Thursday, November 28, 2019
Appraising the Secretaries at City U free essay sample
Do you think that the experts recommendations will be sufficient to get most of the administrators to fill out the rating forms properly? Why? Why not? What additional actions (if any) do you think will be necessary? While controversial, the recommendations would, in fact, encourage administrators to fill the forms out correctly. Using the more detailed form and not tying the performance ratings to salary increases would allow the managers to feel more free about rating the secretaries accurately. There would, however, need to be some strong training sessions (both for administrators and secretaries) to help them understand the new system. Since all secretaries have traditionally received the same salary increases, and have been pleased with that, it would be advisable to consider lowering the maximum increase to an amount that could be given to all secretaries while staying within budget. Then all secretaries with a satisfactory rating or better would receive that increase. We will write a custom essay sample on Appraising the Secretaries at City U or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The experts recommended several things: 1. Change the form used to rate the secretaries and use a more clear and specific form : a sample graphic rating form. It is the most popular method that lists traits and performance values for each trait. The administrator then has to check the score that best describes the performance for each trait. 2. The VP should not force the administrators to rate at least half their secretaries as something less than excellent. 3. The appraisal should not be linked to salary increases. Salary increases should be made on another basis than the performance appraisal. If the form used to rate the secretaries is changed, administrators will need an explanation and a training to fill in the new form. They must be familiar with the techniques and the new form. They also need to understand and avoid problems related to appraisals. (Dessler Huat, 2009) It is indeed a good idea to change the appraisal form. With the sample graphic rating is usefull when appraising performance on the actual job duties. In this case the administrator can assess how well the secretary exercised each duty. The old graphic rating scale with unclear standards can cause a lot of problems. It results in unfair appraisals because the traits and degrees of merit are ambiguous. To fix this problem, is to include more descriptive phrases as the experts recommended. The VP should also consider the appraisal of the secretaries by someone else than the administrators. It could be a peer appraisal or even self-rating. 2 Do you think that the Vice President would be better off dropping graphic rating forms, substituting instead one of the other techniques we discussed in this chapter such as a ranking method? Why? Certainly other methods could be used. He has already had a taste of what would result if he went to a forced distribution or other ranking method. A BARS system might be best, but it could be costly to develop if the clerical staff has positions that are significantly different. Ranking methods compare one employee to another, resulting in an ordering of employees in relation to one another. It results in an overall assessment of employees and is not specific to certain job components. Ranking is not the best options. Even if everyone performs well someone will still end up at the bottom. That is not fair and will not push the secretaries to do better. For the administrators it can be very difficult to make this kind of discriminations. (Performance Appraisal Methods) Forced distribution is a method of performance appraisal to rank employee but in order of forced distribution. For example, the distribution requested with 10 or 20 percent in the top category, 70 or 80 percent in the middle, and 10 percent in the bottom. The advantages are that they force reluctant managers to make difficult decisions and identify the most and least talented secretaries. It sustains a high performance culture in which the workforce continuously improves. But there are also disadvantages. It can create a big and unhealthy competitiveness and besides discourage collaboration and teamwork. (Ngo) 3 What performance appraisal system would you develop for the secretaries if you were the Vice President? Defend your answer. If the development costs are not too great, the BARS system would give the strongest solution to the current situation. The behavioral anchors would make it more difficult to just rate everyone at the top. It would also help to eliminate the different interpretations of what the rating scales mean. In my opinion, the BARS system is the best solution for the appraisal of the secretaries. The method bases evaluations on specific behaviors required for each individual position in an individual company. It will not be easy to implement the BARS method. First an in-depth study must be done in order to describe and understand all the tasks performed by the secretaries. Second, you will have to know and understand the full range of behaviors an individual can have in carrying out these tasks. Then you will have to rate these behaviors. Finally, the result is a rating scale for each task. (Lloyd) The advantages are that it is behaviorally based and easy to use. Moreover it is individualized, it is designed uniquely for every position in the company. Because it is action-oriented, employees can easily take steps to improve their performance. (Cocanougher Ivancevich, 1978) Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks. The process of creating the BARS system is time-consuming and expensive. It also needs a high maintenance because jobs change over time. For the managers it is a lot of work, they need detailed information regarding the actions of their employees. (Cocanougher Ivancevich, 1978) Despite the negative points, I think that the VP should implement this system in our case.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Outline the principle strengths and weaknesses of accounting and business research. The WritePass Journal
Outline the principle strengths and weaknesses of accounting and business research. Abstract: Outline the principle strengths and weaknesses of accounting and business research. Abstract:Introduction:Research method: Case I company:Case I data:Case II company:Case II data:    Method used:    Case IFirst phase:Second phase:                         Case IIStrengths:Weaknesses:References: Related Abstract: This project/essay is broadly based on a research article â€Å"The management of accounting number: case study evidence from the crash of an airline†by Ann Jorissen and David Otiey (2009 publishing date) and â€Å"Earnings quality in ex-post failed firms†by Juan Manuel Garcà a Lara, Beatriz Garcà a Osma and Evi Neophytou (December 2008 publishing date). Main body is mostly concentrated on the research methods used and the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches and the methodologies used by the researchers in these empirical papers. Introduction: The empirical papers which I have chosen for â€Å"accounting and business research†have done research on an â€Å"airline company†{Case I} and â€Å"bankrupt firms†{Case II} and they have conducted several interview, used multi-theory method (upper-echelons, power-circulation strategic choice) and sampling method many models to justify there research respectively. Research method: Case I company:                         The researchers had selected SA irgroup (former Swiss Air) as there case company to study process and mechanism triggering to manipulation of accounting numbers. Case I data:                       Interview of different ex-employees was conducted and different categories of archival data were used by researchers like: i. Bonus and stock option plan SA ir-Executives 1997-2000; ii. Bonus and stock option plan Sabena Executives 1999-2000: etc was used. Case II company: The researchers selected a junk of companies of UK by sampling method which had gone bankrupt and had data available in FAME entering bankruptcy 1998-2204 or continuing firms which had full data available in FAME 1995-2004. Case II data:   The data used by researchers was taken from the FAME.    