimal points in the feasible region. However, graphically, linear programming can only be done in one two variables. Thus, the maximum number of variables in LP model is two. However, it can be done in more than three variables using special algorithms. Business managers use linear programming models to come up with concrete and measurable performance improvements. The kind of decisions that are arrived at using LP models represent the optimal solutions or decisions that are possible with the given constraint variables at the disposal of managers. For instance, the optimal decision would be the maximum profit that a business can generate using available limited resources or the minimum costs that the business can incur to produce products in order to maintain its current maximum level of profits. Therefore, LP can help managers use available limited resources effectively, reduce costs, improve profitability, and reduce risks among other key benefits. Simplex method is a special algorithm that is computer based used to find optimal solutions to linear programming problems that contain thousands of constraint and decision variables. The simplex method uses iterative algorithm to find solutions to optimization problems. The method uses or provides data on slack variables, which represent unused resources and opportunity costs or shadow costs useful in sensitivity analysis. Therefore, simplex method is an effective and efficient method that overcomes the limitations of the linear programming model to find solutions to problems of optimization by ending at an optimal solution by jumping from

Sunday, September 22, 2019

GMO PROS AND CONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GMO PROS AND CONS - Essay Example Scientifically, the human body extracts chemicals from the foods; these chemicals are responsible for the immunity of the body. The fear demonstrated by scientists posits that GMO may alter chemical requirement of the body. I think the society should know when it is eating GMOs because there are alternatives foods, which people can use. In addition, pregnant women, cancer patients, and children should avoid the consumptions of GMO products. Ideally, the argument presented by the advertising companies to the society against consumption of GMO does not give detailed information about the effects that the society is likely to encounter. I think the government should devise legislations, which influence the consumption of GMO especially among child. I do not accept the notion that GMO rice can help boost vitamin A among children. The unpredictable effects of GMO subjects the society to rejects it consumption. In conclusion, GMO have unpredictable effects to innocent consumers. While present legislation do not provide restrict against the consumption of GMO, there is need for

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Environmental Science Essay Example for Free

Environmental Science Essay Towards the end of the second millennium, particularly the 18th and 19th centuries, rapid changes occurred across the economic fabric of the world. Various industries underwent mechanization, transportation infrastructure improved to facilitate the expansion of trade, and steam power dramatically enhanced production and mobility. Manual labor was supplanted or enhanced by machines in the manufacturing industries, whilst increased production lead to increased consumption of natural resources and greater material abundance across the classes. Brown (2003) observes that at the foundation of this period, historically referred to as the Inustrial Revolution, was a shift in sources of energy from wood to fossil fuel. The exponential energy gain to be had from such a shift translated to the expansion of economic activity. The Industrial Revolution did not stop there though. Rather, the Industrial Revolution was a continuous process of economic expansion that resulted in a transformation of how natural resources were viewed. While concerns had already been raised since the 17th century about the use of natural resources for economic activity, industrialization spread the casual acceptance of natural resources as capital. (Peterson del Mar, 2006) In effect, the Industrial Revolution impacted the environment by disseminating economical assumptions about the value of natural resources, and magnified the rate at which resources were being consumed. Under the lens of industrial capitalism, trees have no value unless logged, rivers and streams have no value unfished and wildlife have no value unharvested. As such, there was little in the way of popular resistance against the use of natural resources for commerce and industry. It was deemed that the improvement of human civilization necessitated the harvesting of wildlife, the logging of forests, the expansion of fisheries and the industrialization of agriculture. As mentioned above, concern for environmental welfare dates back to the 17th century. Some of this concern for environmental welfare came from upper-class urban dwellers, who felt that the conditions of city living disconnected them from the spiritual nourishment of nature’s aesthetic. The other source of concern came from scientists and economists who felt that resource conservation and protection was necessary to ensure continued economic health. However, Environmentalism as a movement or revolution did not fully come into being until the 20th century. (Peterson del Mar, 2006) While technology and industrialization grew to become a defining feature of not just commerce and industry but modern living, there was also an increase in the anxiety over their potential effects on the cultural and natural landscape. For many, the tipping points that took environmental sentiment towards movement and/or revolution were the publication of books such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Paul Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb. Both writers took a good look at the environmental impacts of modern life – Carson examined the health impacts and environmental consequences of the indiscriminate use of DDT as a pesticide, while Ehrlich questioned the ability of economic expansion and use of natural resources could outpace the demands of a growing population – and ultimately, both of them provoked examination into the relationship between man and environment in the industrial age.   The result was increased interest in environmental problems and the formation of various environmental groups designed to pressure industry and commerce to take environmental matters seriously. In the 21st century, it will be necessary for environmentalism to persist, not just as a fashionable lifestyle or an alternative form of consumption, but as a means to examine whether modern life is not just sustainable or desirable. Environmentalism is not a spiritual or moral issue, but a practical one that encourages us to redesign industry, commerce and personal living to be more than just desirable but sustainable and eternal.   REFERENCES Peterson del Mar, D. (2006) A short history of a big idea: Environmentalism. Pearson Education Limited: Essex, England. Brown, L.R. (2003) Eco-Economy: Building an Econom

Friday, September 20, 2019

Arabs And Islam In The Mass Media Media Essay

Arabs And Islam In The Mass Media Media Essay The perception of Arabs and Islam throughout history has been influenced by the political elite, the mass media and the Hollywood film industry. .Arabs and Muslims have always been represented as one in popular discourse when in fact the majority of Muslims are not of Arab background. This paper will demonstrate the stereotypes and generalisation by examining Hollywood films in the 20th century. Juan Cole a professor of modern Middle East and South Asian history says I think Anti-Arab racism profiling has become respectable. Islam has always been a contentious issue brought up by the media often linked with terrorism, extremism and the widespread notion that conflict between the Arab Muslims and the West is inevitable. These stereotypes and generalisations have been around for the many centuries in particular throughout the 20th century in the Western world through one of the main drivers which is visual media. According to a poll completed by the Washington Post in 2006, forty-six percent of Americans have a negative view of Islam; these statistics are higher than the polls that were held in 2001 after the events of September 11. In the same article the Washington Post mentions that conservative and liberal experts believe that the attitudes created towards Islam are fuelled in part by political statements and media reports that focus almost solely on the actions of Muslim extremists. In the West, mainstream media does not provide an accurate representation of Muslims that represents their ethnic, racial, cultural and national diversity. It means that a majority of the Western world do not understand the multi cultural and diversity of the Muslims due to what they see in the films and the mass media. Michael France the Vice President of government relations for the Conservative Heritage Foundation states that Political leaders do not help the problem by sometimes using language that links all Muslims with extremists. In his quote he acknowledges the fact there is a problem, this problem is a result of what people see in the media of Arabs and Islam. There is a tendency in the media to focus on one aspect of Islam. Consequently, when the only representation of Muslims in the mass media is as terrorists or extremists, and there is minimal focus on the lives of the ordinary mainstream Muslims, consumers of the media begin to shape their opinions of Islam and Muslims through extremism and terrorism. Similarly the Middle East, Islam and Arabs are all characterised as one and not distinguished. It is very problematic to view and understand a vast and complex region such as the Middle East through such a selected and distorted guise. It takes away the humanity and diversity of millions of ordinary people living decent and humane lives. These unrealistic representations also have the ability to put fear in people, causing all Muslims and all Arabs, irrespective of their reli gion, to be perceived as threats. There has been a consistent pattern of Arab stereotypes throughout the 20th century. These stereotypes are mainly conveyed through cinema. Hollywood has a tendency of projecting those of Middle Eastern appearance as villains and associate them with certain stereotypes. These stereotypes include the oil rich Arabs who are too dumb to know the value of money and are trying to buy chunks of America, exotic woman wearing see through dresses belly dancing, the magic flying carpet and one of the most common stereotypes which is the Arab terrorist that hates America. Yet, despite these perceptions that are revealed within the films they are also far extended to cartoons that are created for the younger viewers. A great example of this is Aladdin (1992), directed by John Musker  and  Ron Clements. The film was seen by millions of viewers world wide. In this film they have recycled every stereotype that goes back to the start of film that was originally inspired by the arts of the Orient. The opening seen of Aladdin, being with a song which contain the lyrics Oh, I come from a land, a faraway place, Where the caravan camels roam, were they cut of your ears, if they dont like your face, its barbaric, but hey its home. For a film that is specifically aimed towards the younger generations, this dialogue is not only inappropriate but discriminates against all Arabs in general. In comparison if such vile words was to be directed towards another kind it would be deemed unacceptable by society. Carl Ernst, Chair of religion studies at the University of North Carolina quoted In the movies Arabs are the equivalent of Hollywood Indians. Out of every film ever made in the 20th century, nearly 25% of them have demeaned and generalised Arabs as being all the same and as just one thing. This reflects on the preconceived notion of the Western worlds perception of Arabs that is widely held. Furthermore, political views have also been expressed in many films such as the 1996 film Cast a Giant Shadow (1996) directed by Melville Shavelson where one of the main characters refers to the state of Israel and quotes Now here is a country surrounded by 5 Arab nations ready to shove them in the Mediterranean, no guns, no tanks, no nothing, people fighting with their bare hands for little piece of desert. Another famous movie Death before dishonour (1982) directed by Terry Leonard, Palestinian terrorists, invade a house and in cold blood slaughters an Israeli family. His film has scenes of American soldiers being kidnapped and horrifically tortured by Palestinian terrorists, and mobs of Arab protestors with beards and head turbans outside the American embassy burning the American flag. The film company Cannon, created by two Israeli producers Gholam and Globus in their 20 years at least 30 of their films vilifies all things Arab, in particular Palestinians. Many political policies and propaganda are reflected through cinema. Jack Valenti who was the president of the Motion Picture Association of America for 38 years said that Washington and Hollywood sprung from the same DNA. To solidify the connections between politics and Hollywood all that is needed is to look at many of the Hollywood films which state produced in cooperation with the department of defence. We see all these things that demonise and stereotypes Arabs and Muslims as being this one thing and the generalisation of one quarter of the worlds population. Bruce Lawrence a professor of Religion at Duke University says the media is still representing Muslim images as that of forty years ago when the majority of Muslims were Arabs. When people think of the Middle East many people are inclined to have a pre-conceived notion of what kind of people live their, their beliefs and culture without having been there or studied them or even know someone from there. The Western world seems to look at the Middle East through a camera that distorts the actual reality of those places and those people. They have an unrealistic representation formed by the media and popular culture that tends to form stereotypical views and prevent cross-cultural understanding. Perceptions of any race or ethnicity can affect decisions regarding them. This is evident due to the impact of peoples opinions. The way people think and form their opinions can be significantly influenced by what they see in the mass media. The opinions that people have had on certain events and affairs in the past and present have greatly impacted the outcomes. During the Vietnam War, America was in Vietnam as an authority but the general public opinion of the Americans was incomplete disagreement with the government. This eventually resulted in Americas withdrawal from Vietnam. Public opinion has proven itself to have been the cause of many significant and vital decisions made throughout the worlds history till present. The main reason that these perceptions are so effective especially in the case of Arabs and Muslims is a result of the twenty two Arab nations that have allowed themselves to be orientalised and to have continued with the way they are depicted by the West of them all being alike. This is due to the fact that they are in need of Americas support so they are not going to be criticising the West or engage themselves in proper dialogue anytime soon. In that respect the Arabs keep themselves in a way that collectively fulfils the kinds of representations that most westerners have in their minds about them which strengthens all these generalisations and stereotypes within Western societies and seem to people to be the truth about Arabs and Islam. Causes of these perspectives that we receive from the mass media also come down to the difficulties in receiving different perspectives from different news sources when they are owned by a small minority of individually owned giant corporations. T he major corporations in America own eighty percent of the television sector of the media. Viacom owns CBS, NBC owns Electric; Walt Disney owns ABC and News Corporation owns the Fox Broadcasting Company. These small amounts of major corporations have turned the media in to a monopolistic industry and as a result the majority of Americans are receiving limited views and perceptions. The stereotypes and generalisation of any race and ethnicity is very problematic especially in the case of Arab countries where a major proportion of the international key issues throughout the 20th century have revolved around them and their influences. Its the consistency of these stereotypes and perceptions of Arabs and Islam throughout history that has made these stereotypes so harmful. People are capable of subconsciously believing in them which manipulates the way that they perceive Arabs and Islam.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Mycoplasma pneumoniae Essay -- Essays Papers

