Modern medicine vs herbal medicine Research Paper

Modern medicine vs herbal medicine - Research Paper Example The reason for modern medicines to take place in the lives of current world is the non availability of medicinal plants and the difficulty in production. Usually, herbal medicines required much effort from the physicians as well as patients and many a times can involve allergic effects to the patients. Plants have been used for medicinal purpose since civilization has known to exist. Ancient Indian and Chinese people have studied and used herbal plants in a scientific manner to bestow health and wellbeing to people for long time. However, as time passed, their importance and value started declining due to scientifically advancement of human generation. With advancement, physicians started inventing modern technique and methods to impart health to people in a sophisticated manner. In his journal (Wise,1994,pg.46-49) has written that â€Å"It is generally accepted that modern medical science came about in 1876 when Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch demonstrated (almost simultaneously and unknown to each other) the idea that contagion passes from one individual to another†. Normally speaking, we can observe that herbal medicines are in every way better than modern medicines as nature is the best curer by all means. The use of herbs for physical and mental ailments has been practiced since ever by civilizations all over the globe. There were all types of herbal medicines available for any kind of illness in ancient times. All indigenous groups used extensively herbal medicines for all diseases, and procured long life and health from it. However, as natural resources started getting scarce and with population increase, the use of herbs and medicines became lesser and unpopular. Research has revealed that people in different regions of world used same plants for same health problems. The highlight of herbal medicines is that, it gave relief to patients on a long-term basis and impacted less negatively on their health. These herbal medicines are natural form of tre atment and are a gift from nature and require proper guidance from physicians to give full benefit to patients. The herbal medicines were very prominent until the scientist and physicians started discovering new medicines of chemical origin, which gave instant and prolonged benefit to people with health problems. The modern medicines have been ardently proven to be effective in treating diseases and illness of fatal nature .Without modern medicines many diseases would have been difficult to resist before a century or so. It can be definitely stated here that, human life span would have been cut short half if modern medicine would have been absent from our daily life. In the website (Alternative Medicine,2011)it is stated that ,â€Å"Conventional medicine is comprised of drugs that suppress the body's natural immune responses†. It is the world of the American Medical Association (AMA) which is aligned with the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical industry. There is no better med icine when it comes to surgery, emergency and trauma† The modern medicine has many benefits as it has allowed people to live healthily life with more comfort. As per (Singh,2010,pg.17-29)â€Å"Modern medicine has done much in the fields of infectious diseases and emergencies to aid cure†. However, when one focus on the side effects of modern medicines, all its value dooms in to dark. The modern medicines also being very costly, is many a times unaffordable for normal people .Another prominent dark side of modern

Activities Of Ancient Hawaiian Culture Cultural Studies Essay

Activities Of Ancient Hawaiian Culture Cultural Studies Essay The ancient Hawaiians had many games and physical activities that were important to their religious beliefs and everyday life. Although many of the activities were culturally important, two activities exceedingly survived to be recognized on a global scale: surfing and hula. The uniqueness of these two activities has made them iconic of Hawaiian culture and has created a strong sense of pride and renewed sense of culture. The goal of my research is to give a history of the popular Hawaiian physical activities of surfing and hula and their significance to Hawaiian culture. The significance of such activities in relation to culture is an important subject in anthropology and the use of primary and secondary sources will be my field of study in this paper. The research will begin with the history of the Makahiki or Hawaiian New Year and its importance to games and physical activities as a religious and cultural event. The study will incorporate the two popular ancient Hawaiian activitie s, including a brief history of their relationship to the ancient Hawaiian culture and the importance of these activities to Hawaiians today. It is important to note the effect that globalization has had on these activities and how their values and meanings have shifted. Hula and surfing are important today in relation to tourism, which is the leading industry in Hawaii. Due to globalization and the power of the capitalist market economy the importance of surfing as a practice of Hawaiian culture has shifted to become a vehicle of tourism and recreation. Furthermore; Hula had been of the most important ancient Hawaiian cultural institutions and has subsequently shifted to become a vehicle of tourism and recreation. Although the effects of globalization have shifted the cultural importance of these activities, the communal existence of Polynesian people will be the force that sustains surfing and hulas cultural importance. Makahiki The Hawaiian New Year festival is called Makahiki and was a very important time of the year in ancient Hawaiian civilization. The word Makahiki translates as year in Hawaiian. The celebration marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new agricultural growing season. The celebration was in honor of the god Lono, and encompassed about four months from November to March. The celebration was separated into three phases: the first being hookupu, a time of taxes to the king and redistribution to the people. The second phase was welehu and was devoted to sports and gambling (Jones 1967). The creation of the second phase and the mythology behind it shows how sports and games were not only important to people as means of leisure activities but also how they were important in their relation to culture and religious beliefs. Lo-no was the fourth of the four great gods that were worshiped throughout Polynesia. He had a separate order of priests and temples of a lower grade. Traditions connected with the ancient kings Lonokawai and Lono-i-ka-makahiki, seem to have been mixed with those belonging to the primeval god Lo-no. Lono-i-ka-makahiki is reputed to have instituted the games which were celebrated during the Ma-hahi-Ri festival. He is said on some account to have become offended with his wife and murdered her; but afterward lamented the act so much as to induce a state of mental derangement. In this state he traveled through all the islands, boxing and wrestling with everyone he met. He subsequently set sail, in a singularly shaped canoe, for Tahiti, or a foreign country. After his departure he was deified by his countrymen, and annual contests of boxing and wrestling were instituted in his honor. (Cullin 1899: 203) The third phase of the ceremony was waaauhau and was a time to pay taxes to the gods. A canoe was sent adrift with a tribute to Lono and after this tribute was paid the king would also go adrift. The final act of the ceremony, according to Cullen, took place when the king with a numerous company went fishing, taking the long idol with him. On his return, he was accompanied by a warrior, expert in the spear exercise. As the king leaped ashore a man rushed forward with two spears bound with white kapa, and hurled one at him, which was parried, after which he simply touched the king with the other spear, and the ceremony was over (1899: 204). The final act was the sham battle, in which the king overcame the islanders defense of the landing which symbolized his worth and permitted him to continue to rule. Seaton assumes that, the intensity of the defense was proportional to the general dissatisfaction, for failure to land was regarded by the Hawaiians as a demonstration that the ruling c hief had lost his mana and therefore, the right to rule (1974: 201). Overall, the Makahiki is described as a period of renewal, an interval during which the divine order of the king was upturned and the regimens of socia1 rank and work were suspended. It was carnival, warfare was suspended, sociability and play were the principal activities. (Davenport 1987: 177). The ancient Hawaiians would anticipate this celebration and the entire year was in preparation for it. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that practice of games and physical activities were common throughout the year and common in the daily life of ancient Hawaiians with particular importance being placed on the practice of surfing and hula because of their relation to the economy and religion of ancient Hawaii. Surfing Hee Nalu (surfing) originated in ancient Hawaii and was important in ancient culture because of its relationship to economy and religion. Surfing was a very popular sport, so popular in fact that it is the only sport of Hawaiian origin to flourish at an international level today. The history of the sport is very hard to discern because of diffusion and the fact that all ancient Polynesians had a mastery of oceanic skills, although most scholars agree that it was in Hawaii that this activity flourished. The Surfers Almanac discusses the evolution of surfing by means of diffusion by settlers of Hawaii from other parts of Polynesia: The Marquesans brought to their new Hawaiian home their ancient sport of paipo-riding a wave on a small, rounded board while lying prone, the sport today called belly boarding or knee boarding. The Tahitians also brought their favorite aquatic pastime to Hawaii. They rode the incoming waves while standing in a waa (canoe), an activity they called paka. When did it happen that a young Marquesan using a paipo board to surf prone, watched a newcomer from Tahiti surfing erect in his canoe and decided to stand upon his paipo, discovering that if he had enough speed he could do so? That moment was the birthdate of surfboarding. (Filosa 1977: 2). Like many aspects of ancient Polynesian culture, surfing was stratified based on social rank. Filosa explains, the Hawaiian nobility, the alii, used the great olo (heavy) board. The makaainana, the commoners, used the alaia (thin) board. The nobles liked slow, undulating waves such as those found at the mother beach of surfing, Waikiki; the commoners preferred fast-breaking steep waves such as those at Waimea Bay (Filosa 1977: 3). Surfing reached its pinnacle in ancient life with King Kamehameaha II who abolished the tabus on surfing. All people from that point on could surf however they pleased. Surfing became a national sport and very important to the society. Like many Hawaiian activities the ancients would create competitions based on skill and mastery of the craft. The relation of surfing to ancient Hawaiian culture was based on these competitions which in turn had an effect on the economy. In terms of the gambling side of the sport, Malo and states that: Surf riding was a natio nal sport of the Hawaiians, on which they were very fond of betting, each man staking his property on the one he thought to most skillful (1951: 223). It was because of gambling and the arrival of Congregationalist missionaries from Boston that the activity nearly became extinct. The religious taboos on gambling and the confiscation of land by the missionaries caused a dramatic drop in the population and in effect so did the sport of surfing, Filosa describes the decline and reason for its revival: With the death of so many Hawaiians, the sport of surfing slowly declined, until in 1898 when the islands were annexed to the United States, less than fifty Hawaiians still surfed, and these used the great olo boards. By 1900, there were fewer than ten surfers, but among them was a boy born in 1890 of royal blood. He was destined to salvage the national sport of his people and become the father of modern surfing. His name was Duke Paoa Kahinu Makoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, son of Duke Halapu Kahanamoku and Julia Paakonia Lonokahikini Paoa. He is still revered by surfers worldwide simply as the Duke.' (Filosa1977: 4) Surfing as a physical activity had its foundation in Hawaiian religion and culture. It was Kamehameha the Great who made surfing the national sport of Hawaii. Kamehameha II, his son, who abolished the tabu system so that all Hawaiians could participate in the sport. Last but not least, Duke Kahanamoku kept the sport alive and transported it around the world. The diffusion of ancient surfing and modern surfing has undoubtedly created opportunity and pride due to the ever growing popularity of this cultural pastime which has become a powerful global industry. Hula Whereas surfing gained its popularity today because of its function as a sport, hula is much more than just a physical activity done for enjoyment. The hula can be viewed as a distinctive and integral facet of the Hawaiian culture (Williams 1973: 177). Hula is translated as to dance and make sport to the accompaniment of music and song. Unlike surfing and other sports and activities hula was something that was taken very seriously and practiced in everyday life. Mitchell (1975) states that the strict and rigorous training for the professional male and female dancers extended over a period of years. (pg 85). Although the hula may have been practiced in everyday life, the ancient Hawaiians did not use it for their own amusement as it is done today. The hula had great religious importance and dances were performed for kings, chiefs, or the public during important ceremonies like the makahiki. The dancers were specially chosen and were held in high regard throughout Polynesia. These danc ers required special education and arduous training in traditions, songs, and dance. Those persons who were chosen to become dancers were specifically chosen because of hulas relationship to religion. Emerson explains that it (hula) was a religious affair and the participants therefore had to guard against profanation by a conservative system of tapus and priestly rites(1965: 13). The dancers were initiated into a school which was more of a cultural institution called a halau. The halau functioned according to a very strict set of regulations and rules. In ancient Hawaii the strict tapus and importance of the hula required the halau to be a built by the entire surrounding population and the united effort regularly made it possible for a halau to be built in one day. Williams (1977) demonstrates the importance of the hula to ancient Hawaiians when she states: The hula not only was an embodiment of the beliefs and values of the people but also served as the keeper of tradition and as a vehicle of communication for passing on religion, history, and legends. The hula functioned as a cultural transmitter because it embodied, within the dance movements and the dance songs and chants, knowledge and productive skills, social sanctions, genealogies, personal and community experiences and the imagery arising from mans relation to nature. (pg 177) Like ancient forms of surfing, the dances and the games were largely discontinued after the introduction of foreign ways into Hawaii. Fortunately during the mid 19th century, King Kalakaua sponsored a revival of the hula while there were experts still living in the kingdom. Due to tourism and to a greater extent globalization hula as a symbol of Hawaiian culture but is not nearly as important as it once was. It is a uniquely Hawaiian activity but it is seen primarily as a physical activity and not as an important cultural institution. In Hawaiian Hula: an Institution, Williams (1973) writes: The hula, once a proud, vital institution of religious origin, has wandered so far that now the memory of it is either totally forgotten or is associated with the riotous and passionate ebullitions of Polynesian kings and the amorous posturing of their voluptuaries. A distinction must be made between the traditional forms and the gestures, bodily contortions, and words uttered by men and women actors of the hula today. Many actors in the hula no longer understand the meanings of the words, or suit the action to the word. The hula songs of old were performed in large measure in a way untainted with grossness'(1973: 182). Although some may view hula in this context, elucidating the differences between modern and ancient hula, the fact that it has such deep rooted uniqueness and cultural symbolism is important to Hawaiians and Polynesians in general. Conclusion Of the many physical activities and games that ancient Hawaiians had, very few survived to be important to Hawaiians today. Surfing and hula are two Hawaiian pastimes that have survived and their history is testament to their importance in Hawaiian culture. Surfing, initially a leisure activity that was practiced daily and used in religious ceremonies such as makahiki has become a very large international industry. Due to globalization this industry has proven to be very important to Hawaiian culture because of its relation to tourism. Surfing and surfing events such as the triple crown attract millions of persons each year to the islands. Tourism is the leading industry in Hawaii and like many other island communities tourism and surfing are creating new frontiers and opportunies. Hula, although not as popular globally as surfing, has remained a vital part of Hawaiian culture. This institution was of the utmost importance to the ancient Hawaiians daily existence and functioned as a tool to aid their religious beliefs (Williams 1973:177). In fact, hula was so important that it is said that every activity of the ancient Hawaiians had its own hula, from waking in the morning to carving a canoe. Due to globalization the importance of the Hawaiian hula has shifted from a religious and cultural activity to an activity that has its roots in Hawaiian culture but is used primarily for tourist spectacles and physical exercise. Although globalization has shifted the importance of these activities, the Hawaiian culture in its ancient and present forms and the close communal and co-operative type of existence of the people (Jones 1967:204) have shown to be the reason for the creation of these activities and that alone sustains their cultural importance.