Method used:     Case I                          They analyzed data in two phases wherein embedded design was employed which implied multiple levels of analysis (Eisenhardt, 1989). They had adopted interview method for there research but also included archival data. There research was based on both accounting as well as management perspective. First phase: In the first stage they arranged data in chronological order and reviewed all internal and external data available. Herein they analyzed data in directionality of the relationships assumed in traditional accounting research. They used a multiple case approach by considering each investment of the SA irgroup in a foreign airline. Each case they analyzed served to confirm inferences drawn from the analysis of the choices made in relation to the SA irgroups first investment in Sabena (Yin, 2003). The collection of data on all accounting and real choices with regard to all events and transactions would involve an immense amount of data so they used â€Å"disaggregated approach†. Second phase:                      The analysis in second phase is based on theories like upper-echelons, strategic choice and power circulation. Then by combining results of the both phases they could explain more about the directionality between the different variables, one employed in financial misrepresentation and the other employed to create the necessary discretion to engage in managing accounting numbers.                          Case II In the first stage they collected all data they needed for the research via sampling method and then they used â€Å"working capital version†model of Jones (1991). They used this model first because research had indicated that management had more discretion over current accruals and moreover manipulation of long-term accruals such as depreciation was unlikely due to their high visibility low flexibility (Becker et al 1998; Young, 1999). After working capital version model they used â€Å"modified jones model†which works on the assumption that revenues are not discretionary i.e. the model disregards that managers also engage in real activities manipulation. The next model which they have used was â€Å"Kasznik model†(1999). The model incorporates the change in operating cash flow as an explanatory variable to account for the negative correlation between accruals and cash flows. The formula to obtain a measure of abnormal working capital according to Kasznik model is as under: Where, WCA is working capital accruals, ÃŽâ€REV is change in sales, ÃŽâ€CFO is change in cash flow from operations and TA are total assets, and t is the time period indicator. Next, for each firm, we calculate abnormal working capital accruals (AWCA) as follows: Where, à ¢0,à ¢1 andà ¢2 are the fitted industry-coefficients from equation. After Kasznik model they used Chariton et.al (2004) model to calculate the ex-ante one-year-ahead probability of bankruptcy of all failed firms. The formula what they used to calculate it is as under: Where, Pjt (Y = 1) is the probability of failure for entity j at the end of year t. The next model they used was of Roychowdhury (2006) Ball and Shiva kumar (2005). The earlier model was used to analyze the existence of real activities manipulation. Herein was focus was on sales manipulation. The later model was used to measure the different recognition speed of economics gains and losses in earnings by using time series accruals based measures of conditional conservatism. Strengths:                     Case I               Case II       i.           Inclusion of both perspective i.e. accounting management (multiple methods) helped them for understanding the process of financial misrepresentation while as previous studies used accounting perspective only which couldn’t give much clarifications of the process.    ii.           This multi-theory perspective allowed them to discover various additional elements of discretion on top of the variables used in the extant literature.  iii.           According to me face-to-face interviews as conducted by the researchers is that the answer of the interviewee is more spontaneous, without any extended reflection and manipulation.  iv.           This disaggregated approach has the potential advantage of yielding precise, directional predictions based on the researches understanding and Analysis of how decision-         makers trade off the incentives associated with the accounting object of the study (Francis, 2001).    v.           The biggest advantage what these researchers had was having access to group’s internal information which helped a lot in carrying out there researches and justifying there conclusions. a)    Jones working capital modified model could analyze a proxy for manipulation capturing only pure accounting manipulation a proxy that pools together accounting and real activities manipulation.b)  By using UK sample they were advantageous as the insolvency code are allowed for a wider definition of bankruptcy, with different implications, than in the US (Franks et al 1996; Bradbury, 2007). c)   The best part of sampling method is that it is straightforward and probably the simplest method and is usually unbiased. d)  There access to FAME database and deriving data regarding bankrupt companies made an ease in making assessment of these and setting up there research. e)    Since the researchers have selected or used purposive sampling wherein probability of getting astray is minimum and variance is low in this case of sampling.  Weaknesses:              Case I              Case II Interview is a complex and demanding technique (Frey Oishi 1995:02 ) An unusual degree of trust is likely to lead to willingness on the part of the subjects to answer the questions carefully and with validity. This is especially advantageous when the questions are of a sensitive nature (Lull 1990:53). Personal bias may b involved in interview method or understanding factor may become hindrance. According to me data taken by the researchers was too big in size so accuracy of the result was at stake. Sampling method can lead to the consequences of redundancy and thus hampering the accuracy of the result. Using data from data base is complex method and time consuming.  Impact of methodology on my dissertation: The methods used by the researchers to conduct there research i.e. â€Å"sampling†and â€Å"interview†and then applying different models and methodologies to derive the results or elaborate there research gave a perfect insight as to how a research should be conducted and then concluded. But I would like to go for â€Å"interview†, â€Å"available public information†and â€Å"questionnaire†method for my dissertation in coming months which would be on â€Å"Development in Banking sector in Kashmir†most probably. According to me interview method of collecting information is one of the best as the interviewee has very less time to respond and cannot manipulate answers so quickly in his brain and moreover interview method can help in extracting much internal information if the interviewer has those tactics and attitude of extracting as much information as possible. The questionnaire method gives an insight regarding what people or what the s ubject think about the given topic or question, it is one of the easiest methods and helps in figuring out the situation or the subject opinion from there point of view and this method would be the most important for my dissertation. Excess to public information and internal information will give positiveness to the dissertation because sometimes these information’s contain very important elements which throw light on various aspects which one researcher is looking for. I would try to rectify all disadvantages of the methods and apply then on my dissertation. References: â€Å"Basic statistics for business and economics†by Paul G Hoel and Raymond J. jessen Ball, R. and Shivakumar L. (2005). ‘Earnings quality in UK private firms: comparative loss recognition timeliness’. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 39(1):83–128. â€Å"Elementary business statistics: the modern approach†by Freud and Williams â€Å"Earnings quality in ex-post failed firms†by Juan Manuel Garcà a Lara, Beatriz Garcà a Osma and Evi Neophytou (2008) http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:3114/eds/detail?hid=22sid=2644bf2b-4378-4ae6-bb5f-e0d067d1ee89%40sessionmgr12vid=1bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=buhAN=39883573 Frey Oishi (1995:02) â€Å" how to conduct interviews by telephone in person†aber.ac.uk/media/students/aeo9702.html Jones, J. J. (1991). ‘Earnings management during import relief investigations’. Journal of Accounting Research, 29(2): 193–228. Lull, James (1990) â€Å" Inside family viewing†; London Routledge Roychowdhury, S. (2006). â€Å"Management of earnings through the manipulation of real activities that affect cash flow from operations†Journal of Accounting and Economics, 42(3): 335–370. â€Å"The management of accounting number: case study evidence from the crash of an airline†by Ann Jorissen and David Otiey (2009) http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:3114/eds/detail?hid=22sid=1db6a896-b761-43fb-8f14-c493473c5b2f%40sessionmgr15vid=1bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=buhAN=48633863
Thursday, November 21, 2019
CFD Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
CFD - Assignment Example g for the small wind controlled turbines is not as essential as other factors since the passive over speeding regulates the smaller relative influences of the drag on the engine performance. The total improvement is measured by the cruise lift and the high-lift root of the airfoil to reduce the inboard solidity apart from enhancing the starting torque. The different aerofoil shapes have three possible cruise lift measures 0.1, 0.4 and 0.6. The velocity of the aerofoil increases with a steeper gradient from the beginning of the take-off and then the gradient gradually reduces as the aircraft stabilizes. With the airfoil positioned in the stream of air with the speed V∞, the air flow parts closer to the leading edge and then passes the upper surface and the lower surface of the airfoil at the same time. At that point, when the air flow splits up, the speed of the air flow reduces to 0, a point referred to as the point of stagnation. It is placed near the aerofoil leading edge, but the position changes in relation to the angle of attack (Bertin & Cummings 2009, p. 49). Pressure and Velocity have a significant effect on the performance of the aerofoil. It is found that in higher pressure zones, the velocity of the aerofoil is reduced because of strong turbulence. On the other hand, low pressure caused weak turbulence, enabling the aerofoil to experience faster cruise (Clancy 1975, p. 48). High pressure is required only in two conditions, during the takeoff and landing, where an air craft is expected to change altitude. Los speed id desired for safe landing and for climbing. The relationship between velocity and pressure is shown in figure 6 below. For the following explanations it is assumed, that a stream of air is directed against an airfoil, which is fixed in space (Houghton & Carpenter 2003, p. 83). This is equivalent to an airfoil moving through the air - just a question of the reference system. A typical wind tunnel works in the same way. The qualitative
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Innovation in Construction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Innovation in Construction - Research Paper Example In enhancing the value brought in by this process, a lot of modifications have been made on it time after time. These improvements have consequently come along with some advantages together with shortcomings. It is therefore logical that, as these changing procedures are implemented in the industry; proper steps are taken in dealing with areas where gaps exist. Recycling in construction In construction, recycling basically denotes the taking apart and reprocessing of recoverable waste resources produced at the time of construction and modification. Bits and pieces of unused materials, packaging, old resources and remains collectively comprise of the latent recoverable materials. All these can be used, together with other new materials in the erection of new structures. Aside from the use of the recycled matters in constructing new structures, this process can also be applied in the aspect of renovation where structures like windows and doors, masonry resources and appliances are also recycled (CMRA, 2011). In many cases, wastes accrued from construction sites are directed into landfills which consequently are burdened with increased loading and functions. At the same time, some waste construction materials carry chemicals which if not well handled would only help in enhancing the perennially increasing levels of pollution. An example of this is the kinds of chemical substances which emanate from treated wood. Preventing these scenarios has made recycling the most logical precautions in handling wastes obtained from construction sites. In achieving these goals, personnel in the construction industry either recycle the materials directly into similar products for use again while other are converted into other functional products. Recycling of wastes in the construction industry follows a rather general procedure. The process begins with onsite separation where recyclable materials are separated from other wastes. This is basically the most important aspect of the process and though initially posed challenges, has today witnessed massive improvements thanks to the technological advancement that the world of construction has at its disposal (CMRA, 2011). Here, construction officers, highly conversant with material sorting strategy set up containers for recycling, containers which they clearly label as per the requirements. Ones the reusable wastes are obtained, they are either reprocessed for reuse in the same form they were initially of modified to be used in newer forms. Technology is rapidly advancing in construction recycling. This is despite the limited available technologies at the local levels. One of the technologies synonymous with recycling in the construction industry in modern times includes the â€Å"Recore technology†known for the construction of walls by use of recovered waste materials. This technology is known for the generation of eco friendly wall coverings which carry which also extend some other advantages to the industry and the consumers. The wall coverings produced by this technology are generally durable an added advantage to the fundamental levels of energy saved in the production of these walls. Aside from the recycled walls technology, there also exists the advanced concrete technology which focuses on the production of recycled concrete. The advanced concrete technology applies the heating and rubbing procedures in producing the end
Monday, November 18, 2019
A Philosophical Review of Nature's and Animal Rights Essay