Mycoplasma pneumoniae Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is unique because of its small genome and physical size. The bacterium contains only 500-2300 Kba in its genome that produces about 700 different proteins. Its reduced genome has been clearly mapped. M. pneumoniae size range from 0.2 to 0.8 micrometer and are capable of passing through most filters designed to remove bacteria. The bacterium is the smallest living organism capable of replicating itself. The bacterium lacks a cell wall but has a three layered cell membrane with sterols. It can take on any shape from cocci to filamentous. An agar plates the colonies have a specific fried egg look. It lives mainly as a parasite in humans where it can maintain its osmotic balance with its environment. It has a strict dependence on the host for nutrients. They grow aerobically and use glucose as its main food source but need the host for amino acids, lipids, nucleotides and sterols. Disease: M. pneumoniae is generally referred to as primary atypical or walking pneumonia because the symptoms are not as sever as pneumonia. The symptoms include a dry hacking cough, fever, and headache. The symptoms will last for about 2 to 3 weeks. M. pneumoniae affects people worldwide. Typically only 33 % of people who have M. pneumoniae will get atypical pneumonia. The majority, 77 %, will come down with an upper tract infection (tracheaobronchitis). M. pneumoniae is transmitted through aerosol droplets. The bacterium is capable of infecting anyone at any time but it has a pattern of coming in the fall and winter and causing an outbreak every 4 to 8 years, although more tight communities occur more frequently. The pathogen rarely occurs on children less than 4 years of age. Since th... ...r and headache of which, 15 % required hospitalization. Texas: From August 1st through November 15th, 215 workers of 4500 had Mycoplasma infections in a tertiary care center. Patients suffered from abrupt onset of headache, shaking chills, and severe malaise, followed by fever and cough. Only 2 % required hospitalization. New York: From August 1st to October 26th, 48 out 189 people came down with an acute respiratory infection in an autism center in upstate New York. Six percent of the patients required hospitalization. References: http://meded.ucsd.edu/isp/1999/CAP/mycoplas.html http://www.invivogen.com/otherproducts/plasmocin.htm http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic467.htm http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/mycoplasmapneum_t.htm http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022322.htm http://www.med.sc.edu:85/mayer/myco.htm

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Behavior Modification Essay -- essays research papers

Behavior Intervention 1 RUNNING HEAD: Behavior Intervention Behavioral intervention of a schoolboy displaying low on-task behavior in his classroom Behavior Intervention 2 Abstract The on-task behavior of a schoolboy aged 11 named Alan was monitored over an intervention period of 39 days. This period consisted of observation, intervention and follow-up segments. Target behaviors were defined. These behaviors were then isolated during the intervention to extricate the functional association of antecedents and consequences. Previous studies from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis were referred to for the structure of the intervention model. The theories of reinforcement and punishment were applied to gain desired behavior and clear target behavior. Verbal positive reinforcement and positive punishment was used, maintaining a firm consistency throughout the intervening period. To achieve the best result a tightly controlled environment was created to limit any possible distractions. Results obtained during the follow-up period indicated a substantial success for the intervention program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Behavior Intervention 3 Behavioral intervention of a schoolboy displaying low on-task behavior in his classroom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Behavior assessments are important applications for gaining insight into the motivation of individuals. By conducting these assessments, target behaviors can be defined. After defining these behaviors, functional relationships can be identified. This links the target behavior with antecedents and consequences. Once recognized these antecedents and consequences can be manipulated to influence the target behavior (Ebanks & Fisher, 2003). These behavior assessments work as the foundation for behavior modification therapy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antecedents consist of any events that occur immediately before the target behavior manifests. By manipulating the antecedent it is possible to cause the target behavior to become extinct. Similarly the consequences that occur immediately after the target behavior can also be controlled to eliminate the behavior. The combined manipulation of both func... ...ion. Behavior Intervention 10 References Ebanks, M. E., & Fisher, W. W. (2003) Altering the timing of academic prompts to treat destructive behavior maintained by escape. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 355-359. Fisher, W. W., Adelinis, J. D., Thompson, R. H., Worsdell, A. S., & Zarcone, J. R. (1998).Functional analysis and treatment of destructive behavior maintained be termination of â€Å"don’t† (and symmetrical â€Å"do†) requests. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 339-356. Hapogian, L. P., Toole, L. M., Long, E. S., Bowman E. G., & Lieving, G. A. (2004). A comparison of dense-to-lean fixed lean schedules of alternative reinforcement and extinction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 323-337. Mueller, M. M., Sterling-Turner, H. E., & Scattone, D. (2001) Functional assessment of hand flapping in a general education classroom. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 233-236. Romaniuk, C., Miltenberger, R., Conyers, C., Jenner, N., Jurgens, M.., & Ringenberg, C. (2002). The influence of activity choice on problem behaviors maintained by escape versus attention. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 349-362.

Dangerous Animals of the Great Barrier Reef :: Ecology Nature Zoology Essays

Dangerous Animals of the Great Barrier Reef According to Dennis Fulkerson, one of the Australia Explorers (1996), the Great Barrier Reef is "God's underwater playground." Indeed, everyone in the group seemed to have a fabulous time exploring the reef. However, many of the group expressed some amount of fear about snorkelling on the reef, far away from the mainland. I began to wonder if there was really that much to be afraid of. We were only told that it was not box jellyfish season, and, more importantly, not to touch anything. According to Ryan (p 167), "In general, animals of the reef are benign; only a hungry shark or a mentally defective barracuda is likely to attack unprovoked." Nevertheless, there are a few creatures of which to be aware. Sea snakes, jellyfish, and certain varieties of sea urchins, coral, worms, starfish, mollusks, and fish possess defense and/or feeding mechanisms which can render them harmful if handled by humans. Bristle Worms Bristle worms possess numerous razor-sharp calcium carbonate bristles (setae) which the animal may raise if threatened. These bristles penetrate the skin easily and cause intense itching and sometimes infections. Bristles should be removed with forceps and a local anesthetic and ointment may be applied. The worm may also bite (Ryan, p 170). Sea Urchins Sea urchins, along with heart urchins and sand dollars, belong to the class Echinoidea, which is in the phylum Echinodermata. Echinoids possess numerous spines, which are used for locomotion and defense, and pedicellariae, tiny, pincer-like structures which are used in feeding. The spines, interestingly, consist of a single crystal of calcium carbonate "that would be as brittle as chalk if not for certain glycoproteins in it" (Harris, p 718). Some urchins have venomous spines which can cause severe pain. For example, according to Lutz (p 679), "Some sea urchins, especially those living on coral reefs, have hollow spines that contain a poison; the pacific Asthenoma has needle-sharp spines that can easily penetrate the skin, break off, and release a poison that is extremely painful and dangerous to humans." The flower urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus, (Figure 1) has poisonous pedicellariae which can potentially kill a human. Toxic material can also be contained in the layer of skin coveri ng the spines, so injection of a spine itself is enough to cause intense pain (Endean, p256). As for treatment, Ryan (p170) recommends removing all spines from affected area with forceps, as long as this can be accomplished without breaking the spine and thus releasing more of the poison.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

