Case Study for the Complete Care Repair Research Paper

Case Study for the Complete Care Repair - Research Paper Example Research Problem The research problem has many angles because there are several problems with MindWriter. Some of the problems that have been seen are discussed here: There is a call center that is able to answer questions for customers who have a malfunctioning product. They have an 800 number to call and the call center can answer service, support and ordering questions. Unfortunately these are the only questions they can currently answer. When a person calls in, the call center must take the name, number and address from the customer as well as the Mind Writer model number. The technical representatives with this information will then ask question to understand more clearly the nature of the customer’s problem. They will attempt to resolve the problem on the phone if they can. The challenge is that they cannot answer every inquiry on the phone. Some of the things that need to be researched include: 1. There are employee shortages and training new technical representatives i s time consuming and does not always happen in the time that they are needed. 2. The courier does not always pick up and deliver the products as they have spelled out in the contract with Complete Care Repair. 3. ... Complete Care Repair will need to research to find where the problem really is and do something more to help it. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to define how Complete Care Repair can help MindWriter understand their problems and eradicate them. Some of the issues they will need to understand better in order to help MindWriter include: 1. Check with the courier company and see whether this is the best one for MindWriter to use. 2. Will the repair aspects of Complete Care Repair that include the diagnostic and sequencing areas need to be refined? 3. Does the technical director need more training or is there a need for the staff to have more training in this area? 4. Is there a problem with packaging? Can it be resolved if there is a different type of package created? 5. Is there a need for repair centers closer to where MindWriter operations are or should repair happen on site? These questions will guide the research into how Complete Care Repair can help MindWriter. Research Objectives Then research objectives will be to find out more information about MindWriter in order to help them. Specifically, there needs to be a thorough examination of the entire company in order to identify the problem areas. After Myra and Jason came back from Austin, they were able to identify several areas where there were problems. These areas need to be examined more closely. The research objectives will include: 1. To examine the call center to understand how they work with customers. We will want to identify what is working and what is not working. 2. To examine the packaging to see whether this is the most appropriate packaging or whether there are alternatives that would keep the

First day of middle school Essay Example for Free

First day of middle school Essay I WAS VERY NERVOUS WHEN I GOT ON THE BUS BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW ANYBODY. I NOTICED ONE GIRL FROM MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT SHE DIDN’T TALK TO ME FOR TWO DAYS. WHILE I WAS ON THE BUS I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO A BOY NAMED TOMMIE AND WE BECAME FRIENDS. EVERY SINCE I SPOKE THAT DAY, TOMMIE AND HAVE BEEN CLOSE. WE HAVE EACH OTHERS BACK WITH CLASS WORK AND HOMEWORK. DURING LUNCH TOMMIE SAVED ME A SEAT, OUR LOCKERS ARE CLOSE BY EACH OTHER AND WE HAVE SEVERAL CLASSES TOGETHER. I STARTED TO LOOSEN UP AS THE DAY PROGRESSED BECAUSE I REALIZED. MIDDLE SCHOOL IS NOT ALL THAT BAD. MY FIRST PERIOD TEACHER SCARED ME BECAUSE SHE HAD ADEEPVOICE THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. NOW THAT TIME IS PASSING IM MEETING MORE FRIENDS, MORE FRIENDLY TEACHERS AND STAFF. I HAVE LEARNED MY SCHEDULE WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO TWO DAYS ADAYAND B DAY. I LEARNED HOW TO DO THINGS IN A TIMELY MATTER BECAUSE WE CANT BE LATE TO CLASS OR THE BUS. IM STARTING TO SHOW MORE RESPONABLITIES SINCE ENROLLING IN BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ACADEMY egg pupa larva GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY. This placeholder text includes tips to help you quickly format your report and add other elements, such as a chart, diagram, or table of contents. You might be amazed at how easy it is. LOOK GREAT EVERY TIME †¢Need a heading? On the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, just click the heading you want. Notice other styles in that gallery as well, such as for a quote or a numbered list. †¢You might like the photo on the cover page as much as we do, but if it’s not ideal for your report, right-click it and then click Change Picture to add your own. †¢Adding a professional-quality graphic is a snap. In fact, when you add a chart or a SmartArt diagram from the Insert tab, it automatically matches the look of your report. GIVE IT THAT FINISHING TOUCH Need to add a table of contents or a bibliography? No sweat. ADD A TABLE OF CONTENTS It couldn’t be easier to add a table of contents to your report. Just click in the document where you want the TOC to appear. Then, on the References tab, click Table of Contents and then click one of the Automatic options. When you do, the TOC is inserted and text you formatted using Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles is automatically added to it. ADD A BIBLIOGRAPHY On the References tab, in the Citations Bibliography group, click Insert Citation for the option to add sources and then place citations in the document. 2 When you’ve added all the citations you need for your report, on the References tab, click Bibliography to insert a formatted bibliography in your choice of styles. And you’re done. Nice work!

Witchcraft Hysteria in Puritan New England :: American America History

Witchcraft Hysteria in Puritan New England In 1692, the problems following Massachusetts’s change from Puritan Utopia to royal colony had an unusual increase in the witchcraft hysteria at Salem Village (now the town of Danvers). Although the belief in witchcraft had started a huge problem in Salem, almost 300 New Englanders (mostly lower class, middle-aged, marginal women – spinsters or widows) had been accused as witches, and more than thirty had been hanged. With this issue in Salem all superiority in its scope and intensity. The general colony’s way of life was experiencing some problems. These problems lead the community to believe that the devil was at work in the village. A few teenage girls became inlet listeners to voodoo stories told by Tituba, a West Indian slave, and began acting strangely. For no reason at all they started shouting, barking, groveling and twitching. The town doctor had come to the conclusion that they had been bewitched. When the girls were told this, they pointed to Tituba and two older white women as the offenders. The criminals were captured with a panic as word spread that the devil was in their presence. As the three women were being asked questions the possessed girls rolled on the floor in convulsive fits. Tituba shocked everyone when she confessed to the charge but also told that many others in the colony were practicing the devils work. All this hysteria in the town started causing many problems. The crazed girls began pointing fingers at many residents, including several of the most respected people of the community. Within months, the jail in Salem was over its capacity with townspeople that were accused of performing witchcraft. Seeing how the townspeople believed everything the girls were saying shows how gullible the community is. Ten months later, nineteen people had been hanged, stubborn Giles Corey who refused to plea Guilty or not Guilty was pressed to death by heavy stones, and more than 100 others jailed. Accusations spread wider and went way beyond the borders of Salem. This worried colonial leaders and they decided that the witch – hunts were out of control. The jury had about seen enough when the girls accused Samuel Willard, the pastor of Boston’s First Church and president of Harvard College, of practicing witchcraft. The governor disbanded the special court and ordered the remaining suspects released when he was stunned that his own wife was accused of worshiping the devil.

International Politics Essay

The ongoing violence between the indigenous communities of Peru on the one hand and the government on the other has been cited as the one of the country’s worst political crises. For a considerable period, the communities have not only expressed their opposition against the government, but have also engaged in acts of civil disobedience in the recent past. In June this year, confrontations between indigenous protestors and the state police left nearly a hundred people dead and hundreds injured, the majority of the casualties and fatalities being civilians (Romero, 2009). This followed a government decision to end the massive demonstrations by launching an aggressive military campaign against those protesting on the country’s roads. In essence, the communities’ initiative of holding peaceful demonstration so as to protest against the exploitation of the Amazon rain forest, and the deliberate government efforts to counter such protests can be described as a global crisis precipitated by the unprecedented struggle to exploit the few natural resources available in the environment. Though the conflict is occurring at the national level, its effects will inevitably be felt at the international front, considering the central position of the Amazon as a focal biodiversity epicenter. Globalization has been defined as the process of blending or homogenization by which individuals and organizations of the world are unified into one society and work together without restrictions, through a combination of economical, technological, socio-cultural and political forces. It also entails the reduction or elimination of enforced restrictions of countries on international exchanges hence increasing integrated and complex global system of production and exchange (Christian, 2002). Indeed, globalization has served to shape the world economy. Individual economies which were originally isolated from each other are currently being influenced by the each other’s actions, as well as policies and circumstances in the global markets, which in turn assist them to devise their own policy measures. One of the characterizing attributes of globalization is the process of merging and integrating the economies of world economies. Over the past half century, the western countries, and particularly United States and Europe have been vocal in the establishment of a global market economy characterized by the free flow of people and capital, and free trade. However, a skeptical view depicts global integration as only beneficial to the developed world, but harmful to poor nations, the environment as well as native populations. In the face of many, the process is increasingly worsening the global environmental crisis that has prevailed with the intensification of industrialization (Christian, 2002). From a practical point of view, this appears to be the case in Amazon basin of Peru. In April 2006, the United States and Peruvian governments signed a Free Trade Agreement intended to foster bilateral trade between the two countries. Even at its outset, the agreement was heavily criticized by environmental organizations, citing potential environmental and labor concerns. The FTA became effective in February this year, and precipitated a number changes in Peru’s law so as to facilitate increased access to the Amazon forest (Cabello, 2009). Although the Peruvian Congress approved the initiation of such legislative changes, the indigenous people living in the expansive Amazon region were not consulted, thus contravening the 169th convention of the International Labor Organization. Describing the regulations as a deliberate move to invite foreign companies to exploit the natural resources within the forest zones, the native communities held massive protests in August 2008. Subsequently, the Congress was forced to repeal two of the laws, and additionally pledged to reexamine the others. The apparent failure to abide by the promise eventually led to an eruption of renewed protests starting April 2009. Since then, they have been remained persistent in advancing their cause: that the legislative provisions which inevitably undermine their land and water rights have to be abolished (Romero, 2009). Central in the current conflict between the indigenous people and the Peruvian government is the controversy surrounding the idea of allowing multinational oil corporations, particularly those of American origin, to explore as well as mine oil and other mineral resources in the Amazon under the 2006 agreement (Romero, 2009). From a basic point of view, the physical clashes represent the conflicting interests between these two parties. On the one hand, the government led by President Garcia purports to exploit the natural resources in the Amazon in order to bring economic wealth for all citizens. Notably, the potential geographical zones to be explored for their oil and gas deposits cover about seventy two percent of the country’s rain forests (Chauvin, 2009). Similarly, the government also intends to open up the water resources and forest lands to other economic activities such as large-scale farming and extensive mining explorations. From the side of the incumbency, such a move should not elicit any local opposition, considering that the government’s ownership of all subsoil rights. The exploration of these vast lands by multinational corporations would definitely accrue immense economic wealth. On the other hand, the indigenous people see the move as a threat to their ancestral land, their own security, and the environment in general. This is so considering the fact that the mineral exploration initiatives could end up affecting more than thirty thousand natives spread across six of Peru’s provinces (Chauvin, 2009). An estimated 50 percent of Peru is covered by the Amazon rain forest, which houses more than sixty ethnic groups. In the recent past however, the Amazon region has attracted numerous oil, gas, and other mining corporations with the objective of exploring the natural resources found within the forest. Since 2005 for instance, the regions selected for gas and oil concessions have significantly increased (from an estimated fifteen to seventy percent) (Cabello, 2009). Early this year, the country’s oil licensing organization signed contracts with several multinational oil corporations, permitting them to explore natural resources in the Amazon. Although such initiatives will promote economic growth in the country, a critical observation reveals the activities of these international companies jeopardize the very existence of the Amazon, which is widely recognized as an important center of biodiversity, even at the global front. Indeed, the Amazon Basin is an extremely important resource especially when we consider international issues such as the realities of environmental pollution and global warming. Generating close to twenty percent of the earth’s fresh water, the basin is home to numerous indigenous Peruvian communities. Despite their continued habitation of the forest regions for many years, the natural resources have been well-preserved, thus promoting environmental sustainability. Additionally, the Amazon has been cited as vital in the regulation of atmospheric emissions, particularly carbon dioxide responsible for environmental pollution, besides stabilizing rainfall and guarding against desertification (Chauvin, 2009). Seen in this sense, Amazon has served to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change that are often associated with global warming. Recent government reports highlight continued overlap between the concession lands (those designated for hydrocarbon extraction) and the natural protected areas occupied by the indigenous population (Chauvin, 2009). United States’ oil companies such as Burlington and Hunt Oil are currently mining fossil fuels in areas that were traditionally reserved as natural lands. With no hope of a possible retreat of the current trends, the indigenous Peruvians continue to face numerous environmental problems including soil and water pollution, which in turn impacts negatively on their health. In essence, continued investment in the Amazon rainforest appears to contradict what world nations, including the U. S. nd Peru postulate as viable strategies of mitigating the currently witnessed global climate change. It is apparent that the continued extraction and transportation of fossil fuels will lead to an unprecedented release of toxic materials into the soil and increasing the percentage of greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere. Additionally, these multinational companies are also contributing to deforestation via the establishment of infrastructures such as roads and oil pipelines. It is indeed ironical that bilateral and international agreements such as the one between the U. S. nd Peru could actually end up fueling the global climate crisis and threatening the very livelihoods of indigenous populations, rather than initiating measures towards its alleviation and encouraging sustainable development. It is questionable that the Peruvian government should take advantage of the natives who lack title deeds and therefore direct claims to the land they have lived in for many years. Instead of focusing on the immediate economic benefits, the government ought to consider the potential harm to the Amazon Basin, as well as the life it has supported for a prolonged duration.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Paper Essay

