Discussion Post Essay

New Format Requested this week While the format is to be changed thisweek, you are still required to make 3 postings; one original post and comment on two other student’s post. ORIGINAL POST REQUIREMENTS: You are to apply the major topics covered in the course (finance/accounting, economics, marketing) to your company and provide an â€Å"analyst’s report†. 1) (Apply Marketing techniques to:) create an interesting, unique or otherwise attractive catch line (humor works great for me! ) as your post title. Make a recommendation (can be here AND in your subject line) (some of you may not feel you have enough â€Å"experience† where your opinion (i. e. , recommendation) is â€Å"worth something in this world†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. however note, you may have more experience NOW than some analysts at major investment banking houses! (scary I know! )) 3)(Use your corporate report to:) provide certain and specific quantitative analysis of your company. DON†T repeat your entire report†¦. but provide highlights†¦.. as some examples: Net Income rose 20% from 2008-2011 to $1. 35 billion Expenses dropped†¦.  by 15% Shareholder equity (highlights mean â€Å"outlyers† of data†¦.. especially NEGATIVE information 4) (Use some economics learned†¦. predict macro and micro â€Å"futures†)†¦.. describe what Macro world events have affected your company (global eco slow-down†¦. price of oil) †¦.. even micro events (consumption among consumers w as down due to†¦. )provide sensitivities for world events on your corporation and how it will affect that company’s future activities. Provide predictions about future macro economic events and how your company will react going forward. The Network & Space Systems segment is engaged in the research, development, production and modification of products and services to assist its customers in transforming their operations through network integration, information, intelligence and surveillance systems, communication, architectures and space exploration. The Global Services & Support segment is engaged in the operations, maintenance, training, upgrades and logistics support functions for military platforms and operations. The Boeing Capital Corporation segment facilitates, arranges structures and provides selective financing solutions for its commercial airplanes customers. In the space and defense markets, it primarily arranges and structures financing solutions for its Boeing Defense, Space & Security government customers. Its portfolio consists of equipment under operating leases, finance leases, notes and other receivables, assets held for sale or re-lease and investments. The company was founded by William Edward Boeing in 1916 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. http://www. marketwatch. com/investing/stock/ba/profile 2) The Boeing Company has a long history of providing complex systems and integrated assembly’s to its customers. 3) The Boeing Company is headquartered in Chicago IL. In 1997 Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged to form what is the Boeing Company of today. This was approximately 1 year after Boeing acquired Rockwell Corporations Space and Defense division. The company has over 249 subsidiaries. The largest competitor on the commercial side is Airbus a division of EDS and the largest competitor on the Defense, Space and Security side is Lockheed Martin with many other companies lining up for second place. In order for Boeing to maintain it’s market share the company has had to continually research and develop new products in both major business units. Notes for special consideration† 1. Cash and cash equivalents increased from $5,359 billion to $10,049 billion from 2010 to 2011 2. Retained Earnings rose from $24,784 billion to $27,524 billion during the period of 2010 to 2011 3. Net Earnings rose from $1.3 billion in 2009 to $4. 02 billion in 2011 4) Boeing is a company that is always going to be challenged. The challengers for the Defense, Space and Security market typically have come from within the US but that is starting to change. EADS which is the largest defense business in Europe is continually trying to enter US ma rkets. Also Airbus which is a subsidiary of EADS is the most prominent competitor in the commercial segment but many countries such as Japan, China, Brazil and Canada are working very hard to position themselves as challengers to the commercial market. This will be a challenge for Boeing and Airbus for the next several decades. Commercial airline customers and airlines will continue to demand enhancements and improvements to the commercial airplanes and the service / cost associated with the. This will continue to drive performance by the manufacturers including Boeing which is the industry leader. The US government acquisition may decline depending on the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections. Boeing and it’s competitors in those markets will look toward no US markets to sell their products. Continued increase in energy and material cost will drive Boeings focus on keeping costs down. 5) Research and development are the single most important factor in keeping Boeing relevant for the future. Research and development expense amounted to $3. 9 billion, $4. 1 billion and $6.5 billion in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In 2009 this included $2. 7 billion alone for the new 787 commercial aircraft. Research and development costs also include bid and proposal efforts related to governme nt products and services, as well as costs incurred in excess of amounts estimated to be recoverable under cost sharing research and development agreements. Bid and proposal costs were $332 million, $355 million and $343 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009 respectively. R&D within the Defense, Space and Security business unit is primarily focused on supporting customer requirements and providing new technologies to meet the needs of military, security and space agencies.

My review and judgement for Toyshops online marketing Essay

Top shop online retail website allows their customer to purchase their products online. Top shop is generally regarded as the high street fashion centre for all women and men under 30, reasonably priced clothes suitable for all occasions. Top shop is one of the better laid out online shops the site uses an attractive black colour scheme and the clothes are divided into categories, viewers can choose to browse by New In items, Special Offers, Sale, Kate Moss range, Dresses, etc. Topshop is a high street fashion retailer that has been up and running since 1964 and is has successfully open 300 store across the UK, do shipments to more than 100 countries and has their eclectic British style is known all over the world. Over the years they have built a strong bond with industry insiders and in 2002 they joined forces with newgen, a scheme which allowed them to foster new design talent and provide a global platform for the scene’s brightest new stars. Topshop also the only high street brand to show on schedule at London Fashion week and Topshop Unique has become the style set’s hottest ticket. The Topshop formula is proving not just popular/reputation but profitable too. The chain made around $200 million in pre-tax profits last year on revenues of approximately $1.14 billion. Topshop online marketing system is very effective to its viewers/ users, Topshop’s online website benefits their customers because it give their customers the opportunity to visit their website at any time during business hours which make online shopping an excellent option for many busy shoppers. One of the most obvious benefit for online shoppers is convenience, online shoppers has the ability to purchase products/service from Topshop’s online website at any time which is most convenient for them. Their online website accepts orders twenty-four hours a day during normal business hours. Topshop’s online website provides their customers with total product information. Customers shopping online expect product details which is the Price, information on how the product or service runs on how to use it an so on, this is a benefit for the customer because before purchasing a product they get to see the price and get information on the product on how it will work out for them so they will get an rough idea of how it will work so before purchasing they could compare and select whether the price is suitable for them and if the service or product has what they need. Viewing items is easy – viewers can just click on the item they want to view in more detail and it brings up the name of the item, the price, a brief description of the product, materials used, suggestions for how to wear it, and a picture of the front and the back which you are able to zoom in. customers can see what sizes the item is available in – sizes go from 6-16 and any sizes not in stock are greyed out. The business online features is beneficial to their viewer because it help to their viewers to find exactly what they are looking for in other words ‘easy to use’; images, colours, gifs, videos, drop down menus and search bars are all useful to the business viewers. Topshop’s online website also provides their viewers to be able to create their own account with the company, get additional information on their business, clothing and also complaints, viewers can write their own review on their products and service that the business offers. The effectiveness of the of Topshop marketing The effectiveness of Topshop marketing online gives customers an opportunity to purchase items from their online webpage, collect information about the product, service and also information about the business, their online webpage is also design in a way to enable their customers to get exactly what the they are looking; at the bottom of Topshop online webpage is where customers can get the information there need from the business such as, information about the business, how to find different branches, help and also other website that the customers can visit for update; Facebook, twitter, YouTube and also Google. Images, videos, pictures, drop down menus, gifs and search bar play a big impact on how customers view the business webpage, it make it easier for the customers to locate stuff on the business webpage, because these online features are visual. Topshop online website is effective because it help to attraction new customers to the business. The internet is a main asset to many people because they use this on a regular basis whether it is to communication, gather information or locate new places. Topshop use many marketing techniques to promote their online business, these are; promotional adverts online, email promotion, hyperlinks, on website such as twitter and Facebook and so on YouTube. Topshop also have an app for all smartphone, where customers can use to also purchase item, gather information and so on, this is very effective for their customers because this give their customers the advantage to shop from anywhere, during business hours. Topshop internet marketing states for Facebook and Twitter. Topshop continues to grow its following on social media sites, due to lots of features, in-store promotions and relatively high levels of engagement with fans and followers. Stats from E-Digital Research look at the number of followers for the top 20 retailers on Facebook and Twitter and, for the first time, Google+. Top 20 UK retailers on Facebook Topshop was also in pole position and it has added more than 1m new fans since May 2011. Its target audience are big Facebook and social media in general users, so the strategy of promoting its Facebook presence works well. Content is regularly updated to keep people interested, while it also promotes its social media profiles in stores and from its website. The retailer uses exclusive deals and interactive content to keep people interested. How much this translates into sales is another matter, but it’s significant that it hasn’t opened an f-commerce store, presumably preferring to drive users to its product pages.

