My Environmental Ethic By Theodore Roosevelt - 996 Words

My Environmental Ethic â€Å"Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.† (Theodore Roosevelt) My environmental ethic is to improve the environment to sustain living on earth. People in the world today don’t really take into effect the way they hurt the environment. People don’t care where they throw their garbage or burn chemicals that are unhealthy, yet it could hinder your health ultimately. The earth is a wonderful and beautiful place. People have to take care of it for the next generation to come, or how will people survive on a planet that has toxic environment. Let me explain: what experiences I have had, Persistent challenges, education, religious beliefs or influences that shaped my world today. Persistent challe nges you are faced with population and consumption, which is that there is too many people don’t have enough food to survive plus, the more people there are the more they destroy forests and swamps to grow more food. From destroying the ecosystem which ultimately hurts the earth. Climate change is another big factor that destroys the earth. With that there was a 35% increase of greenhouse gases also known as carbon dioxide emissions. If the emissions stay at an increase by 2100 it would go from a 3.6 to 12.8 degreesShow MoreRelatedBehavioral Curriculum Model Essay2237 Words   |  9 PagesBehavioral Curriculum Model Susan McIntosh CE420: Curriculum Development Professor Katherine Berry October 20, 2012 Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and Ill guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select -- doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. Read MoreSix Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators7737 Words   |  31 Pagesto develop a hot new product shortly after it went public. The company had developed a technology for detecting leaks in underground gas tanks that was both cheaper and about 100 times more accurate than existing technologies—at a time when the Environmental Protection Agency was persuading Congress to mandate that these tanks be continuously tested. Not surprisingly, the directors thought their timing was perfect and pushed employees to commercialize and market the technology in time to meet the demandRead MoreHuman Rights7292 W ords   |  30 Pagesfaith. Religious Values - Tolerance, wisdom, character. Aesthetic values - Love and appreciation of literature and fine arts and respect for the same. National Integration and international understanding. UNIT – III : Impact of Global Development on Ethics and Values Conflict of cross-cultural influences, mass media, cross-border education, materialistic values, professional challenges and compromise. Modern Challenges of Adolescent Emotions and behavior; Sex and spirituality: Comparision and competition;Read MoreImpact of Consumer Protection Agencie in Nigeria15948 Words   |  64 Pageshis satisfaction; coincidence, some would say. But is it? In the absence of definitive statistics, the instinct of a consumer living in a capitalist society would lead me to wonder if the seller intentionally did or did not do something that led to my compromised consumer satisfaction. Today’s consumerism finds its origin in the late 19th and early 20th century marketplace in the United States. The United States Congress made history in 1872 by enacting the very first of its kind consumer protectionRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMorrow Jr. 161 6 Locating the United States in Twentieth-Century World History †¢ Carl J. Guarneri 213 7 The Technopolitics of Cold War: Toward a Transregional Perspective †¢ Gabrielle Hecht and Paul N. Edwards 271 8 A Century of Environmental Transitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, the twentieth century does not appear toRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesDiversity Management Strategies 56 Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining Diverse Employees 56 †¢ Diversity in Groups 58 †¢ Effective Diversity Programs 58 Summary and Implications for Managers 60 S A L Self-Assessment Library What’s My Attitude Toward Older People? 40 Myth or Science? â€Å"Dual-Career Couples Divorce Less† 47 An Ethical Choice Religious Tattoos 51 glOBalization! Images of Diversity from Around the Globe 54 Point/Counterpoint Men Have More Mathematical Ability Than WomenRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesof Business, University of Oregon. He is certified Scrum Master. v â€Å"Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.† Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. To my family who have always encircled me with love and encouragement—my parents (Samuel and Charlotte), my wife (Mary), my sons and their wives (Kevin and Dawn, Robert and Sally) and their children (Ryan, Carly, Connor and Lauren). C.F.G. â€Å"We must not cease from exploration and the end of all exploring will beRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesCollege; and Stephanie Tucker, California State University Sacramento. Thinking and writing about logical reasoning has been enjoyable for me, but special thanks go to my children, Joshua, 8, and Justine, 3, for comic relief during the months of writing. This book is dedicated to them. For the 2012 edition: This book is dedicated to my wife Hellan whose good advice has improved the book in many ways. vi Table of Contents Preface.............................................................

Sports As An Element Of Culture - 1498 Words

Chapter One Introduction Sports have different meanings for different people and across societies (Laker 2001:4) and the way one engages in sports is influenced by the cultural or ethnic group to which one belongs (Sever 2005:4). Although the rules of sport may stay constant, meanings diverge (Besnier and Brownell 2012). Sports serves as one of the most contested and celebrated institutions in our society (Appleby and Foster 2013:1), hence, without acknowledging the place of sports, it will be impossible to fully understand contemporary society (Jarvie 2006:2). Before the 1980s the body was treated as a biological entity this remained the status quo until the postmodern era the body was seen as cultural entity (Besnier and Brownell 2012). This has assisted in overcoming the challenges of the biological paradigm and generating a more complex understanding of the body in sports. Having an understanding that, sports serves as an institution and also as an element of culture, is vital to informed participation in contemporary democratic societies (Blanchard 1995). Historically, the ideology of sports has been a contested terrain for women as evidenced by the unavailability of sports events for women in the early 20th century (Appleby and Foster 2013; Messner 1994: 65). Sports was only considered in the 1980s as a modern invention and focuses on cultural practices that is regarded as pre-modern. In the nineteenth century two sports forms emerged from Europe and this linkedShow MoreRelatedSports As An Element Of Culture1494 Words   |  6 Pages1.1 Introduction Sports have different meanings for different people and across societies (Laker 2001:4). The way one engages in sports is influenced by the cultural or ethnic group to which one belongs (Sever 2005:4). Even though the rules of sport may stay constant, meanings diverge and are varied (Besnier and Brownell 2012). Sports serves as one of the most contested and celebrated institutions in our society (Appleby and Foster 2013:1). As a result, it will be impossible to fully understand contemporaryRead MoreMckinseys 7s Case Study1468 Words   |  6 Pages[UA] is an incorporated (Under Armour, 2017a) American company that has grown since then to become a globally-recognised manufacturer of sports performance apparel (Under Armour, 2017b). The company’s management consists of the CEO, Kevin Plank, and a board of nine directors (Under Armour, 2017c). Flank started the company as a small idea to create the best sports T-shirt that will â€Å"keep athletes cool, dry and light† (Und er Armour, 2017d) in extremely hot weather conditions (Under Armour, 2017d). TheRead MoreFijian Masculinity In Fiji Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesDespite Europe’s best effort to assimilate the world, resistance was not a futile effort made by indigenous cultures. Through the acceptance of colonial norms, Pacific cultures gained limited authority to dictate the way in which European ideologies would be incorporated into their society. Within this essay, I will demonstrate that Fijian chiefs negotiated for the preservation of their culture through the reinforcement of masculine and indigenous power structures. I will explore how indigenous FijianRead MoreThe Negative Implications Of Cultural Appropriation1718 Words   |  7 Pagesdominant westernized cultures. The cultural appropriation of minority cultures in order to construct the Grand Narratives of dominant cultures has a negative effect on those who are apart of the oppressed minorities. These dominant cultures borrow c ultural elements, which is reflected in their use of entertainment, Aboriginalia, as well as in racialized costumes. All of these factors relay negative effects on minorities and facilitate intercultural barriers. In western cultures specifically, suchRead MoreTaekwondo Is A Sport, Art And A Way Of Life1141 Words   |  5 PagesTaekwondo is an interesting activity in which many people consider a sport. It is also seen as a science and also an art. How do we decide, using the knowledge obtained through definitions of sport, game and play, if Taekwondo is a sport, art or a science? Can this activity be considered all three, or is it only possible for this activity to be counted as one out of the three ideas offered. The basics of Taekwondo lie in the specific movements of body parts. Southwick (1998) describes TaekwondoRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Sports And Football1054 Words   |  5 PagesSport comes from the Old French desport meaning leisure, with the oldest definition in English from around 1300 being anything humans find amusing or entertaining.[9] Other meanings include gambling and events staged for the purpose of gambling; hunting; and games and diversions, including ones that require exercise.[10] Roget s defines the noun sport as an activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement with synonyms including diversion and recreation.[11] Nomenclature The singular termRead MoreBaseball in the Dominican Republic Essay649 Words   |  3 Pagespopular sport in the Republic until baseball came to be the sport of choice in the late 1930s. Why has baseball has long become the cultural centerpiece of the Dominican Republic? There are many factors to consider in answering this question. Because of the similarities to baseball, cricket can be seen as the launchpad for the what has truly became the Dominican nat1ional past-time. The popularity of cricket gave way to baseball which exploded by the mid-twentieth century. A major element in theRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Byu Idaho Sport Organization773 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizational theory and the management of sport organizations along with organizational goals and effectiveness. Through the writings of Slack and Parent in Understanding Sport Organizations, the aforementioned topics were well versed in delivering information to be prepared for this reflection. Describe one of the â€Å"Ways to Look at Sport Organizations† (Chapter 1) using the athletic department described in the case study (or you can select another sport organization for which you are more familiar)Read MoreThe Transcendence of Cultural Barriers Through The History of Sports1738 Words   |  7 PagesEven though not every person likes sports, sports transcend all cultural boundaries because the history of sport dates back to the dawn of humanity. The ideology of sports transcending cultural barriers exists in the world today. As evident in the Olympics and several other sporting games across the world which unite a diverse culture range we can look at the empirical evidence as proof of such ideas. The impact of sports reaches much further than serving as entertainment or recreation. Some peopleRead MoreBureaucratization And Popular Culture876 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Religion and Popular Culture course, we discussed the term bureaucratization. Coined by Max Webe r, this term describes a specific organizational structure that is characterized by distinct procedures and actions. Bureaucratization is a way to keep global scale operations precise and constant. Many successful food chains adapted to this routine of organizational structure to make sure their brand would be on track to thrive. Bureaucratization has five specific elements to keep operations in alignment:

