P3 U2 Essay

P3: Describe the potential effects of discriminatory practice on those who use health or social care services. Discrimination has the potential to affect individuals in wide-ranging ways. In health and social care, the effects of discrimination can be catastrophic and even end in the death of a service user. Anyone planning a career in health and social care should be aware of the potential negative effects caused by discrimination. We will explore them here. Marginalisation As you might expect, marginalisation means being pushed to the margins of society. In other words, you are unable to participate fully in the health and social care services that are available. Marginalisation can occur at both micro and macro levels. Governments have been accused of marginalising groups of the population in terms of their health and social care needs. Disempowerment People who are discriminated against (especially by powerful groups in society such as health care professionals) are often totally disempowered. This means they are not able to take action Individuals can be disempowered through another form of discrimination – ‘the health worker knows best’ syndrome. Low self-esteem and self-identity If we have high self-esteem and self-worth, it means that we appreciate our own worth and value ourselves highly. Conversely then, having low self-esteem means that we feel helpless and powerless to cope and can even feel depressed. People who are discriminated against are in real danger of developing low self-esteem, which can lead to them being unable to cope with life’s challenges and changes. This is particularly important for those individuals who have to cope with illness or changes in their social condition. If they are to cope well, they need to believe in themselves and their ability to manage, whatever situation they are in. Health care workers need to pay attention to an individual’s self-esteem and constantly work at improving this – this is a good method for helping individuals to cope positively with their situation. Restricted opportunities Discrimination, as we have already seen, has the potential to prevent access to health and social care services. This could be through the attitudes and beliefs of the health care workers who fail to value all individuals or it could be through the effects of low self-esteem. Negative behaviours  including aggression and criminality Another effect of discrimination can be seen in the behaviour of individuals. This is particularly noticeable in children, who often display negative behaviours in order to gain a ttention, even when that attention is negative! Adults and young people as a result of discrimination and low self-esteem can also display negative behavioural traits. However, in these cases the behaviour can take on a much more ‘sinister’ appearance. It may manifest itself as aggression towards those holding power (including health care professionals or those working in the employment and judicial services) and through criminal activity such as drug taking, burglary and physical violence. Loss of rights There have been cases in the national media of care homes, secure or forensic units (places of security for people with dangerous psychiatric behaviours) and individual carers being accused of systematically discriminating against the people in their care and overriding their individual rights by the use of power or force. Older, vulnerable people in residential or nursing care homes are at particular risk of abusive situations because of the high power base of those caring for them. There are occasions when statutory powers are used legitimately to override individual rights. In these cases, doctors and judges can take decisions together to place people in places of safety for their ‘own good’. Another example of the use of statutory powers in operation is when social workers need to work with others such as the police or medical service to take children from unsafe homes and place them in centres of safety. Bibliography Books Stretch, Beryl (Editor); Whitehouse, Mary (Editor). BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 1. Harlow, Essex, GBR: Pearson Education Limited, 2007. p 80. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/croydon/Doc?id=10299110&ppg=89 Copyright  © 2007. Pearson Education Limited. All rights reserved. 25/07/13 15:25 Stretch, Beryl (Editor); Whitehouse, Mary (Editor). BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 1. Harlow, Essex, GBR: Pearson Education Limited, 2007. p 81. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/croydon/Doc?id=10299110&ppg=90 Copyright  © 2007. Pearson Education Limited. All rights reserved. 15:26 Stretch, Beryl (Editor); Whitehouse, Mary (Editor). BTEC National Health and Social Care Book 1. Harlow, Essex, GBR: Pearson Education Limited, 2007. p 82. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/croydon/Doc?id=10299110&ppg=91 Copyright  © 2007. Pearson Education Limited. All rights reserved.15:36

A response to The Bell Jar Essay

You would expect anybody to want the story of depression and suicidal thoughts to leave your memory as soon as the last page was over. However, The Bell Jar is more about the spirit of survival when you are trapped inside yourself and frightened because the rest of the world expects something completely different from you – something you cannot give them. Something you don’t want to give them, if it were your choice. This is a highly auto-biographical account by Plath of a young girl finding that when she should be most excited about her life, she instead finds that things aren’t what she expected, and that the culture of the 1950’s doesn’t seem to allow for all that she wants, which begins her descent into depression. The Bell Jar is in the form of a Roman à   clef, with the main protagonist (Esther Greenwood) succumbing to mental illness. Esther begins the book thinking about the executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, and thinking about cadavers, which is a motif that recurs later on in the book. Esther thinks being executed â€Å"must be the worst thing in the world† so we can tell already that she isn’t exactly a light-hearted character. Instead, throughout the novel, we discover that she is brutally honest and self deprecating. She wins a fashion writing contest, but she isn’t overly happy about it, viewing the gifts and girls there superficial: â€Å"Girls like that make me sick.† She appreciates that she is meant to be â€Å"the envy of thousands of other college girls† but her future prospects trouble her: she can either marry, or, become a secretary and then marry. Neither satisfies her. â€Å"So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed†, so women in the fifties are meant to want to marry and start a family, and Esther knows this too well. It isn’t considered right to think otherwise, so these opinions stay inside her head. Perhaps, this is why mental illness festers within her; she bottles up her emotions and they mix with more menacing thoughts. Buddy laughs at her when she refuses his marriage proposal, saying that she’s â€Å"crazy† and she’ll â€Å"change her mind.† She thinks he is a hypocrite, and no longer sees him in admiration because of his double standards. Esther observes the gap between what society says she should experience at her age and what she does experience, and this gap intensifies her madness and makes her more aware of any problems she may have, because she is now able to see everything wrong with her in somebody else’s eyes. Esther feels she must repress her natural gloom, cynicism, and dark humour and falsify opinions. Esther’s aversion to convention and conforming is perhaps why she feels so alone and her darker thoughts take over: â€Å"†¦it’s really you getting smaller and smaller and lonelier and lonelier†. Esther’s descent into depression and suicidal thoughts begins on the ski slopes, when she begins scared but â€Å"aims straight down.† This is only the first of numerous suicide attempts: she wants to experiment hanging, drowning, pill overdoses and cutting her wrists, but there are flaws in all of them. When Esther tries to kill herself, she finds that her body seems determined to live. Esther believes that she could kill herself if she wanted, but she must remove the barrier of her body. The beating heart symbolizes her life, as her heart beats, â€Å"I am I am I am.† This is again enforced because she never assigns a blame to her depression, but rather lets us see what it feels like to be in it and living through an experience like it, as she wrote – â€Å"I am I am I am.† But I think the whole book can be summarized by something that Buddy said to her on the ski slopes: â€Å"’You were doing fine,’ a familiar voice informed my ear, ‘until that man stepped into your path.’†

An Information Technology Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

An Information Technology Entrepreneur - Essay Example It results in job creation, a forward looking and self sufficient society as well as increased foreign trade. It leads to the development of certain areas especially rural areas where certain factories are setup to achieve lower costs. Entrepreneurship results in competition between businesses thereby leading to better quality and more choice for the consumer. Another advantage of entrepreneurship is its ability to promote modern technology in small scale manufacturing to enhance productivity. Thereby entrepreneurship and innovation must be encouraged. (Langlois, 2) Entrepreneurship is not limited to a certain field, nation or profession. It transcends all such boundaries to become a major force in the development of a society. Information technology is a field in which exemplary entrepreneurial talents have emerged. It is also an area which requires constant innovation and entrepreneurship. This is because technology keeps getting upgraded and the world keeps moving forward in this field. The information technology explosion has taken the world by storm and has lead to an entrepreneurial culture which has given way to many scientific advances, the likes of internet, portable networking and email included. (Brown and Ulijn, 83) Many entrepreneurs in the information technology arena came and went. Many were successful others not so. However, none have left a mark on the information technology industry like Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corporation has. Microsoft Corporation is the largest software company in the world. It is the company that made Bill Gates the second richest man in the world being its largest stockholder and the youngest self-made billionaire. He is worth a whopping $6.1 billion. In 1994 his company made $953 million last year on sales of $3.75 billion. Microsofts $25 billion market value tops that of Ford, General Motors, 3M, Boeing, RJR Nabisco, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch or Eastman Kodak.  

