Critical Comparison of Websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Comparison of Websites - Essay Example The expectations and satisfaction of customers are also of great importance to companies using the Internet for business development. For instance, the quality and effectiveness of Web sites have been associated with customers’ perceptions of the brand as well as their satisfaction and repeat purchase behavior (Chen and Wells 1999). Majority of companies provide extra effort in satisfying customers through the use of Web sites as their perceived quality and satisfaction towards a firm’s Web site have been linked to its productivity and performance within the service industry. In addition, the media has continually reported the role of electronic commerce for both consumers and organizations. In North America, for instance, Internet users were shown to look for online information before purchasing a product (eMarketer 2009) while 51% of them completed the purchase and business transaction online (eMarketer 2010). Although this innovative strategy is viewed to be fundamen tal, the quality of services offered through the Internet remains greatly unpredictable. According to Agarwal and Venkatesh (2002), there is a need for organizations to be aware of and completely understand the barriers and determinants on online purchasing; moreover, they should also be capable of establishing Web sites that can increase the likelihood of visitors to become purchasing customers. This is especially important as customers have been reported to increasingly seek online product information through Web sites although final purchases may not always be completed through the Internet. Nonetheless, Web sites should demonstrate quality in both the offered services and provided information (Parasuraman and Grewal 2000). The current paper will look into the similarities and differences between the Web sites of two fashion brands, H&M and Ralph Lauren. While H&M aims to offer fashion at a good quality along with the most reasonable prices, Ralph Lauren offers luxury through its clothing items. Owing to this difference with regards to the products and prices they offer, this paper will further examine whether they also exemplify variations with regards to their construction and use of Web sites, particularly their quality and effectiveness. Framework (NetQual scale) The use of the NetQual scale will allow the researcher to create a comprehensive view on the Web site quality and effectiveness of the two brands by looking into a number of variables- ease of use, information quality and quantity, visual design, and interaction personalization. Ease of Use The level of usability that is exhibited in a firm’s Web site plays a fundamental role for end-users. If an application is not easy to use and customers experience difficulties in interacting with it, it is most likely that the services and information provided through the Web site will be perceived to be important only by a small number of users. The purpose of usability is to reduce the complexities of Web sites and simplify their interface to ensure that all users are able to have a favorable experience when navigating the site (Welch and Panday 2007). Upon entering the H&M Web site, it was easy to understand the intentions of such application, which is to provide information and offer services, due to the fact that a wide range of specific links were available. For instance, ‘

Internationalising Porters Diamond Essay Example for Free

Internationalising Porters Diamond Essay This article Internationalising Porters Diamond argues that Porter underestimates the significance of the globalization of production and markets in his work about competitive advantage of nations. Dunning says that there is increasing interaction and networking cross-borders. He argues that the cross-border value added activities by multinational companies have influence indirectly and directly on each of the components of the diamond of national competitive advantage. In the article Dunning tries to analyse how globalization of economic activity affects the competitive advantages of individual nation. The article also explores the nature and form of networking and how recent technological developments and regional interactions have increased the interdependence of economic activity between the leading industrial nations in the world. Dunning thinks that the significance of globalization for individual country will depend on how important international transactions are (compared to national transactions), the kinds of assets and products are traded and the modality of international economic involvement. He distinguishes six features of the global economy, which are the following: 1. In global economy value generating assets are increasingly taking the form of created assets (e. g. human capital). The competitive advantages of countries are coming to depend on the countries ability to effectively use and increase these assets. 2. These assets are intangible and firm or ownership specific and do not belong to country. 3. The role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is increasing. This is because it is in the interest of domestic domicile firms to use the created assets and to generate new assets in a foreign country, or to acquire assets e. g. by acquisition or alliance, by using foreign domiciled firms. 4. Increasing part of the assets of firms of a particular country is either acquired from or are located in another country. The crowing cross-border networking through strategic alliances, international subcontracting and other cooperative arrangements is further undermining the concept of national firm specific diamonds. 5. The role of government needs to be re-evaluated as a result of globalization of the world economy. 6. Increasing competition between countries over the same resources and markets. Considering these points almost all the factors in on Porters domestic diamond have to be reconsidered. The pattern of the diamonds of countries will differ according to the extent and form of the involvement of the country in question in the global economy. Dunning argues that Porter put too little emphasise on the international influence and underestimated the influence of the MNEs. Dunning suggests that the national diamond should be replaced with supernational diamond because of the increasing integration between countries. In this case, national political borders become meaningless and the competitive advantage of a country can be influenced by factors outside a countrys home diamond. The principle is the same, but the geographical constituency has to be established on different criteria when taking about the supernational diamond. 2. 4 The Double Diamond Model of International Competitiveness: The Canadian Experience by Alan Rugman and Joseph DCruz The point of view in this article is that Porters diamond framework explains the success of US, Japanese, and EC-based multinational corporations, but it is not applicable to small, open, trading economies. Rugman and DCruz show that Porters home country diamond does not explain Canadas international competitiveness. Also some other researchers have noticed this problem when trying to apply Porters model to e. g. New Zealand, and Korea. Rugman and DCruz argue that the over 90 % of the worlds nations potentially cannot be modelled by the Porter diamond. The authors suggest that substantial modifications of the Porter framework are required to analyze the nature of Canadas successful resource-based multinationals, foreign subsidiaries and institutional arrangements, such as the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. In order to do this Rugman and DCruz present a new double diamond framework. In this model Rugman and DCruz propose that since Canada in already economically highly integrated with U. S. , it should use The North American diamond when trying to determine or improve Canadas international competitiveness. This means that Canadians should view the U. S. market as a home market, not just an export market. Canadian owned multinationals have competitive advantages derived from attributes of the U. S. or other foreign diamonds, rather than the Canadian diamond alone. It is also said in the article that each country needs to set its own home-country diamond against the relevant triad diamond. In general, most Asia-Pacific nations will set theirs against Japan. Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and most Caribbean countries will consider theirs against the US diamond. European nations outside of the EC will set theirs against the EC. The authors also criticise that the elements used in Porter model are hardly new or unexpected. The only contribution is bringing them together. Rugman and DCruz criticise the data and how it is presented. The main points were Porter flaws according to Rugman and DCruz is the narrow definition that he applies to foreign direct investments (FDI) and the flawed understanding of the nature of two way FDI (ignoring the role of inbound foreign direct investment). They also criticise how Porter handles imports and exports and multinational activities. According to them their double diamond framework would treat these above-mentioned attributes more correctly. 2. 5 Porters Competitive Advantage revisited by Nicholas J.   Shaughnessy The article, Porters Competitive Advantage revisited, written by Nicholas J. Shaughnessy gives new views to Porters book Competitive Advantage of Nations. The author agrees on some issues with Porter but he also presents criticism. According to  Shaughnessy, the key criticism of Porter is his inattention to the cultural dimension, which the author sees as a significant omission. The author argues that Porter i s work is overly facile in its willingness to fall in with the national stereotypes without the type of empirical support necessary for statistical generalization. In the article Oi Shaughnessy sarcastically says that Porter views national culture as changeless artifact. He continues by saying that even though Porter credit national culture with certain amount of explanatory power; Porter tends to avoid discussing it in any depth. Shaughnessy also discovers that the role of history in a specific country is neglected. The second significant criticism covers developing countries. Oi Shaughnessy says in the article that Porters arguments are formed almost entirely with reference to developed countries. The author argues that, for instance, university education is not very significant factor in countries where most of the population is illiterate. He continues by addressing that the real problems in developing countries are located in politics and culture. The third point of criticism is the role of government. The author argues that in the Porters work lacks of specificity. While some contributors to competitive advantage e. g. university research are well defined, Porter disregards others. From Oi Shaughnessy point of view it seems that Porter wants to remove government from direct arbitrament in industry as far as possible. He also thinks that Porter seems to ignore the nature of the many political imperatives that lead away from state spending on key factors that might have aided in the creation of competitive advantage. As an example of this Shaughnessy uses agriculture, which is in many cases heavily subsidized directly from government and indirectly by customers. He argues that governments are often pressured by lobby groups. That is a reason why governments are sometimes incapable of making the strategic choices necessary to support and sustain competitive advantage. Shaughnessy sees that Porters book is a significant piece of work, but it also has its limitations. According to the author of the article the subject is so extensive that it cannot be covered in one book. He also says that the criticism of Porters book is not that Porter has made an error, but that his thesis is incomplete. Shaughnessy is worried that any populist universalist explanation is accepted uncritically and applied mechanically. He thinks Porters view encourages the belief that problems are soluble exclusively through economic policy measures. Oi Shaughnessy wants to reverse that view by emphasizing the role of history, politics and culture in determing competitive advantage.

Extinction On Dinosaurs :: essays research papers

Theories of the Extinctions of the Dionsaurs: Dinosaurs became extincted 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, something so devastating that it altered the course of life on earth. It seems like it happened so sudden, as geologic time goes, that almost all the dinosaurs living on earth disappeared. So how did these dominant creatures just die off? Was it a slow extinction, or did it happen all of the sudden? These questions bring rise to many different beliefs on how the dinosaur disappeared over 65 million years ago. Extinction is when the birth rate fails to keep up with the death rate, it is called extinction. But, the definition does not answer the question about the nature or causes of extinction. Paleontologists generally divide extinctions into two types, for that of different causes arose. The first is called background extinctions, isolated extinctions of species due to a variety of causes. Included is out competition, depletion of resources in a habitat, changes in climate, the development or destruction of a mountain range, river channel migration, the eruption of a volcano, the drying of a lake, or the destruction of a forest, grassland, or wetland habitat. The second type of extinction is called mass extinctions. Large numbers of species go extinct; many types of species go extinct; the effects must be global, and the effects must occur in a geologically short period of time.1 The dinosaur could not have lived for ever. No creatures, no plants, no tiny bacteria are forever, not even Homo sapiens. Extinction is the fate of all species. One theory on how the dinosaurs became extinct is that of carbon dioxide, and the greenhouse effect. Volcanoes produced the proposed conditions. A massive volcanic eruption could have saturated the atmosphere with carbon dioxide so that it caused a sharp rise in temperatures worldwide. The excessive carbon dioxide would have permitted solar energy to enter the atmosphere but would have blocked the radiation of most surface heat back out into space, therefore causing the greenhouse effect. Rising temperatures could have killed off or reduced the activity of plankton, disrupting food chains and also messing up the plankton's normal role in converting carbon dioxide to oxygen through photosynthesis. From there it would not have been long for all the dinosaurs to have been suffering, and then to become extinct. My theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs is the theory of the comet

Disadvantages of computer Essay

1. Choose a topic you can write easily. For example, writing an advantage and disadvantage essay about wearing a bike helmet, shopping the day after Thanksgiving, or renting movies http://www.ehow.com/how_2103639_write-advantages-d†¦ how to compare the advantages & disadvantages of computers? 1. Look at the processing power of the computers. This number is expressed in GHz, or gigahertz. The higher the number, the faster the processing power. Faster processors are necessary http://www.ehow.com/how_7735278_compare-advantages†¦ What are the advantages and disadvantages of a computer? Massive data storage and quick data computations. Various media (music, movies, games) It can help keep you organized. If you have Internet, then communication and social networking http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_†¦ What is the advantage and disadvantage of computer? Advantage: you could use it to simplify some tasks in your life. Disadvantage: is very addicting to use. (Some people can’t stay away from their computer for more than a day!). http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_advantage_an†¦ Similar Questions What Are the Advantages of Computers to Students? How To Write An Advantages And Disadvantages Essay? How To Compare The Advantages Disadvantages Of Computers? What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Computer? What Is The Advantage And Disadvantage Of Computer? People Also Asked What are the best sales experts writing on social selling, or sales via social media? How Much Is An Autosmart Franchise? What is the relationship between manager’s qualification and their performance on the job? What banks use experian only? Why is Work Important? How do i apply for a job at dollar general in fultondale al? What is a Financial Statements? Why do companies need employability skills? What Is a Maintenance Technician? Car Service Checklist?

Leadership qualities Essay

This paper talks about testing in specifically psychometric testing that is used by employers in screening employees in the selection process at organizations. After a brief introduction to what psychometric is all about, it analyzes critically this method of choosing employees with respect also the disadvantages and advantages of this type of testing. The paper then concludes itself with discussion of the growth of psychometric testing in relation to its success factors leading on to the final concluding paragraph. INTRODUCTION Psychometric testing is being used for decades now, changing its forms while absorbing technological improvements. It is used as an essential element in the screening of employees at the workplace to thereby increase work effectiveness in terms of selection of the right candidate for the right job. Not only in the selection process, but this type of testing is also used in other areas namely, promotion, training, advisory services in terms of Human Resource management, planning and development. Psychometric testing is used as a tool for deciding upon the winning qualities of employees to get a better understanding of which employee to further develop upon and how, and which to spend different training resources on etc. This type of testing basically uses questionnaires that are made by professional test makers who also undertake analysis of the results with the help of an organizational psychologist. The verdict/s reached thereby is then considered final and accurate to a great extent. Psychometric tests have been categorized into: Ability tests, Motivation tests, Attitude and perception, Projective techniques (TAT), Personality inventories, Organizational climate surveys, Employee satisfaction surveys etc. (TVRLS, 2006) Psychometrics is the field of study belonging to the zone of psychometric testing, and is used as an indicator of measurement of abilities, attitude, perception, skills, personality traits including team playing, leadership qualities etc. The two major components of this type of study are: Construction of the method or procedure in testing and improving upon the qualities of the test in terms of analysis and judgment (Golombok, n. d. ). There are many other fields of study that are pertinent directly or indirectly to this type of testing. Firstly, there is the classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT). There is also the Rasch model that aims at the requirements when measuring educational and work indicators in terms of physical sciences. Secondly, in relation to correlation and finding out variation in the results there are many techniques including factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, data clustering, structural equation modelling, and path analysis. These few methods aim at finding out what data easily fits into the population that is being tested through a sample and how. (Hogan, 2006) Screening techniques in firms and organizations could range from traditional manual shifting of applications to sophisticated usage of psychometrics. Recruiters immensely make use of online resources or help search for criteria important in measuring the candidates’ qualification (Suff, 2005). Psychometric tests undertake the study of assessment in terms of psychological assessment of individual with respect to five criteria that each test possesses. These are: – Validity: measures what the test is supposed or has been designed to measure – Reliability: the results in the end are in line with the research that was taken and will not change if the test is undertaken again keeping certain factors constant – Standardisation: the instruments used in the test, timing, instructions, test items, scoring techniques are all same for each candidate – Objectivity: there is no deterring of results due to biases caused by subjective decisions or favouritism etc. There should hence be no variation in scores according to these criteria. – Differentiation: tests that have been undertaken have been designed to account for differences and the results should show no effect of the candidate’s personal traits and facts like ethnicity, religion, gender etc. (unless the test aims to measure these as a factor). (Dent & Curd, 2004) CRITICAL ANALYSIS The question that arises now is about the significance of these tests in our lives revolving around the workplace and in specific the corporate world. Psychometric testing is useful, yes but how can it be used, as a measure of success in employee selection, is the most important pointer here. Psychometric tests are used in assisting with the selection process to help predict future employee performance and hence to help in planning out the desired outcomes against these predictions. These tests are economical and efficient, and facilitate the test givers in the attainment of information quickly while cutting down on the money cost also. They are not prone to subjectivity biases when they are objective and hence aid in increasing fairness in decision-making. Apart from finding out the right person for the right job, these tests help recognize development needs, increase motivation and correct stress factors for employees which have a negative impact on their productivity levels if not removed or minimized. (Dent & Curd, 2004) Psychometric tests have evolved from the need to examine ability and resulting output in work situations. The two types of psychometric tests when broadly put, these being: As a measure of ability, verbal or numerical reasoning and as a measure of personality traits and work situations, and what leads to the correct or the best fit. Analysing the usage of tests carries utmost importance when it comes specifically to the choice in terms of what test is to be used in a given situation. This requires deep analysis of the kind of job at hand and then testing candidates to determine the kind of traits needed for that job. On measuring job performance the formula that needs to be remembered is skills + attitude + process + knowledge = Success! However useful this argument holds for psychometric tests, their validity and usage, as a tool in selection of employees is considered controversial also. The difficulty here lies in the fact that people who are being testes sometimes do not give their true answers and get prone to achievement of success with the formula given above, except that the attitudes, skills etc might just be their ideal states in their minds and not something that exists within them in real. This â€Å"lying† on the tests and hiding true meaning of their traits makes accurate judgments difficult and hinders the attainment of absolute fairness in decision-making. And this is also when frequently, psychometric tests are said to be not useful and prone to inaccurate collection of data and information. Hence in many organizations, the usefulness of these tests remains limited and is only to the extent of informing about the decision and not actually making it. Therefore, no matter how glittery the success formula looks, the inefficiency prone to this testing can rid an organization of valuable employees (those who had most probably not lied on the test). (Farrington, 2007) The ethical use of psychometric tests is also another factor that requires discussion in terms of a critical analysis of this topic under dissertation. It is highly essential that the information used by these tests is relevant to the purpose do study, is accurate and does not probe too much into the personal lives of the candidates so as to stay away from intrusion of their privacy. The test should undertake the tester’s competence, procedures and techniques used, and the client welfare to make sure that these guidelines corresponding to each is followed. The test users must be adequately qualified and trained. Results should not be leaked out or sold to any third parties or even other candidates and should only be available to the test takers who will need it to analyse and conclude the tests. Feedback needs to be offered to the people who have taken the test or the candidates to counter any negative effects of the test that was left on them. These tests should not discriminate against gender, race or ethnicity and even disability and age. All test materials need to be secured completely to ward off any unauthorized access to the information provided by these tests. A few of the common tests that are present, measure ability, aptitude, personality, interpersonal skills and relationship awareness etc. (Dent & Curd, 2004) With respect to the five criteria mentioned earlier, a study showed that where selection, assessment and training are concerned, cognitive ability tests and work samples were found out to be most valid. Also, the results of this study showed that interviews were most practical. Results from tests involving knowledge assessment, personality tests involving motivation, satisfaction etc showed that these were most popular with prospective employers. (Mok et al, 2008) CASES FOR PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS Psychometric testing provides organizations and any test givers a very commanding way of guaranteeing the selection and employment of the best candidates through their thorough analysis in terms of ability and preferred behavioural styles. Psychometric testing allows the pre-hiring screening becomes more popular because validity is a criterion that is usually always met and hence this form of testing becomes more preferred. Usually, it also includes IQ testing also along with personality test to enable the organization to gain valuable insight into the issue at hand. Time is saved, as prospective employees are able to learn constructive things that without psychometrics would have been very hard or time consuming to learn. The HR Department hence becomes a powerful unit as it realized true matching of the employee’s personality traits with the characteristics of the company. Financial benefits to the company have also been seen where psychometrics are involved in the process of hiring. Through the availability of technological advances like LAN and the Internet, companies are able to easily administer these tests also. Cost benefits are achieved as eventually companies in the best-case scenario able to learn which employees will stay with the company longer than the others. (Vaid, 2007) Some of the benefits provided by psychometric testing are: 1. Efficiency: psychometric testing improves efficiency in selection and decision-making when it comes to human resource recruitment. Most suitable candidates are hence chosen thereby making maximum use of time, cost and efficiency. 2. More informed recruitment decisions: objective information is provided by these tests to ensure the occurrence of an informed decision-making. 3. Aid to interviews: interviews do not provide all information necessary to conclude upon which candidates are best for that particular job. Hence these tests are highly useful to especially those recruiters who are not much proficient in testing or analyzing a candidate. 4. Tried and tested: these tests now have been offered by many agencies that are used for outsourcing these tests by companies. Also, companies themselves now use many different psychometric tests in the selection process today. 5. Business needs: these tests are in direct relation with the needs of human resource of organizations, and hence fit perfectly to the purpose of these organizations 6. Potential of an individual: an individual’s skills and attitudes along with perceptions are thoroughly weighed through these tests that are not provided by interviews as such. 7. For all levels of staff: these tests are even more helpful since they are appropriate enough to be used at all levels in the organization. 8. Easy to understand: these tests are easy to understand, as their language is unproblematic and simple. They also hence are not prone to discrimination against ethnicity, language or region when they follow the five effective criteria of testing as mentioned earlier in this paper. (Psychometric Testing, n. d. ) 9. Job profiling: this can be done even before the interview takes place, so that key skills and abilities for a particular position in the organization can be further made clear before interviewing the person about it. 10. Useful information: these tests help in providing useful and complete information as to how functional an employee will be in terms of performance in a particular position. (Oriel Training, n. d. ) 11. Professional: psychometric tests make the entire selection process look more formal and professional 12. Objectivity: it adds objectivity to the whole process. 13. Time saving: maximum amount of information is collected in minimum time. 14. Flexibility: due to the use of technology, tests are administered with more flexibility. 15. Self-awareness: when it comes to development of the employees, these tests can help point out the negative factors that should be erased and positive ones that need highlighting and promotion. 16. Cost-effectiveness: when used appropriately, they also provide cost advantages to the firm. (Vaid, 2007) CASE AGAINST PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING It is essential to make sure that the correct procedure in testing is followed including the process of selection, administration, feedback and analysis. Failure on the part of the test giver to do can result in ill communication and analysis often results leading to cynicism, anger, and dissatisfaction. Some of the disadvantages of psychometric testing are: Initial training can prove to be more expensive and costly, Provision of feedback is mostly deemed essential but can waste a lot of time, Uneasiness and resistance shown by the participants can hinder collection of true results. These tests need to be paired with some other form of assessment because complete reliance on them can prove to be not useful at all to the company. Lying or hiding of true information about oneself can result in portrayal of a false picture to the prospective employer, leading to making of false or inaccurate decisions on his/her part (Dent & Curd, 2004). It is very difficult for an untrained eye to find out which is the correct psychometric test to use and employ, due to the high availability of various types of tests in the market. This involved correct decision in terms of choosing the right test for that organization because if this is not done then the results will not be relevant to the organization and the issue at hand. There are many cases where people administering these tests are not qualified or have not been trained enough to correctly administer these tests, hence it is imperative that in order to get the maximum out of these tests, organizational psychology courses need to be offered for training of these test administrators. It should also be understood that these tests provide results that are not hundred percent valid and reliable, so as to not take the effect of many external factors can result in large negative consequences to the organization which is often the case. (Team Focus, 2004) SUCCESS FACTORS Many managers do not make good interviewer and this is where again psychometric testing comes in handy. Studies have shown that many managers and interviewers focus on their ‘gut feeling’ when it comes to hiring employees. Also, another important factor that they use is the candidate’s ability through his skills attained at School/ College etc. This is information; one can easily read off and understand through the Curriculum Vitae of that candidate. The success factor of psychometric testing comes in our discussion when we say that the question about whether a candidate is behaviourally fit in an organization is something whose answer lies in the analysis undertaken through psychometric testing. In other words, how well an employee according to psychometrics will be able to match his personality traits with characteristics of the organization; and how this will impact his performance inside the organization henceforth. (Lievens & Peeters, 2008) One type of psychometric test here exactly important to this kind of testing is the McQuaig System test which helps in outlining a behavioural profile of an employee with respect to the open position that candidate is applying for. Another success factor very essential to organizational development, is the basic fact that this outline can then be used to erase out the subjectivity biases attached to ‘gut feeling’ and help make out a prediction that is dependent on the technical ability of the candidate’s behavioural personality. There are various reasons for growth in the usage of psychometrics in the selection process. A few of these are: 1. Especially when they are hiring employees legal obligations and regulations are met through the use of psychometric tests as they are now being awarded a status that is obligatory to follow and be used by organizations. 2. Test results are now found to be more useful than before because they have been in use for years now. The varied political and cultural state of affairs that pertain to an organization has changed. Also, there has been a shift in the climate of these organizations, which have become more varied in terms of diversity in religions, cultures, ethnicity and so on. Tests hence when effectively designed and made help take these factors into account also. Equal employment opportunity is hence offered immensely well in most cases. 3. The costs of testing have decreased significantly because of the improved and increased use of Internet among many other technological advances. Computer based testing allows for flexibility, ease and quickness in adding up scores and summing up data probing organizations to indulge when more in such testing procedures 4. Human Resource policies are more formally and appropriately designed now to take into account a once much ignored resource- human resource. 5. Tests provide up-to-date information and when employing older employees, this becomes essential because then school qualification would prove to be outdated mostly. 6. Large organizations can use these tests to screen large number of applicants, who without the use of these tests and other computer based tests, would be almost humanly impossible to accomplish. (Psychometric success, n. d. ) CONCLUSION The use of tests, in particular those involving psychological analysis are here to stay as can be seen from their wide usage and growing popularity. It remains however the duty of the employers to ensure that they remain professional, ethical, valid and reliable. Training is an essential component o the success of the usage of these tests in an organization to better analyze and understand the results depicted by these tests. Employers while undertaking the administration of these tests need to take a few things in perspective. They should be clear about what they are measuring, what is the audience like, make sure that it is not indiscriminate towards any class etc., ensure proper training, provide adequate feedback, and also guarantee confidentiality of information, so that effectives can be reached along with success in usage of these tests. Effectiveness, all in all depends directly on giving importance to these factors just discussed so that any form of psychometric analysis is made productive. (Dent, & Curd, 2004) Bibliography Golombok, S. (n. d. ) Modern Psychometrics: The Science of Psychological Assessment. International Library of Psychology Hogan, T. (2006) Psychometric Testing: A practical introduction. Wiley. Dent, F. and Curd, J.(2004) Psychometric tests: an overview of an increasingly complex world [Internet] Available from: http://www. ashridge. org. uk/Website/IC. nsf/wFARATT/Psychometric%20Tests:%20An%20Overview%20of%20an%20Increasingly%20Complex%20World/$File/PsychometricTest. pdf [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Farrington, J. (2007) Psychometric Tests and Professional Salespeople- unhappy bedfellows [Internet] Available from: http://www. greatmanagement. org/articles/57/1/-Psychometric-Tests-And-Professional-Salespeople—Unhappy-Bedfellows/Page1. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Lievens, F.and Peeters, H. (2008) Impact of elaboration on responding to situational judgment test items [Online Library] Available from International Journal of Selection and Assessment. Dec2008, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p345-355 Mok, C. ; Wong, A. ; Lam, W. ; Baum, L. ; Ho, K. ; and Wong, L. (2008) A case-controlled study of cognitive progression in Chinese lacunar stroke patients [Online Library] Available from Clinical Neurology & Neurosurgery. Jul2008, Vol. 110 Issue 7, p649-656 Oriel Training (n. d. ) Key benefits of psychometric testing [Internet] Available from: http://www. orieltrain. com/KeyBenefitsofPsychometricTesting. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Psychometric success (n. d. ) The growth of psychometric testing [Internet] available from: http://www. psychometric-success. com/psychometric-tests/psychometric-tests-advantages. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Psychometric Testing (n. d. ) Exciting features [Internet] Available from: http://www. excitingfutures. com/psychometrictesting. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Suff, R. (2005) First-line Filter [Online Library] Available from IRS Employment Review from: IRS Employment Review; 12/16/2005 Issue 837, p44-48 Team Focus (2004) Disadvantages of psychometric testing [Internet] Available from: http://www. teamfocus. co. uk/disadvantages_of_psychometric_testing. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] TVRLS (2006) Psychometric testing and climate surveys [Internet] Available from: http://www. tvrls. com/psychometric_testing_and_climate_surveys. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Vaid, R. (2007) Advantages of Psychometric testing [Internet] Available from HRD Test Products from: http://smarthiring. com/articles/articles/6/1/Advantages-of-Psychometric-Testing/Page1. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008]

Free Essays on Decisions In The Workplace

Abstract Decisions in the workplace have greater implications upon one’s life than most believe. How one comes to a decision shows all others within the work environment their personality and preference. I have come to realize that having a road map for work related decisions, helps everyone involved. Taking specific steps to achieve the best possible outcome for an issue is the purpose for following a decision-making model. In the following piece we will view how the UOP decision-making model was utilized to help me with a challenging situation at work. The UOP model is made up of 3 main areas with sub-dividing points. The first area is Frame the Issue. Within this area ask yourself to identify the problem. In my job related issue, I discovered the problem to be miscommunication between 3 departments regarding invoice logs. Understanding how the process should work in order to go smoothly falls in â€Å"defining the criteria, goals and objectives†. My critical thinking skills are being utilized through my actions of analyzing the problem. I know the best way to pay the construction companies are to receive the invoices through Contracts department, then forward the project number to Facilities Information Systems (my department) to generate a record then on to the Facilities Construction Mgmt dept secretary for payment. The last sub-division of Fame the issue is evaluates effects of the problem. When miscommunication occurs, a breakdown in the process follows. Invoices are not paid on time, board members are notified by the companies and soon followed by unnecessary media attention. Framing the issue helps to give a solid picture to pinpoint key errors. The second area encompasses Making the Decision. This model is very helpful because of its practicality. In order to make a decision to solve a problem you have to first know what the problem is; as well as a result of the problem. Upon reflecting on the problem... Free Essays on Decisions In The Workplace Free Essays on Decisions In The Workplace Abstract Decisions in the workplace have greater implications upon one’s life than most believe. How one comes to a decision shows all others within the work environment their personality and preference. I have come to realize that having a road map for work related decisions, helps everyone involved. Taking specific steps to achieve the best possible outcome for an issue is the purpose for following a decision-making model. In the following piece we will view how the UOP decision-making model was utilized to help me with a challenging situation at work. The UOP model is made up of 3 main areas with sub-dividing points. The first area is Frame the Issue. Within this area ask yourself to identify the problem. In my job related issue, I discovered the problem to be miscommunication between 3 departments regarding invoice logs. Understanding how the process should work in order to go smoothly falls in â€Å"defining the criteria, goals and objectives†. My critical thinking skills are being utilized through my actions of analyzing the problem. I know the best way to pay the construction companies are to receive the invoices through Contracts department, then forward the project number to Facilities Information Systems (my department) to generate a record then on to the Facilities Construction Mgmt dept secretary for payment. The last sub-division of Fame the issue is evaluates effects of the problem. When miscommunication occurs, a breakdown in the process follows. Invoices are not paid on time, board members are notified by the companies and soon followed by unnecessary media attention. Framing the issue helps to give a solid picture to pinpoint key errors. The second area encompasses Making the Decision. This model is very helpful because of its practicality. In order to make a decision to solve a problem you have to first know what the problem is; as well as a result of the problem. Upon reflecting on the problem...

The Papacy as represented in Peruginos The Gift of the Keys essays

The Papacy as represented in Peruginos The Gift of the Keys essays The Papacy as represented in Peruginos The Gift of the Keys Before I discuss the importance of various symbols in Peruginos The Gift of the Keys, it is important to note that the vast majority of my knowledge about the significance of the participants and architecture in the painting come from the writing of art historian Carol Lewine, whom in her recent book discusses the fifteenth century frescoes of the Sistine Chapel (65-74). I will be following her identifications, and adding to them my own interpretations of the contribution of artistic conception and composition to meaning and effect. What makes Peruginos painting significant are the strong political, religious, and social comments made through the powerful symbols in Peruginos work. One of the first, and most important, elements to notice in The Gift of The Keys is the way nearly every object in the painting manages to focus attention on the central figures of Christ and Peter. Even though the two are not physically separated from the rest of the figures in the scene, it becomes immediately obvious to the viewer that Christ and Peter are the principal subjects of this painting. To the left of Christ stand six apostles, the other six apostles (counting Peter) positioned immediately to his right. Also flanking Christ and Peter are the dual representations of the Arch of Constantine, and immediately in bac of Christ and Peter is the glorious Temple of Solomon. The important aspect of this centralization of Christ and Peter is that it shows that even with all of the other symbols in the painting, the most importan t one is the gift of the keys. When Christ hands the two keys to Peter, he symbolically hands him the power to distinguish between good and evil, and the power to bind and loose or to absolve sinners after appropriate penance, as Lewine puts it. (70 Lewine) Peter is often thought of roughly as the first pop...

Picassos Guitars and the Birth of Synthetic Cubism

Picassos Guitars and the Birth of Synthetic Cubism Anne Umland, curator in the department of painting and sculpture, and her assistant Blair Hartzell, have organized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study Picassos 1912-14 Guitar series in one beautiful installation. This team assembled 85 works from over 35 public and private collections; a heroic feat indeed. Why Picassos Guitar Series? Most art historians credit the Guitar series as the definitive transition from Analytic to Synthetic Cubism. However, the guitars launched so much more. After a slow and careful examination of all the collages and constructions, it is clear that the Guitar series (which includes a few violins as well) crystallized Picassos brand of Cubism. The series establishes a repertoire of signs that remained active in the artists visual vocabulary through the Parade sketches and into the Cubo-Surrealist works of the 1920s. When Did the Guitar Series Begin? We dont know exactly when the Guitar series began. The collages include snippets of newspapers dated to November and December 1912. Black and white photographs of Picassos studio on the Boulevard Raspail, published in Les Soirà ©es de Paris, no. 18 (November 1913), show the cream-colored construction paper guitar surrounded by numerous collages and drawings of guitars or violins set up side by side on one wall. Picasso gave his 1914 metal Guitar to the Museum of Modern Art in 1971. At that time, the director of paintings and drawings, William Rubin, believed that the maquette (model) cardboard guitar dated to the early part of 1912. (The museum acquired the maquette in 1973, after Picassos death, in accordance with his wishes.) During the preparation for the huge Picasso and Braque: Pioneering Cubism exhibition in 1989, Rubin shifted the date to October 1912. Art historian Ruth Marcus agreed with Rubin in her 1996 article on the Guitar series, which convincingly explains the transitional significance of the series. The current MoMA exhibition sets the date for the maquette at October to December 1912. How Do We Study the Guitar Series? The best way to study the Guitar series is to notice two things: the wide variety of media and the repertoire of repeated shapes that mean different things within different contexts. The collages integrate real substances such as wallpaper, sand, straight pins, ordinary string, brand labels, packaging, musical scores, and newspaper with the artists drawn or painted versions of the same or similar objects. The combination of elements broke with traditional two-dimensional art practices, not only in terms of incorporating such humble materials but also because these materials referred to modern life in the streets, in the studios, and in the cafà ©s. This interplay of real-world items mirrors the integration of contemporary street imagery in his friends avant-garde poetry, or what Guillaume Apollinaire called la nouveautà © poà ©sie (novelty poetry) - an early form of Pop Art. Another Way to Study the Guitars The second way to study the Guitar series requires a scavenger hunt for Picassos repertoire of shapes that appear in most of the works. The MoMA exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to cross-check references and contexts. Together, the collages and Guitar constructions seem to reveal the artists internal conversation: his criteria and his ambitions. We see the various short-hand signs to indicate objects or body parts migrate from one context to another, reinforcing and shifting meanings with only the context as a guide. For example, the curvy side of a guitar in one work resembles the curve of a mans ear along his head in another. A circle may indicate a guitars sound hole in one section of the collage and a bottles bottom in another. Or a circle can be the top of the bottles cork and simultaneously resemble a top hat neatly positioned on a mustached gentlemans face. Ascertaining this repertory of shapes helps us understand the synecdoche in Cubism (those little shapes that indicate the whole in order to say: here is a violin, here is a table, here is a glass and here is a human being). This repertoire of signs developed during the Analytic Cubism Period became simplified shapes of this Synthetic Cubism Period. The Guitar Constructions Explain Cubism The  Guitar  constructions made of cardboard paper (1912) and sheet metal (1914) clearly demonstrate the formal considerations of  Cubism. As Jack Flam wrote in Cubiquitous, a better word for Cubism would have been Planarism, since the artists conceptualized reality in terms of the different faces or planes of an object (front, back, top, bottom, and sides) depicted on one surface a.k.a. simultaneity. Picasso explained the collages to the sculptor Julio Gonzales: It would have sufficed to cut them up the colors, after all, being no more than indications of differences in perspective, of planes inclined one way or the other and then assemble them according to the indications given by the color, in order to be confronted with a sculpture. (Roland Penrose,  The Life and Work of Picasso, third edition, 1981, p.265) The  Guitar  constructions occurred as Picasso worked on the collages. The flat planes deployed on flat surfaces became flat planes projecting from the wall in a three-dimension arrangement located in real space. Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler, Picassos dealer at the time, believed that the  Guitar  constructions were based on the artists Grebo masks, which he acquired in August 1912. These three-dimensional objects represent the eyes as cylinders projecting from the flat surface of the mask, as indeed Picassos  Guitar  constructions represent the sound hole as a cylinder projecting from the body of the guitar. Andrà © Salmon inferred in  La jeune sculpture franà §aise  that Picasso looked at contemporary toys, such as a tiny tin fish suspended in a circle of tin ribbon that represented the fish swimming in its bowl. William Rubin suggested in his catalogue for the Picasso and Braque show of 1989 that airplane gliders captured Picassos imagination. (Picasso called Braque Wilbur, after one of the Wright brothers, whose historic flight took place on December 17, 1903. Wilbur had just died on May 30, 1912. Orville died on January 30, 1948.) From Traditional to Avant-garde Sculpture Picassos Guitar constructions broke with the continuous skin of conventional sculpture. In his 1909  Head  (Fernande), a bumpy, lumpy contiguous series of planes represent the hair and face of the woman he loved at this time. These planes are positioned in such a manner to maximize the reflection of light on certain surfaces, similar to the depicted planes illuminated by light in Analytic Cubist paintings. These lit surfaces become colorful surfaces in the collages. The cardboard  Guitar  construction depends on flat planes. It is composed of only 8 parts: the front and back of the guitar, a box for its body, the sound hole (which looks like the cardboard cylinder inside a roll of toilet paper), the neck (which curves upward like an elongated trough), a triangle pointing down to indicate the guitars head and a short folded paper near the triangle threaded with guitar strings. Ordinary strings strung vertically, represent the guitar strings, and laterally (in a comically droopy way) represent the frets. A semi-circular piece, attached to the bottom of the maquette represents a table top location for the guitar and completes the original appearance of the work. The cardboard  Guitar  and the sheet metal Guitar seem to simultaneously represent the inside and outside of the real instrument. El Guitare During the spring of 1914, the art critic Andrà © Salmon wrote: I have seen what no man has seen before in Picassos studio. Leaving aside painting for the moment, Picasso built this immense guitar out of sheet metal with parts that could be given to any idiot in the universe who on his own might put the object together as well as the artist himself. More phantasmagorical than Fausts laboratory, this studio (which certain people might claim had no art in the conventional sense of the term) was furnished with the newest of objects. All the visible forms surrounding me appeared absolutely new. I had never seen such new things before. I didnt even know what a new object could be.Some visitors, already shocked by the things that they saw covering the walls, refused to call these objects paintings (because they were made of oil-cloth, packing paper and newspaper). They pointed a condescending finger at the object of Picassos clever pains, and said: What is it? Does you put it on a pedestal? Does you hang it on a wall? Is it painting or is it sculpture? Picasso dressed in the blue of a Parisian worker responded in his finest Andalusian voice: Its nothing. Its  el guitare!And there you have it! The watertight compartments of art are demolished. We are now liberated from painting and sculpture just as we were liberated from the idiotic tyranny of academic genres. Its no longer this or that. Its nothing. Its  el guitare!

World History. The age of discovery and industrialization Essay

World History. The age of discovery and industrialization - Essay Example The resultant of this exploration was the Columbian exchange which was characterized by exchange of animals, cultural integration and the slave trade between Americans and Afro-Eurasians. As the Europeans explored the coastal shores of Africa and Asia, they took Africans as slave servants in their country. In brief, the discovery age, was a period that the Western countries venture into new territories which led to the discovery of new lands, cultures and economic activities. Another phase of western development was marked by a period of cultural development I the European culture. One of the features of this period was the invention of the printing press, which formed a transition from the early age of script writing to printing. The impact of this transition was that a new avenue to edit and author new books including the bible was developed. Protestant churches came into being after splitting of Catholicism and the people now had an option to form new denominations without being r estricted into a single religious domain. With the availability of printing media, scientific facts were documented and the 17th century became an era of scientific revolution in World History. Another turning point of the world history is the establishment of political set ups that started in the 17th century in western countries. During this period, absolute monarchies ruled by kings came into existence in France and this culture became widespread in the German and in the central Europe. This kind of culture accorded a lot of power to the king and he became the absolute ruler with the responsibility of guarding the welfare of the people. In the eighteenth century, the Russian empire came into being after the Peter 1 introduced autocracy and later adopted the European governing system. The spread of well-defined political structures of European countries to other countries marked a new beginning in the history of the world. Early Modern Period as a period of great economic exchange but not great cultural change The early modern period is perceived more of a period of economic exchange rather than a time of cultural integration. Economic exchange refers to the exchange of valuables and goods across the territory that was common during the middle of the discovery age. During the discovery period, the western countries set out to find new markets where they could obtain spice goods such as coffee and tea and in the long run discovered productive lands and rich coastal shores where business was suitable. In addition, they engaged in the slave trade to acquire a free source of labor in their field in the effort of maximizing their profits. The period of cultural exchange refers to the post-discovery age when the western countries had already started to settle in foreign lands and there was need to learn new cultures to enhance business and communication. The start of the monarch was the beginning of cultural integration in which most countries decided started the culture of kingship that originated in the central Europe. In the better part of the discovery age, the communities engaged with little exchange of cultural values, but later cultural influence was impacted due to the enhanced interaction as the business grew stronger in these foreign lands. For instance, the formation of the Kiswahili language in Kenya coasts was meant to facilitate business between the Bantu and Arabs and Portuguese. There is a significant difference between cultural exchange and economic exchange as relates to the historical development of the world. While economic exchange refers to the material trade between different cultures, cultural exchange

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example This is an interpretation of the fact that purchases can not only be manipulated, but also predicted by psychologists. Behaviors are, therefore, inborn and can be manipulated to assess if the individuals will behave in any way. Among such aspects that can be influenced to assess behavior are inclusive of arousal feelings that emanate from within the individual and can be directed towards making purchases by the consumers. In light to this argument, the essay shall endeavor to highlight the motivation behind making purchases of tea and champagne, and, caviars and beef burgers by the consumers. One of the motivational models that describe consumer behavior is the equity model. According to the equity model, consumers tend to purchase products that are equivalent to the value of their money. In this case an employee pays a huge amount of money; in return, they expect that the goods they get are of high quality (Kirenz, pp.21). Consumers may end up purchasing caviars so as to get good va lue for their money, not necessarily for taste. This is due to the fact that there exists cheaper versions of caviars as well as ‘almost equivalents’ of the original. From this fact, consumers are much more concerned with the need to acquire the best caviars. As Kirenz (pp.21), indicates, the equity model is much more concerned with having the best among other products that might be of equivalent to that specific product. The example of caviar can be attributed to some confines of consumption; that is, a quality product from the seller. Need achievement is yet another motivation model that determines consumer behavior (Jansson-Boyd, .pp.115). This model works on the basis that consumers purchase goods so as to get to self actualization. This can be compared to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on self actualization of needs. However, need achievement, according to Moonj (pp.138), allows for a chance that may lead to the consumer not getting the exact satisfaction that they may need. In essence, the need achievement model refers to a situation whereby the expectations of the consumer drive them towards making a purchase. This model may be applicable in the purchases of beef burgers by the consumers. After consumption of beef burgers, the consumers expect that they will manage to quench their hunger for food, but on the other hand, the consumers may not pleased with the burgers, a fact that explains that the consumers may not quench their need for food or appetite for burgers. An analysis of the consumer behaviors in terms of purchases regarding the beef burgers, the Herzberg theory of motivation has a great correlation with the behavior. The avoidance aspect of the Herzberg theory is related to the chances that the consumers may not be satisfied with beef burgers while; the approach aspect refers to a situation whereby, there is a great likelihood that the consumer may attain self actualization after consumption of the beef burgers. Consumer behav iors are motivated by the expectancy value model. According to Macinnis & Hoyer (pp.128), the expectancy value model relates to the desirability aspect of products by the consumer, and the expectations of the consumers as compared to the alternatives of the product. The expectancy value model also operates under the basics of the outcomes that the consumers expect from the product. This refers to the attitudes of the consumer on the particular product as well as the dilemmas that come along with the consumption of the product. This model works for purchases on tea, a product that if many consumers would have the funds, would go for coffee. This justifies the fact that this theory works with questions. On one hand, the consume

Marketing Strategies Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing Strategies Development - Essay Example The essay "Marketing Strategies Development" aims to design a competitive and successful marketing strategy for the launching of the new mark of mobile phone Leviathan. In the last two decades, there have been major changes in the broader economic environment resulting from increasing globalization, deregulation, increased the competition and specialization of industries cited in Kotler. This has lead organizations to form cooperative agreements, such as alliances, resulting in a shift from stand-alone competition to the networked rivalry. The marketing mix has its origin in the marketing of goods for consumer markets and consists of the well known 4P’s: Price, Promotion, Place, and Product and must be carefully coordinated for the greatest success. Therefore, two methods were presented through which the divisions could be segmented. I suggested segmenting the market into geographical, demographical and time segment. Through these methods, the company is better placed to meet up with its objectives. The paper calls for a value adding and marketing strategy for increasing yields to the company for the benefits of the entire business. The company expects to target not only high-yielding niche market but low-income household as well with the introduction of the new products. Key success factors within the market will be MoTecH Ltd brand of innovative quality furniture and promotional gifts, individualized customer services – tailor made custom design providing customers with what they want, when and how they want it.

BizCafe Business Case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BizCafe Business Case - Coursework Example The business targets a large number of customers, some of whom prefer take-away, while some host meetings as they take their coffee, hence need for a bigger space. Jane should have not relied on students totally, as they have classes to attend to, which would compromise running of the business. Hiring qualified staff who can work full time while students take over after school would be a good measure that ensures business efficiency. However, the cafe business is viable in the market, since it is at an appealing location. While purchasing equipments, one has to keep in mind that customers have different tastes and preferences, and in this new era, a modern up-to-date restaurant is preferred by many. I would purchase the new green furniture at $4,000, since they provide an attractive and private atmosphere. In addition, I would prefer the new 4-cup espresso, which costs $6,000, as it has a high capacity and it is fast to make, thus would ensure efficiency while serving many customers. The decisions made on the type of furniture and coffee espresso will yield to high costs as opposed to Jane’s choice. ... Rationale for the Business: Each business must have strategies in order for it to survive. With the advancing technology, businesses adopt new strategies that enhance survival through a competitive advantage. A business can attain a competitive advantage through cost leadership, whereby, it becomes the lowest price for its products but still maintains the product’s quality. Product differentiation is another strategy that ensures that a business provides unique services or products as compared to its competitors, thus attracting more customers (Hitt, Ireland & Hokisson, 2009 p117). The cafe name is â€Å"never enough cafe,† a name has a motive of attracting customers who are curious of how special is our coffee, such that, one can never have enough of it. The new green type of chosen furniture aims at attracting customers as it has a sense of style in it. The 4-cup automatic espresso aims at serving more customers at once, hence avoiding long queues, or inconveniences t o customers. The staff will be paid according to the number of hours worked; however, a manager must work full time and must be punctual. The staff will be paid well to avoid quitting, which results to inconveniences. When employees are paid well, they are motivated. Therefore, this tool will be used by our business in order to attain a competitive advantage. In marketing strategies, the cafe seeks to utilize the 3-cup sizes instead of one cup; as a result, the cafe is considerate of different classes of customers, as each cup has its price. This is a competitive strategy as other restaurants concentrate on one size of cup only, of which the price is definitely fixed and high. However, different sizes of cups give a

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Research Paper

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Research Paper Example They formed movements through which they spoke in one voice about the evils that were going on in their lives. Quite a number of acts were proposed, including the â€Å"Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act† but they did not see the light of day. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) was officially enacted in 1984. It was later â€Å"reauthorized and amended† in 2010. The act can be regarded as a life-saving financial measure driven by an objective to offer emotional support to the victims2. The main idea behind such programs is to effectively secure mental stability and safety of the respective victims in addition to preventing incidences of violence in future. The act was focussed on providing the necessary awareness and prevention of domestic violence. It should be noted that this act is the sole source of funding that is meant to support life-saving initiatives through domestic violence programs. These programs include hotlines, counselling , emergency shelters and relevant legal services3. The act has made tremendous steps in relation to curbing sexual and domestic violence. Consequently, increased awareness of the above mentioned crimes and a developed justice system have led to swelling demand for the services. In the United States alone, up to 2 million children and women succumb to domestic violence save for approximately 15 million children who are exposed to physical abuse and torture by their parents/guardians.4 The effects of the current state of the economy are being felt by victim service agencies as they try to handle the ever increasing demand by the American population. It is evident how the existing resources are being stretched to the limit. Situations of job loss and eviction cases of either the victim or the abuser have been factors that have contributed to the increasing demand for the respective services5. FVPSA is important in the sense that it is at the forefront of sustaining or rather maintainin g crisis hotlines, effective safety planning, appropriate preventive education to victims, counselling and emergency asylums.6 This act is necessary to bridge the gap between the limited available resources and the ever increasing demand for these services. Many regard this act as the heart and soul of the country’s response to pertinent issues of domestic violence, thus its importance. The act ensures that community resources are well coordinated and distributed through effective and comprehensive programs. In relation to the impact of this legislation, the funding has been able to assist many victims despite the limited resources. Many lives have been saved through various programs. A typical example of this scenario was in September 2008 where up to 60,800 victims benefited from the respective program. In essence, when a victim is provided with shelter it means that he or she is at a safer place far away from the abuser, thus a life-saving initiative. Another impact of the act is that the demand for these services has significantly increased. The government has, in turn, realised that closer attention should be paid especially in the area of funding so that more people can benefit from the program. The act has created significant awareness about what it can do so that in the event of an incident like an emergency, the victims know where to turn to for

Wind Load Effects on Skyscrapers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Wind Load Effects on Skyscrapers - Essay Example These devices are utilised in high-rise buildings reaching above 50 storeys. The TMDs enhance strength of the building while increasing comfort of residents. The Taipei 101 structure remains the building with the largest TMD weighing over six tons. This massive structure was constructed using advanced technology providing a significant breakthrough for the engineering industry. The massive structure has contributed towards the capacity for the building to withstand numerous typhoons, common in Asia. In many modern cities around the world, skyscrapers have continued to dominate the skylines. The construction of these structures continues to define the element of modernisation and evolvement of modern city designs. These magnificent structures decorating the skylines of major cities require a considerable amount of planning before commencing construction. The planning for construction of skyscrapers begins with consideration of various elements among them cost, economic efficiency and strength of the structure(Chew, 2001). The element of strength remains most important as it relates to safety of the tenants and other occupants of the building. The strength of a skyscraper remains the determinant element for the successful construction of these high rise structures. These structures remain highly susceptible to natural calamities like earth quakes and hurricanes, among others. During the planning phase for the construction of these high rise structures, those designing components seek to ensure the structure becomes sufficiently resistant to any forces that might arise. The consideration of these wind forces makes the designing phase most important. The forces exerted by winds on the structures remain fundamental for designing of high-rise structures. WIND AND TUNED MASS DAMPER Wind remains a complex phenomenon because of the variations in wind speeds resulting from interaction with the structures surrounding the wind. Wind comprises of numerous particles moving in different directions. The speed and direction of wind contributes immensely towards the effects produced by the wind(Holmes, 2007). During construction of tall structures, engineers and architects must consider the expected wind effects upon the intended structure. While normal wind force could be resisted by many structures, extreme cases like tornadoes, hurricanes present great challenges as they create massive forces, capable of collapsing entire buildings. The resulting effects of wind damage can cause massive destruction as have been recorded. Hurricanes, for example, are some of the most feared winds across the globe. Some hurricanes have enough strength to even uproot trees and destroy even the shortest of structures. During these extreme wind cases, like winds measuring 10 or higher on the Beaufort scale, the wind load affecting tall buildings is normally higher

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Research Paper

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Research Paper Example They formed movements through which they spoke in one voice about the evils that were going on in their lives. Quite a number of acts were proposed, including the â€Å"Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act† but they did not see the light of day. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) was officially enacted in 1984. It was later â€Å"reauthorized and amended† in 2010. The act can be regarded as a life-saving financial measure driven by an objective to offer emotional support to the victims2. The main idea behind such programs is to effectively secure mental stability and safety of the respective victims in addition to preventing incidences of violence in future. The act was focussed on providing the necessary awareness and prevention of domestic violence. It should be noted that this act is the sole source of funding that is meant to support life-saving initiatives through domestic violence programs. These programs include hotlines, counselling , emergency shelters and relevant legal services3. The act has made tremendous steps in relation to curbing sexual and domestic violence. Consequently, increased awareness of the above mentioned crimes and a developed justice system have led to swelling demand for the services. In the United States alone, up to 2 million children and women succumb to domestic violence save for approximately 15 million children who are exposed to physical abuse and torture by their parents/guardians.4 The effects of the current state of the economy are being felt by victim service agencies as they try to handle the ever increasing demand by the American population. It is evident how the existing resources are being stretched to the limit. Situations of job loss and eviction cases of either the victim or the abuser have been factors that have contributed to the increasing demand for the respective services5. FVPSA is important in the sense that it is at the forefront of sustaining or rather maintainin g crisis hotlines, effective safety planning, appropriate preventive education to victims, counselling and emergency asylums.6 This act is necessary to bridge the gap between the limited available resources and the ever increasing demand for these services. Many regard this act as the heart and soul of the country’s response to pertinent issues of domestic violence, thus its importance. The act ensures that community resources are well coordinated and distributed through effective and comprehensive programs. In relation to the impact of this legislation, the funding has been able to assist many victims despite the limited resources. Many lives have been saved through various programs. A typical example of this scenario was in September 2008 where up to 60,800 victims benefited from the respective program. In essence, when a victim is provided with shelter it means that he or she is at a safer place far away from the abuser, thus a life-saving initiative. Another impact of the act is that the demand for these services has significantly increased. The government has, in turn, realised that closer attention should be paid especially in the area of funding so that more people can benefit from the program. The act has created significant awareness about what it can do so that in the event of an incident like an emergency, the victims know where to turn to for

Climate Change and The Global Warming Debate Case Study

Climate Change and The Global Warming Debate - Case Study Example Perhaps the most illustrative and influential in getting the message across was Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth.’ The title in itself denotes of the apprehension to identify global warming as an imperative issue that must be discussed in order to address what is necessarily happening in the world. The documentary showed among other things how the polar ice caps are swiftly melting to the effect that a huge amount of the sun’s heat is absorbed and trapped in our atmosphere causing an increase in the earth’s temperature. These glaciers play an important role and have a direct correlation to global warming. The film supports this with scientific data and research accompanied by actual pictures of places in between decades showing the discrepancy man have caused (Guggenheim & Gore, 2006). Faced with this global problem, scientists have also offered solutions to impede and slowdown the process. The most important tool in dealing with environmental woes i s the shift toward sustainability for purposes that human beings do not exhaust the Earth’s natural resources. ... Reliance on energy is a given fact and where our main sources of energy such as coal and fossil fuel are mainly consumable, they necessarily run out that those who are rich in them rake in the profit and play a major role in the determination of the world’s economy. Renewable energy comes in as an answer to this dilemma as a viable alternative source of energy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on their 2007 Synthesis Report provides for the necessity and the benefits of renewable energy. The introduction of new policies that implement energy efficiency should entail the institution of renewable energy which also promotes economic benefits and sufficient energy accompanied by lesser pollution. Among the main thrust of the report is to identify how this should also be beneficial for developing countries who require more energy not only in the business establishments but also particularly in the household. These countries rely mostly on coal as a source of energy and often resort to deforestation. The IPCC provides that â€Å"Energy efficiency and utilisation of renewable energy offer synergies with sustainable development† (p. 59, 2007). This in consequence provides for economic benefits for countries requiring cost-efficient energy with security while reducing pollution. The main opposition to the proposition that there truly is global warming brought about mainly by the copious amount of greenhouse gasses are ubiquitously called greenhouse doubters. The advocates to bring global warming into the limelight on the other hand are most likely to call them as deniers. They have been more prominent in the 1980s through to early 2000 when there had been more scientists in consensus that global warming is a reality based on scientific data.

Examination of the Literature Review Essay Example for Free

Examination of the Literature Review Essay I selected Guidetti and Tham’s (2002) paper because I am fascinated by the work of occupational therapists. They are tasked, by the nature of their profession, to assist people with impairments or disabilities in achieving competence in their daily activities and consequently, they empower these individuals to grab hold of their limitations and transform them in a fashion that nurtures their sense of control and brings peace of mind to their loved ones who lives with them. The paper sought to elucidate the strategies utilized by occupational therapists in their self-care intervention process with neurologically-impaired clients, specifically those who had had stroke or spinal cord injury. The study tapped the qualitative research design. Specifically, it employed a modified phenomenology approach called EPP (empirical, phenomenological, psychological) method in generating and analyzing the data. The purpose of EPP method is â€Å"to describe the essence, structure and character of the studied phenomenon† (Guidetti Tham, 2002, p. 260). Although it informs the research question, the literature review (as well as the reference list) is not sufficient to build a platform for the â€Å"need to provide a definition and description of the concept of self-training and the typical therapeutic strategies used by therapists† (Guidetti Tham, 2002, p. 258). It lacks relevant scientific texts. It is understandable that there is no existing study on the subject, but there is more scientific information in the literature about the therapeutic strategies in adjacent fields which could add valuable background to the introductory problem identification as well as to the incisive discussion of the results later on. In the introduction section, the scholars presented the important variables of the research question finely (i. e. , meaning of self-care, therapeutic strategies), but failed to include a review of empirical literature, simply stating that â€Å"there is a lack of empirical studies identifying the therapeutic strategies in self-care training† (Guidetti Tham, 2002, p. 258). Although the statement may be correct, there are still many relevant studies worth reviewing that would guide the inquiry. It may not necessarily be those on self-care therapeutic strategies utilized by occupational therapist with persons who have neurological disorders, but also those studies on strategies used by the same professionals on rehabilitating persons with orthopedic injuries, lymphedema or amputees which do not specifically addressed the phenomenon, but may have implications for the study. In addition, the physical therapy literature on similar issues could also add important insights. A look at the reference list of the article reveals that it is limited in three ways. First, five of the papers in this list were written by either one of the same two authors, in collaboration with other scholars. Second, there are only three occupational therapy journals where they garnered articles for the review (i. e. , Occupational Therapy International, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, and Clinical Rehabilitation). Finally, the doctoral dissertations/theses reviewed in the paper came only from Sweden. This is not ideal especially in a journal with international circulation. The authors could have scoured articles from other journals of similar discipline that are available like British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of Occupational Science, OT Practice, International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Journal of Integrated Care, etc. Further, they could have utilized the abstracts available in the Dissertation Abstracts International to offset the Swedish-focused dissertation reviews in the study. In qualitative studies, an in-depth, exploratory literature review is vital to discover what currently exists in the body of knowledge about the concerned phenomenon (Taylor Bogdan, 1998). Thus, the article’s literature review and reference list in this regard only supported halfway the research question. Much could have been done. References Guidetti, S. , Tham, K. (2002). Therapeutic strategies used by occupational therapists in self-care training: A qualitative study. Occupational Therapy International, 9(4), 257-276. Taylor, S. J. , Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods (3rd ed. ). New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Animal Farm: The Animals Bad Memories Essay example -- Animal Farm Ess

Animal Farm: The Animals' Bad Memories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost all the animals had a very bad memory so they were not able to remember things of major signifigance. After a little while the pigs would mention the past and the animals would not remember what had happened so they would agree with the pigs. The the battle of cowshed, snowball was a very herioic animal in that battle but Neapolean said that that was not true that there memory had deceived them, that snowball was just trying to get them to trust him because he was in connection with Mr. Jones. Also the pigs had changed the commandments. When the animals saw the commandments when they have been changed the pigs convinced them that they were wrong. So even though some animals knew how to read they would not have remembered very clearly what the commandments really said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pigs where also very convinceing. They were alway able to get out of any situation. The best talker of all the pigs was Squaler. He was always able to convince that animals that what every they had done the do for the good of all the animals and not just for themselves. Just like when the pigs had taken the milk and apples for themselves, they said that they only took it was because they needed it and that if they did not have it they would not be able to help operate the farm, he also added that the pigs did not actually like the milk and apples but they had to eat it. They rest of the animals believ...

The Corruptness of Power Depicted in George Orwells Animal Farm :: Animal Farm Essays

â€Å"History consists of a series of swindles where the masses are first lead into revolt by the promise of Utopia, and then, when they have done their job, enslaved all over again by their new masters†- George Orwell. Only one man has the insight and the genius to depict this. Only he understood that in the end, humans cannot defeat human nature, because it is inherit in themselves. In Animal Farm, the farm animals, fueled by Old Major’s speech, rebel against Farmer Jones. They set up a commune under the control of the pigs soon afterwards. But the pigs abuse their power and the animals end up being no better off than they were under Farmer Jones. Animal Farm, a parody of the Russian Revolution, is Orwell’s attempt to inform others about a purveying truth regarding human nature- that power is, by its very nature, corrupting. This is why â€Å"history consists of a series of swindles where the masses are first lead into revolt†¦ and enslaved all over agai n†. Old Major, representing both Marx and Lenin, is the catalyst for the revolution. He is a political thinker, creating the idea of Animalism. He describes the cruelty of man and how â€Å"man is the only creature that consumes without producing†. An image of Utopia is then presented, where all animals are equal. Soon after his death, the revolution occurs easily because of the ineptness of Mr. Jones and the support of the animals. Afterwards, the farm is run efficiently and the animals have a high quality of life because only they enjoy the fruits of their labor. They are led into revolt by the promise of Utopia. Soon afterwards, the pigs start to become selfish. They change the commandments to suit their selfish needs. Snowball and Napoleon become rivals. After Snowball is chased away by Napoleon’s dogs, Napoleon becomes supreme leader and life becomes more difficult and frightening. The animals are confused by his hypocritical actions but his right-hand pig, Squealer, convinces them to accept the decisions. The windmill that promised a better life did not deliver a better life for the animals, instead only enriching the gluttonous life of the pigs. Napoleon rules through a combination of fear and propaganda. He represents the opportunistic, cunning dictators in history. The sheep and Boxer represent the gullible working class, easily persuaded by propaganda. They need to follow a leader. Through them, Orwell expresses the dangers of an uneducated population.