Health Care Informatics and Provide Evaluation

Question: 1) Provide comprehensive, accurate, and relevant information on the three informatics groups selected. 2) Clearly state the impact the three groups you selected have had on informatics. Be sure to present compelling arguments. 3) Define ranking and provide reasoning for ranked choices. 4) Incorporate history and current position within informatics of the three groups. 5) This ranking will influence how you are grouped for the Collaborative Learning Community assignments in this course. Answer: Informatics The three informatics groups that have a high impact on informatics are the Nursing informatics, Physician informatics and the Pharmacy informatics. All of the three are prime important to informatics. The three of them are explained in detail below: Nursing informatics: This holds the first ranking in Informatics of health care. It is ranked first as it is multidisciplinary field that make use nursing sciences, computer science and information science so as to manage and converse datas, informations and knowledge of nursing. It is the first as it supports all the areas of consumers, patients, nurse and other staff in the decision making process (Haux, Reinhold, 2010). The support is granted by using information structures, information technology and process. The main areas of it is concept presentation and standards so as to support up the evidence based practices, research practices and education. They are the one which follow research methodologies to generate new knowledge in to the nursing patient care field. Physician Informatics: The physician informatics holds second rank in informatics field of health care. Physician informatics is one in which the information is used up by the clinicians for the health care purpose. This informatics is second most important as the informaticians transforms the health care in ways to analyze, design, implement and evaluate information and systems so as to enhance the individuals and populations health outcomes, providing greater care to patients, and to strength up the relation between patient and doctor( Richesson, Rachel L., and James E. Andrews, 2012). It is also known as clinician Informatics. In this type of informaticians use up the knowledge of patient and put tools of informatics to assess information and knowledge about health care, develop and implement the clinical process and to continually improve the health information system. In current state the health information tools are developing to promote the efficiency, timely and patient cente red care in a equitable manner. Pharmacy Informatics: The pharmacy informatics holds third rank in informatics field of health care. Pharmacy informatics is the science field that aims on medicine related information and knowledge that is in the health care system (Priest, Lisa, 2008). It includes its storage, analyzing, acquisition, usage, dissemination and in delivering the optimum medicine required for the patients health and providing him care. They emphasis on patients safety and care. There aim is to avoid any miscommunication between the patients and the clinician. They aim at reducing all the errors that occur during the medical treatments. It act as a liaison between pharmacy and other department like nursing, information technology, vendors and clinicians. They provide electronic records, electronic prescribing, dispensing cabinets, smart pumps, bar coding etc. Still a lot is done to remove any medical handling errors so as to secure patients health. There are many training programs been made for the clin icians to make better use of the technology. Health care informatics is a prime field meant to provide health care to the peoples. it is multidisciplinary field that make use of health information technology to provide health care. It involves information science, management science, social science, behavioral science and computer science (D Kalra; T. Beale; S. Heard, 2005). It is of prime importance as it is applied in the areas like alternative medicines, public health, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy etc so as to protect the people and their lives. It involves systems like electronic health records, health information exchange standards and portable medicine data collection device. It is for acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using up the health care information so as to provide better collaboration between the patients and the care providers. There are sub specialties in health care informatics like, clinical informatics, nursing informatics, pharmacy informatics, public health informatics, community informa tics, biomedical informatics and informatics for education and research in health and medicine. Al the fields in it are developing fast. The using up of health information in all the areas is helping professionals and providing support. It helps in searching information about health and helping every men and women to gather information even by sitting at home. A developing and emerging field in it is clinical informatics. In Clinical informatics the information is used up by the clinicians for the health care purpose. Clinica informaticians transforms the health care in ways to analyze, design, implement and evaluate information and systems so as to enhance the individuals and populations health outcomes, providing greater care to patients, and to strength up the relation between patient and doctor. The clinical informaticians use up the knowledge of patient and put tools of informatics to assess information and knowledge about health care, develop and implement the clinical process and to continually improve the health information system. In current state the health information tools are developing to promote the efficiency, timely and patient centered care in a equitable manner. The ABMS gives a physician certification to the clinical informatics by doing a program course (Greengard, Samuel, 2013). Currently it develops data sets that ha s electronic records and can be integrated with other genomic datas. For this purpose currently large warehouses are developed. In future clinical informatics will lead organizations to understand the risk and the cost profile and side by side ensuring best care for the patients. The future advantages in the field of oncology and in research informatics are to take place. Development of research educational model is to be developed by clinical informaticians in near future. It is also trying to develop separate patient portals so as to allow every individual to access his/her health status radiology reports and the radiology images easily. The challenges are the lack of information exchanges between the systems like in the field of oncology. It is also facing challenges to create multistep and multi methods for a wide number of patients. The challenge is also making a patient friendly and patient health improving reforms and methods. References D Kalra; T. Beale; S. Heard (2005).The openEHR Foundation.Studies in Health Technology and Informatics115. pp.153173. Greengard, Samuel (1 February 2013).Communications of the ACM56(2): 1719. Haux, Reinhold (2010). "Medical informatics: Past, present, future".international journal of medical informatics79: 599610. Priest, Lisa (2008-02-18). The Globe and Mail(Toronto). Richesson, Rachel L., and James E. Andrews. 2012.Clinical research informatics.London: Springer

Macro Economics Essays - Economics, Economy, Demand,

Macro Economics Classical macroeconomics is the theory and the classical model of the economists Adam Smith, David Ricardo, John Mills and Jean Baptiste Say. Below the assumptions of the classical macroeconomics are described. 1. Assumptions: Competitive markets: Classical theories all make many assumptions about the markets and their competitiveness.these assumptions are that all the markets are easy to enter and exit. No monopoly elements are present in the market to prevent newcomers from entering the market or stopping the present ones from quiting the market. Pricess and wages are flexible in both upward and downward directions according to the demand and supply forces. No single seller or buyer of a product has sufficient market power to influence the industry price, nor does any supplier or purchaser of labor services have sufficient market power to influence the market wage rate. Thus all economic agents are price-takers and not price-setters. Because the markets are competitive, a disequilibrium can only exist for a short period of time which economists call the short run. The firm can not change some of its aspects of operation. So every firm has some fixed inputs while the pricess and the wages are changing and flexible. So, if for some reason the product market were experiencing excess demand in some industry, with quantity demanded greater than quantity supplied, prices would rise until quantity demanded once again equaled quantity supplied. The rise in price returns the market to equilibrium. On the factor side, if there were an excess supply of workers, wages would decline until equilibrium in the labor market was restored and everyone who wanted to work can find a jobwhich is called the full employment. Perfect information: In classical theory all economic decision-makers are assumed to be operating by having all the information they needed to make the best decisions. The cost of acquiring information, transactions costs are so low that they can be assumed to be negligible. So, consumers, producers and workers know the prices and wages existing among traders in the markets and aware of their options and new products which recently entered the market. No one would be privy to some special information providing them with an advantage for long. Full employment: As a result of the above assumptions, a prediction of the classical system is that is essentially operates at full employment on a long-run equilibrium path over time. While in the short run unemployment can result, it can't exist permanently because wage rates fall when there is excess supply of labor. As workers compete for jobs,then by the law of demand wage rates fall and the quantity of labor services hired by firms increases. Alternately, if there were a labor shortage, the wage rate would rise as firms compete for workers. The classical model incorporates the notion that the economy is on a long-run moving equilibrium path, and any deviations from long run equilibrium are nor permanent because wage and price flexibility can remove excess demands or excess supplies. Let us summarise the assumptions we made above: 2. SAY's Law : The equilibrium real wage defines full employment of the labor force, and full employment of the labor force ( with a given production function ) defines the full employment level of output. Classical theory found no obstacle to the attainment of these positions as long as the money wage was flexible - that is, as long as it would fall in the face of unemployment. The possibility that this level of output once produced wouldn't find a market was dismissed; Say's Law ruled out any deficiency of aggregate demand. Say's Law, simply states that " supply creates its own demand. " More precisely it states that whatever the level of output, the income created in the course of producing that output will necessarily lead to an equal amount of spending and thus an amount of spending sufficient to purchase the goods and services produced. Thus, if output is below that which can be produced with a fully employed labor force, inadequate demand can not stand in the way of an expansion of output. As long as there are idle resources that can be put to work, the very expansion of output resulting from the utilization of such resources will create a proportionate rise in income that will be used to purchase the expanded output. In this way, this law, denied that involuntary unemployment could be caused by a deficiency of aggregate demand. 3. Markets The equilibrium levels of output and employment are determined in the classical system as soon

Macbeth violence free essay sample

Gothic literature opens up explorations of violence. Whilst Macbeth conforms to the key gothic feature, it could be argued that Shakespeare often uses the violence in excess, desensitising the audience and taking away the desired effect. The structure of Macbeth introduces the audience firstly to legitimate violence, through to illegitimate violence and finally a loss of control. The beginning of the play sees â€Å"noble† Macbeth rewarded for â€Å"unseeming† a man â€Å"from the nave to the chops† in battle, whilst this violence may be controversial among a modern audience, it would have been condoned by a jacobean audience. Macbeth’s meeting with the witches can be seen as a pivotal point in the play, as it is here the the violence takes a sinister turn. Shakespeare structures the play so that a majority of the killings are performed off stage, whilst this does not necessarily conform to the idea of ‘excessive violence’ the audience are introduced to inordinate violence through the reactions of the characters. We will write a custom essay sample on Macbeth violence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shakespeare shows the audience how things are going to change with Lady Macbeth’s â€Å"unsex me here† monologue. She states â€Å"come to my womans breasts and take my milk for gall†, the speech sees Lady Macbeth want to strip herself of symbols of nurture and womanhood, it could be argued that this acts as a pivotal point to set the reader up for the murders, as killing and violence is often associated with masculinity. Lady Macbeth is acting extreme, and shows that she is willing to do whatever necessary to seize the throne, critics may suggest that is is the preparation given to the audience that means the violence ‘ceases too have any effect’ rather that the ‘excess’ of the violence in the play. The language used in Macbeth enables the introduction of excess violence and also highlights the loss of control experienced by both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Whilst at the beginning the of the play Lady Macbeth states â€Å"a little water will clear us of this deed† she later asks herself â€Å"who’d have thought the old man to have so much blood in him†. Lady Macbeth’s language allows the audience to feel the effect of murders despite not seeing them performed. The audience are arguably not shown an ‘excess’ of violence on stage, despite this it could be argued that the effect the violence has on the protagonists introduces the audience the excessive violence. Macbeth feels he is â€Å"in blood so far stepped† the statement in itself shows the audience that Macbeth feels trapped by his actions, however it also highlights the magnitude of consequences that Macbeth and his wife now face, it could be argued that the excessive violence ceases to have any effect on the audience due to the fact they are more involved in seeing the consequences. Whilst a lot of the physical violence happens off stage, the audience are shown what could be argued to be an excess of psychological violence on stage. Lady Macbeth takes control in the beginning of the play, telling macbeth to â€Å"act like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it† however the psychological consequences due to guilt soon start to show as Lady Macbeth loses control. â€Å"out damn spot† can be argued to be a clear reference to blood, and whilst before only a â€Å"little water† was needed to dismiss the evidence of the murders, Lady Macbeth now questions whether â€Å"all great Neptune’s ocean† will clear her of the guilt. Lady Macbeth’s fall to insanity another key gothic feature shows the audience how the guilt, as a result of the murders is having an excessive effect on Lady Macbeth’s mind. Macbeth also suffers with self inflicted psychological violence, when confronted with Banquo’s ghost. It could be argued that it is the directors choice that will determine what effect the psychological violence will have on the audience. Whilst some may chose to allow the audience to share Macbeth’s thoughts by making the ghost visible, others may force Macbeth to be alone with his thoughts, by keeping the ghost hidden. The psychological violence in Macbeth may be interpreted differently by the audience, whilst Macbeth has being unstable from the beginning of the play, making his psychological outbursts excessive, the audience have seen Lady Macbeth’s loss of control, arguably making her psychological violence more affective because it is not seen in excess. Overall some members of the audience may feel like the play lacks tension and surprise, and therefore the violence may cease of have any effect on them, however some critics may suggest that it is the excess in itself that evokes the reaction from the audience and makes Macbeth such a violent, controversial play.

