Saturday, August 31, 2019
Does Technology Make a Difference? Essay
In Port Jackson, the first British colony of New South Wales arrived. When the colony arrived in January 1788, they came across Aboriginal people who were known to fish around Port Jackson. As of today, there is said to be over 580 species that live in the waters around Port Jackson. The Aboriginal people had been fishing in these areas long enough to make fish a part of their diet. When the British brought their colony to Port Jackson, they learned to also make fish part of their diet. Aboriginal people used the resources around them to make equipment and transportation to fish. They made spears for people who would fish from the shore, and made small canoes and fishhooks out of shells for those who wanted the challenge of catching bigger fish. When the British saw how these people would catch their food, they brought over fishhooks made of metal, nets and boats that were much larger than the canoes. Introducing new and better technology in an environment is never easy. This article discusses the important issues to understand, the good and the bad of technology. Introducing a new technology to an older method made the business of fishing boom, which was good for both sides. With the British bringing in their methods helped bring more fish for the people to eat, with the addition of what the Aboriginals would bring in at the end of the day. Also having the new technology, there was a broader variety of new fish that couldn’t be caught with the old methods. It also helped the Aboriginals convert to using the methods that the British used after seeing how much more fish they could catch in a day. But like everything new to people, it caused the Aboriginals kind of give up on their methods all the way, just to keep up with the British. After a while the Aboriginals would start working on the British boats to earn a percentage of the fish they would all catch each day. The British would also trade some of the fish they had caught for equipment from the Aboriginals. And after a couple years of mass fishing, both parties would fall into the issue of overfishing and pollution from commercial fisheries. As a whole, I thought this whole article was interesting to me, but there was a few things that stuck out more than others. It is mind blowing to hear that just alone, Port Jackson has over 580 species. I always knew that there is quite a few different species of fish, but to think that there is over 580 at Port Jackson and then think about how we can’t swim to the bottom of the ocean to discover what lives only down there makes you wonder if any of the legends we’ve heard as children could be true. There could be all sorts of ancestors of fish or other living things deep down there; they may have lived through ancient history. The other interesting thing I read was about all the fish bones. I know that when things die they leave behind bones, but to think about fish bones lasting that long is crazy. When we cook fish and eat them, you see their bones and how small and fragile they are, and to think that some fish bones can last for thousands of years it’s amazin g. Even though I thought this article was very interesting, there were a few things that were a little difficult for me while reading. I really enjoy learning about the ways of archaeologists and anthropologists, but when I read articles like this I have a hard time following what the author is saying because of all of the weird, scientific names they give to fish, animals or even people. I know that it is just how things are named in the science world, I’m just not familiar with all the terms yet, and so I get confused sometimes. Also I get stumped non-stop about how they found out so much information about a certain thing when we didn’t live back then. I think it is amazing how they find so much information from something so small, like a fish bone, but at the same time its mind boggling because its not like bones, rocks, trees, or other things that they study come with instructions. And I think these things are the reason I am so fascinated with this line of work. For archaeology, this is a very important article to explain that what they do is very important. Archaeology to me is a very important part of our lives. If it wasn’t from them, I wouldn’t have been able to learn things about our past from this article. We learn so much about our pasts and that helps us with our future because of the studies that archaeologists do, like in the article. It’s because of them that we are able to know that the Aboriginal people have to convert to a new method of technology because of the British. It also helps us understand what the living was like at Port Jackson during that time period, which also helps understand what type of plants and animals and fish lived during that time. Which has an end result to help explain the transformation how the fish we know about today are different in some way from the past fish, but know that today’s fish came from the past. It’s the same thing with humans, they study and do tests o f human remains from thousands and thousands of years to get a better understand of where we came from, and what we used to look like or how we came to the features that we have today. In conclusion, this article has given me a lot of new information that helps me understand our pasts a little better. At the same time, it also helps you open your eyes a little more because in today’s world, we have technology change all the time and we are just all so use to it that we don’t really see how much it really changes us or even how it effects us all. Back in the 1780’s I understand and realize how scary change can be for people or colonies. It would be pretty scary for a colony to move to a place you’ve lived and bring these new methods that help and hurt your lifestyle at the same time. And today we don’t usually have those feelings or worries because we are so use to change that we act like it’s nothing. It is also amazing how we are able to look at artifacts or bones from the past, like fish and we know what type of fish they are and long ago they had died. Reading articles like this just is amazing to me because you always wonder how we got to where we are today, or where did we actually come from and why do we have similar features from a bunch of different mammals.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Related Literature to the Cash Flow Management Essay
The role of cash flow information in discriminating between bankrupt and non-bankrupt companies remains a contentious issue. In a number of literature reviews on bankruptcy prediction (e. g. Zavgren, 1983; Jones, 1987; Neill et al. 1991; Watson, 1996) the common view is that cash flow information does not contain significant incremental information content over accrual information in discriminating between bankrupt and non-bankrupt firms. (Divesh S. Sharma, Senior Lecturer, School of Accounting, Banking & Finance, Faculty of Commerce & Management, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia) A cash flow statement is an important indicator of financial health because it is possible for a company to show profits while not having enough cash to sustain operations. It is a financial report that shows to the user the source of a company’s cash and how it was spent over a specific period of time. A cash flow statement counters the ambiguity regarding a company’s solvency that various accrual accounting measures create. It also categorizes the sources and uses of cash to provide the reader with an understanding of the amount of cash a company generates and uses in its operations, as opposed to the amount of cash provided by sources outside the company, such as borrowed funds or funds from stockholders. The cash flow statement also tells the reader how much money was spent for items that do not appear on the income statement, such as loan repayments, long-term asset purchases, and payment of cash dividends (Ryan 2007). Read more: http://www. ukessays. om/dissertation/literature-review/literature-review-on-cash-flow-statements. php#ixzz2WGgTfcVF Review of Cash Flow Failure Prediction Studies The relevance of cash flow information for predicting bankruptcy was highlighted by Beaver (1966). Beaver (1966) reported that cash flow from operations (CFFO), proxied by net income plus depreciation, depletion and amortisation, to total debt had the lowest misclassification error relative to common accrual measures of financial health. However, his univariate approach to analysing financial distress was seldom followed because while ne ratio would indicate failure another could indicate non-failure. Altman (1968) overcame this problem through the use of multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) that simultaneously considers financial ratio indicators of corporate health. Altman (1968) did not examine the value of cash flow information though. Deakin (1972) demonstrated employing MDA that cash flow to total debt was a significant predictor up to three years prior to failure. Like Beaver (1966), Deakin (1972) defined cash flow as net income plus depreciation, depletion and amortisation. While other researchers (e. . Blum, 1974; Norton and Smith, 1979; Mensah, 1983) have shown that cash flow information contains information content in predicting corporate bankruptcy, they are not frequently cited. The rare citation is probably due to the measure of cash flow employed by these researchers. These researchers used Beaver’s (1966) definition of CFFO. Table 1 summarises the research findings of the cash flow failure prediction literature to date. Largay and Stickney (1980) recognised the limitation of using net income plus depreciation, depletion and amortisation (NIDEP) as a measure of CFFO. They demonstrated based on the infamous W. T. Grant Company bankruptcy that NIDEP more correctly reflected working capital from operations. To determine CFFO one had to adjust for changes in current assets and current liabilities other than cash. Largay and Stickney’s (1980) more refined measure of CFFO indicated that W. T. Grant’s cash from operations was negative in eight of the ten years prior to failure while NIDEP was relatively steady until the year immediately prior to its demise. This finding renewed interest in CFFO as an indicator of corporate failure. Lee (1982), a strong advocate of cash flow reporting, showed that the fall of Laker Airways was foreseeable on a cash flow basis. His analysis of CFFO revealed that Laker Airways was in financial trouble three years prior to failure while profits were increasing as failure approached. A stream of multivariate modelling studies began investigating the information content of this refined measure of CFFO. Using an estimation sample and a validation sample comprising 60 bankrupt and 230 non-bankrupt firms and three measures of cash flow information, viz. CFFO, CFFO/Current Liabilities and CFFO/Total Liabilities, Casey and Bartczak (1984; 1985) concluded that none of the three operating cash flow variables significantly improved the classification accuracy of the six accrual ratios model. Casey and Bartczak (1985) reached this conclusion on the basis of the number of firms correctly classified into their respective groups. While their conclusion is valid, there are grounds to argue that cash flow information has significant information content over accrual information in assessing the predicted probability of failure. Predicting the probability of failure extends the mere classification into either the failed or nonfailed group and is practically more useful. For instance, the classification of a company into a non-failed group does not provide information on the likelihood of this group membership. Consistency Principle Consistency Principle is one of the four major principles that are used for estimating the project cash flows. According to this principle, consistency