Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Spanish and Italian Borrowings to the English Language

Romanic languages, group of languages belonging to the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. They are spoken by about 670 million people in many parts of the world. Among the more important Romanic languages are Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish. My report is particularly about Italian and Spanish borrowings to the English language. Spanish borrowings appeared in English in 16 century. Historic circumstances which influenced on these borrowings are associated with some geographic discoveries at that time.There was a colonization of the South and North America by the Spanish. So the close cooperation with Spain contributed to the developing of borrowings from Spanish into English language. In 16 century close political and economic ties of England with Spain and of Spain with France led to borrowings both directly from Spanish and through the French language. In the beginning of the 16th century there were many Spaniards in England due to dynastic relations between England and Spain. So England inherited many Spanish words which related to Spanish manners. Associated essay: Reasons for Failure in English LanguageMany Spanish words have come to us from three primary sources: many of them entered American English in the days of Mexican and/or Spanish cowboys working in what is now the U. S. Southwest. Some words were borrowed with the Spanish culture-dances and musicals instruments. Words of Caribbean origin entered English by way of trade. The other major source is the names of foods whose names have no English equivalent, as the intermingling of cultures has expanded our diets as well as our vocabulary. There are the following semantic groups: ) trade terms: cargo- , embargo- , contraband-; b) names of dances and musical instruments: tango, rumba, habanera, guitar; c) names of vegetables and fruit: banana, cocoa , chocolate, cigar, cork – , , potato, tobacco, tomato. All of these were the objects of trade. They were borrowed from Spain to England. Anglo-Spanish War also greatly enlarged the vocabulary of English language which included such military terms: galleon – , , guerilla – .Besides during the Renaissance period the whole layer of everyday Spanish words came to the English language. For ex: bravada – , canoe – , , Negro – , ranch – , desperado – , , peccadillo – . In XIX century many borrowings from Spanish were brought through American literature. Such words as: cigarette, lasso, mustang – . There are following words among the recently borrowed ones: macho, amigo, gringo – .As we see, the majority of borrowings from Spanish retain their shape and are commonly used in English in the stylistic purposes to give the narration some Spanish shade. Of course it makes our speech more interesting and shows that we are culturally enriched. For example, we can say â€Å"adios† instead of â€Å"bye† to diversify our communication. English| Spanish| Alcove| Alcoba| Alfalfa| Al falfa| Artichoke| Alcarchofa| Apricot| Albaric oque| Calibre| Calibre| | Armada| Armado| Apricot| Albaricoque|Binnacle| Bitacula| The Italian language had the strongest influence on the English language in the Renaissance period. The art and literature had the great importance for the whole European culture. Italy was the leading country in the economic, politic, cultural fields, so familiarity with the rich Italian literature of this period, painting, sculpture and architecture, traveling to Italy, an interest in the country itself, was reflected in the loans from the Italian language.We should notice that, due to the wide spread of Italian debt in the European languages , some Italian words were borrowed to the English language, not directly but through other languages. Most of the Italian words was borrowed through French. And only in the XVI century, the borrowings were directly from the Italian language. The earliest borrowings related to trade and military affairs. There were borrowed the following words from the field of commerce and finance: ducat – coin, million – million, lombard – pawnshop, bank – bank.From the field of military: alarm – alarm, brigand – bandit, bark – bark, colonel – Colonel, squadron – squadron, sentinel – guard, pistol – gun. The greatest number of words borrowed from Italian related to the field of art, literature, music, theater and architecture. For example, canto – song, sonnet – a sonnet, stanza – stanza, slogan, model – model, miniature – miniature, madonna – Madonna, fresco – fresco, balcony – balcony, mezzanine – mezzanine, mezzanine and so on.Especially a lot of borrowing were from the field of music, such as: – The names of musical instruments: piano, violin, piccolo; – The name of singing voices: bass, baritone, alto, soprano; – The name of music: opera, sonata, aria. Among the 20-th century Italian borrowi ngs we can mention : gazette, incognitto, autostrada, fiasco, fascist, dilettante, grotesque, graffitti etc. We should be notice that there are used even whole phraseological combinations in English, for example, sotto voce – whisper.

Week

Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Great Baby Einstein Scam Essay

The text â€Å"The Great Baby Einstein Scam† was written by Mira Jacob. This text is an argumentative issue giving details supporting why parents should not buy materials, such as videos, in hopes of their babies becoming geniuses. The sole purpose of this article is to inform the public of Disney’s inconspicuous way of apologizing for their attempt at misleading parents to believe that they had developed a â€Å"Baby Einstein† video for babies, in whom these videos hopefully would turn your baby into little geniuses, was to issue out refunds. This video, called â€Å"Baby Einstein,† have had a disappointing outcome, which caused an upset, especially with parents. This video used a known genius â€Å"Einstein† to promote its sales. The readers are parents with babies six months to two years, wanting their children to have an advantage of being very smart. These readers are those that knew Einstein was a genius, which gave the scammers leverage for the â€Å"Baby Einstein† video scam. The readers are those who wanted to believe that there is a magical, wondrous, no parental-guidance-required product that will turn their kids into Mensa members. Mira Jacob, is an editor at the online magazine Shine. She was intrigued by an article in the New York Times that said Disney was offering a refund to buyers of â€Å"Baby Einstein† videos that did not do as it promised. The author wants the parents not to depend on every â€Å"educational† toy out there. One constraint is a large number of parents with babies ages six months to two years were convinced to buy the â€Å"Baby Einstein† videos. Another constraint is parents believing that if their babies watched the video the babies would become geniuses. Another constraint is the combination of our lack of time, our paranoia over our kid’s performance, and our faith in technology that caused this generation of parents to accept the clever advertising of the video to be considered as truth. The Exigence of this article is parents with babies six months to two years bought the videos that help their child a chance at becoming a Genius? The only problem with all of this is the video didn’t work.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Question 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Question 6 - Essay Example n (1932 ) AC 562, where the question arouse whether a manufacturer of soft drinks could be held liable for negligence by consumer, Lord Aktins ruled, â€Å"You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbor.† (Donoghue v. Stevenson (1932). 2006) In the case of physical injuries caused to the applicant by the broken stage, it could be said that Mulder could take action for negligence against Dana, the occupier and owner of the hotel. It is incumbent that Dana should have, with reasonable care and prudence, realized that the floor of the stage should be of strong construction to withstand heavy weight. However, in the case of injuries suffered due to lack of care of his friend, Skimmer, the test of vulnerability and control test needs to be applied. In this case, the defendant, Dana had no possible means of controlling Skinner’s entry, although she had taken the degree of care expected during such a situation. This being a case of Res Ipsa Loquitur (the truth speaks for itself), it is seen that Dana’s involvement would be limited to the stage accident and for the second accident, Mulder would have to bring action against Skinner, should he think it necessary to do so, for injuries sustained during to negligence and lack of care by Skinner. When Skinner entered the movie hall, he had entered a tacit contract with the owners. The injury caused to Skinner was not due to the lack of care, or negligence of the hotel authorities, since it was a stray incident, and unbiased research testified to the fact that there were no earlier records of such kind. Moreover, it was also outside the control of hotel authorities. In this case the question of foresee ability also comes to the forefront. The hotel owner, Dana, by any stretch of imagination, could have possibly imagined that Skinner would be bitten by a stray bee and suffer injuries. In the case of Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v. Mort’s