Distancia Amingo Essay

It was mid-afternoon. I could see faces along the road. I knew they were Iskolar ng Bayan; I assumed. They are for sure coming from different Bicol provinces. I was in a hurry to cross the lane. I was nearly bumped by a jeepney. Ano, magpapakamatay ka na? The driver shouted. Aw nano na costumbre, I murmured. I did not know whether he got the right person or I got a wrong way, either. After I crossed the pedestrian lane, I stopped and thought it over. Suddenly, a tricyle passed by. Distancia Amingo, as I have read the inscription on the board of its back. Keep distance, I told myself. I, most of the times, was waiting for and taking a ride in a jeepney every time I am going to office, church, mall, and even bar hopping. Jeepney becomes a public transportation of Legazpenos and other neighboring places. We are comfortable to call it as dyip or jeep. Indeed, my previous experience constructs a new concept that helps me out to observe, describe, and take note its technical and cultural background. What can you say? Jeepneys are originally made from US military jeeps, which military left them behind after ended the World War II instead of paying to ship the vehicles to America. A jeepney is a 12- to 16-passenger vehicle fashioned from second-hand military Jeeps used in the Philippines as public transportation. The term comes from a combination of the words Jeep and jitney, meaning small bus following a flexible schedule that carries passengers on a regular route. Over the years, the jeepney has grown to become one of the most prevalent means of transportation in the Philippines,† said Jacob Hendriks, eHow contributing writer. Today, it becomes the most common means of public transportation among provinces in the Philippines. Indeed, its name tags the Filipinos culture. If you could notice before you step up there are some slogans down the stair. Take note; you will perhaps frown or laugh at after reading it. Basta driver, sweet lover, this is an authentic example. It is not doubtful if passengers got smile when they have pleased to seat on the tukawan, I connote. On the other hand, this slogan simply speaks of machismo. In contrast, drivers could be described as polygamous by nature aside from being gentlemen to passengers. Perhaps, the status of their employment would attest that in some cases they coincidentally found women at night while they went to driving. I don’t think if some of them got concubines, which could be the cause of love quarrel between him and his wife. I think this is the reason why some of them had encountered accident that is suicidal. Forgive me if I got the wrong concept. At the back of the driver seat, you can read, Barya lang po sa umaga. We cannot deny that many times we forgot to pay our fare using coins early in the morning. Dai akon sensilyo; that’s it when driver asked. We cannot deny that we never allow ourselves to follow this simple rule; yet, when we demand good services from the authority basically our blood pressure seems to explode. High blood? so to speak. On the other hand, there are drivers who cheat. When you handed him more than the expected fare sometimes they forgot or meant not to return your change. I did not say that they are all cheaters because there also some of them who are honest. The moment you forgot, they screeched their wheels back. I also did not say that they are not angry when passengers count their change. Maski arog ako kaini, dai ko kaya manluko nin tawo, one time a driver murmured towards me. Feeling close, my flirt mind commented. Fasten your seat belt; you can read this line when you sit beside the driver’s seat. Sometimes, it is written as, fasten your sit belt. At first, I was annoyed; but, at the end, I realized that this line is the result of linguistic imperialism. We should forgive the perpetrator. We should not point our fingers to the driver because the nature of his work does not qualify to plead him guilty instead we will blame his teacher. It could be his parents as first teachers at home. It could be his teachers in the school, where learning takes place. Exactly, his learning experience constructs meaning as influence of constructivism. The good side is; he is not just a driver, but a skilled worker. This is the real substance of education shaping a person to be productive developing his potential to a defined skill. I was already inside the jeepney where I listened to the song entitled, Jeepney by Spongecola. What a coincidence, I said. Hush. Listen to the song. Bumaba ako sa jeepney/Kung saan tayo’y dating magkatabi/Magkahalik ang pisngi nating dalawa. The verses describe how the lovers explicitly unveil their relationship. Public display affection (pda); they said. Yes, it is expected that this is between man and woman. It could possibly be a man with a queer wo(man). That’s true; we do not impose racism here. You can laugh, but do not judge. Just say; this is the law of extreme reality. Pues, I can’t bear the moment without looking into the trend of courtship nowadays. I tell you; I am not against with them. I really feel sad when I see lovers in the jeepney showing inhuman behavior. We cannot blame older than us if they can’t tolerate themselves to put them into gossip because they destroy our good tradition. So, it is not surprising if women are being brutalized and raped because they become motif of original sin. Si’isay su relihiyoso an padi o an drayber? It becomes a joke; but, if we look at it as new perspective, tambay or bystanders would answer us, of course, the driver. If you can observe; the driver will not drive the jeepney without signing a cross. Yes, I agree, but he cannot do it without prior knowledge about his religious ways without the priests. When we destroy our conscience, our faith will be at stake. Faith in our people and faith in God, said Sen. Benigno â€Å"Ninoy† Aguino, Sr. In front of the jeepney’s mirror, you can see a small altar with an image of Virgin Mary. It becomes the icon of their salvation. Sometimes, they hang above it a bunch of fresh and fragrant flower, sampaguita, which they bought three for ten pesos from the young vendors. These vendors could be young boys or girls who seemed to be unfortunate. No child shall be left behind, as envisioned by the DepEd. Yet, the more the children are unfortunate, the more they are not able to go to school. I am sure there is something wrong in their home. I am sure there is something wrong in the system of the government. Along the front window you can notice the driver’s prayer embroidered as, God bless our trip. With this, I can say that the driver is a symbolic for hard work and these four words represent for prayer. This entails that when we work we should never forget to pray. Ora et labora; in English means, pray and work. This simply reminds us that we should balance our material needs and our spiritual need. When I got down the stair another jeepney passed by. I could read the inscription, In God We Trust. I can’t imagine how Bicolanos survive amid scarcity as a result of natural calamity. I presume; Bicolanos’ ways of living unfold the profound relationship with God. Ancient times indeed reflect how our ancestors passed on our good culture that defines our Bicolano identity. So, we have no reasons to smile. Starting today, we will keep distance when jeepney stops, but we will never lose hope when sudden misfortune comes because God never keeps us apart. He is just in our heart.

Ethical Problem Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Problem Solution - Essay Example Here, I want to mention that the wife of the therapist was pregnant and she was admitted in a hospital waiting for her delivery in a day or two. Coming back to the situation, the therapist was busy arranging patients’ records when the receptionist entered the room and told him about a telephone call waiting for him. The call was from his mother in law who told him about his wife’s critical condition in the delivery room. The news made the therapist panic and he wanted to leave the clinic in order to see his wife who was in the hospital. The therapist was just about to leave the clinic when a man came to the clinic along with his son who had severe pain in his right leg caused due to an injury. The man requested the therapist to check his son and prescribe a proper treatment plan. The situation became very critical for the therapist because on one side there was his wife who was in serious condition in the delivery room while, on the other side, there was a child who had severe pain in his leg. So, it became very difficult for the therapist to decide whether he should rush towards the hospital or not. How is this An Ethical Problem? This is really an ethical problem because, as a physical therapist, it is the duty of the therapist to check the patient and provide him with proper treatment no matter how serious the situation is. But one thing to be considered is that a person should also consider his or her state of mind before taking any decision. The mental state of a person can lead a person take different decisions. In our case, the condition of the therapist’s wife would not have let him concentrate on his job properly. Being a professional, the therapist should have helped the patient restore his physical mobility before leaving for the hospital. Ways to Handle This Problem There are two ways for a person to deal with this kind of situation. First way is to check the patient first and then leave for the hospital whereas the second way i s to leave for the hospital asking the patient to come some other time. The consequences of the first solution can be the improper treatment of the patient because of the disturbed state of mind of the therapist whereas the consequences of the second solution can be the poor reputation of the therapist. A therapist needs to concentrate more towards his job responsibilities as compared to other matters of life. How the Problem Could Have Been Avoided?

What are the distinguishing aspects of Hispanic culture which affect Essay

What are the distinguishing aspects of Hispanic culture which affect political behaviour in the US after Obama - Essay Example The Census Bureau of the United States has defined individuals who are of Hispanic origin as those individuals who live in the United States, but state their origins as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central or South American. The same definition has been utilized by small business organizations all over the country as well as many federal, state and municipal agencies. This is needed by the mentioned organizations when it comes to awarding contracts to businesses owned by individuals from minority groups (US Census Bureau, 2001). As of this writing, the record for the number of Hispanic nationals residing in the United States has come up to 33 million, therefore making around 12 percent of the entire US population. It has been predicted that the numbers would increase to over 50 million by the year 2020 (US Census Bureau, 2001). According to Mendoza (1989), the Hispanic community is becoming increasingly acculturated. The process of ‘acculturation’ refers to the process of the integration of ethnic minorities into the mainstream culture of their environment. There has been research implying that acculturation has the tendency to reduce the feelings of inadequacy and helps minorities to feel a part of their ethnic group and the mainstream culture (La Fromboise et al., 1993). In the Hispanic population, acculturation has become more and more prevalent and despite this, there are still some cultural traits that Hispanic individuals possess, which in turn come into conflict with American culture. Lee et al (2006) has mentioned that cultural differences plays a part in affecting the organizational goals and objectives of an administration. The enormous changes in demographics within the 21st century has meant that postmodernism became one of the main players in the 2008 presidential elections. According to Sanchez & Fernandez (1993), Hispanic identity has been defined as the level to which individuals