CASE4 MGT 491 INTERNATIONAL HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE4 MGT 491 INTERNATIONAL HRM - Essay Example This paper will discuss various challenges that private organizations encounter when they station expatriates overseas. The will seek to explain the key issues of successful expatriation and will provide suggestions on how private firms can help the repatriation process. The paper will be written from a point of view of newly elected International HRM manager in India. The International HR Manager is required to extend the positive image of their organization to a new country. The culture of the firm should not be carried forward to the new branch. Being in a foreign country, it takes time for the HR manager implement a culture especially when dealing with new employees of a new country. The international HR manager undergoes a feeling of exception and thus do not settle down mentally within a short period of time. Psychologically, when a human being is taken to new places, they develop a characteristic of adventuring in order to learn their new environs. This nature affects international managers, and they end up giving little devotion to their job responsibilities. A company spends a lot of finances as allowances for the Human resource managers. Some managers are emotionally overwhelmed by the large sums of money and end up engaging in a vacation/ exploration rather than concentrating on the assigned business duties. Every organization has its internal laws that are governed by the external laws of the country. Human resource managers might find themselves in complex situations when the internal law of the organization does not comply with international laws. The International HR manager deals with a new workforce which has different characteristics with what they are used to (Harris, Brewster & Sparrow, 2004). It, therefore, becomes challenging to control the workforce effectively and meet the organizations production expectations. The organization is thus exposed to the risk of business failure or

Investment appraisal as a form of management control Essay

Investment appraisal as a form of management control - Essay Example This is then followed by the various investment methods in practice. The traditional and discounted cash flow methods are then discussed in detail. It is essential for the management to choose the appropriate investment appraisal technique to be followed and hence the next section focuses on the selection approach. This section throws light on the merits and demerits of the various investment appraisal techniques as well. In order to understand the importance of security projects (non-financially justifiable), a case study is then taken, where a security team makes a proposal to the management to invest on a security project. It is evident that, in the corporate world, the management takes decision based on financial benefits and hence the security team has to justify the investment. The case study uses two methods, NPV and IRR, to arrive at the benefits from the investment. Based on the results, one of these methods is finalized and presented to the management. In order to understand the need for investment appraisal to management control, it is essential to discuss about the various types of investments and the degree of impact they have on a company’s growth. Any growing company continuously invests on new projects to increase its net worth or value. There are various types of investments made by companies every year. These investments can be as large as setting up an entire unit or as small as buying stationery for the company. The management needs to ensure that all the investments made by the company are justified and are necessary for the business. This is very essential as these decisions directly affect the value of the company and in turn, the shareholders. Management generally classifies all investments into financially justifiable investments and non – financially justifiable investments (Weston and

INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION law 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION law 2010 - Essay Example regulation since the parties are from different states and the dispute related to commercial matters as we can see in the article 1 which mentions the scope of this regulation. Article 2 of the Brussels Regulation gave a general provision that gives a claimant the right to sue in a country where he is domiciled whatever his nationality is. Section 2 of Article 2 says that the rules of jurisdiction applicable to nationals of that state will be applied in such cases. Article 60 mentions that for the purpose of the Brussels Regulation, a company’s nationality will be deemed to be the state where it has its statutory seat, or central administration, or principal place of business. According to section 2 of this article means of statutory seat in England and Ireland which is the registered office or, the place of incorporation or the place under the law of which the formation took place. This article add extra jurisdiction for the member state. In the case of sale of goods, a claimant can sue in the different state in some case one of them which mention in section 1 (b) in this article which gave jurisdiction to the place where the goods are delivered or should be delivered. Article 23 in Brussels Regulation left its optional for the parties domiciled in member state. They have a choice as to which court or courts have jurisdiction to try and decide any dispute that may arise between the parties in connection with a particular legal relationship. But this choice is subject to certain condition. One of the conditions is that there must be an agreement to this effect between the parties. Further, according to the provisions of the regulation, this agreement must be in writing or evidenced in writing. Applying article 23 of the Brussels regulation on the fact of this case it can be said that only the German courts have jurisdiction that is the right to settle the dispute. This is so because of two reasons 3) Despite the above jurisdiction clause, Black horse

Nationalalism identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nationalalism identity - Essay Example The United States of America boasts as sole superpower of the world also identifies their self with all prides of national identity. The British and Western Europeans are not lagging behind in their race for clinching to their national identities. Amongst Europeans the British nation didn't join the single currency rope of Euro in 2000. While French, German, Dutch, Spanish Portuguese, and Italians adamantly claim to be superior primitive European nations in their own way. They never compromise on the labels of their languages and still find themselves proud of their respective languages. Their language is their own medium of education in all sought of manifestations. Exactly same is the case with Japanese as a nation and language. The Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch languages find themselves rich in art, architecture, literature, medicines and technologies. So it cannot be safely said that English language, both British and American versus other Europeans languages are competent at par with each other as a medium of instruction and education in all manners of past, present and future. While coming to Asia and Middle East, the fast developing nations like Malaysians, Koreans, and Chinese are not at all oblivious to the facts mentioned in case

Economics & the Legal Environment of Business Research Paper

Economics & the Legal Environment of Business - Research Paper Example Macroeconomic factors The macroeconomic conditions are very important for business. Conducive macroeconomic conditions help a business to earn excellent profit, whereas unfavorable macroeconomic situations may convert the profits into losses. There are several macroeconomic factors that can influence the business operation of the company. Some of the vital factors are total production or GDP (gross domestic product) of the country in which the company is located, unemployment situation, prevailing and expected rate of inflation, and rate of interests. (Culp, 2001) If the country in which the company is located has been suffering from negative growth of GDP, then it will produce some adverse impacts on the construction industry also as it a part of the entire economy. For example, if a country is going through recession, then every industrial sector will feel the heat in the form of decreased demand and lower production. On the contrary, if an economy is going through economic expansi on with high rate of GDP growth then, purchasing power of the population will increase which might help in creating higher demand in the construction industry. (Culp, 2001) Similarly, unemployment situation is also a vital factor that might influence the business operation. ... (Culp, 2001) Inflation rate is also a quite vital thing to consider for the growth of a construction company. If the overall consumer price index for an economy is rising for quite a long time, then industry specific consumer price index will also feel its impact. Thus in the presence of high rate of inflation, consumer price index for the construction industry will also be quite high. This mainly happens because in the presence high rate of inflation in an economy costs of production in almost all the industries increase which is in turn reflected in the prices. Now in the presence of high consumer price index of construction industry, the construction company will loose many customers as the prices may not fit to the pockets of the customers. On the contrary, during low level of inflation, the company will get more customers and thus it can expand its production. (Culp, 2001) Interest rate is another vital macroeconomic factor in case of construction industry. This is so as most of the potential customers of a construction company very often depend on loans at the time of purchasing a product of this company. no matter whether the buyer is a government or any private agency or any individual, credit lending plays an important role here. Thus, if interest rate becomes higher, then the cost of borrowing becomes higher and consequently, the products of the construction company will look more expensive. This will simply reduce potential customers of the business entity. However, in the events of lower interest rate, the company will get more customers without changing its prices for its products. (Culp, 2001) Microeconomic factors: Microeconomic factors

Detective stories Essay Example for Free

Detective stories Essay The Sherlock Holmes stories are the work of Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes first appeared in the story The Study of Scarlet, which was published in the magazine Beetons Christmas Annual of 1887. Over the 40 years that followed Holmes appeared in 5 collections of short stories, and 3 other novels. Holmes popularity was partly due to the fact that his books were the detective fiction books ever to be published. These books are still read today all over the world, because of the brilliant way in which they are written. The Sherlock Holmes books are written from the point of view of his sidekick Watson. Many modern day detective fiction books and television programmes follow the pattern of a detective and sidekick. The stories of Sherlock Holmes caused him to become a national hero. In all the Sherlock Holmes stories we are given a detailed description of what he looks like, that is a tall gaunt person with long thin legs, a thin hawk like nose a square chin, and of course a pipe and deerstalker hat. The first story I read of Sherlock Holmes was The Red Headed League. In this story the reader is immedietely introduced to problematic situation, where a pawnbroker has come for advice. The pawnbroker goes on to tell Holmes and Watson his situation. Whilst the man is in the company of Holmes, Holmes begins to deduce things from just looking at the ware and tare of the mans body and clothes. From a very early point in the story we begin to see characteristics in Holmes, such as habits when he id thinking, relapsing into his armchair, and putting his finger-tips together, as was his custom when in judicial moods. I was are given the impression that Holmes is the type of person who tries to treat people with respect, but his tolerance level for people who are not as intellectual as him is very low. Holmes becomes agitated at peoples incompetence to understand his complex ideas. I think Holmes pretends to expect every one to be as clever as him to make him look more intelligent and therefore superior. So in that respect I see Holmes as quite an ignorant person. However he does not treat Watson this way, I think he treats Watson more like a younger brother. I think that Holmes would like Watson to be like Holmes. From he Red Headed League we can see that Holmes has a short temper, for example when he is in the cellar of the bank and Mr. Merryweather struck rather loudly his stick upon the flags which lined the floor, I must really ask you to be a little more quiet You have already imperilled the whole of our expedition.