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Moto Car Manufacturers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Moto Car Manufacturers - Essay Example Moto a renowned car manufacturing company aims at improving the overall performance by the inclusion of knowledge management systems. This paper aims at developing a knowledge management strategy for the company. The paper will firstly provide an overview of the company, which will permit a thorough understanding of the company, based on which the strategy will be created. This will be followed by an explanation of the research methodology that has been used for this research. The paper will also detail the limitations of the research and how these limitations have been overcome as well. Furthermore, the paper will deal with the findings of the research in terms of the company and the industry that it deals within. A literature review of the main topic of focus, i.e. knowledge management will be discussed further. Based on this and the research that has been conducted a set of recommendations have been drawn out for Moto car manufacturers. Â  The company in focus here is MOTO. MOTO is a China-based major car manufacturer. The headquarters and the production facilities of the company are based out of China. The company also has its assembly plants in China, Australia, America, and Scotland. The company deals with the production of five models of cars. The models that the company deals with the area) small compact vehicle, b) medium-sized saloon, c) large saloon, d) multi-purpose vehicle, and e) large Off Road 4x4/SUV. Â  Moto has been in the industry for over thirty-five years and has been able to create a goodwill and good reputation among the customers. The company is known for the excellent employment conditions that it provides, along with the low staff turnover that the company has in the assembly plants. The company has a number of policies which it follows for the contribution to the local community.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Comparative article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative article review - Essay Example omen in science, engineering and technology through a bias that sees these fields as essentially masculine by a stereotyping of the masculine image in the disciplines of science, engineering and technology. (1). On the other hand Robert Frith explores the concept of â€Å"cosmopolitan democracy† and its portents for the expansion of democracy beyond the borders of a state into transnational democracy as can be considered for Europe and the rights of women within such a democratic set up. (2). In her article Alison Phipps brings to the forefront the position of liberal-feminist politics since the 1970s encouraging women to be more conducive to going with the mainstream concept of what is suitable in science, engineering and technology. This is reflected in her words â€Å"changing women’s dispositions and perceptions in order that they might choose, and fit better into, SET†. This argument traces its origins to the position of Henwood (1998) that the equal opportunities politics for women in science, engineering and technology essentially attempted to have women participate in science, engineering and technology, without upsetting the gender bias that is against its equal participation. It is this argument that Alison Phipps tries to establish in her paper, which is replete with examples of the politics of women associated with the participation in science engineering and technology, tacitly accepts the dominance of the male gender in these disciplines and t he making of these disciplines as macho for the male gender. One of the examples she puts forth pertains the Associations for Women in Science and Engineering in the United Kingdom and the Association of Women in Science in the United sates of America and the opinion among its members that there â€Å"a lack of role models/lack of encouragement for girls in SET† and furthermore Set was given a macho image through the gendered childhood experiences, wherein there was reinforcement of the childhood concepts that

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Issues of Family Law in Australia and New Zealand Assignment

The Issues of Family Law in Australia and New Zealand - Assignment Example The Government riposte that cohabitants should marry misses the point. All cohabitants need to be quite clear as to whether they have any beneficial interest in a property and how to secure it. In Australia3 and New Zealand4 unmarried cohabitants' rights are recognized by legislation, common law, and equity. The principle of unjust enrichment has been utilized in both these countries and Canada.5 Domestic duties alone have never sufficed in English law to found a claim for a beneficial share, whilst they do in Canada under the concept of the remedial constructive trust. Hence in Peter v Beblow6 a woman who cared for her own and her partner's children did the housework and contributed money to the housekeeping was able to keep the house under a constructive trust on the basis that her partner would otherwise be unjustly enriched by her services. In Hammon v Mitchell7- an English case - a woman who did unpaid work for her partner, raised their children and maintained the home as well as supporting him in his speculative ventures failed to acquire any beneficial share. Remedial trusts are imposed where there is a direct link between substantial indirect contributions and the acquisition or improvement of property; otherwise, compensation could be available on a quantum meruit basis. The 'trustee' has a duty to convey the property to the claimant who sues on quasi-contractual gr ounds.   In order to establish an unjust enrichment claim, there needs to be evidence of  enrichment, a corresponding deprivation, and the absence of any juristic reason for the enrichment. Examples of enrichment include household expenses, domestic work and repairs, and maintenance. The courts have not accepted willing assistance.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Final_ProjectWK5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final_ProjectWK5 - Essay Example In the promotion of such brands it is highly essential to have customers or consumers which are greatly influential in their social circle. This is for the reason that the promotion of a brand that takes place through the word of mouth or by sharing experiences from the current user or customer is more reliable and trustworthy than any other source. In addition, hosting parties at some client’s place and then targeting some new prospects will also lend a hand to the emerging company to gather new customers. For this important purpose, the company can ask out their clients to throw a party that would be arranged and sponsored by the company itself and invite their friends which fall under the target market. One of the representatives from the firm can become the part this party and introduced this brand to them. Hence it would be really impressive as people would be able to directly deal with the company’s representative and satisfy their queries. As the Tailgetters are mainly focusing on promoting their products and services through hosting different theme parties, therefore the channel management in this case is very simple. This is for the reason that they are selling their brand directly to their customer with the involvement of any marketing intermediaries like distributor, wholesaler, retailer etc. But on the other hand, for this reason the company needs to have a very strong and well trained and developed selling department. Sales people must be effective and efficient enough to persuade and influence the prospects to buy their products. At an introductory stage of Tailgetters it would be a smarter move if they prefer to keep their channel as short as possible and direct marketing would be highly effective. That means that the channel must only comprise of two parties that is the company and the consumer. However, a longer channel will only be good if the company intends to expand the business outside their

