Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay

Global warming, which is the increasing of the average temperature within the air near the Earth’s surface and the oceans, has caused the glaciers in Greenland to melt, causing the water levels to rise and the climate to change. Global warming is an unfortunate event that is taking place in numerous parts of the world, enabling bizarre and, in some instances, unnatural changes in the weather. Global warming has become most noticeable in the polar regions, amongst the polar icecaps, or in the more iced-over regions of the world, such as in Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, Greenland has become the most common area for quickly-dissolving glaciers, making it the most notorious for climate and weather changes throughout the world. It is difficult to connect weather changes to global warming, though it has been proven that some more pronounced changes are likely to come about, and in fact, already are. One of the most obvious changes involves an increase in precipitation, as well as changes in the average patterns of precipitation, which can lead to flooding and, in turn, drought. The sea levels worldwide will rise, and are rising, as the glaciers melt, which will cause Arctic shrinkage – the shrinking of the Arctic region due to climate change. In time, this shrinkage could possibly be seen in other areas, including the Atlantic Ocean. Some other irreversible affects include the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. With the continuously melting Greenland glaciers, these risks are more likely to happen and these changes will only become more obvious and the melting becomes more rapid. Jason Box, a professor at Ohio State and a global warming researcher, has noticed a rapid and unsettling change in the amount of glaciers in Greenland. In an interview in regards to the melting glaciers and global warming, Box stated that â€Å"we fly over the world’s fastest-deteriorating glacier; and in 2003, we didn’t even recognize the place. It had doubled its speed (of shearing off ice) and lost about 6 miles of width (Feran). † Box goes on to state the worries that he feels about global warming, as well as pointing out a slight change to weather happenings around the world – for instance, a snowstorm in an area that, despite being cold, has never seen such harsh weather. Box feels that this weather event can be linked simultaneously with global warming from the Greenland region. In further studies done by scientists and other global warming researchers, it has been discovered that a huge portion of the Atlantic region is warming just as much and just as fast as the rest of the world (Wilkinson). The scientists have researched and discovered that the temperature has risen 2. 5 degrees in the past half century and that there has been a 140 percent ice loss within a decade. This has caused ice shelves to break up or disappear, exposing the glaciers behind them and â€Å"speeding up the discharge of ice and fresh water into the ocean (Wilkinson). † In the article, Dr. Ian Allison of the Australian Antarctic Division says that the activities taking place in the Atlantic are related to the rising of the air and water temperatures. Allison also stated that the melting of the Greenland glaciers are of the biggest concern, saying that its changes are even more noticeable than those of other regions. â€Å"In Greenland, the rate of ice loss is getting greater over the last 10 years and the surface ice melt is definitely related to the warming. † Allison, who’s main focus is that of the Arctic and Atlantic regions, has been keeping close note on the melting glaciers, as well as trying to compare them to changes that have been taking place with weather. The more ice that the Atlantic loses, as well as the rest of the regions under the pressure of global warming, the more heat that comes back to it. When there is no ice to reflect the heat of the sun, the heat permeates through the water, causing the water to warm up even more. The heat is then spread to the remaining glaciers, which causes an almost domino effect, repeating itself until all that can happen is for the sea levels to rise. According to Alan Boyle, a science editor, Greenland’s glaciers have been â€Å"dumping ice into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate that’s doubled over the past five years,† as researchers have reported. Yet there are many scientists and researchers that are not as worried about the melting of the glaciers as others are; they claim that Greenland has gone through warming before, but the heat had been followed by cooling temperatures. Many of the researchers feel that the same thing is happening again. These scientists are not disregarding the possibility of global warming, but are wary to rule in Greenland as a current problem. Other scientists are against this, saying that Greenland has been warming up 2. 2 times faster than it has in previous years. Greenland is home to one of the world’s largest, and one of the most quickly dissolving, glacier, the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. The aforementioned glacier has gone from being completely stationary as of 1996 to flowing at a rate of fourteen kilometers a year by 2005; it is because of this that it is considered one of the fastest moving glaciers on the planet. It is also because of this, as well as Greenland’s other quickly-melting glaciers, that will play a huge, unwanted role in the rising of the world’s sea levels (Biello). Greenland has become one of the biggest concerns of scientists, due to the alarming rate that its glaciers are melting, as well as to the obvious increase in the temperature. Since Greenland is home to some of the most quickly melting glaciers, as well as to the world’s largest, it will be one of the main purveyors of climate and weather changes throughout the world. Bizarre changes in weather have already been noticed, with many scientists blaming global warming on these changes. Regardless of the fact that Greenland is in a region of its own, what is taking place with its glaciers can affect the entire world; the weather will be the most pronouncedly changed. Horrific weather events will last longer than what is considered average, and they can take place in areas that would not normally see such conditions. Works Cited Biello, David. (17 Feb 2006. ) Greenland’s glaciers: Melting and on the move. Scientific American. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? id=greenlands-glaciers-melti. Boyle, Alan. (16 Feb 2006. ) Greenland’s glaciers losing ice at faster rate. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/11385475/. Feran, Tim. (24 March 2009. ) Glacier warning us, OSU researcher says. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. columbusdispatch. com/live/content/life/stories/2009/03/24/2_NOVA_ICE. ART_ART_03-24-09_D5_9ADB1F1. html? sid=101. Wilkinson, Marian. (23 March 2009. ) The ice caps are in trouble. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. smh. com. au/environment/earth-hour/the–ice-caps-are–in–trouble-200

Balanced Scorecard Essay

Introduction Performance management systems are often designed to enable organizations to plan, measure and control their performance, so that decisions, resources and activities can be better aligned with business strategies to achieve desired results and create shareholder value. The Balanced Scorecard is a performance tool using financial and nonfinancial measures. It provides an organization with ways to develop and evaluate strategic objectives and goals. For the past two decades, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) has been proposed as an integrated framework for the implementation of financial and nonfinancial performance measures that helps organizations align their initiatives with the organization’s strategy (Kaplan ; Norton, 1992). The United States Postal Service delivers more mail to more addresses in a larger geographical area than any other post in the world. The Postal Service delivers to more than152 million homes, businesses and Post Office boxes in every state, city, town and borough in this country. Everyone living in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same postage regardless of their location (USPS, 2014). This paper will examine the effectiveness of the implementation of the balanced score card approach. Key Issues for Discussion Explain how the Voice of the Employee supports improved internal processes (Voice of the Business), and how the Voice of the Business supports customer satisfaction (Voice of the Customer). Employees have a huge impact on their organization’s financial results. When employees are empowered to make decisions they share information relating to the strategic processes and direction of that organization. When it comes to carrying out the message and mission of the organization the voice of the employee is very crucial. Through empowerment, the employees are able to create an opportunity to show management how they will apply the company vision to their daily task. The voice of the business relates to information derived from financial data. This data can be used to indentify weakness in certain market areas and the status of the research and development process. In order to move the organization forward or closer to its overall objectives, analyst must understand the relevance of the balanced scorecard process. The voice of the customer indentifies the needs of the customer which are keys to the strategy to defining which processes can be viewed as value added products or services. The customers are a continuous source of feedback both good and bad. Customer feedback can also provide new opportunities to identify and develop new products. Kaplan and Norton advocated a well-connected map ping that leads from an organization’s main strategy to the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard: Financial, Customer Satisfaction, Internal Process, and Learning and Growth. Each element works to support the strategic objectives in a linked process. Customer satisfaction leads to the desired financial outcome, which in the case of the Postal Service is sufficient revenue to support the universal delivery service mission (Evans, Lindsay, 2011). While Figure 8. 14 shows only representative measures associated with the balanced scorecard, suggest some other measures that might be included using your knowledge of postal operations. Based on my personal experience and knowledge of the United States Postal Service, I would suggest that the organization add some additional measures to it balanced scorecard. The organization should measure customer complaints relating to package handling and damaged goods. Damaged packages generally lead to claims brought forward by customers which is certainly a value associated with it that should be tracked and measured. The organization should also measure and analyze the effects of the employee turnover rate. Employee replacement cost can have a huge affect on the financial element. Cost associated with the orientation and training of a new employee as well as the cost associated with employee separation can have an effect on the bottom-line. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Balanced Scorecard Some organizations have a difficult time establishing a process that can translate its strategic vision into concrete goals and actions. There are clearly some beneficial advantages to applying the balanced scorecard approach. Some of these benefits include gaining a cross organizational team that will open channels of communications. The company will have enthusiastic people who are focused on carrying out the organization’s mission and commitment to quality. Also, the company will gain a unique competitive advantage relating to reduce time frames, improved decisions and better solutions. Most importantly, initiatives are continually measured and evaluated against industry standards. There can be some disadvantages as well. The balanced scorecard takes a lot of planning and forethought. Defining clearly stated objectives and setting goals are crucial to the process. There can be resistance from employees or even management. Some individuals may see the implementation as a threat or indication of a lack of performance on their part. While the balanced scorecard gives an extensive overview of the organization’s performance, it does not give recommendations regarding how to resolve discovered problem performance areas. Conclusion The case study involving the United States Postal Service presents evidence that the balanced scorecard approach can have a positive effect on an organizations overall performance. If integrated successfully, the balance scorecard will be a tool that ensures clarity and consistency across all departments or individuals involved. Solving quality management issues rely on the right approach and planning. Understanding the importance of the linkage among all four of the balanced scorecard is crucial to its success. Special attention should be given to the proper implementation and cultivation of intangible assets relating to learning and growth. The USPS has improved its service and has increased customer satisfaction. First-class mail performance has improved to over 95 percent of overnight mail being delivered on time, with improvements in other categories of first-class mail (Evans, Lindsay, 2011).