Starbucks Coffee Company Diversity Audit Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Coffee Company Diversity Audit Essay In this paper, we will be discussing a diversity audit that took place with the Starbucks Coffee Company. The audit consists of the company’s background, what the team’s criteria for a diverse organization should be and the findings on what the organization diversity practices truly consist of based on research provided from interviews, company statements and news articles. The remaining of the paper will focus on the organization in terms of Thomas and Ely’s paradigms, building an inclusion breakthrough and a business case for diversity in the organization. Finally, recommendations for improvements will be discussed for the company. â€Å"Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. † This is the opening mission statement for Starbucks Coffee Company. Since Howard Schultz, CEO, took over the company in 1982, this has been the words that have helped make Starbucks the most successful gourmet coffee company in the world. The first Store opened in 1971 in the Pike Place Market in Seattle Washington. It was a small store only catering to whole bean sales. However, one trip to Italy by Howard Schultz would change everything. In 1983, Schultz goes to Italy where he discovers the idea of a coffee house and believes it is a marketable concept that could take hold in the US. In 1984 the Pike Place Store serves its first latte, and in 1987 Starbucks starts to open stores in Vancouver and Chicago as well as other cities nationwide. As of Dec of 2009 Starbucks has 16,706 stores serving handcrafted beverages and creating an entire cultures with coffee being in the epicenter. From the first barista ever hired, Starbucks has been committed to its partners and has prided itself on being a company based on diversity and acceptance of all cultures; not only from the partners but from the coffee farmers they do business with. Diversity has become a part of the mission and culture at Starbucks and it is something that Starbucks values greatly. It is so much a part of who they are that they have received many awards including an award from the Human rights campaign in 2010 for being one of the best places to work for the LGBT community. An organization is a group of people intentionally organized to accomplish an overall, common goal or set of goals. For a company, an organization is a means to an end to achieve its goals, which are to create value for its stockholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and community. Members of the organization often have some image in their minds about how the organization should be working. When members of an organization have different images or different approaches of how the organization should be, is where diversity becomes a factor within an organization. According to the explanation in Gladstone, diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Diversity is about understanding each other and moving beyond acceptance to implementation and celebrating the dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. All of this sounds ideal and easy to apply; then again, the worlds increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before and it is not always easy. As a result, managing diversity has become an organizational challenge. People no longer live and work in a guarded organization; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from practically every continent. As a result, maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity has become an important matter for management. An organizations success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. When organizations actively evaluate their handling of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, several benefits are reported. For example, increased adaptability, variety of viewpoints, and a diverse collection of skills and experiences that allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis. For this reason, organizations need diversity to become more proactive and welcomed within an organization and its employees. Managers must learn the managerial skills needed in a multicultural work environment. Managers must be prepared to teach themselves and others within their organizations to value multicultural differences in both employees and customers so that everyone is treated with respect. The organizations that manage diversity well will come out ahead in the competitive environment. Based on these key ideas and concepts, these will be the factors used to determine the level of diversity that Starbucks has reached as a company and how that plays into the everyday operations of each store. Steve Ogo has been with Starbucks for fourteen years originally from Portland Oregon. He migrated from Portland to Chicago a few years back and has been one of the district managers for Chicago ever since. Mr. Ogo has been a part of the organization for over a decade and has been a part of many changes including changes in diversity. Unlike Chicago, Portland has a very different population which made it very hard to create a diverse work environment. In trying to keep with the ideas and philosophies of Starbucks, Mr.  Ogo was the leader of a special diversity team committed to the idea on inclusion in not just places like Portland, but the entire Starbucks communities. â€Å"We believe in the idea of inclusion. Instead of focusing on a hard number, we need to create an environment that has a spirit of inclusion. That’s more important. It’s not just color, age, gender or sexual orientation. It’s about what you identify yourself as and having an environment that you feel comfortable in†. As the former VP of Diversity and inclusion, it was their mission to create this exact type of environment where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. Mr. Ogo believes if there is any challenge that Starbucks has faced in trying to make the idea of inclusion a part of their culture it is recognizing what that looks like outside of major cities. It is easy in major cities to incorporate the idea of inclusion because there is a more diverse atmosphere, however, Mr. Ogo is not sure that Starbucks as a whole has given a face to inclusion in rural areas such as Portland where mathematically it may not be easy to balance the scales because there just are not enough people of different backgrounds. As District manager for approximately 10 loop stores in Chicago, Mr. Ogo has a diverse management staff. Although his managers are mostly women, they do range in different ethnicities as well as gender and sexual orientation. He however is looking to even the playing field with hiring a few more men. Starbucks has always been committed to providing a place where everyone can feel comfortable working and expressing who they are. Starbucks was one of the first companies in the late 1980’s to offer benefits to same sex couples when it became public knowledge that an mployee was infected with the HIV virus. Starbucks has been recognized many times by the human rights campaign in their efforts to create a comfortable and accepting work environment for the LGBT community. In order to create awareness and diversity within the African American communities, Starbucks paired with basketball great Magic Johnson to develop UCO (Urban Community Outreach) stores which would open Starbucks locations in underdeveloped areas and provide the residents with benefits and jobs to help support the neighborhood and families. Mr.  Ogo is proud to announce that Starbucks has also changed their hiring practices. All applications must now be filled out online, eliminating the â€Å"Halo or Horn† effect. A lot of times when applications are handed in, there are ones that are pushed to the back solely based on the appearance of the applicant. Since the applicant could be handing the application to the first person behind the counter, depending on how the barista feels about the individual would determine whether or not they received a call back. With the new hiring practice, it is solely based on qualifications first. Mr. Ogo believes that Starbucks has made a continuing effort in supporting diversity among their communities and believes that the majority of the success is based on the fact that the ideas and beliefs are imbedded in not just the partners but the leadership. It is an idea that is practiced every day and will continue to be at the forefront of success for Starbucks. Three different Stores in different parts of town were visited to understand more about how Starbucks builds its diversity particularly in Chicago. The loop store (202 N Michigan) was the more diverse store. Being in the center of the city, partners of all different walks of life call the store home. There was an equal balance of men and women, older and younger, different sexual orientations all coinciding and working together as one. The second and third stores are conducive to their environments. The Store on 38th and State is a UCO store in a predominately black neighborhood. The majority of the employees are African American and range in all genders however there does not appear to be as many sexually diverse individuals or older individuals. The baristas are in their mid twenties and are from the surrounding neighborhood. The artwork as well as music resembles what one would think of African American culture; however it still has the feel of a Starbucks. The third Store is situated in Lincoln Park, a predominately-white neighborhood. There are only two men and two African American women working in this store. The Store fits a very suburban life style. The employees are college or graduate students and are looking to supplement their income. Each store seems to be a representation of their environment which keeps in line with the idea of the â€Å"third place† atmosphere Starbucks would like to achieve. Although Starbucks tries hard to cater to their environment surrounding their store, it can arguably create more segregation than acceptance if the only other baristas that surround a barista are ones that look like him/her. It may create more of a divide rather than acceptance. According to the textbook, Thomas and Ely recognize that organizations can be in different stages in terms of managing diversity. Some are still operating in the discrimination and fairness paradigm. Others are in an access and legitimacy paradigm, where diversity is considered a competitive advantage in terms of understanding changing customer markets. On the other hand, to make managing diversity really work, organizations need to be operating in a learning and effectiveness paradigm, where an organization internalizes diversity as part of its mission, connects the needs of diverse workers to the way that work is done, and makes workers feel valued an included. Using this paradigm Starbucks has reached the learning and effectiveness paradigm. They are a company that has made diversity part of their culture. It comes to everyone from the CEO to the baristas as easy as pouring a cup of coffee. Former Senior Executive of Starbucks Howard Behar said it best when he said, â€Å"We are in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving coffee. † Behar, like the rest of Starbucks, believes it’s about the people and the importance they play in helping to create the culture of a company and through that helps to sustain its life line. Starbucks employees are motivated and loyal because Starbucks answers the question, â€Å"What’s in it for me? † They give employees a reason to stay and that mainly has to do with the equality that one feels while working for Starbucks. Thomas and Ely suggest that the best way to build a business case is to link diversity to the specific needs of an organization, such as increasing market opportunities, developing creative solutions to problems, or decreasing the turnover of talented diverse employees. Then make a plan to achieve these goals and track and measure the long-term results. Since its conception in 1982, Starbucks has done all of the above. It has created market opportunities by opening in communities that would otherwise not be inhabited by big businesses and it employs the people of the community which puts revenue within that community. It adheres to the needs of its employees by creating partner contact centers for the main purpose of the partners and giving them a place to go for whatever reason and creating outside avenues. Starbucks listens and answers questions when asked by partners, making them feel as though they have a voice. Programs such as tuition reimbursement, health care for part time employees and same sex partners has pushed Starbucks to the forefront and decreases turnovers within the company. These are business practices that have made Starbucks one of the top ten companies to work for on Forbes 100 list multiples times. According to the inclusion breakthrough, there are four phases that a company can be in. It is a cycle of elements that are built upon to raise the standards of an organization. In theory, it should increase job satisfaction, develop communities, attract and retain its employees and in the end create the idea of inclusion within its culture. Starbucks would be in the fourth phase of the inclusion breakthrough; currently trying to sustain and challenging new change. Howard Schultz completed phase one by setting the groundwork for what he wanted the company to be and placing people in specific roles that shared in his vision. It literally trickled from the top down, and everyone shares the same ideas and beliefs that Schultz envisioned. Mobilizing change was a huge issue for Starbucks within the past few years, particularly due to the collapse in the economy. With the idea of always trying to protect its people, Starbucks initiated change and kept in constant contact and emails, some personally from Howard that informed all employees of the change and why they were happening. It was a hard road for Starbucks for some time, however because the belief, culture and sense of inclusion had already been established, change was able to take place. In order to keep with changing times, Starbucks adapted to the culture of society and took ideas that may have appeared radical at the time and made them apart of who they were. The idea of giving health benefits to partners who work twenty hours was not practiced amongst big businesses, yet Starbucks dared to venture outside of the box because their people come first. The last and final stage is where Starbucks stands today. Through reviews of all partners and partner surveys Starbucks is able to create new ideas and values based on the needs of their employees. Starbucks is continually evolving. The idea that there is no end is what keeps Starbucks in the running. The company believes that there is no end to inclusion and this key idea is what keeps them chasing more ideas and making a conscientious effort to create change and growth. As the world evolves, so does this company and with evolution comes new ideas and new concepts that can change and shape not just Starbucks but the way everyone does business. The business case for diversity, states that in a global marketplace, an organization that employs a diverse workforce is better able to understand the demographics of the marketplace it serves and is therefore better prepared to succeed in that marketplace than an organization that has a more limited range of employee demographics. Consequently, an organization that supports the diversity of its workforce can also improve employee satisfaction, productivity and retention. Starbucks turns this idea into an equation: Diversity = Inclusion + Equality + Accessibility. The way we have built our company by including the success of the company with everyone in it and not leaving our people behind is a great example of building a business the right way,† says Schultz. â€Å"We’re not ever going to turn our backs on our [employees]. † (http://www. evancarmichael. com/Famous-Entrepreneurs) Although Starbucks would not share the exact numbers, if any, on how the idea and implementation of inclusion has affected the business it can still be seen by the average consumer and employee. Three stores in Seattle in 2009 were opened up by Starbucks under a surname. The â€Å"15th avenue coffee and tea shop† on Capitol Hill is slated to have a neighborhood feel and reflect the style and culture of the people and employees of the neighborhood. Although Seattle is a test market, if the concept fares well, it will become a trend for Starbucks to create and add new identities to existing neighborhood stores. In 1998, a company-supplier diversity program was implemented in the US. It was estimated in 2005 that Starbucks would spend 95 million dollars on women and minority run businesses. This helps create jobs and revenue to communities that might otherwise not have any. It builds a sense of community and partnership. The list and awards for Starbuck can go on for days. Like all companies, they are not perfect and have been the subjects of much scrutiny and criticism. There is no such thing as a perfect employee or employer and there is no way that a mogul giant like Starbucks will be able to create a utopian society. There are many ways however, for Starbucks to continue to have success and growth within the company. Steve Ogo, a District manager for the loop stores thought that one of the biggest issues Starbucks faces in bringing the idea of inclusion to every market they are in. It is easy to create a diverse work force in a metropolis like Chicago. It is hard to create a diverse work force in a city like Chattanooga, TN. Starbucks has not mastered that idea and would be better for it if they created new ways to tap into the market in smaller rural areas and create an atmosphere of inclusion and diversity. The company has made many efforts to promote gender equality and LGBT rights on a company wide scale yet it does not fair so well in creating small acknowledgments within the stores. Small details such as recognizing black history month or women’s history month, helps to also create an environment where partners feel they are being recognized personally. Through its efforts to create a diverse work environment, it is clear to see when walking into a store that the idea of diversity may not include the older population. Mr. Ogo believes that this may not entirely be the fault of Starbucks alone. One would be correct in assuming that there is no one over forty behind the counter of a Starbucks, but there never seem to be any applications from the older generations. Mr.  Ogo believes that this may have to do with intimidation upon walking in to drop off an application just to see a lot of young people behind the counter, including the manager. However, he believes that the new application process being entirely online will allow for a different kind of candidate, including those who would not normally apply. Throughout the years, Starbucks has made great strides and innovations that have helped change the way business is done. They have made a conscientious effort to willingly include all walks of life and create inclusion, just not with their employees, but customers and communities alike. If given a letter grade based on this diversity audit Starbucks would pass with an A effort. Inclusion is a word embedded into the heart and soul of this company. They have expanded this idea not just nationally but globally and continue to create and promote change wherever they break ground. After analyzing Starbucks’ audit, some of the recommendations we would provide the company with would help the company to continue to strive to be the best gourmet coffee company in the world with a diverse group of employees, suppliers, and consumers. Establish a consistent review of diversity in the workplace. Top management need to make assessing and evaluating their diversity process an integral part of their management system. An employee satisfaction survey can accomplish this assessment for your company efficiently and conveniently. It can help the management team determine which challenges and obstacles to diversity are present in the workplace and which policies need to be added or eliminated. That report will be the beginning structure of the organization’s diversity in the workplace plan. The plan must be comprehensive, attainable and measurable. An organization must decide what changes need to be made and a timeline for that change to be accomplished. The personal commitment of executive and managerial teams is necessary. Leaders and managers within organizations must incorporate diversity policies into every aspect of the organizations function and purpose. Involve every employee possible in preparing and performing diversity initiatives in the workplace. Promote an attitude of openness in the organization. Encourage employees to express their ideas and opinions and attribute a sense of equal value to all. Promote diversity in leadership positions. This practice provides visibility and realizes the benefits of diversity in the workplace. Utilize diversity training. Use it as a tool to shape the diversity policy. Use the results to build and implement successful diversity in the workplace policies. According to Azine, as the economy becomes ever more global, our workforce becomes gradually more diverse. Organizational success and competitiveness will depend on the ability to manage diversity in the workplace successfully. Starbuck’s needs to continue to evaluate the organizations diversity policies and plan for the future if they want to continue to be successful. References http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hr022 http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-12-managing-diversity-in-the-workplace/