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines Essay

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines - Essay Example A Gathering of Old Men occurs in Marshall Plantation situated in Bayonne Louisiana. The gathering is brought about by the revelations that Beau Baton, the plantations’ work boss, has been brutally murdered at the initial stages of the novel. As a result, she acts quickly and invites everyone staying within the precincts of the plantation. After Miss Merle’s arrival, Candy confesses to her that she was the one who had killed Beau. Merle does not believe her, and together, they decide to bring local men together with their shotguns so that they make it difficult for Sherriff Mapes to solve the crime. All the men arrive with their shotguns and are willing to co-operate. As anticipated, Sheriff Mapes arrive to investigate the crime. The first two people he summons both confess to have commite the crime. Moving to the next person, the sheriff questions Reverend Jameson. The Reverend keeps mum and does not answer him anything. Overwhelmed by anger, the sheriff punches him so hard that he falls to the ground (Gaines 80). The other men watching the scenario reacts to the sheriff’s action and lines up to be slapped too. The sheriff is so amazed by this sense of solidarity and their readiness to confess. He stops questioning them. Charlie’s absence from the men present in Mathu’s homestead is noticeable. This is because he was the one working closely with Beau. However, the sheriff does not pay much attention to his absenteeism since he views him as a weak individual who can not harm any one. His main suspect is Mathu since he has always openly demonstrated his hatred towards the local whites. Therefore, the sheriff believes that Mathu is the only one who can commit the murder (Gillis). On the contrary, he can not make any arrests since he does not have any evidence that links anyone to the murder. Furthermore, more black men come out to confess killing Beau. They claim that they were retaliating the killing of their son for a crime he did not commit, raping of their sisters and the killing of their brothers for no reason. Mapes is compelled to stay at the crime scene since he is confident that Fix, a white man known for lynching blacks will come with his men to avenge Beau’s death (Bryan). As the sheriff, he is bound to stay to maintain law and order. The sheriff strong belief that Mathu could be the murderer prompts him to arrest Mathu. However, before taking him away, Charlie comes to the picture. He confesses that he was the one who killed Beau (Gaines 110). He explains himself that he committed the crime after being threatened by Beau. He also revealed that he had convinced Mathu to take the blame before fleeing. However, he asserts that he had come back to speak the truth and take responsibility of his actions. After revealing his confession, Charlie is arrested by the sheriff. Before they leave Mathu’s compound to the police station, Luke Will and his group of whites arrive demanding Charlie t o be handed over to them for lynching (Attaining manhood). Mapes refuses and they shoot him. On seeing this, the black men immediately withdraw their shot guns and a gruesome battle ensues. The white men did not expect this retaliation and one of them is slightly injured (Attaining manhood). The primary battle takes place between Luke Will and Charlie. The two men strongly fight to finish one another. Eventually, Charlie shoots Luke Will before he is shot. He dies a hero and everyone in the area pays tribute to his dead body. On the other hand, all the individuals involved in the shootout are charged in a court of law and given five years probation each. Analysis The novel, A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines brings out many themes and various

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

CDA analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CDA analysis - Essay Example Thus, the selected element is a discourse, and its analysis has three dimension: as a text, sentence-by-sentence, and the words and phrases evaluation. Firstly, the text as a whole is close to the genre of political speech, since its content is mostly based on the speech made by Michelle Obama. In this context, it has her direct quotations both in the text and in the video. However, the content and the comments on the speech make this discourse resemble the slice of life genre with casual style of writing, which means that the Guardian presented the speech itself with its subjective reflection on it. On the frames, the exact concepts that unite text are two main identities – on the one hand, it discusses â€Å"ethnicity,† â€Å"black race,† and â€Å"African Americans† (it refers to both the speaker and to Tuskegee University students); on another hand, the family values appear in the text as â€Å"my husband’s chances,† â€Å"my girls,† and â€Å"kids and families.† Moreover, these two identities are in different position in terms of foregrounding and backgrounding, because i n the end of the text there appears the conclusion that â€Å"folks like you and me† (meaning the race) must believe in their potential (meaning realization in family life). On the cases of omission within the text, it does not mention any justification of first lady’s words with the facts from her biography; in other words, readers have nothing but to fall under emotional impression in what is given in the text. In addition, the voice of white public is neglected by this discourse, as the African American first lady speaks to the â€Å"mainly black graduates.† Although, the text includes horizontal intertextuality, as it has two direct quotations from other famous people on the same topic. Even though they have opposite opinions, the article does not reveal any support to them and provides only brief information on their

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Criminal Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Law - Research Paper Example at the time the crime was committed.†1 This is explained by the fact that insane people are not in the position to appreciate and to tell the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, legal and illegal. Insanity defense is considered to be a defense by excuse. Insanity defense dates back from Ancient Greece and Rome, however, the first definition that is closer to the modern definition of insanity defense was given by an English Court, in 1843, the insane person being compared to a wild beast. However, an earlier definition explains insane defense as it follows: â€Å"If a madman or a natural fool, or a lunatic in the time of his lunacy do [kill a man], this is no felonious act for they cannot be said to have any understanding will.†2 In the USA, some of the leading historical moments directly connected to the insane defense are: the case Durham v. United States3, (which established the Durham rule, also known as the â€Å"Product test†), the drafting of the American Law Institute Test (1953), the Hinckley case4, which led to the adoption of Insanity Defense Reform Act in 1984. Nowadays, more and more jurisdictions choose to rename the insanity defense into mental disorder defense, trying to protect the authors of such crimes from being stigmatized with the label insane. This is the result of the development of human rights protection, this applying not only to good citizens, but also to everybody, disregarding their criminal or/and medical records. As attractive as the insane defense may seem to cold blooded criminals, wishing to avoid justice with an insane plea, all the insane defense cases involve psychiatrists, psychological testing of the person claiming to be insane and the burden of proving to the jury that the crime was committed by a mentally ill person. For example, the case of Colorado v. Connelly5 is the story of a man found not guilty by insanity, and after 10 years, found guilty for the committed crime. The Andrea Yates case is one of