Do Women Have a Distinctive Ethical Perspective Essay

Do Women Have a Distinctive Ethical Perspective - Essay Example Moral codes are the interwoven fibres of ethical theories. Usually moral codes are the provisions of agreement between two men or women or group of people. As long as the provisions of agreement are adhered with conformity they are deemed to be moral codes. If any violation emerges at any point, then the moral codes cease to be moral codes. Thus moral disagreements pave way for ethical disintegration. The basic and pivotal sub classifications of ethical theories are: - Utilitarianism is one of the most practiced norms of ethical theories. There are two types of utilitarianism namely, act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism promotes doing good to most people unmindful of personal feelings and societal constraints like laws whereas rule utilitarianism regulates doing good to most of the people within the frame work of admitted/agreed laws and rules. (Catherine Rainbow, 2002) In this paper we are going to discuss the ethical perspectives of men and women. The ethical perspectives of men normally are justice based and that of women are care based. Men’s perspective in many cases permits inconsistent decisions at palliating circumstances that lead to certain limited violations of provisions already agreed for. Women although termed frail sex, do not allow such violations and tend to be rule utilitarianism followers in many situations. Moral codes and moral issues are always accompanied necessarily by contexts. While discussing ethical theories and in the formation of ethical theories it becomes necessary to remove contexts so that theories could be generalised. This task many times becomes very difficult because on removing the contexts of the issues we are at the danger of landing on diluting the very motto of generalisation. Thus contexts are to be removed only for identification. That is we

Integration of Financial and Operational Management Essay

Integration of Financial and Operational Management - Essay Example Dell has committed itself to operate in a way that would not only achieve excellence in operations but also benefit the company financially and would result in satisfied customers. Because of its commitment to constant improvement the company installed the direct selling method where JIT system and lean production were adopted which improved company’s efficiency and effectiveness in many areas. On the other hand the company used the rapidly growing IT technology well by working on customer focused ordering system which enable them to design their own product, which resulted in much satisfied customers and zero inventory level. Zero inventory level was further implemented by changes in the supply chain and integration of the entire company’s operations into the supply chain. Through redesigning of systems and process, Dell is able to become the most efficient PC manufacturers in the world. However, it should be noted that although Dell has installed a system which serves as a benchmark for many manufacturing companies, Dell still needs to focus on few areas which if not attended can turn out to be bigger operational issues in the future. Introduction: Dell is one of the largest American multinational company which deals in selling and supporting computers and related products and services. The company is involved in selling, manufacturing and distribution of high technological products like PCs, servers, data storage devices, printers, cameras, HDTVs soft wares etc. Dell is the third largest IT Company of the world and faces close competition from its competitors HP (Hewlett Packard), Acer, Apple, and Lenovo etc. Managerial Challenges: Dell has been in business for over 28 years. Since its inception, Dell has faced many operational and financial difficulties and has adopted numerous strategies to overcome its challenges and restore its profitability. Dell’s operational strategy since its early days had been to use interchangeable parts to pr oduce goods of mass-production at lowest possible prices. However, due to rapid increase in the demand of technology, globalization, new and evolving market trends and technological demands the company faced operational challenges in many fields. Excessive and Obsolete Inventory: Dell had faced numerous problems in the early stages; the company in its early stages expanded into traditional retail channels which it stopped later on due to heavy obsolete inventory and thin margins in the business. Later on in 1990 the company faced another operational issue of excess component inventory and abandonment of production line. This caused heavy losses to the company despite of doubling sales during the period. The major problem that Dell faced at that time was the excessive inventory along with the prevailing recession made it report a huge loss of $36 millions in 1994. (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt. 2012) Dell struggled with great difficulties in inventory management area as it used the trad itional manufacturing ordering system by ordering components in advance on the forecast basis and if the forecast went wrong the company had major write-downs. (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt. 2012) Changing Customer’s Demands: The technological business is a rapidly changing business where the introduction of a new technology can cause heavy losses. Dell’s main concern was about the inventory in hand that became obsolete due

Organisational Behaviour Theories and Modern Learning Organisation Essay

Organisational Behaviour Theories and Modern Learning Organisation - Essay Example Specifically, it offers a wide-ranging tactical support within which abilities, instructing and growth strategies can be placed, thus providing teaching and HRM professionals with a tactic for advertising their products to higher management. Instead of training and capabilities being a bolt-on extra, learning transfers to centre stage and grows to be the principal organisational standard around which business policy and viable gain can be developed. Put plainly, there are said to be 3 different shapes of learning within an association: folks within an organisation learning belongings; organisational learning - where the organisation as a unit begins to develop means in which it can learn lectures in a group; and lastly the learning organisation - where the vital organisational objective is complete learning. The nature of the amendments needed becomes understandable as we look at the five-step prototype of development of a learning organisation submitted by Johnson (2002, pp. 241-249 ). The initial three steps of the model (Foundation, Formation and Prolongation) are taken to characterise a state of organisational learning. Phases 4 and 5 (Renovation and Transfiguration) represent evolution and conversion to becoming an entirely driven learning organisation. Foundation: Essential talents development, plus providing beginners with practices and eagerness to learn further. Basic human resources development plans to stimulate and put up self-belief for advance knowledge. Formation: Organisation promotes and develops skills for self-studying and self-development assists individual discover about the organisation and their position in it. Likelihoods and resources are set aside to meet requirement for learning. Renovation: An absolute transform in the form, look and traits or traditions of the organisation.

Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper - Essay Example These factors always yield ethical issues that question the ethical nature of the allocation method (Reiser, 2006). For instance, people are allocated organs just because they are wealthy and can pay for them. A medically needy person living far away from the donor may fail to receive the organ, which is given to a less needy person near the donor. Such ethical concerns clearly posit that there lacks an ethical approach for allocating transplant as some people are unfairly treated during the allocation process. In this regard, this paper evaluates the transplant allocation process using the four major ethical principles, including the principle of non- maleficence, justice, autonomy and beneficence. This determines the possibility of a more ethical way to allocate transplants. Autonomy The autonomy principle is highly employed in the healthcare sector. However, when it comes to determining the criteria for the transplant allocation process, it has minimal use. In fact, Reiser (2006) highlights that to be fair and effective, the allocation process should not be guided by the autonomy principle. Autonomy means deliberate self-determination or self-rule. The autonomy principle allows a person to make the decisions that one perceives to be morally right without third party interference. Although it is the basis of individual moral values, the principle cannot be employed in the allocation process. This is because in some cases, those allocating transplants may develop sympathy-driven emotional bonds with transplant recipients, such as those who have waited for long and the very young persons, including babies. If the principle of autonomy is applied by those allocating the organs, they are likely to act based on emotional pressure. Essentially, the allocators are more likely to allocate organs based on emotional bonds development rather than on any specific criteria or fairness. Hence, fairness or justice overrules autonomy in the allocation process to limit ethica l issues in the allocation process. Beneficence Beneficence directs that the allocators do not harm, promote the recipients welfare and do good. Nevertheless, how is this possible in allocating transplants, which are scarce resource?. Ideally, as Jensen (2011) indicates, it is difficult to avoid doing harm, doing good and promoting the welfare of the recipients when allocating transplants. Notably, allocating a kidney to a child based on age or other factors over an older woman who has stayed long in the waiting list or any other factor involves doing good to one patient and harming the other. It may be argued that focusing on the medically needy is doing good, avoiding harm and promoting the welfare of the recipients. However, other factors, such as the probability of success and being on the waiting list for too long still show that the allocation process may not avoid doing harm or promote recipients welfare. Ideally, it may become evident that a needy person with low or almost z ero success chances has been allocated a transplant over a less needy person who with high success rates. In this case, when the transplant fails, it will do no good. In fact, it may cause harm because the ‘less needy’ person may suffer unnecessarily because the transplant could have been successful on him or her. Categorically, although it is crucial to uphold the principle of beneficence in healthcare, it cannot help formulate an allocation process