Efficiency of photovoltaic cells

Efficiency of photovoltaic cells This years Nobel Prize has been awarded to an American physicist and chemist whose work paved the way to built efficient and low-cost polymer photovoltaic cells. Professor A. J. Heeger of University of California at Santa Barbara, US received the prestigious Nobel Prize for his research on polymer photovoltaic solar cells over the past two decades. In 1995 Heeger published a paper (science 270 1789), in which he proposed a new approach to fabricate photovoltaic devices, which led to the development of efficient solar cells. This enabled to fabricate renewable, sustainable, and recyclable, low cost photovoltaic devices which are used to convert light energy into electric current. This approach is enhanced and widely used in commercial applications to produce flexible organic solar cells. The increasing demand for energy has created a need for low cost and eco-friendly energy source. Solar power, which is a renewable energy source holds good for producing energy at low cost. Breakthrough Efficiency of Photovoltaic cells depends on the energy conversion and charge collection of the device, which are high in inorganic based photovoltaic device, however organic photovoltaic devices have major advantages over inorganic photovoltaic devices i.e., low-cost fabrication, mechanical flexibility and disposability. This led many researches to focus on polymer photovoltaic cells, hence several approaches have been proposed for fabricating photovoltaic cells like mono and bilayered organic solar cells by using photo induced electron transfer in composites of conducting polymers as donors(D) and Buckminsterfullerene and its derivatives as acceptors(A). However the conversion efficiency is limited by the carrier collection efficiency at the D-A interface. A major breakthrough in the field of organic photovoltaic cells is achieved by overcoming the limitation of the efficiency in the bilayer heterojunction, which is proposed by Heeger. A high interfacial area is achieved within a bu lk material by carefully controlling the morphology of the phase separation into an interpenetrating bicontinuous D-A network, which yields efficient photo induced charge separation, this obtained interfacial area is known as Bulk D-A heterojunction. Even though the bulk heterojunction is previously proposed by Hiramoto et al, [J. Appl. Phys. 72, 3781, 1992] but the fabrication of solar cells is far more difficult than that of Heeger approach. Heeger used composite film of poly (2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and soluble derivatives of buckminsterfullerene namely [6,6]PCBM and [5,6]PCBM to form a polymer blend. To overcome the limited solubility of C60, a series of soluble C60 derivatives are used, this concept of soluble C60 derivatives enabled to realize new device concept. The structure of bulk heterojunction consists of metal electrode contacts (Ca or Al) of different work function to optimise the efficiency of carrier collection of holes from donor phase and electrons from acceptor phase. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is used as anode and Ca or Al is used as anode which automatically extracts electrons and holes from the polymer blend. The performance of bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells depends on the phase separation in polymer blend devices; so much of the research is concentrated on the precise control of the phase separation. The film formation has to be very fast, in order to obtain fine structures i.e., Phase separation has to be arrested earlier, which results in smaller domains than exciton diffusion length. This can be achieved [Adv. Mater. 12, 498, 2000] by spin coating on a heated substrate, so that the solvent evaporates faster. The quantum efficiency (percentage of photos hitting the photo reactive surface that will produce electron-hole pair) of up to 2.9% is achieved by Heeger, which is further enhanced by using different low molecular weight materials [Adv. Mater. 12, 1270, 2000]. Quantum efficiency can be improved up to 10% by using different materials. Evolution A wide range of research is carried out based on bulk heterojunction approach, which resulted in efficient photovoltaic cells; however organic solar cells degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light, which effects the life time of the cells. Energy conversion efficiency is also low when compared to its inorganic counterparts. Fig 1 shows the efficiency achieved by different research groups in the last decade. 7.9% efficiency is achieved by Solarmer Company, which is certified by National renewable energy laboratory (NREL). Whereas Heeger achieved a quantum efficiency of 2.9%, this indicates a rapid development in this field over a decade. Solarmer produce photovoltaic commercial products using bulk heterojunction approach. Another company named Konarka which is founded by Heeger also manufactures plastic electronics and solar cells with bulk heterojunction. Konarka offer conventional products like sensors, portable battery charging for PDA, mobiles and other small devices, microelectronics, portable power, remote power, building integrated photovoltaic. Plextronics is another company developing and selling pre-formulated inks as well as the know-how to print them, which are extensively tested for outdoor lifetime. Device using these products have high lifetimes of the order of years. However the efficiency of polymer photovoltaic cells is low when compared to the silicon based photovoltaic devices. In order to compete with other available technologies, the efficiency of polymer photovoltaic cells should be increased to 15% with a lifetime of 15-20 years [Solar energy, 2009, 1224]. Heeger made a significant contribution to polymer solar cells field by proposing the bulk Heterojunction approach, which has many potential applications in renewable energy.