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles In a world of finances, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles seem to play a huge role. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP, is defined as the set of guidelines and rules which the financial firms adhere in their work. GAAP is useful due to the nature of being able to standardize the methods for the organizations to follow, and it establishes consistency from year to year in documents such as financial statements (Cleverly, Song & Cleverly, 2011). Healthcare is inevitably a business like any other according to the authors, and such healthcare organizations are sure to benefit from GAAP. Cleverly et al (2011), attempts to teach the reader the five of the principles in their work. They are as follows; Accounting Entity, Money Measurement, Duality, Cost Valuation, and Stable Monetary Unit. To apply these essential principles to healthcare organizational settings, it is important to study how each of the principles are defined. Principle 1: Accounting Entity It is stated that accounting entity is an organization which is involved in economic activities with own assets and resources which should be accounted (Cleverly, Song & Cleverly, 2011). The authors also state that if the definition is not properly determined, evaluations might become even useless and misleading. Legal entity and accounting entity are different. This means that sometimes it is not apparent for the firms define the accounting entity, as other groups such as universities and government might be involved with the organization as well. Cleverly et al (2011) gives a great example of what could happen if not all aspects are accounted for. In healthcare organizations, the idea of fringe benefits such as bonus wages being paid in municipal basis might not be visible to the hospital’s accounts. This could possibly cause understatement of the expenses, which could affect the finances of the hospital as a whole. Principle 2: Money Measurement Measurement of money is not an easy task in a business setting. There are  resources essential for running a business and other economic obligations the business has to provide and meet. This could be applied in the same way for healthcare organizations. Assets are usually greater than the liabilities (Cleverly et al, 2011). Liabilities are resources from another entity such as bank loans. With the presence of liabilities, owner’s interests are gained to the entity which provided the loans. When the firms take these elements into account, they should acquire a general idea of the accounting entity’s assets and how they are utilized. When the liabilities are unpaid, then the lenders would then make the equity claims, unless the organization was a non-for profit healthcare organization. There are no equity claims for non-profit HCOs, and they just becomes the property of the state (Cleverly et al, 2011). Principle 3: Duality Duality is defined as a simple equation. Assets of the business should equal the liabilities owed plus the net assets. Liabilities and net assets are always counted as assets. It is state that a significant number of HCOs use this principle with different transactions with lenders. Individual asset, liability and net asset always equals the same amount through the duality principle(Cleverly et al, 2011). Principle 4: Cost Valuation This principle is used to estimate the value of the business. It involves historical cost, replacement value, and the market value. Although the asset is considered equal to the liabilities and the net assets, its market value is a different story. If the cost of investment is more than the return, interventions need to be made to either sell the assets or continue operation with resource cuts in the operation. Replacement cost would play a huge role in a hospital where the new and better information technologies are being developed constantly. It is likely for the hospital a significant more money to replace the current technology being used and inflation. Principle 5: Stable Monetary unit According to the authors Celverly et al (2011), stable monetary unit is the generalized value of a dollar whether it was now or then. For example, the dollar from 2000 would be considered the same value as the current dollar. This however, could cause problems due to inflation. Healthcare  organizations could put themselves at significant cash deficit if the management does that put the inflation into account. Healthcare whether it is for profit or not, is still considered a business. Although non-profit HCOs are different at times, the HCOs still require resources, and â€Å"Generally Accepted Accounting Principles assists† the HCOs to stay consistent and allows the managements to see the assets as a whole. References Cleverly, W. O., Song, P. H., & Cleverly, J. O. (2011). Essentials of health care finance (7th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning..

Chemistry Personal Statement Essays

Chemistry Personal Statement Essays Chemistry Personal Statement Essay Chemistry Personal Statement Essay Students who are studying their Masters course would already know the significance of writing an appealing Chemistry personal statement. They have had their share of experience of writing these difficult statements just like any other undergraduate. A personal statement or a statement of purpose helps the applicant in distinguishing his application from dozens of other candidates who have applied for the same course. It provides a huge opportunity to the candidate to leave aside his academic test scores and impress the board with his/her unique skills, qualities and personality. Even a student with high test scores or GPA cannot certainly feel confident in getting the seat in the university. Therefore, the only way one can ensure a seat in the university is by setting himself apart by submitting an appealing and attractive chemistry personal statement. Dozens of applications get rejected each year because of poorly written content and poorly defined thoughts. Students will only be able to impress the board of the university if they consider it carefully what sorts of ideas should be included in the statement and how to express those ideas in an appealing manner. This may probably seem quite intimidating at first but once you sit down and pen down those ideas in a proper order you will see that how easy it is to write a good statement. It is also recommended that every applicant should make an outline so that he can gather and express his thoughts in an effective manner. First outline the introduction of the statement and consider including those important elements in it that can catch the attention of the board. For example, you can start with your childhood dream to become a chemical engineer. While outlining the elements that are to be included in the body section of the statement, consider those points that needs a complete description. For instance, you can link the academic qualification with your interest in the chemistry field and how that qualification can help you become a great chemical engineer. You can also include any experiences that you have gained in this field after completing the undergraduate course. Remember that four important elements that a great personal statement includes such as the applicant’s motivation for seeking chemistry degree, his aspiration, work experience and qualities that relates to that field. While writing a personal statement keep one thing in mind that you need to put forth evidence of your skills and qualities that you claim to possess. You can use that outline to create the first draft. Do not edit the draft while writing because editing and revision can be done later. Do not worry about anything and just let your creativity do the work. Once the statement is completely written, revise it and see if it meets with the given word count requirement.

Xenophobia Essays - Emotions, Fear, Anti-Islam, Islamophobia

Xenophobia Essays - Emotions, Fear, Anti-Islam, Islamophobia Samantha Jacobs Cara Copolla English 101 December 9, 2015 Xenophobia Everyone has a fear of something, this could range anywhere from being scared of the dark, to fear of heights. People are not born with fears; something significant had to have happened for them to become fearful of such thing. Fear is what helps protect our country, without being scared of getting hurt, we cannot protect ourselves. Xenophobia is an intense or irrational fear of people from other countries. Depending on the actions taken because of this phobia will affect if it has a good or bad outcome. If this fear is used for good, then it can help keep this country safe and put security back into the eyes of the American citizens. Maggie Baker says Xenophobia is neither the fear of Xeni, nor of Xena. Rather, it's more about knee-jerk mistrust, dislike, and hatred for people who aren't part of your group Although this may be true, it must be taken into consideration of why that fear was built. Looking at the news it is easy to see that foreigners target America. The biggest historical event that happened was the 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers. An Islam got onto a plane as the captain and flew the plane directly into the left tower, while this happened another plane was heading towards the white house where thankfully the passengers on the plane understood what was happening and managed to crash the plane before it got to the White House. As this all happened there was live video and as Carla Raisler said I was in OCharleys having a birthday dinner with my daughter and I remember seeing on every television screen the twin towers collapsing and smoke everywhere. As I saw this happening all I could think was how we need to capture the people who did this to us. We are the United States of America and it is our job to provide security, 2,996 Americans lost their lives that day and we need to make sure that it never happens again. In order to provide security we were able to learn from former incidents, such as 9/11, we now have high security at airports and every bag, and person is thoroughly checked. This is not Americans being rude and having hatred for one specific group of people. This is America making sure that what happened all those years ago will never happens again. In the last 15 years there have been over 45 different terrorist attacks in the United States, some have caused more deaths than others but either way that number should not be as high as it is. In 2009 A Muslim psychiatrist killed13 unarmed soldiers while 39 were injured. In 2013 Foreign-born Muslims describing themselves as 'very religious' detonate two bombs packed with ball bearings at the Boston Marathon, killing 3 people and causing 264 more to lose limbs. Just recently on December 2, 2015 a Muslim goes to a Christmas party with his wife and kills 13 people. When situations like these happen on a daily basis how are we as Americans not supposed to be scared? We should not judge a book by its cover, with that being said, we as Americans should not discriminate towards others with certain backgrounds. Not everyone is a bad person and as Theodore Roosevelt said In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people. This is what everyone needs to understand, Xenophobia may be