The Legendary Musician, Ray Charles Robinson Essay -- Biography Biogra

The Legendary Musician, Ray Charles Robinson Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930 in Albany Georgia. His father was Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, and his mother was 'Retha. His father never married his mother. His legal wife was Mary Jane, who also helped to raise Charles. By the time he was three, young Charles was learning to play the piano. When he was five his brother, who was three at the time, drowned. A few months later Charles got the disease that would make him go blind by the time he was seven. After he became totally blind at the age of seven, Charles went to a school for the blind in St. Augustine, Florida, where he learned to play the trumpet, the saxophone, the clarinet, and organ, though his preferred instrument is still the piano. When Charles was 15, his mother died from food poisoning. He decided to become a musician soon afterwards and he set out on his own. He played with various band throughout Florida until he was seventeen. He then wanted to get as far away as possible from Tampa and also stay in the United...

Decision Tree Portfolio

Decision Tree Portfolio1 Decision Tree Portfolio Psy 410 Kathleen McCabe University of Phoenix January 21, 2012 Lara Ashbaugh Decision Tree Portfolio2 The Portfolio for my Decision Tree is concerning a residential fire. The first place that would be called is 911. The dispatchers in our area immediately contact the local and closest fire station(s) to respond. The following takes place after 911 has been called. The 911 dispatchers contact the police and fire departments arrive, the firefighters ensure the house has been vacated and all residents have been accounted for.If the family has pets they are accounted for as well, if possible. The first responders assist with contacting other agencies to find shelter for the family. One of our local agencies is The Community Action Partnership which can secure shelter for the evening and longer, provide clothing, food, medications, and hygiene supplies. Health and welfare services are contacted which include emergency health care and emerge ncy funds. If medical evaluations are necessary the support systems will ensure that the victims are taken to the hospital for care. What is the best way to access the organization’s services? The first responders are contacted through 911. The Community Action Partnership 1910 Industrial Way Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 208-664-8757 * Is this the best number to call? Yes * What are the extents of the services offered? The Community Action Partnership (CAP) offers food through a food bank and for emergencies; they offer clothing, can assist with emergency medications and medical treatment and contact shelters for housing. * What are the criteria for clients to receive these services? Who is eligible?Community Action Partnership assists anyone in the community who meets the federal low income guidelines. However, they have emergency funds and staff to assist in emergencies such as fire. In the case of an emergency anyone qualifies for their assistance. * How does the organiz ation provide continuity of care to clients? The staff at the Community Action Partnership supervises their clients until the crisis is over. If the family of fire needs assistance for a month, the agency ensure they maintain shelter and food until their insurance company or another means is providing for them. What additional services will be available or offered to clients once they become involved with this organization? Once involved with CAP the clients only needs to sign a form verifying that the help is still necessary. Once the assistance is not needed the client simply lets the agency know and they are listed as inactive in the database. * Will you be able to have contact with your clients once they are involved with this service/organization? As long as the clients sign a release allowing me to contact CAP, then any other providers can contact them for information or to help assist the family. What is the organization’s policy on client follow-up? CAP follows up dai ly in the event of a fire until the family is secure with new home plans. If a client needs daily contact they will do so, they will also contact weekly, monthly is necessary. * What role do you or your agency play in responding to emergencies? The CAP plays a large role in assisting the community with emergencies. We provide as much assistance as is necessary and ensure no one goes without.

Pro-Forma Statements Essay

B1. Analyze Simulation Results A budget is a financial plan which is expressed in real numbers, typically in monetary units, which set the expectations for the expenses the company will incur to reach its goals, and management objectives. A good budget uses forecasts to determine what amounts should be used to reach desired efficiency and profitability. Budgets can be used to determine whether a not a process is working effectively, whether or not changes in operations need to be made in order to reach goals, and can help solve problems before they occur and help make changes when necessary. Budgets are important because they provide a quantitative measurement to establish goals, coordinate efforts and departments, and help to realize changes are needed before problems occur. Budgets should be broken down into fragments (short term, mid-term, and long term) which will allow for more precise measurement of the success of a project, allow for changes to be made before moving onto new projects, and to expand on goals when appropriate. By setting short term budget goals and reaching them it helps to ensure that the company is on pace to reach its long term objectives. Budgets need to be revised whenever they no longer useful for planning and control purposes. Anytime there are major changes in the processes or operations the budgets will also need to be revised. Budget figures should be measured frequently to ensure they are still reasonable and that the company is still on track to reach its goals. A Pro-Forma Statement is defined as â€Å"a financial statements prepared on the basis of some assumed events and transactions that have not yet occurred.† (Ralph Estes). Unlike Historical Financial Statements which use real scientific information and are based on facts, Pro-Forma Financial Statements use assumptions to help forecast the future and allow for the use of creativity and flexibility. Pro-Forma Financial Statements are similar to Historical Financial Statements in look and content, both use the same major financial statements including the income statement and the balance sheet, but the Pro-Forma Financial Statement allows for changes to be made in the volatile environment. Pro-Forma Statements are important because they provide the needed information to track progress towards goals. They are based on historic figures so they do provide realistic projections while still allowing for adjustments as needed. Typically a long collection of historic data is used to produce a Pro-Forma Income statement; since the company I created was a start up our information was limited there was even more of a reliance on projections to complete my statements. In the first quarter I had start up factory expenses of $430,000 and spent $120,000 on market research. I had gained $3,000 in interest from a small deposit into a short term CD. I had invested $1,100,000 for fixed plant capacity. Of the $2,000,000 of initial capital $547,000 was used for start-up expenses leaving the company with $1,453,000 in current assets. Important decisions had to be made during Quarter 1 in order to make my projections and set my budgets and expectations. First I had to choose what products to manufacture. I wanted to look for two segments which had some similar wants and needs. By developing two products for two segments with similar wants and needs the hope was that I would be pay off later in saving manufacturing costs by utilizing customization of parts, decrease training costs, cut down on salary expense by having a sales force that could be knowledgeable with both products, and would allow the company to provide better service after the sale. The decisions were all based upon the market research which had been done providing the wants and needs of the segments as well as the price willing to pay, the 12 month demand, and the demand per city. By performing some simple calculations (i.e. price willing to pay X Demand / cost to produce) I was able to make an informed decisions on the two products I wanted to deve lop, where I wanted to set up shop, the size of my sales force, as well as the amount of inventory to produce. I decided to manufacture two products which I felt met the needs of two specific groups. The first group was decided upon due to the quantity of the demand. I felt around this product I could better reach my goal of utilizing an employee empowerment strategy, being able to utilize work cells due to less technical processes and needs, be able to take advantage of customization of parts, and also be able to offer better service after the sales due to increased employee knowledge of the product and the service needed. I decided to focus my efforts on the Workhorse and the Traveler markets. Both markets had similar needs and the products would only need to differ in portability. The market was large and although the desired price would be lower, the higher demand would help generate profit. The hope was to build the distinction of being the low price leader while still providing a reliable product and providing excellent service after the sale. By setting proper starting budgets and being able to adjust accordingly by utilizing the pro-forma statements I was able to make sound financial decisions throughout the simulation. I never had to use emergency loans so I was able to avoid that penalty and cost. By using the statements was even able to make small investments and earn some interest off of those funds. Being a startup company I was very conservative with my investments so I could ensure I would not incur those costs. At the end of the 4th quarter my ending cash balance was over 4 million dollars. This allows for great expansion and higher sales as well as the ability to invest more funds and take advantage of additional interest income. Without the use of the statements and the budget it would not have been possible to monitor the spending and make informed decisions. The Pro-Forma statements and budgets were used to make decisions throughout the entire simulation. Each Quarter I began by examining the cash flow statement. This allowed me to make proper decisions based on the Firm’s solvency as well as my company’s potential for growth. At the beginning of Quarter 1 I had $0 in my beginning cash balance. Thus it was necessary to sell common stock. $2 million dollars were raised through the sale of common stock. It was very important to use my income statements, original budgets, and monitoring my balance sheet. $1.1 million of the funds would be used to invest in my fixed plant capacity in order to reach the needed production levels. With the funds on hand I was only able to open 2 sales offices. I chose the locations based on the projected sales demand, the allotted funds in the budget, and the money left in the cash flow. The two offices cost $430,000 to start up and would also cost a total of $220,000 per quarter for lease. After setting up the Plant capacity and the Sales Offices I had $470,000 dollars left. I still needed funds for Research and Development to ensure that I was making proper decisions and to help guide my decisions in future quarters. I decided to spend $120,000 on research and development. This left me $350,000 in excess cash. I decided to invest a portion of it but was careful using my Pro-Forma statements to ensure that I would not run into the cost of emergency cash loans. $200,000 was placed into a conservative short term C.D. which earned me $3,000 in interest income. The $3,000 and the excess $150,000 would be carried over into the next quarter. The same techniques were used every decision every quarter. Any time I made a decision it was based on my cash flow, income statements and demand projections. Lessons were learned from these decisions, more funding into research and development needed to be used early in the simulation. The result of the poor planning led to the expense of products needing to be redesigned. The carry over equipment had to be sold for salvage value and additional funding needed to be raised to develop the new products. With the proper products in place for the market demand the profits would have been much larger for my company. B2a. Just-in-time Just in Time operations is basically a system which helps force problem solving and drives down start-up costs and inventory costs by initiating a pull system driven by consumer demand and reducing inventory to meet the customer’s needs only when the customer has that need. If the product is not available at the time of demand a problem is found and improvements need to be made. This is very important to any company but especially for a start-up company who really need to watch their cash flow to avoid any emergency loans and the cost and fees associated with them. In my projections I had to take into account the demand of the segments in the cities decided to serve and make educated estimates on how much to produce based on those calculations. There were still questions which needed to be answered which led to less aggressive manufacturing; would my advertising efforts convey the right message to my target audience? Would my choices on where to advertise be successful on reaching my target audience? Would my product designs and branding fit the needs of my customers or would new products need to be developed? The answers to these questions could lead to major adjustments to our entire process and if not done well could lead to an excess of unused inventory which would only be able to recover a small part of the cost it took to develop them. Estimates were made based on the projected sales demands of the markets. Fixed capacity, sales force decisions, and of course inventory decisions were made based on these projections. The idea of course was to have the perfect amount of inventory available to my customers at the exact time they needed them, with very little cost from carrying over unused inventory. Proper use of a Just-in-time strategy could have saved me money and helped expand my company’s growth. During the manufacturing process a Just-in-time strategy would’ve have uncovered the need to increase production to meet my customers’ demand as the products were being â€Å"pulled through† the assembly process. The improper use of the JIT strategy resulted in a loss of 278 Venture II customers and 143 customers of Quest II. The result of these lost customers was $578,453 in profit. By properly utilizing the strategy profits could have been even higher and future growth could have increased. Going forward it will be important to utilize the performance of the past year and make better decisions to provide for a better customer experience. Fortunately after the losses occurred decisions were made to make sure it did not happen again throughout the simulation. A good Just-In-Time strategy would have allowed the mistakes to be caught prior to having to absorb the losses and the poor customer experiences. B2b. Lean Operations Lean operations work hand in hand with making J.I.T. effective. By definition lean operations are used to understand customer’s needs and then to stock and prepare appropriately based on said needs. In my project this was done by successful forecasting based on potential demand of the customers in the given areas and based on the chosen products. By basing our inventory on a lean operations focus the company will be able to decrease the costs of waste in it’s operations, both in unused inventory and the cost of storing excess inventory. B3. Applicability of Work Cells versus Traditional Straight Line Method An effective layout design strategy is important because the decision alone can help decide the efficiency of production as well as help to determine a firm’s competitive advantage. How will the firm be looking to set itself apart? Will it be through differentiation, low cost, or response? Will the company’s priorities focus on capacity, processes, flexibility, and/or cost, etc.? In its very basic form an effective layout design will improve efficiency by better utilizing space, people, and machinery, improving communication, improving inspection, and by allowing for flexibility. Work Cells are specially arranged groups of workers and workstations designed to make the production of a single product or group of related products more efficient by allowing workers to have more reach in the work area, allow for immediate inspection of complete product, fewer workers are needed, less work space, and prom otes better communication between workers. Workers often accept the responsibility of building the product from start to finish in a more positive light because of the empowerment it provides and the specialized training and expanded knowledge. Work Cells are often in the shape of a â€Å"U† allowing for better balance and division of work. The U-shape also will take up more space on the floor than the Traditional Straight Line process method. A Traditional Straight Line process method is the old assembly line assembly process. Each worker is responsible for a piece of a product. That piece is then put together with other pieces and the final product is put together in a series of pieces. The assembly line relies on workstations to be balanced in the share of the work to be effective however; the layout alone often leads to an unbalanced division of the workload. The pieces cannot be inspected until the finished product has been fully assembled by the varying teams, and communication and diverse learning is very limite d. The assembly line approach also leads to the possibility of a â€Å"bottleneck† effect where total production can be slowed by slow production from one of the work units. The advantages of the assembly lines are of course a less expensive and quicker training process, more standardization of parts, and lower handling costs. The decision on which method to use was a difficult one. One of the reasons I chose the two products that I did was because of their similarities and the ability to use customizable parts. However another key to the success was the ability to capitalize on efficient inventory management and processing. Another key was employee empowerment through knowledge which would lead to better service and the ability to recognize and fix problems as they occur during the assembly process. With this being said I would implement a work cell assembly approach. B4. Decisions Involving Inventory Management Understanding the relationship between inventory levels and customer needs is a critical part of any company’s success. Too much inventory can lead to extra costs for the company in the form of storage costs of unused inventory and the expense of selling off unused inventory at discount prices. Not having enough inventory can lead to poor customer experiences by not being able to meet the customer’s needs when needed. This leads to fewer repeat sales and poor relationships. In order for a company to have a low cost strategy they must master inventory levels. As discussed earlier I did not do a good job of inventory management and it cost me in the form of profits and customer satisfaction. The idea is to be perfect and I was far from it. I underestimated the increase in demand after improvements were made in product design and marketing. The result was having higher demand than inventory available. The miscalculations of potential demand cost my company through the simulation and it is very important to execute better inventory management decisions in the future to avoid such issues and losses in the future. My growth decisions were made properly in the form of additional markets, additional sales and service staff, and more fixed capacity capabilities. However, I did not make good inventory management decisions to match the growth demands. The idea of inventory management is of course to find the perfect balance of meeting my customers’ needs while limiting my costs in holding costs and excess capacity costs. It was again necessary to utilize my pro-forma statements to monitor these expenses. The inventory needs were based on demand projections, marketing efforts, and the number of sales people hired. Since my company was a start-up company with little or no brand recognition it was important to find a conservative figure which would still fit the customers’ wants and needs. In the initial Quarter I chose to project demand at 100 units per sales person. I had confidence in my product in the first quarter and decided to leave 43 units of Venture and 32 units of Quest as carryover. The hope was not to run into issues of Sales lost and a loss of customers due to poor experiences. The problem I ran into was due to poor research and development the target market did not find either of my products desirable to fit their needs as they were. My confidence quickly turned into an error in Inventory Management. The remaining units had to be sold at a Salvage price ($846.40 for Venture and $870.40 for Quest). The set price on Venture was $2500 and Quest was $3200, the cost to produce Venture was $1667 and Quest was $1698. This was an enormous loss in potential profits for my company and better use of inventory management and of course research and development could have prevented it. The new products were produced that met the customers’ wants and needs and I decided based on the research which was provided and the history of sales I would be more aggressive with my inventory levels. The sales force was increased to 16 people in Quarter 3 with a demand per sales person of 148, and based on the success in Quarter 4 the sales people were increased to 25 people with an estimate of 225 units per sales person. Due to the increase in demand caused by the additional production more inventory would left at the end of the quarter. The recommendation was that inventory levels should be left at a range of 25 to 50 units of each product, but based on the confidence of sales I increased those ranges and decided to have 86 Venture II units and 64 Quest II units in inventory left at the end of each quarter. I had no missed sales because of a lack of inventory and fortunately did not have to sell any unwanted inventory at salvage prices. Costs did increase in Quarter 4 both in holding costs and excess capacity costs but the cash increases were more than enough to justify the additional inventory. B5. Use of Specific Continuous Programs to Achieve Quality Assurance Goals. Having a culture which promotes quality from top to bottom affects the company in many positive ways; if it starts at the top it becomes a culture which then empowers employees and leads to better customer satisfaction. There are several different programs which help to measure quality; 1.) Continuous Improvement, 2.) Six Sigma, 3.) Employee Empowerment, 4.) Benchmarking, 5.) Just in Time (J.I.T.), 6. Taguchi Concepts and 7.) Knowledge of Total Quality Management (T.Q.M.) Tools. Every aspect of operations can be improved and of course the overall goal is perfection. The cost of defective parts and or systems can be dramatic for a company and difficult to recover. Therefore it is very important to have the proper programs in place to measure quality. I believe two Quality Inspection programs would have been beneficial for my company. It was very important to my company as well as my target customers for us to provide a quality reliable product and have the service in place after the sale for my customers. I believe by implementing an Employee Empowerment program I can help develop quality on both the production side as well as on the service side. Employee Empowerment involves expanding the employees’ roles and responsibilities so that empowerment and belief is spread throughout the company from the highest to the lowest level. By including such responsibilities to the lowest level there is a greater chance that defections or needed improvements will be both addressed as well as shared by the employees who are using the machinery and involved in the everyday operations of the company. With high morale and open communication lines the company should be able to reach the desired quality. The desired quality which the company will be seeking will be determined by using a quality program called Benchmarking. That desired quality will be what our products and services will look like at their very best. All other performances will be judged by comparing to this benchmark. A team will need to be assembled, benchmarking partnerships will need to be formed, data will need to be collected and compared, and improvements will need to be to try and reach our benchmarks. Our benchmarking efforts will analyze such important factors as percentage of defects, customer satisfaction rate, cost per unit, return on investment, customer retention, and response time. References 1. Ralph Estes Dictionary of Accounting (MIT, Cambridge, 1981, p. 105)

3 Problematic Parentheticals

3 Problematic Parentheticals 3 Problematic Parentheticals 3 Problematic Parentheticals By Mark Nichol Each of the following sentences is muddled because a parenthetical phrase is incorrectly punctuated. Discussion of each example explains the problem, and one or more revisions resolve it. 1. This phase consists of a management experience whose intensity and scope has few, if any rivals. The phrase â€Å"if any† is a parenthetical- a sentence element that is not essential to the sentence but provides additional information or otherwise modifies the main clause. Parenthetical phrases must be set off with a pair of punctuation marks (parentheses, dashes, or, most commonly, commas): â€Å"This phase consists of a management experience whose intensity and scope has few, if any, rivals.† 2. The operational risks of widespread automation, for example loss of service and technical problems around delivery, could lead to wholesale firms being unable to transact. The parenthetical phrase â€Å"for example† must be set off from the stated example, which itself, with the parenthetical, must be set off from the main clause: â€Å"The operational risks of widespread automation- for example, loss of service and technical problems around delivery- could lead to wholesale firms being unable to transact.† (Parentheses can replace the dashes, but to introduce a pair of commas would obscure the hierarchy of parenthesis within parenthesis.) 3. Smith, the superintendent of the park who has studied the history of the colony, said the photos are a reminder of the state’s rich and influential past. The parenthetical phrase that describes Smith includes a phrase singling him out as one of two or more superintendents and identifies him as the one who has studied the history of the colony. However, Smith is the only superintendent, and the reference to his studies is additional, parenthetical information, so that phrase must be set off as a parenthesis modifying a parenthesis: â€Å"Smith, the park’s superintendent, who has studied the history of the colony, said the photos are a reminder of the state’s rich and influential past.† Alternatively, the sentence can be reworded so that â€Å"the park’s superintendent† is the only parenthetical; â€Å"has studied the history of the colony† becomes the balance of the main clause, and the wording about his comment becomes an additional independent clause preceded by a conjunction: â€Å"Smith, the park’s superintendent, has studied the history of the colony, and he said the photos are a reminder of the state’s rich and influential past.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)Titled versus Entitled

Free Essays on Botswana

Bean’s Botswana Adventures The Wonderful City of Maun Based out of the city of Maun, in the northern region of Botswana, Bean’s Botswana Adventures is sure to give you the time of your life. As the tourism capital, Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. Established by the Batawana people as their tribal capital in 1915, Maun has had a reputation of being a ‘Wild West’ town for local cattle ranching and hunting operations. After the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of a road linking the city and Nata, Maun developed rapidly and lost much of its old frontier character in the early 1990s. The large city, now home to 30,000, is spread across the banks of the Thamalakane River, where the local donkeys, goats, and cattle can still be seen grazing. Maun offers several good shopping centers, filling stations, and a variety of hotels and lodges to choose from. The Maun Airport, one of the busiest in Southern Africa, brings tourists straight into the city from all over th e world (Government of Botswana). About My Operation Bean’s Botswana Adventures is a week long â€Å"adventure† in the Okavango region based out of Maun, Botswana. Only five people and the tour operator go on an â€Å"adventure† at one time because of the type of vehicle needed for the trip. First off, I would suggest lodging at the beautiful Best Western Riley’s Hotel on your first night of arrival. It is set right on the riverbank next to the main traffic circle, making it centrally located to just about everything. As a popular stopover for tourists traveling in and out of the Delta, this hotel has been an important landmark since the 1920s. Following the riverbank of the Thamalakane upstream from the hotel is the small Maun Game Reserve. It is an eight squared kilometer area of woodland that is traversed by many walking trails (Government of Botswana). But Bean’s Botswana Adventures will bring... Free Essays on Botswana Free Essays on Botswana Bean’s Botswana Adventures The Wonderful City of Maun Based out of the city of Maun, in the northern region of Botswana, Bean’s Botswana Adventures is sure to give you the time of your life. As the tourism capital, Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. Established by the Batawana people as their tribal capital in 1915, Maun has had a reputation of being a ‘Wild West’ town for local cattle ranching and hunting operations. After the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of a road linking the city and Nata, Maun developed rapidly and lost much of its old frontier character in the early 1990s. The large city, now home to 30,000, is spread across the banks of the Thamalakane River, where the local donkeys, goats, and cattle can still be seen grazing. Maun offers several good shopping centers, filling stations, and a variety of hotels and lodges to choose from. The Maun Airport, one of the busiest in Southern Africa, brings tourists straight into the city from all over th e world (Government of Botswana). About My Operation Bean’s Botswana Adventures is a week long â€Å"adventure† in the Okavango region based out of Maun, Botswana. Only five people and the tour operator go on an â€Å"adventure† at one time because of the type of vehicle needed for the trip. First off, I would suggest lodging at the beautiful Best Western Riley’s Hotel on your first night of arrival. It is set right on the riverbank next to the main traffic circle, making it centrally located to just about everything. As a popular stopover for tourists traveling in and out of the Delta, this hotel has been an important landmark since the 1920s. Following the riverbank of the Thamalakane upstream from the hotel is the small Maun Game Reserve. It is an eight squared kilometer area of woodland that is traversed by many walking trails (Government of Botswana). But Bean’s Botswana Adventures will bring...

The Byzantine Roman Emperor Justinian

The Byzantine Roman Emperor Justinian Name: (At birth) Petrus Sabbatius; Flavius Petrus Sabbatius JustinianusBirthplace: ThraceDates: c.482, at Tauresium - 565Ruled: April 1, 527 (jointly with his uncle Justin until August 1) - November 14, 565Wife: Theodora Justinian was a Christian emperor of the Roman Empire on the cusp between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Justinian is sometimes called The Last of the Romans. In Byzantine Matters, Averil Cameron writes that Edward Gibbon didnt know if Justinian belonged in the category of the Roman emperors who had come before or the Greek kings of the Byzantine Empire who came after him. History remembers Emperor Justinian for his reorganization of the government of the Roman Empire and his codification of the laws, the Codex Justinianus, in A.D. 534. Justinian Family Data An Illyrian, Justinian was born Petrus Sabbatius in A.D. 483 in Tauresium, Dardania (Yugoslavia), a Latin-speaking area of the Empire. Justinians childless uncle became the Roman Emperor Justin I in A.D. 518. He adopted Justinian either before or after he became emperor; hence the name Justinianus. Justinians own birth-based status in society was not high enough to command respect without the imperial office, and his wifes position was even worse. Justinians wife, Theodora, was the daughter of a bear-keeper father who became bear-keeper to the Blues (relevant to the Nika Revolts, below), an acrobat mother, and she herself is considered to have been a courtesan. The DIR article on Justinian says Procopius claims Justinians aunt, Empress Euphemia, by marriage, so disapproved the marriage that Justinian waited until she died (before 524) before even starting to deal with the legal impediments to the marriage. Death Justinian died on November 14, 565, in Constantinople. Career Justinian became Caesar in 525. On April 4, 527, Justin made Justinian his co-emperor and gave him the rank of Augustus. Justinians wife Theodora received the rank of Augusta. Then, when Justin died on August 1, 527, Justinian went from joint to sole emperor. Persian Wars and Belisarius Justinian inherited conflict with the Persians. His commander Belisarius obtained a peace treaty in 531. The truce was broken in 540 and so Belisarius was again sent off to deal with it. Justinian also dispatched Belisarius to settle problems in Africa and Europe. Belisarius could do little against the Ostrogoths in Italy. Religious Controversy The religious position of the Monophysites (whom Justinians wife, Empress Theodora, supported) conflicted with the accepted Christian doctrine from the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451). Justinian was unable to do anything to resolve the differences. He even alienated the pope in Rome, creating a schism. Justinian expelled teachers of paganism from the Academy in Athens, closing the schools of Athens, in 529. In 564, Justinian adopted the heresy of Aphthartodocetism and tried to impose it. Before the matter was resolved, Justinian died, in 565. Nika Riots However improbable it may seem, this event was born of extreme sports fanaticism and corruption. Justinian and Theodora were Blues fans. Despite fan loyalty, they attempted to reduce the influence of both teams, but too late. The Blue and Green teams created a disturbance in the Hippodrome on June 10, 532. Seven ringleaders were executed, but one of each side survived and became a rallying point that integrated fans of both teams. They and their fans began shouting Nika Victory in the Hippodrome. Now a mob, they appointed a new emperor. Justinians military leaders prevailed and slaughtered 30,000 rioters. Building Projects The damage caused to Constantinople by the Nika Revolt paved the way for Constantines building project, according to DIR Justinian, by James Allan Evans. Procopius book On Buildings [De aedificiis] describes Justinians building projects that included aqueducts and bridges, monasteries, orphanages, hostels, and the Hagia Sophia, which still stands in Constantinople/Istanbul.

Challenging Behavior. Causes and Approaches to Dealing with Essay

Challenging Behavior. Causes and Approaches to Dealing with Challenging Behavior - Essay Example There have been claims that challenging behavior is responsible for exposing the tough in an advanced group level which have the effects of resulting into maturity or segregation from the learning category (Similarly, Simmons & Ward 1998).There were also establishments that there are some behaviors that can never be classified easily by the educators such as distractions, chatting as well as the non verbal maltreatments. Nonetheless, there is a different suggestion from Oliver (2003) that, the categorization of behavior appears as challenging throughout diverse schools. According to this scholar, the challenging behavior is developed socially. There is need for evaluating the matter of challenging behavior amongst individuals since it has attracted different theories and approaches from scholars. Therefore, this piece will look at the dissimilar theories that expound on behavior. Specifically, the piece will attain its baseline points of arguments the works by Bandura, Skinner, Vygot sky, and Watson. The piece will evaluate the Cognitive Behaviorist theory and Social Learning Theory. It is also significant to show how each theory takes care of the needs of the child and this paper will respond to that concern. Reasoning from the behaviorist context, there is a realization that behavior could be learned or modified (Skinner 1904-90), the writer affirms this stipulation through the work entitled, ‘Operant Conditioning’. The scholar proceeded into highlighting that children operate on the environment through engagement in particular identifiable activities due to the results of such behaviors. Skinner outlines that any stimulus leading to the repeat of a particular behavior emphasizes that particular behavior. The response would vary from return, reward, attentiveness as well as social assistance. The situation instance to elaborate this suggestion would follow for instance, if a particular child, let us name him Tim confesses to another that he gets pleasure playing with the other named Carol of late. If Tim invites his playmate for dinner in addition, this would invoke the application of the Skinner’s suggestions. It can be proposed that support in the construction of th e scenario would be a smile in spite of the situation, a word of praise for an outstanding behavior. Skinner upheld that particular rewards for such behavior reoccurrence on a different instance or instances. Even though support contributes to the increment in frequency of the behavior, it does it in a dissimilar manner. This situation may arise in the instance when we prefaer promoting a behavior in the child contrary to demanding the behavior in that person. In case something is happening and the child request the parent to stop it in a polite manner and it is done, then the alternate behavior is reinforced. For instance, the child requests for changing of a video clip. If the parent execute the child’s desire then the parent is strengthening the aimed behavior, that of requesting in a polite way. It can be argued that both positive and unhelpful support, when used appropriately can enhance the frequency of the ideal behavior. Major values of conventional habituation were c ontoured by the work of Ivan Pavlov (1819 -1936) where an unbiased stimulus brings about a response if put together with a stimulus that already has that response. Rewarding a student for positive a behavior exhibited enhances that behavior. For instance, if a teacher

Identify and describe a minor character in the novel, The Alchemist Essay

Identify and describe a minor character in the novel, The Alchemist - Essay Example Fatima is an Arab girl who meets with Santiago in an oasis on the way to the pyramids. On the way to Egypt, Santiago takes time to listen to the desert and the main reason is to discover the soul of the world. The Arab girl reaches in the oasis together with other people where Santiago starts a conversation with Fatima, during the entire conversation Santiago falls in love with Fatima and Fatima falls in love with Santiago (Coelho, 1993).  As the caravan starts to go to the alchemist to learn the secret of alchemy who lives in the desert, Fatima as a desert woman is willing to wait for Santiago so that the hidden treasures in Egyptian pyramids can be disclosed and thus fulfill his personal legend. The purpose of Fatima is to encourage Santiago and go to Egypt and thus promised him that if he finds the treasures, they will marry. Additionally Fatima was looking for her man though she had interest in the hidden treasures. The camel driver meets with Santiago on their way to the oasis where their main agenda was to visit the alchemist in the desert. During this time, it is when Santiago is ready to go to Egypt to find the hidden treasures. After loosing everything in the flooding river Nile the camel driver is content with his daily routine of riding the camel. The purpose of the Camel Driver is to update Santiago and make him understand the importance of the present. The Tribal Chieftain is the guard of the oasis since the oasis should not be attacked since it was a violation of rules of the desert. After Santiago shares a vision with the tribal chieftain of two hawks fighting in the sky meant that it was an army entering the oasis to destroy it and attack those who were around. The interpretation of the vision makes the tribal chieftain to arm the men and prepare them well incase if they are attacked by enemies. The purpose of the chieftain is to make sure that in the oasis omens are listened carefully and thus when around one should be aware of desert

History of Occupational and Health Safety Essay - 1

History of Occupational and Health Safety - Essay Example Steel industry workers demand for more comprehensive occupational health and safety laws. Accordingly, industries start introducing protective clothing, meals, rest breaks, improved conditions in mines and protection against asbestos Committee inquires on the impact of technological change in Australia such as screen-based equipments like computers, and associated hazards like repetitive movement injuries, fatigue and impact on eyesight (Johnstone & Tooma, 2012). Occupational health and safety (Commonwealth employees) Act 1991 is enacted in order to protect the employees of the commonwealth authority from risks arising from employment. The employer must identify risks, control the risks or reduce the potential risks. Industry Commission issues the Work health and Safety proposals that offers greater incentives for employers to introduce better safer work environments and allow for flexibility through use of few legislations The commonwealth, Sate and territory governments and Australian Council of Trade Unions abide to commit to the 2002-2012 National OHS strategy that aims at attaining an harmonised regulatory framework (Johnstone & Tooma, 2012). Amendments of the Occupational health and safety Act 1991 is amended by the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Amendment Act 2004 to alter the procedure of workplace investigations and improvement notices (Johnstone & Tooma, 2012). Federal workplace minister canvasses the possibility of harmonised national systems of employee compensation. Employee groups also make submissions on concerns and support for the possible harmonisation of OHS. The Work, health and safety Act 2011 covers incident identification, WHS consultations, workplace entry provisions, regulations and legal proceedings (Johnstone & Tooma,

MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CUSTMER SATISFACTION Essay

MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CUSTMER SATISFACTION - Essay Example A comparison of the expectations that a customer may have had as a result of any marketing and the subsequent reality after the purchase of a product, service or trying out of something that had been the subject of a marketing campaign can result in the customer being satisfied or dissatisfied with their closer interaction. Customer satisfaction determines the repeat purchase behaviour of a customer, their word to mouth recommendation and loyalty to a firm as well as any long term business association. It is far more expensive to gain a new customer then it is to retain an existing one and customer experiences do get repeated to others in the market. Marketing involves the whole customer interaction with a company or firm and any expectations that a customer has as a result of marketing have to be fulfilled in reality. Thus, the marketing strategy that is pursued by a firm does determine the profits that it can make and the success that can be enjoyed. This dissertation proposal atte mpts to present a research project that will try to investigate ingredients of marketing that can give rise to customer satisfaction in an age of computing, telecommunications and information technology networks. Marketing is about making people aware of solutions for their human and social needs in a cost effective and appropriate manner so that profits can be made for those who are providing the solutions as well as those who are communicating the message about the existence of the available solutions (Kotler, 2005, Chapter 1). Although effective marketing can take many forms, it should be able to satisfy the target audience and meet their need for information about what is available in a manner that is both pleasing and informative. If information is conveyed in a manner that is pleasing and exciting, then it is very likely that potential customers will be attracted to a product, service or solution for which they perceive that they have a need. The scope of marketing

Time Management and Success Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Time Management and Success - Research Paper Example These include setting of goals, planning, delegation, allocation, time analysis, organizing, monitoring, prioritization, and scheduling. In the school setting, time management is extremely crucial for the school to satisfy the organizational goals and objectives. Time management is a tool that determines the project completion and the scope to which a project is done. It helps teachers in satisfying the goals and objectives of the students. When students and teachers on activities that deal with instrumental responsibilities use most of the school time, then, achievement of the student would be influenced positively. In this respect, time management is paramount for the success of any school. This paper explores a report on the impact of time management on the success of a school. Statement of the Problem. The study examined the impacts of time management on the success of a school. In many schools, teachers experience the challenge of accountability and high-stakes testing, that has a massive effect on the success and achievement of the learners. The increased responsibilities towards the profession are one great influence to the time spends on learning activity. School administrators, on the other hand, have the responsibility of policy formulation or a program administration. This means that they have an entitlement to all benefits, rights, and burdens brought about by appropriate management of time. ... School administrators should, therefore, take into consideration the impacts of time management on instructional time for them to satisfy their goals of increasing the achievement of students. Research Questions The following research questions will direct the quantitative section of the study: 1. Is there any there any influence of time management on the success of students? 2. Is there a correlation between the time management skills of the teacher’s and student achievement? The following questions will direct the qualitative section of the study: 1. What are the effects of management of time on the performance of students? 2. How does time management correlates with the performance of the students? Purpose of the Study The key purpose of the research was to give out insight regarding the link between time management skills and student achievement. Through the analysis of the skills of time management skills and the academic performance of the students, as given by studentâ €™s scores on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), Knowledge could be obtained on the relationship between time management skills of a teacher and the success of the student. The study was conducted to examine the relevance of time management on academic performance hence provide an appropriate solution for increasing the performance of learners in schools. Importance of the Study The success of this study is vital because it is will provide a powerful tool of increasing the performance of learners in a school. The study examines whether time management skills play a factor in the success of student. The existence of any correlation between time management and student’s success will give room for

Discussing the loss of the role of main exporter by USA Essay

Discussing the loss of the role of main exporter by USA - Essay Example This is the reason why, at present, companies usually segment their products to target the various consumers and fit what their wants and needs are. Consumer characteristics have a direct bearing on the choice and management of a marketing channel. Determining which channel is most appropriate is based on answers to fundamental questions such as: Who are potential customers Where do they buy When do they buy How do they buy What do they buy These answers also indicate the type of intermediary best suited to reaching target buyers. This is why knowledge of consumer characteristics plays an extremely important role in many marketing applications, such as defining the market for a product or deciding on the appropriate techniques in marketing. In contrast to consumer purchasing, business purchasing is generally based more on economic reasons than on emotional ones. Among the many factors business purchasers consider when choosing a supplier are the quality-price ratio, delivery reliability, reputation of the supplier, information and market services provided by the supplier, and previous experience with the supplier. The Internet has revolutionized the purchasing behaviours of consumers because built deeper, more personalized relationships with customers because they can purchase anything anytime inside the convenience of their own homes. Although much is still needed to be learned about online consumer purchase behavior, research has documented the most frequently purchased products and services bought online have been mostly reservations for plane tickets, cars and hotels. These products fall in the category of items for which product information is an important part of the purchase decision, but prepurchase trial is not necessarily critical. Also, items such as computers, computer accessories, and consumer electronics sold by Dell.com fall into this category. So do books, which accounts for the sales growth of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com ) (Kerin, 2003). Internet consumers differ from traditional offline consumers in their approaches to buying and in their responses to marketing. The exchange process via the Internet has become more customer initiated and customer controlled. People who use the Internet place greater value on information and tend to respond negatively to messages aimed only at selling. Traditional marketing targets a somewhat passive audience. For example, buyers would prefer to buy paints offline because they want to see the actual product and test it themselves. However, more and more companies are now creating a marketing website, instead of a purchasing site. These sites engage consumers in an interaction that will move them closer to a direct purchase or other marketing outcome. Such sites might include a catalog, shopping tips, and promotional features such as coupons, sales events, or contests. For example, visitors to Nokia.com can search through dozens of categories of Nokia products, review detailed features and specifications lists for specific items, read expert product reviews, and check out the latest hot deals. They can place an order for the desired products

Time Management and Success Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Time Management and Success - Research Paper Example These include setting of goals, planning, delegation, allocation, time analysis, organizing, monitoring, prioritization, and scheduling. In the school setting, time management is extremely crucial for the school to satisfy the organizational goals and objectives. Time management is a tool that determines the project completion and the scope to which a project is done. It helps teachers in satisfying the goals and objectives of the students. When students and teachers on activities that deal with instrumental responsibilities use most of the school time, then, achievement of the student would be influenced positively. In this respect, time management is paramount for the success of any school. This paper explores a report on the impact of time management on the success of a school. Statement of the Problem. The study examined the impacts of time management on the success of a school. In many schools, teachers experience the challenge of accountability and high-stakes testing, that has a massive effect on the success and achievement of the learners. The increased responsibilities towards the profession are one great influence to the time spends on learning activity. School administrators, on the other hand, have the responsibility of policy formulation or a program administration. This means that they have an entitlement to all benefits, rights, and burdens brought about by appropriate management of time. ... School administrators should, therefore, take into consideration the impacts of time management on instructional time for them to satisfy their goals of increasing the achievement of students. Research Questions The following research questions will direct the quantitative section of the study: 1. Is there any there any influence of time management on the success of students? 2. Is there a correlation between the time management skills of the teacher’s and student achievement? The following questions will direct the qualitative section of the study: 1. What are the effects of management of time on the performance of students? 2. How does time management correlates with the performance of the students? Purpose of the Study The key purpose of the research was to give out insight regarding the link between time management skills and student achievement. Through the analysis of the skills of time management skills and the academic performance of the students, as given by studentâ €™s scores on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), Knowledge could be obtained on the relationship between time management skills of a teacher and the success of the student. The study was conducted to examine the relevance of time management on academic performance hence provide an appropriate solution for increasing the performance of learners in schools. Importance of the Study The success of this study is vital because it is will provide a powerful tool of increasing the performance of learners in a school. The study examines whether time management skills play a factor in the success of student. The existence of any correlation between time management and student’s success will give room for