A Paper on Euthanasia

The term ‘euthanasia’ according to the 2007 guidelines on euthanasia published by the American Veterinary Medical Association is derived from the Greek term eu meaning good and thanato meaning death, combining the two Greek words, euthanasia means good death.However, the definition was applied to animal with the concept that if animals life is to be taken, it should be done with the highest degree of respect and with an emphasis on making death as pain less and distress free as possible.For some patients who had been suffering from illness and had bed ridden for a long period of time, death is better than to live having that kind of situation.Some even prayed that God take their lives, as they are themselves tired of their condition so they beg that they had better be dead. I would say that euthanasia is humane act as death is inevitable for everyone. Those who are suffering extreme pain or are brain dead with hopeless chance of survival must be given option be they wish ed to die. Euthanasia or painless death should be an option for the patient with terminal illness as part of their last will.Generally Euthanasia is the deliberate killing by act of omission of the immediate family member being for the patient alleged benefit. Voluntary euthanasia however means that the person has requested to be killed; physician assisted euthanasia is when doctor assisted the patient to kill him or herself.This subject is a good topic because it is a real ethical issue that the society is facing. Based on the recent development on the study of euthanasia, American doctors find it a competent way of easing a patient of the pain and struggle caused by his or her terminal illness. Ian Dowbiggin pointed out that with diagnosis and prognosis more accurate; physicians were able to with fair probability whether a patient was unlikely to recover (p. 5). Thus, according to Dowbiggin doctors â€Å"could now propose active euthanasia† particularly on patients with hop eless chance of recovery.EvaluationEveryone will surely die but the manner by which death comes differs and at a different age. Euthanasia is truly a good death because patients are first given relief from pain before administering a lethal dose of morphine or chloroform that would allow a painless death of the patient.It is quite common that despite of the modern life saving technology many people are extremely suffering from terminal illness, in which the only thing that technology can do is to prolong the patient’s life, which eventually will also end in death. I believed that the quality of death by euthanasia is one that is with dignity, as the patient’s remaining life was treated with highest degree of respect by emphasizing on painless death.Prolonging the sufferings of patient from terminal illness reduces the quality and dignity of his life and increases the level of the patient’s suffering. In the words of Shai Joshua Lavi, the purpose euthanasia socie ty was to â€Å"relieve needless human suffering† (p. 120) Citing the ESA (Euthanasia society of America) statement, Lavi stated that euthanasia is the lawful termination of human life by painless means for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary suffering under adequate safeguard.However, regardless of the quality of death by euthanasia, it remains morally a criminal act to take someone’s life. Euthanasia is humanistic argument, which view life based on secular perspective. Life is sacred and God has the right to take it back, and euthanasia is not an excuse to escape the consequence of humanity’s sin that made human body vulnerable to disease.Comparing the good and the bad side, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness, its best and its worst, the competency and in competency, and its success and unsuccessfulness, Euthanasia has been widely thought to have bad impact on society rather than good.The proponents of those who favor euthanasia emphasized that it good for terminally ill patient while the greater majority claims euthanasia is a crime on human life. Thus, efforts by proponents of euthanasia were mostly unsuccessful than success.During the earlier period prior to World War I, Dowbiggin noted that many people supports doctors administering euthanasia on terminally ill patient. Perhaps euthanasia’s best were widely recognized than its worst, however with improve technology this has been reversed. In most comparison, today’s generation oppose euthanasia, and cast their opinion against it.Evaluative ClaimLooking at the positive and negative aspect of I would say that euthanasia is a better option not only for the patient but also for the love ones who are directly affected by the circumstances surrounding the patient’s illness. With out congress-enacted law on euthanasia, it will remain an ethical debate whether or not it will be allowed. However, based on reality of the situation of terminally ill patient, Euthanasia i s a competent option for the benefit of the patient who wished for it.The criteria on which euthanasia has to be administered have been quite clear. Patients with terminal illness and whose chance of survival is hopeless, is suffering from extreme pain, and is begging for his or her death are qualified applicant. According to Derek Humphry, the quality of life is vital and if the body is destroyed by disease that is not worth living (p. 90). Humphry noted that it is an intensely individual decision which should not be thwarted† (p. 90)Evidence that the subject meet the criteria is that those that had assessed or had performed euthanasia in all parts of the world that had been convicted was either paroled, or released. Humphry pointed out that in some strongest places; tolerance for euthanasia appears (p. 4) Evidence suggest that the lack of specific laws of many countries regarding euthanasia, means it meets the criteria.Work CitedDowbiggin, Ian. A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement USA: Oxford University Press, 2003Humphry, Derek. The Good Euthanasia Guide 2004: Where, What, and Who in Choices in Dying. USA: Norris Lane Press, 2004.Lavi, Joshua Shai. A History of Euthanasia in the United States. USA: Princeton University Press, 2005.AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasiahttp://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf   June 2007.   

Research Study Proposal: Obesity in school-age Essay

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), Obesity in school-age children has increased over the past thirty years to the amount of doubling in some and even quadrupling in others. CDC statistics showed in 2012, at least one-third of the school children were large or obese. Childhood obesity continues to be a growing problem in the United States. School lunches play a significant role in the obesity issues facing children today. The school menus of today contain too many calories from simple carbohydrates and fat. Starchy vegetables instead of green leafy vegetables are served along with food containing sodium levels higher than needed for one’s daily intake. Childhood obesity can lead to health issues if action is not taken rapidly. This paper will provide a brief summary of the issues of childhood obesity and focus on the role the school lunch meals play on this growing crisis. Obesity is defined by the CDC (2015) as an individual that has extra body fat in relationship to one’s height. An easier way to understand obesity is the individual is taking in more calories than is being used. The health effects of childhood obesity have both short-term or immediate and long-term health effects. Health issues obtained later in life are believed to be linked to childhood obesity. Obese children have a greater chance of growing up to become adults with health issues such as heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and strokes. Additionally, these individuals are predisposed to diabetes type 2 and many forms of cancer. Prevention of obesity in children diabetes is the best solution to the problem. â€Å"The U.S. Surgeon General has identified the obesity epidemic as one of the greatest health problems facing the nation today† (National Association of State Boards of Education, 2004, para 2). In 2010, the â€Å"Let’s Move† campaign was implemented encouraging children to get up and move around, or exercise and school lunches were to become healthier. Michelle  Obama was quoted in an article called, First Lady Michelle Obama: Quotes on Child Obesity and Health â€Å"†¦ Over the past five years, we have truly changed the culture around healthy eating and living in this country† (Holecko, 2015, para 4).Childhood obesity remains an epidemic health issue; the school lunches remain an issue to be researched. Reference Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (2015). Childhood obesity facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/obesity/facts.htm Holecko, C., (2015). First Lady Michelle Obama: Quotes on Child Obesity and Health . Retrieved from http://familyfitness.about.com/ od/childhoodobesity /a/michelle_obama_obesity.htm National Association of State Boards of Education, (2004). The role of schools in preventing childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/ pdf/roleofschools_obesity.pdf

Check Point Personal Philosophy of Education

Checkpoint Personal Philosophy of Education Rachel Pearson AED 200 03/16/2013 Dr. Maloney Hunter-Lowe Philosophy of Education The Philosophy of education I would use would be Essentialism education. Essentialism hypothesis tells that there is a general nucleus of talents and information that an educated individual should have. I share the same opinion. I trust that there are certain talents that all people should have. The talents are basic talents however they are the starting point. Talents are building blocks that let children to continue stepping up to the next higher level of education that an individual should have.Instructional Philosophy I would have a behaviorist style in my class. The hypothesis of behaviorist is an educational and psychological hypothesis that states that one’s attitude is revealed by surroundings, not some one’s heredity. I believe that this is very significant because if an individual is in a bad surrounding, then their learning is slowed d own by that bad surrounding. If a child is in a good surrounding they are more willing to learn and they absorb the teachings better. Behaviorist or Constructive approach to instructionI personally love the opinion of having Essentialism and Behaviorist merged together. Those two are my personal philosophy in education. Essentialism philosophy and the behaviorist style combined bring out the reality that there are definitely talents required and that the surroundings must be precise for a child’s learning. These opinions will help me supervise my classroom better and assist with my instructional technique. When the four are combined, they will work fine with each other and make me a better teacher. Check Point Personal Philosophy of Education Checkpoint Personal Philosophy of Education Rachel Pearson AED 200 03/16/2013 Dr. Maloney Hunter-Lowe Philosophy of Education The Philosophy of education I would use would be Essentialism education. Essentialism hypothesis tells that there is a general nucleus of talents and information that an educated individual should have. I share the same opinion. I trust that there are certain talents that all people should have. The talents are basic talents however they are the starting point. Talents are building blocks that let children to continue stepping up to the next higher level of education that an individual should have.Instructional Philosophy I would have a behaviorist style in my class. The hypothesis of behaviorist is an educational and psychological hypothesis that states that one’s attitude is revealed by surroundings, not some one’s heredity. I believe that this is very significant because if an individual is in a bad surrounding, then their learning is slowed d own by that bad surrounding. If a child is in a good surrounding they are more willing to learn and they absorb the teachings better. Behaviorist or Constructive approach to instructionI personally love the opinion of having Essentialism and Behaviorist merged together. Those two are my personal philosophy in education. Essentialism philosophy and the behaviorist style combined bring out the reality that there are definitely talents required and that the surroundings must be precise for a child’s learning. These opinions will help me supervise my classroom better and assist with my instructional technique. When the four are combined, they will work fine with each other and make me a better teacher.