Tips For Fighting Addiction In College

Tips For Fighting Addiction In College Mental Health Issues: Addiction in the Campus Partying hard and abusing addictive substances often accompanies the life of a college student. A lot of students start to lead a more conscious way of life after some years of such lifestyle or after graduating from the university. Unfortunately, for some students, it becomes a huge burden that turns into addiction. Addiction is defined as repeated abuse of a certain substance, which is characterized by continuity and obtrusiveness. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:Around 80% of students who study in the college drink alcohol Near 50% of those students are binge drinkers 1,825 students die from injuries related to alcohol Assaults, sexual abuses, and aggressive behavior more frequently come from those whos been drinking Around 25% of those who have developed a regular drinking habit have academic problemsWith alarming stats like these, it becomes evident that addiction is an important issue and needs an urgent solution. Symptoms Of Addiction Students who became dependent on alcohol and drugs usually have the following symptoms:Being paranoid, anxious, stressed, or fearful for no reason Getting into troubles, fights, and conflicts Having impaired coordination and bloodshot eyes Needing to use more and more alcohol or drugs to get the same effects Negative change in the grooming habits and physical appearanceIf you experience some of the symptoms listed above, you may be addicted. If you notice that you are using alcohol or drugs in order to numb your negative emotions, you should contact the health center on your campus and consult a qualified specialist. Addictions need to be taken very seriously. Recognizing The Signs Of Addiction It may be difficult to differentiate when ones use of alcohol has turned from occasional to habitual. Besides, those who cant admit that they have an addiction will use all possible arguments to ensure you that theyre totally in control of their alcohol consumption. To understand if your friend has developed the destructive addiction, ask yourself the following list of questions:Is your friend drinking in order to drown his sorrow or for recreational reasons? Has their drinking or drug use influenced their relationships in a negative way? Have drugs and alcohol become one of the central themes of your friends life? Are there negative changes in their personality connected with drugs and alcohol consumption? Have you noticed some strange, unpleasant smell from their clothing, body, or breath? Do they feel uncomfortable or anxious when they cant get access to drugs or alcohol? Have any of the blood relatives of your friends had alcohol addiction? Have they ever lost the memory of the previous evening?It often happens that addicts dont want to confess that they have an addiction; therefore it is very important to observe their behavior and notice the alarming symptoms. If they receive a proper treatment in the earlier stages, they have a good chance of getting their conscious life back. If you want to warn your friend about the problem he or she has with addiction, find the time when they are sober and tell them that you have noticed some worrying changes about their behavior. Dont be judgmental, let your friend understand that you are concerned about their health, and explain the reason behind your concerns. Offer your help in solving the issues of addiction you can consult an online resource or go to your student health center with your friend. Resources To Help Treat Addiction Consult these resources to find out more about addiction and get help:National Institute for Drug Abuse Narcotics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration Your Student Health CenterAddiction can turn into a serious problem if its not treated timely and correctly. Please, be very attentive to the addictive substances that you are using and never turn their use from recreational to habitual. Better stop using alcohol or drugs to relax. Consider such relaxation techniques as meditation and yoga that have a much more constructive influence on your body and mind.

What is visual arts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is visual arts - Assignment Example The paper "What is visual arts" analyzes the phenomenon of visual arts. Pearls, money, gold – embody the wealth and vanity, everyday pleasures of life. Scales in the woman’s hand is a semantic and geometrical approach to composition. Such scales could be found in every house of Nederland. Every province had its currency and weight measures. In order to determine the value of coin, the sellers bit it to economize. Scales were very often associated with conscience like flaring heart. â€Å"A shimmering blue cloth, open boxes, two strands of pearls, and a gold chain lie on the sturdy table. Soft light comes in through the window and illuminates the scene. The woman is so pensive that the viewer almost hesitates to intrude on her quiet moment of contemplation†. There is a big picture of the Last Judgment, the one picture is in another picture that is tool often used by Vermeer. The scales are empty, the gold is just patches of light. A woman weighs neither pearls nor gold or her own deeds waiting for the Last Judgment. She is establishing the balance between the pleasures of life and the rules set by the Church. â€Å"Vermeer emphasized this message through his superbly refined composition and lighting. The hand holding the balance, for example, occupies a position directly in front of the frame’s dark corner, while the scales are set off against the bare plaster wall—an effect that Vermeer created through subtle spatial manipulation†. Black Lines by Vasiliy Kandinsky is another perfect example of visual art.

Criminal Conspiracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Conspiracy - Essay Example & Scheb, (2011), the main aim for the reformation of this system was that it was to temporarily curb the pending review and reform the law relating to fraud, offensiveness and indecency as well as shaping the view of society as a whole. The law has now been reformed by the Fraud Acts in which the government waits to see how the law operates so as to come up with relative changes or abolish common law conspiracy to defraud. International trade has also seen various cases of fraud and the United Stated has moved in to combat such as well as get rid of some of the practices such as washing dirty money that comes with many conspiracy cases. Major problems were experienced in the early years after Acts over how the preserved common law conspiracy to defraud dovetailed with the new statutory conspiracy to commit a crime as frequently, an agreement to defraud will necessarily involve an agreement to commit a substantive offence entailing dishonesty such as theft or the new offence of fraud under the Fraud Act. A typical example would be when A and B agree a scheme to dupe people into investing money in a non-existent company intending to disappear with the money subscribed. To do this would be to certainly agree to defraud the investors, but it will also be an agreement to commit the crime of fraud by false representation in benefit of an individual, (Levy, Karst & Winkler, 2000). According to the Missouri revised statutes, a person is guilty of conspiracy with another person to commit an offense it he agrees with another person that one of them or both engage in a conduct that constitutes conspiracy. Conspiring also with a third party knowingly will also make the other two parties guilty of conspiracy whether the identities are known or not. Further conspiracy may be committed by a person conspiring to commit a number of offences that have the same results as conspiracy on the other hand no one shall be convicted if he prevented the accomplishment of the objectives of