6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar

6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar If youre reading this page, its a safe bet that you know English grammar. That is, you know how to put words together in a sensible order and add the right endings. Whether or not youve ever opened a grammar book, you know how to produce combinations of sounds and letters that others can understand. After all, English was used for a thousand years before the first grammar books ever appeared. But how much do you know about grammar? And, really, why should anybody bother to learn about grammar at all? Knowing about grammar, says David Crystal in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2003), means being able to talk about what it is we are able to do when we construct sentences  - to describe what the rules are, and what happens when they fail to apply. In the Cambridge Encyclopedia (one of our Top 10 Reference Works for Writers and Editors), Crystal spends several hundred pages examining all aspects of the English language, including its history and vocabulary, regional and social variations, and the differences between spoken and written English. But its the chapters on English grammar that are central to his book, just as grammar itself is central to any study of language. Crystal opens his chapter on Grammar Mythology with a list of six reasons to study grammarreasons worth stopping to think about. Accepting the ChallengeBecause Its There. People are constantly curious about the world in which they live, and wish to understand it and (as with mountains) master it. Grammar is no different from any other domain of knowledge in this respect.Being HumanBut more than mountains, language is involved with almost everything we do as human beings. We cannot live without language. To understand the linguistic dimension of our existence would be no mean achievement. And grammar is the fundamental organizing principle of language.Exploring Our Creative AbilityOur grammatical ability is extraordinary. It is probably the most creative ability we have. There is no limit to what we can say or write, yet all of this potential is controlled by a finite number of rules. How is this done?Solving ProblemsNonetheless, our language can let us down. We encounter ambiguity, and unintelligible speech or writing. To deal with these problems, we need to put grammar under the microscope and work out what w ent wrong. This is especially critical when children are learning to emulate the standards used by educated adult members of their community. Learning Other LanguagesLearning about English grammar provides a basis for learning other languages. Much of the apparatus we need to study English turns out to be of general usefulness. Other languages have clauses, tenses, and adjectives too. And the differences they display will be all the clearer if we have first grasped what is unique to our mother tongue.Increasing Our AwarenessAfter studying grammar, we should be more alert to the strength, flexibility, and variety of our language, and thus be in a better position to use it and to evaluate others use of it. Whether our own usage, in fact, improves, as a result, is less predictable. Our awareness must improve, but turning that awareness into better practiceby speaking and writing more effectivelyrequires an additional set of skills. Even after a course on car mechanics, we can still drive carelessly. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language. If that sounds a bit too lofty, we might return to the simpler words of William Langland in his 14th-century poem The Vision of Piers Plowman: Grammar, the ground of all.

Can you make up a topic for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Can you make up a topic for me - Essay Example times still carries out illicit affairs but they are done secretly and the wife may never be aware of what is happening and when a discovery is made, it completely shatters the marriage. In this type of marriage just like in a polygamous one, the woman is still the one to suffer and do it alone as she is expected to remain faithful. Engels does not see anything wrong with such an arrangement which I also disagree with as it is not only unreasonable but it disregards the woman’s sexuality as well downplaying it to no importance at all. The question heavy in my mind is whether monogamous marriages are really worth it if the men are still picking up the polygamous culture but doing it secretly (Engels 2004). I agree with the explanations Yuval-Davis provides about how women and their decision making ability even on their own reproduction is denied to them. They are made to listen to the policies being made and follow the directives given to them but not to complain. Women are not given a choice when it comes to their reproductive system as they are forced to have babies to continue the bloodline, fill a nation or even for social status. In cases where Malthusian theory is being practiced, the female children born or unborn are killed and only the male survive and this is decided by the man and not the woman. Women simply have no powers whether it is productive or reproductive roles and they are simply like automatons controlled by the men and made to do what the men want and this is absolutely unfair (Yuval-Davis 1997). I agree that the society has continually put pressure on women to agree with them about each and everything concerning their lives and have even moved to their reproductive life. Reproduction is the one thing that is and should remain private in a woman’s life and she should therefore hold all the reins when it comes to decisions about her reproductive health. She should be the one to make decisions about whether she wants a child or not and

Project motorcycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project motorcycles - Essay Example This structure is advantageous because there is a clear chain of command, autonomy of departments, quick decision making and sharing of skills. The following model indicates the functional structure that is intended to be applied in the developing of the larger touring class motorcycle. This implies that, a project can be completed by a specific functional group equipped with the necessary skills. The process of developing a larger class touring motorcycle involves two main stages. They include manufacturing and quality control. At the manufacturing department, the necessary materials are assembled to completion and at the quality control department; the quality control inspectors conduct a visual inspection (Cooke, Tate, & Cooke, 2011). The functional groups form reservoirs of knowledge in the areas of specialization. The groups’ efficiency is attributed to well-structured communication processes, which eases decision-making. The process of developing motors larger than 1100cc intended for long distance and a proposed global market target of males aged 35-60 years requires systematic functional units to ensure that, the company does not make losses during the changeover (Cooke, Tate, & Cooke, 2011). The following are the primary raw material essential for the development of a motorcycle. The process of manufacturing should start at the weld department. This process should be aided by the computer-controlled fabrication of frame lofty strength materials (Henshaw, 2012). The components are shaped into hollow tubular metal shells. The diverse sections are jointly welded. The process engrosses manual, automatic and computerized equipment. The plastic and metal components are painted in the booths of the paint department. The process is called powder coating. It is done by a pressurized system, which disperses the paint evenly (Henshaw, 2012). Installation of other parts such as brakes, foot pegs, seats, lights, radios, wheels and many others

Summary of story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of story - Assignment Example The baby reminds the two of the love, peace and stability they once created. However, as the two parents begin fighting over the baby and pulling her the baby begins to cry thereby symbolizing the disunity and commotion the two create in the family. They pull the baby mercilessly as he continues crying. The woman manages to pull the baby from the man’s grip, and the author ends the story in a suspense. The suspense about the baby’s future portrays the suspense in the conflict between the two, which also remains unresolved. The baby is an integral symbol in the short story. He symbolizes the peace and love that once existed in the family to the distrust and disharmony the two experience later. The baby heightens the conflict in the story and influences both the course of the conflict and its subsequent resolution. While the conflict remains unresolved, the two parents are likely to consider the baby’s welfare when doing

A leader in healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A leader in healthcare - Essay Example They are flexible figures and in their absence to mediate, conflicts in diverse group can arise. Hence, an effective leader should possess the qualities of a change agent in order to lead an organization that can adjust and survive through the challenges of new developments in health care systems. What is permanent in this world is change. The statement is a common clichà © in most society, however, it still holds true in the health care aspect. Medical practitioners in various fields of expertise recognize the importance continuing education and training—updating their knowledge on what practices have been modified and which have been completely eliminated. Being a change agent not only means creating new ideas, it is also about going against the mainstream of usual system (Kouzes & Posner, 2008). The definition does not imply that this attribute in a leader is disrespectful on the higher authority such as the distinguished institutions. At some point, because of this characteristic, clashes in principles may occur. This is to be expected because most health care systems are founded on traditional and hierarchal system. Hence, the need to challenge what is the common way of doing things seems essential, for only with the perceived transformation can the door for impr ovement emerges. The process of change cannot take place if the leaders will just relax in the background. By being change agents, they tend to grab the opportunity to make active actions. The operative word is â€Å"now,† where leaders take hold of what they think is beneficial and turns it around to their advantage. The focus of these types of leaders is more on the external side of things--on the broader picture of the field (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2007). By employing the aid of various agencies, the multidisciplinary approach in change can be more productive and a wide spectrum of development is obtained—ensuring that the far fetching possibility of an organizational downfall will not

Academy Honesty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academy Honesty - Essay Example Academic honesty is crucial in promoting original ideas and interpretation on issues and topics that are socially, economically and politically relevant. Besides being ethically correct, academic honesty fosters a new breed of innovative thinkers who have the power to influence the critically sensitive paradigms of our time which is fraught with conflicting ideologies and unholy alliances of the vested interests.The purpose of academics is to generate knowledge which is multiplied through interpretation in various formats by scholars. The existing database of knowledge is explored, modified, corrected or even expanded with more fresh inputs by other scholars, thus promoting academic honesty, which relies on acknowledging the efforts of other people. Hence, academic honesty is an important tool to safeguard not only one's works but also to encourage originality and innovative writing in academia.One can use academic honesty by acknowledging the efforts of other scholars and people thr ough proper citations. The ideas and writings of other scholars are duly recognized by having a detailed bibliography, in one's work.Academic honesty is critical to the advancement of knowledge and development of fresh ideas and perspectives on wide ranging issues.

A leader in healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A leader in healthcare - Essay Example They are flexible figures and in their absence to mediate, conflicts in diverse group can arise. Hence, an effective leader should possess the qualities of a change agent in order to lead an organization that can adjust and survive through the challenges of new developments in health care systems. What is permanent in this world is change. The statement is a common clichà © in most society, however, it still holds true in the health care aspect. Medical practitioners in various fields of expertise recognize the importance continuing education and training—updating their knowledge on what practices have been modified and which have been completely eliminated. Being a change agent not only means creating new ideas, it is also about going against the mainstream of usual system (Kouzes & Posner, 2008). The definition does not imply that this attribute in a leader is disrespectful on the higher authority such as the distinguished institutions. At some point, because of this characteristic, clashes in principles may occur. This is to be expected because most health care systems are founded on traditional and hierarchal system. Hence, the need to challenge what is the common way of doing things seems essential, for only with the perceived transformation can the door for impr ovement emerges. The process of change cannot take place if the leaders will just relax in the background. By being change agents, they tend to grab the opportunity to make active actions. The operative word is â€Å"now,† where leaders take hold of what they think is beneficial and turns it around to their advantage. The focus of these types of leaders is more on the external side of things--on the broader picture of the field (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2007). By employing the aid of various agencies, the multidisciplinary approach in change can be more productive and a wide spectrum of development is obtained—ensuring that the far fetching possibility of an organizational downfall will not