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Opposite Sex Essay Example for Free

The Opposite Sex Essay In the modern era, males may become unfair in giving out comments to females for their actions, while women may also become bias in their judgment to men. It’s funny sometimes how our judgment fails us. Our ability to see into things depreciates into lesser chunks of stupidity. We end up being stubborn, just so we could be inconsistent. We blindly will our way to rash verdicts and absurdities. Now that things are little hazy, clarifications are expected more than anything else. Yet the most that could clarify this issue is the essay â€Å"Opposite Sex† by Seven Dorloff. The characters from the essay were students who were given the chance to write down their experiences if they were to alienate themselves from their own identity and act as their opposite sex for one day. Various reactions came out. Some were excited about it, while others were pacified. The author entitled his students the chance to become their opposite sex. Likewise, he gave his class the option to make his/her wise preference as to what gender they most likely wanted to become after a one-day experience of becoming their opposite sex. The essay also showed a comparison of gender. But it does not suggest discrimination between the two because no one suffered ridicule why they were experiencing to become their opposite sex. He did not limit the options available to his students like someone who may prefer to have a different gender than his/her usual (Gumisai Mutume). He neither curtailed the democratic rights to write and to choose by decreasing the availability of the options. But the author did not intend to drastically modify his students’ tastes. In the same way that a person with a different orientation must not be treated any different from person with other orientation just because we think they’re different. No matter how they stand out in their choice of orientation, in fashion sense and in whatever means of comparison; still they are not any different from us. True enough, having born as their gender, they will always be the gender they were initially. If they will defy their gender, they will run the risk of losing their identity because they will be ostracized and casted away from their community. They enjoy a degree of freedom in their gender adherence but they can’t completely detach and get away from their original gender. Let’s understand that being a different gender is another category; it’s another quality that needs separate space. It’s not being indifferent; it’s being a manifestation of who you really are and who you wanted to become (Julie Mullins). Being a different gender however does not mean that the person you have been before is unlikeable, it’s being enjoying what life can possibly offer. Since, the students were given the chance to become their opposite sex; they took the opportunity despite the fact that they can only become males / females through pen. Lastly, the author was able to explain that no matter how different your gender is, you can still live in a world without minding critics. If we don’t mind our genders, that would do us more good. It’s respect that we all need. Its respect that we claim generously, it’s respect we give grudgingly. Work Cited Mullins, Julie. â€Å"Gender Discrimination.† 2008. Children In Need, Inc. 15 September 2008 http://www.childreninneed.org/magazine/gender.html#Anchor-Girls-35882 â€Å"Gender Equality.† 31 March 2008. Canadian International Development Agency. 15 September 2008 http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/acdicida.nsf/En/REN-218125542-Q37

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Reflective presentation of the risk assessment conducted in ealing christian centre

