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People exploring new experiences will have to overcome many challenges, and will undergo personal growth. ‘Into the World' can be interpreted as outlooks of growing up and adjustment into new stages of a person's life. It can mean changing normally, or having to change without any choice In the matter. In either case, any person exploring new experiences will encounter challenges, but along the way they will undergo personal growth. This is apparent In the prescribed text, The Story of TomBrenna' by J Burke, as well as my chosen text, ‘The Arrival' by Shawn Tan. The Idea of ‘new experiences' may not always begin positively. For Instance, In Burke's novel, The Story of Tom Brenna', one disastrous accident made him and his family to leave their hometown of Mumble, forcing every character to go through an emotional release. This provokes Tom to become very reserved and distant as he grows resentful and bitter of the whole predicament and progressively being pushed â₠¬Å"back Into that big, black hole†.He becomes very depressed, reclusive and alienated as he attempts to deal with the situation that his brother, Daniel, has caused. The author projects Tom's thoughts, emotions, perceptions and opinions through a large range of techniques. The audience is aware of Tom's growing guilt through the technique of first person writing (on page 124). â€Å"Like I said, that was a low point. † The believable, grammatical, impressionistic voice of the teenage narrator creates a confidential allegations with the readers, as well as keeping them engaged.It also gives us insight into Tom's inner most thoughts. As Tom plunges into intense feelings of guilt and animosity, he becomes numb to the struggles the other members of his family are facing. One of the most effective and engaging techniques used by the author to capture the reader's attention, is the use of flashbacks. The Story of Tom Brenna is a nonlinear narrative, and this is first evident in the prologue, which has a reflective tone, when it

The Fashion Channel Case

Introduction The Fashion Channel is losing highly valued viewers to competitors, causing a projected decrease in advertising revenue. TFH needs a plan to improve its ratings and increase its advertising revenue. We recommend that TFH implement scenario three and target the Fashion's and Shoppers/Planners. As we will show, this dual targeting plan has the highest income potential by bringing in the younger, highly valued viewers needed to increase advertising revenue. Analysis We recommend the third scenario of targeting both the Fashion's and theShoppers/Planners because it offers the highest ad revenue potential (see Appendix 1). Even though this plan has the highest total expenses, it results in the highest net income and margin potential (see Appendix 1). If TFH implemented scenario two and targeted only the Fashion's, the CPM would go up drastically. However, Fashion's only represent 15% of households and the average number of viewers would go down (see Appendix 2). On the other hand, if TFH targets both Fashion's and Shoppers/Planners the CPM and the average number of viewers will increase, exulting in higher revenues (see Appendix 2).The first scenario is not a good option because it increases advertising revenues only a small amount. Implementation The implementation plan involves 3 major steps. The first step is to research the two segments and find out what kind of programming will attract and retain both segments. The second step would be to invest in the new programming. The third step is to begin an advertising, promotions, and public relations campaign targeting the two segments. Risks The implementation of this plan has some risks that need to be mitigated.The three ajar risks are: 1) the plan only attracts Fashion's 2) the plan only attracts Shoppers/Planners 3) the plan alienates TFTP current customers. If the plan only attracts the Fashion's, then revenue will not be as high as expected, as shown in Appendix 1 under scenario 2. However, the exp enses would be much lower and income would still be much higher than in 2006. If the plan only attracts the Shoppers/Planners, then CPM would go down causing advertising revenue to decrease (see Appendix 3). This can be mitigated by focusing more on Fashion's than Shoppers/Planners while still trying to attract both. The Fashion Channel Case Starting in 1996 TFH (the fashion channel) had a great success because of a big audience and no competitors in the business. Noticing the great success competitors such as CNN and lifetime started to also have fashion-based programmer. Since viewers now having a choice to decide which channel they want to watch the viewer numbers of TFH starter to decrease. A reason for this is shown by an alpha research which pointed out that both CNN and lifetime got a better feedback in customers satisfaction in consumer interest as well as in awareness and also perceived value.Having their viewer numbers decreasing, TFH has to pay even more attention on their two main revenue streams: cable affiliate fees and advertising! Therefore they wanted to know who their audience is to can better react to them. They reached this with help of a detailed demographic breakdown which leaded to the result, that 61% of their viewers are female and 33% being aged 18-34 which is less then 45% being aged 35-54, but the younger group is stronger in this business Additional to this they did a SFA associated survey which divided the audience into 4 groups:Factionists: highly engaged in fashion with being 15% of all viewers, 61% being female and 50% being aged 18-34; Planners and Shoppers: participants in fashion on a regular basis with being 35% of all viewers, 54% being female and 25% being aged 18-34; Sustainability: participants in fashion for specific needs with being 30% of all viewers, 50% being female and 30% being aged 18-34. Also they have 45% with children in the household; Basics: not interested in fashion with being 20% of all viewers and 45% being female. 2) Which research method was most helpful to you in developing and evaluating the segmentation options?As mentioned before, there are four groups resulting from the SFA associated research. Combines with the results from the demographic breakdown we think it is really helpful for ETC. Indeed, with these researches they have the opp ortunity to realize who their audience is and so they can work on getting a new audience, probably within the other groups. They also understand who is the most powerful group in their business so that they can work on reaching their needs and with these information it was possible to work out the segmentation options. 3) What are the segmentation options?Broad-based marketing: The goal is to develop a multi-segment strategy with a strong focus on â€Å"Factionists† and the â€Å"Planners&shoppers† and also have a focus on women aged between 18 and 34 since this is the most powerful group – as mentioned before. â€Å"Fashions† segmentation: In this segmentation the focus is strong only on â€Å"Factionists†. The plan is to spend $ 15 million on programming. It is a single segment concentration. â€Å"Factionists† plus â€Å"Planners & shoppers† segmentation: This one is a product specialized segmentation with focus on both â€Å"Fact ionists† and â€Å"Shoppers & Planners†.TFH has to spend $ 20 million on programming in this case. 4) What is the project financial impact of each of the option? Scenario number 3 has the best financial result: against an increment of $20. 000. 000 in fixed costs and an increment of $4. 151. 347 in variable costs, the increment of revenue by Ad sales increases by $138. 378. 240 and the company can have the maximum net income ($168. 867. 232) and also the maximum margin (39%). Scenario number 1, instead, is the worst one: The Fashion Channel doesn't have extra fixed cost but also their income are the lowest one ($249. 080. 832) that is $96. 864. 68 lower than in scenario 3. In this case, the firm can match the same result that reached in 2006. Scenario 2 is a little worst than scenario 3: they have a little few fixed cost ($70. 000. 000) as they gain less revenue by Ad sales ($322. 882. 560) and also the net income and the margin are not performing as in scenario 3. 5) C ompare the segmentation options. What are the Pros & Cons (Strengths & Weaknesses) of each option? 1 . Broad Appeal (Broad multi-segment approach) – Scenario 1 Cross segment of Factionists, Planners & Shoppers, and Sustainability Woman aged 18 to 34 in all of the clusters 2.Factionists – Scenario 2 Alternative to a broad, multi-segment approach – focus on single segment (Factionists) 0 aggressive approach. Strong in the highly valued 18-34 female demographic. 3. The Factionists and the Shoppers/Planners – Scenario 3 Dual targeting of two segments (Factionists and Shoppers/Planners). 6) What is your recommendation? After the analysis of costs, revenues and net income and the review of advantages and disadvantages of the three options, according to us the best solution is the scenario 3: the â€Å"Fashions† plus â€Å"Planners/Shoppers† segmentation.We understand that the risk involved with this scenario is very high. TFH will lose some of the ir most loyal consumers by re-positioning the channel towards factionists and the planners/shoppers. Furthermore, Exhibit 5 show us that this scenario also requires more programming and operational expenses. On the other hand, â€Å"Factionists† has superior interest in fashion and â€Å"Planners & Shoppers† has the largest cluster size, so it is a good choice to combine them. Indeed â€Å"Planners & Shoppers† will improve he rating in order to attract more ad buyers and at the same time â€Å"Factionists† will enhance the CPM to gain more ad revenue.Moreover, from the Exhibits 4 and 5 we can observe that scenario 3 gives the more revenue that the others and it provides more net income and a better margin than the other two options. To conclude, the benefits truly do seem to outweigh the risks in this scenario and we recommend that targeting at two valued groups â€Å"Factionists† and â€Å"Planners & shoppers† is the best solution to this p roblem. It will create more revenues (above all from advertising), aka TFH get back market shares quickly and maintain Tiff's leading status and core viewer loyalty.Obviously, The Fashion Channel will also implement this new marketing plan. One of the more difficult challenges for TFH is trying to keep their older loyal consumers while attracting the new factionists and planners/shoppers (18-34 female audience), otherwise they could certainly lose more than they gain. In order to achieve this aim, TFH should analyze the loyal consumers' favorite programs and make sure to keep these programs when they begin their new marketing plan.Moreover, The Fashion Channel should look at Lifetime and their Fashion Today program to gain a better understanding of how they market to their 18-34 year-old female audience, so they will be in a very advantageous position to capture a large share of the market. Furthermore, TFH must continually find ways to improve consumer interest, awareness, and perc eived value. Lastly, TFH must be aware of its competition and be ready to differentiate and re-position its programs in order to earn the best TV ratings and capture the most market share. The Fashion Channel Case Introduction The Fashion Channel is losing highly valued viewers to competitors, causing a projected decrease in advertising revenue. TFH needs a plan to improve its ratings and increase its advertising revenue. We recommend that TFH implement scenario three and target the Fashion's and Shoppers/Planners. As we will show, this dual targeting plan has the highest income potential by bringing in the younger, highly valued viewers needed to increase advertising revenue. Analysis We recommend the third scenario of targeting both the Fashion's and theShoppers/Planners because it offers the highest ad revenue potential (see Appendix 1). Even though this plan has the highest total expenses, it results in the highest net income and margin potential (see Appendix 1). If TFH implemented scenario two and targeted only the Fashion's, the CPM would go up drastically. However, Fashion's only represent 15% of households and the average number of viewers would go down (see Appendix 2). On the other hand, if TFH targets both Fashion's and Shoppers/Planners the CPM and the average number of viewers will increase, exulting in higher revenues (see Appendix 2).The first scenario is not a good option because it increases advertising revenues only a small amount. Implementation The implementation plan involves 3 major steps. The first step is to research the two segments and find out what kind of programming will attract and retain both segments. The second step would be to invest in the new programming. The third step is to begin an advertising, promotions, and public relations campaign targeting the two segments. Risks The implementation of this plan has some risks that need to be mitigated.The three ajar risks are: 1) the plan only attracts Fashion's 2) the plan only attracts Shoppers/Planners 3) the plan alienates TFTP current customers. If the plan only attracts the Fashion's, then revenue will not be as high as expected, as shown in Appendix 1 under scenario 2. However, the exp enses would be much lower and income would still be much higher than in 2006. If the plan only attracts the Shoppers/Planners, then CPM would go down causing advertising revenue to decrease (see Appendix 3). This can be mitigated by focusing more on Fashion's than Shoppers/Planners while still trying to attract both.