in the cash flows is very necessary. At the same time, consistency in the applicable discount rates on the cash flows should also be maintained. There are two important factors that are related to the Consistency Principle. These two are the investor group and the inflation. Investor Group: The Consistency Principle holds that while estimating the project cash flow, it is also important to consider the investor’s opinion or view. There are different types of investors in a firm like the lenders or the stockholders and so on. Again, if it is not possible to consider every kind of investors’ view, then the stockholder’s view regarding the cash flow may be considered. According to the investor’s standpoint, the project cash flow denotes that amount of cash that is provided to the investors. The payable taxes must be deducted from this amount and if there is any need for investment in the ongoing project then that amount should also be deducted from the amount allotted for the investors. At the same time, if the stockholders standpoint is regarded then the project cash flow is that amount that is offered to the stockholders. This amount should not include any kind of payable tax or any such amount that is necessary to invest in the particular project. Again, before offering any money to the stockholders, the firm is required to clear all the debts. Now, the next important factor is the consistency of the discount rate that is to be applied on the project cash flow. There are two types of discount rate known as the weighted average cost of capital and cost of equity. Inflation: In case of inflation, there are two ways of estimating the project cash flow of a particular project. The first option is to merge a likely inflation in the project cash flow estimates. After this, a nominal discount rate is applied on the amount. Another way of handling the inflation factor is to calculate the project cash flows of the future in real terms with real discount rates. Cash flow estimation is a must for assessing the investment decisions of any kind. To evaluate these investment decisions there are some principles of cash flow estimation. In any kind of project, planning the outputs properly is an important task. At the same time, the profits from the project should also be very clear to arrange finances in a proper way. These forecastings are some of the most difficult steps involved in the capital budgeting. These are very important in the major projects because any kind of fault in the calculations would result in huge problems. The project cash flows consider almost every kind of inflows of cash. The capital budgeting is done through the co-ordination of a wide range of professionals who are going to be involved in the project. The engineering departments are responsible for the forecasting of the capital outlays. On the other hand, there are the people from the production team who are responsible for calculating the operational cost. The marketing team is also involved in the process and they are responsible for forecasting the revenue. Next comes the financial manager who is responsible to collect all the data from the related departments. On the other hand, the finance manager has the responsibility of using the set of norms for better estimation. One of these norms uses the principles of cash flow estimation for the process. There are a number of principles of cash flow estimation. These are the consistency principle, separation principle, post-tax principle and incremental principle. The separation principle holds that the project cash flows can be divided in two types named as financing side and investment side. On the other hand, there is the consistency principle. According to this principle, some kind consistency is necessary to be maintained between the flow of cash in a project and the rates of discount that are applicable on the cash flows. At the same time, there is the post-tax principle that holds that the forecast of cash flows for any project should be done through the after-tax method. What is Time Value of Money? Time value of money is the basis of discounted cash flow analysis in finance. It is one of the core principles of small business financing operations. It as to do with interest rates, compound interest, and the concepts of time and risk with regard to money and cash flows. The underlying principle of time value of money is that the value of $1 that you have in your hand today is greater than a dollar you will receive in the future. Time value of money includes the concepts of future value (compounding) and present value (discounting). For example, if you have money in y our hand today, you can save it and earn interest on it or you can spend it now. If you don’t get it until some point in the future, you lose the interest you could earn and you can’t spend it now.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Breakeven Point of Sales for Accounting
IN UNITS=         TOTAL FIXED COST                 (Bazley, Hancock & Robinson, 2014).                       CONTRIBUTION PER UNIT IN DOLLARS=    TOTAL FIXED COST                (Cafferky, 2010).                                 P/V RATIO Variable Manufacturing Cost Per Unit Proportionate Contribution Per Unit Weighted average contribution per unit P/V Ratio (Contribution Per Unit/Selling Price Per Unit)  Breakeven sales (units) = IN UNITS=        TOTAL FIXED COST                                                                   CONTRIBUTION PER UNIT                                                                        = $270,000                                                                              $10.15                                                                                                                                              = 26601 units  Now 26601 units have been divided in the proportion of 1:1:3 (as determined above) between the products viz. Squid, Proud Stash and Private zoo. Squid            =26601  x 1  = 5320 units Proud Stash = 26601  x 1 = 5320 units Private Zoo = 26601   x 3  =15961 units Breakeven sales (units) = IN DOLLARS=   TOTAL FIXED COST                                                                                                P/V RATIO                                                                   = $270,000                                                                         11.01%                                                                   = $ 2452202 (difference in the sales amount because of rounding off the percentage of P/V ratio to 11.01%) Now sales of $245220 has been divided into the proportion of 1:1:3 (as determined above) between the products viz. Squid, Proud Stash and Private zoo. Squid            = $2452202  x 1  = $490440 Proud Stash = $2452202  x 1  = $490440                                  5 Private Zoo = $2452202  x 3  = $1471321                                  5 Weighted average p/v ratio=  (18.75%x 0.2*)  +  (14.10%x 0.2)  +   (7.40%x 0.6 # )  =11.01% (The percentage figure has been rounded off and due to this reason there could be slight variation in the amount of breakeven sales figure.)#0.2 = 1/5 Weighted average contribution per unit= (12x 0.2)    +   (11x 0.2)    +    (9.25x 0.6)                                                                        = $10.15 Cafferky, M., 2010. Breakeven Analysis: The definitive guide to cost-volume-profit analysis. Business Expert Press.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10
3 - Assignment Example elf-actualization and esteem needs that appear at the narrow end of the pyramid, goes against the rigid order that the needs should occur (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2010). For the Millennials, the physiological and safety needs would still occur in the provided order of the pyramid, but they would group the esteem, self-actualization, and belonging needs together as they are important to them. This occurs as the Millennials have varying needs in different situations, and thus their preferences shift from time to time. According to Herzberg’s two-factor theory, there is a clear level of needs that are considered to be of a lower level such as those for relationships and job security, and those that are considered to be of a higher level such as those for advancement and recognition. In any case, different motivators have to be combined in different ways to satisfy the needs of different individuals (Espinoza, Ukleja, & Rusch, 2010). Herzberg maintains that Maintenance factors can be utilized in meeting the lower-level needs of individuals while motivators and important in meeting the higher level needs. He suggests that Maintenance factors are only used to meet the basic needs of individuals and prevent dissatisfaction and not for employee motivation. Motivator factors promote job satisfaction and employee motivation by meeting the employee high-level needs. As much as Herzberg has clearly separated the Motivation factors and Maintenance factors, the priorities of the Millennials differ gre atly from those of the earlier generation. As such, for this generation, needs that are considered to be basic, such as job security, and hence covered by Maintenance factors are of less importance for them and instead they prioritize needs such as self-actualization, growth needs, and Esteem needs, which are basic to them, yet they are categorized as higher needs by Herzberg. Case in point, in the absence of such needs, dissatisfaction is likely to occur. As such, these needs
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Social Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Social Work - Research Paper Example History and Milestones of Social Work Charitable Organizational Societies and Settlement Houses The profession and practice of social work in North America began before the turn of the century, with the Charitable Organizational Societies and Settlement Houses from the United Kingdom (Baylis, 2004). Both of them were based on the principle of voluntary philanthropy and of improving conditions for less fortunate members of society. At that time, the term â€Å"social work†was coined and applied to volunteers of these movements (Id.). This is an important milestone because it gave the foundation of social work’s motives and purpose. Social work had altruistic motives and a concern for misplaced values of individuals and societies, social justice and reform mostly focused on poverty and other societal problems and how they affected individuals. The purpose of social work was to help those who were in need in any way possible, mostly by providing tangible resources such as food, clothing, housing and money (Holosko, 2003). Volunteers’ method of intervention was to help socialize people so that they could function better in society (Id.). Individual vs. Societal Problems The next important milestone in the profession of social work came at the turn of the 20th century. At that time, voluntary philanthropy gave rise to scientific philanthropy as social reform changed from a religious to educational based auspice (Id.). This began the 14-year debate, from 1909-1923, between thinking of problems as societal problems to individual problems. At the same time, this milestone reaffirmed the social conscience value of social work; defined casework methods with individuals, small groups, or families; acknowledged the role of empirical research in intervention methods; and, created the split between the dependency problems of individuals and problems of societies (Ramsay, 2001). The Flexner Conference of 1915 At the National Conference on Charities and C orrection in 1915, Flexner presented his analysis of the profession of social work which was that it was an intellectual activity and not actually a profession because it did not have the core sociological traits of a profession (Holosko, 2003). Flexner believed that a profession had to have a communication technique through a highly specialized educational discipline; however, this was not possible given the diverse nature of social work (Id.). The Milford Conference of 1929 This was an important milestone in the social work profession for a number of reasons. One reason the Milford Conference was important is that it unified the social work profession through the casework approach (Howe, 1998). Some other important results of the Conference were that the future casework was contingent on using the community and its resources; more research helps to make better casework decisions; and, the role of the community agency itself as an influence on social work practice (Id.). The Hollis -Taylor Report (1951) This report defined both the professional and nonprofessional activities related to the social work profession. The report was also important because it made a significant impact on curriculum development in undergraduate and graduate social work programs in the United States (Baylis, 1998). Another result of the report was that it brought
Monday, August 26, 2019
Sap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Sap - Essay Example Pan African Health Organization (PAHO) gave the process of vaccine and the types even the challenges of vaccine as a response to preventing the outbreak. CHARACTERISTICS: Cholera is an asymptomatic infection because by the time the symptoms appear, the disease is already widespread. It affects young children, older ones and even adults. Its characterized by watery diarrhea , creamps in the limbs and it leads to dehydration of the patient. Treatment: Vaccination is recommended to those at risk of being infected. Those infected should have continued eating speeds to recover the normal intestinal function. Its treated with Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT). ORT is the easiest and simplest way of treatment since its effective and safe. "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362HYPERLINK "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362&cat=field-news"&HYPERLINK "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362&cat=field-news"cat=field-news" For Haitians, Cholera Remains a Major Public Health Problem, Medecins Sans Frontieres. PROBLEMS: Cholera in Haiti continues to be widespread due to reduced international funding which has slowed down the delivery of medical care and provision of clean water and sanitation services. Measures taken to prevent and treat cholera are not enough because its still far from being
Research paper about Worlf of Warcraft online Essay
Research paper about Worlf of Warcraft online - Essay Example So when Blizzard announced that they were going to reveal their next project this September, the speculation ran rampant, as usual, as fanboys and industry dorks alike started guessing at the possibilities. STARCRAFT 2? Massively multiplayer DIABLO? A first-person shooter? The answer was finally revealed on September 2 at ECTS in London--and, as usual, everyone was wrong again. Coming next from Blizzard is WORLD ΟF WARCRAFT, a massively multiplayer RPG set in the WARCRAFT universe. And although no one expected this, it is as exciting an announcement as they could have made. Finally, Blizzard is swooping down from that eagle-eye view and letting us play inside one ÃŽ ¿f their fantasy universes. Finally, instead ÃŽ ¿f commanding troops from above, we get to be mighty heroes ourselves, creating cur own personal legends. It is Blizzard most ambitious game to date--and over the next 10 pages, the green-skinned CGW peons are ready to take you on a tour ÃŽ ¿f the now-living kingdom ÃŽ ¿f Azeroth in this exclusive first look, Zug zug! As any serious WARCRAFT geek knows, Blizzard has long had a huge story in place for its flagship universe--but most ÃŽ ¿f that story never appeared in the games themselves. But the WARCRAFT I and II designers were obviously frustrated story-tellers, because they packed the manuals and subsequent novels with details ÃŽ ¿f a deeply thought-out fantasy world (somewhat reminiscent ÃŽ ¿f Raymond Feists great Riftwar Saga) that has just begged for further enrichment. Blizzard tried to build on the story in the never-released WARCRAFT ADVENTURES, and the fact that theyre coming back to it again--this time in an online RPG--just proves the level ÃŽ ¿f their obsession. (Bessià ¨re 530-5) "The simple fact is that WARCRAFT is our flagship gig," said Chris Metzen, longtime Blizzard veteran and "keeper ÃŽ ¿f the arcane flame" ÃŽ ¿f all WARCRAFT continuity. "DIABLO kicks ass, STARCRAFT kicks ass--Im partial to
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Advanced Computer Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Advanced Computer Architecture - Assignment Example ent day context, microprocessors are used as integrated devices with the aim of performing numerous functions like text editing, communication, multimedia display and calculation. These can be identified as important devices especially for computers. Specially mentioning, microprocessors can perform information-processing tasks in an effective manner. It is usually considered as an information-processing device performing different tasks with the assistance of embedded programs. Microprocessors are developed in an identical manner to that of the advancement of integrated circuits. The structure of microprocessors can be viewed as quite complex. They are developed through a procedure of deposition along with removal of insulating, semi conducting as well as conducting materials (Cankaya, n.d.). In this regard, the report intends to discuss about the currently used microprocessors that include Core i3 of Intel, Phenom II of AMD and QuadCore of VIA technologies. Additionally, a detailed analysis and comparison would be conducted between the aforesaid microprocessors in relation to their design, cost, performance and energy consumption among others. Core i3 is regarded as the 3rd Generation microprocessor, which has been proven to be quite effective in its performance for embedded ‘22nn Tri-gate transistor technology’. Additionally, the processor possesses Intel HD Graphics 4000, which assists in providing better visuals and developing performances with enhanced efficiency. The processor with the assistance of innovative as well as enhanced media capabilities is able to convert videos at increased speed and provides better gaming experience. The processor is facilitated with ‘Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0’, which aids in performing additional tasks in a speedy way. Moreover, ‘Intel Hyper-Threading Technology 1’ enables each core of the microprocessor to perform two tasks simultaneously. In this regard, the Core i3 processor facilitates in multitasking,
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Folk Music Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Folk Music - Research Paper Example Folk music has existed for hundreds-thousands of years, even though the word only got to be used in the late 19th century. This music was popular especially during the romantic period. Beethoven and Josef Haydn were two popular composers who made arrangements of folk music. Many people also composed dances that would accompany this precious music. Fork music got to its peak in the 1950’s through help from Jimmy Rodgers. This style lasted with popularity until the mid sixties when ‘folk rock’ became popular and the Beatles mania era swept the world. Folk rock was followed by ‘protest music’ where the singers sang the opposite of ethnicity, which was an essential part of folk music and thus, protest music is the complete contrast of true folk music. Folk music revival had completely died by 1975 and was not rejuvenated until late 1990s though the revival contained lesser extent than the original music. While not in a peak revival today, folk music is st ill popular. It is not anticipated to disappear anytime soon given the number of years it had survived. It was transmitted through oral tradition. In the early days (before the twentieth century), factory and farm workers were usually illiterate, so they acquired songs by memorizing them. This was not mediated by books, transmitted media or recorded. The music was usually related to national culture. It was particularly social and from a particular culture or region. Folk songs normally commemorated personal and historical events. Particular songs are used to celebrate important event and days e.g. Christmas, Easter or during weddings and/or funerals (Kip pg 34). These events brought children and nonprofessional singers together to participate in a public arena thus creating emotional bonding. Another characteristic is that it has been performed by custom over quite a
Friday, August 23, 2019
Organization of Public Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Organization of Public Health - Essay Example The closest to the definition of public health provided by IOM is the mission statement of North Dakota Department of Health which is â€Å"to protect and enhance the health and safety of all North Dakotans and the environment in which we live in.†On the other hand, the mission statement of Virginia Department of Health is â€Å"to protect and promote the health of all Virginians.†NJDHSS provides useful information that will enable the people to prepare themselves from biological agents like anthrax; chemical agents like ricin, sarin and VX; emerging infectious diseases like monkeypox, pandemic influenza, and SARS; radiological emergencies; as well as natural disasters and severe weather condition. North Dakota Department of Health and Virginia Department of Health offers a comprehensive information on responding to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks like pandemic influenza and other public health emergencies. The website also teaches the people on NJDHSS provides more general information on child and adult immunization as compared to the local health websites. It also provides information related to travel vaccinations, immunization administrative code, useful weblinks, including annual immunization status report and statistics. To effectively address the specific needs of its target audiences, North Dakota Department of Health intentionally sub-divided its information into three categories known as: (1) health providers; (2) public; (3) schools/day cares. In the case of Virginia Department of Health, they chose to categorize immunization information for children and specific diseases like Hepatitis B prevention. Even though the Public Health and Environmental Laboratories (NJPHEL) provides test report on infected individuals, NJDHSS also utilizes different surveillance method in determining the widespread of the disease. Although North Dakota Department of Health and Virginia Department of Health provides useful
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Tutorial Response Essay Example for Free
Tutorial Response Essay Week 6 Referring to Christopher Pierson discussion of Offe’s work, explain the three â€Å"management crises†of the KWS. Offe (1984) points out that the present Keynesian Welfare System is a form of crisis management however within the system are three management crises; the issue of sustaining the funding for the upkeep of the welfare system, then the issue of administrative willpower; were it battles between providing humane welfare programs and the issue of accountability. Lastly the issue of popular distrust of the states proclivity to help groups who it wants too rather than helping all citizens in need. 2. Marginson discusses ‘market liberals’ (New Right) views on the failures of the KWS and their proposals for addressing them. Explain their views. The market liberals said that KWS failed because the government had too much control over the economy of the country. They felt that too much spending of the government had distorted the market forces of the economy. The full employment logic is damaging to the market since it distorts the truth about unemployment rates but is harmful to the economic market. They have recommended that the government remove all of its regulation laws limiting the business sector. 3. According to Paul Pierson, why has it been difficult for the New Right in the 1970-80s to achieve their retrenchment goals? Although neo-liberals were gaining ground in that period, the retrenchment goals were not fully achieved because although the costs for keeping the welfare system running was too high, it was not possible for the government to reform its welfare programs as it was met with widespread disapproval. Voters were found to be averse of pay cuts and welfare marginalizing than they were of possible equivalent gains if reforms of welfare program was carried out. Week 7 According to Mishra, ‘globalisation is an economic phenomenon driven by politics and ideology’ (p.1). Explain his meaning. Globalisation is an economic force that is brought about by neo-liberal politics and ideology. This means that the neo-liberals have supported free market liberalization and driven by the ideology of minimum government control over the economy of the nation states; the liberal thinkers envisioned a global market. Globalisation extended the capitalism of major countries and city states to the international market where it is less controlled by any national government. 2. According to Kennet, what are the main defining features of the post-KWS economy? The main defining features of post-KWS economy are the decline in manufacturing and assembly lines, increases in service employment, the concentration of economic control by multinational firms and financial institutions, substantial change in the patterns of state interventions and reorientation of the welfare state, the cutting of pay-outs and stricter welfare qualifications. As well as the obsolescence of full employment and the dismissal of Keynesian policies on the economic market. 3. What does she mean by the ‘hollowing out’ of the nation state in relation to economic globalisation? Hollowing out means that due to economic globalisation the nation state have become less of a major player, it implies that the authority of the nation state to govern economic forces have become lesser in contrast to major cities that have taken on world city functions and become centers of economic, social and cultural developments. Moreover, the nation state’s important economic functions and political power to trade and negotiate in the international arena have been lessened or eased out. 4. According to Brietenfeller, what are some of the arguments in favour of economic globalisation? Economic globalisation has led to the increase of prosperity in much of the world, the exchange of goods and services and international capital have encouraged the growth of the business sector, thereby contributing to the growth of the economy in certain countries. With globalisation is also the widespread exchange of technology that has made it possible for countries to trade and market their services and goods unencumbered by state regulations. What problems doe he see arising from it? The greatest problem with economic globalisation is that it encourages stiff competition among a number of countries in terms of labour and capital, thus a country that offers less costs for labour to multinational companies would naturally get the contract, and if multinational companies do not agree with state regulations they can always take their plants to cheaper countries. The end result is that globalisation results in job losses and income inequality. Week8 Downes is a conservative liberal writing in the 1970s. What does he mean by ‘separating the planning and procurement of public services from their production and delivery’? Downes argued that the government should take the role of separating the planning and procurement of public services from their production and delivery. This means that he believes that the government could work more efficiently if it narrows its focus and concentrate on planning and procuring of public services which it does best and then assign the production and delivery of public services to private entities who can do it better and would be more cost efficient to the state. 2. What does Brennan mean by ‘separating steering from rowing’? By steering, Brennan means making policy decisions while rowing is the direct-service delivery of public services. When he says separating steering from rowing, he means that the government should do the steering because it is better and more effective in doing so. The division of these functions would enable the government to concentrate on what they are better at, looking for and raising revenues and planning for social programs that the citizens would benefit from. 3. McGuire discusses contracting out of public services and service delivery contracts for the public sector. To what kinds of developments is she referring? McGuire asserts that contracting out of public services and service delivery contracts for the public sector will answer the need of the government to transition from post Keynesian systems to neoliberalism. She says that contracting will result to competition that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery it also defines what services to be delivered and it facilitates the blurring of traditional boundaries between public and private sectors. In what ways can these developments be understood as ‘steering not rowing’ by the state? Neoliberalism calls for the abolishment of government control over the economy, they believe that true economic prosperity depended on a true and free market. By contracting out public services, the government is basically concerned with policy decisions making – steering such as what services should be contracted out, what performance goals to measure etc, while the same act is rowing because the government awards contracts to private groups to deliver public services. How does Harvey characterise neoliberalism? Harvey defines neoliberalism as a political and economic theory that posits that individuals can only attain progress if the state grants its individual citizens the right to entrepreneurial freedom wherein the state must create laws that protect property rights, establish free markets and free trade. Aside from which, neoliberalism does not approve of state intervention and governance over the business sector as well as the encouraging of welfare dependency.  Week 9 According to Ransome, what distinguishes post-Fordism from Fordism? Post-Fordism is characterized by the belief in the sovereign consumer which has the power to dictate the market forces, what the market provides is based on what the consumer wants and needs. It is also seen as the emergence of personalized life-styles and the withdrawal of individuals into their private worlds. On the capitalist side, owners and means of production begun to implement organizational changes to accommodate the changing consumer profile. According to Ransome, what is the link between the flexible firm, flexible production, and the core-periphery structure of the labour force? Flexible firms are capitalist enterprises that are structured to accommodate organizational changes and production methods around the model of flexible specialization, wherein it can change the size of the workforce, redeployed to different tasks to meet the changes of consumer demands which are accommodated by the retaining of highly skilled workers (core) and transiently employed workers (periphery). Flexible production is the availability of new production methods and the ability to produce specialized goods by flexible firms. 3. According to Walters, what is the significance of neo-liberal notions of the `active society` to labour market policy? The active society seeks to make all individuals workers. It is thought of as a solution to the problem of the welfare state. In the welfare state, those who are on welfare are called inactive and contribute to the shortage of labour. If all individuals capable of getting paid work will be available in the market labour then there will be less need for state policies to protect or serve workers. Active individuals would lead to faster economic opportunity and combat poverty. What concerns does Combet raise in relation to the current Federal Governments ‘workplace agenda’? Combet argues that the workplace agenda is a radical plan that will strip every Australian worker the right to join unions and to collectively bargain with management to improve worker welfare. Then it also removes any protection from unfair dismissal without any right to representation. The plan also proposes to abolish the no disadvantage test and replace it with streamlined conditions that is a disadvantage for every worker. According to Leonard, what is the difference between Fordism and Post-Fordism? Leonard says that Fordism is a period where technological innovation was minimal, organizations were bureaucratic in structure, and workers joined mass unions and wage bargaining was centralized and welfare was standardized for all; as such it was a period wherein everyone thought and was treated alike. Post-Fordism on the other hand is a direct opposite of Fordism although it leaned more to the development of individual choices, specialization and independent thinking. Week 10 1. According to Williams, what is the main features neo-liberal of public sector reform? Neoliberals argue that government spending on welfare programs is too excessive and hence should be regulated. Any reform to the public sector should include cutting public spending and taxes, government should sell its business enterprises to private corporations, contracting out the delivery of services, creating markets out of monopolistic public or private industries and deregulating industries. This would enable the government to focus more on what it should essentially do. 2. Williams refers to the ‘responsibilisation of individuals as market players’(p.250). What does he mean and why does he consider it a problem? Responsibilisation of individuals as market players to Williams mean that citizens of the state now become individualistic in their pursuit of needs and interests in a state that is structured as a marketplace. The problem with this is it encourages the rich to resort to arrangements beneficial to themselves and to disregard any obligation for the collective good. The poor however have no choice and have to contend to what is available to them. 3. According to Mendes, what are the five main concerns neoliberals hold regarding the welfare state? The main concerns of neoliberals regarding the welfare state is that the welfare state is captured by interest groups for their own purpose, it also deregulates the labour market since it preserves minimum wages and deny disadvantaged workers access to jobs. It also encourages welfare dependency, it also does not make any distinction between the undeserving and deserving poor and it reduced private individual’s ability to contribute to charities of their own choice. Rodger suggests there is a ‘new moral economy of welfare’. What does he mean by this? According to Rodger, the new moral economy of welfare means that individuals rather than society will carry the primary obligation to meet their own welfare needs in the future. He acknowledges that there is a relationship between the complex institutional provisions of health and welfare in contemporary society and the nature of social consciousness. The moral fabric of welfare will then be concentrated on preparing individuals to provide themselves with a comfortable future.  Week 11 Moss argues that the Mutual Obligation Scheme is morally flawed because ‘the unemployed have little choice about their contract’ and ‘there is insufficiently mutuality shown towards the unemployed’, and that the Scheme is accordingly ‘essentially punitive’. 1. According to Moss, what is the Mutual Obligation Scheme and what is new about it? The Mutual Obligation Scheme is based on the premise that those who depend on the community for long periods should give something back to the community that supports them. It is also made up of the Work for the Dole 2000 which refers to the obligations of the unemployed in terms of what they can give back in exchange of the help they were receiving like providing services to the local community. 2. What is the moral basis of Moss’s argument? Moss argues that receiving welfare and being obligated to give something in exchange for it is not morally binding. Those on welfare are there because they cannot find work through no fault of their own. Welfare is supposed to be a service that the state owes it citizens and should not be dealt with as a business and hence it is not obligation binding. The title of Mendes’s article is the phrase: ‘Blaming the Victim: the new assault on welfare state’. 3. What does this phrase mean? The phrase means that the reforms on the welfare state were designed to abolish the services that assist the less fortunate and able because it punishes the victims of poverty and disadvantaged for their own fate and to deprive them of the right to assistance. The welfare state existed because of poor people who are lazy and are blamed for the excessive spending of the state which should have been channeled to more necessary services. What evidence does Mendes provide? Mendes have cited a number of evidences that have led him to believe that the poor is blamed for the welfare state. There is the published critique of the welfare state by the New Right; there is the dob in a dole bludger campaign which in essence denigrates the poor with its reference to dole. Those who are unemployed are also forced to keep a dole diary and a review of the Young Homeless Allowance.  Week 12 Llewellen states that the Third World has been created – it is ‘in no way primal or natural’. What is the basis of his argument? Llewellwn states that the Third World is not a natural occurrence; it is a label developed by the First World to designate underdeveloped countries as such. But this designation is a function more of its place in relation to the First world rather than a natural occurrence. Third world countries are underdeveloped because they do not have the same technological advancements as the First world. Third Worldism evolved out of the military, political and economic expansion of the First worlds. 2. Hoogvelt argues that economic globalisation is another phase of the imperialist exploitation of the Third World by the ‘advanced’ world (western/industrialised nations). Explain the basis of her argument. Hoogvelt says that economic globalisation had allowed the advanced world to manipulate the economy of third worlds by imposing on them measures that are beneficial to the first world, the labour divisions that limited the Third world into providing the raw materials, producing and exporting unprocessed commodities to the first world, the profits that the first world gets out from technological rents and the global expansion of capitalists to third worlds are all imperialistic in nature. 3. Amin argues that most discourses of contemporary (economic) globalisation present this phenomenon as a kind of `natural law, thus marginalising any understanding of the social, political and economic factors which bring it into being’. Briefly outline the major points of Amin`s argument. Globalisation accordingly has been perceived as a natural law thereby it has taken off as a natural occurrence. It is a phenomenon that has been brought about by the interdependence of contemporary societies that allowed the deploying of economic dimensions on a world scale. It is founded on historical social compromises between nations and defined within the framework of political states, those who have greater power and resources control the global market. Brietenfeller argues in favour of ‘global unionism’. What difficulties stand in the way of workers ‘solidarity’ between North (west/industrialised) and South (Third World/developing) unions? Global unionism has been sought by many as an answer to the inequality of the conditions and wages of workers all over the world. But there has been strong opposition against the international worker organizations because states fear that it would lead to trade union imperialism, hence policies and reforms to recognize them have been ignored by the state. Factional differences within the group also exist and limit their collective representation in the world trade. Week 13 1. Referring to Esping-Anderson (2002) and Perkins, Nelms and Smyth (2005): Explain ‘social investment’ in your own words. Social investment is a concept that encompasses the states responsibility to invest in its human resources. It is seen that in order for the state to gain economic progress it has to design and give services that would benefit its human capital. It means that the government provide for the education, training and protection of its citizens that would prepare them to participate in the labour market. Social investment would also necessitate the drawing up of social policies that would prioritize government spending on programs and services that will generate the best outcome for the economy and society; like making sure that roads and facilities that would enable the exchange of goods and trades are well kept and in excellent condition. 2. Esping-Anderson suggests that ‘social justice’ should be an important facet of ‘social investment’. What is the proposed moral basis of ‘social investment’ to which Esping-Anderson refers? Social justice is the moral basis of social investment; it means that any action directed towards developing the state’s human capital should conform to the normative definition of justice of the culture. Hence providing opportunities for education and training to enable its citizen to participate in the labour market should be founded on equal opportunities, wherein anything that is beneficial to some should be beneficial to all. The state should also develop life skills for all kinds of people, basic social services should be rooted on the principle of equality and justice. However, priority should be given to those who are the weakest in the state and their welfare would be safeguarded. Social justice also dictates the rules for making choices and selecting priorities on what form of social investment should be given like a the need for having a healthy and educated workforce would take precedence over the need for developing cultural awareness. References Pearson, C. 1998. Beyond the Welfare State, 2nd, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 56-81 Marginson, S. 1997. Educating Australia. Government, Economy and Citizen since 1960, Oakleigh, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 73-81 Pierson, P. 1996. Dismantling the Welfare State? Reagan, Thatcher, and the Politics of Retrenchment, Cambridge University Press: Melbourne. Pp. 1-9 Mishra, R. 1999. Globalisation and the Welfare State, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Pp. 1-16 Kennett, P. 2001. Comparative Social Policy, Buckingham: Open University Press. Pp. 26-29. Brietenfeller, A. 1997. ‘Global Unionism: A potential player’. International Labour Review, Winter 136:4. Pp. 533-37 Downes, A. 1998. ‘Separating the planning and procurement of public services from their production and delivery’, in Anthony Downes ed. Political Theory and Public Choice, Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar. [first published 1976]. [4 pages] Brennan, D. 1998. ‘Government and civil society’, in P. Smyth and B. Cass eds. Contesting the Australian Way, Oakleigh, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 127-137 McGuire, L. 1997. ‘Service delivery contracts; quality for clients, customers and citizens,’ in G. Davis, B. Sullivan and A. Yeatman eds. The New Contractualism, Centre for Public Centre Management, Griffith University, Queensland. Pp. 102-118. Harvey, D. 2005. A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Pp. 1-3, 64-67. Ransome, P. 1999. Sociology and the Future of Work. Contemporary Discourses and Debates, Sydney: Ashgate. Pp. 66-74. Leonard, P. 1997. Postmodern Welfare, London. Sage. Pp. 119-127 Walters, W. 1997. ‘The â€Å"active society†: new designs for social policy’, Policy and Politics, 25(3): 221-34. Pp. 224-31. Combet, G. 2005. ‘Whose Choices? Analysis of the Current Industrial Relations â€Å"Reforms†’. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 56:243-253. Pp. 243-253. Williams, C. 1996. ‘Reinventing’ the welfare state: neo-liberalism and beyond’, in A. McMahon, J. Thomson, and C. Williams eds. Understanding the Australian Welfare State: Key Documents and Themes, Croydon, Victoria: Macmillan. Pp. 248-261. Mendes, P. 2000. Australia’s Welfare Wars: the Players, the Politics and the Ideologies, UNSW Press. Pp. 37-49. Rodger, J. 2000. From a Welfare State to a Welfare Society, London: Macmillan. Pp. 3-10. Moss, J. 2001. ‘The ethics and politics of mutual obligation’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 36(1): 1-14. Pp. 1-14. Mendes, P. 2001. ‘Blaming the messenger: The media, social workers and child abuse’, Australian Social Work. 54(2):27-36. Pp. 27-36. Mendes, P. 1997. ‘Blaming the victim: the new assault on the welfare state’, Journal of Economic Social Policy, 2(1):41-53. Pp.41-53. Gardner, F. 2006. ‘Current Issues and Prospects’, Chapter One in Working with Human Services Organisations, South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Pp. 3-13. Lewellen, T.C. 1995. Dependency and Development. An Introduction to the Third World, London: Bergin and Garvey. Pp. 19-25. Hoogvelt, A. 2001. Globalisation and the Postcolonial World. The New Political Economy of Development, 2nd, Hampshire UK: Palgrave. Pp. 29-34, 43-47. Amin, S. 1999. ‘Capitalism, imperialism, globalisation’, in R. M. Chilcoate ed. The Political Economy of Imperialism: Critical Appraisals, London: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Pp. 157-67. Brietenfeller, A. 1997. ‘Global unionism: A potential player’. International Labour Review, 136(4):531-555. 543-44, Pp. 549-51. Esping-Anderson, Gosta 2002. Why we Need a New Welfare State. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Perkins, Daniel, Lucy Nelms and Paul Smyth. 2005. ‘Beyond neo-liberalism: the social investment state?’ Just Policy, 38:35-40.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Does Oedipus fall due to fate or due to flaw of his character Essay Example for Free