How and why did transportation and expansionist developments spark Essay

How and why did transportation and expansionist developments spark economic growth during the period from 1860-1900 in U.S - Essay Example In fact, most of them agree that the period from 1860 to 1900 is when the US shifted from farm economy to industry- based economy which was very critical in spurring economic growth. Most records show that this is the period when the US leaped ahead of the UK for the first time to become the first in quantity of manufacturing output. It should be noted that there are numerous important factors that helped promote remarkable economic growth during the period from 1860- 1900 in the US (Engerman and Gallman 16). Out of the numerous factors, transportation and expansionist developments were credited for sparking the economic growth during that period. The US economic development during this period was characterized by massive developments in transportation sector in general and expansionist development whose main features were accumulation of productive land in the West and westward movement of population (Cain and Jonathan 24). Throughout human history, development in transportation has always been seen to make human lives better and facilitate not only the economic exchanges but also the cultural exchanges. This scenario was no different in the American economic history where transportation proved to be the key driver of economic growth and development. During the period from 1860- 1900, there were explosion of new inventions and discoveries that aided advancement of transportation (Cain and Jonathan 76). Some of the main transportation developments that sparked economic growth in the US at that period were expansion of railroads and construction of stringer bridges and tracks that could handle heavier locomotives and cars. Therefore, these locomotives and cars would carry increased quantities of goods and more people at a given time which spurred economic growth. Transportation of enormous quantities of goods that were produced at that time such as wood products, textiles, food, steel, coal, and oil was much easier and cheaper thus spurring economic growth becau se these goods are critical ingredients in production (Engerman and Gallman 43). Besides, such advancements in transportation played a crucial role in reducing the cost of production; locomotives and cars would carry goods and people at much cheaper cost since the railroads had been greatly expanded. Also, completion of transcontinental railroad in 1869 facilitated the connection of major US cities which was critical in spurring economic growth through effective and cheaper transportation of goods and people (Cain and Jonathan 106). As a result, the US economy experienced increased economic activities as conducting business was relatively cheaper, hence increased economic growth. Moreover, development in transportation enhanced commerce that resulted to huge tax revenues for the US thus spurring economic growth. As a result of increased economic activities because of significantly developed transport system, the US economy was growing at a rate of over 4 percent for real GDP per cap ita and over 6 percent for real; undisputable impressive economic growth. This significant economic growth prompted Economist Milton Friedman to state that this rate of economic growth was the highest rate of the decades during that period compared to previous decades (Cain and Jonathan 185). In addition, expansionist developments played a very critical role in sparking the economic growth during the period from 1860- 1900 in the US. This period was marked by expansion towards the West was

Heraclites V. Parmenides Essay Example for Free

Heraclites V. Parmenides Essay Philosophy serves one purpose, bringing order to reason. This, on so many levels can organize ones way of thinking into a structured manner; therefore rendering it much easier for one to conclude solid conclusions, thereby avoiding error. There have been many independent streams of philosophy from several different parts of the world, such as China, and India. But the most popular school of thought that has created the most impact on the United States, without a doubt would have to be the ancient Greeks (who by the way started philosophy in a fashion of independent religion). Skipping straight ahead to two of philosophies great philosophers: Heraclitus (540-480 B. C), and one of the most miss-understood, Parmenides (515-440 B. C. ). These two philosophers took philosophy to a new level; from trying to understand our changing world, to trying to understand change itself. If the search for a fundamental substance was to ever progress, it would have to face the inevitable problem of change. In other words, what remains the same when everything else changes of a particular thing? Change appears to be a fundamental character in nature/life. Our experiences tell us that things are definitely in motion (moving) and changing (becoming different) every moment of every day. But however, the question still arrives, what remains the same throughout this process? The two key solutions (in my opinion one) comes from these two well thought philosophers. Like I said, only one has a solid conclusion in which I agree. Parmenides spoke deeply when he said, being is; and non-being, is not. Parmenides base philosophy was that change was simply an illusion. It was perfectly clear to him that the world appeared to be in a constant state of flux; more so though he believed that our senses deceived us. The fundamental substance is being. And in order to reconcile the perpetual change he perceived with his senses; he reasoned that nothing comes from nothing, and that all existing comes from something pre-existing. Parmenides took for granted that the world had always existed, therefore, being must have always existed, and ultimately will always exist. Being is an eternal state he said. Now comes Heraclitus with the philosophy that everything changes, and nothing stays the same. Diametrically opposed to that of which Parmenides stands for. Heraclitus firmly believed in his assumption that everything changed. He believed becoming was the root to all things. And one of his famous phrases was, one never steps into the same river twice. What he meant by this was, when a person interrupts the current of the river in any way form or fashion, he/she has changed the river from what it was to what it is. Even without interrupting the river and plainly observing the flow on can witness the change. And this can be applied to every day life on all levels. He states that if the consequences of a perpetually changing foundation into existence are profound, and the fundamental elements are inconsistent and unstable, how can there be any laws to govern them? This preference for consistent change led Heraclitus to his theory of fire being the basic element of all things, due to its consistent change in nature and its dynamics. When interpreting Heraclitus I see him as saying, since we know from our own experiences that change happens, this is no illusion by far, because one can physically experience the change. Heraclitus also points to his theory of fire, due to the fact that in so many words theres such an abundance supply of it in nature its the basic element for all things. I disagree with him. His views are flawless by far and one can still argue his points today. Parmenides on the other hand grasps my attention and holds so much stronger with solid conclusions, so much so that one can only think. Parmenides says, One can only think of what already exists, and can come into existence from the pre-existing. He argues that no one, and I quote, no one can speak on or even think about what does not exist or even come into existence from nothing. This is because nothing is simply that, nothing, and how can one truly make something out of nothing. For this reason is why I side with Parmenides on this topic.

Imperial Tobacco Company Analysis

Imperial Tobacco Company Analysis Introduction International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions (private and governmental, sales, investments, logistics, and transportation) that take place between two or more nations. Usually, private undertake such transactions for profit; government undertake them for profit, as well as political reasons. Multinational corporations (MNC) are the primary players today in the worlds most dynamic industries and the driving force behind the global economy. Multinational corporations, once made vulnerable to the expropriation of property or blockage of funds, and forbidden to trade with hostile countries and to buy and sell freely the latest high technology and scarce commodities, are now more likely to guide foreign policy than follow it. Every year, the financial flows of international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) diminish in importance relative to the hefty direct and portfolio investments that private investors pour into emerging markets. Many forces, from technology to political ideas, are keeping the global bullet train of consumerism and privatization running. About the company The company chosen to research is Imperial Tobacco (Imperial). The Imperial Tobacco Company was created in 1901 through the amalgamation of thirteen British tobacco and cigarette companies comprising W.D. H.O. Wills of Bristol (the leading manufacturer of the time), John Player Sons of Nottingham and 11 other independent family businesses, which were being threatened by competition from the United States in the form of James Buchanan Duke and his American Tobacco Company. In 1902 the Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company agreed to form a joint venture: the British-American Tobacco Company Ltd. [2] The parent companies agreed not to trade in each others domestic territory and to assign trademarks, export businesses and overseas subsidiaries to the joint venture. American Tobacco sold its share in 1911 but Imperial maintained an interest in British American Tobacco until 1980. Imperial Tobaccos corporate headquarters are in Bristol, England. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The marketing mix, which consists of the 4 Ps; product, price, place and promotion, has been extended to the 8 Ps. This is due to the effect of globalization, which has been used to better accommodate specific aspects of marketing. The elements which have been added are process, people, profit and packaging/physical evidence. The marketing mix was designed as a simple way to focus on the main elements of marketing for a business and to create a marketing strategy either at business, product or campaign level. The marketing mix was designed as a simple way to focus on the main elements of marketing for a business and to create a marketing strategy either at business, product or campaign level. By utilizing the Ps, a MNC can gain competitive advantage over competitors by meeting the customer wants and needs profitably. Product Imperial is focused on manufacturing high quality tobacco products. The portfolio for Imperial consists of international strategic brands, which cater to a variety of international target markets, such as Davidoff, which is sold in over 100 countries worldwide and is particularly strong in Taiwan, Greece and the Middle East, Gauloises Blondes which is a key mid-price brand and can be found in markets worldwide and is an important addition to Imperial Tobaccos international cigarette portfolio. Also, the global brands are complemented by regional and local brands, for example, Classic, aregional cigarette brand in the value segment. It is the number 2 volume brand in Ukraine and also performs well in Turkey. There is also Excellence, which is a well-established cigarette in the sub-Saharan Africa region. The US also is a targeted market of Imperial, with the brands Sonoma and USA Gold being distributed. Lastly, targeting the lower income bracket customers, Imperial developed Windsor B lue, which operates in the economy sector of the UK cigarette market. Thus Imperial has targeted markets worldwide, varying taste and price to gain a higher segment of the market. A major competitor for Imperial is the mega-company British American Tobacco Company (BAT). They are the worlds second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets.With over 300 brands in BAT Companys portfolio, they hold robust market positions in each of our regions and have leadership in more than 50 markets. Some of their successful brands are du Maurier (Canada and Trinidad), Craven A (Jamaica) and Black Allen (Germany). Price Price is the generating element amongst the 4 Ps. The price of Imperials products, both for the UK, as well as other countries are suited to do one purposeful thing, satisfy the specified target market profitably. In the UK, the price of the fine cut tobacco, Drum is  £2.85 for a 12.5 gram pouch and a 25 gram pouch is  £5.37. Windsor Blue goes at  £1.75 for a 12.5 gram pouch and a 25 gram pouch goes for  £4.75 for a 25 gram pouch. In the Caribbean, More cigarettes are sold. They are not a famous brand but they sell for  £3.25 (TT $42.25) for a 12.5 gram pack. As mentioned, BAT is the main competitor in the industry. They offer their brands to both the UK and the Caribbean as well. In the UK, they market the brand Dunhill. A 12.5 gram pouch sells for  £3.10 while a 25 gram pouch sells for  £6.15. In the Caribbean, duMaurier sells for  £1.54 (TT $20.00). Place Imperial products reach customers worldwide from their different subsidiaries. Their main method of distribution is indirect, where intermediaries are used. Imperial products are sold in over 160 countries worldwide. Within these countries, there exist over 100 intermediaries in each country, which would supply Imperials economy brands, including super markets, other retailers, different wholesalers, vending machines, clubs, bars and pubs. Thats more than 16,000 middle men, which proves that Imperial uses the method of intensive distribution. However, for the higher end tobacco products, Imperial may choose to use selective distribution, as they are more premium and those products are only for a specific segment of the market. Such products would also be marketed in certain countries, such as Germany, France, the US and Spain. Promotion Imperial uses different forms of promotion to create awareness in the customers for their products and peak their interests. Promotion also helps create that desire for a certain product and finally the purchase. The three main concepts of the promotional mix that Imperial may use are advertisements, sponsorships and sales promotion. Advertisement Imperial uses a high degree of advertisement to create awareness and transfer information to the target market. The degree of advertisement would vary with different countries and cultures. Some countries are more technologically advanced than others. For instance, in India, the cigarette brand Benson Hedges is advertised via flyers, low-budget television ads, radio, billboards and newspapers. However, in the UK, high-tech advertising is utilized in the form of electronic billboards, internet, blimps and subways. BAT uses similar advertising methods, for the brand Wills, which is distributed in both the UK and in India. The methods of advertising for both Imperial and BAT are similar, due to the fact that cigarettes and tobacco products sell to the same markets at relatively the same price. Sponsorships John Player Specials (JPS) is a brand manufactured by Imperial. JPS has always been associated with theLotusFormula Oneteam, andNortonmotorcycleracing team.JPS also sponsored theForsythe Championship Racingteam inChamp Carracing until tobacco advertising in automotive series was banned in 2004. The tobacco brand Winfield, which is manufactured by BAT Australia, sponsors a different sport. They sponsor rugby as well as golf. Winfield has been the title sponsor for theNew South Wales Rugby League premiershipfrom 1982. Sales promotion Both companies, Imperial and BAT, do the same type of sales promotion for their brands, as there is little that can be done to pull persons to buy a product with negative externalities. However, they still offer giveaways, where customers get free items with their purchases. Recently, BAT brought out the new giveaway where winners were getting a trip to London. Imperial are yet to retaliate with a giveaway of their own. It can be noticed that both Imperial as well as the competitor BAT have similar promotional techniques. This is so, as the tobacco industry has no real positives other than giving back to society in the form of money and giveaways. People Customers The target market for Imperial products would consist of adults (persons over the age of 18 in most countries). The products are segmented for taste, income social class and choice. (Mild to light cigarettes, expensive such as Drum, while cost effective, as the Windsor Blue, cigars such as Golden Virginiafine cut tobacco, and lastly, the wide product portfolio that Imperial has, with products internationally sold to satiate the choice of customers. What Imperial does Produce high quality products Work in partnership with our customers to deliver the right product at the right time and at the right price Provide high standards of customer support Stand up for the freedom of our consumers to enjoy our products. Employees The Board of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, which meets at least five times a year, currently comprises a Non-Executive Chairman, a Non-Executive Deputy Chairman, seven Non-Executive Directors and four Executive Directors, with a clear separation of the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive to ensure an appropriate balance of power and authority. Imperial ensure that employees understand the corporate strategy and business goals, and how each and every one can contribute to the overall success. Imperial values individuality and hard work, looks after its people, creating opportunities for them to develop both individually and as part of a team treats each worker with respect, fairness and understanding Has developed a culture based on openness, trust and integrity; encouraging genuine two-way communication through constructive and honest debate, and placing emphasis on building relationships and sharing information. Process This is the procedure, mechanisms and flow of activities by which services are consumed (customer management processes) are an essential element of the marketing strategy. The final products for Imperial are consumed by adults and are B2C products. Tobacco products are consumed via smoking. The target market is informed of the product via advertising, or word of mouth. Tobacco products contain nicotine, a drug that induces addiction. Before a consumer uses the products of Imperial, there is a certain process that has to be undertaken. First the customer would decide on wanting a certain brand and product. After making the choice on which product to purchase, the buyer would then receive a bill showing the product and the price allocated, which would be received by the customer and paid for. This process would be continued most likely when the consumer wished for more products. Physical evidence This refers to the material aspects of a product. For Imperial, this may refer to the packaging, such as the packets, which carries the companys logo. Imperials webpage also uses the color red, which is their main color. The brochures, and invoices handed out by Imperial also may be evidence of theirs, as their logo would be imprinted on the bill/brochure. Future recommendations Imperial is a company that is doing well in the tobacco industry, but some recommendations can be made, so that more can be achieved. Further increase the volume of cigarettes made, to achieve even a greater market share, revenue and profits. Develop new products, to gain new market share and higher profits. Such products could be a new brand of cigarettes, or going into the new market of snus. Increase means of promotion, as presently, the company is lacking in substantial promotion, thus consumers would be unaware of their existence, and possibly their successful brands. Setting up other subsidiaries in lesser developed countries, as to increase strength in the market, as well as to create employment and be helpful to other countries environment and people. (Corporate responsibility). Conclusion Imperial has well utilized it marketing mix to gain overseas growth. It has made itself one of the most successful MNCs to date as they have not faltered in maximizing the concepts of the marketing mix. Bibliography British American Tobacco Company Profile on LinkedIn. Relationships Matter | LinkedIn. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. . Dictionaries, Oxford. Concise Oxford English Dictionary: 11th Edition Revised 2008 (Dictionary). 11 Revised ed. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2008. Print. Hill, Charles W. L.. International Business. 8 ed. New York: Mcgraw Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print. Hill, John S.. International Business: Managing Globalization. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc, 2008. Print. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC About us History Company today (1996 present). Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. . Imperial Tobacco Group PLC About us History Company today (1996 present). Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. . Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2009. . Marketing Teacher Homepage. Marketing Teacher Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . TwitterButtons.com. Business Coaching. Business Coaching. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. . www.bata.com.au Gateway Page. www.bata.com.au Gateway Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. . References http://www.imperial-tobacco.com/index.asp?page=56newsid=1145 2http://www.bat.com/group/sites/uk__3mnfen.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO52AK34/$FILE/medMD7QMM9J.pdf?openelement

Determination :: essays research papers

Determination I am a very dependable person. When I start a project I concentrate and focus in it. I use my determination in all parts of my life. In school my determination has allowed me to achieve many academic accomplishments. In an engineering course I was given an assignment to design a house using Autocad. This house had to be designed to all of the state building codes. My teacher had set up many different requirements for the project. It had to be an original design with four different types of architectural plans. This entire project was due at the end of the semester along with the regular homework assignments. My determination allowed me to complete all these tasks in almost one half the time allotted. I received a 99.7% grade for this massive project. My determination is what dove me to its completion. My determination also is extremely important at my part -- time job. My job is to sell computers and many other business machines. Selling the computers and peripherals was not a problem, but when I started working I knew almost nothing about fax machines and copiers. I was determined to learn about these new machines so I read the magazines and listened to the representative to learn about the machines. My determination is what helped me to learn about these products so that I could share my information with the customer. Now with my expertise in copiers and fax machines I can answer almost any question that customers have and perform almost any type of service necessary on them. Determination again is what lead me to be ahead in my field of study and work. A good wrestler has to have determination. When I was at a tournament in January of 1996 I broke my shoulder blade. I was in the second and final match of the day when I broke my clavicle (I didn't know that it was broken until a week later). This happened on a Friday night, and I was upset that I had lost the chance for the championship by two points. I knew that I would be wrestling for third place the next day so I would have to shake off any aches or pains that I might have. I woke up the next morning and my shoulder was throbbing. I thought that the pain would subside if I stretched out a bit. Determination :: essays research papers Determination I am a very dependable person. When I start a project I concentrate and focus in it. I use my determination in all parts of my life. In school my determination has allowed me to achieve many academic accomplishments. In an engineering course I was given an assignment to design a house using Autocad. This house had to be designed to all of the state building codes. My teacher had set up many different requirements for the project. It had to be an original design with four different types of architectural plans. This entire project was due at the end of the semester along with the regular homework assignments. My determination allowed me to complete all these tasks in almost one half the time allotted. I received a 99.7% grade for this massive project. My determination is what dove me to its completion. My determination also is extremely important at my part -- time job. My job is to sell computers and many other business machines. Selling the computers and peripherals was not a problem, but when I started working I knew almost nothing about fax machines and copiers. I was determined to learn about these new machines so I read the magazines and listened to the representative to learn about the machines. My determination is what helped me to learn about these products so that I could share my information with the customer. Now with my expertise in copiers and fax machines I can answer almost any question that customers have and perform almost any type of service necessary on them. Determination again is what lead me to be ahead in my field of study and work. A good wrestler has to have determination. When I was at a tournament in January of 1996 I broke my shoulder blade. I was in the second and final match of the day when I broke my clavicle (I didn't know that it was broken until a week later). This happened on a Friday night, and I was upset that I had lost the chance for the championship by two points. I knew that I would be wrestling for third place the next day so I would have to shake off any aches or pains that I might have. I woke up the next morning and my shoulder was throbbing. I thought that the pain would subside if I stretched out a bit.

Environmental Science Essay

Gagandeep Rai Period 3/4 Criteria air pollutants assignment​ Multiple Choice 1. A pungent reddish ­brown gas often associated with photochemical smog. (C) NO2 2. A corrosive gas from burning coal often associated with industrial smog. (d) SO2 3. A dangerous indoor air pollutant. (A) CO 4. Emitted from diesel and burning fuel. (E) PM10 5. All of the following are examples of primary air pollutants except. (c) tropospheric ozone 6. The greatest emission of sulfur dioxide comes from (C) Industrial processes 7. The least amount of nitrogen oxide emissions comes from (A) on ­ road vehicles 8. The accumulation of tropospheric ozone at night depends mainly upon the atmospheric concentrations of (B) volatile organics 1. What are they? The six criteria air pollutants are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides,lead,particulate matter and tropospheric ozone. These six pollutants significantly threaten human health, ecosystems and/or structures. 2. How is each produced? Sulfur dioxide is mostly produced from the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. It can also be released during volcanic eruptions. Nitrogen oxides are produced from vehicles as well as stationary fossil fuel combustion. Some is also released through lightning and forest fires.Carbon monoxide is formed by incomplete combustion of most matter. Vehicle exhaust and many other combustion process produce Carbon monoxide. It is also a indoor pollutant when exhaust systems on natural gas heaters misfunction. Carbon dioxide is produced from complete combustion of most matter such as biomass and fossil fuels. Particulate matter is released when fossil fuels and bio fuel is burned. Also it is released with activities that involve movement of dust or sand. Lead is released from old paint, gasoline additive and combustion of fossil fuels.

Disease and Disorders of the Lymphatic System

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type I Diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It was previously known as juvenile diabetes. Type I diabetes is usually caused by an auto-immune reaction in which the cells that produce insulin are attacked by the body’s defense system. People who have type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin. (Types of Diabetes, 2013) The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, in most people, it due to a problem with the body’s immune system. The immune system is supposed to fight harmful bacteria and viruses, but in those with type 1 diabetes the system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which lies behind and below the stomach. Once the islet cells have been destroyed the pancreas will produce little or no insulin. The pancreas secretes insulin in the bloodstream and it is circulated throughout the system enabling sugar to enter cells. The main function of insulin is to lower the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. As the level of sugar drops in the blood, the pancreas slows down the secretion of insulin. Because there is no insulin to let glucose into cells, the sugar builds up in the bloodstream where is can cause life-threatening complications. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Glucose is important to the body as it is the main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. There are two major sources of glucose, food and the liver. The body receives glucose from various foods containing sugar. When sugar is ingested it is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin. When you haven’t eaten for a period of time, your insulin levels are low; this is when the liver converts stored glycogen into glucose to keep the glucose level within the body within a normal range. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There aren’t many known risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Some of the known risk factors include: a family history of parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes, Genetics (the presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes), exposure to certain viruses (Epstein-Barr, mumps, or cytomegalovirus may trigger destruction of islet cells), early drinking of cow’s milk, introduction of cereal to a baby’s diet prior to the age of 3 months, the birth mother who is younger than 25 years of age or if she had preeclampsia during pregnancy, being born with jaundice, and having a respiratory infection just after birth. The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) While diabetes is a chronic, lifelong illness, it is controllable. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes monitoring blood sugar on a regular basis, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as insulin therapy. Individuals with type 1 diabetes will generally require regular insulin injections for the duration of their lives . (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There are various types of insulin used to control blood sugar levels. The three types insulin used for therapy is rapid-acting, intermediate options, and long-acting insulin. Rapid-acting insulin should be taken within 30 minutes of eating a meal as onset of action begins 10-15 minutes after injection and last for approximately 45 minutes. It is meant to be used to help metabolize food when ingested. Long-acting insulin should be taken at the same each day as it works over a 24 hour period with no peak time. The goal is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, this will delay and possibly prevent complications. Daytime blood sugar levels prior to meals should be between 80 and 120. Bedtime blood sugar levels should be between 100 and 140. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of complications to other major organs in the body. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Long-term complications develop gradually over years. The earlier diabetes develops and the less controlled the blood sugar is, the higher the risk for complications. Type 1 diabetes complications can be life-threatening or even disabling. Heart and blood vessel disease increases the risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of the arteries. Excess sugar can injure the walls of tiny blood vessels, with can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tops of the toes/fingers and gradually spreads upward. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause the loss of all sense of feeling in limbs. Diabetes can also damage the filtering system of the kidneys. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure which can require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Because diabetes can cause nerve damage it can also affect the blood vessels of the retina which can lead to potential blindness. Diabetes increases the risk of cataracts and glaucoma of the eye. This is just a few of the complications of uncontrolled diabetes. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Living with diabetes isn’t easy. Management of blood sugar requires a lot of time and effort, especially when newly diagnosed. Poorly controlled blood sugar can directly affect emotions and cause behavior changes, such as irritability. Diabetes can also make you feel different from other people. It is important to take with others who have diabetes. Support groups are available both online and in person. This is a good source of information. You can also visit the websites of the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Barilla Spa

Nowadays, manufacturing and services firms face growing challenges to increase profit margins amidst increasingly fiercer competition. Under such circumstances, industry analysts and supply chain experts suggest manufacturers and service providers to promote more effective supply and demand planning, management, and execution as the means to unlocking significant gains in margins. By definition, Search CIO (2007) defines SCM as the management of information, materials, and finances along a chain of process from suppliers to manufacturers and then from manufacturers to customers.The interests in the discussion of supply chain management occur since it relates to costs reduction in all aspects of business process especially regarding the inventory reduction that suggests manufacturer produce goods when needed. The situation highlights that supply chain management will enhance lead time (time-to-market) of particular products, thus enabling all parties within an organization to manage t heir resources more effectively. Concerning the issue, this paper will describe supply chain management issue in Barilla spA, an Italian manufacturer that sells their products to its retailers mainly via third-party distributors.The competition in the market has caused unfavorable situation for Barilla during late 1980s when the company faced unpredictable demands from its distributors. 2. What are the reasons for the increase in variability in Barilla’s supply chain? Barilla maintains separate supply chain because the company has two general products: fresh and dry products, which required special treatment. In this situation, fresh products is mainly purchased from the two central distribution centers (CDCs) by independent agents who further channeled the products into 70 regional warehouses across Italy.Meanwhile, about two third of dry products are sold at supermarkets. Figure 1 explains the supply chain systems for Barilla. Figure 1 Barilla Distribution Systems 3. How ca n Barilla cope with the increase in variability? In order to succeed the distribution system, Barilla is known to practice the replenishment strategy, which describes an agreement between Barilla and their supplier to share the data about frequency and inventory levels to match Barilla demands (About. com, 2008).By delivering the products under the agreement with suppliers, Barilla is able to support their Just in time (JIT) distribution system, which is considered to be the optimum strategy to accomplish the company’s mission of having increased customers satisfaction. 4. What is the impact of transferring demand information across the supply chain? By sharing information between Barilla and their suppliers, there are positive impacts since the combination of JIT and replenishment strategy supports the demand fluctuations, reduced inventory level at warehouse, decreased stock-out levels etc.5. Can the Vendor Managed Inventory strategy solve the operational problems faced by Barilla? In Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) strategy, the suppliers have greater responsibility over the supply since they are required to determine the delivery frequency and inventory levels in order to maintain the agreed stock levels in warehouses. In addition, the practice of this system also helps Barilla to track out-of-stocks and other performance data, previous years’ sales history and trends.Therefore, the practice of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) has solved the operational problems at Barilla. 6. How can the supply chain meet conflicting goals of different partners and facilities? In order to avoid the conflict between different partners and suppliers of Barilla, the company must ensure that the implementation of Just in Time system will help the maintenance of satisfaction in services, inventory levels, and stock-out levels and others in which each supplier has taken part of the system.In addition, Barilla must also ensure that within implementation steps, the use of EDI to deliver the inventory information is the same among suppliers so the reliability can be secured and the compatibility level can be reached. Reference: About. com. (2008). Reduce Inventory with these 3 Supplier Partnership Strategies. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://logistics. about. com/od/inventoryoptimization/a/supplier_partnr. htm Hammond, Janice H. (2008). Barilla SpA (A). Harvard Business School.O’Brien, Kevin and Brian Springman. (2004). Optimizing Supply Chains, Understanding Demands. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://www. crmbuyer. com/story/35892. html Search CIO. (2007). Supply Chain Management. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://searchcio. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci214546,00. html YAO Kao-hua, LIU Chang-chuan. (2006). An Integrated Approach for Measuring Supply Chain Performance. Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing. Vol. 2, No. 10

Business strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Business strategy - Assignment Example Objectives -The College aims at the provision of quality education to the whole computer interested fraternity. It also aims at creating competitive individuals in the society, who form the basis of computer development. Another objective is to be a first class university college that offers computer in the country. Lastly, the college has the objective of reaching out to the students through imparting skills that are beneficial and outstanding. Aims -The aim of the college is to increase the availability of the computer education to the growing generation of the computer era. The college also aims at growing to become a recognized institution in both Tripoli and other parts of the world. The running of the college will face many challenges from the external and the internal environment. The change in the landscape of higher education over the years is likely to cause detrimental effects to the college. The global economic crisis is exacerbating the effects of the external environment on the college. The income from the daily activities of the guardians of the potential students continues to deteriorate, causing the decrease in the number of students enrolled in the colleges. The impact of the economy on the family incomes and purported philanthropy has been detrimental over the current years. The families are unable to afford the tuition fees to aid in the education of their children. The philanthropists have also accrued higher expenses prompting them to cut on the endowment aimed towards the higher education. Competition for the available philanthropists has grown tremendously. This causes the reduction in funding the activities of higher learning. Another challenge is the crude alignment of the people towards art related subjects. Most students presume that the art subjects are easy and easy to work with. This causes them to abandon the science subjects such as computer science, and hence leading to inefficiency

The Concept of Outsourcing in Contemporary Economy Literature review

The Concept of Outsourcing in Contemporary Economy - Literature review Example Critics admit that there are both pros and cons of outsourcing based on the unique nature of every industry and a current state of the economy. In cases where this is technically possible, the cost advantage of outsourcing will probably apply to component parts of production processes, leading to outsourcing by the developed economies. Indeed in the current period, the large growth in merchandise trade relative to merchandise produced in the less developed economies can be attributed both to the increased number of exporting final goods to the developed economies, and also to the growth of the latter's outsourcing. Both developments act to reduce the bargaining power of labor, especially union labor. When rules limit direct investment and outsourcing, both producers and labor want enforcement of labor standards abroad to maintain competitiveness for their product. Once the rules are relaxed, the interests of producers and consumers diverge, as low wages and lax labor standards make f oreign production more profitable (Cadena, 2007). The threat to move all or part of production abroad can be used at home to exact reductions in labor compensation (wages plus benefits). Moreover, the threat of significant job losses allows large firms to demand changes to labor legislation that further weaken labor. In addition to endangering jobs, wages, labor standards, and union powers, globalization also hastens the decline of social safety nets. Citing international competitiveness, business has been able to shift the tax burden to labor. But job losses and low wages will erode this tax base, reducing governments' ability to finance welfare programs. Globalization thus undermines labor strength, reinforcing the impact of higher levels of overall unemployment on capital's ability to control the workplace in the developed economies (Aalders, 2001). Such researchers as Cullen and Willcocks (2003) suppose that globalization and communication revolution (via the Internet) opens new opportunities for developed countries to outsource. Cheap labor and favorable economic conditions are the main factors of successful outsourcing strategies. The core places of outsourcing are India, China, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, and Singapore. With economic support, people will pursue careers to achieve stability, security, relationship with others, personal growth, and ultimately status, prioritizing these goals according to their personal value system. For much of the past century, when the drive for careers matured as a goal in offers of employment and in vocational development, this was a very tenable and fulfilling pursuit (Engardio 2006). Careers provided opportunities for individuals with potential and determination to aspire toward goals that enabled them to achieve comfortable economic status. It provided employers with dedicated employe es. As the new millennium approaches, the pursuit of careers appears to be in a state of flux. The turmoil in the industry brought about by global competition and industrial consolidation has shaken the concept of stability and the idea of lifelong employment in a single occupation for a single employer.

The Rocking-Horse Winner VS. Janus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Rocking-Horse Winner VS. Janus - Essay Example The lady portrayed in the story by Lawrence is Paul’s mother â€Å"Hester,† who finds her marriage to be unlucky as she is unable to cope up with the poor financial situation of her married life. She even feels that her children are a burden for her. The story opens with the line â€Å"woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck† (Lawrence). Hester is blessed with three children and her son Paul is shown as a strange character who after receiving the rocking horse gets a strange power, which helps him to predict the horse race winners correctly. He makes a good amount of money out of this and tries to help his mother so that she can pay off the debts. Instead of clearing the debts, she squanders the money for their stylish living. This shows that the lady has a sick desire for money. The story ends with the tragic death of Paul after falling from the horse. In Ann Beatties’s â€Å"Janus,† the protagonist’ s name is Andrea, and she is a successful real estate agent who believes in her lucky bowl. When she gets a buyer for the house, â€Å"she places the bowl in the house that was up for sale† (Beattie 595). This indicates that she was a blind believer of her luck, which she thought relied on the bowl. She credits her achievement to the bowl that is often also admired by the buyers. The story starts with the introduction of bowl – â€Å"The Bowl was perfect,† as the author puts it.