Risk Management Stratgic Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management Stratgic Framework - Essay Example Testing effectiveness is also a good method in determining whether or not risk management is creating a higher level of benefit in contrast to the costs of implementation. Performance management should include evaluation and the monitoring of the implementation strategy in order to continue assessing value of the methods of risk management that are being used.1 Question 2: There are a number of responsibilities the public has in terms of risk management. First, it is the responsibility of each individual to make sure that the data is not used responsibly, and that they utilize common sense in protecting their personal identity. Although identity theft is very difficult to prevent, using practical applications of common sense in terms of data supports personal protection, which contributes to overall risk that can come from the use of an individuals identity in order to infiltrate or corrupt data in organizations. Taking immediate action when there has been a clear violation of data is also essential in helping to inform organizations that a breach has occurred. With the help of individuals, organizations and public institutions can help support rapid action against infiltration and corruption which is of benefit to the organization and the individual who participate in the benefits of the organization. Question 3: Risk communications are typically separated with internal and external audiences, each having specific requirements and strategies that must be employed. Two way communications throughout risk management processes provide for the key principles that are intended to be met to be addressed in the management of risk. Transparency is one of the keys to strategizing for risk indication so that everyone who is involved as the essential information in order to perform appropriately and effectively. It is often necessary to communicate with external stakeholders, allowing the public to have appropriate

The Cost of High Stakes On Little League Games Essay

The Cost of High Stakes On Little League Games - Essay Example The parents who constantly push their children to excel can not seem to understand that not all children are meant to be over-achievers or future sports superstars. That is why they constantly shout at their kids to do better during the game and get loud, foul-mouthed, and dangerously aggressive towards the Little League officials during certain games. Although I do not have children of my own to use as the basis of comparison for this paper, I will have to say that I have attended quite a number of Little League games where my nephews were participants, and I would have to agree with Nevius in this case; the violence in the stands and on the field that is caused by the parents made me want to yank my nephews off the court more than a few times. Little League is no longer a fun weekend activity for kids these days. Instead, it has transformed into a pressure cooker for the children whose parents expect them to be the next big name in sports and the star jock of their college or unive rsity. Parents put so much pressure on their children to succeed in Little League due to their future interests in the child's welfare that I would not wish a Little League membership on the child of my worst enemy. Little League now has high stake costs because the parents have blown the Little League success of their children out of proportion. The high stakes cost of the Little League games is not limited to the amount of time that the child spends training, attending sports clinics, or even the cost of professional coaching that the parents insist that their children must have in order to succeed in Little League. Rather, the high stakes of these games come at the price of the lives of the participants. The coaches are often getting the brunt of the ire of the parents. It is these people, the hired hand, whose lives are placed on the line because of a parent's uncontrollable temper. Which is why some kids, such as Jesse Cayas, give up the mainstream Little League sports altogeth er. He explains: â€Å"A lot of parents would get into fights (arguments) sometimes. They'd yell at each other.† (qtd. in Kroichick). The situation as described by Cayas is one that is replicated at thousands of Little League parks across the country. The parents are either yelling at the kids to improve their game, or they are at the throats of the coaches, umpires, or referees for making what they perceive to be bad calls during the game. Parents, who are expected to be the epitome of proper behavior in public and dignified calm in the face of defeat, turn into wild animals who attack those whom they feel have prevented their child or children from achieving victory. Our country has developed an unhealthy habit of turning any game into an all out sports war. From the early beginnings of the NBA games on television, these days, parents and the public do not think of the humiliation and embarrassment that children feel when every Little League game that can gain air time, eve n on local television stations only, becomes such a big deal for all concerned. Having the Little League of Baseball series aired does not do any of the playing teams a favor either as the children are forced to play out their eventual loss or win over television. These types of events place undue stress on the children and the parents (Stenzler, â€Å"Little League World Series: Children are Thrust into the Media Glare†). Exactly when did embarrassing the child on local or national television become a part of the enjoyment

POLLOCK the film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

POLLOCK the film - Essay Example There are a variety of sacrifices made by Pollock’s friends, family, and colleagues. For instance, Pollock’s girlfriend and eventual wife, Lee Krasner, sacrifices her own well being and success in order to support Pollock’s painting. In addition to becoming his manager, Lee also takes care of Pollock when he is diagnosed as neurotic and continually tries to help him with his alcoholism. She essentially supports Pollock financially as well because he is not able to sell any paintings due to his inability to change his paintings for potential clients. Lee even appears to sacrifice motherhood because she knows that she must be there to care for Pollock and his mental health problems, in addition to pushing him to continue his art. Later on, she has to sacrifice her own happiness as she puts up with the affair between Pollock and Ruth Kilgman. Pollock also must make some sacrifices for his art. In the film, the audience sees Pollock struggle to sell his paintings. This is mostly due to the fact that Pollock does not appear to want to modify his paintings according to the tastes of others. Because he refuses to do this, art buyers are not purchasing his paintings. He seems to believe that his art is not as pure, or that he loses some of his artistic integrity if he gives in to the buyer’s desires. He is forced to sacrifice this type of mindset when Life magazine decides to write about him which appears to bother Pollock as he does not seem to want this added attention and seems to believe that he is a phony or a sell out for allowing Life magazine to cover him. Ultimately, he sacrifices his own career and life due to his alcoholism which ends up causing a deadly car cash. Due to the fact that so much pain and struggle surrounded Pollock’s life and career, the question of whether or not it was all worth it floats to the forefront of the discussion. Without the controversy and early death, it is likely that Pollock would not have been as

How to solve problem of organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How to solve problem of organization - Essay Example Personnel may be in the wrong job because they lack the relevant skills required, lack initiative or job hunting skills to find a job that suits their skills or stay in a job considered suitable for them. These issues result in a lot of problems within an organization. Research conducted in Kuwait found that the problem is quite rampant. This paper will examine the proper problem solving mechanisms to tackle the problem of wrongful placement of workforce. Being in the wrong job is damaging to an individual and the organization, as well. The process of solving organizational problems entails five key steps. These include finding the problem, formulating the problem, deciding on the solution, implementing the solution and reviewing the results. After company management identifies and formulates the problem, i.e. the organizational problem of wrongful personnel placement, they should find viable alternatives to counter the issue. While organizations encounter a multitude of problems, the problem of wrongful employee placement causes the most harm to the organization (Smart & Street, 2008). However, it is often the executives that fail to comprehend the impact of a poor performer. It is the colleagues of such an employee who experience the consequences of wrongful personnel placement. This breeds destructive employee drive and loss of productivity. One of the factors that result in wrongful employee placement include loyalty, for instance, when a manager employs a friend making it difficult for the employer to identify the right position for that employee. In addition, after evaluating and formulating the problem, management can solve the problem of employees working in the wrong position by ensuring that hiring is done on a professional rather than personal basis. Employing friends or relatives who are unqualified for a position on the basis of loyalty may damage

Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Power - Essay Example These three C's in many ways mirror the three branches of government within the United States: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Therefore, one may describe the balance of power with the following phrase: "The commission proposes, the Council decides, the Court interprets." However, some differences remain, and perhaps the internal structure of the European Community may best be understood as a combination of "different conceptions of democracy" (Craig, 1997, 105). The EU is not a state, but a combination of states and therefore it derives its authority from its members. "Under the present organization of the EU, its balance of powers does not correspond to the classic principle of the separation of powers. The interplay of checks and balances does not give a necessarily weaker result, but it is different" (Pris, 2000, 4). Because of this distinct separation of powers that isn't "really" a separation of powers; it is difficult to determine who the head of the EU is or how, if the bodies were to disagree, such a disagreement would be handled if not by the Court. The Council or the Commission could emerge at the dominant body depending upon political circumstances. Each entity has its own strengths and weakness. "Secondly, EC law is not stable. It is dynamic. The boundaries of the EC's powers move with the adoption of decisions, regulations, directives and the conclusion of international agreements" (Pris, 2000, 4). The Commission members are appointed by their respective governments. Seats are not elected. Therefore, the risk is that the Commission might become too powerful and lack sufficient checks upon who may rise to enjoy such authority. The primary power of the Commission is its soft power; it has a tremendous ability to advise and lead interest groups in a manner that is consistent with the strategies and goals outlined by the European Union. Rather than create a top-down regulatory strategy, it employs consensus building and negotiations as tools of intervention in competition issues. When needed, the Commission may choose to issue a public outcry against a faulty competitive practice. However, such an instance is rare and can be explained by the strongest competitive disadvantages, such as that imposed by a monopoly or too much state intervention into economic affairs. These issues concern the Commission because its main goal is to ensure a fair trade and competitive platform for transnational industries. The main purpose of the Union is to enable economic development and such actions are contrary to free market liberalization principles. While not the 'neoliberalism' that has at times been advocated by countries like the United States and criticized by others who saw the destruction created by strict adherence to the "Washington Consensus" advocated by aid lender institutions like the IMF, the European Union's Commission does take the opportunity to stop monopolistic and anti-competitive practices.In this way, the European Union may offer a middle strategy that is neither Washington based neoliberalism or strong, state driven economic practices followed by Commun ist China or other Asian nations. Europe's socialist democratic mix has worked thus far to tailor the economic environment to fit economic necessity. This can be seen in the dramatic economic success stories of nations like Portugal, who has been cited as an example of EU economic success. The Commission's role in EU

Teacher as a Learner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Teacher as a Learner - Essay Example First, teachers have a responsibility both to students and the professional teaching community they are part of. Thus, professional development in both aspects must be implemented in order to improve the teacher as educator through increasing their subject-matter knowledge, and teaching them ways to learn, teaching them how to make education more enjoyable, and encouraging critical thinking, which they can pass on to students; and as professionals by strengthening their professional knowledge to aid in teaching. All of which fosters continuous improvement and self-renewal on the teacher as an individual, allowing the teacher to be a better member of the professional community and classroom he is part of. Second, teachers, as part of an overarching educational system must support education reform strategies and implement them in the classroom. However, since reform is only as effective as its implementation, teachers as learners must understand how to appropriately and properly integr ate reform initiatives into their classroom. Only through appropriate and proper integration can reform initiatives successfully achieve desired learning outcomes such as enhancing learning capabilities of students, encouraging higher level thinking, fostering creative thinking and open-mindedness, and allowing students with exceptional needs to fully participate in class. Moreover, teachers must also learn to be creative and take risks in designing how education reform strategies will be implemented in the classroom. Lastly, it is important for teachers to treat the classroom as a learning environment and become a cooperative participant actively questioning to elicit greater participation from students, as opposed to an authority figure. By doing so, students are given more opportunities to learn and express themselves. Consequently, teachers are given more opportunities to observe,

Formal report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Formal report - Assignment Example This paper will give an overview of what social networking is about, what it is used for and will endeavor to give examples of companies and their social networking strategies. A social networking plan and recommendations will also be given specifically for Stone Shine, a stone cleaner product that the company, Deb Richey Co. launched online. A social network service is defined as â€Å"the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision† (Social, 2011). While the networking can be done physically such as in a workplace, or at school, social networking is most popular online. This is because the internet has transcended physical barriers and has made it possible for millions of people from all over the world to come together for a shared interest. Connecting is no longer impeded by the inability to physically come together. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users (Social, 2011). Members communicate by email, forum posts, blogs, comments and instant messages. These are all features that can be made available by the varied social network sites. By becoming a member, these sites give every individual the chance to create his/her own profile. Having a personal profile lets members put personal information and define their personal interests, this is what sets social networking platforms apart from offline ones. There is ease of access to member information that makes it accessible to other members, making it easier for people to interact. The networking part also does not have to happen in real-time. This takes away the pressure of having to interact within a time frame, as with personal meetings, or whether to even react at all. Because there is this absence of pressure to connect plus the ease of access, social networking is a very enjoyable activity for lots of peo ple. Coupled with the fact that man is a social

The Effect of Television on the American Culture Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Television on the American Culture Essay The television has positioned various issues pertaining to the lives of the general public in a number of ways. Undoubtedly, views and opinions of the public may be easily controlled and influenced through content of various commodities of television. People opinions may perhaps form by their views on certain subjects. Starting slightly beyond infanthood, children learn to engage in, duplicate, and imitate the accessories and fashions from movies, sitcoms, commercials, and television. Additionally, apart from producing awareness for adults, television activates certain images of ideas and factors into the minds of children. For example, television stereotype groups, in which various movies and sitcoms display how model youths act in educational institutions and individuals with turbans and beards must be terrorists. Stereotypes embed in the minds of children, and they become persuaded to pursue them in real life. Furthermore, celebrities accepting characters with nudity and cussing, creating the opinion of children and adults that it is acceptable to compromise roles and broadcast Christ. The Bible says, â€Å"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.† Television is significant to the media. Currently, television inundated a massive amount of communication that has an enormous effect in the lives of American culture. The American culture has a vast amount of information through television; it becomes very difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, or to decipher vital information from true and false. It is apparent that television has significant effect on young people, and these days practically all of them have access to television because of easy accessibility and it presents the highest degree of simulation. Visually being simulated inclines that television has an assorted kind of effect on attitudes and lives of people. It is debatable what people watch on television might shape their attitudes and behaviors that individuals holds in contradiction of or in favor of numerous issues. Such as, a television  show continuously showing youth wearing fashionable clothes with makeup, clearly, a youth that keep viewing the same ideas, views and images imposed on them by the associated media like internet and magazines, it is possible that they will begin to believe and accept similar ideas. Similarly, television may work in creating a variation of stereotypes, for instance, in high school, popular girls that are fashionable and rich, these girls become embedded in the minds of youn g girls as they are viewing television and its’ likeness. As a result, such images cause young individuals to shape certain stereotypes, attitudes, notions and ideas towards events and people surrounding them through showing what the intellect desires them to view, in which, unsurprisingly reality does not exist. We are to, â€Å"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.† Still, television has created stereotypes from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. Such programs produces a sense of how an individual represent themselves, how an individuals’ impression in relation to ethnicity, gender and nationality they belong to or about their sexual orientation on themselves and others. Perhaps, the most significant misconception that a person may obtain from television is the description of other ethnicity or customs, which creates confusion and wrong assumptions in the mind of a child concerning people who belong to specified cultures. Studies have confirmed that television is a key influence on how to think, behave, feel, fear and believe of individuals from other ethnicities. For instance, most of action television programs present a female in distress and a male occurs to save her most times. This refers to a typical gender stereotyping, where the female portrayed as the weaker gender or sex always require rescue from a male for protection. Young people learn to respond to different ethnic groups from the knowledge attained via television programs. Such as, television programs on several occasions have depicted African Americans as generally proficient and skillful sport players. Whenever people view people playing sports, assumptions are that African American athletes are better performers than Caucasians. Above views does not assert that excellent quality cannot originate from television. A range of television programs disseminate and provide youth with massive meaningful information, for instance documentary films on National Geographic and Discovery channels pertaining to diverse events and issues in the lives of people. This positive side of television  shows, usage is a responsible, factual, and focused methodology. Society has the insight in evaluating the facts provided. These are popular television shows, which incorporate world stimulated views and opinions into the minds of people. Educational programs provide a unique amount of facts and information on diverse cultures across the world, and are beneficial in enhancing knowledge and eradicating the misconception about cultures and diverse people. In conclusion, television possibly has several significant effects on the lives of American people, for example the influence of attitude and belief of people, especially young people. Children watch television programs that could create a positive or negative impact on their minds concerning certain opinions and views. Worldwide, youth should be informed and aware of the different viewpoints that penetrate television programs, as well as implications on the different divides and cultures of society. It is apparent that television programs significantly influence the lives of people, especially children. Television programs may possibly shape opinions and views of youth in any direction, because children distinguish directly what is seen on television programs. Programs based on facts and reality may help young people comprehend society in a good manner that eventually directs them to progress. Horror television programs may have a negative influence on development of a child, which could result in long-term anxiety and fear. Altogether, these influences have a major impact on the learning and developments of children, the role of children are the future of all nations. The Bible says to, â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go, [a]nd when he is old he will not depart from it.†