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Biographical information about the author: William Shakespeare, born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, was an English poet and playwright. Shakespeare was believed to have been educated at the King’s New School in Stratford about a quarter-mile from his home. At the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. The ceremony may have been arranged in some haste because six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter named Susanna.About two years later they had twins, a boy and a girl, and the boy died of unknown causes at the age of 11. It is not known when Shakespeare started writing but several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. Shakespeare divided his time between London and Stratford during this time of his career. In 1599 he moved to Southwark while his company constructed the Global Theatre there. After 1610, Shakespeare wrote very few okays before his death on April 23, 1616. Historical information about the period of publicat ion:Queen Elizabeth was in rein during this time period from 1559-1603. She was very fond of Shakespeare and loved his works. The inspiration of the play Twelfth Night was more than likely influenced by the queen wanting a play related to the holiday season. Twelfth Night is a Christian holiday that takes place on the 12th day after Christmas. On this day the roles in society are flipped. Kings and queens dress up as peasants and men and women dress up as each other. At the beginning of the Twelfth Night festival a cake that contains a bean is eaten. The person who finds the bean would be the ruler of the feast. Midnight marks the end of their rule and everything goes back to normal. Characteristics of the genre:A Shakespearean Comedy normally has a happy ending that involves marriages between the unmarried characters. There tends to be a greater emphasis on  situations than characters; there is almost always a clever servant; multiple, intertwining plots; and the main issue in Tw elfth Night, deception among characters. Plot Summary:After a huge storm at sea, a young woman named Viola finds herself washed up on a shore with the ship’s captain. Here she grieves the loss of her twin brother Sebastian who she believes died in the storm. The Captain informs her that they are in Illyria and he helps Viola disguise herself so that she may go to a man named Duke Orsino and become his servant. During this 3 month period Viola, now known as Cesario, has to persuade Lady Olivia, the woman Duke Orsino is in love with, to marry him or at least take some interest. Olivia is also grieving her brother’s death and does not want to see any man that Orsino sends to her.However, she takes a liking to Cesario and falls in love with him. Unfortunately, Cesario (Viola) is now in love with Orsino, who loves Olivia, who loves Cesario. A crazy love triangle. Meanwhile, we meet other people in Olivia’s court such as her uncle Sir Toby Belch; the maid Maria; Tobyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek who is trying to court Olivia; Feste, Olivia’s fool; and Malvolio, the arrogant and self-centered steward of Olivia’s household. Since Malvolio likes to ruin the other’s fun, Maria forges a letter, supposedly from Olivia, to make Malvolio think Olivia is in love with him.Malvolio finds this letter, thinking it is for him, and, wanting to marry Olivia, follows its commands of dressing in yellow stocking, cross-gartering, to smile constantly, and to not explain his actions to no one. Once Olivia sees him behaving so strangely she thinks that he has gone mad. Meanwhile, Sebastian, who we find to still be alive but believes his sister Viola to be dead, arrives in Illyria along with his friend Antonio. Antonio has been taking care for Sebastian since the shipwreck and is passionately (and some think sexually) attached to Sebastian; so much so that he follows him to Orsino’s court, in spite of the fact that he and Orsino are old enemies.Once Sir Andrew sees that Olivia has taken a liking to Cesario he challenges Cesario to a duel. Sir Toby loves to see Sir Andrew make a fool of himself so he encourages Sir Andrew to continue. However, when Sebastian-who looks just like his disguised sister Viola-, appears he ends up fighting Sir Andrew and Sir Toby because they think he is Cesario. Olivia shows up seeing what is going on  and asks Sebastian, who she thinks is Cesario, to marry her. Sebastian is very confused because he has never seen her before but he says that he will go with her to be married because of her wealth and beauty.Meanwhile, Antonia has been arrested and begs Cesario to help him because he thinks Cesario is Sebastian. Viola says she does not know who Antonio is and Antonio is taken away while he says that Sebastian has betrayed him. We soon learn that Malvolio has been locked away in a small dark room and although the group has tormented him throughout his time in there, Sir Toby allows Malvolio to send a letter to Olivia asking to be released. Orsino now decides to go visit Olivia and he brings Viola (still disguised as Cesario) and other men in his court. Olivia states that Cesario is her new husband when in reality it is her brother Sebastian.Orsino is furious but then Sebastian appears and everyone is awestruck. Viola and Sebastian are reunited and Orsino can officially express his love for Viola now that he knows she is a woman. We also figure out that Sir Toby and Maria have been married. Finally, Malvolio shows up and the trick that took place on him is revealed. Malvolio storms off saying he will seek revenge and he leaves everyone else happy and joyful.Describe the author’s style: Shakespeare’s first plays were written in the same style as those who were also writing at that period of time. However, he soon began to use the traditional styles in his own unique way. Most say that Twelfth Night is one a Shakespeare’s most poetical and mu sical plays. This basically means that Shakespeare decided to make some of the major characters sound more like amazing poets than average people. In this case he is using them to make fun of the shallowness of love poetry. An example that demonstrates the style:â€Å" Away before me to sweet beds of flowers: Love-thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers.† (1.1.4) Memorable Quotations Quotation Significance â€Å"And all is semblative a woman’s part.† Orsino is telling Cesario (Viola) to woo Lady Olivia and he tells him that he is much like a woman and therefore will be more appealing than if he went himself. â€Å"Oh Time, thou must untangle this, not I. It is too hard a knot for me t’ untie!† Viola realizes the love triangle she has gotten herself into and says that only time can fix it. â€Å"I hate ingratitude more in a man Than lying, vainness, babbling, drunkenness, Or any taint of voice whose strong corruption Inhabits our frail blood.â €  Cesario is defending himself against Antonio who is charging Cesario of ingratitude. â€Å"What relish is in this? How runs the stream†¦If if be thus to dream, still let me sleep!† Sebastian is very confused but yet happy about Olivia wanting to marry him. He has never seen her before but she is in love with him. â€Å"Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges†Setting Significance of the opening scene Twelfth Night takes place in an imaginary place called Illyria. Illyria also happens to correspond to a place on the Adriatic coast which most Elizabethans knew nothing about and most people from London have never been there. This makes it the perfect location for the mysteries of this play.Viola decided to make a new life in this unfamiliar Dukedom. The same thing that draws her to Illyria, Shakespeare uses that to draw the audience in; the mystery, romance, and dreaminess of far-off places. One strange setting would be when the audience sees the out o f control crew at Olivia’s home and also her weird behavior. Another setting that seemed to be over the top would be Duke Orsino at his home listening to his live band while lying of the couch daydreaming about being in love. In the opening scene the audience meets Duke Orsino and we see that the woman he loves, Lady Olivia, is grieving over the death of her brother therefore she has decided not to get married for another seven years.Orsino, being obsessed with Olivia, wants to just lie around on beds of flowers, listening to music and dreaming of Olivia. This shows the audience of the persistence Orsino has and although he seems to be deeply in love with Olivia he will quickly change his mind. Meanwhile, on the Illyrian sea coast Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are in a shipwreck. Viola was found and rescued but she doesn’t know where her brother is. Although the captain tells Viola that Sebastian may still be alive she does not believe it to be so. In the meanti me, however, she needs to find a way to support herself in Illyria. This leads her to Orsino’s court and thus the beginning of what will soon be a crazy love triangle. SymbolsSignificance of the ending/closing scene A pearl- A token of love; romantic attachmentDarkness of Malvolio’s Prison- insanity; madnessChanges of Clothing- class distinction; power, change in gender During the closing scene everyone finds out that Cesario is really Viola (a female) and that Sebastian is the â€Å"real man† of the family. Olivia finds out that she was in love with a woman but ended up marrying her twin brother on accident. Of course she doesn’t mind because she is happy regardless. Duke Orsino is glad because he can now express the feelings he has been having for Cesario because he is now Viola. Most of Shakespeare’s comedies end in a â€Å"happily ever after† way so he had to find some kind of what to bring happiness to the end of this play. The happines s lies in the marriage of Olivia and  Sebastian, the secret marriage of Sir Toby and Maria, and the marriage of Duke Orsino and Viola. Possible ThemesLove out of Suffering- Despite the happy ending, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain Uncertainty of Gender- Viola disguising herself as a man; Olivia ends up being in love with a woman, even if she thinks Viola is a man; Orsino comments on Cesario’s beauty, which suggests that he is attracted to Viola even though she is still in disguise.