GDP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

GDP - Essay Example According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis that is tasked with the duty of breaking down the worth earned by the goods and services, the rise in real GDP can partly be attributed to the fact that Federal Government spending reduced. The decline in the residential fixed investment together with reduction in spending in both the state and the local governments is another reason the positive trend in real GDP was registered. According to input from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the third quarter experienced the most significant growth, translating to a whopping 4.1%. On the other hand, the fourth quarter seemed to have experienced the least form of growth, which translated to 2.4% (Mataloni). With my prediction for real GDP this year being 3.1%, I presume true the idea that the future is uncertain for US economy at large. I say so because this year is likely to witness increased output, which translates to rise in both imports and exports. When the output is increased, business shall no doubt spur, and this shall prompt most of the employers to bring on board additional employees. The hiring of more employees will mean that the rate of unemployment shall decline. In like manner, the participation of labor too is likely to increase following increased output. Another reason real GDP is likely to increase this year is the fact that the personal consumption expenditure is also likely to increase precisely by two cents, and this shall translate to reduced inflation. The unexpected move by the Federal Reserve Bank to keep the short-term interests is also likely to prove beneficial in the end as it will contribute to positive trends in real GDP. In the course of this year, I also expect the Federal Government to cut costs thereby lowering its spending further (Avakov 43). Just as they did last year, the state and local governments alike are also expected to cut their costs hence lowering their budgets further. Just

The Balanced Scorecard as Performance Managment Tool Essay

The Balanced Scorecard as Performance Managment Tool - Essay Example The research paper will be divided into five chapters. First of all the research will highlight the main issue around which the whole story will travel. This chapter will include the introduction of the whole paper as well as the brief background of the problem. Moreover, chapter will also have a brief discussion about the need and significance of the study and its scope and effects on individuals. The second chapter will discuss the basic concepts and theory of the topic. A detailed literature review will be provided to support the research. In the next chapter, the research strategy and general methodology will be discussed. It will also elaborate the reason of adopting a specific design for the strategy. The 4th chapter will be the most important part of the research, which will show the comparison and analysis of the data collected through various means. It will also provide the recommendations with respect to its findings. The validity of the research is the focal point of the whole effort. It actually explains whether or not you have achieved your task. In other words it deals with the suitability of the methodology to the research. According to Mason , you must ask yourself â€Å"how well matched is the logic of the method to the kinds of research questions you are asking and the kind of social explanation you are intending to develop". The validity of proposed research will be established through different ways e.g. member check, peer analysis, negative analysis, audit-ability, conformability and balance