Examining The Factors Of Project Failure Information Technology Essay

Examining The Factors Of Project Failure Information Technology Essay Prior to determining the factors that causes a project to fail; one must have a clear understanding of what a project is. So What is a Project? According to the Project Management Institute a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product service or result. In this context, the term temporary means that every project has a definite starting point and a definite end. The end of a project is when all objectives have been met, or it has became certain that the objective can or cannot be achieved, or when there is no further necessity for the project to be continued. A project is also unique in which the end results or product is different to others being developed such as different designs, different locations, different contractors and etc. Another characteristic which sums up to what a project is it being progressive. Progressive is a characteristic that displays every project is developed on a step by step or by an increment basis. 1.1 What is Project Management? In order to ensure that all three criteria of a project is met, a method of managing the project must be set in place. This is where project management comes in. According to the Project Management Institute project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. The purpose of project management is to set in place an organized method of controlling, planning, organizing and measuring resources in a project to meet the objectives set. The resources involved would include manpower, raw materials, machinery, time, money and so on. Due to the lack of application of project management, factors that contribute to the failures of a project are bound to arise. These failure factors will be further explained below. 2.0 Why Do Projects Fail? It is true that every project is unique; however the underlying causes of project failure are usually restricted to a few specific areas. Once we know what these are we can take steps to minimize the chance of problems in these areas and increase the likelihood of success. Common factors for project failures are explained below. 2.1 Inappropriate Communication Management In todays world, it is a requirement that projects are undertaken in partnership with the business, and this partnership absolutely requires solid communication. According to Turner (2007) communication is the operating system of a society. This is simplified to show that an operating system is required to allow the computers resources available for the programs and similar to this, communication is required to provide individuals with resources in the society. Communication is a process of exchanging information which may be carried out as written messages, spoken words or even body gestures. Effective and efficient communication is essential between project manager, project team, sponsors and stakeholder to ensure the success of the project. The communication in a project needs to be carefully planned, implemented and controlled in order for the right information is delivered at the right time to the stakeholders. 2.1.1 Causes of Inappropriate Communication Management Trust Lack of trust between the project manager and the team will lead to team members that dont trust the project manager will not be open in their communications. They will tend to either shut down or challenge the project manager at every turn. De-motivated The team members do not know the value of their presence. This is due to that they are often kept in the dark and not given a clear objective of the project and an up to date progress of the project. The method of delivery of messages is unclear and will lead to misinterpretation of the message and different expectations of the project. Poor Communicators Some project managers just dont know how to communicate well. This is usually not a lack of skill but a lack of focus. Project managers tend to put their least effort in communicating with the team members and those associated with the project. The information delivered will often be short and puzzling for not all the exact details is explained. Incompetence The team itself is not trained to communicate proactively as a team. This will result in the team not sharing information and learning with each other. Some project teams are comprised of members from different divisions in a company. These individuals are only temporarily associated with each other until the completion of the project. Unless these individuals are sent to training prior to the commencement of the project it will be very difficult for them to adapt to the new working environment. 2.2 Poor Project Planning The key to any project process is good planning. Good planning helps minimize potential risks, last minute changes and provide efficient working conditions. Project planning is important for it will assess the strengths and weakness of the project team, determine the threats of the project, develop the project objectives and provide the platform for leadership and control of the project. The basis of planning involves charting. Simple charts such as checklists and Gantt charts may sometimes suffice throughout the completion of the project as long as all details and factors are taken into consideration. This form of charts is also easier to be comprehended by the stakeholders who are untrained in the management arts. However other advanced methods such as network analysis may also be used. The main point to planning is to allow some slack in the time constraint and always be prepared to make changes in the plan. 2.2.1 Causes of Poor Planning Not Alert to Symptoms A good project manager is one that is able to provide a detailed drafted out plan and yet notice the symptoms of failure for it. The symptoms may be: Major gaps remained unresolved Key stakeholders have no participation in the project Too frequent changes in a scope Lack of test and development resources Multiple revisions in the timeline Schedule Too Tight The manager must be prepared to make allowances for unexpected variances in the project such as delays in approvals, shortages of resources or any acts of god. Unrealistic Time Scales The idealistic time scale is to be short and able to meet all objectives. However project managers must be careful not to be too optimistic in meeting this goal. Sometimes the time scales are set without considering the amount of work to be completed to achieve the objectives. As a result, there will probably be a delay in completion in the project thus requiring more financial resources to be added to the project. 2.3 Inappropriate Risk Management Project risks can be predictable or completely unpredictable and it can occur at any phase of a project. Some risks are associated with a particular task whilst others may occur due to external factors outside of the project. A good risk assessment is identifying all predictable risks; assess the severity of the risks and drafting out a plan to minimize its impacts or even possible avoidance of it. It is very important to analyze and rectify a risk as soon as it is identified for any delays in rectification will put the project at a higher risk of loss or damage. 2.3.1 Causes of Inappropriate Risk Management Too Confident It is encouraged to be confident in the project plan as it will increase the enthusiasm among the project team. However, the attitude of being too confident and turning a blind eye on any factors that may disrupt the progress of the project will cause catastrophic effects on the project. Such effects may be insufficient resources, project delays, demotivation of employees and even abortion of the project itself. Misconceptions Some project managers perceive risks as threats to the projects success. Therefore they will prefer to ignore the threats and solely hope that the threat will diminish itself. This obviously will not happen for there is no problem in the world that will solve itself. Wrong Decisions A project manager holds the decision to any trivial problems of the project. In this case when assessing risks the project manager must make the key decision of risk avoidance or risk taking. All factors must be taken into consideration prior to making the decision to prevent disturbances in meeting the projects objectives. Inefficient Method of Risk Assessing To be able to efficiently assess a risk, systematic approaches such as fault trees and fish bones are applied in order to take all risks into considerations. Methods such as qualitative and quantitative analysis are then implied to determine its impact or chances. Insufficient assessing of the risks will create an act of surprise that will disrupt the progress of the project. 2.4 Inadequate Scope Management According to (PMI 2004), Project management scope is defining and controlling what is and what is not included in the project. The importance of scope management is divided into three elements: Ensure Sufficient Amount of Work is Done In order to do this a clear definition of the project must be obtained. This may include identifying the exact requirements that is needed to accomplish the projects objective, who the key stakeholders are and what is driving the project. Ensure Unnecessary Work is Not Done Avoid the Nice to haves. Nice to haves are additional requirements that suddenly develop as the project progresses. These additional requirements often add little value but require extra costs. Achieve the Stated Objective The objective of the project must be achieved. For any problems encountered during execution of the project, the manager must be able to control the changes or modifications to the scope to ensure that the objective can be accomplished. 2.4.1 Causes for Inadequate Scope Management Incomplete Scope An incomplete scope leads to frequent additional changes. This may drag the time scale of the project and create extra costs. Confusing Scope A scope that is not straight forward and clear will lead to ambiguity of stakeholders. Such ambiguities are misinterpretations of design and requirements. Confusion will affect the commitment of stakeholders and will require additional unnecessary work. Scope Creep Constant changes to the scope may make the project seem never ending and delay in completion. To prevent this, scope document must be finalized and not allowed to be altered unless a formal change process is carried out. 2.5 Poor Stakeholder Management Stakeholder management is managing communications between stakeholders to discover their expectations before and during project execution to avoid ambiguity such as perceiving a successful project as a failure. According to the Association for Project Management (APM) Body of Knowledge (BoK) Stakeholders are all those with an interest or role in the project or who are impacted by the project. Examples of stakeholders are the shareholders, creditors and the project management team itself. Maintaining good communication with the stakeholder puts the project manager at an advantage for besides being able to see eye to eye on the projects progress, the stakeholder may even assist in resolving conflicts encountered by their political relations, contacts or knowledge that is not available on the project team. 2.5.1 Causes for Poor Stakeholder Management Poor Business Plan Some projects have a tendency to fail before it even started. This is because prior to commencing a project, sufficient financial funds must be available and in order for these funds to be available the project manager must come up with a clear and detailed business plan to attract sponsors for the project. If the plan does not impress the investors or raise confusion it will be most likely be rejected. Poor Communication Successful relationship with stakeholders is achieved by maintaining good communication. The key to this is proactive communication which the stakeholder is constantly updated of the progress of the project. Other than encouraging commitment from the stakeholders, proactive communication helps avoid bad rumors of project disturbance from influencing stakeholders. Proactive communication will also alert the project manager of any potential troubles existing from senior stakeholders. This may be in the form of not providing the required support, interfering into the project without consultation and unfounded promises or commitment. 2.6 Impact of Failure Factors on Project The aim of a project manager is to achieve success in all aspects of the project. This is reliant upon achieving the objectives in terms of cost, time and quality. The critical factor of these objectives is that it is interrelated with each other where you cannot trade off one for another in order to achieve the success of the project. 2.6.1 Quality/Cost Impact All the failure factors stated above will increase the cost of a project which will then have an effect on the quality of the finished product depending on the project managers decision. For example, due to the project managers unorganized planning the costs have risen to complete the project. The poor planning may have been led by insufficient scope assessment, bad communication or even inefficient risk analysis. Therefore in order to meet the funds available the project manager decides to cut corners and resolve to use cheaper raw materials to complete the project. This will result in a finished product of a lower standard than specified by the customer. From this situation, by compromising quality the project is labeled as a failure even though the financial costs have not exceeded. Therefore it is of the utmost importance of the project manager to plan, analyze and communicate efficiently to achieve project success. 2.6.2 Time/Cost Impact There is a direct relationship between time and money. Whenever a planned timescale is extended it will surely add cost to the project. The cost of a project increases as it progresses for its value and the stake it bears is higher. All the failure factors above will create disruptions in the projects progress and eventually delay its completion. This may cause increase in costs involving work force, facilities and equipment and raw materials. For large projects, funds are usually available progressively as the project manager completes a phase of the project. A completed phase will then be inspected and certified by an independent quality surveyor hired by the customer. Certified invoices will then be issued to the customer. The projects manager revenue will be delayed if the phase is not completed within the time scale specified or not up to the desired standard. The project manager will then have to finance the extra costs himself which may result in severe cash flow problems. Del ays on large project can easily add additional costs. Therefore it is very important that the project is planned, analyzed, monitored and managed carefully to avoid disruptions in its execution. 2.7 Examples of Factor Failures Affecting Projects 2.7.1 Boeing 787 Dreamliner The 787 dreamliner is a 240 seater aircraft currently being developed by Boeing. Its design involves 50% of the manufacturing materials being composites makes it the first composite airliner in the world. However, due to certain drawbacks Boeing announced its sixth delay for its maiden flight since September 2007. The new planned date for the maiden flight is now shifted to the end of 2009. The delivery of the first 787 is also delayed to the end of 2010 which is a 30 month delay from the originally expected date of June 2008. Various factors were the cause of this delay and will be explained below. Poor Stakeholder Management Prior to the design of the 787, Boeing planned to develop a midsized aircraft capable of travelling at sonic speed (speed of sound). Even though its operating costs were higher, Boeing assured its customers that the sonic cruiser would promote customer satisfaction by saving time. However, due to the September 11, 2001 attacks and increased petroleum prices the customers became less interested in the project. Thus as Boeing informed its customers of the increasing airframe costs the customers immediately pulled out of the project resulting in Boeing announcing the abortion of the Sonic Cruiser project on December 2002. Inadequate Scope Management For the production of the 787, Boeing decided on a new approach as a resolve to reduce costs. This new approach was to outsource the major components of the 787 to different manufacturing companies around the world. For examples, the wings were produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagoya (Japan), ailerons and flaps by Boeing Australia, stabilizers by Alenia Aeronautica (Italy) and these parts were to be assembled in Everett, Washington (Boeings Main Plant). By outsourcing Boeing did not specify the exact details of the parts and encouraged the manufacturers to speak out their ideas develop solutions for problems. However, when progressing to the assembly of the aircraft tests displayed the fuselage is not up to the desired strength and failed the testing. Due to this defect, Boeing engineers are back at the drawing board to solve the issue. Inappropriate Communication Management A current major problem in the design is electronic integration. Unlike current aircrafts the 787 is designed to operate flight controls by using electrical power to reduce weight and reduce complexity. However by employing three different competing companies to integrate their systems together has proven to be a problem. Smiths Aerospace, Rockwell Collins and Honeywell International are known as fierce competitors in the aviation industry. Therefore when struggling to get their software to mesh with each others, the atmosphere turns stressful and the software engineers returned to the competitive attitude they actually are. Inappropriate Risk Management For Boeing to be announcing its sixth delay is not displaying a very good image of achieving its objectives. Sequences of problems arising due to technical difficulties experienced by the 787 are acting like a domino effect on the progress of 787 making less room for mistakes for Boeing. Although primarily there were 910 orders on the 787, 70 of those orders have been cancelled due to the delay. The current situation to meet the deadline for the maiden flight the end of this year is building tension among Boeings engineers to solve current structural problems. Aside from technical problems the delay is also costing Boeing a net loss of $1.6 billion according to Flightglobal.com. Poor Project Planning According to Cohan (2009), another factor for the delay is due to Boeings change of management plan. Boeing has long adopted a command and control type of leadership in the company. However for the 787 project, the top executives decide to enforce a new type of leadership known as Transformational Leadership (TL). TL is a form of leadership where employers encourage employees to make decisions, have ownership and take responsibility for any failure or success. In the past, Boeing had given suppliers very detailed information of what is needed when it outsourced its components. However, with the 787 Boeing allowed the suppliers to do the design and manufacturing. This is found to be the source of why there were problems during the final assembly at Everett. Due to this factor, Boeing has reverted to the previous type of leadership to prevent any more delays and other assembly related problems from reoccurring. (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/08/19/will-boeing-have-to-delay-the-787-dreamliner-another-two-years/) 3.0 Analysis of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) PMBOK is a project management guide that provides the fundamentals of project management that can be applied on a variety of projects such as construction, engineering, research and so on. It provides the guidance on the application of project management skills, tools, knowledge and techniques that can enhance the success of a project. PMBOK was first published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 1987 and is currently the widest standard of project management used. PMBOK consists of five basic process groups and nine knowledge areas typical of almost all projects. Initiation Process Authorizing the project or phase Planning Process Defining and selecting the best methods to achieve the projects objectives Execution Process Coordination of resources to perform the plan Controlling Process Monitoring and controlling the projects progress to ensure the projects objectives is achieved and to layout corrective action if any variances occur Closing Process Concluding the project 3.1 How PMBOK Can Mitigate Failure Factors 3.1.1 Communication Management Communications management provides a link for information and individual for efficient communication to take place. Communication is an exchange of information between individuals that are associated in the project such as stakeholders, project team, project manager and the public itself. Failure for an organized communication system to take place will create factors for project failure as stated in the previous chapter. Therefore it is important that everyone associated in the project understands how communication will affect the project as a whole. PMBOK has outlined the guidelines for efficient communication management which are: Communication Planning Plan the information and communication needs of those associated with the project. This includes determining what information is to be delivered to whom and when it is to be delivered. The project manager also has to plan the communication method to be applied to different individuals associated with the project. Information Distribution The process of making information to those who need it according to the management plan. The project manager must also be prepared to provide information on occasional unexpected requests of information. Methods of information distribution may be in the form of project meetings, hard copy documents, electronic communication such as emails, and other work management tools Performance Reporting Involves collection and distribution of performance information such as status reports, progress measurements and forecasts of progress. This usually provides information on scope, schedule, cost and quality. The performance report collects progress information and compares it to a reference baseline. 3.1.2 Stakeholder Management According to PMBOK, stakeholder management refer to managing communication to satisfy the needs of, and resolve issues with, project stakeholder. By maintaining a good relationship between the stakeholders, it increases the potential of keeping the project on track and limits disturbances in the projects progress. To ensure efficient stakeholder management PMBOK has analysed two main guidelines to be implemented: Identify Stakeholders Process of recognizing those who are impacted by the project. This includes documenting their interest, participation and involvement in the project. Stakeholders of a project may consists of individuals that possess different authority levels thus may have a big influence on the outcome of the project. The project manager must identify the key stakeholders and develop a strategy to approach each stakeholder and determine their level of involvement to mitigate negative impacts and encourage positive influence. Manage Stakeholder Expectations This is the process of knowing the needs of the stakeholder and informing of arising issues as the project progresses. It involves negotiating and influencing the stakeholder regarding their expectations to achieve an agreement relevant to the project goals, resolving issues that is disrupting the project and informing of future problems and assessing them. The key to this is to maintain proactive communication with the stakeholder for the influence, knowledge and skill possessed by the stakeholder may not be available on the project team. 3.1.3 Risk Management Risk management is a process of identifying potential problems that may occur, assessing them and determine whether to avoid, transfer or mitigate the impacts of the risk. By using PMBOK as a guideline, it has outlined six processes to avoid risk as being an act of surprise and instead an anticipation of events. The processes are: Plan Risk Management Process of determining procedures to approach risk and the activities to be performed for managing risks. This is crucial to ensure that sufficient resources and time is available when the activities are to be performed. Identify Risk Identify potential problems that may occur as the project progresses. It is a constantly progressing procedure for new risks may be identified as the project progresses. Qualitative Risk Analysis An analysis of determining risks of the highest priority. Prioritizing is in terms of probability of occurrence, impact on objectives and other factors such as time frame of response and constraints on cost, scope and quality. Quantitative Risk Analysis An analysis performed on risks that have been prioritized by the qualitative risk analysis. The analysis will determine the characteristics of the loss and assign a numerical rating to it. Plan Risk Response Planning responses to risks identified during the analysis. Such responses may be to avoid, mitigate, transfer or even retention of the risks. The responses must take into account the significance of the risk, cost effectiveness, realistic and timely within the projects objectives and must be agreed by all parties. Monitor and Control Risk Risk monitoring and control is and ongoing processes in order to be able to identify potential new risks and keep track of existing ones. It enhances the opportunities to reduce or eliminate threats to protect the projects objectives. 3.1.4 Scope Management In order to avoid doing the unnecessary a system of defining and controlling what is to be included into the project must be implemented to avoid waste of resources and costs. This is scope management. PMBOK has laid out five basic guidelines to be followed to avoid doing the unnecessary. Plan Scope Collecting requirements that define and documents the projects features needed to fulfil the stakeholders needs and expectations in the project. Define Scope Providing a detailed description of the projects deliverables and the work needed to be carried out to achieve it. Create Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) WBS is a process of dividing the work in a hierarchical manner into small, manageable groups. The WBS gives a pictorial definition of the project to assist the stakeholder in viewing the deliverable. Verify Scope Scope verification is a process of receiving the acceptance by the stakeholder on a completed scope or deliverable. Control Scope Scope control is the process of monitoring the progress of the scope and managing any changes to be done to it. This is to avoid scope creep, thus any changes must be performed through an Integrated Change control process. 3.1.5 Project Planning A project plan is to create a guideline to achieve the projects objective. The project plan will display a flow diagram of processes which will lead to accomplishing objectives. The plan must also take into consideration of the time scale, resources, workforce and any potential risks to the project. As specified by PMBOK, planning of a project will integrate some knowledge areas processes with each other depending on their inputs and outputs. The guidelines for an effective project plan are provided by PMBOK. Develop Project Charter Project charters are issued by the sponsors of the project. It is a document that formally authorizes a project and is a summary of the project. The contents of a project charter are business needs, current customer requirements, project purpose, milestone schedule and the budget summary. Develop Preliminary Scope Statement This process involves defining of what is needed to be accomplished in the project. The preliminary scope statement is documented based on information from the sponsor which will include the characteristics and boundaries of the project. Develop Project Management Plan Project management plan is a document that defines integrates and coordinates all subsidiary plans into one document. The project management plan displays how the project will be carried out monitored and controlled and closed which are the five basic processes of PMBOK. The project management plan is revised and updated whenever a change occurs to the plan. 4.0 Conclusion Project Managers are like bridges that links key pieces together. Therefore, to reach those pieces effectively they are required to possess a balance of skills and knowledge and are able to apply the skill and knowledge efficiently. Project management frameworks such as PMBOK are merely used as guidance and will not promise the success of a project. The project management team is responsible for determining what is appropriate in any project and the decision is made by the project manager. Project Managers should have a clear understanding of the projects objectives and strive to achieve them. As mentioned above, careful planning of a project is essential for its success. Other factors that also contribute to this are good communication, detailed risk analysis, clear definition of scope and proactive relationship among stakeholders. By using these factors as guidelines, it is quite certain that impacts for projects failure can be mitigated.

The Future of Scholarship Essay -- Education Technology Electronics Es

The Future of Scholarship Introduction: The development and rapid movement in the field of technology has changed the face of modern society from what it was twenty years ago. Information and communication technologies have changed dramatically even in the last ten years. Electronic mail, listservs, and the Internet, to name a few, are all parts of the new technology that is re-defining scholarly communication. In her article entitled â€Å"Scholarly Communication† Christine Borgman states that â€Å"[r]esearch was clustered around three variables: producers of the communication . . ., artifacts of communication . . . and communication concepts.† (146) The impact of the new communication technologies to scholarly communication cannot be understated. While the benefits are extensive, it also raises a number of questions. Kahin notes that â€Å"the digitization of information and the growth of research networking raise a distinct set of issues: How should the flow of research information be managed in the interests of scholarship and technological progress?† (1) In part because of this new technology as well as the ease and speed with which communication can take place and information can be disseminated, there is a trend within the scholarly community towards interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and disintermediation. In many ways, these three concepts overlap with one another creating an entirely new landscape for scholarly communication, research and education. When discussing interdisciplinarity it is first necessary to come to an understanding of what constitutes a discipline, its purpose and its function. In â€Å"Interdisciplinarity: The Road Ahead for Education in Digital Libraries†, Anita Coleman states that â€Å"[a]cademic disci... ...es. University of Arizona. 5 May 2003. Cronin, Blaise and Helen Barsky Atkins, eds. The Web of Knowledge: A Festschrift in Honor of Eugene Garfield. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, Inc., 2000. Davenport, Elizabeth and Blaise Cronin. â€Å"The Citation Network as a Prototype for Representing Trust in Virtual Environments.† Cronin and Atkins 517-534. Frazier, Kenneth. â€Å"The Librarian’s Dilemma: Contemplating the Costs of the â€Å"Big Deal†.† D-Lib Magazine. 7.3 (2001). 5 May 2003 . Kahin, Brian. â€Å"Scholarly Communication in the Network Environment Issues of Principle, Policy, and Practice.† 18 Feb. 1992. 5 May 2003 . Webopedia. Jupitermedia Corporation. 5 May 2003. .

No Sugar by Jack Davis: Exposes the Mistreatment of Australian Aborigi

Today, in the 20th Century, it is a commonly known fact in Australia, and throughout the rest of the world, that Aborigines were mistreated from since western culture first settled, and for many years after that. It is the main purpose of stage dramas to bring issues, such as the one mentioned above, and ideas about these issues to life through dramatic performances and the use of a number of various techniques. No Sugar, a revisionist text written by Jack Davis in 1985, is one of these stage dramas. Jack Davis brings issues and even expresses his own ideas about issues such as the injustices of Aboriginal treatment during the 1930's, to life in No Sugar very well because No Sugar is a revisionist text, and therefore offers a new perspective of an Aboriginal point of view, on events which occurred during the time of the issue at hand. No Sugar, the revisionist stage drama written by Jack Davis, is about the mistreatment of Aborigines in Australia during the 1930's. More specifically, it is about the Millimurra family, and their struggle against white ‘protection' and being treated like objects in their own land. The stage drama is mainly set in Northam, and Moore River, in Western Australia. Davis explored issues surrounding the treatment of Aborigines during this period, and reflects his own ideas about these issues. One issue that is highlighted about this period in No Sugar is how Aborigines were discriminated against, for no reason other than having coloured skin. An example of this is in Act One, Scene One, when Cissie is complaining because when her and her brother go to buy apples they get given bad, shrivelled up ones, and the white children get big, juicy ones. "Aw Mum, Old Tony the ding always sells us little s... ...f the depression and that many people are suffering from hunger and deprivation of many essential elements which make for a contended existence. But you in this small corner of the Empire are fortunate enough in being provided for with adequate food and shelter." Act IV. Sc. (v) Page 97. Using dialogue, Davis again shows to the highest degree the amount that Aborigines were disregarded and marginalised in society. Because the reader knows that Aborigines are underprovided, and have to steal and hunt for sufficient food, they see that, as stated by Jimmy, A.O. Neville is "talkin' outa his kwon" and completely disregarding the Aborigines as citizens of Australia. In his revisionary stage drama No Sugar Jack Davis has manipulated narrative and theatrical elements such as characterisation, symbolism and dialogue to present the plays many issues throughout the text.

Spanking is NOT Child Abuse :: Corporal Punishment, Argumentative Essay

â€Å"My father liked me, when I wasn't being an idiot. And he loved me, too -- enough to spank the daylights out of me when I was being an idiot.† -- Diana Gabaldon, Outlander "There is a great difference between spanking a child and abusing a child. One is an act of love; the other is an act of hostility" -- James Dobson, MD There is a great deal of outrage from people who are reading stories about the misconduct of professional athletes and connecting them to a crusade against child abuse. I'm against child abuse. Isn't everyone? However I'm not against spanking.    We have all encountered this situation: A small child is standing in the middle of a department store throwing a complete temper tantrum demanding a toy. His mother, exasperated threatens him with time-outs and other deprived privileges, but the stubborn child continues to kick and scream. In the "old days," a mother wouldn't think twice about marching the defiant child to the bathroom and giving him a good spanking to straighten him out, but these days, parents have to worry about someone screaming child abuse. Whether or not to spank a child has become a heated issue in today's society. Many authorities and psychologists believe that spanking breaks a child's spirit and only leads to violence. They think that it causes the child to become depressed, angry or hostile and they have conducted many studies to prove these things. This type of harsh punishment occurs often, but it is called child abuse. There is a great difference between abusing a child and properly disciplining a child. "One is an act of love; the other is an act of hostility, and they are as different as night and day" (Dobson 35). First of all, spanking does not lead to violence. Our surrounding world and media do. "The average sixteen-year- old has watched 18,000 murders during his formative years, including a daily bombardment of stabbings, shootings, hangings, decapitations, and general dismemberment" (Meier 34). It seems unjust to blame parents who are trying to raise their children properly for today's violence. If a child touches a hot stove he does not become a more violent person because of it, he just learns not to do it again because he learned a valuable lesson from the pain (Meier 34). Many anti spanking researchers have tried to conduct research studies to consolidate their beliefs against

Control being over business by government Essay

What are the arguments for and against, greater control being exercised over business by government? How do these arguments differ between the countries of the group members? We would like to start the answer by an example of USA when they were heavily involved in the industrialization and expansion. People of all different occupations were involved in some part of the industrial revolution. However there was a debate over the government intervening in the building of infrastructure. Chief Justice John Marshall made many landmark court decisions which played a role in defining the business climate that developed during the industrial revolution and strengthened the central government’s control over the business. Thus finally the government was involved in the early stages of the industrial revolution. The government’s decision of this era laid the ground work of the future U.S. growth of the nation. Without these pro-business decisions, the United states would not have made the change from being agriculturally dependent to the industrialized nation it is today. [www.historyteacher.net/USProjects/myessay21.htm] Hence it sounds better in some situation and it doesn’t in some. For example in China, local governments stand passively by as private firms aggressively reject long-standing official right because the government officials in south China are increasingly anxious to shed their responsibility for economic management. Also they fear the risks and dangers associated with the more complete market system that has emerged during the 1990s. As a result, China’s southern provinces have already begun the process of separating government from business, while, in the north, leading officials emphasize the slogan â€Å"separate government from enterprises† but, fearing slow growth, practice the opposite. [www.pitt.edu/~tgrawski/paper98/china.html] To what extent do you think a change of government in a) UK would affect the business community? b) the countries of group members? It can have a great impact on businesses in UK or in other countries like India, China etc. For example: Regulatory systems can be improved to provide faster access to exploration land and clarification of aboriginal disputes, taxes such as corporate taxes, income taxes etc can be reduced, Business leaders can hope for a complete overhaul of the resource-rich province’s economic structure, Economic growth can be affected by change in government, it is expected that the new government can come up with creative solutions on how to reduce government indebtedness during its term, the new government will aim to solve deficit of balance of payments by boosting production through attracting direct foreign investments, also new government can change the manufacturing scenario in the country like instead of importing products, they can plan to manufacture in their own land which will indirectly reduce the unemployment in the manufacturing field. Also it can provide grant to those regions in which unemployment is high. [http://www.rba.hr/web/pdf/rrr/rba-rrr-012-2003-12-18.pdf] What are the implications of â€Å"privatising† a public sector business organisations? With privatization programs still active in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a growing debate on effects on economic development. To address such issues the representatives of privatization agencies of different nations established the African Privatization Network (APN) in November 1995. APN aims at promoting the concept of privatization and encouraging its implementation in African countries by sharing legislation and other relevant documentation; studying the nature and scope of privatization in each country according to its special circumstances and needs; and monitoring the process of privatization in Africa, identifying problems and obstacles and offering advice where required. The positive view of privatization suggests that it went ahead, in spite of domestic opposition, because politicians and bureaucrats perceived real benefits to themselves and their supporters. They could influence the sales to their own benefit, while, on the other hand, a more focused public sector improved service delivery. A well functioning private sector is essential for increasing economic growth and thus reducing poverty. Yet international development institutions recommend sophisticated policies to improve the business environment that governments in developing countries cannot successfully implement. The result is often a worsening of private sector performance. The promotion, support, financing, marketing and management of small and medium sized enterprises and industries is the core business of any privatisation programme. [ http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/130679/]

Our Visual Culture in Arts and Crafts Essay

Ours is a culture of spectacle, which is to say that we thrive on visual entertainment of all sorts (Mulvey, 2002). We love films, television, drama, ads, in addition to the art of the land expressed in art galleries throughout the world. We thrive on these visual entertainers, and so there is a huge industry involved in marketing visual thrills and using them on the people for a purpose. Visual culture is meant to influence the individual that enjoys it, so therefore advertisements add meaning to our lives by informing us about what is new and what is not in the all-important market of goods and services. Experts study the impact of their visual messages to people. In return for their efforts they have come to know that people are influenced by visual messages even if these messages last only a few seconds in an advertisement; and that the mind is like a long-term-memory photographer that may somehow retain everything in the subconscious part of itself. Henceforth are born marketing campaigns selling billions worth of goods and services to humanity. Films, too, cost billions of dollars. They, too, rely on the visual medium to make a living. What is more, films are seen as a necessity of modern life in terms of the culture that they allow ordinary individuals to relate to. Yes, films allow us to feel like we are a part of the culture they represent. Through films, humanity can connect. Connection and communication are the only essential facets of the media (that is, all mediums of communication). Visual art is special not only because it is related to the five senses of humanity; but also because it reveals a culture of science and imagination that we are invited to feel a part of. Every medium of communication is important in the modern world. The Internet plays an important part in the visual culture by bringing the world of visual arts into our homes. It shows us museums as well as the movies, icons of cultural visuals. Visual culture should be a subject of the communication field, as well as psychology and sociology, besides the fine arts. There are various understandings about what constitutes the visual culture, and so there are experts in visual arts that say paintings and similar art forms must not be open to visual-cultural interpretations. In other words, paintings are best left to the human soul to understand and judge (Kamhi, 2004). Visual culture is about quietude, just as much as it is about flourishing through science fiction movies such as the Matrix, and science fiction tv series like the Star Trek. These visual arts and crafts rely on the power of â€Å"effects† (which should also be read as special â€Å"affects†) seeing that these movies rely on the visual medium to produce pictures in the subconscious mind that would hopefully leave a lasting impression on the mind, depending on how powerful the visual message is. A very good medium of communication, such as the Internet encyclopedia by the name of Wikipedia, has a bad reputation because it is written by many experts and people do not always know whether those experts are real or not. Such reality conflicts are also obvious in the visual arts. Star Trek relied on special effects to make a lasting impression on the audience and also by its use of excessive, unique clothes and implements that never appeared real to the audience. We know that Star Wars is a lie, and yet we enjoy it. The reason appears to be that we enjoy unreal kinds of entertainment because they open the mind, allowing us to imagine things through the mind’s eye. All mediums of communication are open to competition and comparisons. Wikipedia may be compared to the Open Course Ware of MIT, for example, because many people find the encyclopedia useful. Wikipedia’s definition for â€Å"visual culture† appears very professional, concrete, correct and real: Visual culture is a field of study that generally includes some combination of cultural tudies, art history, and anthropology, by focusing on aspects of culture that rely on visual images. Among cultural studies theorists working with contemporary culture, this often overlaps with film studies and the study of television, although it can also include video game studies, comics, traditional artistic media, advertising, the Internet and any other medium that has a crucial visual component (â€Å"Visual Culture,† 2007). The above is actually just a part of the definition of the important culture of spectacle. Our generation of men will have literature about our visual culture in the days to come. Earlier generations of humanity did not perhaps have the kind of riches in visual culture that our generation possesses. We have excessive tv and movies that earlier generations did not have because they had not managed to make optimal use of electricity as well as scientific brains. This, indeed, is an important part of the definition of ‘our visual culture. ’ Like Wikipedia, there are visual means of communication that are rejected by certain kinds of people. In the Middle East, for example, it is considered a bad thing to enjoy Western television with girls kissing, beach babes, etc. And so, certain types of visual arts are not acceptable to particular groups of society. To put it another way, no visual culture or any other medium of communication can perhaps fully satisfy all people at the same time. Perhaps only nature can satisfy all people. Nature is an extraordinary feast to the eyes – a free form of visual art available for all and acceptable to all. Besides, nature could be compared to the films we watch and the photography we admire on the covers of golf magazines. Nature is represented by rivers, streams, oceans, mountains, lakes, green spaces, etc. What is a better feast to the eyes? We next explore how and why the visual culture of science fiction movies and tv shows is a visual form of entertainment. A viewer of both Star Trek and the Matrix may believe that one is better than the other, or that none of these visual entertainers are truly entertaining. In order to understand science fiction, it is necessary to know something about the science behind the phenomena being investigated in the film. Day after Tomorrow was a film that explored the possibility of an ice age suddenly hitting humanity when it’s time for global warming to show its true colors. It was a science fiction movie, and yet it was not an excellent representation of visual culture because the director(s) did not pay attention to good cutting/editing of the film. Similarly, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a famous name, a movie that cannot truly be understood unless one has read a book by the name of Guide to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Tom Cruise’s episode of the Matrix, on the other hand – a movie about the most handsome man losing his face after he had been in a dream machine – is more interesting because it is filmed beautifully. Beauty is a universal language, and so a viewer does not have to know the ‘secret beyond matter’ to understand the science behind the movie. It was not important to understand the science in this case because beauty was caught on tape. Both Cruise and his girlfriend in the movie are breathtakingly beautiful, and so the movie is a definite hit – one that would leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Then there was an Arnold Matrix with a similar story, and of course, the true Matrix with Keanu Reeves. Both were action-packed, and telling a different story about afterlife, or another life. Yet, Keanu and Arnold were not as handsome as Cruise perhaps, and the latter’s movie left a longer lasting effect on the girls as opposed to the boys. Keanu’s version was a hit especially among boys, although girls enjoyed eyeballing Keanu very much. Genders have differing interpretations of the visual arts. So therefore, it can be imagined that boys enjoyed Keanu’s Matrix more than the girls because boys like violent films – a sociological question to ponder, with reference to the visuals of the culture. The best visual culture of arts and films is made by the minds that work on lasting impression. Our visual culture has the capacity to change and shape people, which is why foreigners refer to Americanization as the standardization/globalization of American films and television shows available in all countries abroad. Those who enjoy Americanization and take comfort in a culture that appears tolerant and good to them, are lovers of the visual arts of the West. For them, movies such as the Matrix (all episodes) and shows such as Star Trek are culture definers. The world understands us better because of our visual arts. Thus, it is very important to concentrate on what we want others to know about us in the future. It is essential to ask: Is our visual culture going to be admired by our descendants? It would be easiest for future generations to understand us by looking at our visual arts preserved in museums, homes, books, and the on the World Wide Web. Improved technology has also made it possible to preserve films and television shows in good packaging and systems such as the DVD’s. We are providing improved quality of visual arts to our culture at all times. What we keep in our records will be taught in schools of tomorrow. Hence, it is very important to leave good messages behind, and in good quality films that easily leave a lasting impression on people. Science is a defining attribute of the modern era. What we leave behind in visual arts in terms of science fiction movies has got to reveal that we, as a society of the twenty first century, were thoroughly drenched in scientific facts and we were exploring the universe by the use of imagination. The latter generation of the twentieth century was already exploring time relativity in Back to the Future series. Besides time traveling, our society is interested in a lot more scientific details, such as volcanoes, trips to Mars, etc. Mission to Mars is a new film of bad-to-good quality, perhaps as well filmed as old Back to the Future series. Matrix is perhaps the most modern specimen. It is an unforgettable story, after all. I believe that Matrix is the paragon of modern science fiction films. But then, this is just a single person’s opinion. What society thinks collectively about a visual arts project is generally considered more acceptable an interpretation of the art form, although this argument may not necessarily be true. In the case of Matrix and its contemporary films, the fact is nevertheless that the episodes about life versus dreams were more important for the general public to enjoy in the era of quantum mechanics. Films such as Back to the Future were good in their own time – right after Einstein. Science is constantly moving ahead, and so we may expect science fiction films to improve further. Damien Broderick’s (2000) â€Å"Tearing Toward the Spike† is truly a work of art as far as the imagination of the author is concerned. Mankind is seeking knowledge at greater depths than ever before. What is the future of humanity? – Broderick’s paper answers the question with various creative scenarios, including a future that resembles a black hole, and a â€Å"‘dinosaur-killer’ asteroid† that strikes humanity in the middle of the day. At the same time, the author invites the reader to imagine any number of scenarios on his or her own. As a matter of fact, Broderick’s paper is an invitation for the reader’s very own stream of consciousness to burst forth. It is a mind opener, as well as an attempt to analyze unlimited possibilities. It is very easy to make a visual art treat using the imagination of the paper. Even so, it may very well be that the evolutionists would read the paper differently from the creationists. This is because the creationists are typically those that would like to remain compatible with their belief that the world would end when the Day of Judgment begins. On the other hand, there is no restriction on the faculty of the imagination in both the theory of creation and that of evolution. Both God and chance allow for unlimited possibilities, after all. What is more, in visual arts, it is best to have competitions of quality as well as theory. If evolutionists and creationists both make science fiction movies, they would most probably add to the spice of life in the modern world of spectacle. A variety of different visual treats is definitely good for the human soul. Besides, the greatest thing about visual arts is that it is possible for anybody in the world to join in and become an artist and/or an entertainer/performer. The quality of the visual medium must be taken care of. At the same time, since visual culture refers specifically to â€Å"culture,† it is an unforgettable truth about our world that certain forms of art are still not acceptable to all people of the world. In Iran, Buddha’s sculptures would be rejected. Similarly, Star Trek may be more entertaining than Matrix depending on what we are concentrating on in our appreciation of the craft of moviemaking. Various perspectives are involved in understanding visual culture. The fact remains, still, that our visual culture is a necessity in our lives, and must be good at all costs.