In Penal Colony Discussion on Narration

The narration of the story is in third person through the explorer. The explorer's thoughts and emotions are known by the narrator but the other characters’ minds cannot be read. Even though the narration is done through the explorer, there are many instances where we do not know what the explorer is thinking, therefore this can be classified as limited omniscient, moreover, the narrator in the story does not show any emotional attachment to the events around him or comment on the legality of what is taking place rather he simply describes the proceedings in a very monotonous way.For example, when the explorer finds out that the condemned man will be put to death by a machine without any chance of defending himself or having his innocence or guilt proven, the narrator shows no reaction to this unjust act. He continues to understate situations which would normally cause some type of reaction. Perhaps this is done intentionally so as to not influence the reader and let the reade r formulate their own thoughts.But, by being a passive bystander as the events unfold, one does feel a sense of helplessness and even some guilt as this line shows: â€Å"The explorer wanted to intervene and possibly bring the whole thing to a standstill; this was no torture such as the officer wished to achieve, this was outright murder. † (p. 73). This event, where the officer dies, is called a â€Å"murder† as the original purpose of the machine, to execute over twelve hours is not realized. The explorer is impressed by the officer’s devotion to the machine but the lack of action makes the narrator untrustworthy.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Christianity and Slavery In Early American Literature Essay

In the 18th -19th centuries religion had a great influence on culture and literature. The American society created a unique culture influenced by its norms and traditions, historical and political development, Christianity and slavery. Dogmas and norms of the society were embodied in the religious tradition and transferred into literature. Religion and slavery did not independently becoming an integral part of culture. Thesis Early American Literature reflects cultural norms and tradition of the society and shows that blacks and whites were united by virtues and religious dogmas of Christianity. Early American Literature show that with the help of literature, people embodies their beliefs and hopes, ideas and ideals. Christianity and church was a strong force which dictated social norms and social order. For instance, the poetry by Phillis Wheatley vividly depicts the importance of morality and religion for both whites and blacks. In the poem â€Å"On Virtue† he writes: â€Å" Virtue, thro’ my youthful years! / O leave me not to the false joys of time! / But guide my steps to endless life and bliss† (Wheatley, 1996). In other poems he depicts characters as devoted parishioners who follow all values and commandments. Phillis Wheatley can be considered as â€Å"a moral poet† of his time unveiling social contradictions and moral values of slaves and their hopes. He describes the roles of God and goodness in life of slaves. In ISAIAH Wheatley describes: â€Å"For man the wrath of an immortal God: / â€Å"To execute th’ Eternal’s dread command / â€Å"My soul I sacrific’d with willing hand† (Wheatley, 1996). These examples show that religion and Christianity determines lives of slaves in spite of the fact that church and Christianity were used to defense and legitimatize the institution of slavery. Many characters in his poems wonder why anyone would understand a difference between slaves and masters, blacks and whites. Morality is depicted through religious ritual and values followed by slaves. It is not surprising that religious dogmas became the code of behavior for many women who needed strong arguments to prove their decisions. Also, the Christianity was used to maintain defense of domesticity and the role of women as mother and wives only. In â€Å"To his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, on the Death of his Lady† Wheatley writes: â€Å"ALL-Conquering Death! by thy resistless pow’r, /Hope’s tow’ring plumage falls to rise no more! /Of scenes terrestrial how the glories fly, / Forget their splendors, and submit to die! † (Wheatley, 1996). This theme underlines the fact that all people are mortal. Even trying to challenge destiny, people cannot change ordered hierarchy of the world, and is punished with an eternal hell. In the speech, Frederick Douglass addresses a very important problem of racial inequality in America and its impact on the society. In his speech â€Å"the Fourth of July†, Frederick Douglass depicts social and political situation and ridicules low morals and false values existing in the society. As the most important he bases the main arguments on the principles of liberty, moral and religious norms. He appeals to emotions of listeners through the theme of God and morality. Douglass states: â€Å"this, for the purpose of this celebration, is the 4th of July. It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom. This, to you, is what the Passover was to the emancipated people of God† (Douglass, 2002). Distinction between spiritual and temporal power creates a space for freedom, in which an individual can fight for freedom Works of two African-American writers and abolitionists show that slaves believed in God and followed Christian morality in their life. For slaves and free black men religion was a moral guard which shaped their behavior. Christianity played a crucial role in lives of all slaves. Both abolitionists depict that religion and church exercise power, keep their traditions and values. It is important to note that during 19th century religion had a great influence on social life and was often used as a theme and framework in literature (Fogel, 1989). Douglass gives some overview of the cultural situation of that time and people’s attitude towards the slavery. This speech is very important as it appeals to everyone both blacks and whites. In general, it is possible to say that in Douglass gives a vivid explanation of the slavery that relates with accuracy to the real events. He depicts that everyone must die eventually, and so the natural roots of democracy are therefore in mortality, whether due to natural causes or to the bloodshed of internecine warfare. Douglass blames church stating that it supports slave-owners and slavery. On the other hand, he states: â€Å"the venomous creature is nursing at the tender breast of your youthful republic; for the love of God, tear away, and fling from you the hideous monster, and let the weight of twenty millions crush and destroy it forever! † (Douglass, 2002). He separates Christianity and the American church underlining that â€Å"The American church is guilty, when viewed in connection with what it is doing to uphold slavery† (Douglass, 2002). In his speech, a spirit of mischievous and subversive anarchy runs through the entire work. This duality in views and ideals allowed slavery to continue. The short story of Edgar Poe â€Å"The Masque of The Red Death† vividly portrays the fear of death and fate. The protagonist of the story, the Prince Prospero fights with death trying to outwit it. Although, Poe depicts that it is a vein sacrifice that is painful and sorrowful causing terrible sufferings and emotional burden for the Prince. He looks around and sees the ordinariness of their existence. â€Å"The Red Death† or plagues is a symbol of death depicting that human beings cannot escape death. â€Å"The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men† (Poe, n. d. ). Previously, the Prince had been a man who was somehow placed above ordinary mortals, who, either through his depth of suffering or his nobility of nature felt and suffered more than readers could be expected to do in everyday life. The hero also suffers death at the end, his downfall being a result of a fatal flaw in his character, a trait which he cannot help as it is a part of his makeup, but which causes the tragedy and eventually his death. The themes of fate and death show that being a part of culture religion was reflected in literary works. Poe portrays that behavior of people was religiously determined and that the key to suc ¬cessful ideas was in the understanding of religious dogmas and values. In general, Poe’s concern is for degrees of personal freedom results when a man, struggling against death, is pushed further back, achieving little in his struggle for life, and having degrees of free ¬dom removed from him. Mortality is undergone in order to expand the human spirit, to delve into matters previously kept hidden, to grow through fear. The fear before unknown and punishment were the main causes allowing slavery to continue. â€Å"The Black Cat† belongs to a literature of horror portraying a world of an alcoholic suffered from uncontrollable rage and violence. In the intoxicated state the unnamed narrator cannot control his aggression and hangs his favorite black cat. In a period of time, he tries to kill another cat with an axe, but kills his wife who tries to protect the animal. In this story, Poe portrays two different worlds: reality and fantasy that resulted in terrible crimes. Also, Poe unveils the theme of human relations: people love each other and make friends, but if they deprive their friends they are finished. (Poe, Black Cat, 2005). â€Å"A Black Cat† is a symbol of death and fate, fear and Hell. Similar to this explanation, the existence of the institution of slavery, in which white men played the dominant role and wielded control, placed slaves at the mercy of God and destiny. Christian traditions and consciousness allowed slavery to continue for a long time. Christian-conscious world was used as a strong force that affected all aspects of life. Fear of death and punishment limited actions of slaves and forced them to subdue religious norms and traditions. In reality, Christian-conscious world was the only dominated institution which affected life of whites and blacks through culture and traditions. In literature, religion helped to develop and sustain morality by promoting moral reasoning and by exemplifying values and behaviors that were conducive to human dignity. In â€Å"Pudd’nhead Wilson† Mark Twain describes the role of fate and destiny in life of a slave. The events took place in the Dawson’s Landing. Through the characters of Tom and Roxy Mark Twain shows that the fate and fear of unknown are determined by social traditions and religious norms. He writes: â€Å"he was not committing any sin that God would remember against him in the Last Great Day† (Twain, 2001). Tom comes to know that every moment and every act share the same fate. The anticipation of his life dissolves the feeling of overriding importance. Mark Twain explains: â€Å"Consider the flea! –incomparably the bravest of all the creatures of God, if ignorance of fear were courage. Whether you are asleep or awake he will attack you .. you are to him as are the massed armies of the earth to a sucking child† (Twain, 2001). The literary woks under analysis show that church worked hard to distinguish religious values of slaves and masters and their respective on peoples. Christianity was the â€Å"law of life† for defenders. The distance between these groups and a largely secular but still vaguely society is such that the preservation of the former from the evils of the latter has been achieved by the erection of considerable social barriers. Religious piety and submission were beliefs that were more marginal components of the ideology depicted by the early American writers. But, truly said it was not an ideology we understand it but obsession. The religious mores and Christian dogmas were such that traditional practice isolates slaves from the wider society. Christianity can be seen as one of the main causes of slavery and oppression. Works Cited Page 1. Douglass, F. The Fourth of July. 2002. Available at: http://douglassarchives. org/doug_a10. htm 2. Fogel, R. W. Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery. W. W. Norton, 1989. 3. Poe. E. The Masque of the Red Death. n. d. Available at: http://bau2. uibk. ac. at/sg/poe/works/reddeath. html 4. Poe, E. The Black Cat. 2005. Available at: http://www. online-literature. com/poe/24/ 5. Twain, M. Pudd’nhead Wilson. 2001. Available at: http://emotionalliteracyeducation. com/classic_books_online/puddn10. htm 6. Wheatley, Ph. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. 1996. Available at: http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/etext96/whtly10. txt