The madding crowd Essay Example for Free

The madding crowd Essay What can I say about this book? For 474 pages worth, this was disappointing. Thomas Hardy must have known something I didnt, because this book didnt do anything for me. And I dont think it can do anything for you. Dont get me wrong, the plot is an original one- a woman being harassed and ogled at by her workers, and her associates. But it quite frankly bores me. Focusing the book on two main characters: Theres solemn Gabriel, the honest bachelor who seemed to do nothing but envy Troy for marrying his seemingly forbidden love, and the powerful temptress known as Bathsheba. Whats the point? They got together in the end. Focusing the story on the friendship between the two- from Gabriels ignorant proposal to the eventual marriage of the two. Hardy couldve saved us 474 pages, and said they were married. Because in the end, thats what it comes down to. All the side distractions like Boldwood, and Troy, were for nothing. The rustic characters disappeared halfway through the book, their full potential never reached. In fact, Ive just told you what happens, so why bother going to read it? And its a shame. Because in these sort of depressant books, you need humour to drag it from the darkest bowels of the reject bin. The only thing funny about this book was the poor attempts at a love story. Hardy was criticised by the public for his other work, and I think this is another of those poor books. Wheres the entertainment? The only interesting part was when Boldwood shot Troy. This is just a book of annoyance. The only thing I can congratulate Hardy on is his sexism. The portrayal of Bathsheba as some form of super-woman made me wonder if reading the book was actually the bright thing to do. After all, what proud man wants to read about some woman running a farm? Bossing everyone about, its inaccurate! Its just stupid! Sanity is restored (Sort of) when Troy marries Bathsheba, but even that is scarred by the womanisers hastiness in marrying the jezebel. All romances end at marriage quotes the Sergeant. Romance? There never was any romance! Lust is the key here. In my opinion, Troy just used Bathsheba to exploit her position. Marry her for her money. Get a nice discharge from the army, a farm, what could be better? Oh, more money. And the brilliance is, he has to take some money to help his ex-fianci! Who dies in the next chapter! With his child! Not the most tear-jerking moment in the book, though. That award goes to the last page, which makes you cry with delight that youve finally seen the end of this travesty. The lady of the house isnt too pleased at this, and their unhappy marriage comes to an abrupt halt when William Boldwood shoots Troy. And so Frank Troy ends. Shame really. He was the life and soul of the book. The last few chapters are indeed entertaining. Theres the suspense of wondering if Boldwoods going to be executed or not. Then, to the disappointment of the bloodthirsty readers in the world, he gets off lightly. Thats what the book is full of: letdowns. Hardys architectural knowledge allows some beautifully described chapters to salvage the novel in parts, but writers require the ability to keep that level of consistency in their writing to write a brilliant novel. And that is what the novel lacks. At certain times, dialogue isnt always at its best. The mental imagery of the scenes are breathtaking- thats what Hardys descriptions do for you. The dialogue, however, destroys that. Too vague. Too boring. Repartees, puns, wittiness is whats needed, especially in the case of the rustics, and these three examples are missing throughout the majority of the book. In novels, I hate repetition. Seeing the word said after every spoken word becomes tedious. Missing are the stated and voiced. Interesting ways to say said benefit books more than you would think. And thats what niggles away at the book. Said is like saying nice to describe things. Its simple, and very dull. It may be petty, but these petty things can improve the novel, and stop this review being so negative. Far From the Madding Crowd is anything but that. It belongs with the mad crowd. Sane people wouldnt pick it up. I wouldnt advise you to buy, or even contemplate reading this book. For the romanticists among us, its great. For the non-romantic types, steer clear of this novel. Youll just be saddened that you paid good money for the book. Why pay good money when you can read this review? Ive told you what happens. Learn by my mistakes. The enjoyment factor is crucial for this books survival, and, sadly, the factor is reading 0.

Volvo Group Of Companies and the challenges it faces

Volvo Group Of Companies and the challenges it faces 1 Introduction AB Volvo is the mother company of the Volvo Group of companies with its head office in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company was formed in 1924, with the first Volvo truck rolling off the production line in Sweden in 1928. The Volvo Group is one of the worlds leading suppliers of transport solutions for commercial use, also providing complete solutions for finance and servicing. This mission statement for the company is ‘By creating value for our customers we create value for our shareholders. We use our expertise to create transport-related hard and soft products of the superior quality, safety and environmental care for demanding customers in selected segments. We work with energy, passion and respect for the individual (AB Volvo Group Presentation 2011). Volvo as a group is tremendously proud of the core corporate values of, Safety, Quality and Environment and has retained and lived by these values from the start of the organisation. These three values are evident in every aspect of the business. The Volvo Group has now grown to become the second largest manufacturer globally of heavy trucks, and as illustrated in Figure 1.1 incorporates many different brands. As illustrated in Figure 1.2 , the Volvo Group is separated into business areas and business units. The business areas are responsible for generating revenues for the company and the business units are the recognised support units to support all business areas. Volvo Information Technology (Volvo IT) is the recognised support business unit for information technology strategy and systems support. Volvo IT does not confine their business to the Volvo Group, outsourcing their expertise to such organisations as the Ford motor company and the Stockholm Government. This ensures the Volvo IT is continually benchmarking the Volvo Group to other businesses in the open market to stay in the market forefront. Volvo Group works with external interest groups to continue to develop and drive progress in the transportation industry, especially on projects that align with the corporate values of quality, safety and environmental care. An example project requiring the key involvement of Volvo IT is the Alternative Fuels project. This project is examining a viable replacement of fossil fuels for commercial applications (Alternative Fuels 2011). In the Alternative Fuels project, the Volvo Group is working with customers, suppliers and governments to investigate workable fossil free fuels, with all business areas and units working towards making this possible. Volvo IT is involved to introduce software changes for engine management systems to ensure clean burning of these fuels. The solution is to utilise a centralised and shared IT infrastructure, platform and software application serving content to authorised users over the web. In this report we discuss the IT infrastructure issues and challenges for the Volvo Group and the business benefits and costs of a modern IT model called Cloud Computing. Recommendations are provided as to the adoption of Cloud Computing by the Volvo Group followed by concluding statements. 2 IT Infrastructure: issues and challenges 2.1 IT infrastructure challenges Two of the major components {Laudon, 2010 #159}of an IT infrastructure that must be coordinated by a firm include computer hardware platforms and enterprise software applications ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203). These two essential components of an organisations IT infrastructure ecosystem ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203) are concentrated on in this report as they exhibit the most risk to the Volvo Groups business, but they also provide the most opportunities for an information technology strategy to add business value to the Volvo Group. An information system is defined by Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 46) as ‘a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organisation. In modern organisations, most information systems are implemented via IT infrastructure that includes computer hardware platforms and enterprise software applications. These systems are ‘typically the backbone of an organisations information flow and the main vehicle for consolidating business information ( Bisbal et al. 1999, p. 103) and their failure can have a significant impact on the business. 2.2 Legacy information systems Information systems that have been in existence for a long time and continue to be resistant to modification and evolution due to a high replacement or redesign cost are called legacy information systems ( Brodie Stonebraker 1995, p. 103; Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 634). The evolution or appearance of legacy information systems in an organisation can also typically occur due to mergers and acquisitions ( Macknight 2005, p. 14). As described by Bisbal ( 1999, p. 103), legacy information systems can cause an organisation a number of problems: Running on old or obsolete hardware. Expensive software maintenance. Inflexibility in extending the systems. Difficult to integrate with other systems. Long failure or disaster recovery times. Old and obsolete hardware can be power hungry. Replacement can be expensive or sometimes impossible due to lack of skills or unavailable parts. Some organisations need to maintain spares holding and skills within their organisation to mitigate such risks. Similarly skills in software maintenance and fault-finding may be hard to out-source or outsourced service levels may not align with the needs of the business. The system may need to be flexible and able to integrate with other systems in order to respond to changing business requirements ( Bennett et al. 1999, p. 153) 2.3 The evolution of Volvos global information systems strategy Volvo Group has seen an increase in their legacy information systems mainly due to the impact of company acquisitions over the years. Many areas in the IT infrastructure ecosystem ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203) required particular attention during acquisitions to ensure compliance through coordination of the many components of the ecosystem. Hardware platforms differed as did internet platforms. Data management and storage needed to be centralised. The need to change and centralise was evident. Throughout these acquisitions, the focus of the information management strategy of the Volvo Group has been to ensure key enterprise systems are incorporated into the acquired organisations. The ERP system based on SAP is an example one of the key enterprise systems common throughout the entire Volvo Group. In contrast, supply chain systems have remained as point solutions unique to each business area and physically deployed on a geographically separated basis. As specified by ( Ives Jarvenpaa 1991, p. 34), a ‘global information technology application contributes to achieving a firms global business strategy by using information technology platforms to store, transmit and manipulate data across cultural environments. With AB Volvo being a true global corporation experiencing ongoing growth through acquisition, challenges have presented themselves in most countries with legacy systems across the supply chain. Cultural diversity such as different languages utilised from regional area to regional area continue to discourage the upgrade of legacy supply chain systems. Also, the resultant point solutions all require local IT support. Evidently, having multiple point solutions poses many challenges for the Volvo Group, but it also causes misalignment with their core corporate values. For example, the Volvo Group core value of environmental care leads to goals to reduce energy usage in efforts to reduce the companys carbon footprint. With the multiple point solutions, and many of these being legacy systems, there would be a propensity for excessive energy usage due to the hardware platforms not complying with environmental requirements and other inefficiencies. There are better solutions available. Hospitals in the USA have started to use energy efficient, environmentally friendly hardware, as well as using cloud like technology for patient files access and program access ( Does Green Really Pay Off? Ideas from Hospitals That Say Yes!   2009). 3 Cloud Computing and its business benefits and costs 3.1 Cloud computing explained Cloud computing is referred to as a ‘model of computing by Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 196) ‘where firms and individuals obtain computing power and software applications over the Internet, rather than purchasing their own hardware and software. Typically ‘cloud computing infrastructure resides in a large data centre and is managed by a third party ( Jaeger et al. 2008, p. 270). Gilbert ( 2010, p. 1) states that ‘Cloud computing has been recognised as one of the most important developments in information technology in the past 60 years. Globally, organisations are implementing cloud computing solutions in order to reduce costs; be more responsive to market demands; to share information more readily and rapidly; ( Gilbert 2010, p. 1); to provide better customer service, and much more. Cloud computing has been enabled through technological drivers such as reducing communication costs, the internet and its growing speed, smaller footprints required for more processing power and data storage, advances in internet security, virtualisation and much more. Figure 3.1 describes further characteristics of the cloud environment. 3.2 Cloud computing service models Cloud computing services can be provided in three models ( Gilbert 2010, pp. 18-9) Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), and Software as a service (SaaS). These models are described in more detail in Figure 3.1. For organisations such as Volvo, the cloud computing service models tend towards the use of IaaS and SaaS. The staff of Network World ( 2007, p. 28) quote eBays Paul Strong as stating ‘companies must decide what is core to their business and what can be commoditised as a utility served up by a SaaS (software as a service) provider. Cloud service providers are able to consolidate computing resources enabling cost reductions derived from centralised management and economies of scale, passing on these cost savings to the user of the cloud service who can utilise the service without the initial capital outlay and maintenance of a dedicated infrastructure ( Jaeger et al. 2008, p. 270). 3.3 Cloud computing delivery models Cloud delivery models can be public, private, hybrid or community ( Gilbert 2010, p. 19). These are described in more detail in Figure 3.1. For organisations, cloud computing ‘presents many major problems of information policy, including issues of privacy, security, reliability, access and regulation ( Jaeger et al. 2008, pp. 269-70) with legislation lagging commercial interest in this computing model. In evaluating their potential utilisation of a cloud computing service, organisations would need to consider a range of issues. Two typical issues revolve around trust in the integrity of the service provider. Organisations would need to trust in the ability of a cloud service provider to ensure the security of their valuable private information. There must also be trust in the business continuity of the service provider, along with the ability of the service provider to maintain their quoted service levels ensuring the appropriate access and reliability of the service. Subsequently organisations are more likely to take up a private cloud delivery model for enterprise software applications and computer hardware platforms. For larger global organisations with multiple business units, such as Volvo, a hybrid model of a private cloud and community cloud delivery model would be more desirable. Such a model is illustrated in Figure 3.2 3.4 Cloud computing business benefits to Volvo The Volvo Group can benefit greatly from the use of cloud computing. With the group having its own business unit that handles and manages IT requirements, Volvo Group has an opportunity to reduce costs from infrastructure and hardware duplications, have competitive advantage via speed to market of new services for customers and reducing the costs of good sold into markets via supply chains. Other benefits to the group include much lower cost of entry and capital expenditure, low and transparent cost of ownership, and tax advantages ( OSullivan 2009, p. 21). The supply chain systems within the Volvo Group are characterised as legacy point solutions with regionally located and managed data centres housing multiple software applications and hardware platforms, each providing the same business function. These legacy supply chain information systems would appear to be prime candidates for replacement by a cloud computing solution. Indeed, supply chain systems are one of the types of systems that are quickly moving from their traditional platforms to the cloud computing model ( OSullivan 2009, p. 20). 4 Recommendation of cloud computing adoption/adaptation 4.1 Volvos five year strategy The five year strategy from the Volvo Group is to continue to reduce their environmental impact, produce quality products in all areas of their business and continue to create value to customers and shareholders. A key aspect of the Volvo Groups five year strategy is to continue to reduce the carbon output in all areas of the business (Volvo Truck Corporation Sweden 2011). Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 223) provide six factors that should be used to answer the question â€Å"How much should our firm spend on IT infrastructure?†. They are: 1. Market demand for Volvos services These are ever increasing with more services being provided to Volvo Truck Customers through the complete life of the vehicle. 2. Volvo Business Strategy The group will continue to develop services and vehicles that reduce CO2 footprint and lead to better ways of commercial transportation. 3. Volvo information technology strategy, infrastructure and cost A cloud computing model should be considered for the replacement of supply chain information systems and considered for further system replacements and introductions. 4. Information Technology assessment The adoption of a cloud computing model would not be considered to be lagging behind the technology curve, nor would adoption at this stage be considered early. A review of the risks associated with policy associated with the implementation of a cloud computing model should be undertaken before adopting the model. 5. Competitor firms services Many other European competitors are experimenting with cloud computing. 6. Competitor firms IT Infrastructure investments Mercedes Benz are also investing in future services for customers, showing a trend of high IT infrastructure investment for the global market (Daimler Trucks Germany 2011). 7. Investment can be sought into cloud computing on a business case basis, generating revenues for Volvo IT, and reducing costs for Volvo business areas on a user pays system. Investment in IT infrastructure will give a competitive advantage to the Volvo Group. Investment can be sought into cloud computing on a business case basis, generating revenues for Volvo IT, and reducing costs for Volvo business areas on a user pays system. 4.2 Plan to consolidate of legacy supply chain information systems For the replacement of legacy information systems, Volvo Group Australia has the option to upgrade the current local legacy systems and servers. This would result in high upfront and ongoing costs. Another option is to move to centralised systems hosted by Volvo IT with all storage, maintenance and upgrading performed centrally for considerably less cost. Supply chain system workflows typically extend beyond the internal organisation, typically to dealers (retailers). A cloud computing model can connect entire networks of suppliers and service providers providing efficiency and cost savings ( Ford 2010, pp. 57-8). It is recommended that the Volvo IT department adopt a cloud computing model for the replacement of legacy supply chain systems. This model should be based on a global policy taking into account the issues surrounding cloud computing and its characteristic lag behind appropriate legislation and legal precedence. It is expected that the most appropriate model will be a SaaS service model delivered via a hybrid of a Private and Community model with the cloud service provider being Volvo IT. The cloud community members in this model would be the Volvo Groups Business Areas. The recommendation would be to identify all legacy supply chain information systems across the Volvo Group as candidates for replacement by a SaaS solution under the hybrid model. A business case aligning with the Volvo Groups corporate values should be completed for the replacement of each system or groups of systems. A pilot implementation of a cloud computing solution should be utilised as a proof of concept before a larger roll-out. The recommended pilot implementation is the TruckShop SaaS. 4.3 TruckShop SaaS Pilot Volvo Group Australia has the requirement to upgrade an online catalogue purchasing supply chain information system called TruckShop that allows dealers (retailers) to purchase truck parts via suppliers of the Volvo Group. The TruckShop SaaS model would represent the characteristics of Cloud computing, namely on demand service, internet accessibility, pooled resources, elastic capacity and usage based billing ( Goodburn Hill 2010). The service developed for the TruckShop project will be able to be sold to other business areas in AB Volvo to provide similar solutions. TruckShop is currently running on a legacy system platform with local servers in Sydney. Maintenance and upgrade costs are on the increase, with limitations also being evident on performance and capability to meet current user requirements. Energy consumption costs were noted as increasing due to more servers being required to store data. Whilst the costs of hardware had reduced in the last 10 years, the Volvo Group Australia wanted to capture more data to analyse business trends, something evident in most industries globally ( Tallon 2010). The legacy systems also are prone to downtime, costing thousands of dollars in lost revenue while not being available to the dealer network. 4.4 Post TruckShop pilot Should the TruckShop pilot prove successful the system is recommended to be rolled out into other business areas. The continuing success of the TruckShop roll out is expected to result in high availability, high reliability, low entry cost and ongoing cost effectiveness for all users of the system. All new supply chain enterprise system projects, and indeed other candidate enterprise systems within the group would be recommended to proceed with this cloud computing service and delivery model to ensure overall cost reductions, efficiency gains, centralising and amortising maintenance, upgrades and improvements across all business areas. 5 Conclusions For cloud computing solutions, Volvo IT would generate their revenue by charging the Business Area departments based on the number of users. Users could apply for only the access to systems that they required. System updates and improvements would be performed centrally in Sweden, and users would not have to concern themselves with updates nor have to present their hardware to IT to update. The pilot of TruckShop should prove to the company what cloud computing can achieve. Many other business areas in the Volvo Group can benefit from adopting cloud computing practices. With technology being built into Volvo Trucks, and the focus on providing business partnerships more online services will be developed into the future.  

The role of goal-setting

The role of goal-setting Goal setting â€Å"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail† People once said â€Å"Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is† (Lombardi). Nothing in life can come by just wishing everyone has to work for it. Thus, how could a person work for something haphazardly? You have to know what you want to get it. (Stein) No one can live his life no matter what happens and let his life lead him not having a life plan. Everyone should have a plan for everything; a plan for the whole upcoming future. Goal planning is all what life is about; it is the core of any achieved success. Goal setting is a powerful tool, whether applied to ones urban life, personal objectives or health aspirations. In fact, goal setting can make the significant difference between success and failure. Goal setting seems to be very useful on individual and community level. Before discussing the role of goal setting and its relation to success; what is goal setting or planning? Goal setting is basically a well thought-out arrangement or course of action. It is an authentic manner for identifying what one needs to achieve whether in short the or long-term, and whether in personal life or professional career. In another words, a goal is something that is aimed at. It may be a wish or a dream that one work in advance to achieve. Goal planning is a powerful tool, whether appertained to ones personal aims, health targets or professional life. In fact, goal setting can make the significant discrepancy between success and failure. If we have a goal in life this gives our lives an aim and a purpose that takes a lot of energy, needs a lot of work, incurs a great deal of significance and act as a challenge to us. In addition, goal setting can be applied on the organizational level as there is not a successful organization with a declared strategy. From the major advantages of setting a goal is that it makes the controlling subconscious mind starts working and begins organizing the ideas and developing strategies of an assortment of ways to result in the booming accomplishment of the goal revise language and expression. In other words; â€Å"goals canalize behavior† Cummings Worley, 368). Moreover, setting a goal leads to attracting attention and focusing efforts to goal-related activities, and away from alleged undesirable and goal-extraneous actions. An example for this, is an international company like Sony, founded more than twenty five years ago, has declared its mission which was that the Japanese merchandises will be the ideal widely chosen merchandise in the United States market. They noted down their target and hung it everywhere. When the boards of directors assemble, and any member of the staff offers a plan to do something or other, the leader of the board looks at the duty hanging on the wall, and probably asks that employee, how the offered proposal is relevant to the mission. (Khaled) Now, the Japanese products are widely used among the Americans. Furthermore, having a goal helps in utilizing sources by making the best use of them. Knowing ones sources helps in evaluating them how, where and when to use them. In addition to that, defining goals allows self evaluation as it helps in determining ones drawbacks, how to solve them the good characters in ones personality and making the best use of them. Moreover, planning goals helps in bridging the gap between where the person is and where he or she wants to be. In ‘Alice in the Wonder Land. a story often told to young children, through the events, while Alice was wandering; she run in to her friend, the rabbit. At a cross road she asks the rabbit â€Å"What way should I track?† The rabbit asks her what is her destination. She replies that she does not know. The rabbit then says, â€Å"If you do not know what your destination is then follow any road, it will be the same. You must know your destination, Alice.† In addition, having a goal in life pushes anyone to be a perfectionist in his or her job, and gives a sense of responsibility, seriousness, bearing responsibility, being proactive and valuing time. By setting goals in each area of life a target is given to each one, something to aim for, something that if someone achieved would have a dramatic positive impact in his or her life. Goals give something to measure progress done against, to see if what someone is doing is moving him or her closer or further from his or her ultimate target. If the actions taken are moving someone closer to his or her target to keep doing what he or she is doing. If their actions are moving them further from their target, then they must change what they are doing so that they can move closer to their target. Goals influence persistence. When working to a plan and the positive results start to appear, a push is given to the setter so he becomes high-spirited so he or she carries on going for his or her goal. Most theories of self-regulation put emphasis on its natural link with goals. A goal reflects ones target and refers to quantity, quality, or speed of action (Locke Latham, 1990). Goal setting engages creating a regular or purpose to supply as the aspiration of ones actions. Goals are concerned through the dissimilar periods of self-regulation: consideration (setting a goal and coming to a decision on goal plans); performance managing (making use of goal-aimed at actions and scrutinizing performance); and self-suggestion (estimating ones goal development and regulating strategies to guarantee success (Zimmerman, 1998). Goals improve self-regulation through their consequences on inspiration, learning, and self-efficacy. Goals inspire people to exert effort required to meet task requirements and carry on over time. Goals can affect how people use information. Goals assist people in focusing on the mission, choose and apply suitable strategies, and keep an eye on goal development. On the community level, goal setting seems to be of great importance. For example, the problem of informal settlements actually appeared in many countries like Egypt due to lack of planning. These settlements were built haphazardly by normal people. This led to many fatal problems. There inhibiters are buried alive. They are suffering from pollution and fatal diseases as there is no sanitation. They are suffering from lack of health care and in many of these settlements there is no a pure source of pure water or electricity. Applying goal setting will really help as it will help in evaluating the problem, knowing the reasons so as to eliminate them and changing the problem in to an advantage by making the best use of sources. As people work on a plan they put side by side their present performance with the goal. Self-evaluations of development build up self-efficacy and maintain motivation. A supposed inconsistency between the current achievement and the goal possibly will generate displeasure, which can improve exerted effort. Although discontent is capable of leading to giving up, this will not occur if people believe they have the chance to succeed such as by modifying their plan or looking for assistance. Goal achievement builds self-efficacy and guides people in going for new, challenging goals. While working with learners and customers it may be essential in the beginning to dole out goals while at the same time training them on goal-setting strategies. As people become skilled at setting down-to-earth goals we may expect that self-set goals would create higher self-efficacy and improved self-regulated performance than consigned goals because they will be dedicated to reaching their goals and feel s uccessful about doing so. Possibly one of the most instant effects of goal setting is the satisfaction one feel when he or she sets a goal, sticks to a plan, and achieve it. One only is required to do this just the once to know that the achievement and satisfaction he or she gain from attaining his or her goals is a strong method for persistent to, and relying on, strong goal-setting techniques and methods over and over And, once one starts planning for his or her goals and accomplishing them, he or she will promptly become aware of an improvement in his or her confidence level, which will possibly have a positive impact on every area of his or her life. In working to accomplish ones goals, one will also soon have better understanding of his or her strength, while at the same time developing a stronger sense of achievement, one that develop with every single goal attained. One should believe in his goal so strongly and constantly with all his senses and abilities. His belief in his goal must be similar to Pro phet Muhammads (SAWS) when he assured to his uncle, â€Å"I swear, uncle, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand for me to leave the message of Islam, I will not until Allah upholds it or I die for its sake.†(Khaled, 3) Goals are also an important tool for administrators since goals have the ability to be used as a self-regulatory mechanism that attain an employee a certain amount of assistance. Thus, there is not a successful organization with a declared strategy. Some people believe that one possible negative aspect of goal planning is that understood learning may be stopped. This is because goal setting may encourage simple focus on a result without directness to exploration, understanding or development. However, when goals are achieved at an organizational level and from then on solely given up, employee enthusiasm with regard to accomplishing these goals is to a certain extent suppressed. In addition, the goals of an individual employee may perhaps come into direct clash with the employing organization. In an organization, a goal of a chief may not adjust to the goals of the organization as a whole. Without allying goals involving the organization and the individual, performance may undergo some troubles. Furthermore, for compound tasks, goal-setting may really weaken performance. In these situations, an individual might become preoccupied with achieving the goals, more willingly than performing tasks. Fear of failure is one of the biggest obstacles that you must overcome to have a truly fulfilling life. Most people never set goals because of the fear of failure, and the fear of the unknown. When practiced inadequately, however, goal setting also has a severe disadvantage which can weaken ones success. Inaccurate goal setting makes people pessimistic, wastes their time and promotes misunderstanding about where to focus actions and energy. Goal setting, carried out poorly, inconsiderately, or for the mistaken reasons, can have a considerable negative impact on both people and organization business strategy. Organizations are often unsuccessful to achieve goals and intentional planning goals that are set top down, by decision-makers who lack fundamental information and are out of touch with organization disputes. The goals are improbable and they fail to regard as association resources and abilities. Workforce members do not think that the bonus they will be rewarded for goal achievement will be the same as the energy they spend to attain them. Commonly, administrators are anxious when they alarm job loss for breakdown. Moreover, too many goals make nothing a priority. Peo ple with too many goals experience these problems. They by no means feel as if they achieve an entire task. It is easier said than done to link their goal achievement to a reward and credit system that recognizes their achievements. They do not identify what is most essential to carry out next. They fall victim to the check it off the list condition where they check tasks of their list before the procedures have been incorporated by the association. Goal setting is an encouraging powerful, business performance when it tells the staff where he is going. Successful goal setting also demonstrates what accomplishment will appear like for the period of the journey and upon influx. When practiced badly, however, goal setting can unconstructively impact any organization in all the ways discussed, and more. There are some essential conditions for any goal: The goal must be comprehensible, definite and assessable, not unclear or uncertain. An example: if ones goal is to serve Muslims, this is not a specific or a measurable goal. This theory is derived from scientific books. The goal should include two elements: being determined and sensible at the same time. For instance: if a scholar says, â€Å"My target is to pass my high school tests,† it is not a goal; since it is typical that everybody should want to pass. His or her goal should be, â€Å"I would like to accomplish so and so, my wish is to be a valedictorian, to win the Noble Prize, to get a PHD.† A goal should be motivated and sensible at the same time. It is not supposed to be a fancy. The goal should not be a self-interested selfish one, but it should be heading for towards helping the society. A selfish goal is a short term goal. A person might want to have a great company for him and so the company was built, but what is next? One day he will retire. That is why ones goal should be directed to the benefit of society. In that case, ones life will end but his or her goals will not so this is a great aspiration and the vital goal. The more ones goals are directed towards pleasing Allah (SWT) and his or her countrys success, the greater the goals will be. There are some aspects that anyone would need in order to achieve the planned goal, in particular the psychological qualities anyone would basically be in need of to reach the desired goal: First of all hope and optimism are very important . One should always be hopeful and optimistic. Being pessimistic will destroy any progress as a pessimistic person will always think that there is no hope so why should she or he work and exert effort it will be the same. On the other hand, an optimistic person will never lose hope. Moreover, patience, patience, patience. One has to be patient, and never give up hope or hurry. The problem is that youth try once or twice and when he or she fails they despair and say, â€Å"There is no use, I tried many times and I failed. Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) tried with Arab tribes for twelve years, before he succeeded and went to live in Madinah. He tried twenty six times. On the community level, goal setting seems to be of great importance. For example, the problem of informal settlements actually appeared in many countries like Egypt due to lack of planning. These settlements were built haphazardly by normal people. This led to many fatal problems. There inhibiters are buried alive. They are suffering from pollution and fatal diseases as there is no sanitation. They are suffering from lack of health care and in many of these settlements there is no a pure source of pure water or electricity. Applying goal setting will really help as it will help in evaluating the problem, knowing the reasons so as to eliminate them and changing the problem in to an advantage by making the best use of sources. It is note worthy to mention the role of goal setting in solving the education problem in Egypt. The problem of education originates from the fact that there is no proper goal setting as the curriculum does not meet the market demands. Proper goal planning will help in assessing the current syllabus, changing the drawbacks and making the best use of its advantages; it will help in education reform. To sum up, Setting goals, getting a plan, and staying focused equals success. Without goal setting, a person wont be able to make a difference in his or her life. He or she wont be able of enjoying success or feeling sorry for a failure. He or she will be a person with no goal to achieve; and no life to live. Goal setting can change a zero value resource turn into a 100 % value resource!

FDA Evaluation of Medication Essay -- essays research papers

FDA Evaluation of Medication Introduction The main center within the FDA for the evaluation of medication is known as the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The center evaluates all drugs before they are sold. It currently evaluates more than 10,000 drugs that are on the market to ensure that highest standards of those drugs. They also monitor media broadcasts to make sure that messages portrayed are truthful to consumers. Lastly, they provide health care professionals as well as consumer’s information pertaining safest and most effective ways to use drugs. There are three phases that the CDER uses when evaluating drug. The first phase pertains to the initial investigation of a new human drug. These studies are monitored very closely and are sometimes conducted in patients, but are usually conducted most frequently with healthy volunteers. They are designed to determine the metabolic and pharmacological reactions of the drug in humans, and possible side effects of the drug in proportion to dosage. Another reason for this phase is to gain some preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of the drug. During this phase of the research, there should be significant knowledge obtained with regard to the effects of the drug in order to have a second phase that is valid and more in depth. The first phase of study also evaluates the way the drug metabolizes and the potential of activity to affect the performance of the drug. When doing a phase one study of a drug, the number of subjects varies significantly. However, in most phase one studies the number of subjects participating in the study range from twenty to eighty. In the first phase of studies on a drug, the CDER can place a hold on the study for many reasons. Some of the reason may include safety reasons or ethical reasons pertaining to the subjects. The second phase includes the early controlled clinical studies conducted to obtain some preliminary data on the effectiveness of the drug for a particular indication or indications in patients with the disease or condition. This phase of testing also helps determine the common short-term side effects and risks associated with the drug. Phase two studies often the most well controlled, closely monitored, and conducted in a relatively small number of patients, usually involving several hundred people. The third phase of drug research is much expanded... ...s categorized through the rulemaking process as follows: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Category I - generally recognized as safe and effective and not misbranded. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Category II - not generally recognized as safe and effective or is misbranded. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Category III - insufficient data available to permit classification. This category allows a manufacturer an opportunity to show that the ingredients in a product are effective, and, if they are not, to reformulate or appropriately re-label the product. CDER also oversees OTC drug labeling because the safety and effectiveness of OTC drug products depend not only on the ingredients but also on clear and truthful labeling that can be understood by consumers. The CDER is always responsible to inform the producer why the product did not meet the standards set forth by the FDA. If the producer questions or disagrees with the results of the CDER, there are ways in which to approach the issue to have it evaluated further. While the CDER is the final authority on whether or not a product is marketed, they are fair in their evaluation and decisions with regard to products.

Pictures :: essays research papers

Pictures The main conflict in the text is about having different religions. It's about how a little girl is having problems about understanding why she can't paint religious persons with dark skin. At school the teacher says that Amina can take the picture to show her mom. Amina doesn't understand why it can't hang on the wall together with the other childrens'. But the teacher gives another excuse and Amina "surrenders", and takes the picture home. But as her mother sees the picture she tears it apart, and tells Amina to never say anything to Amina's father and she tells Amina explicitly not to draw anymore pictures of the Prophet of Nazareth. It is obvious that Amina's mother is scared of how the father will react if he sees that her daughter has painted people from the Bible. Amina and her family are muslims, that's why her mother can't accept the drawing Amina brings home. The reason why she doesn't want the father to know is that he's the dominant one in the family. Maybe the mother is scared that he will punish Amina, or maybe even the mother, for not bringing up her daughter properly. Then Amina's mother teaches her to draw patterns from the Koran. Amina likes to draw the patterns and she is no more confused. Next day at school, they're all going to draw nice Christmas cards. Amina draws the patterns that her mother has just taught her. The teacher tells her to draw people instead, and she throws away the Christmas card with patterns on it. Amina refuses to draw people, and reminds the teacher of what she'd told Amina the other day. The teacher tries to behave nice and convinces Amina that she will put Amina's picture next to the others'. During the two discussions the teacher and Amina are having, the teacher is having a hard time justifying what she is actually doing. She gives no particular reason for telling Amina to take home the picture. Just as well as she gives no explanation for, why Amina can't draw patterns from the Koran. Instead she tries to flatter Amina by telling her that she is good at painting. Even more confused, Amina draws people instead. At school she's told to draw people from the Christian Bible and at home she's told that's wrong. At home her mom tells her to draw patterns from the Muslim Koran, but when she comes to school she is told to draw people, - no wonder she is confused! The ending is from the parents' point of view very contradictive ( I assume that the

Als Reflective Thinking Essay

Reflective Thanking Essay I am a good leader. One who takes initiative in getting the tasks completed while keeping the morale tempo up and making it a good experience to all. I’m one who will take criticism and can listen even though I may not like what I’m hearing, but in turn apply those criticisms and make a better me. Simply being said, I like to take charge, inspire those around me, complete the mission and wait for the next challenge.Thank my mother for who I am, she inspired the person I am today. I was raised in a very strict environment where there were expectations. Rules, responsibilities, honesty and involvement were all considered necessities. I was introduced to community service when I was 5 years old when I was a Girl Scout. Then later when my late father and I would participate in an annual cancer awareness marathon it was a beginning point for me.So from then on there the feeling of accomplishment to help others inspired me. I’m one who wants p eople to come to be with their troubles so I can help, I’m the one who wants to reach out and touch others and just inspire. It’s easy for me to say that I’m a participative leader. I want to get involved with my fellow wingmen and know they’re comfortable coming to me with any issue they may have. I’m one who strives towards a positive workplace.I like to work next to my fellow crew chiefs and solve problems. I treat others with mutual respect on the job. I am open-minded to my fellow airmen and respect their thoughts and opinions, but understand that the final decision rest in my hands on any given situation. Based on the decision making process, I feel the type of NCO (non-commissioned officer), I’ll become will be similar to the image I uphold now will make people work for the correct answer or the right thing to do.Though I understand that this technique will not work with all, but it’s a starting point for me to evaluate an indi vidual. One of my strengths is that I’m very smart. I’m very accepting to challenges. Another one of my better traits is that I’m a very good listener. I can influence new views on issues and provide help to a better outcome when the issue is good or even bad. I just put myself is their position and think â€Å"what would Melissa do? †

Costs and benefits of the migration Essay

The costs are highly experienced in the developing countries than the developed countries. The migration of the practitioners leaves the medical system being completely inadequate to carry out its mandate on top of the many other problems such institutions already faces. Therefore, the first major cost faced due to the migration is the lack of the institutions to provide the required medical care to the citizens. This becomes worse when it is not possible for the institutions to replace the manpower lost. This means that those left behind to work in the institutions will have to be overworked while still being paid the little amount they used to receive. The more the employees are strained, the more they are pushed to look for better working conditions elsewhere making the situation worse (Stewart, Clark & Clark, para 11). The other cost comes in form of the investment that has been used in the training of the practitioners who migrate. Most of the developing countries subsidize or entirely sponsors the training of these practitioners. It thus implies that the investment the government puts in such personnel is lost when they migrate to the developed countries. The major benefits that this migration brings can be categorized into the remittances that the practitioners send to their home countries, and the skills they get due to the exposure. The amount sent home is more important in improving the economic life of those left behind and the nation as a whole. This remittance plays a significant role in the practitioner’s country of origin’s economy in form of foreign funds. This has made some countries like the Philippines to train more nurses and sent them to practice in developed countries and thus contribute to the Gross National Product growth (Tujan, para 15). Most of the developing countries do not have enough medical facilities. Therefore, when the practitioners moves temporarily to the developed countries, they get to be exposed at high levels of technology which makes them have improved skills that will plays a significant role in developing the medical system in their home country when they go back. This implies that the country of origin might save a lot in terms of what could have been spent in specialized training or higher education for the practitioners. The major problem with this however is that, many of the practitioners do not return home, and when they do, they have retired hence not productive. In the developed countries In the country of origin, the migration causes a lot of costs than the benefits. However, on the receiving countries, the benefits accrued are higher than the costs incurred. The issue of recruitment within any organization is usually a costly affair. Recruitment of the immigrants is thus more costly than local recruitment. This can force the organization and the government to pass the extra costs to the consumers increasing the cost of living in the society. The cost can also be experienced in the course of resettlement of the immigrants (Stilwell et al, para 7). There are some instances in which the immigrants are willing to take up some policies set by a government more than the local practitioners. For instance, working in form of contracts or part-time. Many of the locals do not agree with this, hence when the immigrants seem to agree with such a policy, they are usually recruited in favor of the locals, and this will generally affect the wages of the local practitioners, which will further go down affecting the tax bracket of the receiving country. In a case where the locals see that they are competing with the immigrants, there can be low morale and reduced commitment in the working. This might be looked at in the micro economic level as affecting only the firm; however, the macro-economic effect has to be put in consideration. The most important benefit of the professionals inflow from the developing to the developed countries is experienced when there is no shortage of the practitioners. This means there shall be improved provision of health care services. The local practitioners in developed countries mostly would need to be paid higher remunerations as compared to the immigrants. Therefore, if the immigrants are employed, it means they shall provide medication at a cheaper rate which will go down reducing the cost that could be passed to the consumer. On the other hand, the government will benefit from the taxes that will be collected from the foreign practitioners (Crush, pp 7). Conclusion Both countries have some benefits and costs they get when the professionals migrate. However, as argued, most of developing countries get more costs than the benefits from these acts. It is thus important that the concerned stakeholders should come up with policies that would see ethical migration between the receiving and sending country so that no country benefits at the expense of another. Work Cited Crush J. The Global Raiders: Nationalism, Globalization and the South African Brain Drain, 2002. Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 56, Issue 1, pp 4-7. Kapur D & Mchale J. Should a Cosmopolitan Worry about the â€Å"Brain Drain†? 2006, Journal of Ethics & International Affairs, Vol. 20, Issue 3, pp 11-15. Stewart J, Clark D & Clark P F. Migration and Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses, 2007. Retrieved on October 28, 2008 from http://www. focus-migration. de/The_Migration_and_Re. 2496. 0. html? &L=1. Stilwell B, Diallo K, Zurn P, Dal Poz M R, Adams O & Buchan J. Developing evidence-based ethical policies on the migration of health workers: conceptual and practical challenges, 2003. Journal of Human Resources for Health, Retrieved on October 28, 2008 from http://www. human-resources-health. com/content/1/1/8. Tujan A. Health Professionals Migration and its Impact on the Philippines, Journal of Asia Pacific Research Network, 2002. vol. 6, Issue 1. Retrieved on October 28, 2008 from http://www. aprnet. org/index. php? a=show&c=Volume%206%20March%202002&t=journals&i=5.