A Philosophical Review of Nature's and Animal Rights - Essay Example In contrast, Tom Regan disputes that there is a difference between ‘having an interest in something’ and ‘taking an interest in it’ (Varner, 1998, 55), which then implies that domestic species, being mindless species, have innate biological interests. Regan thus defined biological interest in this way: â€Å"the two senses really are logically distinct: A being can be interested in something that is not in his interests, and something may be in a being’s interest despite the fact that he is not interested in†(Varner, 1998, 55). This means that domestic species, having no conscious desires in any way, have biological interest of their own. Regan added that plants and objects can reasonably be thought to have biological interests, since both have intrinsic values in their own breed. On the other hand, Gary Varner (1994) argues that if all living things have biological interests, then it is implausible to prevent spoiling countless biological int erests of others. Varner cited John Passmore’s passage to define biological interest: â€Å"the Jainist principle [of avoiding harm to all living things]†¦ is far too strong. This is the more obvious now that we are aware of the minute living organisms which everywhere surround us. In breathing, in drinking, in eating, in excreting, we kill. We kill by remaining alive†(as cited in Varner, 1998, 77). This implies that nonhuman animals and plants have biological interests of their own, but lose these biological interests when confronted with the biological interests of human beings. However, if domestic species do not have biological interests, it is still possible that they have inherent or intrinsic worth as shown by the arguments of Paul Taylor, Tom Regan, and Peter Singer. First, according to Taylor (1981), to argue that a nonhuman animal has inherent worth is to assume that its interests [Taylor believes that domestic species have biological interests] merit t he respect and thought of every moral agent. Moreover, the recognition of its interests has intrinsic value, to be realized as an objective and on behalf of the being whose interest it is. Taylor further argues that inherent worth is â€Å"not some mysterious sort of objective property belonging to living things that can be discovered by empirical observation or scientific investigation†(Taylor, 1981, 204). Hence, to say that a domestic species, which would not exist without human interference, have no inherent worth is wrong since, according to Taylor, inherent worth cannot be determined by inductive reasoning or sense perception. Ultimately, Taylor (1981) believes that inherent worth is a â€Å"value that is ascribed to nonhuman animals and plants themselves, independently of their relationship to what humans judge to be conducive to their own good†(p. 204). Hence, with or without human interference, domestic species have inherent worth. Similarly, Tom Regan states that â€Å"the presence of inherent value in a natural object is independent of any awareness, interest, or appreciation of it by any conscious being†(Varner, 1994, 26). Domestic species have inherent value, and it is equal to that of human beings. The lack of intellect or reason is not a justification to say that nonhuman animals do not possess inherent value. Likewise, Peter Singer claim that if a nonhuman animal has a particular feature, like biological inter
Friday, November 15, 2019
The Post Office
The Post Office The Post Office is a group of three core businesses that form the UKs national postal system. It operates as a public corporation and is owned, but not managed, by the Government. Its businesses are: Royal Mail: the letters business, Post Office Counters Limited, the retail Business and Parcel force, the parcels business. It also runs Subscription Services Limited, which provides a portfolio of services to UK businesses. The group as a whole has recorded a profit for the last 19 years, and is one of the few national Postal administrations to operate without government subsidy. In 1994, following a review set up two years earlier, the Government published a discussion paper that set out proposals for the future of The Post Office. Following a prolonged and intense public debate the Government decided, in 1995, to drop plans for Royal Mail/Parcel force privatisation from its then current legislative programme but in the following year announced it was relaxing some of the financial restraints to allow The Post Office businesses to compete for new business. A brief history of the Post Office The origins of the Post Office can be traced back to 1482 when couriers carrying pacquets (royal messages) were granted the power to requisition horses and guides. By 1660 control of The Post had passed from the monarch to Parliament with the creation of the post of Postmaster General. From the introduction of the uniform penny post in 1840 the Post Office grew and took on new responsibilities until by the 1950s about 1/3 of all civil service staff were employed by the Post Office. In October 1969 the Post Office ceased to be a government department and became a corporation. The responsibility for the day to day management passed from the Postmaster General to the board of the newly constituted corporation, although the new Minister for Posts and Telecommunications still retained control of the Post Offices budget. Further reform followed in 1981 when post and telecommunication were separated and The Post Office Corporation was divided into The Post Office (responsible for postal services and National Giro Bank) and British Telecom (responsible for telephones and telecommunications). Again the argument behind this change was that it would make the Post Office more suited and responsive to the needs of the commercial modern world. The Post Office delivery services survived the mass privatisations of the 1980s. However, British Telecom was privatised in 1984 followed by the National Girobank in 1989. Although, The Royal Mail is the letters division of the Post Office, It is obliged to provide a universal service at a uniform price. This is achieved through cross subsidisation of more costly services by less costly and a monopoly on deliveries of letters costing less than  £1.00. The Royal Mail has a network of approximately 100,000 post boxes and employs approximately 80,000 postmen. Post Office Counters Ltd is a network of approximately 20,000 sub post-offices. They are mostly privately owned and run by agents (sub-postmasters), many are also shops. They sell stamps and provide other services such as pensions, etc. Parcel force is an independent division of the Post Office that operates without a monopoly and in direct competition with a number of private sector companies. Parcel force employs approximately 13, 00 staff, has 165 depots and a fleet of approximately 9000 vehicles. The reason to tell this entire story to explain the changes went through in this organisation by the time requirement. Description of nature of information systems: A Local Area Network (LAN) had been introduced in the Newcastle upon Tyne postal district 18 months earlier and was intended to link together different locations in the Newcastle area and to provide a gateway to other Post Office LANs nationwide. Initially use of this system was restricted to senior (board level) managers but with the impending restructuring and expected privatisation use of the LAN was extended to other levels in the organisation. At the initial time of the interviews there were 37 terminals in the Newcastle area and 6 at remote sites. The Newcastle LAN could also be used to link to another 20 Post Office LANs in different parts of the country. The system integrated elements of personnel, administration, recruitment and data on human resource utilisation with data on costing and the volume of business transactions. What is a network? A network is a generic term for any computer based communications system that links together a number of computers and other devices. A network may be called a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). LANs are networks that connect several devices, usually through a single cabling system, within a clearly defined area such as a single building or a group of adjacent buildings. WANs on the other hand are networks used to distribute data around sites that may be scattered across or single country or the entire world. WANs may be composed of interlinked LANs and may use a number of different communications links (e.g. satellite and telephone lines) to join their component parts. Networks may take many forms although, conceptually, they only consist of two parts. Description