Globalization Problem Essay Example for Free

Globalization Problem Essay Introduction Globalization has practically changed societies all over the world. It has paved the way for the so called â€Å"borderless economy†. With the advent of the Internet, the role of information has dramatically changed the way people live and do business. As Naval points out in her paper, an immense reduction of time and space barriers among great nations is made possible through interconnectivity. She illustrated that such interconnections result to global transactions being done in the comfort zones of one’s home. This characteristic of the Information Age provides for accessibility to vast reservoirs of knowledge, which is power. 1 It is for this reason that all nations all over the world are adopting ICT-based solutions to address their information needs in this modern era of knowledge explosion. In the Philippines, the government anticipated the importance of Information Technology (IT) as early as the Ramos administration. Ramos in his speech at the First Information Technology and Telecommunications Education Congress outlined the National Information Technology Plan (NITP) of the government. He stressed that IT must be applied to the education sector as a means for national strengthening.2 In 1997, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) reported that the General Appropriations Act of the previous year provided some funds for the CHED-SUCs computerization program. Chairman Angel C. Alcala stated that majority of the fund was used to upgrade the computer capabilities of state-funded institutions. The biggest threat pointed out in the CHED computerization program was the readiness of the people in the educational institutions in the form of computer literacy to cope with the said technological changes. 3 Similarly, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) engaged in its own computerization program. Undersecretary Alejandro W.D. Clemente described the computerization project as two main thrusts, which are (1) improvement of learning/teaching environment and (2) management of education. While improvement of learning/teaching environment mainly involves direct use of IT tools in the classroom such as multimedia, computer-based training, etc., Clemente stressed that management of education through IT centers on three groups. These groups consist of support staff using application programs such as wordprocessors, spreadsheets and the like for processing. The second group is for the number crunching processing such as accounting, budgeting and others. Finally, the third group affected by IT in educational management is in the area of databanking. Storing of voluminous records such as student scholastic records may be kept and retrieved using computer technology. 4 In addition to government efforts, Malacaà ±ang has issued on July 12, 2000, under the Estrada administration, Executive Order No. 265, â€Å"An act approving and adopting the government information systems plan (GISP) as framework and guide for all computerization efforts in the government.† The order aims to provide a wide-ranging set of reforms to enhance government efficiency and effectiveness in its operations and delivery of basic services to the public. Furthermore, the executive order requires all government units to align their respective computerization projects to the thrusts of E.O. 265, also known as the Philippine Government Online. 5 In the light of these ICT undertakings at the national level, most specially in the education sector, former PUP President, Dr. Ofelia M. Carague was inspired to embark on a university-wide computerization project to address the information needs of the university, as embodied in the PUP Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP). The ISSP, in general, aims to address the mission-critical areas of the five sectors of the university, namely: Administration, Finance, Student Services, Academic Affairs and Research and Development. Different systems were lined-up for the different sectors of the university, such as, Admission System (AS), Enrolment System (ES), Student Grades Monitoring Systems (SGMS), etc. under the Student Services sector.6 Despite the massive computerization program of PUP during the early part of the Carague administration, the PUP Laboratory High School department was not included in the initial list of offices to be computerized, mainly due to the limited student population. This view was somehow overturned by a fire incident which threatened to destroy the archived student records in the possession of the high school registrar. This was cited by PUP LHS in its appeal to be included in the computerization project. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School has been in existence for more than half a century since its inception in 1954. Throughout its existence it has adopted several information systems, both manual and automated, to facilitate in its day-to-day operations. Recently, the high school department engaged in an upgrading of its Student Information Systems (SIS). The semi-automated operations were replaced with a fully automated system known as Laboratory High School Student Information System (LabHiSIS). LabHiSIS is composed to two subsystems, namely: (1) Enrolment System (ES) and (2) Student Grades Monitoring System (SGMS). This transition from a semi-automated to a fully automated system entails a lot of adjustments on the part of LHS students, faculty members and non-teaching personnel. Thus, the researcher aims to assess the implementation of the said subsystems of LabHiSIS in order to understand the efficacy of the said system implementation, using as basis common good qualities of information, which an efficient or effective information system must provide. The study shall likewise identify the pr oblems encountered during the system implementations. Background of the Study The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School (PUPLHS) located in the main campus at Sta. Mesa, Manila is the only surviving high school unit of PUP. Previously, there were high school department in other PUP branches like PUP Bataan and Lopez branches. There were some motions in the past to close the department, but it was vigorously opposed to by certain sectors of the university citing that PUP LHS is an integral department of the College of Office Administration and Business Teacher Education (COABTE). The latter was founded in 1904 formerly starting as the College of Business Teacher Education while the former was established in 1954 to pioneer a unique commercial curriculum. The curriculum’s defining attributes are the subjects on distributive arts, which consist of Stenography, Bookkeeping and Salesmanship, viewed as a tool to make the students more equipped for early employment. The students are required to take one of these as a major in junior and senior year. The curriculum has remained very much intact for the past fifty years with very minimal modifications, like the inclusion of computer subjects. Though COABTE acts as the mother unit of the high school department, certain autonomy in the management of PUP LHS is given to its administrators. For instance, the LHS Registrar is not bound to adhere to procedures implemented by the university registrar to the colleges. In addition, since it is under the university system, the high school department also enjoys a similar type of independence from DepEd control. The PUPLHS enrolment process employs a typical manual enrolment process. Despite of this nature, the LHS administration is able to manage the enrolment due to the small student population. The enrolment starts with the filling up of registration forms at designated enrolment centers. Prior to this initial step, old students must be cleared of any accountability during the previous school year. Next, the student pays Student Council fees along with other organizational fees. The third step is the assessment of fees which is manually computed by the teachers themselves. After which, the students must pay the amount at the Cashier’s Office located at the main building. Finally, the student has to proceed to the LHS Registrar’s Office for the validation of registration certificate.7 This concludes the manual high school enrolment process, which is less complicated as compared to the college enrolment. Common problems under this situation arise from long queues of students waiting to be processed up to incorrect assessment of matriculation and other fees. The grades of the students like most secondary level institutions are likewise computed manually. The process starts with the posting of grades in the summary sheet which is done on a quarterly basis by the teachers. Each section has one summary sheet to which all subject teachers input the grades of students bel onging to the section. The posting of non-academic marks like attendance, conduct and homeroom are also posted on the summary sheet by the section advisers every quarter. Another type of quarterly report being prepared by the teachers is the report cards of the students. On the fourth quarter of the school calendar, the teachers must compute the subject averages and post it on the summary sheet to determine those who passed and failed from among the students. This is very crucial in the deliberation process of PUP LHS faculty members so that they are guided as to whom are the candidates for kick out or transfer. In addition, the advisers are responsible for the computation of the general weighted average and the posting of academic and non-academic marks on the report card of all the students under his advisory. Next, the teacher encodes the grades of the students to the Student Permanent Record form of the LHS Registrar’s office, which serves as the official scholastic record of the student. Finally, the teachers must prepare their grade sheets to be submitted to the LHS principal. The registrar, on one hand, is responsible of producing the Transcript of Records (TOR) of both graduates and students for college application purposes. At this stage, the student grades are encoded to the computer for the very first time. This summarizes the complex and tedious manual process of grades processing in PUP LHS.8 The manual systems in PUP LHS suffer from a lot redundancies. In their manual processing of student grades the only instance where the grades of the students are made in digital form is when the Registrar encodes the grades for the Transcript of Records (TOR) preparation. The rest of the processing stages consist of manual posting of grades unto different reports. When the appeal of PUP LHS to be included in the computerization project was approved by the Office of the Vice President for Finance, the PUP Information Linkage Systems (PUPILS) was tasked to assist the high school department in its request. The initial agreement was to customize the Integrated Student Information System (iSIS) of the college for the high school unit, but due to some differences in business logic the developers decided to create a system from scratch instead. Development started in April 2002 and the developers employed a Rapid Application Development (RAD) strategy in developing its first component – the Enrolment System (LabHiSIS-ES). The LabHiSIS package is composed of the following subsystems, namely: âž ¢ Enrolment System (LabHiSIS-ES) – a system which handles the registration needs of the students during enrolment periods. âž ¢ Student Grades Monitoring System (LabHiSIS-GMS) – a system which monitors the accumulating grades of student s. In a short period of barely two months, the PUPILS LabHiSIS development team prepared a fully functional stand-alone enrolment system. It was implemented in May 27-30, 2002 to all year levels of PUP LHS. LabHiSIS used a pre-printed implementation strategy. In this strategy, the registration certificates of the high school students were printed in advance. This facilitated the simple distribution of registration certificates to the enrollees during the enrolment proper, which were done by the enrolling advisers. After two years of implementing the Enrolment System in the department, the development team started with the development of the second subsystem. The first implementation of the Student Grades Monitoring System was implemented in SY 2003-2004. Throughout the entire development phase of the LabHiSIS systems, the system developers were guided by the following system objectives which they envision to be accomplished by the systems once operational. The LabHiSIS-Enrolment System’s objective is to automate the enrolment processing by generating a pre-assessed and a filled-up registration certificate. It shall also assist with some pre and post admission processing like the generation of unique student number. With the system, the faculty members of PUP LHS would no longer have to manually assess the matriculation and fees of the students. Though it is still not connected online to the university’s Cashiering system, the developers believe that this automation would provide a significant improvement to the LHS enrolment processes and, at the same time, introduce computerization to the PUP LHS community thereby preparing them for the second LabHiSIS module – Student Grades Monitoring System. The development of the more complicated Student Grades Monitoring System followed a multifaceted set of objectives. The objectives are as follows: 1. The Student Grades Monitoring System must automate the entire grades processing of PUP LHS from the time of its initial posting up to the generation of student Transcript of Records (TOR) for the department’s graduates. 2. SGMS shall produce highly accurate reports, namely: Temporary Quarterly Report Cards, Final Report Cards, Quarterly Summary Sheets, Student Permanent Records, Grade Sheets and Transcript of Records. 3. The system shall uphold confidentiality of student grades, thus, preventing unauthorized access to certain subject matters. The teachers will be limited to the subject assigned to them. 4. The system shall promote a high standard of grade integrity and eliminate the repetitive manual posting/inputting of grades into different kinds of reports. It shall centralize the printing of reports which is the sole responsibility of the system administrators. The administrators, though with access rights to view the grades, have no access rights to modify any of the grade entries. The faculty members are, thus, assured that the grades they have entered are the same grades to appear regardless of the report type. With this scheme, discrepancies will be avoided and the faculty would only have to input the grades once. Theoretical Framework In this study, the theory of Prof. Karl Weick, from the University of Michigan, known as Information Systems Theory was used as one of the basis for the study. The theory primarily states that â€Å"An organization should connect with information processing. Information is the key item that all organizations must possess.† 9 According to Sweeney, the theory of Karl Weick can be tested for practical utility. This means that, â€Å"The more effective communication is, the more effective the organization will be, and as a result it [organization] will be more successful.†10 The theory when properly applied to an organization can increase business control which is one of the fundamental functions of management. Efforts, however, to improve organizational performance do not instantaneously arrive as a result of having computer-based information systems. Prof. N. Kano, in his Theory on Customer Satisfaction, identified several categories of quality attributes which influence customer satisfaction. He discussed the importance of Basic, Excitement and Performance Factors as the three attributes directly involved with client satisfaction. He stated that basic factors present the minimum requirements in any product which will cause dissatisfaction if not fulfilled but do not cause customer satisfaction when fulfilled. Excitement factors tend to cause customer satisfaction whenever fulfilled but do not promote dissatisfaction if absent. Performance factors causes satisfaction if the performance is high†¦they cause dissatisfaction if the performance is low. 11 Though this theory mentions of characteristics applicable to a product, it must be noted that software is considered a product. 12 In order to guarantee customer satisfaction the product must be carefully evaluated thoroughly. The Evaluation Theory according to Prof. Mel Mark, from the Pennyslvania State University, as one of its many application provides the important key whether or not to implement a new program. In his article Evaluation Theory and What are Evaluation Methods For?, he mentioned that evaluation theory acts as a performance measurement system that can identify problem areas and provide a feedback mechanism regarding the apparent consequences of a certain decision. 13 Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework employs the Systems Approach technique. It begins with the Input Box, which represents factors that must exist before the study can take place or a phenomenon can be investigated. In this study, the inputs are the respondents of the study and the LabHiSIS-Enrolment System and LabHiSIS-Student Grades Monitoring System. The second box is the Process box. It contains all the procedures taken in the study. In the study, the process begins with data gathering through a survey questionnaire. Other information was also derived from informal interview. After data tabulation the next step was the application of a correct statistical tool. Finally, analysis and interpretation was made on the basis of the statistical results. The third box is the Output box. It shows the findings of the study regarding the efficacy of the systems. Likewise, it also aims to identify the problems encountered in the systems implementation. A return or feedback arrow signifies the repetitive and continuous nature of the process. After the findings have been concluded a new set of problems may arise which requires another inquiry or investigation. Statement of the Problem The study assessed the effectiveness of the Laboratory High School Student Information Systems, particularly its two subsystems; Enrolment System and Student Grades Monitoring System. Similarly, it aims to answer the following specific questions: To what extent do the respondents rate the effectiveness of the LabHiSIS-Enrolment System in terms of the following software quality attributes: 1. Accuracy; 2. Completeness; 3. Timeliness; 4. Reliability; 5. Security 6. User-Friendliness? To what extent do the respondents’ rate the effectiveness of the LabHiSIS-Student Grade Monitoring System in terms of the given software quality attributes: 1. What are the problems encountered in the implementation of LabHiSIS, specifically its two subsystems – Enrolment System and Student Grades Monitoring System? Significance of the Study Change is not an easy thing to embrace. It is the very nature of man to resist change. This resistance is commonly due to the fear of the unknown. Information Technology, as a catalyst of change, is a major fear factor for many institutions and individuals. Thus, this study aims to assess the LabHiSIS implementations made to PUPLHS. The main goal of the study is to identify the efficacy rating of the LabHiSIS system implementations. Findings of the study are expected to contribute to the further refinement of the system and its future implementations. The study, upon its completion, will benefit the following stakeholders of the university, namely: The University Officials/Administrators. Implementation problems identified in this study can help top management arrive at sound decisions regarding budget allocations, policy formulation, etc. The Academic and Administrative Employees of PUP LHS. Through this research the employees would be able to express their comments regarding the system so that positive changes can be taken into consideration by the developers as a result of the system assessment. The Systems Developers. The developers of the system would greatly benefit from this research mainly because the users response to the questionnaire would serve as a gauge in measuring the system performance. The weak points identified in the study can become the focus of their corrective maintenance of the system. The Future Researchers. This research can serve as a model for other studies on system implementations that other researchers might want to investigate. It is important to note that through research the precious feedback coming from the beneficiaries or system users could be obtained. In this case, the beneficiaries of the LabHiSIS systems are the students while the users are the academic and the non-teaching personnel. The Students. The last beneficiary of the system study is the students of PUP LHS. They would benefit from the improved service brought about by refinements in the system which is in turn a result of the problem identification and performance appraisal found in this study. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study is concerned with the system implementation of the LabHiSIS computerized Enrolment System and Student Grades Monitoring System to PUP Laboratory High School in school year 2004-2005. It includes all the following enrolment and grades processing activities: (1) Academic Subject Enrolment and Assessment of Matriculation and Fees; (2) Posting of Academic Grades and Non-Academic Marks and (3) Generation of Periodic and Demand Reports. In addition, the study includes the system stakeholders, namely, faculty members, non-teaching personnel and students of PUP LHS. The study is however limited to 2nd year up to 4th year students only as the first year students, in June 2005, still have no knowledge and complete experience with the two LabHiSIS subsystems. Definition of Terms The following terminologies were used as operationally defined in this study: Accuracy of information simply means that the information system is error free. Administrator is in-charge of the system security for both subsystems. As such he has access to all utilities menu commands. Completeness of the information means that all needed details are incorporated in a report or output produced by an information system. Effectiveness refers to the satisfactory performance or rating of the system based on software quality factors such as Accuracy, Completeness, Timeliness, Reliability, Security and User-Friendliness. End-users are members of the faculty and non-teaching staff of the PUP Laboratory High School who directly interact or use the computer-based information system. LabHiSIS refers to the Laboratory High School Student Information System, a computer-based information system designed to automate the enrolment and grades preparation process of PUP Laboratory High School. The system is composed of two subsystems, namely the Enrolment System and the Student Grades Monitoring System. Reliability is an information characteristic which means that the output or report produced by an information system can be depended upon by its users despite changes in the environment which may affect the system. Security refers to the ability of the system to limit accessibility of the users thus safeguarding confidential or restricted records from any form of unlawful access. Source documents, as used in this paper, pertain to the Summary Sheets from which all academic and non-academic marks of the students are initially posted by the subject teachers from their respective class records. The summary sheet is used for reference by the faculty members during the encoding of grades to SGMS. Timeliness of information is about the prompt release or issuance of a needed detail or report whenever it is needed. User Friendliness pertains to the characteristic of the information system to be easily understood by the users. Figure 1 Paradigm of the Study FEEDBACK OUTPUT PROCESS INPUT Assessed Laboratory High School Student Information Systems (LabHiSIS): Enrolment System (ES) Student Grades Monitoring System (SGMS) Solutions to the Problems Encountered in the implementation of the systems. Assessment of the Laboratory High School Student Information System (LabHiSIS) Subsystems: – Enrolment System (ES), and – Student Grades Monitoring System (SGMS). Identification of the problems encountered during the systems implementation 1Naval, Victoria C., â€Å"Rethinking Prospects and Challenges of Globalization in Education†, The Mabini Review, Vol. 1. 2001 11Kano, N., â€Å"Customer Satisfaction Model†, http://www.12manage.com/methods_ kano_customer_satisfaction_model.html, 1984. 12Sommerville, Ian A., Software Engineering, 4th Edition, Addison – Wesley Longman Inc., 1995) pp. 5. 13Mark, Mel, â€Å"Evaluation Theory or What are Evaluation Methods For?†, http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue30/theory.html 9Dudas, Marion, â€Å"Applying the Information Systems Theory to a True Situation†, http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~md413097/is.htm, 2000. 10Sweeney, Matt C., â€Å"Information Systems Critique† http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/ ~ms101996/is.htm 8Gonzales, Jaime Y., interview held during system development start-up, Registrar’s Office, April 2002 7Gonzales, Jaime Y., PUP Laboratory High School Enrolment Procedures, 2004 6Escober, Rosicar E., PUP Information Systems Strategic Plan, College of Computer Studies, Graduate School, Dela Salle University, Manila, 1999. 2. 4Clemente, Alejandro W.D., â€Å"Use of Multi-media in DECS†, IT Education in the Philippines: Preparing for the 21st Century, pp.29-34, February 1997. 5Estrada, Joseph Ejercito, Executive Order 256, Malacaà ±ang Palace, Manila, http://www.neda.gov.ph/ads/gisp/default.htm, 2000. Laboratory High School Student Information Systems (LabHiSIS): Enrolment System (ES), and Student Grades Monitoring System (SGMS). Problems encountered in the systems implementation 2Ramos, Fidel V., â€Å"Taking the Future in our Hands†, speech delivered in the First Information Technology and Telecommunications Education Congress, Dusit Hotel Nikko Manila, February 1997. 3Alcala, Angel C., â€Å"The CHED Computerization Program: Goals, Policies and Projects†, IT Education in the Philippines: Preparing for the 21st Century, pp.25-28, February 1997.