Interesting characters Essay

Miller also uses many dramatic devices to attain emotional intensity at the beginning of Act Two. The use of short sentences and many pauses allow the audience to speculate about the state of John and Elizabeth’s relationship and wonder why it has turned out this way. Two examples of short lines are ‘I am’ and ‘aye’ an example of the pauses is ‘he eats, she watches’. The pauses and short lines allow the lines to have time to sink in therefore potentially creating more emotion, but also making us sad at their separation. The use of Elizabeth and John having an argument creates tension and the way Elizabeth ‘hurt and very coldly’ says ‘good then let you think on it’ before ‘she stands and starts to walk out of the room’. It is clear from the beginning of the scene these characters are withholding information about the nature of their separation, this causes the audience to come to some upsetting and hasty conclusions. Miller’s use of dramatic devices in Act Two helps the play achieve its emotional intensity. The play has a few themes throughout which repeat themselves. Firstly power is a large theme of the play constantly being bought up. In fact the one thing all the characters have in common is there lust for power, Reverend Parris uses the witch trials to gain power and respect. Abigail and her allies work for the court in order to get power, this is shown when Elizabeth says ‘she raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me I must go to Salem Goody Proctor; I am an official of the court! ‘ This shows she is working for the court in order to gain power. Elizabeth would like to have power over Proctor. Power is often exploited in the western world, The Crucible shows that people made this same mistake in Salem. Power is an extremely sensitive theme able to evoke deep emotions. The second theme is hysteria, the girls are completely hysterical at the end of Act one this is linked to power as some think that the use of hysteria can help gain power. The hysteria moves the audience and keeps them deeply involved in the play. The final theme is dignity, which has been lost throughout the play up until the last part of the play where proctor gains a great deal of respect, and dignity. In Act one Tituba has her dignity stolen, from her as does Abigail and the other girls. In Act Two John loses his dignity when he refuses to tell the court about Abigail. Themes play a major part in maintaining emotional intensity at the end of Act One and the beginning of Act Two. It is clear that The Crucible is emotionally intense at the end of Act One and beginning of Act Two. Miller creates this intensity by employing dramatic techniques and drawing upon contextual significance to present two intense, but contrasting scenes. Even though the original audience would have found it emotional on different scales, it is obvious that all audiences would find it emotionally intense to some extent. Miller achieved emotional intensity by his use of dramatic techniques, interesting characters, allegorical significance and emotive themes.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Attrition in It Sector Essay

With the economy of India booming at an all time high despite the impact of recession, it is an employee’s market. A large number of multiple jobs are being circulated in organizations and across industries, employees take little time to ponder and leave for greener pastures. In the event the employee feels dissatisfied with his job content, colleagues, boss or a general feeling of discontentment, disillusionment or disappointment creeps in him, considering present market conditions he need not think twice but can easily chucks for good. But obviously it is not good for the employers. Organizations spend a major buck in inducting an employee, beginning from the recruitment process to his internalization in the organization. After reaping rich benefits in the organization in terms of learning, growth, development and availing every possible opportunity in that time span he feels he should go. The HR department is left in the hanging as how to fill in the gap between the demand and supply in terms of human resources. But it helps organizations understand why at all attrition takes place. Why at all at the first place did the idea for leaving come in the mind of the employee. And if at all it came, then why the organization was not pro-active enough to have sensed his dissatisfaction. Furthermore why was it not well equipped to have stopped him from leaving? The entire cycle is vicious. Normally no one welcomes change unless it is forced to be applied. Similarly when an employee joins the organization, he really has no intension of leaving. Circumstances and conditions arise which make him think towards cutting ties. If negative conditions continue to exist then he is confirmed to leave. We all know people do crib about money, not good perks and facilities but if they are happy they stay for the sake of that happiness. People also join organizations for their need for socialization. When they form friends at their work stations; they look forward coming to office every morning. People leave because of boredom and disenchantment from everything. They find no other recluse other than leaving towards somewhere else.

The Effects of Music Technology Curriculum on Young Children's Research Paper

The Effects of Music Technology Curriculum on Young Children's Learning in Early Childhood Education - Research Paper Example When one thinks of early childhood education, they typically navigate towards the consideration of reading, writing, and arithmetic. While these core academic areas are certainly the pillars of educational necessity for children, one needs to also consider the fine arts as another area that contributes greatly to the cognitive development of an individual. One such outlet for creative expression is music. Music class has long been a part of the curriculum in early childhood education, but recent research has indicated that there are numerous benefits in terms of development that had not previously been considered. In addition, technology has enhanced the way that music can be integrated into other disciplines, making this particular area even more worthy of study. Simply put, music technology curriculum is composed of different types of technology that is directly related to the musical arts. This usually entails the use of various electronic devices, combined with computer software, that allows the playback, recording, composition, storage, analysis and performance of any given piece. While this particular curriculum can be implemented at any grade level, all the way through the university, our primary focus in this study will be on early childhood education. In particular, this paper will examine the effects that music technology curriculum has on the learning development of young children. While technology today is rapidly changing, the concept of music technology has been around since the 1980’s.... in early childhood education, but recent research has indicated that there are numerous benefits in terms of development that had not previously been considered. In addition, technology has enhanced the way that music can be integrated into other disciplines, making this particular area even more worth of study. Simply put, music technology curriculum is composed of different types of technology that is directly related to the musical arts. This usually entails the use of various electronic devices, combined with computer software, that allows the playback, recording, composition, storage, analysis and performance of any given piece (Branscome, 2012, p. 113). While this particular curriculum can be implemented at any grade level, all the way through the university, our primary focus in this study will be on early childhood education. In particular, this paper will examine the effects that music technology curriculum has on the learning development of young children. Literature Review and Propositions Development While technology today is rapidly changing, the concept of music technology has been around since the 1980’s. The concept can be interconnected across disciplines because of its focus on artistic and technological creativity in many realms (Andang’o and Mugo, 2007, p. 44). Young children can be taught to use music to express themselves through the arts, and technology has expanded in recent decades to create new devices to enable them to do just that. In essence, music technology can be said to encompass the scientific aspect of music that many individuals never consider. These components, when properly implemented in a music technology curriculum, can have an enormous and positive effect on young children (Hoffman, 1991, p. 23) Importance, Value, and

The Oxbow and View of Toledo paintings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Oxbow and View of Toledo paintings - Essay Example On the other hand, the â€Å"View of Toledo† is a landscape painting that was done by El Greco back in the late 15th to early 16th century – specifically around 1540/41 to 1614. When compared to the one by Cole â€Å"The Oxbow†, both can be concluded to be landscape paintings. The painting was then executed in 1570 together with other paintings that he had done. When compared to â€Å"The Oxbow† landscape painting by Cole, it can be revealed that they had different dates of execution as â€Å"The Oxbow† was executed in 1830 a few centuries later on. The artistic style that was used by El Greco in his painting was majorly baroque which represents the use of motion, tension, enthusiasm and clarity. When compared to â€Å"The Oxbow† there was a difference since it was a renaissance realism painting while the one by El Greco was a baroque painting. When it comes to the medium of usage, both paintings used oil on canvas. The sizes of both painting s differed since â€Å"The Oxbow† was slightly bigger than the â€Å"View of Toledo† which was 47 3/4 by 42 3/4 inches. The artistic techniques in both paintings were the same – that is baroque which was common in France and Spain. The presentation work of both paintings was done on canvas material and lastly the title of the painting - â€Å"View of Toledo† adequately helps an audience interpret what they are viewing. The subject matter that has been projected by both paintings is landscaping. In addition to that, when an individual views both paintings, they can be in a position to feel as if they are part.