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Assertiveness Paper

Assertive Paper When faced with a dilemma at work or at school the way you handle and voice your opinion is crucial in communicating your level of assertiveness. There is a proper way of being assertive rather than seeming aggressive. It takes practice in order to properly accomplish a comprehension of this technique. Becoming better at speaking your mind verbally and nonverbally will allow you to interact as a leader amongst your fellow workers and colleagues. I can be an assertive person when the time is right and the surroundings ask for a certain level of assertiveness to be needed.If I am with a group of people and I disagree with someone’s opinion or point of view of a certain issue I will allow myself to speak my mind without attacking what the other person said. The most important part of being assertive to me is not being aggressive towards others when expressing thoughts. An example would be during my senior year in high school when we were placed into groups and had to discuss our opinion on gay marriage. The conversations were at the most very educated until a person bluntly stated that they believed gay people should never get married because it was disgusting.Surely this person was entitled to their opinion but the was they phrased their response was in an aggressive manner towards anyone who believed otherwise. I responded right away without directly referring to that person with the word you rather than spoke my mind using the word I. My opinion was that people should be allowed to do what they think it is best for them no matter what others might think. If their decision is not affecting anyone else then they are entitled to their own actions and decisions as human beings.Once I said that the person became angry in a way but not because I disagreed with them but rather in the way I formed my response they could not say I was directly meaning it towards them. The verbal messages I tend to always give out when being assertive has to be for the most part to seem sure of what I am saying backing it up with support but at the same time not sounding like I am attacking anyone’s ideas or opinions. Beginning my words with I makes people feel less threatened and allows them to also have an opinion.When the situation requires me to give an order I will be serious and communicate what needs to be done. The nonverbal messages that I give off when being assertive is to maintain eye contact with the person. This is really important to me because it lets the other person know you are serious and expect what you are telling them to be understood and also taken into consideration. My body posture when doing so is standing upright without moving around or making a lot of hand movements.I try to keep a steady posture which allows the person to stay focused on my message. What I consider to be doing well while being assertive are speaking with a direct tone to the subject in matter while maintaining eye contact. When beginning my message the first word I tend to use is I in order to stay away from people believing they are being blamed or accused. I refrain from telling people your wrong or that is not the way to do something unless it is required of me to do so in certain situations.The way that works the best when communicating a solution to a problem or an approach is to have a sense with the person that what your are saying is a good way but leaving the window open for them to have an opinion as well. I would like to improve myself in the area of giving speeches in front of people to seem very confident. I am not a bad public speaker but I tend to get nervous when doing so for a long period of time. I have tried practicing in front of the mirror speaking and it works out great but it is not the same as actually being in front of many people.That’s what I need more practice in order to be looked at as very assertive when giving a speech. Assertiveness is a learned trait that we all must be aware of and practice in our everyday lives. This quality will help you all through out school and work. It will also better your relationship with friends and family. Being confident and believing in yourself is an important attribute that must go hand in hand with being assertive. Communicating with proper grammar and adjacent nonverbal cues will allow you to be taken serious and provide a level complete with the perfect balance of a great assertive person.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Family meals Essay

The article present the issue of meals from a good perspective: it identifies that some families eat together and others do not. It states from researches that studies carried out on families that eat together on the same table are more likely to produce positive health results than others who do not: such positive health factors are enumerated in each paragraph. It states that such family meals make it easier to control diet, amount and quality. It promotes communication about nutrition; it helps to regulate the type of food consumed. Besides it is a good forum for socialization among the family members, and even visitors.   It provides the ‘opportunity to eat better’ and also the ‘chance to connect’. The latter helps to understand each other better, find about current issues in the lives of members, and even teaches the children cooking and eating etiquettes.   It concludes with a profound statement:   â€Å"Family meals aren’t just about food, they’re about family.† I am particularly interested in the type of meal that can earn the tag ‘family meal’. And really, it is worth remembering that meals can also be a time to get together with family members. For parents that do not have time for their children, this may not possible but for others who have such opportunity, I strongly believe it is a very good idea: it creates a forum for me to learn how to cook, how to serve and how to eat especially when it involves others. If I have anything bothering my mind, I can share it there. If I also notice something about my siblings, friends, visitors, other extended family members, I can bring it and the challenge/burden can be shared. It is also a good forum to celebrate any achievement. I like the idea of family meals because it helps to strengthen families and build loving homes. There is no doubt that if we can adopt this kind of idea all over the country, things would change, families are likely to become more stable and children will live in conducive happy homes. I think that the topic was presented in a good and lively way. It has information from researches and experts in the food. After going through the article, you’d have read through an unusual topic that makes a lot of sense. It starts with a description of meal times, connects to the advantages of family means and ends with the obstacle to achieving the concept. I am also concerned about this noble idea can be implemented in this kind of age, when everyone appears to be in a hurry chasing the wild wind. Is it really practicable in this jet age? Are there other means of achieving same socialization outside meals times? REFERENCE Family meals. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/07/cl.family.meals/index.html

Friday, September 13, 2019

Issues That Lead to the Recession Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Issues That Lead to the Recession - Term Paper Example â€Å"A significant decline in activity across the economy, lasting longer than a few months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade. The technical indicator of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth as measured by a countrys gross domestic product (GDP); although the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) does not necessarily need to see this occur to call a recession.†(Recession†¦.) Recession hurts the government in some of the vital areas that are the supporting pillars of the economy and its impact is unfavorable news for the government budget. Government borrowings rise. Tax revenues dip low due to lower income tax and corporate tax revenues. With the steep rise in the unemployment levels, the government is obliged to extend unemployment benefits to a wider section of the society. Higher borrowing leads to higher taxes and additional interest payments in the future. As shares turn unattractive, the prices begin to dip. Lower profitability and lower dividends create a depressive mood for the investors and they look out for alternative sources of investment. The fall in share prices continues in anticipation of recessionary trends prolonging. But this is only the initial phase. When recession is at its hardest phase, the developments take a strange turn. In anticipation of economic recovery, share prices begin to recover, as the prudent investor calculates that it is the favorable time to invest from the point of view of long term gains. Falling prices of shares may be due to various other factors as well, not alone recession. The normal reaction to recession is that it should result in a lower inflation rate. The highlight of recession is it reduces demand and wage inflation. The issue to be examined is what economic factors impact the recession hard. The current recession is due to rise in oil prices. The expert opinion about this inflation is, it is bound to

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Being Apple Steve Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Being Apple Steve Jobs - Essay Example Though Jobs did not express command-and-control leadership style, though he is known to have been quite abrasive, he does take accountability for Apple’s success by modelling his behaviours against very high standards and then visibly trying to live up to them. Charismatic attitude and inspiration for the rest of the organisational culture is where Jobs maintains transformational leadership style. This style is about building a harmonious, dedicated organisation through ethical behaviours and social charisma. By establishing Apple’s vision to be revolutionary and innovative, he uses his personality as a means to gain support and dedication to achieving greatness for the company. His rock star-modelled speeches at Apple conventions is another aspect of his transformational leadership style that defies the norms of business and puts the company as a leader in change management. Jobs’ leadership style can be analysed using many different leadership templates, such a s change management, innovation management, and many other qualitative tools associated with management theory. Jobs is a people-centred individual when it comes to their autonomous roles at Apple, thus empowering individuals through transformational interactions. Jobs also utilises the public relations word-of-mouth about Apple values, vision and principles as a means to measure his leadership style as a benchmark against other companies that follow these same leadership standards. His transformational leadership style is evident in nearly all of his values and beliefs and how he goes about representing them in all of his interactions with subordinate employees and peers. He even looks to the external markets for opinion and better labour to ensure that the company is equipped to handle ongoing change, another factor that drives transformational style. Jobs should be considered a benchmark for transformational style by other company leaders. Jobs and culture His style can be compar ed to other companies that have more rigid, centralized hierarchies of control where information is disseminated from the top layers without much employee feedback or innovation involvement. Steve Jobs’ leadership style transcends the normal business structure which builds a better organisational culture. Even though he provides an informal and innovative-minded environment to empower his managers and employees, he still maintains strict standards by which employees must live up to. They are either rewarded for their successes or punished (a transactional approach) if they fail to meet his performance standards. This is somewhat duplicitous, a blend of transformational and transactional leadership that is contingent on success. The freedoms he provides, such as casual dress and environments where free movement is tolerated, build more dedication and loyalty to meeting performance and innovation goals. Jobs is able to build a positive organisational culture by taking personal accountability for actions and then applying these same standards to everyone else. Jobs, himself, recognises that his standards include firing individuals who do not meet up to Apple performance obligations, however humanely. This shows that even though individuals experience these considerable

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Improving Transactional Processing in Accounting Information Systems Research Paper

Improving Transactional Processing in Accounting Information Systems - Research Paper Example Transaction is an instance of doing business of any kind and may include buying of stocks from a security market and consumable goods at from a retail shop. In all the instances, there is exchange of money for goods or services. During the transactions, the need to keep the record of transactions increases, in order to be able to monitor the performance of the business. Businesses have adopted several strategies of maintaining their records, preparing forms and reports for financial purposes such as tax among others (Mattessich, 1998). These records are a part of the entire Information System maintained by a business. For a business to remain in market there must be a well set out Information System that enables all the stakeholders to interact with, and benefit from the available information. These systems have further been adopted into accounting due to efficiency, in some cases due to integrity. There has been an upward development of how accounting is carried out since the dawn of civilization. These changes have been necessitated by the tremendous growth of business transactions. Sometimes, the changes have been as a result of complexities involved in these transactions (Mattessich, 1998). With the emergence of technology in the past years, business operations have been affected. This includes how transactions are handled and the parties that are involved. It is however important to note that although technology may be disadvantageous in some cases, its adoption has greatly improved operations of businesses in general and more benefits can be realized should technology be monitored effectively (CBS Library, 2011). From the old days of Mesopotamia, ancient people kept records of businesses using clay tablets where they inscribed details of transactions (Mattessich, 1998). The inefficiency of such record keeping has over the years, pushed people to develop new methods