Americas War on Drugs: Policy and Problems :: America Drug War Politics Narcotics Essays

America's War on Drugs: Policy and Problems In this paper I will evaluate America's War on Drugs. More specifically, I will outline our nation's general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed. Additionally, I will highlight and evaluate the influences acting on individual legislators' decisions to continue support for these ineffective policies as a more general demonstration of Congress' role in the formation of our nation's drug policy strategy. Finally, I will conclude this analysis by outlining the changes I feel necessary for future progress to be made. Primary among these changes are a general promotion of drug education and the elimination of our current system's many de-legitimating hypocrisies. However, before the specific outcomes of Congressional influence and policy impact can be evaluated it becomes important to first review the general history and current situation of drugs today. Our present drug laws were first enacted at the beginning of the century. At the time, recreational use of narcotics was not a major social issue. The first regulatory legislation was for the purpose of standardizing the manufacturing and purity of pharmaceutical products. Shortly after, the first criminal laws were enacted which addressed opium products and cocaine. Although some states had prohibited the recreational use of marijuana, there was no federal criminal legislation until 1937. By contrast, the use of alcohol and its legality was a major social issue in United States in the early 20th century. This temperance movement culminated in the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Recreational drug use, particularly heroin, became more prevalent among the urban poor during the early ?60s. Because of the high cost of heroin and its uncertain purity, its use was associated with crime and frequent overdoses. A drug subculture involving the use of marijuana and other hallucinogenic drugs began to emerge in mainstream American society in the late ?60s and was loosely associated with an overall atmosphere of political protest concerning the Vietnam War and civil rights. Drug use, including heroin use, was prevalent among soldiers during the Vietnam War and many of them returned addicted. Since that time, the recreational use of drugs, particularly marijuana, has been a constant aspect of youth culture in all social classes.

A Tommy Hilfiger Advertisement that Insults America Essay -- Advertise

A Tommy Hilfiger Advertisement that Insults America There are a lot different types of sitcoms, and other types of advertising out there in this day in age. The one ad that fell upon my eyes, and pulled me enough its way to persuade me to write a paper on is a Tommy Hilfiger Advertisement. This advertisement is a true way to show how much advertisement has become demoralizing, and appealing to the eye. â€Å"They sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth, love, and sexuality, popularity and normalcy†. (Kilbourne, 178) Advertising has taken many different methods throughout history to attract people to its products. Advertisers use television, newspapers, magazines, and many other methods. It uses different types of color, and measures to attract people. They try to put many different objects and things with their product that actually half of the time does not even belong. The most charming ads sometimes even stick in our minds for long periods of time. That is a goal of the advertiser. To make an ad that sticks in someone’s mind. These days though, advertising has been so plagued by false advertisement. The reason I picked the ad I did is because of how much false advertisement, and deception the picture is portraying. Firstly I will describe everything in the picture. It’s an ad advertising a fragrance from Tommy Hilfiger. There is an American flag in the background. There is an American flag covered couch people are sitting on. There is a big house in the background. There are six people total in the picture. Each person is wearing all Tommy Hilfiger brand clothes. The people are a mix in between different cultures as well. Plus the people all generally look very good. Then lastly, the caption reads as â€Å"the real American fragrance†. Can you see how offensive it is already? What kind of baloney is it that they would use the American symbol in three different ways just to represent their product? The America flag represents so much to everyone in United States. It represents â€Å"freedom†. It reminds different people of many different things. It can range from memories of all the past battles brave men have fought so that this land still remains ours, or it could have many other dynamic meanings to other people. How dare this ad uses the American flag with its advertising scheme. Tommy Hilfiger has nothing to... ...m it seems like. â€Å"Style is a personal choice.† (Trimbur, 215) We should make our own choices as adults, and as teenagers. We should look pass the fancy clothes, the stereotypes, and the brand name, and buy clothes that define ourselves. That colors the character that is behind us, not the character that advertisers encourages us to be. Bibliography: 1. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. â€Å"They sell values, images, and concepts of success and worth, love, and sexuality, popularity and normalcy†. (Kilbourne, 178) 2. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. â€Å"Media images are so persuasive, they can easily become prototypes of style, class, or even profession.† (Brownmiller, 209) 3. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. They are each generally exposed to over 2,000 ads a day as Kilbourne states. (Kilbourne, 178) 4. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur. â€Å"Style is a personal choice.† (Trimbur, 215)

Carmen Marinache Essay

Assuming complex businesses in which company is part of: – organising logistics operations ( railway transportation from station of departure to station of destination, reception of wagons at final station of destination, unloading the cargo from wagons and loading it into trucks / handling, delivery up to the client’s terminal); – organising special transports such as munitions transportation in transit via Romania; – organising cargo exports from Romania with guard protection on route; – organising oversized transportation, export from Romania to different countries, which implies: obtaining loading drawing from an authorised company, obtaining approval for transportation from the railways and infrastructure, issuing CIM railway bills, coordinating the transport with foreign railways on traffic and obtaining all necessary traffic permission by keeping in touch with all our external partners, solving problems that might occur while transportation is performed; – organising exports from Romania to different countries from exCIS in special SZD wagons (wagons from CIS countries), obtaining all traffic permissions, keeping in contact with clients and partners for a prompt solving of all difficult situations; – organising transportation of wagons on their own wheels as well as of locomotives; – participating to organisation of multimodal traffic – Ex: cargo coming by vessel, unloading directly or indirectly to wagons and customs clearance through a sister company specialised in port in such ki nd of operations), railway transportation up to one station in Europe, unloading of cargo and delivery by trucks to consignee, etc. ? Keeping in contact with Accounting and Financial Dept. in order to mutually solve problems related to the financial part of the business; ? Based on the information received from the Controlling Dept. , analysing and proposing to the Executive Manager personal evaluation for personnel; ? Monthly analysing the activity of the Railway Dept. calculating estimated operational profit, calculating the total tonnage, presenting the situations to Executive Director; ? Contacting and visiting potential clients; ? Taking part to set up of transport and freight forwarding contracts with Romanian and foreign clients/partners ; ? Representing the company within international exhibitions and fairs, in Romania and abroad, to Express Interfracht Holding own stand, and within conferences having as topic the improvement of railway transportation; ? Issuing the documentation of company presentation and representing the company within different tenders opened by big production companies in Romania, in o rder to choose logistic supplier.