Does Oedipus fall due to fate or due to flaw of his character Essay In the play, Oedipus the King, it was portrayed that Oedipus, the main protagonist, was destined to slay his father and go to bed with his mother as foreseen by the Oracle of Delphi. Although Oedipus did unknowingly kill his own father, Laius, and marry and slept with his own mother, Jocasta, it was the flaws in his character and attitude, and not fate entirely that led to his downfall. In short, even though he was fated to do what he did in the story, he had the option to avoid that fate. However, his very nature prevented him from doing so. In the story, Oedipus was illustrated as a wise and very good ruler. He was sympathetic and compassionate towards his people. However, like most classical Greek tragic heroes, Oedipus also has flaws that eventually led to his downfall. Possibly his most notable flaws include his impulsiveness, rashness, stubbornness, and his tendency to make lapses or errors in judgment. These flaws were shown in several parts of the play, particularly during the time when he was in the process of discovering the truth about his past. When he recounts to his wife and mother, Jocasta, how he killed a group of travelers, one of which was later revealed to be his biological father, Laius, on a crossroad, Oedipus showed that he is highly capable of being rash and short-tempered. Although he was merely defending himself, he could have simply run away and avoided killing the travelers. By doing so, he could have avoided killing his true father while also disproving the prophecy of the Oracle of Delphi. It was also during this scene in the play that Oedipus was portrayed as a man who moves greatly based on impulse and does not think first before acting. Moreover, his rashness was also shown when Tiresias, the blind prophet, refused to tell Oedipus of the truth about the murderer of Laius. Although the prophet warned him that the truth would be bring him only pain and suffering, Oedipus still insisted and even threatened to accuse him of the murdering the fallen king himself. This forces Tiresias to reveal that it was Oedipus who killed Laius. Due to his short-temper, he accused the prophet of conspiring against him, which further showed how foolish he was. In addition, this also showed how blind Oedipus was because even though the truth was already being presented to him, he still refused to acknowledge it. Furthermore, it was his stubbornness and his desire to seek the truth that eventually led to his downfall. When he was still prince of the kingdom of Corinth, he overheard in a banquet that he was not the true child of the king and queen. He immediately sought the truth from the Oracle of Delphi, who simply told him that he would murder his own father and sleep with his own mother. This forced him to flee his home and it was during this time that he met the group of travelers whom he would all kill. After some time, he saved the kingdom of Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx by answering its riddle. This led to this coronation as the king of Thebes and also led to his marriage to Jocasta, whom he did not know to be his biological mother at the time. Finally, when he became king he then sought out to find the murderer of Laius, which set forth the chain of events that brought about his downfall. In other words, in his intense desire to seek the truth and avoid his fate, Oedipus became blinded and unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy of the oracle. Had he not left Corinth, he most probably would have not fulfilled the prophecy and avoided his doomed fate. In short, although it appeared that Oedipus was destined to fall, it was his very nature and lapses in judgment that sparked consequences which, he was not initially aware of. Moreover, it was his fatal flaws such as his arrogance and impulsiveness led him to kills his own father and marry his own mother. It can then be deduced that fate was greatly assisted by Oedipus nature and actions and did not act on its own.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
How Information Systems Can Influence Commerce Essay
How Information Systems Can Influence Commerce Essay In this paper I will focus on how Information Systems can influence each of Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position differently .Firstly I will provide a brief description of Information Systems, then I will look at Porters 5 forces model and how Information Systems can influence each of those five Forces of Competitive. The five competitive forces arises out of Michael E. Porters work Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors(1980). This model has now become a tool which is commonly used for analysing a companys structure and its strategic processes. An information system (IS) includes information technology (IT) and peoples activities to assist in operational management and decision making. Information technology refers to the relation between people processes, data and technology. This definition, not only apply to the information and communication technology (ICT) used within the organisation, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology to support the business processes. Some writers distinguish between information systems, computer systems, and business processes. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end use of information technology. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes. As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action. An Information System consists of five basic resources, namely: People, which consists of IT specialists (such as a Database Administrator or Network Engineer) and end-users (such as Data Capture Clerks). Hardware, which consists of all the physical aspects of an information system, ranging from peripherals to computer parts and servers. Software, which consists of System Software, Application Software and Utility Software. Data, which consists of all the knowledge and databases in the IS. Networks, which consists of communication media and network support. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_system An information system is made up of all the elements which collect, manipulate, and disseminate data or information. Usually this includes hardware, software, people, communications facilities like telephone lines, and the data itself. This will entail inputting data, processing of data into information, storage of data and information, and delivering outputs ,for example management reports. http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Information_Systems In short information system Information system consists of five basic resources which are people, hardware, software, data and networks so as to facilitate planning, control, coordination, and decision making in an organization. According to Porter there are five competitive forces that shape every single industry and market. These five forces consist of, the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products or services, and the level of competition among current competitors within the market. Such forces help to carry out an analysis of the organisations current position ranging from the level of competition it faces, its profitability and attractiveness. We deal with these 5 forces on a daily basis. The relationship between the different competitive forces is illustrated below. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/wp-content/porters-5-forces-analysis.jpg http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/wp-content/porters-5-forces-analysis.jpg Bargaining Power of Suppliers -The term suppliers comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. http://www.themanager.org/Models/p5f.htm Suppliers are more likely to be in a good bargaining position when, a few large suppliers rather than a fragmented source of supply have command of the market, for example, companies like Microsoft and Intel, which control the highly-fragmented PC industry. In such instances suppliers of these major components are in a dominant position which can affect price, terms, and quantities of operating systems and CPUs. This will create a PC industry which is far less profitable than the suppliers of vital parts components like Microsoft and Intel, as there are no substitute, or few for a component, for example, CPUs. Such customers are isolated rendering their bargaining power weak. There are high costs involved when switching from one supplier to another. Suppliers may integrate forward to find higher prices and margins. This threat increases when, buyers profitability increases as compared to than the supply industry. The buying industry can prevent suppliers from developing, such as, the reluctance in accepting new products release. The buying industry has low obstacles for entry and frequently they are subjected to high pressure on suppliers margins in such conditions. Being associated with powerful suppliers can initially diminish organisations strategic options. Bargaining Power of Buyers Equally, the bargaining power of buyers will dictate what level of pressure can be applied to margins and volumes. Customers are in a strong bargaining position when there is less of them or when buying in large volumes. When the product is undifferentiated and can be substituted, buyers can switch to an alternative product easily and would not incur high costs. When a buyer purchases in large volumes from a supplier, this accounts for a high amount in the suppliers revenue, giving buyers an upper hand in such transactions. Buyers power also increase when the product does not have strategical importance for them. Porter argues that internet technology provides buyers with easier access to information about products and suppliers, thus strengthening buyers bargaining power. Due to the advent of IT potential buyers for products and services has increased , thus eroding their individual power as individual buyers and increasing the power of the sellers. For example, auction sites such a s e-Bay encourages competition amongst buyers and therefore increase the price of goods and increases the sellers profits. Threat of New Entrants Competition in an industry will increase, when it is easier for other companies to enter this industry. New entrants within the industry may change vital elements of the market environment, such as, market shares, prices, customer loyalty. This will pressurise existing players in this industry to react and to make adjustments. The threat of new entries will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. Porter distinguishes six major barriers to entry.Barriers to entry include the following :- Customers brand loyalty ,buyers will incur high switching costs , initially there are high investments and fixed costs , existing businesses have good customer relations, such as, from long-term service contracts ,Protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc and Legislation and government action in place. Threat of Substitutes This arises when there are alternative products offered at lower prices serving the same purpose. Products can be substituted wholly or partially. In such cases potentially this would attract a major proportion of market volume, therefore decreasing the potential sales for existing companies. This class is applicable to complementary products as well. The use of Information technology in businesses can bring about substitute products or services and also protect against them. The former occurs when different manufacturers fulfil exactly the same purpose and partial substitution of products occurs when only partially substitute by each other. There are also substitute sources, where the exactly the same product is sourced by two or more distributors. The threat of substitutes is also determined by factors which have an impact on the threat of new entrants, such as, brand loyalty of customers, good customer relations, high switching costs which customers will incur, the current price of substitutes and current market trends. In the field of communication, the economy, functions within a broad range of telecommunications and transportation technologies, therefore encourages substitute products and services which would be threats to businesses in many industries. For example on-line health and medical sites can be substitutes for contacting doctors. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force deals with the level of competition in existing companies within the industry. If there is a high competitive pressure this will bring prices and margins down, thus affecting companys profits within the industry. Existing businesses are likely to face increased competition when there is a high amount of competitors with equivalent size, power and having similar strategies. If there is little differentiation between competitors and their products, this gives rise to a price competition. Market growth rates will be low, as a particular companys growth is possible only at the detriment of a competitor, for example with airlines, heavy equipments.There are high barriers to exit, for example, expensive and highly specialized equipment. The 5-Forces model assists businesses to identify weakness, e.g. those areas where it is unprepared or weak. Helps to analyse what competitive challenges are impacting the business, from suppliers, customers, etc. Such analysis helps businesses to create systems to effectively respond to those challenges and constraints. Porters model is based on the view that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats which organizations face in its external environment. The effect of Porters five forces varies among industries. However, whatever the industry type, the five forces influence profitability as they affect the prices, the costs, and the capital investment which are vital for survival and to compete within the industry. This model also helps when making strategic decisions and used by management to determine the industrys competitive structure. The Five Forces Model offers us a perspective as to how information resources can bring about competitive advantages. Porters Model, can assist Management in areas such as,(a)to envisage key sources of competition that they could encounter,(b)analyse the uses of information resources so as to improve their competitive position when facing threats from competitors and (c) to consider likely changes in competitive threats in the future. The 5 forces model offers a simple way to understand where the industry is moving to not just within. Over recent years due to the rapid growth in Information Technology, the WEB has changed the nature of competition. Porter [2001] argues that the main impact of the Web is to increase competition, which would more likely decrease an organisations profit. It can be argued that some businesses are more prosperous than others because, they have either better resources that others do, or they can utilise commonly available resources more efficiently. This could be due to superior knowledge and information assets. Compared to their competitors they do better in areas such as, revenue growth, profitability, or productivity growth, thus increasing their stock market valuations. A companys performance in competitive markets is based on its competitive advantage, above average performance in the long term can arise by creating a realistic competitive advantage. Porters opinion on competitive advantage can be used to look at how Information Systems affect the organisations performance by changing the link within the five forces model which forms its competitive environment. Porter argues that the main element to create an above average performance in the long term is to be able to maintain a competitive advantage. A competitive advantage is an advantage over competitors gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices. http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/competitive_advantage.htm Without such advantage, a company can only reap the windfall, that is, make the largest profits it can whilst it is able to do so. He provides two basic types of competitive advantages, cost leadership and product differentiation. Porter provides four generic business strategies that could be used so as to obtain a competitive advantage. The strategies relate to the extent to which the scope of a business activities are narrow and broad and the extent to which a business seeks to differentiate its products. Organisations can follow four competitive strategies which are facilitated by the use of information systems in gaining a competitive advantage in their markets. These can mainly be achieved through the use of information technology and systems which include the following:- Low-cost leadership: This strategy aim is to offer the lowest operational costs and lowest prices. The organisation aims to become the lowest cost producer in its specific industry. A strategy of cost leadership requires more than just moving down the learning curve, it must find and exploit every source to its potential cost advantage. Normally, cost leaders sell a basic product or commodity and concentrate in pursuing economies of scale and absolute cost advantages. The company must ensure compliance with the industrys norms, that is, the product or service offered must be seen as acceptable and comparable to its competitors. To be the lowest cost producer the company has to ensure that it makes effective use of technology in the production process. 2. Product differentiation, where an organisations aim is to differentiate with one of a small number of market segments. The company must ensure that its competitors do not already have such products to satisfy the needs of those special customers. The product or service must be something that most of its customers see as important, and the company must position itself in a unique position so as to meet those needs. Being placed in such privileged position the company will be rewarded and a premium is paid for its uniqueness for the product or service .However the company must try to keep similar costs levels as its competitors so that the cost of uniqueness does not exceed the premium that the customer is prepared to pay. Unlike cost leadership, several firms can follow successful differentiation strategies in the same industrial sector, if the need arises. 3. Focus on market niche This strategy does not select the desired features of a products or services within an industry but concentrates in a specific segment or group, within the whole of the targeted industry, that is, the company seeks to take advantage of a niche market. A company whose strategic advantage is based on having a focus strategy will select its niche and, once this is done it will draw its strategy to provide essentially for the needs of that particular client group and will try to do better than its competitors. The organisation looks for competitive advantage in its own segment, though it does not need an overall competitive advantage. To be successful the company must exploit the under-performance of its competitors in that niche based either on cost or on differentiation. 4. Strengthen customer and supplier intimacies: Information systems facilitate direct access from suppliers to information within the company. Increase switching costs and loyalty to the company, such as, IBM, Amazon.com. Customer and supplier intimacy strategy, use information systems so as, to improve their relationships and loyalty with customers and suppliers as they are both vital to organisations. Improving customer and supplier intimacy is an effective strategy in itself. By making transactions and conditions easier and more user friendly for both customers and suppliers, this will increase the intimacy of the firm vis a vis the customer and supplier. This will offer great incentive to the customer and supplier so as to carry on with in business with the firm. Customer intimacy is a marketing term, which describes the ability of a supplier to become accepted and known as the regular partner with its customer. http://dewiindrianaaaa.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/strengthen-customer-and-supplier.html In the integration of their operations, suppliers are not only being useful, but they reinforces the Customer and Supplier Intimacy, using information systems to create long-term relationship and create brand loyalty with customers and suppliers, including increasing switching costs. Also, there is fierce competition due to similar strategies which also encourages new entrants in the industry. However, the companies gain opportunities for brand building and creating loyal customer base. For example, Thai Airways and Emirates increased customers switching costs and started the collection of airline miles to increase the size of its loyal customers. Each strategy contains a different approach in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage. Therefore, each company has to make a choice about which strategy it will employ. However, a company would not normally be able to utilise differentiation and cost leadership strategies simultaneously. For example, it would be hard to be a cost leader while adopting a differentiation strategy as differentiation costs money. Though by only reducing costs may not adversely affect differentiation, a cost leader will eventually reach a stage when following a cost advantage will eventually result in sacrificing an aim. For Porter, technology is one of the principal driving forces of competition as it plays a significant role in making structural changes to existing industries and also contributes to the creation of new industries. Technological change has had a positive impact on competition, creating new opportunities for competition and plays a vital role in the existing competitive strategy. He further argues that Information Technology and Information Systems are essential as each task creates and uses information. He points out that modern information system technology plays a particularly crucial role, such as in scheduling, controlling, optimizing, measuring and co-ordinating different activities. He also noted that office or administrative technologies, which are often neglected or come under the term of information systems, also play an important role as: Due to the advancement of technology, for many organisations there has been a significant changes in how the office functions, however not many are devoting substantial resources to it. ( Porter, 1985,) A vast amount of Research has been carried out to find out whether money invested by organisations in Information Technology, has helped organisations in achieving their objectives and goals. This type of research is referred to as aligning IT with the corporate objectives. Chan Huff (1983) argue that organisations achieve IT alignment with their corporate objectives through 3 levels of alignment, (1) Awareness (2) Integration and (3) alignment. In a latter study Chan (2001) describes the 3 levels of alignment as strategic alignment viewed as the degree of congruence between Information systems and strategic orientation or strategy. Strategic alignment has two major principles. Firstly, IT strategy should concentrate on external competitiveness instead of internal operations. Secondly, IT influences competitive advantages as it changes the direction or strength of one or more of the forces within Porters model. New technologies and their use change the competitive dynamics of industries which changes the buyers power, suppliers, new entrants, substitute products and existing rivals (Sasidharan et. al., 2006). IT must be aligned in line with the organisations corporate objectives. Most organisations rely heavily on IT to operate their business. Organisations must use IT to achieve their corporate objectives and especially to build, sustain, and extend competitive advantage [Boar 1994]. One of the main criticisms of the Five Forces Model is that it is rather static. Given that it describes the current state of an industry, therefore it would appear unsuitable for our dynamic, in an ever changing and uncertain world. Some economists argue that government is the sixth force in Porters model. The strength of each of those forces serves a separate purpose within the industry structure, which is defined by Porter as the underlying economic and technical characteristics of an industry. The information revolution has had an impact on managements view regarding the role of Information Systems in businesses. In the past it was considered to be only a part of the operating of a business, whereas, now information is highly valued. Information is also seen as a depreciating asset which is to be considered as a resource that the organization could or should use in its business. ( Robson, 1997) Worldwide the concept of doing businesses has undergone major changes, brought about by the use of Internet , for example ,businesses can now attract a significant percentage of potential buyers nationally and globally through social networks websites like Facebook. . By creating a digital market the Internet has linked buyers and sellers (Laudon Laudon, 2005).