and analysis of functional use of information systems: The networking software defines the logical structure of the network: it controls and co-ordinates certain activities in a group of otherwise independent processors (network stations). At the heart of each network is the fileserver. The fileserver treats the network stations as if they were storage peripherals (e.g. disk drives) while the network stations treat the fileserver as if it were a hard disk reading from it and writing to it as required. To each machine it appears as though the data had simply come from a disk drive. Communications software and the physical link both the network stations and the fileserver run communications software to send data to each other through the physical link. The physical link, i.e. cabling system, defines the physical structure of the network while the communications software carries the data along the physical link; together these two things act as a medium for the communication between fileserver and network station. However networks can facilitate communication between people as well as machines. Electronic mail, diaries and teleconferencing facilities can be used as a medium for communication, control and co-ordination between people. For example, e-mail allows asynchronous communication between individuals or groups and also enables the efficient distribution of text based memos or messages to a group, or groups, of recipients. Assessment of current use of information systems Security and ease of management: Networks, by their nature, impose restrictions on certain actions by certain users at particular times (e.g. two users cannot write to the same file at the same time). This greatly simplifies file management and can provide several layers of additional security, e.g. passwords and or access only via dedicated terminals. Networking software can also provide alarms and audit trails to assist dealing with security problems if they do occur. Resilience Networks are virtually unaffected by local damage. If a network station breaks down it can be simply removed without any disruption to the other users. If the data has been backed up then no data need have been lost; the user can simply move to another network station. The fileserver on the other hand is the hub of the network; if this ceases to function the whole network stops. However, once again, if all the data has been backed up and good recovery procedures exist networks can even survive a fault at the fileserver. Efficient use of resources: Networks make a more efficient use of resources as they allow the apparently simultaneous use of one application by several users. The most obvious example of this is the shared use of programs such as word processors and spreadsheets. These will only need to be installed once on a file server and can then be used on any number of machines. Networks also allow the cost of expensive but infrequently used items, such as specialist printers or tape drives, can be shared between a large numbers of users. Similarly old, unusual or otherwise obsolescent equipment can also be made use of in this way.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
My Ideal Teacher Essay -- Teaching Teachers Education Essays
My Ideal Teacher When I think about teachers that I have had in the past, several different ones come to my mind. Each of these educators stands out in my mind for a variety of diverse reasons. Whether it is their sense of humor, their tactfulness, their love of the subject matter, their fanatical and sporadic behavior, or their yearning to be childish themselves, I can still remember at least one quality of every teacher I have ever encountered. Every one of these teachers conveyed subject material to their students just as they were educated and employed to do. However, I trust that every professional in the world has an abundance of opportunity for improvement; teachers could discover and improve themselves merely by having an open mind and observing one another. If I could construct the â€Å"ideal†teacher for me, I would only have to focus on three main aspects of the individual. These three qualities would be conducting a fun and interesting class, having organization and ge nuine comprehension of subject material, and developing a need to accept and have a constructive relationship with all students. Because of the most recent technology children today expect to be entertained by some other means than â€Å"twiddling their thumbs†. This need is not only present in the home setting; it is everywhere they go, including school. Therefore, teachers today have to make learning more enjoyable than it ever has been. Students are aware that at school they have strict rules to follow and expectations from their teachers. However, school can be fun if the teachers make it that way. There are numerous ways that a teacher can accomplish this. For example, a teacher could do something as simple as having a â€Å"j... ...d what my major is from week to week. They gained my respect in high school, and I, in turn, gave them respect. These are the teachers that I will never forget because they will never let me forget. I think that all students should experience some teachers like I have. In conclusion, in the â€Å"real†world some students will graduate from college, some students will be teachers, some teachers will just teach, and some teachers will teach with love. I want to be that teacher. The one that teaches with love and passion for what I am doing. This is why I have taken into account every teacher that I have ever encountered and created my â€Å"ideal†teacher; the teacher who is exciting, knowledgeable, and friendly. It is those teachers that I will remember indefinitely and with distinction, and this is also how I intend to be remembered by my students.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Plot Analysis
In her ground-breaking play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,†Lorraine Hansberry challenged widespread cultural conceptions about African Americans.By focusing her play on stark realism, Hansberry was able to create a play which, in both theme and technical execution, offered something radically different than the portrayal of American life typically seen on Broadway stages in the mid twentieth century.The impact of the play, both visually and textually, on American audiences was visceral and controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting vastly disparate emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible.The play's opening, for example, establishes that the Younger family is waiting for a ten-thousand dollar insurance check to arrive after the death of the family's father.The fact that the family is so steeped in poverty that each of them concocts elaborate schemes and ideas of how to spend the money before it even arrives, grips the reader or alert audience member with emotion and concern. The â€Å"intrusion†of the expected money also begins the tension in the play and drives the conflicts between the play's characters., most notably between Mama and Walter Lee.In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which includes the construction of a one-room apartment set, complete with all the trappings of poverty: cramped quarters, worn furniture and carpets, and a conspicuous lack of privacy.Before the audience has even begun to grasp the events of the play, they are immediately aware of the family's dire financial situation.The shock of the set at a purely visual and spatial level communicates the Youngers' distress to the audience. Teh ensuing emotional tension between Mama and her son is meant to show that the external attributes of poverty have corresp onding emotional and psychological impacts and have extended to the relationships between the characters.By the end of the opening scene, the reader or audience member knows that great hope and expectation has been pinned by the family on the insurance money and many readers or spectators of the play would probably intuit that the family's emotional crisis goes far beyond anything which can be repaired with money.The idea is to advance the plot in a realistic manner so that the audience or reader not only experiences the events of the play but feels the emotional resonance which is intended to be a part of the event which are portrayed. In order to accomplish this, every aspect of the play, not only the plot, are steeped in realism.One element of dramatic technique that enables Hansberry to successfully create a dynamic and realistic drama is her use of vernacular in the play's dialogue.Unlike the blank-verse constructions of Shakespeare, or the witticism of Oscar Wilde, or even the dreamy musings of Tennessee Williams, Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play's verisimilitude.The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play's characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun.†This attention to realism and detail is important to the play's plot, also, because as the vents of the play unfold, the reader is drawn more deeply into an emotional connection with the characters because the characters seem for all intents and purposes to be actual people who face actual, real-life struggles.As the plot progresses, the insurance check actually arrives and in their haste to be a controlling interest in the spending of the money, each of the Youngers manages to ignore the others emotional needs in pursuit of persona l materialistic dreams.When Mama decides to use the money to move the family to a white neighborhood, a further sense of doom pervades th action as the Youngers fall further into emotional discord.Throughout the progression of the plot, the play's dialogue leaves an opening for the emotional outpouring which is markedly absent from the (seemingly banal) progression of events.Hansberry's dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play's ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise) the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness  a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time.Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦.’†(29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t lear ned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦.†(135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization.Hansberry's play, through its fierce and relentless realism, coupled with its themes of yearning and dreaming seemed to marry the â€Å"American ideal†to the â€Å"American nightmare†in a verbally original and thematically cathartic fashion, elevating the dialogue of racial issues in America to a place of cultural acceptance.Simultaneously, the play's plot moves in an arc of excited expectation to dissolution of dreams while expressing the internal progressions of the characters with a portrayal of external events.When Mrs. Johnson tells the Youngers about a black family that was bombed because they moved into a white neighborhood, the audience feels t he dream of Mama's to live in a better neighborhood deflating.The audience realizes that money, alone, despite the naivete with which the Youngers regard its power, will do little, perhaps nothing, to change the misery of their lives.The Youngers have regarded money and the future hope of what it may bring with a sort of â€Å"exotic†hopefulness which, in its perceived futility during the vents of the play, should cause emotional frustration and dissonance in the reader and in the the audience.This dissonance reflects the same dissonance which exists between the Younger's dreams and their actual position in the world.By combining a realistic set with realistic dialogue, a kind of exoticism was reached by Hansberry, through the depiction of extreme poverty and want, which is a powerful force in granting the play unity of theme, place, and time in keeping with Aristotle's theories of dramatic construction in his Poetics.This latter attribute helps ground the play in the tradit ional dramatic structure which off-sets the aforementioned â€Å"exoticism†of the play's set and characters.Despite the reluctance for most Americans in the late 50's and early 60's to face the racially based challenges of that era, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†demonstrated, through creative expression, the urgency of the plight of African Americans in a racist society.The play's climax, when it is decided that  despite the conflicts and hardships that the money has caused â€â€Ã‚ that Mama's plan to move to a new neighborhood will go through, exerts a sense of hopefulness in the face of manifested obstacles (and potential violence) which seems to suggest that optimism, ambition, and â€Å"togetherness†can weather storms and find fulfillment despite the truth of prejudice and poverty.However, a close reading of the play is just as likely to reveal in the reader, a sense that the Youngers are simply caught in a vicious cycle of hope and despair and t hat with each new breath of hope a corresponding crush of bad luck or ill-fortune will be experienced. It is not fitting to say that the play, therefore, has a â€Å"happy†ending, but simply an ending which reflects an unending cycle of hope against an equally unending series of obstacles.Work Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959
Friday, November 8, 2019
Media Ethics Towards Employing Utilitarianism and Kantian Theory in Examining Practical Ethical Issues
Media Ethics Towards Employing Utilitarianism and Kantian Theory in Examining Practical Ethical Issues In this era of global interactivity and extreme media scrutiny, real-life situations and instances of behaviour that raise ethical issues and moral dilemmas continue to reverberate across all civilizations in the world. The role of the media in disseminating information to people is legion, but arising ethical issues persist to put this important institution in a collision course with germane issues that must be primarily dealt with for responsible practice (Plaisance, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Ethics: Towards Employing Utilitarianism and Kantian Theory in Examining Practical Ethical Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These ethical issues put into perspective the need to rely on philosophical thought to decide on the proper course of action. It is the purpose of this paper to utilize both utilitarianism and Kantian theory to critically examine some underlying ethical issues relating to the cla im below: There’s almost no situation in which I’d stop filming to do something, because I think a film record of a given situation is ultimately more effective, and has greater impact. In the end, it helps more people than if I put down my camera to lend a hand (Bowden, 1987 p. 182) To offer a critical evaluation of the above claim, it is imperative to briefly discuss the two broad classifications of philosophical thought from which utilitarianism and Kantian theory derives from. The first classification – teleological ethics – comprise of theories which are essentially concerned with outcomes or consequences and the capacity to produce the best possible decisions. These theories are glued by the premise that ethically right decisions are those that produce maximum consequences (Albarran, 2010). To date, utilitarianism, with its axiom of the greatest good still offers the best example of teleological ethics. The second classification – deontologic al ethics – comprise of ethical theories concerned with the philosophical process of arriving at decisions based on established principles (Albarran, 2010). These theories affirm that the rightness or wrongness of an action or behaviour is dependent on that particular action or behaviour and not on the outcomes or consequences it produces. Deontological ethics are best illustrated in the philosophical works of Kant. Utilitarianism, espoused by such philosophers as David Hume, John Stuart Mill, and Jeremy Bentham, among others, states that moral actions are correct to the extent that they tend to enhance the ‘greatest good for the greatest number.’ As one of the best known adaptations of consequentialism, this theory defines what is morally acceptable in terms of the â€Å"maximization of the net expected utility for all parties affected by a decision or action†(Smart Williams, 1998 p. 83).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In other words, human beings ought to behave or act in a manner that occasion the best possible outcomes from their actions (Russo, n.d.). Consequently, acceptable behaviour or actions, according to utilitarianism, should be evaluated by rules and guidelines that, if universally followed would lead to the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Judging by the above description, it appears that the author of the claim in discussion based his arguments on utilitarian theory. Indeed, he argues that a film record of a situation is eventually more effective, has a greater impact, not mentioning the fact that it helps more people. In essence, the film record will enhance the greatest good for the greatest number of viewers the scenario that was being filmed notwithstanding. Such philosophical thought has serious ethical undertones since it therefore means that it actually does not concern us what kind of behaviour or actions we engage in or what our intentions are when engaging in them, as long as the outcomes of our behaviours or actions are generally positive to the wider audience. According to Russo (n.d.), â€Å"†¦what all utilitarians have in common is that they accept one and only one principle of morality, the principle of utility, which states that in all our actions we must always strive to produce the greatest possible balance of good and evil†(para. 3). This therefore means that when faced with a choice between two divergent courses of action, a utilitarian will always aim to select the one that bears the best overall outcome or consequence for the majority who might be affected in one way or another by the actions. In the claim, it is clearly evident that the author would choose the action that has a greater impact and helps more people – that of continuing to film instead of lending a hand. Again, this has serious ethical undertones assuming that the situation he is filming demands that people offer assistance such as a plane clash. Many modern institutions, including the media and democratic institutions, are built around the principle of utilitarianism, that is, ‘the end justify the means.’ Indeed, actions are judged based on the outcomes, not on the objectives, intentions or motives (Terrall, 2007). As such, the individual would be justified to continue filming since he is bound to achieve the best possible outcomes from his action – that of assisting more people. To argue along this continuum, however, is counterintuitive since such actions are taken more for profit orientations than for ethical considerations. When evaluated under the lenses of ethical considerations, utilitarianism in contemporary institutions, including the media, justifies the treatment of individuals as a means to an end. There arise serious ethical connotations when individuals are viewed as a means to achieve an outcome th at is agreeable to the majority.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Ethics: Towards Employing Utilitarianism and Kantian Theory in Examining Practical Ethical Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In equal measure, ethical issues arise if individuals assume that an action or behaviour is acceptable if it generates a greater sum of good than evil for all the individuals who are affected by such an action (Russo, n.d.). This, it appears, is the mentality of the individual who continues to film since filming by itself will have a greater impact and will assist many people than helping the situation. As already mentioned elsewhere, Kantian theory is firmly rooted in deontological ethics. Kant proposed an intricate system that specified the duties endowed upon us as moral agents. According to Plaisance (2009), â€Å"†¦at the core of [Kant’s] system is the claim that our human capacity for reason enables us to know these duties and that freedom enables us to act on them (p.8). As such, the foundations of Kantian theory are rationality and liberty. For Kant, individuals are bound by obligation to act and behave morally as the only way to perform their duties to others. It is imperative to note that by moral action, Kant insinuated that individuals should test and evaluate their actions by inquiring if they could be universalized, that is, whether it would be morally acceptable if every individual applied the actions as standard of behaviour (Johnson, 2008). It therefore follows that the individual in the filming claim would have first stopped to ponder if it was agreeable for everyone to continue filming the arising situations as opposed to lending a hand. In fact, he would have never at the first place been so sure to say that ‘there’s almost no situation in which I’d stop filming to do something†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ since he was not in a position to know or judge if such an action could be universalized to others in similar profession or situation. This demonstrates why Kant was so strict on rationality and liberty. In a hypothetical situation, say a car accident where people are trapped inside the car, a Kantian follower would have reasoned out to first cease filming and lend a hand. If the situation was not that serious, a Kantian follower would have taken the liberty to start filming the situation. Here, the Kantian theory appears more ethically acceptable. Kant formulated the famous ‘categorically imperative’ phrase, implying duty without exception (Plaisance, 2009). This principle demands obedience and core moral obligations that all individuals must meet. Consequently, Kant was of the opinion that individuals are owned respect not because of their professions or individual positions, but for the reason that they are human beings with ability to reason.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Plaisance (2009), â€Å"†¦this universal moral obligation requires that we treat individuals as ends in themselves and never sorely as a means to attain other goals or desires we may have†(p.9). In equal measure, the philosopher was of the opinion that morality was principally about motives. To him, motives are the basis of actions and these, not results or consequences – should be the basis for ethics. Back to the filming claim, it is vehemently clear that the individual use the means (situations) to achieve the ends (having a greater impact and assisting more people). The Kantian theory, however, is clear that the individuals should be perceived and treated as the ends in themselves and never sorely as means. Here, the underlying ethical issue is that utilitarianism, its axiom of achieving the greatest good notwithstanding, is open to abuse in contemporary times. In media institutions, indeed, it is rightfully or wrongfully used and depicted as bei ng in the ‘public interest,’ and in the case of newspapers, it is being used and passed as ‘what the public is interested in.’ Such catchy phrases have serious ethical undertones since what one segment of the public is interested in may not be universalized to the other population, not mentioning the fact that the motive behind an action, say publishing a story, may not necessarily be the reason why a certain outcome is desired (Elder, 2001). All in all, both utilitarianism and Kantian theory have been discussed at length in relation to the claim about filming. Ethical issues have been highlighted on both sides and critical appraisal offered. What is clear is that although the claim about filming is utilitarian in nature, utilitarianism raises more ethical issues than Kantian theory. Both philosophical thoughts, however, have their advocates and critics, and it is premature to discount utilitarianism is a valid theory of ethics. Indeed, according to Terrall (2007), many modern institutions, including the media, heavily rely on utilitarianism. However, as have already been discussed, the theory has serious ethical ramifications when compared to Kantian theory. List of References Albarran, A.B (2010). Management of Electronic Media. Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Elder, R (2001). Difficult Decisions: Ethical Issues for the American Media in Times of National Emergency. Web. Johnson, R (2008). Kant’s Moral Philosophy. In: Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. Plaisance, P.L (2009). Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Russo, M.S (n.d.). Utilitarianism in a nutshell. Web. Smart, J.J.C., Williams, B (1998). Utilitarianism: For and Against. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Terrall, E (2007). The Ends or the Means? Kantian Ethics v/s Utilitarianism. Web.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Rationale of the study Essay Example
Rationale of the study Essay Example Rationale of the study Essay Rationale of the study Essay This chapter presents the background of the study, rationale of the study, conceptual framework, objectives of the study, scope and delimitation, significance of the study and the definition of terms. Introduction Amazing and exciting , confusing and frustrating, and above all else, an undeniable presence of life. Love them or hate them, computer is entering everyones life. Computers play a big role nowadays in our improving modern time and technology. It sakes the user at ease whenever manipulating important files. Thus, everything in this world has changed from simple to the most intricate, where everything is being computerized. We cannot deny the fact that computers have evolved from scientific curiosity to an absolutely necessary tool in virtually all areas of our lives. In a business establishment such as Master Supermarket, computerizing of their system will lead them to a well-organized company and suited for future competitiveness. The company doesnt have an automated system to use for the necessity of an advance file and reports. It takes a lot of reports to produce. This is the reason why the proponents want them to ease their burden. With the knowledge about the computer capabilities, the difficulty of manipulating their files manually will no longer be a problem. With the use of computers, simple tasks can be performed according to specific instructions at such fresh speed at a high degree of accuracy. Only users of large, expensive computer systems could enjoy the power of database management. Data was organized and manipulated as a result, individual and small business benefits from this type of system. Today managing a business has never been easy. Before, business does not need a large amount of capital and can start even without an exhaustive investigation regarding its viability thats why most number of businesses did not succeed, but now, if someone wants a bigger profit
Monday, November 4, 2019
Business Class Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Business Class Questions - Coursework Example The growing interest in business research can be attributed the increasing need to understand employees, customer behavior, stakeholders, and business environment for effective decision making. Business research has been advanced through the current advancement in technology which has made possible for organizations to keep track of important information in their day-to-day operation. Such technologies entails the business intelligence system which facilitates continuous collection of information on the various factors affecting business such as economic, market, political, technology, cultural and social trends(Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). Decision makers combine information collected through such systems with data obtained through the contemporary business research to enhance the credibility and reliability of the research findings. The definition of research should be questioned on the basis that the definition, can be identified as being in its informative stage. 2. What is the difference between applied research and basic or pure research? The major difference between applied research and pure research revolve around the objectives or aims of the research process. Pure research entail the gathering of new information or data to expand the existing knowledge about a given phenomenon or issues where the ultimate goal is build on what is already known (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). On the other hand, applied research revolves around collecting of information geared towards providing amicable solutions to a certain problems or opportunities. Pure research only seeks to answer question or provide knowledge that does directly affect organizational decision making or actions taken in the business operations. In the context of deciding how a salesperson should be paid, either by commission or salary, the question that would be applied to guide an applied research would involve an inquiry on what payment method would be appropriate to pay the salesperson with consideration of benefits associated with each method on both parties. For example, which of the two methods payment; commission or salary would be more appropriate for paying a salesperson? On the other hand the question to guide a pure research on the same issue would entail exploration of the two methods of payment without necessarily seeking to establish a direct response. For example the question can be framed as follows; what are the benefits for using either commission or salary to pay a sales person? 5. What are the dilemmas a sales force manager faces in selecting a custom motivation program or a purchase base program offered by a consulting firm? Selection of either of two programs presents several dilemmas as to which of the two programs would translate to maximum performance and the risks that may be involved in adopting either of the two. The sales force manager faces the dilemma of whether of he/ she has the necessary skills to support implementation of either th e custom motivation program or the purchase based program. The other dilemma that the manager faces revolves around whether the external program can be supported by the firm’s budget. The manager must try to establish if the external prog
Friday, November 1, 2019
CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6
CRM - Essay Example Companies use BI in; surfacing new opportunities, cutting costs and identifying inefficient processes that need of re-engineering. Challenges that come with BI can be avoided if the data that are fed to BI application is clean and consistent. A good example of BI tool used worldwide is Microsoft Excel since it permits users to calculate, present and display numerical data; however, it is a poor BI tool (ZIFF DAVIS 2). Both large organizations and SMBs benefit from using BI technology. SMBs can greatly utilize low-cost, easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy BI options. Some examples are; desktop-analysis tools, quick-to-deploy software-as-a-service and scaled-down suites. BI tools become friendly to SMBs through novel technologies in the form of open source, Web 2.0 interface, new visualization technology and in-memory technology. The crucial BI-jargon are; analytics, benchmarking, Business performance management (BPM), predictive analytics, complex event processing, data mining and online analytical processing (OLAP) (ZIFF DAVIS 4). SMBs should take advantage of Business Intelligence. However, SMBs are challenged from achieving this dream becomes of slim technology budgets and limited IT support. To counter the above, some vendors have developed no cost and low-cost tools other vendors focus on midsize markets while big players provide scaled-down BI suites. BI tools are increasingly acquiring the characteristics of being affordable, fast to deploy and easy to use (ZIFF DAVIS
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