Crucifixion by Barnaba da Modena Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crucifixion by Barnaba da Modena - Essay Example The golden color dominates the whole painting and gives a more indoor look to the whole crucifixion scenario. Despite gold being the dominant color, the use of red color is done to highlight specific aspects of the painting. Other than the red color from the blood pouring out of the body of Christ, the board right on top of the cross is also painted in red and at the center, right at the foot of Jesus, Magdalene is also wearing red robes, which certainly becomes the second thing (if not the first) to observe for the viewer. Golden color is also apparent in the frame of the painting. On the wood it gives more prominence to gold; with the black rocks in the background and wooden cross, the gold color shines brightly in the whole painting. The overall mood of the crucifixion is gloomy but here is where the true beauty of the artwork lies. Jesus is on cross, with blood pouring from the nails driven in his feet and hands but the golden color that dominates and almost engulfs the whole pai nting represents heaven or the light from heaven. This probably indicates the rewards of the afterlife. Red in this painting is nothing but pain. The red robes of the mourning Magdalene, the blood gushing out of Jesus’s foot and the red color of the flag (soldier’s banner), and the sign on top of Christ, indicate pain, torture and sadness. But right above all these ‘red’ elements, the golden color gives hope in the afterlife. Modena made this art piece as a series of antitheses to portray the pagan Rome.