Assigm 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assigm 6 - Assignment Example The Bill of Rights entails fundamental viewpoints  as  an interior attitude alteration.  The attitudes entailed in this mode of Bill of Rights outline our daily resolutions hence ruling our individuality and clarifying our rights as admirable, decorous values, hence in the process getting rid of imprecise viewpoints.  However, the model should be modified to entail occurrences that happen due to various changes generally. Worker’s Bill of Rights comprises the diverse aspects that make sure that employees are treated in the right way. The entire regulations alienated in this module ensure that employees are not exploited or unfairly treated in their duties to execute work. Universally, employers should respect every worker – basic rights as a human being take precedence. In this regard, all the labor policies that aim to develop the relationship between an employer and the workforce ought to be implemented for the long-term goal. Equal treatment, fair working conditions, sensible salary and remuneration scales, as well as considerate process form the core upon which workers in the entire world ought to be treated through (Lahey 71). Despite these aspects being universally accepted, other elements are not recognized by some entities. For instance, some cultures would not accept the input of diverse genders in certain fields, while others would dispute the duration of work and the input of certain racial orientations. This heavily impinges on the collective operations as regards workers. The two settings – work and family, ought to be factored in when coming up with any model for both given that they are intertwined for the better good of the society. However, the two entities seem to be far apart as the variation between both as regard Bill of Rights is visible. Most families face a deficit of time and cash for care,

Capturing memorable moments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capturing memorable moments - Essay Example To my mind, this is due to the fact that while prose presents images and information through the medium of the authors words, photography narrows the distance between the viewer and the object. In this way, the messages and images which a photo contains appear to be more vivid and articulate. Apart from that, the power of an image also lies in the possibility to grasp all its details immediately and see a picture as a whole. In contrast, the nature of the prose requires the details to be uncovered slowly, sentence by sentence. Obviously, this also can be a powerful tool to deliver the general message, however, as for me, this way is less successful in focusing solely on a situation and on the personal emotions which they call, rather than view the situations through the lens of an author. In a sum, although, each of the given works by Nachwey represent a vivid picture and is likely to produce strong emotional response from the audience, I found â€Å"Crushing Car† more articulate. The author managed to capture the moment that reflects the horror and tragedy of the event. As a result, this still image calls the full range of emotions that cannot leave one ignorant. The essay by Nachtwey raises important questions that reinforce the power of the still image and the power of seeing events rather than listening of imagining them. Visible suffering is to the great extend more striking and is likely to leave a long lasting effect on a person than invisible. In this context, I would argue that vision of the suffering is more powerful than hearing about it or imaging, because the first relates to personal and real experience of a person while the second and the third is about assuming how something occurred. Furthermore, I doubt that in the process of imagining a situation a person can, in fact, restore the horror that occurred in full. A simple example: everyone hears about the realities of

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track Essay

The Masterpiece in Public Enemys Hip Hop Track - Essay Example The essay "The Masterpiece in Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track" discusses the Public Enemy’s Hip Hop Track â€Å"Fight the Power†, one of the greatest musical works in history. The track features a hard, intense sound – one that is clearly different from the other hip-hop songs produced earlier. Produced in June 1989 as a single, at the request of Spike Lee, the track was to be used as the theme song to the movie ‘Do The Right Thing’. The movie focused on the racial tension that was then being experienced in Brooklyn, New York and in the rest of the United States of America. Contrary to what the title of the song literally suggests, â€Å"Fight the Power† was not about fighting the authorities that reigned at the time but rather it had all to do with fighting the abuse of powers by them. The abuse of power by white authorities led to oppression and violation of human rights. This song came at a very significant point in the history of the black people in America. Because after the Civil War of the 1960s that were believed to have ended racism, the song revealed the situation on the ground. It was believed that racism did not exist in the 1980s - a notion that is very far from the truth as racism had only taken another form. During the 80s, racism hurt mor e because most of the black people knew their rights and still experienced its harsh effects. According to the song, being black made one an enemy of the public. If a crime was committed in the U.S. during the 80s, the first suspects were the African Americans. Accusations against people were simply based on their race. The blacks were effectively considered to be guilty until proven innocent in spite of the fact that the law stated that one is innocent until proven guilty. The song urged people to talk against racism and make use of their right to freedom of speech (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song noted that it was time to do the right thing; talk against all forms of racism. The right to freedom of speech for the black community had long been a foreign concept. The song urged the blacks to fight for their constitutional right to be respected unto death. The lyrics of the song state that â€Å"Our freedom of speech is freedom or death† (Lyrics Depot par. 1). The song also vie wed everybody as equal regardless of race, age and neighbourhood. The song â€Å"Fight the Power† addresses the issue of Blacks’ history. For a long time, it had been assumed in the U.S. that Blacks did not have a history, this in spite of the fact that they had been in existence for a long time. The heroes that were being recognized in one way or another and their pictures featuring on the stamps are the very ones that the Blacks could not relate with. In the song, one example of such heroes is Elvis who was considered to be the king of rock and roll (Lyrics

Escherichia coli ESBL positive and its interaction with the human Dissertation

Escherichia coli ESBL positive and its interaction with the human urothelial cells - Dissertation Example The gene encoding the antibiotic resistance is found on plasmids, transposons, and inserted in genes in bacteria all over the world and in multiple species. Although much research has been conducted to characterize the microbial enzyme biochemically, PCR analysis remains the â€Å"gold standard (4, 5, 6).† E. coli isolates from the environment are generally succeptible to beta-lactam antibiotics because of the absence of a strong promoter sequence for the expression of the gene for Beta-Lactamase. However, extensive use of antibiotics and the spread of genetic elements among the bacteria have resulted in development of Beta-lactam resistant strains. Consequently, Beta-lactam resistant strains of E. coli have been isolated from hospitals and clinics around the world (7, 8, 9). Klebsiella is a member of the Enterobacteria that is a small, non-motile rod, and the bacterium is often associated with urinary tract infections. Klebsiella is capable of nonaerobic metabolism and is fou nd in water and soil, in addition to the mammalian intestinal and urinary tracts. Klebsiella possesses the enzyme nitrogenase, and is capable of nitrogen fixation under nonaerobic conditions, but the bacterium loses this capability under the aerobic environment in mammalian intestinal and urinary tracts (1, 10, 11, 12). Aims and Objectives The binding of E.coli to urothelial cells is mediated by pili via the FIMH protein. The receptor for the binding has been elucidated to be uroplakin 1a in mouse cells (13). Mutation of key residues in FIMH attenuates binging of E.coli to the FIMH urinary receptor and consequently reduces colonization of the bacteria in the bladder. The binding is mediated by mannose residues and relies on a key pocket in the FIMH protein (14, 15). Isolates of E. coli from a septic lamb were utilized to characterize the cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 2, and it was discovered that this protein enters effected epithelial cells and targets Rho protein, which subseq uently reorganizes actin filaments into stress fibers in the effected host cells (16, 17, 18). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been utilized to treat many epidermal conditions in humans. These include skin cancer, acne, skin rejuvination, hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, disseminated actinic porokeratosis, localized scleroderma, and vulval lichen sclerosis. Other applications include anal and vulvar carcinoma, palliation of metastatic breast cancer to skin, Barrett’s esophagus, and retinal macular degeneration (19, 20, 21). PDT is characterized by the application of moderate light (50mW/s) for a moderate amount of time (15 minutes) to the infected area which creates a photosensitization period followed by a destruction period. PDT application results in a 5 to 6 log decrease in infectious, antiobiotic resistant bacteria by destruction of amino acids and polylysine tracts present in bacterial proteins, as well as the creation of destructive reacti ve oxygen species (22, 23, 24). It is proposed in this work that PDT be utilized to irradiate E. coli and Klebsiella beta-lactamase positive bacteria from cultures of human urothelial cells. Materials and Methods Human urothelial ce

Carl Orff songwriter, composer and publisher Research Paper

Carl Orff songwriter, composer and publisher - Research Paper Example 377). Without having anyone to teach him to write and compose songs, he managed to create his own music based on how he understands music. Using his talent in music, Orff composed a lot of songs for stage puppet shows which over the years has significantly influenced the music education for children. According to Jorgensen (2003, p. 6), the use of patriarchy in teaching music, oppression, violence, and exclusivity is dehumanizing since this type of teaching technique does not acknowledge the importance of freedom, equality, humanity, and inclusiveness necessary to prevent injustice and inhumanity. In line with this, Orff realized that the teaching and learning approach to music was ineffective (Keene, 2009, p. 376). Orff strongly supports the idea that each child should be given the opportunity to â€Å"experience music within their own level of understanding† (Classics for Kids, 2011). Since Orff strongly believe that children needs to experience music, Orff suggested that a more effective way of teaching children music is to make them master the use of musical instruments like piano or violin (Keene, 2009, p. 376). The way music teachers are currently teaching music inside a classroom is strongly influenced by some of the famous historical musicians such as in the case of Carl Orff (Jorgensen, 2003, p. 12; Keene, 2009, p. 376). ... terested in developing and implementing â€Å"a new way of teaching music† (Victorian Orff Schulwek Association, 2011; Orff, Murray, & Keetman, 1976, p. 13). Throughout his career as a musician, Orff spent some time teaching young students how to become creative by expressing how they feel in music (Warner, 1991, p. 3). To enable the students compose unique and more interesting music, Orff explained the need to teach and encourage the students to improvise and be more creative when playing musical instruments (Victorian Orff Schulwek Association, 2011). Using this kind of teaching technique, the students under the guidance of Orff were able to enjoy their freedom to improvise and explore the production of music without the need to stay focus on musical theories and concepts that already exists in the field of music education. As a composer and musician, Orff strongly supports the idea that each child should be given the opportunity to joy composing and creating their own music . In line with this, Orff spent time developing a teaching method which focuses on educating the students with music using alternative methods like group exercises (Maubach, 2006). Believing that the whole body should be involved when playing music, Orff’s movement in educating the students was multifaceted. Therefore, he decided to integrate music not only in singing but also the use of speech, body movements like folk dance, clapping, finger clicking, and stamping, and the use of tuned and percussion non-tuned percussion like tambourines, glockenspiels, recorders, and xylophones in encouraging the students to create their own music (Victorian Orff Schulwek Association, 2011; Keene, 2009, p. 377; Maubach, 2006). As explained by Maubach (2006), Orff strongly believes that each child who spends