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Creativity and Innovation at Gunstones Bakery Essay

Creativity and Innovation at Gunstones Bakery - Essay Example Creativity is defined by Steve Jobs as â€Å"Creativity is just connecting things† (Wolf, 2011). But the question is: Is creativity so simple to be defined as â€Å"connecting things† that has been defined by the greatest innovator of the time, Steve Jobs, or there is any complex method behind the innovation and creativity. The incidental perception of creativity is also questioned for not being intentional. The assignment elaborates the concept of innovation and creativity to the groups and individuals in Gunstones and what does these exactly means in terms of Gunstones competitive abilities to develop and expand. The assignment’s standpoint will be from a worker’s view who is currently working in Gunstones bakery and who happens to be my brother Jabaar Khan. As I lack in work experience I could not fulfil the criteria to complete the assessment and thus I took help of my brother as the source of my assignment. The advantage of using my brother’s e xperience has helped in preparing a bias free assignment (Adair, 2007). Thus the third party perception on my brother’s experience and his organisation will permit me to inspect into the detailed picture of the organisation and how the worker and the organisation work hand in hand with prejudice (Arnold, 1956). My brother works in the Gunstones Bakery factory which supplies packed food for Marks & Spencer’s. His experience over there and the background of the company (See Appendix 1) can be recorded by ‘The Cultural Web’ (Johnson and Scholes, 1999) representing the factory’s routine process which is known as the ‘taken-for-granted assumptions’ (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). Before proceeding towards the assessment, creativity and innovation should be defined. But it can be seen that all the definitions of creativity has two aspects which are either process oriented (Dewett, 2004) or outcome oriented (Amabile, 1996). Creativity is defined as the production of novel and resourceful ideas in any of the domain. Amabile has said that a creative idea or a product is something that is not done before but it fulfils the desired purpose. Amabile has also defined innovation as the â€Å"successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization† and these definition has been accepted by Cook who has found the linkage between the two as the ideas (creativity) must be proficient enough (Cook, 1998) to be converted into successful actions (innovation). OPPORTUNITIES AND INHIBITORS OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION ALSO THEIR IMPACT ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCES COMPONENTIAL MODEL The ‘Componential Model’ which is given in Figure 1 consists of the 3 major influential factors of the opportunity that is important for creativity. The factors are expertise, creative thinking and the intrinsic task motivation which are in built in teams and individual. Figure 1: Componential Model Source: (Amabile, 1996) EXPEPT ISE OPPORTUNITY ‘Expertise factor’ consists of foundation of factual knowledge, proficiencies

Monday, September 9, 2019

A Life Journey of Mao Zedong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Life Journey of Mao Zedong - Essay Example Mao was born when the Qing Dynasty was on the course of the breakdown of its powers over the ruling of China. For two hundred fifty years, Qing Dynasty ruled China with strictness. But they were in a quandary as to how to hold on to their authority. The rulers were in a difficulty over the peoples’ unrest. For over thirty years the Qing rulers had been trying to reorganize their land and naval forces and to equip them with modern Western weapons but Japan easily won in the war of 1894. (1) Foreign nations colonized the different parts of China. Powerful nations like Japan, France, Germany and Great Britain were interested in dominating China. Rebels tried to fight to regain Beijing in 1900, killing foreigners and Christian Chinese. This brought about more foreign invasions. Authorities in the other parts of China beheaded rioters and rebels. Qing Dynasty crushed down in October 1911 by the uprising of militant rebels. Though Spence briefly skimmed historical events during the early years of Mao’s life, significant dates, events, and persons were included. The book is a brief but close up portrait of Mao Zedong from his childhood years to the time when he ruled China. Spence combined history and storytelling on Mao’s climb to power. From a common villager without extraordinary talents to a learned man, Spence connected the series of events that led Mao to the peak of his rule. An interesting biography to read and understand this man with a great vision of China’s social and economic change.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not Essay

Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not necessarily a path to righteousness and salvation - Essay Example Other than that, he wrote to Bethge Eberhard where the prison warders helped to sneak them out of prison and became instrumental in building on the Christian faith. The execution order resulted from his alleged involvement with the Abwehr, which was a military intelligence group that planned to wipe out Hitler’s existence. Over time, Bonhoeffer’s letters have become the subject of debate in which this theologian introduced the ‘religionless Christianity’ where to date there is no concrete meaning to this phrase. With this, this essay will delve into the meaning that Bonhoeffer sought to bring in this letter and discussing on how righteous acts do not necessarily lead to a person’s salvation. II. Arguments surrounding Bonhoeffer thinking Ideally, many questioned Bonhoeffer authority to write about Christianity as he confessed to having been smoking at the time that he was writing the letters from prison. In essence, Bonhoeffer argued that the society had changed into one that associated with ‘religionless Christianity’ as many of those that perceived to be religious did not practice anything that the religious principles required. On the other hand, critics argued that this theologian wrote these letters about religion out of the situation that he was living in at that time as he was living in imprisonment while awaiting execution. However, Bonhoeffer maintained his stand that Christians only relied on the miracles and the blessings to confirm their association with God, but could not do so when faced with challenging situations. In making his arguments solid, Bonhoeffer used two ideologies in which one was the historical ideology while the other was on from the theological perspective (Higgins 83). Many were not in support of his theological ideologies mainly because he participated in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler despite the fact that this leader had caused too much suffering to the Jews. In many circ les, the interpretations of the letters that Bonhoeffer wrote to his friend have varied partly because of the nature in which he used to communicate his ideologies. III. The interpretation of religious texts in Bonhoeffer’s words To begin with Bonhoeffer intimates that religion had passed on and that was in existence did not portray the true ways that Jesus had called people to follow. As much as religion has lost substance, Bonhoeffer does not mourn of this, but instead welcomes it as a move to establishing true Christian religion. Many Christians only viewed God through the side of being a miracle worker and as one that cannot associate with suffering, which was a concept that was non-binding. According to Bonhoeffer, religion was a way of living and not a new religious concept that had never existed since the time that society started experiencing this relationship with God. However, Bonhoeffer argues that Christians were aware of the requirements of being a Christian, but they deliberately shut them out because they did not sit well with their belief. Further, Bonhoeffer asserts that the existing Christians did not interpret the scriptures as required, but only did so in ways that suited them, but not as Christ would want it. Philosophers had also established a way of interpreting concepts in the bible in a political way in order to suit their

Understanding Specific Needs in Health and Social Care Essay

Understanding Specific Needs in Health and Social Care - Essay Example These concepts include the primary and secondary deviance as relates to the patients, the community and the caregivers of the social care services (Üstün, 2010, p 43). These concepts include deviance, stigma and how to address the issue of stigma. In these three concepts, the factors of stigma are of key concerns as regards the caregivers and users (Fisher & Robinson, 2010, p 209). The element of consideration in stigmatization in understanding disability and challenging behaviours entails the perceptions of the community within which this individual with the special needs lives. Further, the processes of tackling the stigmatization issue as a concept is also of key concern in understanding and addressing the issues of special needs care. Another concept in this factor is handicap and understanding the issues relating to handicapped persons, as well as, addressing the needs for such special needs person. Additionally, this understanding also entails the concepts regarding soc ial and structural iatrogenesis. This social and structural iatrogenesis entails the perception and behaviour of the society as receivers of care within the special needs issues. Further, the role of medicine in the society also entails key concept of consideration within this element to understand the behaviour and disability existent among the people concerned. It is essential since it facilitates the interventions entailed in caring and understanding these special needs regarding disability, illness and behaviour.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

The underground man Essay Example for Free

The underground man Essay The underground man is amusing and thought-provoking. His assertion that his intelligence is the reason for his isolation must have some truth; that he should be so socially inept at his age is probably explained by his acute sensitivity, but it is interesting to think that it might also have been his isolation that has led to his extreme sensitivity. Since he is situated outside of the normal social structure, he is able to make observations that â€Å"normal† persons could not. He is like an ugly man who cannot bear to show his ugliness to the world, yet one who also desires intensely to become part of it. This is a maddening aspect of his character. For all his intelligence, he is remarkably stupid for refusing to understand. He states that it is his choice to live in isolation because he suffers from acute consciousness, but despite all this it is obvious that he desires to have a â€Å"normal† life. However, the predominant feeling that I had from reading the story is frustration. Most frustrating is that he does not even try to resolve his problems. This attitude of his is exemplified when he says: â€Å"Ha! you may object sarcastically, this way youll soon find pleasure in a toothache. Well, Id answer, theres pleasure in a toothache too. (p. 99) His greatest â€Å"toothache† here is his alienation and isolation from â€Å"normal† society. I, as I suspect almost everyone, have had feelings of alienation and isolation that, during the time of their occurrence, I could only have described as profound; although looking back these feelings become easier to rationalize and to see the cause of. But he insists in the fact that he is always rational, and that his intelligence is superior and furthermore correct. He knows that he is negative and destructive towards himself and others, but he makes no effort to resolve this. He seems disillusioned, but he is actually a pitiful victim of self-deception, attaching the wrong sort of â€Å"superiority† to his miserable intelligence, and believing himself superior to everyone else. When he says: â€Å"You know, ladies and gentlemen, probably the only reason why I think Im an intelligent man is that in all my life Ive never managed to start or finish anything† (p. 104), he means that only the stupid can be so sure of themselves; this is one thing that is irritating and frustrating about him. His intelligence has rendered him immobile because he is aware of all the uncertainty inherent in nature, and he will not believe that he has a full understanding of reasons, as the stupid man does. He finds comfort in justifying his plight by asserting that he is intelligent But in his portrayal of his â€Å"misadventures† in the second part of the story, I felt a distasteful sort of sympathy. One almost feels elated on his behalf, in the instance when he is almost joyous that he would at last have an â€Å"encounter with reality†: So this is reality, I mumbled, dashing downstairs, finally Ive met it head on. † (p. 159) At last a decisive event will happen in his life, one over which his excessive rationalizing has no effect. He hides from from life, and he feels alive only by being destructive. But in him one finds a sort of friend who will probably understand your every ill emotion because he has experienced it all, but who will also probably scorn you and make you feel foolish. His intelligence has allowed him – or perhaps has forced him – to live a life of constant rationalizing, thus robbing him of he ability to relate to the â€Å"lower† level of ordinary human life. But he is also subject to pride despite his intelligence. I could almost sympathize with what happened when he â€Å"did make a friend once, but I was already a tyrant at heart and wanted to be the absolute ruler of his mind. I wanted to instill in him contempt for all those around us; I demanded that he break with his world† (p. 147). I have had my share of instances of a vague sense of contempt for everyone, but I am far from rejecting society as he has. His rejection of society has led to society rejecting him, and this has robbed him of tangible experiences and made him desperate.