Reflective presentation of the risk assessment conducted in ealing christian centre Introduction Under the permission of the head pastor of Ealing Christian Centre, Northfield, London, I was granted the permission to do my practical placement with the church in December 2008. I was directed to the staff in charge of the churchs health and safety whose induction given to me in December 2008 and willingness to supervise me in my forty hour practical project scheduled to start on 11th January 2009 was beneficial to me. Since the church building and it surrounding environment are places where people often meet to fellowship, it is very important to ensure the safety of these places such as the Church, the Church halls, churchyards and ground are safe for worshipers and staff to use. If these places are ignored of assessing their risk of usage they can cause serious pain and suffering to people which may often disrupt the peaceful running of the church and its activities. Risk assessment by definition is suggested to be a progressive stage in risk management process, which determine s measurable characteristic value of hazards in relation to definite situation and the identification of the threat. And in this practical reflective presentation, I will base the health and safety risk assessment I conducted in Ealing Christian Centre on the Systems put in place for safer place of worship as briefed by my supervisor at induction, and the Daily Time log on my observations. Systems Put In Place for Safer Place of Worship Security of the Church Building Ealing Christian Centre as I learned from my induction day, is a big building used as place of worship for both able and disabled adults, young people and children of various age groups. The boundaries of the church premises are clearly defined with concert walls and good wooden fencing. The door ways are protected such that they do not give cover to intruders. When not in use, all the entrances and windows are securely locked. There is no easy access from points such as lower adjacent structures, compounds, walls or pipes to the roof and has an intruder alarm installed there. I also learned that their musical instruments, computers and private files are securely protected from thieves. Vehicle access to the church grounds as I learned was controlled only on Sundays and any other major event in the church. There is a gate that is locked to prevent access when the parking spaces are full. Theft and Damage There are storerooms for securing valuable items such as audio, visual and musical instruments when they are not in use. The church has offices which are also locked when not in use but all staff and members are advised to safeguard their personal belongings in the church. Cash is counted in a secure room out of sight, removed from the premises overnight and holdings are kept in the minimum, stored in safe installed for small valuable items. The offering how ever is not adequately protected from theft since the offering basket allows every hand to reach the collected money at its base. Items that could be used as missiles to commit damage are removed from around the building, and refuse stored safely away in metal containers from vulnerable areas. Management and Practice The church has no specific annual budget for crime and vandalism prevention measures separate from any general repair funds. Even though staffs have suggested people should report acts of vandalism immediately on recovery, most people do not. However damages are quickly repaired to discourage further similar acts while criminal acts reported automatically to the police if known. Details of the nature, time, place and cost of theft or vandalism are to be recorded in logbooks but mostly it is not done. Advice has been sort from the Police Crime Prevention Office, Fire Prevention Office, the Insurer and the Security Industry so; there is detailed procedure for recording and investigating fires. The community through the police and Church watch scheme are involved in the in safeguarding the church building. But for security reasons there is no procedure put in place for the police and fire service to contact the church key holders in the occurrence of incidents in the building. Other Established Methods There is a proper procedure for keys control and an established procedure for locking up the church. When the building is being locked after activities, the stewards are to inspect the kitchen, toilet, and store rooms to make sure no one is hiding in the building. I learned that the locks of the church are periodically checked to avoid duplication of the keys. Visitors who come to the building are urged to use a particular door that has been signed, but there is no means to monitor the arrival and departure of visitors during church service times and so visitors sometimes wander into the unauthorized areas such as childrens classrooms and office area. There is no arrangement set in place for surveillance during outside opening times except during special events such as youth programmes. This, I find suggest inadequate patrols and checks from the church officials. However, there is an external security lightening system provided to light up the premises during the evenings. Natural s urveillance from the area around the building provides a beef-up security for the premises. There is a caretaker living on the site, whose house is readily accessible. When contractors are working in the building, extra security fitting safety and fire precautions are taken by Christians known by the church. The parties involved meet on the site to identify hazards and correct methods of necessary to handle them during work on site. Most of the people who work alone in the building are the people working in the Prayer Centre and enough provision has been made for their personal safety in the building. During organised childrens events, a register of the children in the building are kept while child protection policies are enforced. Children in the building especially on Sunday services are protected from members of the public who access the building to look for someone or join worshipers. I further learned that all internal fire doors are fitted with self closing devices and labeled to be kept closed with adequate training to relevant people in locating escape routes. The fire escape routes and exits are sometimes obstructed by staff and so memos are often sent to all staff as reminders to keep them clear of obstructions. The floors surfaces are free from tripping and slipping risks and emergency exit doors are free to open from inside the building without using keys. The emergency lighting systems are installed in correct working order and tested weekly. My Observation from (11/01/2009-19/04/2009) I was welcome and introduced to the stewards group for the mornings safety briefings. I went with the supervisor to check the fire exit by the pulpit. On our way I observed that there were some parked chairs obstructing the exit. She notified one of the leaders to see to the removal of the obstruction. I came to help with the arrangement of the seats for the congregation, where I learned how to arrange the seats in their safety locks. A lady asked the supervisor not to use the chairs safety locks in the areas where the elderly people sit because they were not comfortable with the restriction of the chair to one place. The supervisor then explained to her the importance of the safety lock in time of emergency. She told her that it was a standard requirement by the health and safety rules and the purpose was to prevent the chair becoming hazards in case of evacuating the building on emergency. Commitment and response by some stewards to duty, fire alarm testing time and drill was an is sue. I understood that the expected number of stewards for Sunday service was twenty-one; but an average of nine seems to be dedicated to take fire drill by 09:30. Most of them arrive after worship had begun. The possible problem I observed was that most of them miss team briefing and go on the floor without team discussions and so might not be able to react according to team plan in time of emergency. This made me to learn how important team briefing is. Parental control of children before children were separated for safety keeping during service was also an issue since some parents leave their children aged between three to five years to wander dangerously around the information area of the auditorium near where the reserved chairs are parked. The heights at which these chairs are parked in the information area are of much concern. I found that they are parked over the required number of twelve making them unstable and could easily fall over a child who may playfully stray into th e store or an adult who may go there to pick a chair since there is no door at the entrance. In comparism to other churches I had visited, the reserved chair store house was securely locked. From this I learned that children should not be left on their own before they are separated to safety. After the service the stewards checked all the exits and locked them. I visited the non-English speaking evening service. I discussed with my supervisor how safe it was for those who could not read English to escape in times of emergency? She explained to me that safety signs included pictures illustrating the written instructions which could help people who could not read English writings to follow the instruction in case of emergency. I also observed at a point that two groups (the singing team and the Bible college students) have separate meetings on same day. There was no security at the door to question the purpose of all those who came through the door. The safety of staffs children waiting for their parent was of another concern. In the closed reception I saw some children sitting alone in the dimly lit quiet office. Those who entered into the building rand the door bell from outside the reception door and called their names and they were opened from inside the office without any identity check. This suggests that anybody could follow a genuine person coming into the building through the same door into the reception which could easily be opened from inside when access is gained into the reception. In the main auditorium was also another issue of concern on cables of cleaning equipment running across the auditorium floor without any warning signs. Here also, I saw member of staff children playing in a dimly lit isolated area while their parent was busily cleaning out their sight. The storage of chemicals used for cleaning has been provided with a lock but chemicals is left unlocked to easy access to any one including children who may stray into the cupboard. I discussed the issue with my supervisor form which I learned that there is a problem of supportive agreement and commitment among the stewards and some staff concerning health and safety on the floor, which makes the supervisors work very difficult in area of house-keeping, security of staff, worshipers and children. There were times when fire alarm was scheduled to be tested but was not done for the thought and feeling of the discomfort in interrupting church service. I discussed the emergency lighting system with the supervisor and I was shown how they light automatically from a standby barberry power in the event of power cut. The head steward was not in by the time worship started so the fire alarm was not tested. I had a chat with one of the choristers about how safe she felt when on stage; she said lead wires running across the state during worship time made her feel unsafe. From foyer, I observed that door security was of another concern. Once worshipers enter the building they move around without being monitored. I took some time to observe how some worshipers move around in the foyer. I saw a worshiper squeezing himself through a door to the foyer. My curiosity was aroused to find out the safety of the area to which that door led to. I went through the exit leading to the balcony from th e foyer and went through the door and headed to the staircase. I realised that the area was quite and secluded and emergency doors there. The place could be a safe hiding place for anyone with the thought of doing harm in the building. I found two children on the stairs that were vulnerable and could easily be victimised in this secluded area since the attacker could easily escape through the emergency exit out the building. I also observed a woman with mental health issues entering the church and I prompted the attention of an steward and my supervisor. The supervisor said sometimes they come there regularly and when they sit at the main auditorium they employ a steward to sit with them. After service, I observed the lady with the mental health issues walking among children unsupervised in the foyer with children running around. No steward seemed to be trying to control the children from running around. I asked my supervisor if the stewards had any role to play in controlling child ren from running around. My supervisor took me the door of the stewards briefing room and showed me the notice pasted there that. Part of their responsibility after church was to see to it that children are not running around. But to my surprise some of the stewards did not even know what was on the notice pasted there. The supervisor sent two stewards out to control the children from running around. But, the stewards went into the main auditorium and sublimed amongst the crowd. On the day of water baptism, I went round the foyer to see if there was any way to the balcony. The doors were safely locked. In both male and the female changing room, the baptized were given support safely to dry them self and change clothes. I observed some level of risks with the worshipers being baptised by immersion in water and the baptizers in the auditorium. Only one person baptised 25 people, some of them who might be almost twice the height and weight of the baptizer. This could strain his ribs an d back. Some stewards left leaving the remaining work load of locking up for the committed few. I realised that there was the need for Church workers to be aware of their skill, commitments and knowledge of their work and to work as thought they are working for Christ (John 9:4). Conclusion From this practical attachment, I learned the importance of risk assessments in the church environment. I have also learned that despite all the safety measures the church had put in place for the worshipers and staffs to be safe in the building, personal disagreements among some staff and various voluntary workers of the various church departments to implementation of safety measures play major contributing factors that create hazardous circumstances for both children and adult in the Church. This has made me to understand how the effectiveness of good team work in the church environment can affect the health, safety and the security of people in the church.

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA)

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) This essay presents a critical analysis of strategic management accounting and the roles of management accountants in it. The starting point for this analysis is the argument presented by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838) that while the recent past has seen increased interest in SMA, the area is still under-defined and no universally accepted SMA framework exists. Principally, this essay argues that whilst strategic management accounting is somewhat under defined, it does have clearly agreed features and aspects which offer a basis for understanding. This essay generally supports the argument that no universally accepted SMA framework exists to date, concurrently it will argue that there are some accepted SMA practices and approaches, which can be drawn upon by organisations to create their own SMA framework, adapted to their own strategic needs. An agreed upon definition of SMA is difficult to come across because management accounting and the role of management accountants are constantly evolving phenomena. Cooper (1996, p. 26) in particular, cites changes in management accounting practice over a period of less than a decade, including the influence of Japanese accounting practices on the UK, and the associated challenges for management accounting professionals. This changing environment is characteristic of the paradox of management accounting, in that new approaches are continually introduced globally, whilst often in the process of being superseded and replaced. Nixon and Burns (2012, p. 229) observed this in the apparent decline of SMA [in practice] and the sustained growth in the number of concepts, models, tools, theoretical perspectives within the discipline. Ultimately, the process of developing theory and practice always lags behind the cutting edge of business, where new concepts are put into practice immediately, often without significant study, in an effort to keep up with competitors and maintain a competitive business strategy (Simmonds, 1981, p. 28). This process of development when considered, it is perhaps not surprising that there is limited agreement around the concept of SMA and the development of a universally accepted framework for the discipline. Examining the work of Lord (1996, p. 347), who noted that the techniques and elements of strategic management accounting may in many cases already be found in firms. However, the information may not be quantified in accounting figures, and may not be collected and used by management accountants. Therefore, this indicates that the process of developing SMA has indeed reduced the role of the management accountant as a uniquely qualified individual. Instead, it is now more plausible that a strategy management accountant will be more focused on operational management, and as argued by Roslender and Hart (2003, p. 255) able to integrate insights from management accounting and marketing management within a strategic management framework. A strategic management accountant is thus arguably a contradiction in terms because, to be truly strategic, a professional cannot narrowly define themselves as an accountant. Instead, a more open-minded, strategic thinker is best positioned to deliver real value to their firm (Shah et al, 2011, p. 3). When considering these arguments, it is apparent that SMA is under defined because it is one of numerous management skills, rather than the single framework argued for by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838). However, this fragmented nature of SMA makes Lords (2007, p. 151) argument that the concept of [SMA] may need to be developed further to show its role in emergent strategy and its benefits in strategy formulation valid. This postulates questions over whether SMA development should indeed continue through the use of conceptual frameworks and integrated theories, or instead via the development of a range of techniques which can be understood and learnt by accountants and operational management alike, in order to allow management accounting data to play a more strategic role. These techniques already exist, and are analysed by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 851), and the application of these techniques in a strategic manner, which is designed to support overall performance, can be seen as key to the role of the modern management accountant. Modern firms are increasingly required to focus much of their attention on monitoring and assessing their competitors and ensuring they are not left behind by the moves they make in the market. This is an area in which management accountants can help contribute to strategic value creation through a process of competitor position monitoring, providing information to management in order to support effective decision making (Dixon, 1998, p. 274). For example, when analysing operational decisions, accountants can consider factors such as contractual agreements, competitive positioning and resource acquisition, thus providing support for strategic planning and coordination (Brandau and Hoffjan, 2010, p. 77). This hence provides for greater levels of information input into decision making processes, allowing management accountants to act as trusted advisors to operational managers and other individuals within the business. By doing this, management accountants can increase their value to t he business by providing strategic insight into the operation of markets and the factors the organisation must attend to in order to ensure its success in business activities (Porter, 2008, p. 79). Similarly, management accountants can play an important role by assisting in the application of other techniques of value to the business. For example, the strategic use of benchmarking techniques has been shown to help support learning and development effectiveness through challenging businesses to learn how and why they are performing as they are (Coleman and Ingram, 2004, p. 55). This can thus support improved outcomes and the development of a learning culture which is more open to external knowledge. The role of the management accountant in this area is thus to assimilate and provide the information in a way which is useful to the organisation and will support wider strategic goals. For example, Mosse and Whitley (2009, p. 150) highlight the role of management accountants in supporting the benchmarking of websites against factors such as navigational efficiency and user response. By applying management accounting techniques, benchmarking can be used to create more objective asses sments of website performance, thus providing guidance around how to improve this vital marketing channel. Expanding the management accountants role At the same time as applying management accounting techniques, the management accountant must ensure that they are able to go beyond a simple focus on numbers and accounting factors, and taking into account the importance of qualitative factors in modern decision making. This is an area in which a management accountant needs to move beyond being a simple accountant, and towards a more strategic and operational management role, which considers a wider set of factors (Vandyck, 2006, p. 105). This may include a consideration of factors such as marketing, sales, human resources and other factors in order to make effective decisions (Alexander et al, 2011). Advanced strategic management accounting can thus be seen as a process of moving away from a focus on numbers and towards the generation of rounded insight from a range of sources. This can be seen in one of the most important strategic management accounting techniques: the balanced scorecard. Indeed, Kaplan and Norton (1992, p. 73) argue that this technique systematically expands the measurement areas traditionally involved in accounting. Such an approach hence allows for the combination of qualitative and quantitative factors to develop the necessary levels of breadth and insight around a companys sources of value and performance relative to the market and its competitors (Kaplan and Norton, 1996, p. 19). The balanced scorecard has thus been shown to help support the development of organisational strategies and improved performance in a range of contexts (Blooinquist and Yeager, 2008, p. 24). However, the technique has also been developed over time to be more dynamic and responsive to changes in the environment (Nielsen and Nielsen, 2015, p. 2). This hence shows that the role of the management accountant is also to keep pace with such developments and ensure their company stays abreast of them in order to remain effective. In conclusion, this essay has shown that, in general, SMA is relatively under defined and can apply to a range of concepts. However, rather than being a weakness of the discipline, this can actually be one of its main strengths. Specifically, this allows SMA techniques to be applied in a range of contexts, offering deeper and more strategic advice and insight than would be possible under simple management accounting models. The role of management accountants in this concept is thus to acquire, synthesis and analyse a range of quantitative and qualitative information in order to provide operational managers with the level of insight needed to make effective decisions. At the same time, the strategic nature of modern business and management accounting also requires operational managers to develop their own management accounting abilities, in order to make best use of this information and ensure optimal strategic outcomes. SMA was initially introduced by Simmonds (1981), who defined it as the provision and analysis of management accounting data about a business and its competitors, for use in developing and monitoring business strategy. During this period (early 1980s) conventional management accounting received heavy criticism for chiefly focussing on operational issues and not assisting management with external issues like strategic decisions (CIMA, 2016).