Wk3 Second part of DQ Based on Dq1 AE and DQ2 ST Peer comment Assignment

Wk3 Second part of DQ Based on Dq1 AE and DQ2 ST Peer comment - Assignment Example e population over 30 years ago it is highly possible that the government would not have enjoyed the tremendous level of economic growth China has benefit from during the past three decades. A higher population would have absorbed more resources away from the whole. I believe that the world will face many more ethical dilemmas associated with genetic engineering. The Carrie Buck story is a terrifying tale since that shows that worse that society has to offer. The discrimination displayed by the courts was astonishing. There is some empirical evidence that points that vaccines may be causing autism. The incidence of autism growth was 10% last year. In South Korea a recent study revealed that 2.64% of the newborn babies have autism which is much higher than the 1% US autism incidence (Bower, 2011). I don’t think countries have a right to tell a person with autism that they cannot have a family because their diseases could be genetically spread. Mental patients have rights and should be respected by society. I agree with you that in the Burlington Northern scenario the employees were an important stakeholder group. The employees play a critical role in the success of a company since they compose the human capital of a firm. The legal status and laws that protect disable people were not applicable back in Carrie Buck’s era. Today there are many laws that protect disable people including the Disability and Equity Law of 2010. The Disability and Equity Law of 2010 provides legal rights to disable people in education, employment, access to goods, function of bodies, and in buying and renting property (Direct, 2011). I think that society has changed a lot in the last century. People have become more aware of the needs of others and the globalization movement has improved our desire to cooperate with other nations. In regards to public companies an agency that looks out for the best interest of all stakeholders groups is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay Information is a vital to running a business today, hence the needs to control and utilise information has been developed rapidly in order to gain a competitive advantage. Information system is a useful general term which used to describe about the way of organisation manage their information successfully. Today is twenty first century and computers and computer-based system are very essential to run and setup the organisation. A comprehensive and integrated information system provides a space to consolidating fragmented pieces or sub systems, improving country decision-making capabilities, implementing evidence-based decision making and providing easy access to reliable and valid data and subsequently to good quality information for better decision-making. Caterpillar is one of the worlds foremost manufacturers of earthmoving machinery and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and electrical power generation systems. Caterpillar has declared that the Caterpillar Inc. Company was officially established in 1925.Since it was founded in 1925, Caterpillar has a proud history in product development, technological innovations and globalizations with presence around the world in Europe, South-North America, Russia, China, Japan, and Africa, the company provides products and services in a multinational market, Caterpillar employs about 200.00 people around the world between dealers, employees, and suppliers. In 2006, Caterpillar reported Sales and Revenues of $ 41.517 billion and profit of $ 3.537 billion, up 28 percent compared with the previous year. (General Motors Annual Report 2005) Introduction: To ensure the success, organization always depended on information system. For their continued survival all the medium to large organizations depend on their information technology. All kind of business like small to co-operation enterprise everyone use their own information system. In daily Telegraph they published a recent article; IT supplement advises that many large organizations could not survive longer than 24 hours without IT support! Day by day, year by year organizations have changed their information systems from dealing purely with data processing to strategic and decision support. Without the valid information is impossible to find success in the short, medium and long term plan. At present situation it is also recognized that in an organization information is very common required at all levels and that information can have find from many source. To gaining competitive advantage the valid information is very Importance to needs to be stressed. INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CATERPILLAR: The different kind of Information System depends on different needs of the company. Today the market offers a range of software; accounting programs, management programs. The company depending on its budget have to identify the most effective system which will bring about more benefits. Despite using the information systems in each level, an alternative system called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) may be used to replace all the other systems mentioned above for each level within the organization. The information systems mentioned before address different functional areas usually in fragmented and incoherent fashion. The systems are created to meet the particular needs of the organization. On the other hand, the ERP system leads to more effective sharing of information and eventually to the production of more precise forecasts and plans. It is a package of programs that allow the company to integrate and share information by linking the subsidiaries, suppliers, employees, sales analysis, human resources, inventories, and financial issues simultaneously with managers and customers. It is an all-in-one package. The adoption of a single system has advantages such as dealing with only one software vendor, reduced maintenance and other repair costs, comparability between systems within the organization; and a more unifying strategy for the organization. However, it may be an expensive system to purchase and operate; and may lack flexibility to adapt to changing business need. ERP has been an effective system to adopt and Caterpillar will definitely gain competitive advantage over its rivals. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION: These systems are focused on determining what information must be provided in order to achieve the objectives of the business strategy. Caterpillar being the worlds leading producer of earth moving equipment, industrial gas turbine engines and a global leader supplier of diesel engines, selling over 300 products with a service life of fifty or more years to support distributors in over 120 countries, needs to plan and establish accurate designs of Information system for each level within the organization. These systems will help the organization to make reliable decisions within each level of the organization as mentioned below. a) STRATEGIC LEVEL The strategic level is the top most level in an organization and through the use of Executive Support System (ESS) which is the highest level of information systems used within the senior management, it establishes medium to long term strategies which assist in strategic decision making. Caterpillars strategic decisions will have a major impact on the organization and will be based on future assumptions rather than the current. It is analysed from external sources (market surveys, trade publications, demographic studies, government reports and commissioned research from specialist suppliers). The information will tend to be highly uncertain and more of a general nature or summary. The organization needs to make decisions which will help them gain a competitive edge within the market by maximising its share, attaining huge profits, develop quality and right products, control the costs and provision of satisfaction for customers. Information Requirements at this level would therefore include: Profit forecasts Patterns of expenditure Sales analyses Demographic Survey Development of market forces General economy Information Technology: The organization needs to understand and forecast customer demands so as to keep up with the future trends. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a system which provides information about customers such as categories of customers and predicts their behaviours. This system would update Caterpillar to be able to fulfil customers demands (by innovating new products) and prevent wastage of customers to competitors. b) TACTICAL LEVEL This is associated with the middle management and involves medium term decisions. The information required will normally be in aggregate form and it is subject to less uncertainty compare to information required in the strategic level. Within this level, the organization can use two types of systems; Decision Support System (DSS) and Management Information System (MIS). MIS facilitates routine summarizing and reporting while DSS allows ad hoc queries and analytical reporting. Caterpillar will have to effectively manage and control its finances (prepare budgets), labour, inventories, machinery and other resources. Information Requirements at this level would be: Variance Reports Sales analysis Cash flow forecasts Personnel Records Management Reports Information Technology: The organization needs to maintain good relationships with its suppliers since they provide the necessary inputs and components for its production. One way of doing so is by creating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) which establishes an electronic connection between the business and its suppliers and automatically sends messaged to the supplier when orders are to be made. c) KNOWLEDGE LEVEL This level is often present in some organizations and helps to keep up to date with the technology and makes use of the Knowledge Work Systems (KWS). For Caterpillar, this level would help to create designs and graphics of its machinery and other forms of design specification. Information Requirements: Design Specifications Drafts Previous or existing models Information Technology: Through the use of expensive Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Manufacturing equipment, Caterpillar has a chance to produce differentiated products which would act as a barrier to entry for other firms and to gain competitive advantage over other firms within the industry. d) OPERATIONAL LEVEL This level is concerned with the decisions made in the normal day to day operations within a business. Decisions in this area are designed to ensure the effective and efficient use of existing resources to realise budget objectives. This level makes use of the Transaction Processing System (TPS) which includes systems such as payroll, order tracking, machine control and employee records. Information Requirements: Personnel information Inventory and production levels Pricing decisions Credit control over customers Cash controls and other forms of accounting Cloud computing: Cloud computing is a term that normally using for anything that involves delivering hosted through the internet. Generally these services are divided in to three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-service (laas) Platform-as-a-service (paas) and Software-as-a-Service (saas).The name of cloud computing is stirred from the cloud symbol that usually symbolized the internet in flowchart and diagram. In the simplest, cocktail-hour terms, cloud computing is managed, shared applications, development platforms or computing infrastructure accessible via a network such as the internet. Above the clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing By Kevin T McDonalds. Cloud computing technology boasts all the benefits of multitenant, including built-in security, reliability, upgradeability and ease of use. Normally cloud computing platforms are growing in popularity, its exceptional advantages does a cloud computing architecture offer to companies in todays economic climate. Suitability of cloud computing: Proven Web-services integration: Cloud computing technology is most easier and quicker to compare with other enterprise applications by their unique nature. Such as McDonalds company using their web site logo I am loving it this is proven that all over the world for McDonalds recognition. World-class service delivery: Cloud computing infrastructures offer much greater scalability, complete disaster recovery and impressive uptime numbers. McDonalds offer their same service to the customer all over the world and they maintain their service in the same label. No hardware or software to install: The main beauty of cloud computing technology is its simplicity. This doesnt require any software to install and it requires significantly fewer capital to get up and running. Faster and lower risk development: No more waiting moths or years and spending millions of dollars before anyone gets to log into new solution. Cloud computing technology applications are live in a matter of weeks or months, even with extensive customization or combination. Support for deep customizations: Several IT professionals mistakenly think that cloud computing is difficult to customize as a result it is not a good choice for complex enterprises. This infrastructure not only allows deep customization and application configuration, it preserves all those customization even during upgrades. This is also ideal for application development tosiness support organizations evolving needs. Empowered business users: cloud computing technology allow on the fly, point and click customization and report generation for business users, so IT doesnt spend half its time making minor changes and running reports. Automatic upgrades that dont impact IT resources: These infrastructures put an end to a huge IT dilemma; if we upgrade to the latest and greatest version of the application, well be forced to spend time and resources to rebuild our customizations and combinations. Cloud computing doesnt force to decide between upgrading and preserving all hard work. Because all the customization and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade. Conclusion: According to research literature and Caterpillar information system it is evident that well establish system running by the company. From particular store to head office and also around the world the whole company running by one network. Every store is monitored by head office and how they operate business operation, tracking stock, ordering system, distribution channel, internal communication going through one IT network. Caterpillar has very strong relationship with cloud computing technology that gives great security and data storage facilities without investing additional amounts. Around the world data transfer and hassle free communication with secure system made Caterpillar in driving position in construction and mining equipment industry. Quality development strongly controlled and improved through latest technology and that made customer satisfaction and also keep customer loyal for future business. References: Above the Clouds: Managing Rusisk in the World of Cloud Computing  By Kevin T. McDonald

Internet :: essays research papers

Internet Ad #1 1) Tide 2) This series of ads shows all of Tide’s laundry detergents which include liquid, powder, powder with bleach, powder with bleach alternative, tabs, high efficiency, and Tide kick. 3) Tide uses a different approach from some of the other types of laundry detergent companies. They devote a separate page to each type of product. Each of these pages shows pictures of each individual type of product (for example the different types of liquid detergents). Next to each picture is a full description of the product, which includes the uses and scents. Below the pictures is a chart that lists the various formulas and sizes. This website invites the viewer to try out the Tide products to see which one best fits their family. 4) This website used no special techniques. 5) The Tide ads are very effective. Besides showing ample information about each type of product, the website also shows special offers, related articles, a Tide product locator, and common question about stain removal and laundry detergents. Also, the website is full of bright colors, which help to grab your attention. Internet Ad #2 1) Wisk 2) This page is an advertisement for all of Wisk’s laundry detergents. 3) This ad is a one-page advertisement for the Wisk products, which include dual action tablets, liquid with wrinkle reducer, liquid with bleaching action, liquid with no perfumes of dyes, and high efficiency. Each different product is shown, followed by a short description. Below the products is a statement most of their products can be purchased in liquid and powder forms. This website tell the viewer to wash their clothes right the first time, by using Wisk products. 4) This website features a washing machine icon that you can click on that will show you how to wash certain clothes.