Friday, September 6, 2019

How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Example for Free

How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Mobile technology is said to have been around for quite sometime. But in the past it used to be costly and came in the form of a car phone. â€Å"Cell phones connect friends and families. In a moment, across the country or oversees a parent can call his son to see whether he is doing all right† (Armbrustor-Sandoval, p. 64). Businessmen can make their business deals and get everything done when they are away from their offices. Students at school communicate frequently, and this is a case of concern to the administrators. The government has also come in and has considered whether to ban cell phones in schools or not. For sure this instant method of communication has its drawbacks. Cell phones are said to help in interpersonal relationships. According to some people, â€Å"text messages, a popular phone feature has affected the English language† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"That is abbreviated messages. The use of vowels has also been affected† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). All the same the cell phones make a big difference in the way people communicate they have increased communication even in schools. The students have taken advantage of the prices of the current cell phones and have forced their parents to buy for them. They have tried to learn the use of these cell phones even as early as fourteen years. For sure parents cannot see anything wrong with buying their children phones and yet they are nowadays affordable by almost everybody. . There is nothing wrong with technology but it normally comes with its disadvantages. However, there are some students who acquire cell phones through peer pressure. When they see their schoolmates with cell phones they also tend to force their parents to buy for them. As such most students if not all have cell phones. They use them even in the classroom. (Silin, 1999, p. 50) The use of cell phones by students normally go undetected especially when the student in question put the cell phone in vibrator then when he gets a call, he pretends to be going for a cell of nature and yet his main aim is to receive the call. It shows that most students do not concentrate in class when the teacher is teaching. The idea has to a good extend made some teachers propose the idea of banning cell phones in schools. Is the idea of banning cell phones in schools a good idea? (Silin, 1999, p. 74) It should be a good idea. If before cell phones came in plenty teachers and students were able to survive without them. What will have changed if they are banned? Or if they should not be banned then the students should always turn them off when in the classrooms and use them where appropriate. But it is hard to abide by the rules. Some may turn them off but there is always that one student who does not care and will always leave his phone on. If cell phones are to be banned in schools let them be banned. Schools are places of education. They are not to be taken as pubs or nightclubs. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 119) Since it has already been argued that the cell phones tend to affect the use of English language, then students will better not be allowed to use them. This message ought to be emphasized to parents not to allow their children to use cell phones. But it will be hard for parents to assume that their children do not use the cell phones, because these cell phones are everywhere (Luke, 2005, p. 86). However, there are some parents who cannot allow their children not to use cell phones. These are normally permissive parents. They will do anything to protect the freedom of their children, even if it means suing the government. So the idea of banning phones in schools is an idea, which should be handled with care. Flexibility is needed on the side of teachers. Also flexibility is needed on the side of the government. There are some parents, who can claim that their children are very responsible, and they know when to put on or put off the cell phone and so they should be allowed to use cell phones even in schools. As such to them the most important thing is for parents to take enough time and teach their children proper use of the cell phone since it ought to be the responsibility of parents to do so. Such parents can go to any length to ensure the freedom and rights of their children are protected. So it is better before the government thinks of banning cell phones in schools, it should first of all think of not allowing technology invent these cell phones (Fretcher, 2000, p. 69). The phones are already with us, and so we have no otherwise but to use them, anywhere, any place. If cell phones are then to be banned from schools, it can sound as if they would have better not have been invented at all. Because children are future users of these important gadgets, it is hard for all parents to agree with the school administration or with the government. Then unless the government thinks of a better way of doing about the presence of cell phones in schools then it will better forget the whole thing. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 240) â€Å"Teenagers have learned to heavily rely on cell phones. † (Armbrustor-Sandoval, 2005, p. 71) But this case shows that in some cases they go to an extend of using them in exam cheating. This is really a serious issue, and it is why the government is contemplating banning cell phones in schools. The case has also extended to include campuses. Banning cell phones is a good idea but some exceptions should be allowed. Cell phones can be used in reporting emergencies. However, the issue of exam cheating is very serious indeed, and should therefore be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Let the government think seriously about it before it is too late. It should not be a matter of allowing students to use their brains when having cell phones, but it should be ensuring that students use their brains in the examinations and nothing else. The use of cell phones is said to â€Å"hinder face – to – face communication†. (Fretcher, 2000, p. 65). So the use of cell phones should in a way generally be discouraged even to other users. It is stupid to rely on cell phone to cheat in exams instead of using brains. It is also not good to destroy over good norms, which have brought us to this present moment. Technologies should do something about these cell phones. It means students should be discouraged to use them and also other general users should be discouraged to use them as well. There are many other cases, which show that teenagers are not the only people who abuse the use of cell phones. There are many cases, which concern adults who abuse the use of cell phones. It is then stupid for teachers and government to find a convenient way of just putting things in one category and try to solve them. It is better for people to be taught how to be accountable. The government has a responsibility of educating the public (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p. 100). This issue in question should not be allowed to get out of hand. If the parents can not take control of their children then the government should try. Kids have rights to their possessions, and so is everyone else. Let the authorities concerned think hard about the cell phones. Let the issue at hand be handled without discrimination. Banning the cell phones completely is not a good idea. Banning them in schools only is not a good idea either. (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p127). At the university everyone has a cell phone. Let the kids learn early enough how to use them. The government and the teachers should use common sense. But common sense is not common to everyone. So let the concerned authorities address this issue soberly. â€Å"Scientists should use technology properly and give us better cell phones. They should give us better gadgets which do not interfere with communication in any way. † (Luke, 2005, p. 217) They should give us gadgets which do not cause problems with the use of English language; cell phones which are as perfect as possible. Where there is a will here is a way. Something can still be done. Rules should be made in both schools and public places; rules which instruct how to use phones properly. As such the complaints about the use of cell phones will be minimized. There are people who can argue that some rules are meant to be broken. They can even go to an extend of pinpointing such rules which govern the use of phones in both schools and public places. As such any attempt to ban cell phones is not likely to materialize. What the authorities should do is to try their level best and get a better way. There are parents who take pride at buying their children anything they want. It is very hard to control such parents. They have real love for their children. They want their children to feel loved always. They can say and at the same time argue that it is only a few who have corrupted the use of cell phones and so the majority should not be sacrificed because of just the mistakes of the few people. One of the best ways of handling cell phones in schools is to situate cell phone jammar. This jammar should only be turned off during lunch hour. Jammers are already in use in some places in the United States. Let the government think better. It can always handle these cases (Silin, 1999, p. 348). Cell phones have now got a wide use. Everyone including students needs them; however the idea of using cell phones to cheat in exams is a very serious offense. Let students have their freedom but this freedom should be checked. It is important to have freedom but absolute freedom destroys absolutely. Let democracy prevail but the kind of democracy that is reasonable and useful. In a way when you consider whether students need cell phones while at school or not, the whole idea can sound absurd. Students go to school to learn not to use phones. They cheat with the phones, and so parents should not allow this. Let parents help teachers to fight this tendency, which is now already a habit. Cell phones should be banned in schools (Luke, 2005, p. 139). The government and teachers should act tough and try to make the issue of students using cell phones in schools a past tense. But has the cell phone really affected the classroom? Should the use of cell phones be banned in schools? Work Cited Armbrustor-Sandoval, R (2005):Is Another World possible? Is another classroom possible? Radical pedagogy. Activity and social change; social justice, vol. 32 Foust, R. C. , Soukup, C. (2006); Do I Exist? Transcendent subject and secrets in the sixth sense; Western Journal of communication, Vol. 70.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Value Management in UK Construction

Value Management in UK Construction Abstract This dissertation of project will investigate how the value management is being utilised in todays construction industry in United Kingdom and to investigate how the value management was used in the UK construction industry. The project will consider how the connection between the size of the project and the level of use of value management. The project will also aim to discover whether there is a connection between the size of a company and the level of value management utilization. It is so hard to find the company as complete however the level of importance of value management in a company places can be judged to a certain by the level of its use within a company, and also whether an organisation provides its employees with vale management training and as such this piece of work shall aim to uncover if there is a n association between the size and type of a business, and the level of training which it provides. The main things involved were about the business and the projects. The data will be collected through questionnaire sent to a sample of construction professionals in Dubai, Srilanka and in UK. The study will conclude that there is an association between the size of a project or business and the level of use of value management. It will also conclude that there is no any association between the type of construction organisation and the level of training provided to employees; however there is a association between the size of an organization and level of training provided to employees. Chapter 1: Problem Statement and structure of Dissertation 1.1 Problem Statement The value management is the thing which is prepared for the estimating and the classification of the project scope and the means which there can be obtained by the value for money using a specialist facilitator and workshop techniques. According to the institute of value management, the value management has their principles of approaches; A continuous awareness of value for the organization, establishing measures of estimates of value, monitoring and controlling them; A focus on the objectives and targets before seeking solutions; A focus on function, providing the key to maximize innovative and practical outcomes The concept of value is on the association between the satisfaction of many differing needs and the resources used and the most satisfaction of needs, more the value. Stake holders, internal and external clients may all hold different view of what the value is. The aim of the value management is to resolve these differences and enable an organization to achieve the greatest progress towards its stated goals with the use of minimum resources which you can (see the figure below) What is necessary for desired user Satisfaction of needs Use of resources = Value Everything that is required to satisfy needs It is very important to understand that value may be better by more the satisfaction of need even if the resource used in doing so increase provided that the satisfaction of need increases more than the increase in use of resources. Nowadays in construction, customers are mostly concerned with achieving value for money in their construction projects. In response to this demand, a developed number of companies claim to offer the value management as a service, however there is a confusion what actually comprise what actually comprise the value management with some commentators going as far as questioning whether value management differ from the established produce of cost management (Green, 1992) The previous day the value management is not that it is a cost cutting exercise, or a methods which is to be budgeted within a projects, rather as a mean of achieving best value for money to client value management may raise procurement costs and the price of a project up front, If it means it will increase the value/function ration (Kelly et al, 2002) Ahsworth and Hogg (2000), claim that for a 1% fee on construction cost, it is possible that a total saving between 10%-15% on construction costs can be achieved. It is hard to prove how accurate this estimate is, however the benefit to client are widely touted, with the Egan report of 1998, also claiming a saving of up to 10% possible. However other the commentators such as palmer (1996) say that the effectiveness of value management depends mostly on the personalities involved, the timing of the study, the interaction of the team and the role of the client and the input of the design team, whilst going on to say that as functional analysis often gets ignored the whole value management process is often no more than a cost cutting exercise. Most professionals would agree however that value management does have its merits. What this in mind it would seem senseless were value management not to be utilised to its full potential. However difference sources were seem to suggest that the case is that not all, or really very few organisations use value management its full potential ( Fong,2005) This is because of lot of understanding of value management or it is being realize at the wrong time. Kelly (2002).States that the previous value management is realising that the more effective it will be. If the limits of the construction scheme are clear from the Inception, then the design and briefing can be associated with the time, cost and quality constraints of the customer. With all these points in mind this piece of work aims investigate how value managements being utilised in todays construction industry in the UK. Furthermore, to investigate the views of organisation and individuals in the industry with regard to value management. 1.2 Aims The aim of this dissertation is to investigate how the value management is being utilised in todays construction industry in UK, and to investigate the views of companies and industrials in the industry with regards to value management, by examining how it is spread widely the use of value management, It will be useful to spread projects up into categories based on size to determine whether there is a connection between the project value and the probability of value management being used, and as such test the suggestion, S1: Value management is important in larger projects. The scope of this piece of work furthering work by Hogg (1999) and Hander son (2006) whether there is a relationship between the size of a company and the level of value management utilization and in doing so testing the suggestion. S2: Value management was not utilised in smaller UK construction industry rather than the larger companies. It is hard to measure the view of a company entirely even though the level of importance a company places on value management can be judged to a certain extent by the level of its use with a company, and also the company should need the employees with value management training to design between companies, they will be separated into groups based on size and type and as such the following suggestion can be tested; S3: There is no any group between the type of a company and whether value management training is given. S4: There is no any group between the size of company and whether value management training is given. 1.3 Objectives The objectives can be realised in meeting some of these intends are; To expose whether the value managements basic principles are understand amongst construction professionals in the UK, and to employ a testable definition to make it possible to distinguish whether authentic value management is being employed. To research an investigate the distinguish of boundaries between small, medium, large and very large companies in order to investigate whether there is a connection between the companies size and utilisation of value management. To research an investigate the distinguish of boundaries between small, medium, large and very large projects in order to investigate whether there is a connection between the companies size and utilisation of value management. 1.4 Structure of dissertation Chapter 2 of this research will aim is to carry out a comprehensive critical review of literature and past research, incorporation with both accepted and historic literature but also the most up to date material relevant to the topic the literature, in particular the methodologies, data, analytical techniques etc. So as to ensure the objectives evaluation takes place. A different views and theories will be presented through synthesis and evaluation this section of the research will aim to provide a theoretical framework by; Essential of topic and terms Noting items of theory Noting major references Executing searches for literature appropriate to the topic and problems Obtaining and reviewing a range of sources Produce a review of the material This research will aim investigate whether or not value management is being fully utilised in the construction industry, in the learning of a range of professionals from differing background s in the construction industry .To measure a general opinion on the topic, it will be necessary to gather research which is relevant to the aim, objectives and the suggestion . This research was done by the journals, books, e-journals, the internet and publications such as building magazine. Chapter 3 will assessed by the possible mean of data collection, which is that the most appropriate method can be implemented this chapter of the research will be to find the most suitable method of measure the thoughts and views of construction professionals from different backgrounds, to determine whether value management is there knowledge of experience is being used fully in the construction industry. In this chapter will also evaluate the type of data that will be collected. There are two types of data which can be collected in order to test the assumptions namely quantitative data and qualitative data which is a combination of both plan may help to achieve a more conclusive end result; Naoum (2003) describes qualitative research as subjective with an emphasis on meanings, experience and description with (Fellows and Liu, 2003) describing qualitative research as subjective whilst providing a richness of data that cannot be obtained from quantitative data. And finally this section of the dissertation will measure of formal inference to determine which method is most appropriate given the type of data to be collected. In the chapter 4 of this dissertation the method which we discussed before will be implemented to produce and analyse a primary data, and enabling the earlier outlined aims and objectives to be met. When the results have been fully examined and checked, they will be visually presented in the form of tables, charts, diagrams and graphs. This will allow the answers of results of the tests to be visually conveyed. Statistical inference is employed which is to be done by the applicability of the results to the issues under examinations. The results will be use to prove or disprove the suggestion. In chapter 5 will be the results to conclude in the context of the theory to conclude in the context of the theory and literature review, and in light of the aims objectives set out at the beginning of the project. The finding will be considered in light of theory with the scope by advancement of knowledge. A critical review of what has been achieved throughout the course of the study will be carried out. This will allow the recommendation to make for the further works to be carried out. 1.5 Principal related work Ashworth and Hogg K (2000) Added value in construction. Essex, Pearson Education Ltd Hogg K (2000) Factors inhibiting the expression of value methodology in the UK construction sector : SAVE international conference proceedings available at; http://www.value-eng.org/pdf_docs/conference_proceedings/2000/2012.PDF Male, S Kelly, J (1998) the value management Benchmark; A good practise framework for clients and practitioners. Thomas Telford. Chapter 2: theory: Secondary Data 2.1 Introduction This was originally came from the manufacture Industry in the 1950s,The value analysis tool has came through different names and concepts into value management process as we all know it today which the key industry drivers was used to manage that of cost, time and quality. Value management include design management concepts of whole life costing, risk management and human resource management (Green, 2002) and is principally aimed at achieving the best value of money (in terms of both, decision arising from the process of value management, the following product and the process itself) to certify a best use of time and resources. Research and development work was brought out by Kelly and male (1998) together with Green (1990) and palmer (1992) which gave consideration to the application of the philosophy and the process within value management in the UK construction industry. Value management at this time was addressed commonly with passion and seen to have significant importance in the development of a move efficient and reasonable construction industry (hogg, 2000) Certainly in later years the UK construction industry has came under heavy scrutiny and has received high analysis from major sources. In 1994 the Latham Building the team Identified the inefficient built in an adversarial construction industry setting a challenge for change and developments. These analysed coupled with clients increasing demand for achieving value for money have seen designed and contractors take up the gauntlet and improve different types of business relationships and evolved new methods of good practices, and methodologies to develop effectiveness and value to the client. The meaning of value management was more highlighted when another government endorsed report, Rethinking Construction, (Construction Task Force.1998) Which also criticised ineffectiveness in the UK construction industry was presented the deputy prime minister. The report highlighted value management as a mean developing performance describing it as: A structured method of eliminating waste form the brief and the design before binding commitments are made.value management can also reduce costs by up to 10% (Construction task force;1998, P13) 2.2 What is Value Management? The value management was defined in order to which the idea of value must be understood firstly. The idea of value relies on the relationship between the satisfaction of many differing needs and the resources used in doing so. The less of the resource used or the greater the satisfaction of needs, the greater the value. Stakeholders, internal and external clients may all hold differing views of what represents value. The scope of value management is to reconcile these differences and enable an organization to achieve the greatest progress towards its stated goals with the use of minimum resource (which you can see in figure below) What is necessary for desired user = Satisfaction of needs Use of resources Value Everything that is required to satisfy needs It is important to understand that value may be improve by increasing the satisfaction of need even if