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Nike- Huma Resources Essay -- essays research papers

It all started with a simple handshake between two running geeks in Eugene, Oregon and now they own the world's most competitive sports and fitness company. The Pacific Northwest is Nike's hometown but like so many ambitious souls, they have expanded their horizons to every part of the world. Nike has two headquarters; it’s World Headquarters in Oregon and its European Headquarters in The Netherlands. Those two running geeks are Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The long lived business partnership began in 1962 as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). Their first year sales were $8,000 and every year after proceeded to increase. In 1972 they changed their company name to Nike. The word Nike comes from the Greek winged goddess of victory. They have achieved victory over the past 30 years. Through those years Nike has remained focused on creating performance opportunities for everyone who would benefit and offered empowering messages for everyone who would listen. Nike has a great accomplishment of servicing human potential through sports. Bill Bowerman was a legendary track and field coach at the University of Oregon. He was a teacher who showed athletes the secrets of achievement. From him Nike has derived their mission and through his eyes they see their future. The Nike mission is "to bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete." As long as there are athletes, there will be Nike. In achieving their mission Nike has a vision for their company. The Nike brand has three areas of focus in their vision of success for their company. The first one is to play a role in effecting positive, systemic change in working conditions within their industries. They believe that in order for market forces to have responsible competitiveness, consumers must be able to reward brands and suppliers using fact based information. Their second vision is to create innovative and sustainable products. They apply this vision to their two long term aspirations: eliminating waste and eliminating toxics. Nike feels by achieving sustainable products they will be able to prevent a separation between the coolest athletic products and the environment. They have selected these two goals in the physical sciences because if they can achieve that then objectively they are moving toward sustainability. They are beginning to include the s... ...02, Nike was the only company to be given a perfect score. Only 28 companies were given perfect scores in 2003. In 2004, that number doubled to 56. Nike has been established in corporate responsibility years before other companies. Since 2001, more than 300 of Nike's top level U.S. executives attend three-day diversity workshops, a commitment of time that reflects the value of Nike's places in supporting a diverse workforce. Nike also began offering one-day workshops for additional managers, since 2003 an additional 700 managers have completed these training sessions. Before doing this paper I felt that Nike was successful because they continue to have innovative marketing. They have made an impact with their advertising and they strive to endorse their brands with athletes. I also felt that Nike’s success was due to their great quality of products. My thoughts still hold true but I do feel now, after doing this paper, that Nike is successful because of their employee involvement and also their environment awareness. As a young adult, I also find it very aspiring that one of Nike’s goals is to support the youth with their right to physical activity.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Death of the Pepsi Man :: Creative Writing Essays

The Death of the Pepsi Man      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One day while lost in the vast woodlands of Scotland, I came upon a pop machine,   I had no money, and because of my strong moral values, I felt I could not force it open with a stick or break it with a rock, because that was wrong. As I sat there leaning against it, I pondered how I could get a refreshing can of pop.   I got up and looked around to find a coin or a bill that someone might have left or lost.   After five or six hours I gave up, no one had dropped anything that I could find.   By this time it was now nightfall, so I slept leaning against this oasis.   While asleep, I had a wonderful dream of this pop machine.   I dreamed that it opened up and asked me to indulge in a cold refreshing drink.   Another dream I had was where every five minutes the machine gave me a can from now until eternity.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I awoke I jumped up and turned around to see if any of the dreams were true.   I quickly saw that they were not.   I decided that I could not leave this place until I had enjoyed a can of pop.   By the 3rd day, I had to scout for food and water because I was feeling malnourished.   As I walked around I found a snack machine the kind with many divine foods inside such as candy bar and chips, but still no way to eat them.   I stayed here until morning trying to rig a transport of some sort for it.   I cut a tree down and made 4 wheels and eventually a cart to support the machine and than to transport the machine to the other.   This was such a great task, I forgot about my hunger.   By dusk I had arrived back at the pop machine.   As I set the candy machine next to the pop machine, my hunger came back even stronger than before  Ã‚   Once again, I knew I could not break into the machine to eat, again my strong moral values.   So I went out again in search of food and water.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As my walk progressed I found a stream and I took a drink and ate many fish, then thought that I should of cooked them first.   On my way back, I got lost and had to sleep under a foreign tree and try to find my way home at day break.   As I tried to find my way home, I found another machine.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Presentation on DNA Vaccines Essay -- Powerpoint Presentation

Vaccines †¢ Vaccines are â€Å"one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine† †¢ In developed nations, vaccines have almost exterminated polio and smallpox and tightly controlled diseases like hepatitis A and B or typhus †¢ There are three generations of vaccinations †¢ First generation vaccines are either weakened or killed forms of whole organisms †¢ There is a problem with first-gen vaccines: the pathogens can still revert to dangerous forms and cause diseases in immunocompromised vaccine recipients. †¢ Second generation vaccines are specific protein antigens, which are safer, but cannot generate killer T cell responses DNA Vaccines †¢ Third generation of vaccines †¢ Consist of recombinant plasmids that have been transformed to produce one to two proteins form a pathogen †¢ This DNA is injected directly into somatic cells, where, through transcription and translation, the proteins are created. †¢ The proteins are recognized as foreign and processed by the cell and displayed on the cell surface by MHC markers †¢ Here, they raise helper T cell, cytotoxic T cell, and antibody immune responses. Current applications †¢ DNA vaccines have had limited success in clinical trials †¢ A veterinary DNA vaccines for use on horses to protect from West Nile virus has been approved †¢ In June 2006 and August 2007, positive results were announced for vaccines against bird flu and multiple sclerosis, respectively. †¢ The technique still needs to proven conclusively in human testing Use of Plasmid Vectors †¢ Highly active expression vectors elicit the best immune response †¢ Strong viral promoters, such as Rous Sarcoma virus (RSV) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoters are most commonly used †¢ The plasmids most commonly used als... ... Cited Continued †¢ Baker, Barbara, et. al. â€Å"The N gene of tobacco confers resistance to tobacco mosaic virus in transgenic tomato.†Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States93 (1996) 8776–8781. †¢ Feldstein, Paul. Personal interview. July 2008. Fig. 8 Images †¢ Fig. 1: http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/images/germ_dna.jpg †¢ Fig 2: http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/Images/summers/plasmids.jpg †¢ Fig 3:http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/kabernd/seminar/2002/method/gtwmeth/genegungtw.gif †¢ Fig 6:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Making_of_a_DNA_vaccine.jpg †¢ Fig. 4: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Antibody.svg †¢ Fig. 5: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Antigen_presentation.jpg †¢ Fig. 7: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/em_tmv.gif †¢ Fig 8: http://www.technologyreview.com/files/8829/DNAVaccineBG.jpg

Smith Systems Consulting

The assignment for week two is to study three virtual organizations, choose one, and write about an information system that is critical to that organization’s business processes. The chosen organization for this paper is Smith Systems Consulting (SSC). SSC Inc. is a technology-driven company that offers services building and maintaining databases, designing and hosting websites, and all types of programming. This makes SSC the perfect organization to focus on because their entire business focuses on some aspect of information systems. This paper, however, will focus on how important computers are to SSC Inc. To understand how information systems affect SSC, it is necessary to first understand just what an information system is. An information system can be described as â€Å"any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making† (Wikipedia, 2010). Jon Jensen, instructor for the Business Systems in the IT department at University of Phoenix in Taylorsville, Utah, teaches that information systems are things that â€Å"collect, store, analyze and disseminate information for a specific purpose. An information system includes inputs and outputs. By either of these two definitions, a computer is undoubtedly an informtion system. A computer actually contains smaller classes of information systems like a processor, hard drive, and keyboard, but for the purpose of this paper they will be combined as a single item. The focus then becomes how computers are critical to the business processes of SSC Inc. A business process can be defined as â€Å"a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product (serve a particular goal) for a particular customer or customers† (Wikipedia, 2010). There are three types of business processes. 1. Management Process: This is just as it sounds. Processes involved in the management and supervision of the business. 2. Operational Process: This is the â€Å"what† of the business. What the business does, makes, sells, distributes, or the service it provides. 3. Support Process: These processes are there to support the â€Å"what† of the business. Things like payroll and accounting, inventory and supply, call centers and tech support. Management Process- Since its founding in 1984, SSC Inc. has grown from a small business of five people to a multimillion dollar enterprise employing more than 350 people. A business won’t grow to reach these numbers without great vision and leadership. Computers no doubt played and continue to play an important roll in SSC’s management processes. Software programs ran on computers help visionary leaders forcast and track the success of their ideas. Using computers, they can compare results of similar ideas in similar markets. The automation made possible by computers takes away much of the tedious labor involved in supervising so many people and makes it possible for less people to manage more. Managers are able to track statistics and numbers of their sales and production forces. Computers and software help them find areas of improvement and ways to streamline in order to cut costs in increase revenue. Of course management has been able to do these things for years, but with the help of computers, they are able to do them much faster, with less risk of human error, and without needint to hire secerataries or assistants to help with such a large workload. Operational Process-SSC Inc. is a company who specializes in technology related services. Without computers, SSC would not be able to offer any of the services they provide. They offer services such as computer programs that will allow other companies to use computers to more effictively manage their own personnel in the same ways discussed in the management process praragraph. They offer services such as database creation and database management; both of which are information systems, and would not exist without computers. SSC offers web based services such as web design and site hosting. Again, there would be no internet and no web sites to design without computers, and SSC would not be able to host sites for their clients without a computer to act as the server. With all the things computers are able to do for a business, they would be useless without the trained personnel to operate them and ensure that they perform the functions that they are designed to carry out. Thus, people become an important part of any information system and it is critical that SSC employ qualified IT professionals. Without these skilled workers, SSC would have a difficult time offering many of their services. Support Process-In a company as large and complex as SSC Inc. has become, there is an increased need for quality support. As defined above, support includes areas such as human resources, accounting and payroll, inventory and supply, and call centers and tech support. Inventory and supply aren’t as critical to SSC’s business model as accounting and tech support. Imagine tyrying to keep track of the finances for a $45 million company manually; handwritten invoices, all the possibilities for human error that could potentially cost millions of dollars. Think of the man hours involved in calculating payroll for 300 plus employees every week, and again the margin for human error. Computers make it possible for only a few people to manage these enormous tasks in less time than it would take numerous people to do it manually and with considerably less risk for human error. Tech support and call centers are invaluable to a business model such as that of SSC Inc. They are providing technical services to clients that may not be tech savvy. There needs to be a way to ensure that these clients are able to use the products and services that they are subscribing to. If SSC isn’t able to provide support for these customers, they will take their business elsewhere. Computers and trained personnel are necessary for these types of services. A trained technician may be able to remotely access a client computer and correct problems or walk the user through how to use a software program that they purchased. Computers at SSC can rout calls to available customer service personnel saving hold time and keeping customers happy. SSC can store customer data and history in a database and access this information later to batter service their customers. As this paper has shown, computers are an information system that is an essential part of the business proccesses at Smith Systems Consulting. They are used in virtually every aspect of their day to day operations from management and operations to their support processes. As the world becomes more and more technical, and businesses and communication become global, it is all the more important to integrate the use of information systems into business processes. If unable to do so, a company like SSC Inc. would soon become obsolete. However, SSC has the insight to see where the global economy is heading and has developed a business that uses informations systems to cater to the needs of an increasingly technical society. This insight has brought them great success and made them a leader in the world of information technology. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process