Psychology: Human Memory Essay

The article addresses the problems of interference as related to implicit memory. The study reveals the inconsistencies of the previous studies in the area of explicit and implicit memory, and the impact of interference on the memory performance. The authors of the article analyze the three major studies conducted in previous years. Lustig & Hasher (2001) refer to interference as â€Å"a primary source of forgetting and a major focus of memory research†. Previous research has proved that implicit memory is immune to interference, but there is no evidence whether earlier studies have referred to proactive or retroactive interference. The results of the previous research have determined the different patterns of interaction between explicit memory, implicit memory, and interference mechanisms. This difference was later used to suggest that explicit and implicit memory tasks measure different forms of memory and act within different systems of the brain. Despite the clear evidence that implicit memory is immune to interference, Lustig & Hasher (2001) suggest that this evidence is impaired by using wrong methods of research: the authors emphasize the importance of differentiating between target and nontarget memory responses. Lustig & Hasher (2001) have designed a new study, â€Å"in which each fragment presented at test could be completed only by one previously presented target word†. The authors have utilized the three-group study design: in the interference group, the nontarget items were similar to the correct completions; for the control group, nontarget items were unrelated to the test fragments; the third group was used as a baseline and received only test fragments. The control and interference group participants viewed a list of words divided into the two groups of target and nontarget items. The list was followed by a set of exercises to be completed by both groups (word-fragment test). Lustig & Hasher (2001) used planned comparisons to analyze the results of the fragment-completion test. â€Å"The critical question was whether orthographically similar nontargets impaired implicit memory for the target words† (Lustig & Hasher, 2001). Although the control and interference groups have displayed better achievements in fragment-test as compared to the baseline group, the successes of the interference group members were negatively impacted by their exposure to the list of nontarget words. Thus, implicit memory was impacted by interference mechanisms. The authors have analyzed the proportion of incorrect answers as impacted by the group exposure to nontarget words. The results have shown an increasingly great number of intrusions of the non-target words in the interference group as compared to the control and baseline groups.   The results of the study, combined with the previous research results, have led to the conclusion that explicit memory cannot be the only critical factor in determining the presence of interference. On the contrary, the combination of the explicit and implicit memory responses determine the exact patterns of interference and their impact on human memory. Lustig and Hasher (2001) clearly demonstrate that implicit memory is not immune to interference. In addition, the researchers create a new vision of the critical boundary condition for interference, which â€Å"is similarity between critical and nontarget items, not deliberate retrieval† (Lustig & Hasher, 2001). Discussion questions 1. How is the interference phenomenon discussed in earlier studies? 2. Is there any unilateral evidence that implicit memory is immune to interference? 3. Why is the similarity between target and nontarget items potentially important for the investigation of interference and its impact on implicit memory mechanisms? 4. How has the use of fragment-completion test been beneficial for the discovery of interference impact on implicit memory? 5. In the light of the current research results, how can we define a critical boundary condition for interference?

Cloning and Technology essays

Cloning and Technology essays Cloning is creating an exact copy of a living organism from a single cell, using a genderless organism where the organism inherits the genetical characteristics from the parent who donated the cell. Scientist have been studying and experimenting the concept of cloning for the last fifty years. Cloning in regards to technology has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of these advantages of cloning with the help of technology are help the increase of population, farm better livestock for human, child cloned for unfertile parents, cloning lost family members, and decrease in developing a serious disease. The disadvantages of cloning is decrease I genetic diversity, technology is new and very unstable, and maybe inhuman. One of the advantages that were mentioned earlier was increasing population in endangered species such as plants and animals. With this technology we can clone animals that can produce a faster way to provide food. We can use cloning with plants to produce more of certain species that are going extinct. Another advantage of cloning is to farm better livestock. This is basically to supply organs for humans in need, such as liver, heart, or a kidney. Organ transplants would be significantly aided I this way. Infertile parents could have their prayers answered by using the tissue of a one parent to give rise to a new baby. Brilliant people could be reproduced indefinitely. Banning human cloning is same as disallowing life. Depriving those who sincerely wish to experience pregnancy and raise a child biologically related to them may result in a large number of children throughout the world possibly available for adoption (Nussbaum Cloning can helped in giving birth and also with death. You can replace a lost family member by using the cloning tec...

Free Essays on Famous Latin American Authors

Josà © Martà ­ was a Cuban poet, essayist and journalist, who became the symbol of Cuba's fight to get independence from Spain. He said "No man has any special right because he belongs to any specific race; just by saying the word man, we have already said all the rights." He was born in Havana and he was the son of a Spanish soldier. He published Versos sencillos in 1891 during a really hard time in his life. This was after he and his wife had separated. He always emphasized the need to come to terms with the continents' multi-racial identity and the importance of teaching the history of America all the way from the Incas to now. Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez was a Latin-American journalist, novelist and story writer, and a central figure in the Magic Realism movement. This term was used in Germany in the 1920's to describe some contemporary painters, whose works expressed surrealistic visions. He basically considered himself a realist as he wrote about Colombian and Latin American reality just as he saw it. He was born in the banana zone of Colombia. His parents abandoned him and he was raised by his grandparents. He later wrote about Bolà ­var and his last journey down the Magdelena River. One Hundred Years of Solitude was the most popular work of Magic Realism. Garcà ­a said that he tries to tap the magic in commonplace events. Ruben Dario was born on January 18, 1867 in Nicaragua. His parents divorced and he was raised by his godfather Colonel Felix Ramirez. HE began reading at age 3 and publishing poems by the age of 12. In 1882 he tried to get a scholarship to a college by reading one of his poems but he was turned down because his poems were too liberal and filled with anti-religious sentiments. Throughout his life he was confronted with prejudice because of the darkness of his skin. Also throughout his life he indulged in alcohol and women in large amounts. His trademark was his rhythmic style and mo... Free Essays on Famous Latin American Authors Free Essays on Famous Latin American Authors Josà © Martà ­ was a Cuban poet, essayist and journalist, who became the symbol of Cuba's fight to get independence from Spain. He said "No man has any special right because he belongs to any specific race; just by saying the word man, we have already said all the rights." He was born in Havana and he was the son of a Spanish soldier. He published Versos sencillos in 1891 during a really hard time in his life. This was after he and his wife had separated. He always emphasized the need to come to terms with the continents' multi-racial identity and the importance of teaching the history of America all the way from the Incas to now. Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez was a Latin-American journalist, novelist and story writer, and a central figure in the Magic Realism movement. This term was used in Germany in the 1920's to describe some contemporary painters, whose works expressed surrealistic visions. He basically considered himself a realist as he wrote about Colombian and Latin American reality just as he saw it. He was born in the banana zone of Colombia. His parents abandoned him and he was raised by his grandparents. He later wrote about Bolà ­var and his last journey down the Magdelena River. One Hundred Years of Solitude was the most popular work of Magic Realism. Garcà ­a said that he tries to tap the magic in commonplace events. Ruben Dario was born on January 18, 1867 in Nicaragua. His parents divorced and he was raised by his godfather Colonel Felix Ramirez. HE began reading at age 3 and publishing poems by the age of 12. In 1882 he tried to get a scholarship to a college by reading one of his poems but he was turned down because his poems were too liberal and filled with anti-religious sentiments. Throughout his life he was confronted with prejudice because of the darkness of his skin. Also throughout his life he indulged in alcohol and women in large amounts. His trademark was his rhythmic style and mo...

Food and beverage management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food and beverage management - Case Study Example The restaurant is also renowned for its Franconian food, which is presented with the Franconian dialect. Dishes such as organic beef in buttermilk or sausages with kraut, among others, tend to entice and retain customers. This provides a unique and unforgettable experience to those experiencing it. ‘s Baggers also capitalize on their marketing strategies, which is often with the help of customers. They tend to do advertising through the word of mouth, and recommendations to the outside market, thus attracting more potential customers. This is evident from the distribution of 1500 loyalty cards or friends’ cards within the first four and a half months of the restaurant operations (Broom, 234). Perform a SWOT analysis of ‘s baggers restaurant technology. Strengths Use of technology and innovation in its operations is a major strength. This has led to efficiency in delivery of dishes and beverages to the customers. Such aspect as queues, has been eliminated. Dishes ar e easily identified through colour codes that correspond to each and every customer. This translates to good service, and customer satisfaction. Market penetration is also a major strength of the restaurant. Through recommendations and feedback from customers, the restaurant can be able to determine the level of satisfaction from their clients. Customers act as a major advertising element in terms of marketing. Word to word promotions, as well as loyalty cards, has proven to be effective, as this can be seen with the distribution of 1500 loyalty cards or friends’ cards within the first four and a half months of the restaurant operations. This has led to increased sales and returns (Genna 218). Image branding of the restaurant is also another vital strength. Being the first and only fully automated restaurant in the world, it attracts more customers, who tend to seek a different experience from the norm. This has led to the raising of requests and inquiries of creating franchi ses in Germany, Europe, Canada, Australia and even Korea. This will translate to more sales, and a larger market for the restaurant.License and patent rights are also a major strength of the restaurant. With full rights to this patent and licenses, the restaurant can be able to regulate and influence competition from other dominant food chains, as well as upcoming ones. This means more market and an even greater influence in customer loyalty (Mages 291). Weakness Technology can be considered as a weakness due to its dynamic nature. The Electronic Point of Sale software might change and become obsolete with time, and this means lower productivity, and inefficient delivery. Overall customer satisfaction will diminish, and customer loyalty will decrease. Customers may also find it hard interacting with the computer interface of these systems. Waiters will have a burden in ensuring that all customer needs are met, and this might be overwhelming considering they have other tasks to perfo rm. This may also discourage customers who prefer a more popular way of service delivery, in this case interaction with waiters (Steinhoff 389). Threats Technology can also be considered as a threat. Due to its dynamic nature, technology tends to become outdated and obsolete in a rather fast way. This might prove to be expensive in terms of upgrades and

Wk 11 (2nd Discussion) Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk 11 (2nd Discussion) - Article Example is really about questioning the authenticity of something regarded as fact, and this perspective should be adapted and not disregarded if one aspires to grow in truthful information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One way to interact with information is by delving deeper into its research basis. If a claim is made, one should ask, â€Å"What scientific research supports such claims?† (Pope, 1998). If none can be provided, then this claim can be dismissed as mere hearsay, or looking at it as a challenge, is a statement which can fuel a research study to be conducted to determine whether it is true or not. If a research study is provided as a support though, then it is but proper and fitting to scrutinize the instruments and methods utilized in gathering and analyzing data. For example, if s survey questionnaire was given out by a psychologist to the respondents, validity of the tool should first be established to ensure that the questions will not bring about bias to the study or it should undergo face and content validation by experts in the field first to ensure that the questions are not leading towards specific results. This should be done since the anomalie s may be rooted foremost in the methodology, which also paved way for erroneous conclusions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now, the aforementioned approach can be likened to the scrutiny of the branches of a plant. Another way to determine the accuracy of information is to examine closely vague and ambiguous terms. Repressed memories of sexual abuse during childhood have been studied by many, but the definition of repressed memories has been haphazardly used by in media, literature and in legal proceedings. A gray area has clouded the vivid demarcation of whether repressed memories are figments of the unconscious defense mechanisms or whether it is a scheme of forgetting (Pope, 1998). Defining terms and allotting which definition is described in which study can provide a much clearer way of assimilating information, and a way to determine

People who care about the Earth Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