Christian conceptions Essay

Baldassare Castiglione’s work â€Å"The Courtier† has similar conceptions of grace and love when compared to with Christian conceptions. Baldassare Castiliogne characterizes the courtiers of Urbino as omini per virtu singulari† (IV, 2, 446: â€Å"men singular in worth†[286]), emphasizing their grace and virtue they were able to exhibit throughout the entire passage. This also reflects the ways they were able to entice the imagination of the readers and make their (readers) minds more creative. Castiglione writes about the Urbino court and its inhabitants as a kind of ideal place where grace and virtue was heavily practiced. Most of the courtiers and ladies in the court possess only minor character flaws and petty foibles. In his writing, he idealizes them as civilized and perfectly restrained individuals who are devoid of serious personal vices and defects. In a sense, Castiglione wants to present them as ideal types, as the â€Å"onorati esempi di virtu† (IV, 2, 448: â€Å"honored models of worthiness†[287]) as can be read from his prologues where moral fortitude, scholarship and genuine love should emulate and be exuded by the readers even after reading the entire piece. The following excerpt from â€Å"The Courtier† shows that Lord Guidobaldo has lived an exemplary life worth of emulation by the other inhabitants. â€Å"When lord Guidobaldo di Montefeltro, duke of Urbino, passed from this life, I together with several other knights who had served him remained in the service of duke Francesco Maria della Rovere, heir and successor to Guidobaldo’s state; and as in my mind there remained fresh the odor of duke Guido’s virtues and the satisfaction which I in those years had felt from the loving company of such excellent persons, as then frequented the court of Urbino†. (Letter, 1, 67-8) Castiglione’s goal in his work was to set his statements of praise for Urbino and its inhabitants in general and conventional terms. He did not cite the military exploits or civic triumphs of a character he praises, instead, he celebrates all of them for their virtu, (virtue) their ingegno, (ingenuity) their ottime qualit (high dignity). Instead, Castiliogne characterizes these exploits as a collective victory for the person he is giving life to. This also gives life to the colorful sceneries and animations to the story as this draws the attention of the readers. Castiliogne pursues the elevation of Urbino’s image to an exemplary moral excellence and its value for posterity. In his first two prologues, Castiglione highlights the superiority of Urbino’s inhabitants. In the prologue to Book III, Castiglione states that if Urbino’s pastimes convince him of its excellence, he should be able to imagine easily how much greater the courtiers’ virtuous actions were (III, 1, 336). In the last prologue, Castiglione praises the courtiers directly as â€Å"omini per virtu singulari† (IV, 2, 446: â€Å"men singular in worth†[286]). He viewed the court as a paragon of moral exempla (IV, 2, 448: â€Å"chiari ed onorati esempi di virtu†). The court is presented as an ethical model not only to other existing courts at that time but also to the succeeding generations to come. Moreover, Castiglione confesses in the third prologue that he wrote his text carefully to â€Å"faria vivere negli animi dei posteri† (III, 1, 336: â€Å"make it live in the mind of posterity†[202]). Finally, as his culture upholds classical antiquity, he projects that the young and upcoming generation will envy his time because of the exemplary Urbino court. (III, 1, 336: â€Å"forse per l’avvenire non manchera chi per questo ancor porti invidia al secol nostro†). Similarly, the virtues of grace and love which are present in Castiliogne’s work are also present in Christian morals and manners. Christian morals are a function of moral discernment and moral reasoning. For instance, James Gustafson stated that moral discernment refer to basic dispositions that are shaped in part by the faith and trust Christians have as they offer themselves up to God. Moreover, James Gustafson stated that the concept of moral discernment was related to moral reasoning. Gustafson explained that moral reasoning pertains to a character, or personal moral ability, which covers dispositions, traits, and actions of the moral agent. (Selnick, 1992). Castiliogne stated that the courtier is expected to serve and increase in favour with her Lady. He should instruct her in virtue and refrain from vice and dishonesty. He should speak truth all the time. This concern is evident in Christian morals and manners. According to Harring, the moral and religious value of our acts attains the peak level only when the fundamental option results in the conquest one’s energies and vision such that one’s motives and decisions come from the depth in which the Spirit moulds and guides. (Harring, 1978). Castiliogne exhorts the courtiers to be kind to their subordinates, to avoid flattery, to be wise in the relations with other states and to have good manners in speech and language. Moreover, the courtier must have â€Å"good utterance† and â€Å"sweet language† to the other personalities in the court and avoid offending other people. This exhortation finds a strong support in Christianity’s theological and ethical attention which has shifted away from the relations with the divine towards human relations to interpersonal human relations. (Post, 1990). This shift resulted in the sharp distinction between public activity and private relations. First, it highlighted the fact that the self’s relation with God does not necessarily impact on one’s neighbor. Second, it states that the divine intentions may not relate directly to an individual’s human flourishing. This re-evaluation of one’s faith highlights the moral dimensions of Christianity and renders faith as an essential and crucial aspect of living well. (Weaver, 2002) The old men then attack the change in customs in Urbino court which they perceive as reflective of moral decay. In response to this, Castiliogne countered that he is a judge who can state that there is no age, past or present that is either totally good or totally evil. Then in this excerpt, Castiliogne argued that it is the old men who have changed their behavior and not the courts. These old men lament their loss of youth, power, and vitality. This situation leads to nostalgia which distorts the truth about both past and present. This excerpt is as follows: ne dei passati piaceri riserva (l’animo) altro che una tenace memoria e la imagine di quel caro tempo della tenera eta, nella quale quando ci ritrovamo, ci pare che sempre il cielo e la terra ed ogni cosa faccia festa e rida intorno agli occhi nostri, e nel pensiero come in un delizioso e vago giardino fiorisca la dolce primavera d’allegrezza. (The Courtier II, 1, 188) . . . and [the mind] retains of past pleasures merely a lingering memory and the image of that precious time of tender youth in which (while we are enjoying it), wherever we look, heaven and earth and everything appear merry and smiling, and the sweet springtime of happiness seems to flower in our thoughts as in a delightful and lovely garden. (The Courtier II, 1, 188) Similarly, Christian morality has shown interest in one’s personal ethical development. The flourishing of the self encompassing virtue ethics and spirituality reveals a post modern reassessment of the classical concepts and tools for reflecting on the self’s good. (Naussbam, 1994). Baldassare Castiliogne characterizes the courtiers of Urbino as omini per virtu singulari† (IV, 2, 446: â€Å"men singular in worth†[286]), emphasizing their grace and virtue. Similarly, Christian morals and manners show the importance of all the human virtues required of the courtiers during the time of the Urbino court. The courtiers’ excellent speech, manners and deportment to their equals and subordinates exhibit a vivid example of their faith and their excellent human manners. Alongside the traditions and practices that the courtiers’ have shown, the author have clearly emphasized on the human manners that there should be equality among all others and in order to achieve a specific and unified goal, there should be subordination so that in the long run, there will be authority to be followed and rules are set on such manners. Works Cited: Castiglione, Baldassare. The Book of the Courtier. New york: Scribner’s Son, 1901. 7-439. James M. Gustafson, â€Å"Moral Discernment in the Christian Life†, in Gene H. Outka and Paul Ramsey, Norm and Context in Christian Ethics. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1968, p. 31. Haring, Bernard. Free and Faithful in Christ. New York: Seabury Press: A Crossroads Book, 1978, p. 85. Kolsky, Stephen D. â€Å"Old Men in a New World: Morello da Ortona in the Cortegiano. † Italica 75 (1998): 336-448. Long, Edward Leroy. A Survey of Recent Christian Ethics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982. Martha Nussbaum. The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994. Post, Stephen. A Theory of Agape: On the Meaning of Christian Love. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 1990. Selnick, Philip. The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992, p. 361. Weaver, Darlene. Self Love and Christian Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Webhorn, Wayne. Courtly Performances Masking and Festivity in Castiglione’s Book in the Courtier. University of Texas at Austin, 1978.

Impact of video games on children Essay

Video games have been available to consumers for the last 30 years. They are a unique form of entertainment, because they encourage players to become a part of the game’s script. Today’s sophisticated video games require players to pay constant attention to the game, rather than passively watching a movie. This has both positive and negative impacts on players. Several studies have been published that explore these impacts on today’s children. Most people this day and age grow up with technology. But now days what people see in the media about children being obese or not social. The media and physical fitness experts always express, the youth this day never go out and play and get about sixty minutes of play a day. This means exercise. I for one think video games isn’t the problem. With children being overweight, video games aren’t always filled with violet’s, there are games that teach you to work as a team with someone you’ve never meet. Even learning sportsmanship which I believe should be learned at a young age. Because facing the realities that you can’t always win there are going to be some people that are better and that you should encourage yourself to become better not just at video games life in general. Within the media they say kids need to go out and play. I think that’s true so what they need to do now a days with games is make it so kids get tired of the games after a while. That way they should try to lean toward making children wanting to go outside. When I was growing up in the 1980s video games where just starting to catch on. All the kids had to have the latest games or â€Å"Gameboys† ext. I remember we would try to find ways to make our parents let use stay inside and play. I believe it hindered me once I got older and wanted to play sports. I was so out of shape then it all came back to me I was hardly active when I was younger. Right now Approximately 17% (or 12. 5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. The studies show by kids not eating healthy or even from going outside to play. There are just so many reasons why children are so badly obese. I know video game’s is one of the biggest reason for are youth to being so heavy. Kids rather stay inside being on their video game consoles. I know it’s crazy to say but I believe that it has to do with the area kids are raised. Let’s say you are in a bad neighborhood. Where you know it’s not safe to be outside I know I would want my child to stay indoors so I know that he or she is safe. But I know my child would want to be entertained lots of people know young kids lose their interest in things after time. Which is understandable.