Is Unbridled Freedom A Myth Or Reality Education Essay

Is Unbridled Freedom A Myth Or Reality Education Essay Freedom has been an object of study and discussion since antiquity. The definition, extent and implications of the idea of human freedom have been discussed in disciplines ranging from the arts, humanities and even the sciences. Freedom has been variously defined by many people. These definitions can be broadly classified into 2 categories for simplicity.  [1]   External Freedoms These include Legal and human rights that are conferred on human beings from the outside. These are circumstantial in nature. Their absence, misuse or withdrawal can be clearly seen and is usually protested against. These include freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear, freedom of association, freedom of thought, etc. Internal Freedoms These are more Metaphysical in nature. Internal freedoms concern our inner mechanisms, thought- processes and the freedom to self-determination. These are less obviously visible, more complex and have far reaching consequences for our powers of decision making, judging accountability and responsibility. It is these internal freedoms that are the subject of interest for students of psychology and for those interested in understanding human behavior. The most contentious issue has been whether human beings can be free at all. Is Unbridled Human freedom a myth? Are we always constrained by internal and external forces that shape our ideas and beliefs or does each individual have some autonomy to make his/her own decisions? Generally speaking, the disparate views on this issue fall into three main categories  [2]   The Deterministic View The Libertarian View The Compatibilist Approach The first two approaches agree that both freedom and natural causality cannot exist simultaneously. However, they derive two opposite conclusions from this incompatibility. The deterministic approach asserts that there is no possibility of freedom. Thought, action, events are already decided and human choices are severely constrained by events beyond our control. The idea of freedom is hence an illusion. The libertarian approach says the exact opposite. Inspired by modern, rationalist school of thought, it concludes that human beings have unlimited choices and are absolutely free to pick and choose, to think and to act, keeping in mind physical limitations. . These choices may be influenced by certain factors, but these decisions have the power to change the direction of natural events. The third approach is therefore called the compatibilist position. Some actions are free, while others are reflexive. Freedom and free will is understood as a part of the workings of the human brain. A person is responsible for an action when this action results from a conscious intention. To be responsible for an action is not to be ultimately responsible for it, in the sense of also being responsible for all the events in the causal chains that led to the existence of the conscious intention that determined the action. In this project, we will be taking the third position. We will attempt to show, by taking some examples relevant to our lives, that unbridled freedom is indeed a myth. Further, we propose that unbridled freedom is not an ideal to be cherished either. There are certain limits to the freedom that one person can enjoy, without trespassing on the freedoms of others or spreading chaos and disturbance in society. It is desirable to have some restrictions that enable us to live in society and differentiate us from animals. The first restriction that human beings face in the exercise of unlimited freedom is the constraints put upon us by society. Human beings are social animals that have agreed to give up certain rights and freedoms in order to gain the benefits of living in society. This has been explained by various social theorists under the idea of the Social Contract.  [1]   Living within society, human beings are influenced by three types of factors.  [2]   The genetic factors The way they are activated Interaction between inner potential and outer surroundings The first factor talks of our inheritance from society and parents. Both in terms of genetic material passed down to the next generation, as well as the collective social conscience, which is a determinate system of ideas and beliefs which creates social likeness among all members of society  [1]  . The second factor consists of inner characteristics inherited from our parents as they are expressed in us. Some are recessive, some are dominant, but both types play a role in determining who we are. The third factor brings in the importance of the interaction with society from birth, that moulds and shapes our personality in millions of imperceptible ways. The third factor is considered to be the most relevant and potent since its influence begins the moment we are born and serves to shape and mould the ideas generated through the first and second factors. Society is always present, both inside and outside us. It guides our behaviours, determines the range of our choices and influences our decision making process. Most of the time, we are unaware of this situation. Many times, we do not mind this intrusion. because most of the time we ourselves desire just that which society expects of us. We want to obey the rules. We want the parts that society has assigned to us  [2]   This is evident in the way that advertisements  [3]  , for example shape our choices. Individuals are often attracted to products that they may not otherwise buy, need or use, purely on the basis of the way it is presented on the television, in the print media etc. The advertising and marketing industries try to appeal to this tendency- to seek the opinion of others, to do what everyone else is doing, to conform to social norms and standards- to their own advantage. Another example of purely external factors influencing personal decisions is seen in the concept of opinion and exit polls. The Indian government has banned the airing of exit polls on television, until all phases of voting is over, due to the fear that expected results in one region may hamper the influence the voting patterns in other regions. Similarly, opinion polls can often become opinion-generating mechanisms. Another factor that has been very effective in influencing thoughts, actions and behaviour has been religion. All over the world, various religions have encouraged people to think within preset frameworks. There are however, two sides to this coin. The unifying potential of religion has been well researched by thinkers such as Emile Durkheim who has claimed that- A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, i.e., things set apart and forbiddenbeliefs and practices which unite in one single  moral community  all those who adhere to them.  [1]   This positive view of religion is countered by Karl Marx who refers to religion as opium for the masses i.e. something that distracts them from alienation and hardship in this life, by promising leisure and comfort in the next, thereby serving the interests of the bourgeoisie. As an intrinsic part of the society we live in, religion- whether we accept it or not- is an important factor that influences the early development of our personalities. Its morals, values and teachings are instilled in us, and even if later in life we choose to turn away, these collective values remain with us. Another crucial institution that shapes us is the education system. The issue of freedom within the classroom and its importance in the learning process has been the subject matter of many debates. It is evident that unbridled freedom in a classroom, especially when the students are young or immature will only lead to chaos and confusion. The focus will be diffused since the authority of the teacher- who enforces discipline and concentration in the class will be lost. Also, the students, who are unaware of future benefits of studying certain difficult or complex subjects, will tend to avoid them altogether. As we have all experienced ourselves, unbridled freedom in the form of no attendance constraints usually leads to high levels of absenteeism. However, it is also important to consider what would be the case in a class with absolutely no freedom at all. Where the teacher is the absolute dictator and students have no rights, and only one duty- to listen to the authoritarian teacher. Such a scenario cannot be beneficial to the overall growth of the students. Their creativity will be stifled. Not allowed to ask questions or think independently, their curious and questioning natures will be subsumed under the weight of conformity, mediocrity and obedience. Education then divorces itself from understanding and development of the personality. It reduces to merely rote learning and superficial information gathering. This will have consequences for their future where they will be unable to take any independent decisions, never having faced that prospect earlier. As earlier, the most beneficial approach lies in the middle of these two extremes. Children must be given freedom within the classroom and within the education system. But how much authority should the teacher retain and how much he/she should leave the children to make their own decisions is a difficult question to answer. A number of theories have been put forward by various authors in this regard. Pioneers in child developmental theory- Jean Piaget (1896-1980), and Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), have powerfully influenced beliefs about interacting with children, how to set up learning environments, and expectations for childrens development.  [1]   There are some similarities and differences between Piagets and Vygotskys theories and these differences influence how teachers struggle and negotiate the location of their control and the childrens freedom in child-centred classrooms. The key difference between Piagets cognitive- constructivist theory and Vygotskys social constructivist theory lies in the role each theory assigns to the individual child and the social context of play in a Childs development. Although both approaches support the idea that individuals construct knowledge, Piaget and Vygotsky viewed nature (individual) and nurture (social context) as taking different roles in this process  [2]  . From the Piagetian perspective, individuals construct a personal reality based on previous knowledge and new experiences. Knowing is therefore, an interaction between the environment and the individual. For Vygotsky, learning is an interactive and constructive activity, and both society and individuals play essential roles in learning.  [3]   Both approaches emphasize the importance of social adaptation and social interaction in childrens learning, the difference comes in determining the direction of influence, that is, whether knowledge is constructed as a result of social interaction and then internalized (the Vygotskian view), or whether knowledge is constructed by the individual as a result of experience and then refined through testing in social situations (the Piagetian view) Moreover, both approaches locate learning within a social context, but each attributes different functions to that context. For Piaget, the importance of the social context is that it provides children with a means of testing the knowledge they had constructed. For Vygotsky, the social context is both the source and the cultural repository of the learning. The classrooms guided by Piagets theory give children the greatest degree of freedom. Teachers set up a rich environment for children to explore by themselves. Teachers are observers. On the other hand the classroom applying Vygotskys theory seeks to find a balance between teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Teachers assist children and give them challenges in order that children may attain the top level within their zone of proximal development. Two other writers who have provided valuable insights about the tension between childrens autonomy and the teachers authority in classroom teaching are John Dewey (1859- 1952) and Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Both, Deweys Experience and Education (1998) and Montessoris Absorbent Mind (1995) discuss many points about the relationship between childrens freedom and teachers roles in education. Although their ideas about education are widely considered to be child-centred, they hold divergent views about childrens freedom and the role of the teacher. In Deweys Progressive Theory, democracy is the aim of schooling. The curriculum is child-centred and is rooted in the ideas of continuity and interaction in a social context. Learning is experiencing. Teachers and children decide together what experience is meaningful to each individual students current learning needs and later development. Moreover, the experience is always a transaction taking place between the individual and the environment.  [1]   Therefore, as children develop within a school that functions like a democratic society, they learn and develop the ability to function well in the larger democratic society. Dewey (1998) believed that childrens freedom should be constructed, that it is not simply a product of their free will. He made a distinction between freedom based entirely on free will (doing whatever one wants to do) and freedom of intelligence, which is constructed from purposes that are intrinsically worthwhile, through observation and exercise of judgment in real-life situations.  [2]   Further, he believed that, Guidance given by the teacher to the exercise of the pupils intelligence is an aid to freedom, not a restriction upon it  [3]   Therefore, teachers should act as the representative and agent of the interests of the group as a whole, and should be responsible for each Childs on-going growth with the community. Moreover, Dewey indicated that the ideal aim of education is the creation of self-control. The mere removal of restriction or external control is no guarantee that children have self-control.  [1]   Maria Montessori believed that children and their proper education is the key to building a new world. Education must develop the potential abilities of children, who (she believed) are endowed with unknown powers. The role of education is therefore, to offer an orderly environment and materials which children can explore, by themselves, in order to promote their development. Montessoris educational philosophy is centred on the interaction between objects and the individual. The teacher acts as an observer to find a childs inner spirit and offers an orderly environment in which children can develop and grow. Montessori believed that the child has the power to teach herself. Children can adapt and have the ability to develop freely, which can become directly visible if their minds are not oppressed by adults who may limit the childs inner work and weigh down his spirit  [2]   She indicated that child herself must become the centre of education and should be guided by her inward mind. Therefore, the teachers task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives that inspire children to develop without any need of direct instruction However, Montessori did not ask teachers to completely abdicate authority. She believed that authority does not come from the adults dignity, but from the help that parents or teachers are able to give to their children. Therefore, authority consists of teachers aim to help children construct their work, without posing a threat to the childrens minds or reconstructing the childrens work.  [3]   Although Montessori suggested that teachers should refrain from either interfering with children as they are absorbed in their work or preventing childrens free expansion, she still believed that teachers should interrupt children if the children persistently annoy the others, because it means the childrens spirits or disciplines of development would unfold negatively. Therefore, the teachers should interrupt to break this negative development and guide children toward the right track These theories lead to 2 types of classrooms, with varying degrees of teacher control and childrens freedom. It would be generally expected that these ruminations on students freedom would lead to a low teacher control and high student freedom scenario. However, this is not the case. Low Teachers control, High Students Freedom Some people may assume that the progressive way of teaching should be located in this quadrant because they believe high teacher control (the application of teacher authority) may oppress children and cause unjust power relationships between teachers and children. However, it has been seen that is impossible to help children attain educational goals without the teachers guidance. Those who advocate this view must critically examine the following questions: Does teacher control have to be contradictory to childrens freedom? Does teacher control automatically oppress childrens freedom? Does teacher control prohibit childrens learning initiatives?  [1]   High Teachers control, High Students Freedom Reflected by both Piagets and Vygotskys theories. A teacher may respect and value childrens unfolding development, but he/she must also set up the expectations and goals for learning and give some guidance to children. In this kind of interaction, teacher control and Childrens freedom are not thought of as opposite to one to another; they coexist and both are highly valued in the whole process of teaching  [2]   This process of education, that gives great degree of freedom to the student, yet locates a certain degree of guidance and control with the teacher has implications for the professional domain as well. When these students grow up and enter organizations, the degree of freedom they are used to exercising and the decision-making skills that have been instilled in them through the process acquire great significance. The degree of freedom that an organization gives to its employees is also an important factor. The interaction between freedom given to employees within an organization and the degree of freedom the employees are accustomed to function under is very complex and gives rise to different types of behaviours. For example, those who are brought up through a process that involves high degree of control by parents, teachers etc. may, on finding a low control environment within the organization, be unable to function and take independent decisions, or they may end up mis-using those freedoms. Freedom within an organization has many meanings, and always involves the complex dynamics between individual freedom and the importance of meeting organizational/ professional targets. Some of these include: Freedom to have flexible work hours to accommodate family and lifestyle, while still meeting organizational goals. Freedom to come to leadership with new ideas and opposing viewpoints, while learning to trust people and letting go of absolute control. Freedom to do things differently by leveraging personal strengths to achieve goals, while still maintaining a professional, formal attitude. Freedom to leverage social media to communicate professionally and to help build brand awareness for your organization, while not devoting too much time to personal issues. Freedom to celebrate great accomplishments and milestones, while at the same time, having the freedom to say (without judgment,), I dont know or I cant handle any more or I made a mistake. Freedom to be compensated fairly, equitably, and even sometimes generously There is no debate that these, and many more such freedoms within the workplace will unleash creativity, encourage an environment of innovation, lead to relaxed and more productive employees, increase employee retention, make jobs more interesting and inspire employees to perform better. But, like in the case of implementing freedom within the education system, here too, there needs to be a delicate balance between employee freedom and organizational support and guidance. To make this possible, one of the major factors is the top leadership and their management style. Many people contend that this is exactly what makes companies like Google India, MakeMyTrip,Intel Technology,  Marriott Hotels, NetApp India the top 5 places to work in (in India). Freedom can be planned. It is the result of a designing triad consisting of the planning agents assumptions, the planning systems conditions and the opportunities and/or barriers which enhance or hinder the exercise of freedom.  [1]   Depending upon the amount of freedom and flexibility that organizations give to employees, and the qualities and skills they expect in their employees, they can be classified under 3 broad categories  [2]  : The industrial organization The Industrial Economy required the mass scaling of production and distribution. It met the requirements for the design of systems for scale, and was successful in plugging workers in to execute their specialized tasks. This type of organization is based on physical capital. Intellect, obedience and diligence are important employee characteristics. Employees have little or no decision-making freedom. The information Organization The information organization Information is used to uncover patterns, reduce the costs of production and consumption and find new solutions to vexing issues. Workers employ their intellect to solve problems relating to data. This type of organization is based on similar employee characteristics as the industrial, but gives a greater degree of freedom to its employees. The creative/learning organization  [2]   The creative organization is based on ideas and values qualities like initiative, creativity and passion. These qualities are intrinsic to employees, and when given freedom, bloom to provide a competitive advantage to the company. These assets are not physical in nature like commodities; hence the organization needs to work on retaining its highly skilled employees. Gary Hamel has given some great examples of companies that are innovating in terms of management to encourage these traits in their employees. W.L. Gore is one such example. It has made the list of Best Places to work for the past 25 years. The Great Place to Work organization noted these four aspects of W.L. Gores culture: People experience tremendous freedom at Gore: the freedom to talk with whomever they need or want to, the freedom to make comments and provide input, the freedom to bring who they are to work, and the freedom to make commitments.  [3]   To conclude, this paper tries to argue that there is no such thing as unbridled freedom. Human beings are essentially social animals and they are born within society. Society shapes and moulds human behaviour, which may also be influenced by certain intrinsic genetic predispositions of individuals. However, Institutions like Religion, Education, the state, family, friends, etc. have a huge role to play in the way we develop into adults. These may be conducive to the development of a balanced personality. However, they may sometimes be oppressive and may deter us from reaching our full potential in terms of faculties like creativity, innovation, lateral thinking etc. Further, unbridled freedom, even if it existed, is undesirable since it disconnects us from the social nature of our lives. Unbridled freedom can be destructive, chaotic and may in fact hamper the optimum developmental process, as was explained in the discussion on freedom within education earlier. The situation with high teacher control and high student freedom was found to be the best approach to bringing freedom within the classroom. Finally, the degree of freedom we are used to exercising and functioning under has a significant impact in the professional scenario- both for the employee as well as the organization. Employees must learn to handle freedom with responsibility and accountability while organizations must work on loosening bureaucratic hierarchical controls and give more freedom to make decisions to their employees.