People who care about the Earth - Term Paper Example Compared to other biogas plant system, for example, the one that uses dung and sewerage, the system that uses food waste is pro- active since a small amount of food waste produces a lot of energy and only in a shorter period of time compared to the other conventional biogas system that uses dung and sewerage which requires up to over one month to complete the reaction and produce electrical energy (Pimm and Thomas 14). To be precise, two kilograms of food waste takes around 24 hours to complete the reaction after which approximately 500g of energy are produced in the form of methane. This invention of ARTI Biogas plant clearly indicates that it is the most efficient biogas system as it produces results with over approximately 800 times as efficient compared to other biogas systems (Bill 50). A brief history of people who invented the solar system includes Alexandre Edmond, who was instrumental in explaining how electricity can be harvested from sunlight (Frankham, David and Jonathan 46). Russell Ohl came later and invented the solar cell. The panel composed of particular metals which would emit electrons after being hit by direct sunlight. The electrons then flow through a conductor that then creates electricity. The use of solar power through the use of sunlight is increasingly efficient since it generates a lot of electricity without posing a threat to the universe through waste emissions and pollution. Solar panels are also considered efficient since they have a long lifespan meaning that it is quite reliable (Bill 56). Another individual who has contributed to conserving the planet is Tom Krimigis. Tom spent over 45 years of inventing and exploring the solar system. Tom even went ahead and won an achievement trophy, the National Air and Space Museum’s Trophy, which is currently the highest museum’s honor. Tom was highly instrumental in coming up with

Importance of time Essay Example for Free

Importance of time Essay Do to the fact that I could not maintain punctuality in a classroom environment I shall be writing an essay of the importance of punctuality in the United States Military. Now of course it seems like this would be easy to understand however I had managed to forget it and this shall explain it in this essay. Before you can understand how being punctual is important you must understand what being punctual means. Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill a moral duty before or at a specific time. There is often an understanding that a small amount of lateness is acceptable.. However in some cultures, such as Japanese society, or in the military there basically is no allowance. Some cultures have an unspoken understanding that actual deadlines are different from stated deadlines; for example, it may be understood in a particular culture that people will turn up an hour later than advertised. In this case, since everyone understands that a 9 A.M. meeting will actually start around 10am, no-one is inconvenienced when everyone turns up at 10am. In cultures which value punctuality, being late is tantamount to showing disrespect for anothers time and may be considered insulting. In such cases, punctuality may be enforced by social penalties, for example by excluding low-status latecomers from meetings entirely. Being at the right place at the right time for any member of the Army is extremely essential to the defense of the entire United States of America. Its because of this that being on time is remarkably important. Dependability, accountability, consistency and discipline are all crucially related to being on time. Furthermore, promptness also shows that the individual Soldier aims high and has their priorities straight. However, being where one needs to be at the appointed time will always be one of the most important aspects of being a Soldier. This is why failure to be on time not only severely hinders mission capability and readiness, but also can without a doubt cost unnecessary loss of life. It is important to realize that it is necessary for those in the Armed Forces are held to a higher standard. Being punctual in the military is important for many reasons, some of which I shall describe, right now. One of the few reasons for punctuality in the military would be if someone is late for a patrol or convoy that patrol or convoy might have to leave without that person, or maybe wait for them or can’t leave without them and be late to a rally point in which it is possible that it would cost some one  there life for you being late being late to a convoy and could lead to dire consequences. Not necessarily to you but to your battle buddies you let down by not showing up. While they are on patrol, or convoying to another area, something could happen that could either need your expertise and training or they could just need another soldier to keep watch of their area and without you it would take more manpower from less people to do the job that you were supposed to do. Or maybe the patrol you were supposed to be on could be ambushed and your weapon, your eyes and your training could be what makes the difference between your patrol losing soldiers or not. It is possible that if you had been there your patrol could have seen the ambush with the extra set of eyes watching, or taken out the enemy with the extra soldier carrying a weapon he/she was trained to use. Now being late could be what makes you lose battle buddies that could have survived if you were there to help them in that situation. Even more possible is that your battle buddies are on a convoy and it could have been your eyes that notice the strange object in the road or the slight discoloration, or maybe the disheveled earth of the road ahead of you that could have prevented your convoy from running into an IED. Or in another situation one might be on their way to meet someone from another country and showing up late would be looked at as a dishonorable and that you didn’t care about them or what they were trying to do. Also being late could also hinder your battle buddies at work. You being late makes your battle buddy who you are supposed to relieve stay later than he/she is supposed to, meaning that said person loses sleep time. Another reason might be because if you were going to relieve someone from duty on a guard duty it will make whoever your relieving have to stay at work. Therefor making them stay longer which then makes them tired and sluggish. And because they are because they are tired and sluggish, it increases the high chance that whatever work that person does would be under par and not up to standards because of lack of sleep. Which on a guard post they might fall asleep and someone might slip in or pass along some classified information to the enemy without any difficulty. Although the United States is not the only society that places a high regard on being on time, Americans in particular it would seem have been criticized in the past for being a highly time-oriented people, and some other cultures may not place the same level of importance on being punctual as exists in the United States today. This sense of being tied to a clock may strike some observers from other cultures as being downright psychotic, but the fact remains that the importance of being on time is an enormously important part of the American value system and it would be reasonable to suggest that this will not change. In addition, people who fail to be on time also demonstrate whether intentionally or not what may be considered as a callous disregard for other people and their time. In the United States, then, the importance of punctuality is well established and those who are even a few minutes late for say, a job interview, run the very real risk of losing out to lesser qualified candidates simply because they were unable to find a place to park in time. Similarly, people who are consistently late will be viewed as unreliable by most employers and also run the risk of losing whatever employment they have managed to secure in the first place. Being on time is one thing, but being early is completely different. When you’re assigned to be at an appointed place at an appointed time then there is no room for tardiness. Not only is it disrespectful to your co-workers in regards to making them stay later and putting them â€Å"under the bus† but also it is an integrity check and denotes your lack of responsibility. When you have a trend of being late none of your co-workers will feel as if they cant rely on you.

Let’s Put an End to Corporate Power and Greed Essay -- Argumentative P

Let’s Put an End to Corporate Power and Greed I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. ... corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. -- Abraham Lincoln These days more and more of the corporate powers are migrating in search of cheap labor and huge profits, carrying away with them the primary sources of living of many people. As we saw in Roger and Me, General Motors replaced it’s Flint plant to open new ones in Mexico, laying off 30,000 workers in the process. Flint quickly turned into a 'ghost' town with poverty taking its toll on the common people. The rich got richer, while the poor became poorer. By this time the conditions had become so bad that the Money Magazine described Flint as the worst American city to live in. John Grisham (My Turn: Somewhere For Everyo...