Crtical thinking responses

On a sheet of paper, apply the general overview of court structure In the united States (Figure 1. 2) to your local community. A. Within my community we have a Trial court that is capable of handling both minor violations (Misdemeanors crimes, DID, Bail hearings) and a Higher court system which deals with capital offenses and has the ability to convict, sentence and reprimand defendants. 2. On a sheet of paper, apply the list of actors In the courthouse (Table 1 . ) to your immunity. If you live In a rural area, how does your list differ from that of someone who lives in a larger community? If you live in a large metropolitan area, how does your list differ from that of someone living in a more rural area? A. Both rural and metropolitan areas share similar actors in the courthouse such as victim/plaintiff, defendant/accused, the prosecution working on behalf of the state, the defense attorney or public defender assigned to the defendant, and a Judge depending on the case or circumsta nce a Jury maybe unnecessary as the case doesn't require.What private, nongovernmental organizations are important to the criminal justice system of your community? A. Lass Cruses Police Department has assigned officers capable of coordinating with local community leaders in creating a Neighborhood watch program which in turn can reduce crime in certain areas. By doing so they utilize a crime control method with this action. 4. Use newspapers, radio, and criminal Justice discussion lists or chat groups to monitor discussion concerning the criminal Justice system. Do citizens make distinctions among police, courts, and corrections, or do they lump everything under

Acne Dressing project Essay

Introduction In early 2005 T.C. Chung, the departmental head of 3M Taiwan healthcare division was facing a decision whether to launch a product called Acne Dressing in Taiwan. The Taiwanese subsidiary had been transformed from a petty sales office in 1969 to one of 3M’s most extensive and successful subsidiaries in the 2000’s. The development project has a couple of major problems that need to be solved before Acne Dressing can be kicked off in Taiwan. Chung had the product go through 3M’s evaluation system and now he’s facing a big question – what to do with the product and how to make rational decisions about the future. In this case answer we analyze the problems that need to be solved if the launch is to be done. We address these problems and offer concrete recommendations for Chung and his team on how to continue with the project. Although Chung seems to be quite inexperienced and in need of support, the powerful 3M resources for product development and the knowledgeable project team consisting of different departments in 3M will provide him with all the resources he needs. Analysis As the development of Acne Dressing is a strongly technology-based project, the company HQ was heavily involved in the NPIS review that the product ultimately passed. Some aspects of the final form on the product however, still remain not clear enough. During the review process the local financial and technical divisions took part in finding ways to transform Hydrocolloid Dressing into a marketable product which costs were reasonable. The extent of this analysis seems not to have been adequate, as in the final stage of the review the HQ raised the issue of the potentially very costly product development. As this was the main concern raised by 3M HQ, it should be  carefully looked into and further analysis done. There were two additional concerns, these raised by the local project team. Firstly, according to the teams review, the potential customer group for acne treatment products in Taiwan seemed to be used to traditional methods for acne treatment. However, 3M had already noted that especially teenagers were using other kinds of products to help with acne – e.g. 3M’s Micropore Surgical Tape. Another thing to note relates to the fact that at this point nurses were the primary consumers of 3M hydrocolloid dressings. The case states that nurses had a tendency to cut the product into small pieces and use those pieces for superficial skin blemishes. This shows 3M that well-educated users of the product had already started using it for their planned purpose and in an innovative way – even without 3M asking them to do so. Secondly the team concluded that there are no similar products as Acne Dressing in the taiwanese market. As this was the case, the information on customer behaviour and potential sales was limited. This strongly suggested that customers would need to be educated to realize the potential of the new product. During the time there was an ongoing hype for do-it-yourself health care in TW during the time, and people were actively looking for new ways to look healthy. This fact suggests that the target groups of Acne Dressing could well be very receptive for the marketing of never-seen-before products. Conclusions Chung has multiple options concerning the product. With help from HQ, he should analyze the process costs of transforming the high-end hydrocolloid materials into customer-size Acne Dressing. The team should calculate if the material could be reworked into a usable size with the designs made by technical service department, and specifically focus on the costs of manufacturing. If the process is costly, the retail price of the product might be too high for the average 15-35 years old customer. A layman’s idea would be to cut down the size of the package and redesign it so it would be used like a plaster, of which one can cut suitable sized pieces for use. Also, the project team should have the HQ laboratories conduct a proper research on the dressing’s effectiveness against acne. This would be crucial in marketing efforts especially as the customer group is used to ‘traditional’ scientifically proven acne-treatment methods. A thorough  research for all hea lth effects is not needed with this position innovation because the material has already proved its value in hospitals around the world. This would follow the position innovation strategy through product upgrading (John Wiley & Sons, 2009). As 3M’s marketing department sees an opportunity in the new product, this would be a great possibility for a nation wide marketing campaign around the new product. With the risk that the price might be too high for some consumers, it should be sold in three different varieties of packages. Small, medium and large. The small package would be aimed at a segment that could not afford to constantly use the product. It could be used for the absolute worst kinds of acne induced blisters. Also the small package would work as an low risk purchase for the customers. After the product proved its excellency, the consumer would gradually move on to the medium and large packages. As the product would be quite new and require consumers to change the way they purchase health-care, it is important to emphasize two aspects: sampling and user experiences. This would be achieved by letting consumers test the product and see its effectiveness. Then it would be important for the user experiences to be distributed in nation-wide campaigns in the largest media platforms. Recommendations The Acne Dressing is a great product for the current market situation. It has gone through 3M’s organization-wide evaluation system, NPIS, without too many challenges. The product should be launched if the financial and technical service approve of the costs of manufacturing and deem the product positive. Chung must trust his local team and their advice, and abandon HQ’s advice in this matter. Should Acne Dressing prove to be a tremendous success in Taiwan, the possibilities for expanding are huge. As 3M Taiwan already has expanded to China, bringing in a new product to the market of a billion people could be business transforming. The whole acne market in the world is estimated to reach revenues of over $3 billion by 2016 (Wood, 2010). Chung must remain firmly behind the decision and trust the local team in Taiwan. The pessimism of the headquarters are not to be taken into wider consideration as long as necessary additional analysis is done. References Bibliography: Wood, L. 2010. Research and Markets: The Global Acne Market Is Estimated To Reach Revenues of $3.02 Billion by 2016 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Of 0.7%. [online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/07/idUS223712+07-May-2010+BW20100507 [Accessed: 30 Sep 2013]. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2009, Managing Innovation (Lecture slides)