Nature and culture

The advances in the understanding of nature in terms of scientific knowledge has been tremendous especially since the mid-1950’s with the discovery of the DNA structure, which precipitated more advances in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry.   However, in the end of the 20th century until now, our modern society has seen more and more debates about how nature has been altered and/or destroyed by our progress in technology, in particular biotechnology.Yet, one may wonder if the debate over technological progress affecting nature or more specifically, natural laws that govern our existence, does reflect a cultural bias in the general comprehension of technological progress in our society.   Consequently, three questions may be asked to completely analyze the problem.   First, is there a nature/culture problem to be discussed?   Second, if there is, how has it affected our global society with respect to a cultural shift caused by particular developments in scie nce and technology and when?   If there is a global effect, is there a tangible effect on our personal life?   This paper will deal with each of these questions.The amazing characteristics that humans possess, is to learn from previous generations, to improve upon their work, and to establish a momentum to human life and culture that has taken our civilization from cave art to quantum physics, and into the space age.   In addition, other scientific advances bring about technological progress in our direct environment and society, more so than being in space.   Even more so has biotechnology been altering the nature of our humanity, not only in terms of ‘programmed’ physical changes based on scientific discoveries, but also in terms of environmental changes.   Unfortunately, people’s understanding of what science is capable of either to benefit our society or destroy it, has been undermined since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century.How do we kn ow that?   Simply consider the history of our society until now with the debate over cloning and stem-cell research that have come under fire in our western part of the world.   In both cases, a further division has taken place within the world scientific community.   Some countries allow the research whereas others do not.   Consequently, what can we draw from this chiasm, is it due to a cultural difference?   If it is, then do we really understand what the meaning of culture is?   If we do, can we reconcile differences?   Raymond Williams tells us that there is a great difficulty in even defining the concept of culture. (Williams, ) Is it a division of the whole into parts (the individual) like Latour claims or a whole global entity like Tarde thinks? (Latour, Social in Question)   Furthermore, Williams is not even sure himself of what nature really means.   On page 78, he does tell us that there is a general confusion or disparity of what different people mean b y nature.   Is it either the nature of man (biology), the natural nature of our environment, or both?   Latour seems to agree with Williams that there is a problem of defining the context of nature and culture.Latour uses the illustration of one simple event like using an aerosol can after which people are taken on a journey to Antarctica, to touring scientific labs across the world, and the chemistry of inert gases. (p. 2 Crisis) (Latour, )   This implies that the complexity of the division is based not only on the science of the natural environment, but also first on how people are affected by the effects of the ozone problem, and second how different people or the world as a single cultural phenomenon perceive the problem.   The conclusion is that the division exists but its very existence is very confusing to any person from any part of the world or the whole world, perhaps minus the scientists.   Rabinow’s expose supports this idea of confusion when she claims using Michel Foucault’s and Gilles Deleuze’s arguments that there has been a shift caused by this division, particularly on how we as a species comprehend ourselves and our environment.   Specifically, on p. 91, she states:â€Å"In the modern form, finitude establishes a field of life, labor, and languagewithin which Man appears as a distinctive being who is both the subject and object of his own understanding, but an understanding that is never complete because of its very structure.† (Rabinow, )Toxen is convinced that this magnitude of this shift has actually been more like a revolution with respect to science and technology in our society. (Toxen, 1983) On p.1, he emphasizes that there is a total reshaping of â€Å"industries, companies, universities, and laboratories to sustain the present mode of production.†Ã‚   He adds that the cause of this shift seems to be linked to a push for biotechnological advances, especially in our time (he wrote this ar ticle in 1983).So, how do this shift and the nature/culture division affect our own existence?   Callon speaks of auto engineers in France becoming sociologists in order to manufacture the first electric car.   As a consequence, engineers define what society will be like and how it will be changed because of the introduction of such a new mode of transportation.   Their resulting conclusions motivate their work while reshaping our ideas or shall we say our cultural acceptance. (Callon, )   In the same vein, biotechnology has been hailed as the only way to remedy problems that our society faces.   For example, Lappe and Collins cite the example of how biotechnology is supposed to solve world hunger but people are starving more than ever. (Lappe-Collins, )An illustration of this idea is cited by Pollan with Monsanto genetically engineering a bug-killer potato that may be hazardous to our health so we would not be able to eat it anyway! (Pollan, ).   In the context of ecolo gy, Schwartz and Thompson speak of â€Å"Nature benign gives us global equilibrium.† (Schwartz, Thompson, 1990) This idea implies that science and technology cannot help the way that is propounded.   The reason is simple: there is not enough comprehension of us as individuals and as a civilization (culture) to solve the mostly self-inflicted obstacles encountered with our nature as a species as well as our environment (nature).In conclusion, there is a real doubt whether science and technology can help our society.   Since there is a fuzzy picture of how we understand the division between culture and nature, science and technology cannot claim that they understand what shapes our society for the better while they certainly do not understand how they can shape society for the worst.ReferencesCallon, ?. (Year?). Engineers as sociologists. Publication? 210- 216.Lappe, ?, Collins, ?. (Year?). World hunger: twelve myths.   Publication? 48-66.Latour, B. Joyce, P. (editor). (Y ear?). The social in question. New bearings on history and the Social Sciences. London: Routledge.   (year?). Crisis. Publication? 2-12.Pollan, M. (date and year?). Playing God in my garden. The New York Times. 1-12.Rabinow, P. (Year?) Artificiality and enlightenment: from sociobiology to biosociality. Publication? 91-110.Schwartz, M., Thompson, M. (1990). Divided we stand: redefining politics, technology, and social choice.   London: Harvester & Wheatsheaf.Toxen, L. (1983). The life industry in gene business: who should control biotechnology? London: Association Books.Williams, R. (Year?). Title? Publication? 68-84.