Competition, Marketing Mix, and Pricing Research Paper

Competition, Marketing Mix, and Pricing - Research Paper Example Key Characteristics of the Users Maryland General Hospital offers wide range of services to its customers with different characteristics and with different needs and requirements. The hospital is based in Baltimore City, which is the largest city of Maryland. A sharp decline can be found in the Baltimore’s poverty line. Most of the people who find themselves under the federal poverty line are moving to the suburban areas from the urban or metro cities. In the city of Baltimore, there are more than 21,000 people who are below poverty line, but recently a major decline in the rate of the poor population has taken place. Maryland General Hospital targets people from both the metro and suburban area of the Baltimore. They offer specialized premium services for the premium patients with high income level and also offer general service for the mass. They also offer different special services to different demographic strata, such as children care, senior citizen care and women care. For example, Heart catheterization is provided to adult and children separately. The Hospital offers some specialized service within the framework of women care. The Competitive Environment of the Health Care Provider The competition generally arises on one or more elements like quality, price, convenience etc. Competition eliminates the inefficiency of the players. But in case of Maryland General Hospital, there is no such price competition among the leading players in the market as 75% of total cost for the treatment of an individual is provided by the health insurance company (Kronick, Goodman & Wennberg, 1993). Different hospitals try to differentiate its services on the basis of quality. If Porter five forces model is applied for Maryland General Hospital it will be clear that most of the competitions are coming from the rival hospitals. The competition is immense for Maryland General Hospital. There are 14 hospitals in Maryland. All the hospitals provide customized services. A study suggests that 58% of the patients recommended for going again to Maryland General Hospital while 77% people recommended for going Greater Baltimore medical centre. Many people also recommended for Good Samaritan Hospital. Even in this respect the Mercy Medical Centre Inc has also got high points than Maryland General Hospital. The hospital faces quite low bargaining power from the suppliers as there are many suppliers present in the market. The timely delivery of equipment and medicines are very essential for the hospital. The hospital needs to depend highly on its suppliers to maintain goodwill in front of the customers as most of the hospitals are competing mostly on the quality and not on the price. There is no such threat from a new entrant in the market as the set up cost is very high for any new entrant and the physical evidence is the most important factor for any hospitals so the new entrant has to face a tough competition from the old players as the physical evidence is very strong of the old players. There is no such substitute in hospital’s product as it is a necessary service for all. The buyers bargaining power is also strong but as mostly the insurance company pays the bills, the bargaining power gets reduced. Tools of Marketing Mix Marketing comprises of seven elements. For the health care sector all the 7P’

Economic Cycle From 1984 To 1986 Essay Example for Free

Economic Cycle From 1984 To 1986 Essay We can first define economic cycles as the reoccurrence of the expansion or contraction of a countries economy. We still have to look at the view of Wesley Mitchell who is the most famous in the research on economic cycles. He defined business cycle as; Business cycles are a type of fluctuation found in the aggregate economic activity of nations that organize their work mainly in business enterprises; a cycle consists of expansions occurring at about the same time in many economic activities, followed by similarly general recessions, contractions, and revivals which merge into the expansion phase of the next cycle; this sequence of changes is recurrent but not periodic; in duration business cycles vary from more than one year to ten or twelve years; they are not divisible into shorter cycles of similar character with amplitudes approximately their own. (Burns and Mitchell, 1946, p. 3) In this paper, we would be looking at the economic cycle of the U. S economy between 1984 to 986. Nevertheless, before going into the economic cycle that existed from 1984 to 1986, it is clear that in our present time the economy of now pulls the same trends with that of the 1980s. The present fiscal states bears the same tends too, with the borrowing made by government to come down following the substantial years of borrowing. The PSBR declined and surpluses were reached as the 1980s progressed. Surpluses were projected to continue on the grounds of unchanged policies. __________________ 1. Bruce T. Grimm, Alternative Measures of U. S. Economic Activity in Business Cycles and Business Cycle Dating, BEA Working Papers 0024, Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2005. Nevertheless, this was not the same in the early 1990s, as public finances had deteriorated markedly with the deficit reaching 7 per cent of GDP in 1993-94. Not withstanding we have to look at the topic on board and discuss on the cycles of 1984-1986. ECONOMIC CYCLE IN 1984 The economy of the United State rocketed at a fast pace for nearly two decades as the wallets of consumers went fat and it was all about shopping spree . This was all about the recession of the 1980s with specification to the year 1984. The increased pace of growth did not only reflect on the mode of shopping but on the spending done on business. From 1984 to 1986, there was a rapid increase in employment. The increase was so rapid that many analysts to term the United States economy as the American job machine. However, as the rate of employment increased, many still did not benefit from the expansion. Among the less educated young men, unemployment rose and the rate of labor force participating decreased. Though there were enough jobs, many still argued the quality and measurement of the American job in terms of wage, benefits, and job security was decreasing. There was a decrease in high paying jobs in the manufacturing sector and there were more of low paying jobs. There was a growth in part-time and temporary jobs and the less skilled workers were like an erosion of job quality. By the early part of 1984, America experienced the new period of sustained growth since World War II. The tax cut made by government increased the rate of spending done by consumers. ______________________ 2. Burns, Arthur, and Mitchell, Wesley. Measuring Business Cycles. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research. (1946). GNP increased at an annual rate of 4. 2 percent except for the decline in 1986 to fewer than 2 percent. This was the lowest in the decade. The rate of inflation was between three to five percent and the economy produced 13 million jobs. ECONOMIC CYCLE 1985 The economy of the United States continued in an upward trend from 1984 to 1986. This continued in 1985 though in a slow trend in the early year. Nevertheless, as the economic growth continued due to healthy growth and the demand for goods and services, the domestic production suffered because most goods available where imports. The second half of the year was also accompanied with steady growth that lead to the expectation of a continued growth into 1986. Now, looking into the economy in 1985, it was noticed that the first half of the year had a sluggish growth. The GNP of the last half of 1984 rose by 3 percent but that of the first half of 1985 was rose only by 1%. The worsening of the export sector and the decline in inventory investment in first half largely offset a moderately strong increase in the purchase of domestic product goods and services. These included government purchases, business fixed investment, consumption expenditures and residential constructions. Most of the strength in purchases where provided by U. S households. This is due to the strong growth in consumption and the increase in spending done on residential projects. By the second half of the year in 1985, the economic growth has quickened with a 4. 3 percent rise in the GNP at third quarter. The domestic final purchase increased more than that of the first half and the was a decline the rate of export. Because of the sharp _____________________ 3. Balke, Nathan S Gordon, Robert J. The Estimation of Prewar Gross National Product: Methodology and New Evidence. February 1989. Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(1), pages 38-92. rundown in the domestic stocks for automobile, inventory investment, decline more than that of the first half. The government’s purchases of goods and services in the third quarter were also a sharp contributor to the purchase of domestic final products. The rise in government purchase was because of the increased use of Commodity Credit Corporation Loans by farmers and large increase in defense purchases. Residential fixed investment also increased and while nonresidential fixed investments declined. Expenditures done on personal consumption products increased strongly in third quarter of 1985. The economic growth pace in 1985 was a steady one and it was about 2. 5 percent. This was lower than that of 1984. The growth in domestic purchase increase because of the demand for personal consumption was high. Resource use and Inflation In 1985, the growth in output was not strong enough to reduce the underuse of resources. The rate of unemployment for the civilians fell from 7. 2 percent to 7 percent in November. Manufacturing employment declined and the payroll for nonfarm jobs increased moderately. The rate of capacity utilization in industries, which was another measure of resources use declined at about one percent point. This reflected the greater slack present in the industrial sector than in the social economy. The inflation rate was checked by the slack in the economy this was combined with the strong dollar prices on import and imports competing goods. There was a moderate in increase in the rate of labor cost and the favorable performance for food and energy prices contributed to the level of inflation in 1985. The broadest general price index _____________________ 4. Cacy, J. A. , Glenn, H. M. , and Dan, H. H. â€Å"Economic Review: The U. S. Economy in 1985 and 1986†. December 1985. increased by 3. 75 percent annual rate over the first three quarters of 1985. the price of finished goods sold at wholesale rose by 1. 5 percent in November. This was higher in than that of 1984. The prices of food product declined significantly and there was a slight drop in energy prices. In summary, the year 1985 saw moderate U. S. demand growth being changed to a sluggish out put growth. This was because of the worsening rate of export and inventory investment. The sluggish output growth kept a large amount of resource idle. The total slack experienced in the economy, the direct influence of strong dollar, the weak food prices, and the weak energy prices restrained the rate of price inflation.

An Analysis of Change management models

An Analysis of Change management models In this report, we have focused on change management within an organization or a project. Change management is becoming so important that nowadays more and more companies use this method to improve the performance. Lots of change management models are used; they have made profit to the companies. However, not all the models are suitable to all the projects or all the kinds of companies; they have disadvantages as well as advantages when using them. In this report, we will discuss three models as examples: Kotters Eight Step Change Model, Lewins Change Management Model and McKinsey 7-S Model. Introduction Change management is a methodical approach to handling with change, not only from the angle of an organization but on the individual level. A rather vague term, change management has more than three different dimensions, adapting to change, controlling change, and effecting change included. A proactive approach to handling with change is at the central part of all three aspects. For an organization, change management means making the definition and implementation of procedures and/or technologies to handle with changes in the business environment and to profit from changing opportunities. Triumphant adaptation to change is as vital within an organization as it is in the natural world. Just similar to plants and animals, organizations and the individuals in them unavoidably run into changing conditions that they are incapable to control. The more effectively you handle with change, the more probable you are to flourish. Building structured methods for addressing changes in the business environment or building coping mechanisms for addressing changes in the workplace might be involved in adaptation. As a result, lots of change management models are built to help make the change management more effective. There are several of change management models. We will discuss three and decide which the best fit an organization needing many changes is. We will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of these three change management models. Once we discuss them further, we will see differences to each of these models. There are also a lot of similarities among these models. It is vital that we have a systematic indulgent of each of the three change management models presented. Problem Area Scope It usually doesnt matter how well designed a project is at the beginning, change is an unavoidable part of the project implementation process. Most of us have a tendency to think of change in terms of problems or negative consequences. Though its true that change could be bad or could be good. There are quite a few of aspects that are looked at when the changes are made and a correct path should be adopted in order to achieve the required target. Our scope of this report focuses on the following: How to describe change management system What are the principles of change management and the guidelines which needs to be looked at when changes are required Elements of change management systems Most effective models of change management Although there are several models present in the market today but only that model which suits the profile of the project should be adopted or whose implementation is not vague to the rest of the project team. In this study report we have primarily focused on following three models of change management: Kotter Model McKinsey 7-S Model Lewins Change Management Model Additional more our report highlights: Characteristics of Each Model Methodology of their usage. The major constraints that could come across are scheduled below: Uncertainty between people implementing change management models Communication gap between top management and lower level. Time Uncertainty of the roles and responsibilities Methodology Our study was employed  on the study of Change Management, principles different models of change management models were obtained by performing the following set of activities: Topic Selection and Planning of Study We had a brainstorming meeting where our team members got agreed to work on Conflict handling in Project Management and with the help of the study objectives and necessities which were mentioned by our course teacher (Erika Bellander), then the study was broken down into the following tasks: introduction, problems, scope area, theories models related to different conflict situations in projects, conflict resolution strategies, methods used in the study,   reliability, validity, results, discussions and recommendations. These were followed by the formation of a responsibility matrix and time scheduling. The status or progress of each task were reported and usually uploaded on bilda at least a day before our weekly meetings on every Tuesdays. Online Discussions The IMPACTS group members who were working together on some deliverables had online discussions and difficulties encountered during the tasks executing were also frequently discuss on line. We also helped each other by providing hints/inputs to each other by emails and we found that this is more effective way of communication. Resources Due to the time constraints, the IMPACT group could not obtain any primary data for the study from the companies/ Industries because of that our study was based on secondary sources which contains lectures notes, books and the internet were combine with working experience of our team members. Results Now a days every manager or leaders in education are required to lead and manage changes. It is significant as nevertheless the survey has found that change is taking place at a growing tempo, the verification suggests that most change initiatives doesnt not make the grade e.g. current research recommended that less than 65% of re-organizations met their stated aims which are usually bottom line enhancement. The impact of failures to bring in effective change could also be lofty e.g. loss of market position, elimination of senior management, loss of stakeholder trustworthiness, loss of key employees. To avoid such failures there is need of acquaintance with the change management principle and models and its consequences. In this section we will describe the basic change management principles and some models for the change management. Definition of Change Management Change management is a course of action in which whole system is modified according to any pre-defined framework or modelled by following it. Principle of Change Management There are some principles followed to make change management. By following these principles as a systematic, framework, team leaders can learn that how to manage their own personal change and how to appoint the whole organization in the process. Although there are many Principles of change management but few of the Principles are following: Adopting a principled method that shows reliability and engenders openness and belief will see your change program throughout the hard times. Here are five key principles of successful change managementà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡ Sponsorship The change program gets the visible support of key decision-makers within the organization as well as resources are ready to the program. Planning Planning is undertaken systematically before program execution and committed to writing. Plans are enumerated in accordance with predominant stakeholders and resources, goals, risks and other relevant participants. Measurement Program objectives are written in assessable terms and program progress is controlled and intercommunicated to major stakeholders. Engagement Stakeholders are involved in an authentic bilateral communication on the basis of openness, reciprocal trust and esteem. Support structures Program executors and change recipients are provided with the resources and supporting systems required during the process of the implementation and the aftermath. Change Management Guidelines In our study of this change management model principle we have found the following important guidelines for the change management: Address the individual side systematically: At all times engage and agree support from individual within system as every change creates individuals personal issues. When new leaders are asked to change then work will be changed and employees usually create confrontation which will lead to risk of speed of work, spirits and results. There is a common approach of change management that start with the top management team and then engage the stakeholders and this concept should start in early stage of change itself. Start at the top: When changes in organization system occurs then everyone looks at the top management as the decisions comes from them who that how this should be along with its protocols. Top management should work together by planning and commitment and they must communicate with each other. Involve every layer: When the course of action of change starts then we makes the strategy then designs its way and in implementation phase starts which affect all levels of the organization. Leadership at every level is must required with expertise in knowledge. Communicate the message: One must keep in mind that there should not be any communication gap during the change management. There is a big mistake which is normally seen that some managers believe that all members in the team understand the problems. There is usually need of regular and timely messages which should be inspirational and applicable. Communication must be from bottom to up and from up to down also so that employees may get information at right time. There is also need of right message to right person to avoid bad consequences. Prepare for unexpected: Whenever change is made according to plan then one usually has many problems faced during change management process. There are some unforeseen ways of reaction shown by some people. The reason of reaction could be anything. There should be persistent reassessment of the impact of change is needed and we should have the ability to adopt any sudden change into the organization. Change Management Models The change management should include the organizational change management procedures along with the individuals development according to the change in order to avoid the conflicts and to have healthy environment in the organization. There are many approaches/models for the change management but following three models are described here: McKinsey 7-S Model Lewins Change Management Model John P. Kotters Eight Steps of Change Management 4.5.1 McKinsey 7-S Model McKinsey 7-S Model is developed by McKinsey and Company in 1981. The 7-S model is used to analyze the organization and their effectiveness. This model illustrate that an organization is consist of seven elements. This model is widely being used by many practitioners and academics to analyse different organizations. The seven models are distinguished in the hard Ss and the soft Ss. Strategy, structure and system are considers as the Hard Ss and Style, Staff, Skills and shared values are the Soft Ss. McKinsey 7-S model helps the organization to control and formulate the change management for all these seven models. Checklist can be developed for each model to analyze if any change is required and then necessary steps can be taken to achieve the desired changes. The figure above shows the integration of each model in a way that all Models have interaction with each others and it also shows that Shared Values have common interaction with remaining 6-S models. The description and use of each model is explained bellow and categorised as the Hard Ss and the Soft Ss. The Hard Ss: STRATEGY Strategy is the set of plans for the action required to restructure the organization for the changes in its external environment. Organizations goals and decision and action of achieving the desired changes are the major factor for the strategy development. STRUCTURE When planning any changes, the organization needs to be organized in a way that that the structure of organization will remain controlled. If the organizational structure is affected due to changes request without controlling the factors like responsibilities, the system can be fully disturbed and it can cause serious problems SYSTEMS In any organization, people are working systematically for performing their tasks and responsibilities. While making changes it is important to take care of the system that the normal routines of staff shall not be affected in a way that they will not be able to perform their jobs. The Soft Ss: SHARED VALUES Every organization has their personal goals and objectives which gives the reason to all staff and management to move forward to perform their daily tasks. These goals and object have the same values for each and every body in the organization. While making the changes in the organization, the shared values should not be changed otherwise it will take the organization into failure of its goal. STYLE Organization develops and maintains their culture and style of management. Organizations style also means that the way managers interact with their employee and the way they spend their time. Changing the organizations culture and style is difficult task as it involves the people personal behaviour STAFF Organizations success always depends on their staff and teams working on the assigned tasks to achieve their goals. The organizations now a days are paying more attention into their human resources to have the right and active competences. The need and importance of Human resource management became essential for most of organizations now a day. Changing in staff can really result into a big success or big failure depending on right decisions by HR management. SKILLS Staff without the right skills to perform any tasks can create several problems for the operations and May results into big disasters. Technology is improving our working environment and new skills needed to be developed into existing staff to fulfil their gaps. Skill development through trainings can help the staff to have the right skills to perform their tasks. 4.5.2 Lewins Change Management Model Change is a common thread that occurs in all businesses regardless of size, organization and age; even in our individual lives. There is a common saying that change is the only permanent thing in life. The whole world is changing fast; hence organizations must change quickly as well. The leading organizations are those that manage change well. As for those that do not, they have continued to struggle to survive. Developed in 1950s, Kurt Lewins Change Management Model is one of the most popular cornerstone models for understanding organizational change. His model is popularly known as Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze which refers to the three-stages of change he described. Lewin explained organizational change applying the analogy-changing the shape of an ice block. First stage: Unfreezing This is possibly one of the most critical stages to realize in the area of change we find ourselves today. The stage is about making preparations for the change that is about to happen. In this stage, we must understand that change is necessary and we must be prepared to move away from our present comfort zone. The more we perceive the need for a change, the more urgent it becomes and the more our motivation to make the change. You can compare this with having a job to be delivered within a deadline. The closer the deadline, the more likely you are to hurriedly get the job started. The deadline for a job is usually tied around some kind of rewards or punishment. Without a deadline, the urge to change is lower compared to the need to change. The motivation to make the change, and get on with it also becomes lower. It is important to weigh the pros and cons and then be sure that the pros outnumbers the cons before you take off. This leads us to what Lewin termed the Force field Analysis. Force Field Analysis shows us that there are different factors (forces) that we need to observe when making change. Some are for while some are against. If, the factors for change is more than the factors beside change we will make change. Otherwise, there is low motivation and if we force a change were likely to be heading for a danger. The first stage of unfreezing is moving our selves, or a department, or an entire organization towards motivation for change and one good way of doing this is by using The Kurt Lewin Force Field Analysis. Second Stage: Change or Transition The second stage called change or transition takes place as we formulate the changes that are required. According to Kurt Lewin, change is as a process and not an event. The process is what he called transition. He then described transition as the inner movement we make in response to a change. This stage is often the hardest because people are uncertain and fearful. The period is more difficult as people are learning about the change which requires some understanding to work with. Therefore it is very important to give them all the necessary support in the form of coaching and training and to have it in mind that mistakes are part of the change process. It is more helpful using role models and giving people room to develop their own solution towards making the change. It is also essential to let people have an understandable image of the required change and the usual benefits. By so doing, they stay focused, and this can only be achieved through effective communication. Third Stage: Freezing or Refreezing This stage focused on establishing stability after the changes are made. The changes become the new way of doing things. Although it takes time for people to get used to the new norms as they have to form new relationships, but as time goes on they become adapted and comfortable with their routines. However there has been a lot of criticism and people argue that practically there is never time for the so called freezing stage. The world is so dynamic now and it might just take a couple of weeks for another change to happen. Hence, there is no time to settle into comfortable routines. The freezing sounds too rigid and does not fit with the modern idea of change which is a continuous and sometimes a disorderly process in which greater flexibility is demanded. For this reason, it is recommended that we think of this final stage as being more flexible, instead of a rigid frozen block. Consequently, unfreezing for the next change becomes easier. 4.5.3 John P. Kotters Eight Steps of Change Management In today environment change becomes natural part of doing business, whether be change in consumers behaviour, competitive landscape, supply chains, financial market, labour market. Not many organizations can adapt to changes coming to them effectively and in many instances can bankrupt the company. One of the leading management guru is John P. Kotter who introduced concept of eight steps to organization change management to help company adapt and prepare to various changes that affecting organization. Kotter has written several bestseller books. The most recognize one is Leading Change, which discusses practical 8-step process for the organization to follow when facing changes. The process describes useful insight on how to manage change for business organization of which key principles taking into people participation and roles in identification and implementing strategies. Kotters eight steps are being discussed briefly as follows: Establish a Sense of Urgency It is vey crucial for an organization to be ready and responsive to changes that happen in the market. The best way is for management to create sense of urgency for change and engagement staff at all level to be aware and adaptive for changes that company may encounter. The management should evaluate the market landscape and analyze impact or potential threat and opportunity to the company. This should also be shared among key staff to form a strategic plan. Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition In order to implement change effectively, key staff should come together to form a working group or steering committee to lead the effort. Create a Vision Establish sensible vision for change. The vision should reflect value and reason that change need to happen. It must be accompanied by workable strategies not a wishful one. Communicate the Vision Once the vision is established, management need to communicate it effectively as it is a guiding principle for change. Tools of communication and target group must be carefully crafted to ensure most effective effort and utilization of resources. Empower Others to Act on the Vision In order to create change, management must eliminate obstacles or system/process that gets in a way of implementing the vision and strategies. Management should encourage staff to take calculated risk and breakout of existing comfort zone to embracing new vision and strategies. Plan for and Create Short-Term Wins In reality, for an organization to achieve its vision may take long period of time and faces many obstacles and setbacks. Management should set a series of achievable short term goal that link to strategy and vision so staff can have a reachable goal to achieve and feel accomplish. It is also the opportunity to identify improvement in process to better achieve the vision as goal being reviewed periodically. Consolidate Improvements and Produce Still More Change Continue improvement in work process and system is important key to ensure that organization moving forward toward achieving the vision. This also includes the improvement in human resources practices from hiring, promotion and personal development. Institutionalize New Approaches To create lasting change, the new way of thinking should be part of organizational culture, process, structure and human resources development. The above provide general information on Kotters 8 steps process of which offers good framework for an organization in approaching change. According to him only 15% of businesses will successfully implement and adapt to change that coming to them. One of the reasons may be that most management fails to take the complexity of human the connection. Some of executives would probably outline the right business strategy but unable to implement it effectively due to internal resistance to change within its organization as well as poorly communicate to the staff of the changes and the way to go forward in managing it and cause misunderstanding or fear among employee. To summarize, Kotters concept is very useful and actionable, nevertheless, the company chose also be mindful of its staff culture and personality and revise plan to communicate effectively. Analysis Analyzing the three models described above McKinsey 7-S Model, Lewins Change Management model and John P. Kotters Eight Steps pf Change Management can be observed that each model have their own particularities and focus in the Change Management Subject. In the case of the first model, McKinsey 7-S Model M, is more focused in the areas that should be considered during an organisational change and created in the beginning of the 80s. This model has been classified by INMPACT group in two parts as Organisational Core Aspects as Strategy, Structure and systems which can be classified as the spine; and in the Human Resources aspects where are considered values, management style, leadership, interaction, skills and competences. Lewins Change Management model is a general model created in the 50s and talks about three different stages during a change management. The three stages mentioned are unfreezing, change and freezing. From our point of view this model gives a global view in the topic, but is missing certain important aspects that are crucial during the planning, implementation of a change inside any kind of organisation. Nowadays companies live in an environment where if the company stays at the freeze stage exists a higher possibility of failure due to the environment and other players are in continuous change that is the reason why companies have a high degree of flexibility in their human resources, strategy, systems and structure. Kotters eight steps Change Model focus on the urgency sense and on a high degree of responsiveness, leadership (powerful guiding coalition) and human resources, vision and structure, communication, empowerment, short term win through challenging but also reachable goals, continuous improvement in systems, processes and practices, people planning and development. The eight steps models from our point of view are focused on the continuous environmental changes, consumers behaviour, supply chains, financial markets, etc. From our point of view the Mckinsey model and the Eight Step model can be integrated in one model in order to have a better view on the Change Management, it both models can complement each other in both main aspects mentioned by McKinsey model organisational core areas and Human resources and at the same time the eight steps can be classified in both areas. Discussion As mentioned before can be developed one model 8Steps-Mckinsey in where the different aspect mentioned by both models can be identified in one. 8 STEPS- MckinseyLeadership Responsiveness Continuous Improvement Empowerment People Planning Vision Short Term Goals As can be perceived in the model leadership, responsiveness and continuous improvement should be present in all parts of the model, while in the organisational core part should be integrated the vision and short term goals which help to establish new perspectives to the strategy, structure and vision. At the same time the Human Resources should have the ability to be empowered, and at the same time HR Management should define which competences want to be developed, skills and capacity. Conclusion Nowadays Organizational change is required and it is increasing, but the change happens not very successfully. The high levels of breakdown signify that proper management of these changes is still missing. It shows that there is a lot to learn about the how to deal with change more efficiently. We have found that there is no solitary model of change management is there which is applicable to everywhere and there cannot be single solution for it. However we do have some models from our studies which are better and one can apply these as per their applicability. It has been seen that the management professionals are not always having the appropriate skills to lead change management and are not keenly included within the change procedure. However, many of such concerns that are identified concern of the people aspects of change. In such cases human resource management department should take the steps for it and manage it, to have healthy consequences of the change. To achieve this there is a need of proper skills is needed in the management side as well as the human resources as well. The change management response should be adaptive. The key elements of the successful change management are plan for long term in broad manner, establish proper communication methods to enable fast review and good decision from the managers, empower people to have decision at local operational level, avoid unnecessary changes and time consuming procedures, encourage people to adapt the changes by proper training and telling its benefits and respect peoples feelings and optimize the IT systems to facilitate for valuable information management. Recommendations Our team recommends a deeper study of change management models for all our stakeholders, our readers as currently there are so many change management models being used by different organizations and their selection criteria depends totally on their own needs and objectives. In theory we have some models which says that one can have be flexible for his way of change management and one should allows the flexibility to respond the change but such models are not very practical when it comes to the consequences of changes. e.g. capability to share knowledge and to work efficiently, it may have impact on effectiveness of communication or individual commitment, which itself has implications for change effectiveness. The individual development and training plays the important role in change management process. The human resource involvement in the individual development plays significant role. Following are some important responsibilities of human resource team towards the employees, which has significance during the change management process: Participation at the early phase in the project group. Get used to negotiating and connecting across various individuals. Understanding individuals concerns to look forward to problems. Develop good medium of message to reach a variety of groups. Serving people deal with change, performance management and motivation. Advising project managers in skills available within the organization examining skills gaps, training requirements and new working observations etc. Harmonizing out the contracted/temporary goals with broader tactical needs. Evaluating the impact of change in one department and its influence on another part of the organization.

Understanding Mobile Technology Development

Understanding Mobile Technology Development The world becomes increasingly interconnected technologically. The use of mobile data has grown surprisingly with the rising use of the smart phones. Therefore, mobile app plays an important role for the todays business. There are three different approaches for developing mobile apps: Native Apps: The Android and iOS are the two widely used app platforms. The Native apps are developed for a specific platform.ÂÂ   So the native apps which are developed for Android devices will not work on iOS devices and vice versa. The native apps are built using native programming languages like Objective C, Java, etc. Each mobile platform offers their proprietary development tools for developing the native apps. (Swift, 2015) The native apps can use the recourses of the devices effectively like camera, sound system, graphics, etc.ÂÂ   Due to make the native apps for specific device, it works fast and reliable to the users. The native apps offer best user experience. The main disadvantage of the native apps is that they will not work on all kinds of devices. So the organization needs to develop different versions of native apps for multiple platforms. Thats why it is costly to build and maintain. Web Apps: The web apps are the mobile version of websites. They are the mobile optimized apps that load within a mobile internet browser like Mozilla, chrome, etc. The users dont need to install the web apps to their mobile devices. So the web apps dont require any space in the devices. Several programming languages like CSS, HTML5, CSS, etc are used to develop the web apps. A web app is easy to develop and can be very simple.ÂÂ   A constant internet connection is required to access the web apps. It may work slow and difficult to engage with users. The financial times has a good mobile web app. (Iversen and Eierman, 2013) Hybrid Apps: The Hybrid apps are the combination of native and web apps. It is written by HTML, CSS and JavaScript and then warp by PhoneGap or Cordova.ÂÂ   The performance of Hybrid app may be reduced due to add an extra layer between the native code and targeted platform. This app is comparatively cheaper than native app and easy to build. It is faster than web app and easy to maintain. Only the native portion of the hybrid apps needs to be rewritten to work it on multiple platforms. So an organization doesnt need to manage a hybrid app in different platforms. So developing hybrid app is economical solution. (Swift, 2015) The Cheswick Green House (CGH) wants to launch their own mobile app due expand their business and more engagement to their customer. A hybrid app is suitable for this type of business because the Cheswick Green House needs a wide acceptability mobile app for growing their business. From the above discussion, we have seen that the hybrid apps have the capability of running on different types of mobile devices. Moreover, this app has more user engagement capability. It is also easy to develop and economical. So I think a hybrid app is suitable for the Cheswick Green House. (McCallister, 2014) The main challenge for the mobile app development is to make it widely acceptable so that it can reach to the optimal number of users.ÂÂ   The performance of the app may be reduced while developers try to make the app widely acceptable. So its a big challenge for the developer to keep the apps simple, clear and responsive. Since most apps run on mobile devices, it is necessary to develop an app with minimum power consumption and resource utilization. Network security is an important part of the todays network. So it is also a key challenge to make the app secure and reliable to the users. (McCallister, 2014) Basically, the mobile app development is a program that runs on the mobile devices like tablet, Smartphone, etc; whereas, the desktop or laptop application is a creation of computer programs that runs on a desktop or laptop devices. Most of the apps for standard computer are developed by HTML, PHP, CSS and JavaScript. On the other hand, the mobile app development depends on a lot of factors. Different programming languages are used to develop different versions of mobile apps. For example, Java is used to build Android apps and swift is used for iOS apps. (McCallister, 2014) In this assignment, we have described three different approaches for developing mobile apps, identified their advantages and disadvantages, selected a suitable approach for the Cheswick Green House and finally justified my decision based on the business operation of the company. We have identified some key challenges for the mobile app development also and made a comparison between mobile and desktop apps. References Iversen, J. and Eierman, M. (2013) Learning mobile app development: A hands-on guide to building apps with iOS and Android. Harlow: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers. McCallister, J. (2014) Mobile Apps made simple: The ultimate guide to quickly creating, designing and utilizing mobile Apps for your business 2nd edition. United States: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. Swift, O. (2015) Android: App development programming guide: Learn in a day! United States: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Reconstruction of Agency and Humanity in Female Protagonists Essay

Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Story of West Indian Life by Edward Jenkins was the first attempt to influence public opinion against the indenture servitude system by making the victims into characters that the reader could empathize with. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys explores the one-dimensional character, Bertha Mason of Bronte’s Jane Eyre. In her version Rhys attempts to develop Antoinette into an individual and portray her not as the Madwoman from the attic, but as a victim of the external forces of a patriarchal society. Both texts plead for the humanity of their female protagonist, with the intent of having the reader see them as full human beings. Where in one text the writer successfully portrays the protagonist as a human being deserving of sympathy, the other has aspects of form and literary elements that threaten and ultimately fails to provide the objective stated by the writer himself. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys gives new life and identity to Bronte’s Bertha Mason as the protagonist Antoinette Cosway. The novel opens to Antoinette’s narration, â€Å"They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did. But we were not in their ranks. The Jamaican ladies had never approved of my mother, ‘because she pretty like pretty self’ Christophine said†. In those first sentences, Antoinette faces issues of identity within two cultures. She distinguishes herself from the white people, referencing that in that society there is a hierarchy of power among the white creoles. Her rank limits her ability to claim whiteness, for she is the daughter of a now impoverished family. However, in noting Christophine, who serves as the only mother-like figure hints that Antoinette’s beliefs are shaped by those of the black society she... ...tchmee and Dilloo: A Story of West Indian Life . Vol. 1. London: W. Mullan & Son, 1877. Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine . Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Jenkins, Edward. Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Story of West Indian Life . Vol. 2. London: W. Mullan & Son, 1877. Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine . Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Jenkins, Edward. Lutchmee and Dilloo: A Story of West Indian Life . Vol. 3. London: W. Mullan & Son, 1877. Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine . Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Rhys, Jean, and Francis Wyndham. Wide Sargasso Sea . New York: Norton, 1992. Print.

Essays --

When most people think of dairy animals they immediately think of a cow because that’s what they are taught growing up. More recently dairy goats operations have become more and more popular because of this dairy goat products will continue to be product in demand. In 2013 there were three hundred sixty thousand milking goats with Wisconsin being number one with forty six thousand milking goats . In the United States cow’s milk is most commonly consumed milk; but worldwide its goat’s milk that is most widely consumed. Milk overall is known as a natural source of nutrients, goats milk is a popular alternate to cow’s milk with it being easier to digest. Overall goats are much more efficient than dairy cattle. They produce more for their body size, the cost to raise them is much cheaper, and the components in goat’s milk are on a much higher scale than any dairy cattle. Goats are a smaller statured animal than a cow; they are about one sixth the size of a mature cow . Goats also have a longer production span than a cow; they can produce for about eight to ten years, where as a cows average is only four to six years . On a daily basis goats milk up to nine pounds a day, for their body size they are they are producing seven percent of their own body weight a day. Comparing that average for a goat to a dairy cow that weighs about fourteen hundred pounds and produces eighty pounds a day; that means cows are only producing four point four percent of their body weight. Since dairy goats are smaller they don’t need as much feed as a dairy cow does to produce milk. For their body size, goats are slightly more efficient than cows; it takes less feed for a dairy goat to produce a gallon of milk than for a cow to produce a gallon . F... ...in B which helps with the nervous system control and is also high in riboflavin which affects growth. There are many reasons people choose to raise dairy goats. Goats may be smaller than cows but they can out shine a dairy cow any day. Goats have many positive aspects to them that many people may not know about. Even though goats are only one sixth the size of a dairy cow they produce more for their body size than any dairy cow. Since goats are smaller that means they will eat substantially less than a dairy cow does. If someone is looking milk just for a family a goat would be a better choice because of the fact that cows will produce way more milk than one family can consume. Also there are many health reasons goats milk is better for a human than cow’s milk. Goats are a blooming industry and many farmers are realizing that there is more money in raising them.

Did the Liberal Welfare Reforms Lay the Foundations of the Welfare State?