Monday, August 19, 2019
How does Shelley present relationships between men and women? Essay
How does Shelley present relationships between men and women? Shelley present relationships between men and women in various ways but they all have an inter-linking message within them. This is that women are dependent on men in the majority of relationships. Shelley uses characters as examples of different relationships; for example Caroline and Alphonse’s relationship is a very loving one. All that Frankenstein says of his parents his good things, for example he says, â€Å"Active spirit of tenderness that animated both,†the majority of descriptions of their relationships is similar to this. Their relationship effectively creates a benchmark with which to compare all the other relationships with. None of the others is anywhere nears as perfect as theirs is described. In comparison to their relationship Walton’s relationship with his sister is significantly less passionate. Walton expresses his love for his sister occasionally, he says, â€Å"I love you very tenderly,†he is however not in touch with the emotional turmoil you would expect his sister to be going through. Emotionally Walton is naive; their relationship is long distance, and it is clearly obvious Walton has no experience in communicating his feelings. Their relationship is an unsure one. The main relationship between Victor and Elizabeth is of great contrast, especially between them. As the novel goes on it is apparent that Victor stands for evil, he is selfish, lets an innocent die and his self-piteous as well as ignorant. Elizabeth on the other hand stands for love, caring and is completely unselfish. They are two complete opposites, but they are supposedly in love. There is huge contrast between them, and their relationship is quite rocky... ...sonality. Again in the way that Shelley has presented the relationships between men and women, she has expressed her feminist opinion on how women are forced to give in to men. This is where the role of the monster comes in, it wants a female for companionship, a woman as an equal. The monster represents the relationship that feminists want; he doesn’t want to dominate a relationship, where the woman has to depend on the man. The way Shelley presents relationships seem very feministic, men are portrayed as selfish and ignorant, while women are portrayed essentially as the heroines, for example Justine. She dies with honor, while Victor is portrayed as self-centered. S well as feminist opinions being expressed, there is a general feeling that relationship will eventually fail and are often painful. Shelley uses relationships to express her opinions.
polio vaccine :: essays research papers
     Poliomyelitis (shortened to polio) has been around for thousands of years, and there is still no cure, but at the peak of its devastation in the United States, Dr. Jonas Salk introduced a way to prevent it. Polio attacks the nerve cells and sometimes the central nervous system, causing muscle wasting, paralysis, and even death. The disease, whose symptoms are flu like, stuck mostly children, and in the first half of the 20th century the epidemics of polio were becoming more devastating. Salk, while working at the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, developed a polio vaccine, and the medical trials to prove its effectiveness and safety are still being analyzed.      Fifty years ago the largest medical experiment in history took place to test Salk’s poliomyelitis vaccine. Close to two million children across the United States and Canada were involved in the trial, which was administered by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP), also known as the March of Dimes. The foundation, created in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (a polio victim) and his law partner Basil O’Connor. Across the United States, 623,972 school children were injected with the vaccine or a placebo, using a double blind technique in which neither recipient nor administrator knew which one there were getting. The results, announced in 1955, showed good statistical evidence that Jonas Salk’s â€Å"killed virus†preparation was 80-90% effective in preventing paralytic poliomyelitis.      The statistical design used in the experiment was singular, prompting criticism. Eighty four test areas in eleven states used a textbook model: in a randomized, blinded design all participating children in the first three grades of school (ages 6-9) received injections of either vaccine for placebo and were observed. At the same time though, 127 test areas in 33 states used an â€Å"observed control†design: where the participating children in the second grade received injections of vaccine, no placebo was given, and children in all three grades were then observed for the duration of the polio season. The use of the dual protocol illustrates both the power and the limitations of randomized clinical trials. The control trials with the placebo were important to define the vaccine as the product of scientific medicine, while the observed trials were done to maintain public support for the vaccine.      In 1953, Salk presented his tests of a polio vaccine to the Immunization Committee, the scientific advisory committee for the NFIP. The test results seemed promising to Basil O’Connor, as the children had shown no ill effects and the levels of polio antibodies in their blood had risen. However, several of the senior virologist on the committee questioned the relation of antibodies
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Technology In Our Society :: essays research papers
Technology In Our Society No doubt, technology is increasingly important in the modern world. It is amazing how fast technology has been developed. Nearly every major advance was invented in the last century. These invention are always planned for a positive result, however the negative effects often do not become apparent until after the event. These effects will be deal in the following paragraphs with related materials. The text, "Whose Life is it Anyway?", by Brian Clark, has clearly illustrated that with the development of medical technology, people can now have a better quality of life. Moreover, many lives which normally would not survive without the advance in medical treatment can now be artificially prolonged. The central character, Ken Harrison, who becomes a quadriplegic after a car accident, has met this situation. Nevertheless, it is cruel to ask him to face this life if he does not desire to. He can no longer sculpt, run, move, kiss or have any form of sexual fulfillment. Obviously, his normal life has drifted away. The tendency to sustain people's lives, just because the technology is available, is intolerance under certain circumstances. It is the individual patient who must make a decision about whether to keep himself alive. "What is the point of prolonging a person's biological life if it is obtained at the cost of a serious assault on that person's liberty?" There is probably no simple answer for this question. Any patient's decision should be respected, not based on the fact of all available technologies. This medical technology has the potential for both good and bad results. However, it is very important in today's society. "Insurance in the Genes" is a piece of valuable material which explores another area in the technological field. Nowadays, genetic engineering essentially plays an important role. Genetic testing can predict a person's biological use-by date, forecasting everything from heart attacks to breast cancer. People can therefore have a basic concept of their health situation and prevent what is going to happen if technology allows them to know this beforehand. "Up until now, only 50 genetic tests have been developed to detect diseases. But within a decade, there will be tests for 5000 diseases." It is a remarkable increase. In the near future, hopefully, genetic testing will be employed to reveal potential health risks. It is a positive effect of technology in the modern world. Another useful source for the effects of technology in our world is the documentary. On 23 April 1996, SBS broadcasted a film entitled "Weapon: A Battle for Humanity". It recorded that landmines and laser weapons are devils.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Program Evaluation and Review Technique/Critical path method Essay
Project management triangle is the symbol that represents the money, time and scope items in a project, which has been modeled by Harold Kerzner. Given the wide range of project management tools available, the key to selecting the right one is to understand that different tools are needed along the different stages of a project life cycle. Graphical displays such as gantt-charts usually make the information easy to identify; and we can easily use it for tracking cost, schedule and performance. Gantt charts are used for exhibiting program progress or defining specific work required to accomplish an objective. They often include such items as listing of activities, activity duration, schedule dates, and progress-to-date. PERT also is used which stands for â€Å"Program evaluation and review technique†. It is also called â€Å"critical path method†. It is an event-oriented planning aid, usually computerized used to estimate project duration when there is uncertainty in estimates of duration times for individual activities. It helps the project team to order the activities that must be completed to implement a decision. A Work Breakdown Structure is a results-oriented family tree that captures all the work of a project in an organized way. WBS breaks down project into major modules by breaking down into activities and, finally, into individual tasks. Identifies activities, tasks, resource requirements and relationships between modules and activities. The prime benefit of WBS is its effective aid in the planning process. As WBS evolves, it becomes easier to revise and update plans. Responsibilities can be assigned at different points of the WBS hierarchical tree, both managerial and technological. The main rationale behind crashing activities is to analyze the normal activity costs and costs under maximum crashing and to find the shortest times with crashing. And we must realize that new paths may become critical and make sure that all of the alternatives are true. And the main rationale to use PERT or CPM is the approach of timing. With CPM, we define that activities have certain completion times with minimal deviations. With PERT approach, we assume that activities have average completion times with a standard deviation, therefore time is an uncertainty.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Two friends
Present, has been efurbished quite a lot but this place still retains the characteristics of the cross- cultural Vietnamese – French The Hanoi Opera House is an architectural work is incomparable with the price outstanding value of history, culture, architecture and art. Can see the Opera House as an integral part of urban and architectural capital, contributing to the establishment of our country faces today in the cultural field. For over 100 years old and works in Hanoi Opera House exists as a symbol of architectural space, cultural and political capital 1,000 years old.Long Bi ©n Bridge Long Bien Bridge is the first steel bridge across the Red River in Hanoi, a length of 1862 built by the French. At that time, Long Bien Bridge is the largest bridge in Indochina and is one of four huge bridges in the world. But do not take pride that the long term, such a tool is built primarily by the purpose of colonization, the bridge soon to bear the buckling his war wounds. Old bridg e is an important transportation hub, became the meeting place between urban and rural, one the banks still appear the floral field bowls, one side of ife with urbanization.Today, trains, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians are still crossing the bridge. Some parts of the bridge is intact, but most have been repaired Dy tne damage. But tne or10ge Is stlll tnere as a slgnlTlcant evlaence 0T war ana history. After more than a century of existence, the Long Bien Bridge has a familiar image for many, many generations and became a cultural icon, the history of Hanoi. For Hanoi, almost everyone kept a memory of this bridge Temple of Literature Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a monument rich diversity and contains many recious human values of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general.Covering an area of 54,331 square meters, including: Lake Van, the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam and park Glam. The value of history and culture of the Temple of Literature was confirmed during thousands of years. Quoc Tu Giam is where the examinations held important national stature and train talented people for the country and 82 preserved in Temple of Literature. It depicts of the traditional hospitality of the people It is also the encouragement and rged the next generation of today and tomorrow is always to preserve and retain traditional hospitality of the people.Many times repairing the Temple of Literature 9 March 2010, UNESCO officially recognized 82 steles at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Glam, the legacy of the material world. It is also a lot of domestic and foreign delegations have been visiting the Temple of Literature. With the ancient architecture and the unique human values, Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a hyphen history of Hanoi's past and present, contributing to enrich the cultural treasure of the nation.
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