the resources used in doing so increase, provided that the satisfaction of need increases more than the increases in used of resources(I.V.M. 2007) Value Management has a variety of meaning, but the basic principal of adding a value to the project in terms of the customer to remain the same. Kelly and Male (1998) defined value management as a service which maximises the functional value of a project by a managing its development from concept to completion and commissioning through the audit (examination) of all decisions against a value system determined by the client.They advice that the value system of the customer might be made explicit using functional analysis to expose the relationship between time, cost and quality. Value management is a planned approach to the recognition and valuation of project objectives and of the means by which these may be achieved is order to obtain value for money using a specialist facilitator and workshop techniques. According to institute of value management, the value management approach involves in three root principles; A continuous awareness of value for the organization, create measure or estimates of value, monitoring and controlling them; A focus on the objectives and targets before seeking solutions; A focus on function, providing the key to maximize innovative and practical outcomes. Value management utilizes workshop techniques, in which the customers and their advisors seek to identify the customers needs and objectives. These workshops, help by a value manager use brainstorming techniques and functional analysis to increase value in light of the clients need and requirements by certify that design solutions evolve in accordance with the agreed objectives. A consistent and chronological path is achieved through the use of job plan these workshops, following a five step process: The workshop begins with an information phase n which details of the project are presented in participants. This phase should give a clear due to all parties as to what the clients needs, wants and limits are the smart method of value management may be utilized at this stage. SMART value management is based upon technique known as the simple multi-attribute rating technique SMART value management understand that it is not sufficient merely to achieve the required function cost-effectively firstly it is necessary to ensure that the key project stakeholders have developed a share understanding of the strategic objectives, with is both the sound in its theory and practical in its implementation (Green, 2003) The next phase is the speculation phase, which involves generating alternative solutions and ideas. This phase of the workshop is usually performed with the aid of brainstorming and other creative thinking techniques such as the Gordon Technique to encourage the contribution of suggestion to improve value. The evaluation phase is used to assess the merits of the ideas generated during the creative phase, and compare the various ideas, which have been put forward. A list of best ideas is then carried forward for further development. The improvement phase considers in detail all of the ideas accepted from the evaluation phase to determine whether or not an idea should become a firm proposal. It should be developed in detail which is of ideas and then need to be priced in order to make a decision whether to present the ideas. The completion stage is the presentation phase which the teams proposals are presented to the client and their representatives. Diplomacy is an essential part in proposing changed to the original design. The ability of the catalyst is central to the success of the value management process. The success of the value management process. The facilitators role is to advising upon the selection of value management team, co-ordinating pre-workshop activities (E.g. issue of relevant information to selected value management participants), deciding upon the timing and duration of workshops, managing the workshop process and preparing reports. The management of the workshop can be a difficult task requiring a variety of skills. These include; the ability to adhere to an agenda; identifying the strengths and weakness of team members and promoting their positive interaction; motivating and directing activity; overseeing functional analysis; promoting an atmosphere conducing a disciplined structure (Ashworth Hogg, 2000). Which the test created by Kelly and male (1998) where the test created by Kelly and male (1998) where the outlines of a member in criteria, which is to be met, in order to conclude the authentic value management is being carried out .Those criteria are as follows; The workshop should consist of a multi disciplinary team. It use of a qualified value management as a facilitator. Implemented the brainstorming techniques. Implemented of functional analysis (as detailed below) Observance to a job plan (as detailed below) In this piece of work the above test together with the proceeding definition. Shall be use to define whether value management is being carried out. 2.3 Functional Analysis Functional analysis will mainly give the idea of identifying the common functions of an item, and in terms of construction, It identifies the clients need in terms of function. It is simple and effective with underlying the principle of functional analysis. when the technique applied to a building component on element it invites the question what does it do as opposed to what is it with this in mind, when searching for alternatives, we look for something that will perform the required function rather than attempt to find a substitute for the previous solutions (Palmer, 1992) FAST is an analysis process that was developed by Charles Bythway. It builds upon work by miles and allows functional analysis to be modelled and used as a means of multi disciplined communication. The application of fast is universal. It is based upon logic and allows aims and objectives to be translated into action Green (1994) indicates that the functional analysis system technique(FAST) is best used for the hard technical problems associated to value engineering which are normally carried out at later stage in the design process than more strategic SMART model used in value management functional analysis, which is central to the FAST technique, forces conciseness and eliminates ambiguity. FAST were also examines the cost Vs worth aspect, allowing full consideration of varying functions of one component. The aim of FAST is identifying the clients wants in terms of function not things (Bythway, 1992) One method of carrying out FAST analysis is use of a FAST diagram. This is a power ful technique in identifying the functional requirements of a project. 2.4 Value Management in Practice The recent years the UK construction Industry has come under heavy research, and has got heavy criticism from major sources. During the 1990s the Lathan and Egan reports Building the team and Rethinking construction identified the inefficiency inherent in an adversarial construction industry. In particular Rethinking construction set a challenge for change and improvement. These criticism coupled with clients increasing demand for achieving value have seen designers and contractors take up the gantlet and develop different types of business relationships and evolved new methods of good practice, and methodologies to improve efficiency, and value to the client. To this end, a growing number of companies claim to offer value management as a service, incorporating design management concepts, whole life costing, risk management and human resource management ( Kelly and Male, 2002) and is principally aimed at achieving best value for money (in terms of both, decisions arising from the value management process, the ensuring product and the process itself) to ensure best use of time and resources. However there could appear to be some confusion as to what actually constitutes value management. The modern day agreement for value management is not that it is a cost cutting exercise, or a method of keeping projects within budget, rather as a means of achieving best value for money to the client. Kelly and Male (2004) describe value management as the process by which the functional benifits of a project are made explicit and appraised consistent with a value system determined by the client value engineering, on the other hand, is concerned with achieving a given function at minimum cost. This there is some confusion between the vaue engineering and the value management. That as the value management will do achieve a high value to the client, in terms of meeting client objectives, which the value engineering will contrast looks to improve value in monetary terms by reducing cost, after analysis of function. In other words its aims are to achieve the function, at the least possible cost. That it may not lead to the greatest added value to the client. (DellIsola 1982) This confusion in terms has the lead some commentators to go so for as to question whether the value management differs from the established procedures of cost management (Green, 1992) The lot of majority of material studied however, were of the opinion that value management is a useful tool in identifying the clients needs, and utilising functional analysis to formulate a plan how best to meet these needs. In 1995 the RICS publication, Improving value for money in construction It is stated value management must be undertaken as part of the part of the process of establishing the clients business case in to ensure that the project address real needs and adds value. In todays UK construction industry, the use of value management is touted as having increased competition and encouraged growth by allowing better, more informed decisions to be made by IVM (Institute of Value Management,2000) In project delivery opportunities for such improved decision making exist through a project inception, design, construction and disposal (Kinnan and Martin,1997). Allowing value management to be introduced at any stage of project, with the later stages being used to assist project Integrating and procurement, often through the use of builadability concepts and partnering (Hyan,1997) without value management, however, significant additional costs can be incurred in late design changes (DellIsola,1982) as well as; Outcomes that represent poor value for money; In appropriate strategic for providing service need; Poor definition of service needs; An asset operation that cannot support service delivery; In effective communication among client/owners; Deficient project briefs; and Lack of project ownership by end users and managers. (Daddow and Skit more, 1993). Therefore to find the unsurprising the value management in construction industry has received attention and support from the government since the early 1990s (Institute of value management, 2000) and for more it use in becoming a requirement in the development and assessment of projects. whether this will ultimately lead to value management being a mandatory requirement in similar way to quality management in the 1980s is not yet known.(Daddow and Skitmore,1993) Indeed the RICS voice that value management should be made mandatory. Stating value management should be an automatic part of every project and not be an option in the 1995 publication, Improving value for money in construction. (RICS, 1995, P29) In the USA for example, a system of incentives and rebates, referred to as value management incentive and rebates, referred to as value management incentive clauses, are increasingly being introduced into contracts to formalise the arrangements between parties, for sharing the costs involved in implementing value management (Thiry,1997). The degree of success, which value management is touted to achieve is also varied. That the most easy source to quote is Sir John Egans report (1998) rethinking construction; presented to the deputy prime minister, in which a figure of a 10% saving on the contract sum, being forecast as figure to reasonable expected. As previously mentioned, this particular report was damming in assessing the UK construction industry current state, with regards to inefficiency and waste. However value management in particular was singled out, as one of the ways to address these problem, describing value management as a structured method of eliminating waste from the brief and from the design before building commitments have been made(Egan, 1998; p13) Ashworth Hogg(2000) to back this figure up somewhat, claiming that for a 1% be on construction cost, It is possible that a total saving of up to 10%-15% on construction costs can be achieved, should the correct procedures take place. How accurate the es timates are, is hard to prove, and in all likelihood vary from case to case, with many variables determining the success of the value management process. There are various differing reports from other leading commentators such as Palma (1992) who although not rejecting the advantages of value management, suggest that is not as clear at as deciding to implement value management. Palmer states that effectiveness of value management depends largely on the personalities involved, the timing of the study the interaction of the team and the role of the client and the input of the design team, whilst going onto say that as functional analysis often gets ignored the whole value management process is often no more than a cost cutting exercise. That of man paper seems to agree that there are numbers variables which affect the success of the value management process. Koo et al (2005) suggest the success the key reasons for failure of a value management exercise being; Lack of experience and skill of the facilitator. Improve use of functional analysis. Lack of purpose of purpose of FAST diagramming and no description of FAST diagrams. Unsatisfactory and impromptu function analysis of the value engineering project was performed in order to get results quickly, easily and superficially. The table below illustrates the causes and reasons for unsuitable FAST analyse according to Koo et al (2005) Causes and reasons of the unsuitable function analysis Description Causes Reasons Functional Analysis Function Definition Unrelated function definition for the project Deficiency of purpose and methodology of function analysis Unsuitable function definition Lack of recognition of function analysis Lack of community between function definition and follows Lack of education an experience of value engineering team members Job plan Unsatisfactory understanding of value engineering project Function Classification Classification confusion of the main and secondary function definitions Lack of understanding of value engineering object Lack of objectives for function selection Too much or too little secondary and function description relating to the main function Fast diagramming Lack of purpose of FAST diagramming Difficulty and lack of expertise for diagramming No description of FAST diagram. Lack of adaption value engineering diagramming logic