Management Information System Questions

————————————————- MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Question 1(10 Marks) Discuss five (5) challenges of Management Information System (MIS). Answers Introduction A Management Information System (MIS) provides information which is needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources such as people, technology and information or decision making. Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that they are used to analyze operation activities in the organization.Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation support of human decision making, e. g. decision support systems, expert systems and executive information systems. The Challenge of Management Information System (MIS) Although information technology is advancing at a bli nding pace, there is nothing easy or mechanical about building and using information systems. There are five major challenges confronting managers: 1. The information systems investment challengeIt is obvious that one of the greatest challenges facing managers today is ensuring that their companies do indeed obtain meaningful returns on the money they spend on information systems. It’s one thing to use information technology to design, produce, deliver, and maintain new products. It’s another thing to make money doing it. How can organizations obtain a sizable payoff from their investment in information systems? How can management ensure that information systems contribute to corporate value?Senior management can be expected to ask these questions: How can we evaluate our information systems investments as we do other investments? Are we receiving the return on investment from our systems that we should? Do our competitors get more? Far too many firms still cannot answ er these questions. Their executives are likely to have trouble determining how much they actually spend on technology or how to measure the returns on their technology investments. Most companies lack a clear-cut decision-making process for eciding which technology investments to pursue and for managing those investments. 2. The strategic challenge What complementary assets are needed to use information technology effectively? Despite heavy information technology investments, many organizations are not realizing significant business value from their systems, because they lack—or fail to appreciate—the complementary assets required to make their technology assets work. The power of computer hardware and software has grown much more rapidly than the ability of organizations to apply and use this technology.To benefit fully from information technology, realize genuine productivity, and become competitive and effective, many organizations actually need to be redesigned. T hey will have to make fundamental changes in employee and management behavior, develop new work models, retire obsolete work rules, and eliminate the inefficiencies of outmoded business processes and organizational structures. New technology alone will not produce meaningful business benefits. 3. The globalization challengeHow can firms understand the requirements of a global economic environment? The rapid growth in international trade and the emergence of a global economy call for information systems that can support both producing and selling goods in many different countries. In the past, each regional office of a multinational corporation focused on solving its own unique information problems. Given language, cultural, and political differences among countries, this focus frequently resulted in chaos and the failure of central management controls.To develop integrated, multinational, information systems, businesses must develop global hardware, software, and communications stan dards; create cross-cultural accounting and reporting structures; and design transnational business processes. 4. The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organizations develop an information technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are changing so rapidly? Many companies are saddled with expensive and unwieldy information technology platforms that cannot adapt to innovation and change.Their information systems are so complex and brittle that they act as constraints on business strategy and execution. Meeting new business and technology challenges may require redesigning the organization and building a new information technology (IT) infrastructure. Creating the IT infrastructure for a digital firm is an especially formidable task. Most companies are crippled by fragmented and incompatible computer hardware, software, telecommunications networks, and information systems that prevent information from flowing freely between different parts of the organization.Although Internet standards are solving some of these connectivity problems, creating data and computing platforms that span the enterprise—and, increasingly, link the enterprise to external business partners—is rarely as seamless as promised. Many organizations are still struggling to integrate their islands of information and technology. 5. Ethics and security challenge: The responsibility and control challenge: How can organizations ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible manner?How can we design information systems that people can control and understand? Although information systems have provided enormous benefits and efficiencies, they have also created new ethical and social problems and challenges. A major management challenge is to make informed decisions that are sensitive to the negative consequences of information systems as well to the positive ones. Managers face an ongoing struggle to maintain security and control. Today, the threat of unauthorized penetration or disruption of information systems has never been greater.Information systems are so essential to business, government, and daily life that organizations must take special steps to ensure their security, accuracy, and reliability. A firm invites disaster if it uses systems that can be disrupted or accessed by outsiders, that do not work as intended, or that do not deliver information in a form that people can correctly use. Information systems must be designed so that they are secure, function as intended, and so that humans can control the process. QUESTION 2 (10 Marks)Explain with example (s) one (1) of the following Enterprise Applications: a) ERP b) SCM c) CRM Answers a) ERP Introduction In 1990, Gartner Group first employed the acronym ERP as an extension of material requirements planning (MRP), later manufacturing resource planning and computer-integrated manufacturing. W ithout supplanting these terms, ERP came to represent a larger whole, reflecting the evolution of application integration beyond manufacturing. Not all ERP packages were developed from a manufacturing core.Vendors variously began with accounting, maintenance and human resources. By the mid-1990s, ERP systems addressed all core functions of an enterprise. Beyond corporations, governments and non-profit organizations also began to employ ERP systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance or accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application.Their purpose is to facilitate then flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. ERP systems can ru n on a variety of computer hardware and network configurations, typically employing a database as a repository for information. Characteristics ERP systems typically include the following characteristics:- * An integrated systems that operates in real time (or next to real time), without relying on periodic updates. * A common database, which supports all applications. * A consistent look and feel throughout each module. Installation of the system without elaborate application/data integration by the Information Technology (IT) department. Examples: * Finance/ Accounting : General ledger, payables, cash management, fixed assets, receivables, budgeting and consolidation. * Human Resources : payroll, training, benefits, 401K, recruiting and diversity management. * Manufacturing : Engineering, bill of materials, work orders, scheduling, capacity, workflow management, quality control, cost management, manufacturing process, manufacturing projects, manufacturing flow, activity based cost ing, product lifecycle management. Supply chain management : Order to cash, inventory, order entry, purchasing, product configurator, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling, inspection of goods, claim processing, commissions. * Project management : Costing, billing, time and expense, performance units, activity management. * Customer relationship management : Sales and marketing, commissions, service, customer contact, call center support. * Data services : Various â€Å"self–service† interfaces for customers, suppliers and/or employees. * Access control : Management of user privileges for various processes. Components:- * Transactional database Management portal/dashboard * Business intelligence system * Customizable reporting * External access via technology such as web services * Search * Document management * Messaging/chat/wiki * Workflow management Connectivity to Plant Floor Information ERP systems connect to real–time data and transaction data in a v ariety of ways. These systems are typically configured by systems integrators, who bring unique knowledge on process, equipment, and vendor solutions. Direct integration—ERP systems have connectivity (communications to plant floor equipment) as part of their product offering.This requires the vendors to offer specific support for the plant floor equipment that their customers operate. ERP vendors must be expert in their own products, and connectivity to other vendor products, including competitors. Database integration—ERP systems connect to plant floor data sources through staging tables in a database. Plant floor systems deposit the necessary information into the database. The ERP system reads the information in the table. The benefit of staging is that ERP vendors do not need to master the complexities of equipment integration. Connectivity becomes the responsibility of the systems integrator.Enterprise appliance transaction modules (EATM)—These devices commu nicate directly with plant floor equipment and with the ERP system via methods supported by the ERP system. EATM can employ a staging table, Web Services, or system–specific program interfaces (APIs). The benefit of an EATM is that it offers an off–the–shelf solution. Custom–integration solutions—Many system integrators offer custom solutions. These systems tend to have the highest level of initial integration cost, and can have a higher long term maintenance and reliability costs. Long term costs can be minimized through careful system testing and thorough documentation.Custom–integrated solutions typically run on workstation or server class computers. Implementation ERP's scope usually implies significant changes to staff work processes and practices. Generally, three types of services are available to help implement such changes—consulting, customization, and support. Implementation time depends on business size, number of modules, customization, the scope of process changes, and the readiness of the customer to take ownership for the project. Modular ERP systems can be implemented in stages. The typical project for a large enterprise consumes about 14 months and requires around 150 consultants.Small projects can require months; multinational and other large implementations can take years. Customization can substantially increase implementation times. Process preparation Implementing ERP typically requires changes in existing business processes. Poor understanding of needed process changes prior to starting implementation is a main reason for project failure. It is therefore crucial that organizations thoroughly analyze business processes before implementation. This analysis can identify opportunities for process modernization. It also enables an assessment of the alignment of current processes with those provided by the ERP system.Research indicates that the risk of business process mismatch is decreased by: * linking current processes to the organization's strategy; * analyzing the effectiveness of each process; * understanding existing automated solutions. ERP implementation is considerably more difficult (and politically charged) in decentralized organizations, because they often have different processes, business rules, data semantics, authorization hierarchies and decision centers. This may require migrating some business units before others, delaying implementation to work through the necessary changes for each unit, possibly reducing integration (e. . linking via Master data management) or customizing the system to meet specific needs. A potential disadvantage is that adopting â€Å"standard† processes can lead to a loss of competitive advantage. While this has happened, losses in one area are often offset by gains in other areas, increasing overall competitive advantage. Configuration Configuring an ERP system is largely a matter of balancing the way the customer wants t he system to work with the way it was designed to work. ERP systems typically build many changeable parameters that modify system operation.For example, an organization can select the type of inventory accounting—FIFO or LIFO—to employ, whether to recognize revenue by geographical unit, product line, or distribution channel and whether to pay for shipping costs when a customer returns a purchase. Customization ERP systems are theoretically based on industry best practices and are intended to be deployed â€Å"as is†. ERP vendors do offer customers configuration options that allow organizations to incorporate their own business rules but there are often functionality gaps remaining even after the configuration is complete.ERP customers have several options to reconcile functionality gaps, each with their own pros/cons. Technical solutions include rewriting part of the delivered functionality, writing a homegrown bolt-on/add-on module within the ERP system, or int erfacing to an external system. All three of these options are varying degrees of system customization, with the first being the most invasive and costly to maintain. Alternatively, there are non-technical options such as changing business practices and/or organizational policies to better match the delivered ERP functionality.Key differences between customization and configuration include: * Customization is always optional, whereas the software must always be configured before use (e. g. , setting up cost/profit center structures, organizational trees, purchase approval rules, etc. ) * The software was designed to handle various configurations, and behaves predictably in any allowed configuration. * The effect of configuration changes on system behavior and performance is predictable and is the responsibility of the ERP vendor. The effect of customization is less predictable, is the customer's responsibility and increases testing activities. Configuration changes survive upgrades to new software versions. Some customizations (e. g. code that uses pre–defined â€Å"hooks† that are called before/after displaying data screens) survive upgrades, though they require retesting. Other customizations (e. g. those involving changes to fundamental data structures) are overwritten during upgrades and must be re-implemented. Customization Advantages: * Improves user acceptance * Offers the potential to obtain competitive advantage vis-a-vis companies using only standard features. Customization Disadvantages: * Increases time and resources required to both implement and maintain. Inhibits seamless communication between suppliers and customers who use the same ERP system un-customized. * Over reliance on customization undermines the principles of ERP as a standardizing software platform Extensions ERP systems can be extended with third–party software. ERP vendors typically provide access to data and functionality through published interfaces. Extensio ns offer features such as:- * archiving, reporting and republishing; * capturing transactional data, e. g. using scanners, tills or RFID * access to specialized data/capabilities, such as syndicated marketing data and associated trend analytics. advanced planning and scheduling (APS) Data migration Data migration is the process of moving/copying and restructuring data from an existing system to the ERP system. Migration is critical to implementation success and requires significant planning. Unfortunately, since migration is one of the final activities before the production phase, it often receives insufficient attention. The following steps can structure migration planning: * Identify the data to be migrated * Determine migration timing * Generate the data templates * Freeze the toolset Decide on migration-related setups * Define data archiving policies and procedures. Comparison to special–purpose applications Advantages The fundamental advantage of ERP is that integrating the myriad processes by which businesses operate saves time and expense. Decisions can be made more quickly and with fewer errors. Data becomes visible across the organization. Tasks that benefit from this integration include: * Sales forecasting, which allows inventory optimization * Chronological history of every transaction through relevant data compilation in every area of operation. Order tracking, from acceptance through fulfillment * Revenue tracking, from invoice through cash receipt * Matching purchase orders (what was ordered), inventory receipts (what arrived), and costing (what the vendor invoiced) ERP systems centralize business data, bringing the following benefits: * They eliminate the need to synchronize changes between multiple systems—consolidation of finance, marketing and sales, human resource, and manufacturing applications * They bring legitimacy and transparency in each bit of statistical data. They enable