Benefits and Effectiveness of Accounting Essay Example for Free

Benefits and Effectiveness of Accounting Essay The research was based on two variables these are computerized accounting systems which comprise of definitions, components of computerized accounting software and benefits and limitation of computerized system and financial reporting which also comprises of definitions of financial reports, benefits and effectiveness of accounting system used at National Water and Sewerage Corporation. The study will enable management to understand the significance of preparing quality and reliable financial reports. The study will point out weakness in the accounting system which management needs to address. The Government of Malaysia through the Department of Accountant General (MDAG) has instructed MARA to implement the Standard Accounting System for Government Agencies (SAGA). This is a total Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, developed based on web-based application and is using an accrual basis of accounting. The SAGA financial system enables its users, particularly the government agencies to close their accounts on a daily basis, monitor their daily financial activities as well as produce standardized financial reports to the stakeholders at any place and any time. However, upon completion of the SAGA financial system analysis, MARA identifies that the system could not cater all MARA business activities. Processes such as disbursement of scholarship and loans to students and entrepreneurs are not covered by the system. As such, MARA still has to maintain its existing databases and therefore made special request to the MDAG to exclude the implementation of SAGA while awaiting MARA ICT consultant’s recommendations on the development of a new MARA Total Information and Financial System. As a conclusion, the SAGA financial systems could not be used by MARA on its own. The end-users in MARA need to operate both, SAGA and its own systems at the same time. This situation could lead to users’ confusion if they are to use different type of system when updating certain type of financial transaction. This is because the end-user of MARA Computerized Accounting System could only utilized the SAGA Financial System just for ordinary operating expenditures whilst any disbursement of expenditure pertaining to subsidiary system, they still need to use the existing MARA Financial Systems. Consequently, internal controls and security functions may not be easily built in the systems. Concurrent use of both systems may affect job satisfaction and performance of the end-users. Introducing Computerized Accounting Information Systems in a Developing Nation: Egyptian International Motors This study aims to assess the implementation of accounting information system on a company in a developing nation. To answer this question this manuscript attempts to do the following: (1) identify the reasons for the shift to an automated system and the main goals that the company aim to achieve form this shift, (2) determine the company’s strategic decisions like choices between outsourcing versus in-house development, and ready made packages versus tailor made software, (3) describe the steps of implementation, (4) understand the reaction of the employees to the new automated system, (5) study the required changes on the organizational chart and human resources qualifications that are required, (6) recognize the problems that the company met during the process, (6) point the advantages of the shift to the automated system. A computerized accounting System provides many advantages over manual systems, for example entries do not have to be recorded in multiple ledgers so as to fulfill the cardinal rules of financial reporting.A single entry is made and the system will populate all the appropriate corresponding accounts automatically. Computerized accounting also makes it possible for people in other departments,not just accounting to enter data.It does not require avast amount of accounting knowledge for a payroll clerk to enter wages details into the accounts,a basic understanding of how to use the system is sufficient The study intends to find out the effect of a computerized accounting system on the quality of financial reports generated by an organization. To examine the effect of computerize accounting systems quality financial reporting. To determine the challenges encountere by organizations before and after implementing a computerized accounting system. To identify strategies/measures of ensuring quality financial reporting. An accounting system is part of the organisation’s management information system therefore a good or decent accounting system must be able to produce reports like trial balance, aged debtors and aged creditors. Accounting systems must provide data that should enable the production of management accounts, statutory accounts and must also assist the managers and accountants in discharging their stewardship roles. A good system should enable the firm to produce its management reports and management accounts at short notice. This will enable the organisation to monitor performance, to take decisions quickly and to make decision based on objective and verifiable information. Audit trail is very important as it will enable auditors and senior managers to monitor transactions entered in the accounting system and this will ensure that there is information integrity. A good system should document the changes that have been made in the system, who made the changes and it should also be able to track what was changed. Compatibility With Other Programmes A strong characteristic of a good accounting system is that it must be compatible with other systems. For example, it should easily be configurable so that it can communicate with other programmes like Excel or Crystal. An accounting system should be able to export transactions and reports into Excel and it should allow data and transactions to be imported from an external source. This will lead to time savings as there will be no need to duplicate a role or process. If an accounting system does not dictate errors then it is not a good accounting package as it is failing to perform a basic functionality. An accounting package should decline to post transactions that do not balance for example the total debits should equal the total credits and if this is not the case, then the accounting system should automatically flag this error. Internal controls are the eyes and ears of the organisation and a good accounting system should embed these internal controls into the system. Internal controls enable prevention and detection of fraud and error. An accounting system should enable internal control tools like segregation of duties, reconciliations and account allocations. A good accounting system should not allow users to delete data that has been posted into the system. Computerized accounting systems provide more benefits than manual ones, allowing for more accurate calculations, in less time. Compared to manual accounting, with a computerized system errors are far less common, eliminating human error. And with accounting programs that are industry-specific, you can benefit from various preset templates for your general ledger, saving more time. You can store virtually endless information, without any trouble at all. And if you later want to review financial information from several years ago, with a computerized accounting system you can do it easily, while with a manual one you would have to sort through stacks of paper ledgers. Bottom line, both systems may be useful to some extent. But for more accurate bookkeeping and increased efficiency, a computerized accounting system seems to have more advantages. You can find several free versions online, as well as more proficient accounting software available for purchase. Search online for such accounting systems, read about their features and decide which one would be better for your particular business needs. Although they will not allow you to physically handle the ledgers, it will provide a better accounting solution. The advantages of Computerized Accounting seem to be unknown by business owners and individuals who are in doubt of purchasing Accounting Software. Accounting Software has been a trend nowadays. With the vast Computerized System Providers and wide range of versions to choose from, Accounting System has evolved to be one of the trends in information technology. Computerized Systems are designed to create more value in Financial Accounting. Value can be relayed in terms of speed, accuracy and reliability of accounting data. With Computerized System, invoices can be transmitted in an instant through email; inventories are appropriately monitored; and disbursements are tracked for payments to be done before due dates. It helps Bookkeepers to reduce manual activities. When transactions are entered in the Accounting System, automatic entries are posted to generate data needed for financial reporting. Accounting Software enables Bookkeepers and Accountants to adjust necessary accounts to reflect the correct amount of each Account. Computerized Accounting allows Accountants to trace erroneous data and entry in a creative and organized manner through the help of summaries, list of accounts and original entries. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Tsang Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7017983 Computers are extensively used in accounting and there are multitude of computer software for Accounting, MIS, CRM. HiTech Financial Accounting is one such software which has been customized for users in many segments in business and services. Payroll accounting was the first commercial area to become widely computerized. The calculation of wages or salaries involves a number of variables which relate to the personal details of each employee, such as gross pay or rate for the job, individual deductions, tax liabilities of the employees and so on. These facts can be retained in the computers and processed every month of produce pay slips for the employees. The computer helps to exercise the type of stock control needed by the organization. It up to dates the sales and purchases records, determines optimum re-order levels for different items and prints out the stock lists when desired. The system can be so designed that it triggers orders when stock level reaches order point for variou s material items; tests those item which are slow moving or gives list for over stock items. Programming can be done for any sales accounting system. The computer will pin point defaulting debtors, determine the right limit for credit for each debtor and maintain stores ledger. Costing and budgetary control can be affected through the computer, the computer will point out the variations from the planned performance.The computer also helps greatly in production planning and control. It is possible that scheduling of the work may become necessary due to break downs etc. A new critical path may have to be worked out. A critical path is the shortest path to be followed in production to achieve production objectives. The computer helps the management lay down this new critical path. The increasing competition and the highly demands of globalization, Malaysia government attempt for Small Medium Enterprise, SME for the development of innovative, competitive with high technology. Computerized accounting system (CAS) adoption may be decisive factor for an organization to be success and also to survive. This research project which aimed to investigate SME practice of CAS and to identify the factor affecting the adoption among SMEs in Melaka. A survey was carried out through a set of questionnaires to examine the CEO Innovativeness Factors Scale, Perceive Usefulness Factors Scale, Perceive Ease of Use Factors Scale and Business Competitiveness. The sample selected comprised of CEOs of SMEs in three districts in Melaka, namely Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin. The data gathered were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis, Pearson Correlation analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).This study reveals that CAS adoption rate in SMEs in Melaka is high. Results from the analysis also shown the significant of independent variables and proved the relationships have been substantiated to the dependent variable which contribute to the usage of CAS adoption between SMEs in Melaka. The findings indicate that CEO innovativeness; perceive ease of use and business competitiveness negatively correlated to the adoption of CAS. Results reveals that only perceive usefulness are significantly positive correlated to CAS adoption. Therefore it can be deduced that adoption of CAS among SMEs in Melaka is caused by its usefulness. The findings reveal that types of business and business location influence the adoption of CAS. However, size (paid up capital, sales turnover and number of employee) do not influence the adopter. Results also indicate that CEO literacy on ICT, accounting and CAS has influence the responded CEO to adopt CAS in their business. However, the advantages by using the accounting systems software were not fully utilized by CAS adopters. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/view/18273 Benefits and Effectiveness of Accounting. (2016, Dec 08).

(Real)Assessment of the Higher Education Administration Program at Research Paper

(Real)Assessment of the Higher Education Administration Program at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University - Research Paper Example The aim of the college is to train highly skilled experts from varied backgrounds, for organizations both out of and in education, who have the same profound concern for the condition of human beings. Most academic programs in Peabody College consist of a powerful practice orientation. The college admits over 1,200 undergraduates and over 600 professional or graduate students, with the full-time teaching staff numbering 125. Many teaching faculty members are great leaders of professional organizations, are scholarly journals editors’ while others are recognized nationally for their research (â€Å"Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt,† 2010). The college’s twelve faculty members are holders of named, conferred professorships. The faculty has five departments namely department of Psychology and Human Development; department of Special Education; department of Human and Organizational Development; department of Teaching and Learning; and department of Lead ership, Policy, Organizations (Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt, 2010). This paper gives an assessment of Peabody College’s Higher Education Administration Program. ... The college received the last accredition in 2007 and will receive the next interim report on March 2013 (â€Å"Vanderbilt University Accreditation,† 2010). Every year, the United States’ News & World Report reviews Peabody College externally vis-a-vis other graduate schools of education. The report indicates that for the last one and a half decade, the college has held a top ten position. The report also indicated that for 2012, the college was in the top spot among the national graduate school of education and that this was the third successive year. Additionally, Peabody College consistently scores highly for student selectivity, a large quantity of funded research, and a low student-to-faculty ratio. Peabody, among the first five schools, has the largest number of programs incorporated in the specialty rankings of United States’ News & World Report (â€Å"Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development,† 2011). The United Sta tes’ News & World Report further indicates that Peabody attained nine points up ahead of its closest competitor with a general score of one hundred, with programs in Special Education along with Administration/Supervision being number one in the rankings. Other recognized programs were programs in Elementary Education and Educational Psychology, which were ranked fourth; programs in Education Policy, which were ranked fifth; programs in Instruction/Curriculum, which were ranked eighth; and programs in Higher Education Administration, which were ranked ninth. The yearly rankings of graduate schools are derived from surveys of about 13,000 academics and over 1,200 programs carried out in fall 2010 while individual program rankings are derived from deans of graduate studies and

Social DQ 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Social DQ 2 - Essay Example People who are dealing with drug addictions can become irritable at work, and could even make mad decisions at work if they were acting under the influence. This is not productive under any working conditions, and cause an almost unthinkable number of problems at your work place. A person bringing illegal drugs to the work place could bring unwanted legal action against your business, and everything economically would just snowball from there, and ultimately cause even more problems than one could originally expect. If an employer is thinking a person may be taking drugs, the easiest and safest way to be sure is to simply confront the person about it. Sneaking around and trying to find out isn’t going to help the problem, you need to be up front and direct. If that doesn’t work, that you can ask them to submit to a drug test, but only if you are certain they are under the influence and are using drugs. Drug abuse also does not just affect the person taking the drugs, it tends to have a ripple effect that can spread beyond a person’s work or family life. Everyone person a drug user is it contact with can be affected by them using drugs, and it can cause of nasty chain of events that nobody wants to see happen. Drugs can change who a person is, and can make them interact harshly towards people. People can loose friends, relationships, or even loved ones or family members if they are abusing drugs and not taking care of themselves as they should be. Drugs can come between people, and they tend not to improve any situation as much as people sometimes claim they might. Drugs can ruin a person’s life from top to bottom. Not only can drug abuse cost a person their job, and possibly time in jail, it can also cost them all their friends and family that surround them. Drugs could in the end take away everything that means anything to you in life, and therefore are not something that should be