Did the liberal Welfare Reforms lay the foundations of the Welfare State? This essay will assess how far reaching the liberal Welfare Reforms were and how far they can be said to represent the foundations of the Welfare State. The Welfare State is when the Government takes care of the health and well-being of all its citizens from â€Å"cradle to grave†. The liberal Welfare Reforms did represent a move away from â€Å"laissez-faire† towards a programme of social reform. The liberal reforms concentrated on five main groups. These were the young, introducing school meals and medical inspections with the Education Act 1906 and 1907, the old with the Old Age Pensions Act 1908, and the sick who were helped with the first part of the National Health Act 1911. The employed were given compensation for injuries sustained at work with the Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1906 and other things such as an eight hour day for miners due to the Coal Mines Act 1908. A half day off was also given to shop assistants following the Shops Act 1911 and there was a minimum wage for â€Å"sweated industry† workers with the Trade Boards Act of 1909. The unemployed were given help to find work with the Labour Exchanges Act 1909 and unemployment insurance which was brought in with the second part of the National Insurance Act 1911. The first social reforms to be carried out by the Liberals were concerned with children and dealt with the provision of school meals and the medical inspection of all pupils. Now that education was compulsory it was made clear that many children were often coming to school hungry, dirty or suffering from ill health. A study carried out in a poor area of Dundee in 1905 showed that children were significantly underweight and under height when compared with the national average. The report said â€Å"†¦ a large number of children who should be under medical supervision† and â€Å"†¦ they cannot apply their minds to lessons while their stomachs are empty†. The Boer War in 1899 had highlighted the problem that Britain had with the physical condition of its citizens. When recruiting soldiers to fight in the war, the height requirement had to be dropped from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 2 inches so that Britain would have enough soldiers. The leader of the Social Democratic Foundation (SDF) claimed at the time that 50% of the working-class recruits from towns and cities had been unfit to fight due to their poor physical condition. To bring Britain back to a good physical state, the Government decided it was best to start with children and did this with the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906. Much of the credit for this Bill lies outside the Liberal Party. There was a lot of public concern created by reports carried out in the wake of the Boer War. One of these was a report carried out by The Royal Commission of Physical Condition in Scotland and the other was carried out by The Interdepartmental Committee on Physical Deterioration. A labour backbencher called William Wilson introduced the school meals proposal which was so popular that the Liberals decided to give it a chance; this was then called the Education (Provision of Meals) Act. The act allowed local authorities to take steps as they saw fit to provide school meals for children either through voluntary work or using the local authority money. Parents were to pay for school meals if they could afford it, however, if they could not the local authority could pay a halfpenny. The number of school meals provided by the Government started at 3 million in 1906 and eventually rose to 14 million in 1914. Within a short period of time a Government funded Welfare system was beginning to replace many of the efforts made by charities. There was still a long way to go though as in 1912, over half of the local authorities had not set up a school meals service. In 1907 there was another Bill passed in order to take care of the health of school pupils. This was the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act which was not popular with the Liberal Government at first as they knew that health inspection in schools would lead to public demand for government funded medical treatment for everyone and the Liberals did not think that they could afford to do this. However, Robert L Morant, the Permanent Secretary of the Education Board during 1906 had been convinced about the need for school medical inspections through contact with a woman called Margaret Macmillan. She said â€Å"for the good of the children and the public, what subjects are taught and how much they are taught do not matter anything like so much nowadays as attention to the physical condition of the scholars†. In 1912 the Board of Education started to give grants to local authorities to set up school clinics to provide all pupils with healthcare. Although this was a huge step towards a Welfare State it was not a foundation as these acts would not have been passed had Elementary education not been made compulsory in previous years. The Old Age Pensions Act in 1908 was the conclusion of over 20 years of debate surrounding the subject of poverty amongst the elderly. Lloyd George the new Chancellor of the Exchequer in April 1908 made it his job to get the Old Age Pensions Bill through the House of Commons and although it passed through the House of Commons with very little opposition. However, the House of Lords was slightly more difficult to tackle as the majority of Lords still believed in â€Å"laissez-faire†. When eventually the Bill passed through all of its stages, it became law in 1908 and came into effect in January 1909. The Act entitled people over the age of 70 to between 1 shilling (5p) a week and 5 shillings (25p) a week of pension. However, this amount of money still fell below what Rowntree considered to be the poverty line by 2 shillings (10p) a week. There were also a few exceptions. Any 70-year-old was entitled to the pension as long as they were British and had been a resident in the UK for over 20 years, they had avoided imprisonment in the past previous 10 years to receiving their pension and they had not regularly avoided work. The Government had miscalculated how many of the public would need a pension as they estimated that there would only be around 500,000 but by 1914 there were 1 million pensioners in Britain. This made the Government very quickly aware of the poverty that the elderly people in the country were facing. Although the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 was a significant step towards the Welfare State, this was not part of the foundations as things such as Friendly Societies had been there before to help the Elderly. The sick created another task for the Liberal Government. On returning from Germany, Lloyd George immediately started work in setting up a way to help people who couldn’t earn money on their own as they suffered from illness. However, he again came up against opposition from friendly societies but also came up against Trade Unions and Doctors. As Lloyd George was Chancellor of the Exchequer he was also very aware of the cost of bringing in National insurance. In order to pay for the National insurance scheme, income tax was made more progressive in that the more money you earned, the more money you paid in tax. Lloyd George had to account for all of this in the 1909 budget, however, this was rejected by the House of Lords and the Parliament Act 1911 had to be passed to limit the power of the Lords. The Peoples Budget was passed in 1910 which meant that the Government now had the money to start its social welfare programme. The health insurance scheme was contained in part 1 of the National Insurance Act 1911, this was a compromised Act and there was a lot of work still to be done to help those at a disadvantage in society. To stop the opposition to the Act from Trade Unions, Lloyd George decided to include them in the system along with Friendly Societies who would help him with his new system. When Lloyd George came out with his proposals, the British Medical Group had very strong objections to them. They did not want what existed between the Doctors and the Friendly Societies on a national scale where the Doctors felt they were being paid too little money to treat working-class patients. When Lloyd George went to meet with the Doctors he had to tell them that Friendly Societies were too powerful for him but offered the Doctors a higher contract fee of 4 shillings (20p) per patient and 2 shillings (10p) to cover any drugs costs, this was much more than the Friendly Societies had been willing to give and therefore, when the Act was passed, many of the poorer Doctors joined and were able to double their income quickly. Although this was a better way of helping the sick, it was not one of the founding principles of the Welfare State as there were Friendly Societies there before who did almost the same thing. Unemployment was still believed to be the fault of the individual who was unemployed up until the 1900s as many people wouldn’t accept that if a worker was unemployed it may be due to circumstances out with their control. The causes of unemployment were hidden by the belief in Samuel Smiles book on ‘Self-help’ which basically said that if a person was unemployed it was there own fault and they had to get themselves out of unemployment by hard work and belief that they could get a job. This was believed for a long time as nobody had accurate information on how bad the problem actually was. Part 2 of the National Insurance Act covered the unemployed. This was a contributory insurance scheme where workers paid 2? d, the employer paid 2? d and the Government paid 3d per week. Insurance was compulsory for trades such as Shipbuilding, building construction and sawmilling as these were seasonal trades which had a repeated pattern of unemployment. Labour Exchanges had two roles, the first was to allow the unemployed to find work and the second was to pay out unemployment benefit to those who were insured. In order to receive unemployment insurance the worker had to go to the Labour Exchanges and register as unemployed, he would then go back there to collect his money. On a weekly basis he would receive 7 shillings (35p) a week for up to 15 weeks of the year. However, if the worker had been dismissed from work following unsatisfactory work or bad conduct then he would not be entitled to any benefit as it was his fault that he was unemployed. Within 2 years of unemployment insurance starting 2. 3 million workers were insured, however, this was still only a small number of the working-class population. Although this was not part of the foundations of the Welfare State as the Conservative Government had passed the Unemployed Workmen’s Act before it left office in 1905, this was seen as a much better way of dealing with the problem of unemployment in Britain. The Liberal Government passed four laws which wanted to improve the conditions of workers. These provided compensation for injuries that happened at work. Shorter hours were given to people who worked in dangerous and difficult jobs such as coal mining. This was a good turning point as miners had been campaigning for this for over 40 years. Minimum wages were given to female workers who were exploited and worked in ‘sweated trades’ such as tailoring, a total of 200,000 workers were affected by The Trade Boards Act of 1909. There was also a half day off and a decent amount of time for meals given to shop assistants who mostly did not have trade unions behind them. The Workmen’s Compensation Act was built on previous Acts of 1897 and 1900, showing that helping the people who were employed had started before the Liberal Government came to power showing that they did not set the foundations of the Welfare State. In conclusion, the Liberal Government did take a lot of steps towards making Britain a Welfare State such as setting up a national insurance system, a pension system for the elderly when they couldn’t work anymore and tried to tackle social issues with Government intervention. However, they did not stop poverty, medical inspections and school meals were not compulsory for local authorities so education was not up to the standard that it should have been, the workhouses were still there although not as widely used and there was no system of family allowance in place. Although some historians think that you can see the origins of the Welfare State in the Liberal Reforms, others believe that the Liberal Reforms failed to deal adequately with the welfare of Britain and were not the origins of the Welfare State. The Liberal Welfare reforms did not lay the foundations of the Welfare State but did improve on measures that were already in place.