standard product naming/coding. * They provide a comprehensive enterprise view (no â€Å"islands of information†). They make real–time information available to management anywhere, any time to make proper decisions. * They protect sensitive data by consolidating multiple security systems into a single structure. Disadvantages * Customization is problematic. * Re–engineering business processes to fit the ERP system may damage competitiveness and/or divert focus from other critical activities * ERP can cost more than less integrated and or less comprehensive solutions. High switching costs associated with ERP can increase the ERP vendor's negotiating power which can result in higher support, maintenance, and upgrade expenses. * Overcoming resistance to sharing sensitive information between departments can divert management attention. * Integration of truly independent businesses can create unnecessary dependencies. * Extensive training requirements take resources from daily operations. Due to ERP's architectur e (OLTP, On-Line Transaction Processing) ERP systems are not well suited for production planning and supply chain management (SCM) The limitations of ERP have been recognized sparking new trends in ERP application development, the four significant developments being made in ERP are, creating a more flexible ERP, Web-Enable ERP, Enterprise ERP and e-Business Suites, each of which will potentially address the failings of the current ERP. QUESTION 3 (18 Marks) Describe with example all stages of System Development Lifecycle.Answers Introduction The Systems development life cycle (SDLC), or Software development process in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. In software engineering the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling th e creation of an information system: the software development process.Software development contains set of activities which when performed in coordination and in accordance with one another result in the desired result. Software development methodologies are used for the computer based information systems. The growth of the information’s has to pass through various phases or stages these stages are known as System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The SDLC follows a well defined process by which the system is conceived, developed and implemented. To understand system development, we need to recognize that a candidate system has a life cycle, much like a living system or a new product.Systems analysis and design are based to the system life cycle. The stages are described below. The analyst must progress from one stage to another methodically, answering key questions and achieving results in each stage. Figure 1 : System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Stages Step 1: Recognition of Need – What is the Problem? One must know what the problem is before it can be solved. The basis for a candidate system is recognition of a need for improving an information system or a procedure. For example, a supervisor may want to investigate the system flow in purchasing.Or a bank president has been getting complaints about the long lines in the drive – in. This need leads to a preliminary survey or an initial investigation to determine whether an alternative system can solve the problem. It entails looking into the duplication of effort bottlenecks, inefficient existing procedures, or whether parts of the existing system would be candidates for computerization. If the problem is serious enough, management may want to have an analyst look at it, such an assignment implies a commitment, especially if the analyst hired from the utside. In larger environments, where formal procedures are the norm, the analyst’s first task is to prepare a statement specifying the scope and objective of the problem. He/she then reviews it with the user for accuracy at this stage, only a rough â€Å"ball parle† estimate of the development cost of the project may be reached. However, an accurate cost of the next phase – the feasibility study – can be produced. Step 2: Feasibility Study Depending on the results of the initial investigation, the survey is expanded to a more detailed feasibility study.As we shall learn, a feasibility study is a test of a system proposal according to its workability impact on the organization, ability to meet user needs, and effective use of resources. It focuses on their major questions: * What are the user’s demonstrable needs and how does a candidate system meet them? * What resources are available for given candidate systems? Is the problem worth solving? * What are the likely impact of the candidate system on the organization? How will it fit within the organization’s master MIS plan?Each of these questions must be answered carefully. They revolve around investigation and evaluation of the problem, identification and description of candidate systems, specification of performance and the cost of each system, and final selection of the best system. The objective of a feasibility study is not to solve the problem but to acquire a sense of its scope. During the study, the problem definition is crystallized and aspects of the problem to be included in the system are determined. Consequently, costs and benefits are estimated with greater accuracy at this stage.The result of the feasibility study is a formal proposal. This is simply a report – a formal document detailing the nature and scope of the proposed solution. The proposal summarizes what is known and what is going to be done. It consists of the following. 1. Statement of the Problem – a carefully worded statement of the problem that led to analysis. 2. Summary of Findings and Recommendations – a list of the major findings and recommendations of the study. It is ideal for the user who required quick access to the results of the analysis of the system under study.Conclusions are stated, followed by a list of the recommendations and a justification for them. 3. Details of Findings – An outline of the methods and procedures undertaken by the existing system, followed by coverage of objectives ; procedures of the candidate system. Included are also discussions of output reports, file structures, and costs and benefits of the candidate system. 4. Recommendations and Conclusions – special recommendations regarding the candidate system, including the personal assignments costs, project schedules, and target dates.Three key considerations are involved in the feasibility analysis: economic, technical, behavioral. Let’s briefly review each consideration and how it relates to the systems effort. * Economic Feasibility: Economic analysis is the most frequently use d method for evaluating the effectiveness of a candidate system. More commonly known as cost/benefit analysis, the procedure is to determine the benefits and savings that are expected from a candidate system and compare them with costs. If benefits outweigh costs, then the decision is made to design and implement the system.Otherwise, further justification or alterations in the proposed system will have to be made if it is to have a chance of being approved. This is an ongoing effort that improves in accuracy at each phase of the system life cycle. * Technical Feasibility: Technical feasibility centers around the existing computer system (hardware, software etc. ) and to what extent it can support the proposed addition. For example, if the current computer is operating at 80 per cent capacity – an arbitrary ceiling – then running another application could overload the system or require additional hardware.This involves financial considerations to accommodate technical enhancements. If the budget is a serious constraint, then the project is judged not feasible. * Behavioral Feasibility: People are inherently resistant to change, and computers have been known to facilitate change. An estimate should be made of how strong a reaction the user staff is likely to have towards the development of a computerized system. It is common knowledge that computer installations have something to do with turnover, transfers, retraining, and changes in employee job status.Therefore, it is understandable that the introduction of a candidate system requires special effort to educate, sell, and train the staff on new ways of conducting business. After the proposal is viewed by management it becomes a formal agreement that paves the way for actual design and implementation. This is a crucial decision point in the life cycle. Many projects die here, whereas the more promising ones continue through implementation. Changes in the proposal are made in writing, depending on the complexity, size, and cost of the project. It is simply common sense to verify changes before committing the project to design.Step 3: Analysis It is a detailed study of the various operations performed by the system and their relationship within and outside of the system. A key question is – what must be done to solve the problem? One aspect of analysis is defining the boundaries of the system and determining whether or not a candidate system should consider other related systems. During analysis, data are collected on available files, decision points, and transactions handled by the present system. We shall learn about some logical system models and tools that are used in analysis.It requires special skills and sensitivity to the subjects being interviewed. Bias in data collection and interpretation can be problem. Training, experience and common sense are required for collection of the information needed to do the analysis. Once analysis is completed the analyst has a firm understanding of what is to be done. The next step is to decide how the problem might be solved. Thus, in the systems design, we move from the logical to the physical aspects of the life cycle. Step 4: Design The most creative and challenging phase of the system life cycle is system design.The term design describes both a final system and a process by which it is developed. It refers to the technical specifications (analogous to the engineer’s blueprints) that will be applied in implementing the candidate system. It also includes the constructions of programs and programme testing. The key question here is – How should the problem be solved?. The first step is to determine how the output is to be produced and in what format. Samples of the output (and input) are also available. Second, input data and master files (data base) have to be designed to meet the requirements of the proposed output.The operational (processing) phase are handled through programme constru ction and testing, including a list of the programmes needed to meet the system’s objectives and complete documentation. Finally, details related to justification of the system and an estimate of   the impact of the candidate system on the user and the organization are documented and evaluated by management as a step toward implementation. The final report prior to the implementation phase includes procedural flowcharts, record layouts, report layouts, and a workable plan for implementing the candidate system.Information on personnel, money, hardware, facilities and their estimated cost must also be available. At this point, projected costs must be close to actual costs of implementation. In some firms, separate groups of programmer do the programming whereas other firms employ analyst programmers who do analysis and design as well as code programs. For this discussion, we assume that analysis and programming is carried out by two separate persons. There are certain functio ns, though, that the analyst must perform while programs are being written operating procedures and documentation must be completed.Security and auditing procedures must also be developed. Step 5: Testing No system design is ever perfect. Communication problems, programmers negligence or time constraints create errors that most be eliminated before the system is ready for user acceptance testing. A system is tested for online response, volume of transactions, stress, recovery form failure and usability. Then comes system testing, which verifies that the whole set of programs hangs together, following system testing is acceptance testing or running the system with live   data by the actual use.System testing requires a test plan that consists of several key activities and steps for programs, string, system and user acceptance testing. The system performance criteria deal with turnaround time, backup, file protection, and the human factor. Step 6: Implementation This phase is less c reative than system design. It is primarily concerned with user training, site preparation, and file conversion. When the candidate system is linked to terminals and remote sites the telecommunication network and tests of the network along with the system are also included under implementation.During the final testing, user acceptance is tested, followed by user training. Depending on the nature of the system, extensive user training may be required, conversion usually takes place at about the same time the user is being trained or later. In the extreme, the programmer is falsely viewed as someone who ought to be isolated from other aspects of system development. Programming is itself design work, however. The initial parameter of the candidate system should be modified as a result of programming efforts. Programming provides a â€Å"reality test† for the assumptions made by the analyst.It is therefore a mistake to exclude programmers from the initial system design. System te sting checks the readiness and accuracy of the system to access, update and retrieve data from new files. Once the programmes become available, test data are read into the computer and processed against the file(s) provided for testing. If successful, the program(s) is then run with â€Å"live† data. Otherwise, a diagnostic procedure is used to local and correct errors in the program. In most programs, a parallel run is conducted where the new system runs simultaneously with the ‘old’ systems.This method, though costly, provides added assurance against errors in the candidate system and also gives the user-staff an opportunity to gain experience through operation. In some cases, however, parallel processing is not practical. For example, it is not plausible to run two parallel online point-to-sale (POS) systems for a retail chain. In any case, after the candidate system proves itself, the old system is phased out. Step 7: Evaluation During systems testing, the sy stem is used experimentally to ensure that the software does not fail.In other words, we can say that it will run according to its specifications and in the way users expect. Special test data are input for processing, and the results examined. A limited number of users may be allowed to use the system so that analyst can see whether to use it in unforeseen ways. It is desirable to discover any surprises before the organization implements the system and depends on it. Implementation is the process of having systems personnel check out and put new equipment into use, train users, install the new application and construct any files of data needed to use it.This phase is less creative than system design. Depending on the size of the organisation that will be involved in using the application and the risk involved in its use, systems developers may choose to test the operation in only one area of the Firm with only one or two persons. Sometimes, they will run both old and new system in parallel way to compare the results. In still other situations, system developers stop using the old system one day and start using the new one the next.Evaluation of the system is performed to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The actual evaluation can occur along any one of the following dimensions: * Operational Evaluation: Assessment of the manner in which the system functions, impact. * Organizational Impact: Identification and measurement of benefits to the organisation in such areas as financial concerns, operational efficiency and competitive impact. * User Manager Assessment: Evaluation of the attitudes of senior and user manager within the organization, as well as end-users. Development Performance: Evaluation of the development process in accordance with such yardsticks as overall development time and effort, conformance to budgets and standards and other project management criteria. Step 8: Post – Implementation and Maintenance Maintenance is necessary to eli minate errors in the working system during its working life and to tune the system to any variations in its working environment. Often small system deficiencies are found as a system is brought into operation and changes are made to remove them. System planners must always plan for resource availability to carry out these maintenance functions.The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. After the installation phase is completed and the user staff is adjusted to changes created by the candidate system, evaluation and maintenance being. Like any system there is an ageing process the requires periodic maintenance of hardware ; software. If the new information is inconsistent with the design specifications, then changes have to be made. Hardware also requires periodic maintenance to keep in time with design specification. The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. BIBLIOGRAFIGordon b. Davis ; Margrethe H. Ols on. (1985). Management Information Systems : Conceptual Foundations, Structure and Development. New York : McGraw-Hill. Lucey. T. (1987). Management Information Systems. 5th Ed. Eastleigh, Hants : D. P Pubns. O’Brien, James A. (2002). Management Information Systems : Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise. Boston : McGraw-Hill. Robert C. Nickerson, Saravanan Muthaiyah. (2004). Introduction to Information Systems. Petaling Jaya : Prentice Hall. McLeod Raymond, P. Shell George. (2004). Management Information Systems. N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall.