Saturday, August 31, 2019
Economics and ethics Essay
Describe the tension that exists in businesses today between economics and ethics. Do you think that there really does have to be a tradeoff between economics and ethics? What strategies can be implemented to avoid this tension? Provide examples and research to support your thinking. The reading by Tima Bansal describes the back and forth tension of economics versus ethics. The article states, ââ¬Å"On the one hand, social programs come at an economic cost and firms should not engage in activities that do not have a clear return. On the other hand, economic returns create social costs (Bansal, 2005).â⬠The author then proceeds to explain that this tradeoff between ethics and economics isnââ¬â¢t necessary and that companies should find the overlapping space where activities are both financially profitable, and socially and environmentally responsible (Bansal, 2005) I agree with the author that companies need to be smart and make good decisions and it may take more effort, but if the effort is given the reward will be worth it. I donââ¬â¢t think a tradeoff is necessary if the effort is put forth like in the examples the author gives. By having cross-functional team meetings or involving the shareholders through community involvement in the two examples provided, the companies were able to meet the middle ground and maintain their responsibility (Bansal, 2005). I work for a small company and every month a charitable organization is supported through donations and the company matches what the employees contribute. I think itââ¬â¢s nice to have this involvement. With so many options, the company may have a tough time deciding on where it should contribute to society, but by letting the employees have a voice, they can openly affect those organizations that the employees feel would impact the most. Bansal, T. (2005). Building sustainable value through fiscal and social responsibility. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/building-sustainable-value-through-fiscal-and-social-responsibility/ Final Project Milestone #2: The Three Spheres In a journal post titled 2-2: The Three Spheres, explain how your chosen company has demonstrated corporate citizenship in the economic, political, and civil spheres. Provide specific examples. Be sure to examine what the company says about itself, what you have experienced, and what other stakeholders have said or experienced. Cite at least two sources. This milestone will be graded using the Journal Rubric. Be sure to clearly address the questions in the prompt in your journal entry. The post should be at least 350-500 words, applying relevant research, citing at least two sources in each entry. Be as clear and scholarly as you can in your writing style; and of course, be sure your entry is free of errors in organization and grammar. Courtney Croce 2.2: The Three Spheres Target Corporation The three spheres of corporate social responsibility include economical, political, and civic. To achieve and maintain profitability, itââ¬â¢s said that corporations must learn to operate successfully within all three. Economics includes initiatives that help increase profits to the shareholders. Politics includes abiding by rules and laws and business power in society. Civil surrounds enhancing lives of the shareholders. Economically, Target has reduced itââ¬â¢s packaging on many levels of the items it sells. They also began using flexible envelopes in shipping online orders, which reduced packaging by 89 percent. As a result they expect to ship 50000 fewer pounds of cardboard every year. Other than offering lower prices Target wants its products to be made with integrity by qualified vendors who treat workers well, who obey the law, and whose processes minimize their effect on the environment. Theyââ¬â¢ve begun to do this by working closely with their vendors and setting clear expectations through Standards of Vendor Engagement. They require all vendors to behave to the principles theyââ¬â¢ve established and they monitor their progress. Target starts with the basics from the political standpoint, which is ensuring they are abiding by every law and regulation that pertains to the business. They also expect all team members to behave with personal and professional integrity. To support their team members they clearly list the requirements in the Business Conduct Guide, they have a dedicated Corporate Compliance and Ethics Team, have teams focused on building and sustaining business compliance programs and offer integrity training. All of these initiatives help ensure that everyone at Target is abiding by the laws and regulations. Targetââ¬â¢s civil responsibility is currently focusing on education. They have set a goal to $1 billion to education by the end of 2015. They have started doing several things like donating books, and providing food pantries for families to help set students, parents, and teachers up for success. Theyââ¬â¢ve decided to focus on education after gathering information from their customers indicating that that is a popular concern amongst. The EVP also expressed concerns about the reading level and that those who are unable to read by the age of three are less likely to graduate. https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/education https://corporate.target.com/_media/TargetCorp/csr/pdf/2013-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf
Friday, August 30, 2019
Library and Literature Survey Essay
I here by declare that the Literature Survey entitled ââ¬Å" ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â â⬠is based on the original research work carried out by me for partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Paper No. B-106: Current Problems in Library and Information Science, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Delhi, Delhi. (Designation), Department of Library and Information Science, University of Delhi, Delhi for his meticulous and expert guidance, constructive criticism, patient hearing and benevolent behavior through out my ordeal of the present research. I shall remain grateful to him for his cordial, cooperative attitude, wise and knowledgeable counsel that acted as an impetus in the successful completion of my project work. I would like to particularly thank the Head of the Department ________________ (Name of the HOD) for giving me guidance and inspiration during my study in the department. I never forget the kind help extended by the HOD. It however, not possible for me to forget the kind of help provided by the faculty members, Professor (Mrs. ) S. P. Singh, Dr. Shailendra Kumar, Dr. (Mrs. ) P. K. Walia, Dr. K. P. Singh, Dr. (Mrs.) Meera, and Mr. Manish Kumar. I also convey my thanks to Department Library Staff for extending their support in my study in the department. At last but not least my friends in the department who deserves some words of thanks. ABSEES ââ¬â American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies ACE ââ¬â Academic Computing Environment AgNIC ââ¬â Agriculture Network Information Center CD-ROM ââ¬â Compact Disc Read Only Memory DOAJ ââ¬â Directory of Open Access Journals DL ââ¬â Digital Library FAQ ââ¬â Frequently Asked Questions ICT ââ¬â Information and Communication Technology ILL ââ¬â Inter Library Loan LBS -Liverpool Business School LIS Library and Information Science. LISA ââ¬â Library and Information Science Abstracts OPAC ââ¬â Online Public Access Catalogue MLA ââ¬â Modern Language Association of America SOA ââ¬â Service Oriented Architecture UAEU ââ¬â United Arab Emirates University USA ââ¬â United States of America USC ââ¬â University of Southern California Web OPAC ââ¬â Web ââ¬âbased Online Public Access Catalogue WLD ââ¬â World Digital Library iv CONTENTS Page No. Declaration i Certificate ii Acknowledgements iii List of Abbreviations Used iv Contents v Preface Complete List of Journals Core List of Journals. State of the art Report Chapter-1: Introduction 1 -3 1. 1 Introduction 01 1. 2 Purpose of the Literature Survey 1. 3 Objectives of the Literature Survey 1. 4 Scope of the Study 1. 5 Methodology 1. 6 Arrangement of Entries Chapter-2: Theoretical-base containing Introduction, historical development, definitions and sub-headings related to topic Chapter ââ¬â 3: Bibliography with Abstract Appendix ââ¬âI: Author Index Appendix ââ¬âII: Title Index v PREFACE _____________________________________________________________ Add introduction with relevance, need and importance of the topic. This Literature Survey report on ââ¬Å"__________________________ (Title)â⬠has carried out to fulfill the requirements of the Paper- B-106: Current Problems in Library and Information Science for the academic session (20 ââ¬â ââ¬â ââ¬â 20 ââ¬â -). The presentation of review of literature on ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â (Title) and related studies is grouped under Three (3) chapters: Chapter ââ¬â 1: Introduction Add introduction Chapter ââ¬â 2: Theoretical-base containing Introduction, historical development, definitions and sub-headings related to topic Add introduction and description of the topic in separate headings. Chapter ââ¬â 3: Bibliography with Abstract gives complete citation information about the various literatures used in the study with proper abstract according to Modern Language Association of America (MLA) Handbook for writers of research papers, 7th edition. Appendix- I: Author Index with Abstract. This chapter deals with the names of the authors related to references provided in the Chapter-3 of the report i. e. Bibliography with Abstract. All authors in the part are arranged in alphabetically. Appendix- II: Title Index gives at a glance overview of the titles of the articles used in the study and arranged in alphabetical order. vi COMPLETE LIST OF JOURNALS Sr. No. Name of the Journal Page No. 01 Aslib Proceedings 27,31 02 Collection Building 13 03 Community and Junior College Libraries 26 04 DESIDOC Bulletin of Information Technology 32 05 Internet Research 06 Journal of Education and Information Science 31 07 Journal of Library Administration 23 08 Journal of Medical Library Information 21 09 Library Hi Tech News 29,30 10,12,18,21,22, 23,24,26,31,32 10 Library Journal 11 Library Management 12 Library Review 13 New Library World 14 OCLC Systems and Services 27,30 15 Online Information Review 15,26,30,31,32. 16 Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems Reference Services Review 16,17,18,31,32 17 32 9,16,17,19,25,29 16,31 9,20,31 11,14,15,23,29, 30,32 18 The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finance 19 The Electronic Library 32 12,13,14,20,24,25 28,30. 31. 32 20 The TQM Magazine 21 Vine 22 25 Webology 10,11,21,29. 31 22 vii CORE LIST OF JOURNALS Sr. No. Name of the Core Journal Page No. 01 Annals of Library and Information Studies 30 02 Information Age 29 03 Information Development 13 04 Information Outlook 14 05 Information Studies 17,32 06 Information Technology and Libraries. 29,30 07 Journal of Documentation 22,30 08 Library and Information Update viii 11 Chapter ââ¬â1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 INTRODUCTION The survey is a recognized and accepted part of the modern society. It is one of the means by which society keeps it informed, away of bringing under central situations of increasing size and complexity of obtaining perceptive and standard of comparison. A survey gives an oversight of a field and is thus distinguishing from a sort of study which consists of a microscopic examination of a turf; it is a map rather than a detailed plan. The survey must be planned before a start is made. 1. 2 PURPOSE OF THE LITERATURE SURVEY The literature review plays a very important role in the research process. It is a source from where research ideas are drawn and developed into concepts and finally theories. It also provides the researcher a birdââ¬â¢s eye view about the research done in that area so far. Depending on what is observed in the literature review, a researcher will understand where his/her research stands. Here in this literature survey, all primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information were searched. The study of literature on ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â- (your topic name) in general and in the field of library and information science particular revealed several efforts made by the scholars in different discipline. The purpose of the literature survey is to collect a lot of number of journalââ¬â¢s article about a particular topic like as I have collected ââ¬â (number) articles of ââ¬Å"ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â(your topic name)â⬠with abstract. The main aim of this collection is to provide a guideline and brief information of researcher, user and other person who want information about this topic. 1 1. 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE LITERATURE SURVEY The main objective of the Literature survey is to: (i) know who writes, what and where about (your topic name); (ii) identify the tools and sources of (your topic name), and (iii) prepare the relevant bibliographic entries with abstract of the related topic. 1. 4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The literature survey is conducted for the period 20ââ¬â ââ¬â 20ââ¬â . It includes the articles of journals, which are subscribed by the Central Library, University of Delhi, Delhi. A search has been conducted on the terms ââ¬Å" ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â-(your topic related keywordsâ⬠, ââ¬Å" ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬ââ⬠, in LISA, Emerald, LISTA, Science direct, EBSCO and other database to complete review of literature for the proposed study, including search on e-journals websites. In addition to above searches, bibliography of journal article are also reviewed for more sources as well as websites and consulted various eminent experts. 1. 5 METHODOLOGY For preparing of this literature survey I have taken a lot of steps for collecting the articles about the (your topic name). First Sir/madam, told us about the what is literature survey and what are the steps involved for preparing it. He had given me the topic ââ¬â ââ¬Å"(your topic name)â⬠for the survey. I went to the department library and central library for collecting articles from journals on my assigned topic. I also consulted electronic resources for collecting articles such as emerald, JCCC@UGC Infonet, Open-Jgate, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), etc. After the verification of the entries of the articles by the supervisor my last was the preparation of the report. 2 1. 6 ARRANGEMENT OF ENTRIES. All the entries of the literature survey are arranged alphabetically by surname of the author according to Modern Language Association of America (MLA) handbook for writers of research papers, 7th edition. The prescribed style is used through out the literature survey report including within the text. All the bibliographical entities including review with abstract and without abstract are presented in the report. Chapter 2 entitled ââ¬Å"ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â (title of the Chapter-2)â⬠gives the brief insights of the study. 3 Chapter ââ¬â 2 ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â-. 2. 1 INRODUCTION 4 Chapter ââ¬â 3 BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH ABSTRACT 1. Aitta, M. R. , Kaleva, S. and Kortelainen, T. ââ¬Å"Heuristic evaluation applied to library web services. â⬠New Library World 109. 1/2 (2008): 25-45. Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to present usability heuristics for the evaluation of public library web services. The applied heuristics are divided into three categories: heuristics critical from the usability viewpoint; heuristics concerning major problems; and heuristics connected to minor usability problems but still important and concerning conventions of web design. The use of the heuristics and the results they give are evaluated to provide a basis for their use in future. 2. Allard, A. ââ¬Å"Library managers and information in world 2. 0. â⬠Library Management 30. 1-2 (2009): 57-68. Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide library managers with the ability to recognize and address World 2. 0 information issues to enhance their ability to develop management plans for the future. This paper explores what World 2. 0 means to library managers in three ways. Three information dimensions are identified using models to examine World 2. 0 in a historical context. An analysis is conducted of the different generations of users in World 2. 0 including their diverse attitudes, beliefs, experiences and skills and how these influence their engagement with the information environment. Four key characteristics of Web 2. 0 are identified through an analysis of Web 2. 0 in relation to World 2. 0. Key findings in this paper are that: three dimensions of information in World 2. 0 exist and can be used by library managers to help them understand the challenges and to facilitate the construction of strategic management plans that address them. Generational and organizational perspectives of World 2. 0 can influence how libraries engage Web 2. 0, and should be considered when library managers make ââ¬â 9 Appendix ââ¬â I AUTHOR INDEX Sr. Name of the Author Page No. No. 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Aitta, M. R. 9 Allard, A. 9 Brinkely, M. 10 Byerley, L. S. 10 Chan, B. 11 Cohen, B. L. 11 Cordeiro, M. 11 Crook, E. 12 Curran, K. 12 Dejager, K. 13 Devine, S. 13 Grace Xn, F. 13 Fichter, D. 14 Gosling, M. 14 Harrington, L. D. 14 Henzel, J. 15 Jin, Y. 15 Joint, N. 16 Kapoor, K. 16 Kaur, K. 16 33 Appendix ââ¬â II TITLE INDEX Sr. No. Title of the Article Page No. 01 24 hours reference services. 11 02 A Library circulation system for city and special libraries. 25 03 A service quality framework for web-based information systems. A strategic planning approach to web site management. 25 A survey of the application of Web 2. 0 in Australian university libraries. A university library laptop lending service: an analysis using two student surveys. A university-wide, library based chat service . 18 08 A web-based, full-text news clipping service from the national informatics centre library in India. 18 09 Accessibility and usability of online library databases. 24 10 Accessibility of web-based databases for non visual users. 10 11 Adding delicious data to your library websites. 29 12 Application of WINISIS/GENISIS software in newspaper. 32 13 Beyond the libraryââ¬â¢s walls: using Library 2. 0 tools to reach out to all users. Bib web: an Internet training course for public libraries. 23 BMA library online: library development of web-based services & resources. Building participative library services: the impact of social software use in public libraries. Creating fee-based online services: a new role for academic librarians. Development of a library 2. 0 service model for an African Library. 21 04 05 06 07 14 15 16 17 18 38 29 30 29 30 22 26 21.
Internet censorship
Internet censorship Introduction Internet censorship is carried out by governments for many reasons to prevent users from accessing certain sites and sharing information. It restricts Internet users from accessing certain information and also controls what can be published or viewed. It can be used in response to riots, protests and elections, since the internet makes it very easy for events like these to be organized. Internet censorship has been going on for the past decade and has caused rise too lot of controversy. It vanes for different countries and has become a big Issue relating to human rights and redeem.Advantages Internet censorship has many advantages. It can protect citizens from inappropriate content, for example a child will be protected from any websites showing adult content Like pornography. It can also help reduce and prevent Illegal activity. For example, illegally downloading music. It has also been initiated to prevent riots and protests, like with the Arab Spri ng. The Internet made spreading the news of protests and riots very easy, leading to more revolutionary acts. This caused Internet in some of these countries to be completely inaccessible at times.Another advantage is that he chance of online identity theft is reduced, which protects citizens from identity theft happening to them. The amount of spam and viruses Is also less which protects your computer. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of Internet censorship is that it restricts access to information. This violates a human right, which is to be able to gain knowledge. This could also Limit educational resources. The freedom of speech and freedom of self- expression Is also restricted, which are also human rights violations.Internet censorship gives the Government power over Its citizens since they can control what s accessible and what is not. This can allow the Government to manipulate and control people. And even if the Internet censorship is seen as good and successful, many p eople are able to bypass the censorship. For example, by making use of proxy servers. This defeats the whole purpose on censoring the Internet in the first place. Although It may not seem as Important, Internet censorship also widens social gaps. It makes It harder for people to communicate.Censorship systems also cost money, and if they can be bypassed by citizens this makes them a waste of money. Businesses can be negatively impacted too due to not being able to access the best resources and not being accessible themselves. Major parties Involved China has the most strict internet censorship in the world. Internet filtering and censorship in China is referred to as ââ¬ËThe Great Fire Wall'. Anything discussing the Dalai Lama, Fallen Gong and general websites including Faceable, Twitter and Youth are blocked. All pornographic or politically disruptive content is deleted.Even the Internet access of individuals is monitored. They do this because of many anti-Japanese, anti-polluti on, anti-corruption and ethnic riots which have been organized in the past with the use of Internet. China's Internet police has a size of 30,000. However, some users are able to evade the controlling of the Internet by using proxy servers. North Korea Most people in North Korea are not able to get online. A small amount is able to access an internal Intranet that connects to state media, called Agamemnon, which is highly controlled and censored.Only elite members, foreign residents and visitors in special hotels are allowed full access to the Internet. The Government is in full control of all media outlets and all news comes from one source, The Korean Central News Agency. They control the Internet to be able to control the information given to residents about politics and to be able to make the leaders of North Korea (Kim Gong- IL and Kim Gong-UN) look as good as possible. Cuba Only 5% of Cubans have access to the global Internet. This is due to tight control, high costs and slow connections. 23% have access to a government intranet with limited content.Cuban Internet is out of date due to the US embargo, lack of funding ND the Government's fear of freedom to access all information. Cuban citizens get around the censorship by using embassies, coffee shops or illegally purchasing other people's surnames and passwords who are allowed Internet access. Iran Iran blocks many Western sites like Faceable and Twitter and anything that may oppose politics or show anything sexually explicit. A plan was announced that they were going to create their own fully monitored domestic Internet. But many people believe separating a domestic internet from the worldwide Net completely is not possible.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Company Analysis-Ethics and Social Responsibility(AMAZON) Essay
Company Analysis-Ethics and Social Responsibility(AMAZON) - Essay Example Amazon.comââ¬â¢s ethical standard which is encapsulated in their vision as a company meant doing their job right that in doing their job right, this would be their greatest contribution to the good of society as they lower their prices, expand selection and other initiatives in the future. They also give to the communities where their employees live and their donations are spread throughout nonprofit organization across the United States. They also engage in volunteer works and give grants to the writing community (Amazon b, 2013). This standard of Amazonââ¬â¢s ethical standard is practiced in a way that was elaborated further by its CEO stating that this approach of ââ¬Å"offering customers the lowest prices on virtually any product they wanted and providing a quality customer experienceâ⬠is the only strategy that will provide long term value for Amazon.comââ¬â¢s customers and shareholders (G.A., 1999) Amazon.comââ¬â¢s ethical standard to be a customer-centric company also extends to their environmental friendly operations. Most of their orders are shipped in ââ¬Å"corrugated containers which on average contain 43% recovered fiber content. Once used, these containers are 100% recyclable for use in the manufacture of other paper productsâ⬠(Amazon c, 2013).à Large products such as television sets, and other appliance and household items are shipped using paper as packing materials that are 100% recyclable whose content is already 50% recycled (Amazon c, 2013). One of the concrete examples of Amazonââ¬â¢s ethical standard being aligned with their business strategy as a company is best illustrated by its new product Kindle. In an interview with its CEO Jeff Bezo, he stressed that as a company, they do not want to make money out of their hardwares that would make their price prohibitive. This is also consistent with their ethical standard of offering the most cost effective service to their customer with an
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Business plan (entrepreneurship) Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Business plan (entrepreneurship) - Thesis Example GetLaunched! offers the following propositions to its users: 1. Seamless and uncomplicated participation, with most of the technical aspects, such as compliance, ironed out by the company; 2. All-or-nothing scheme where collected money is returned to supporters if the proposal fails to achieve its goal within the given time; 3. No hidden or initial fees as the company implements a flat rate fee only on successful proposals; 4. By special arrangement, the company has access to the proponentââ¬â¢s account for 5 years for the sole of purpose of taking out and delivering the shares of profits of supporters, which are given in proportion to the latterââ¬â¢s investment. 5. Sharing of profits with supporters will be limited to 5 years and structured in such a way as not to unduly burden the proponent because the spirit of crowdfunding is not strict investment but more towards philanthropy. The Opportunity There are more than 2 billion internet users, which can be harnessed to realize the aims and goals of GetLaunched!. According to statistics, internet users number 2,095, 006,005 in 2011 up by about 480.4% from the 360,985,482 users in 2000. Facebook alone has more than 500,000 million users as of 2011 statistics. There is in every person a need for charity because it gives them self-actualization. Fundraising expert and author of ââ¬Å"Grassroots Fundraisingâ⬠Kim Klein states that every person has an urge to give because it makes them feel powerful and good-like and not merely an onlooker. GetLaunched! will tap into this need and use it to turn somebodyââ¬â¢s life around. The gap between economic classes is widening and people on the lower social strata are getting more and more marginalized. The gap between social classes are growing bigger and bigger, and there is a need to try to level the playing field, and crowdfunding is one of the more acceptable means. Business Concept Online crowdfunding is getting popular in social networking sites, but at p resent there are only a handful operating. GetLaunched! is capitalizing on the growing popularity of crowdfunding, not only as a business endeavor, but as a means of helping people from both sides of the spectrum: for proponents to realize their dreams of materializing their business dreams, and; for supporters to channel their inner philanthropic urges. Industry Overview Crowdfunding had its origin in 1997, when American fans raised $60,000, through internet campaign, so that the British Rock band Marillion could do a US tour. French filmmakers Guillaume Colboc and Benjamin Pommeraud used the same strategy in 2004 to fund a film, raising a total of $50,000 within three weeks over the internet. Their counterparts in America Spanner Films raised ?900,000 the same way to finance a documentary film about climate change. Fig. 1 The Crowdfunding Mechanism Today, several crowdfunding societies offer themselves as platforms to raise funds for various ends - to support talent in the arts, t o market original inventions, to initiate charitable events and start small businesses. The present market has still room to grow dramatically because of the millions of internet users, which are ready to invest or donate money for causes that they can emotionally connect to. Figure 1 illustrates how crowdfunding can snowball from a small close circle of family and friends to a number of supporters that can donate and/or investments the right amount needed to launch a project. Target Market GetLaunched! targets two types of users: the proponents, and; the
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Analyse and evaluate the overall HR strategy, especially in relation Assignment
Analyse and evaluate the overall HR strategy, especially in relation to manpower planning and talent management - Assignment Example The HR strategy of the company aims to use project management system for HR configuration. The main problems of TNNB are in talent management and manpower planning and outcomes that do not support HR strategy because its HR strategy has not been designed to support business strategy. To resolve these problems, a best fit HR theory and holistic talent management approach are used in changing HR strategy because they can leverage talent management to ensure that manpower supports business strategy and HRS. HR strategy refers to the total approach and means that an organisation takes to manage workers using formal and informal policies and practices (Wilton, 2011, p.58). HR strategy can also respond to specific emerging organisational issues that require HRM support and changes. An example is talent management issues that might require changes in performance management and talent development. Functional HR strategies correspond to the core areas of human resource management- resourcing, performance management, pay and conditions, employee relations, and development (Armstrong and Baron, 2002, p.149). Each aspect of HRM processes must be interconnected with the HR strategy. Business strategy defines organisational goals, where the organisation competes with, and how it is going to approach its attainment of goals (Lyneis, 2011, p.69). A companyââ¬â¢s business strategy includes company goals, products and services to be offered, target markets, and competitive pricing (Lyneis, 2011, p.69). Business strategy also concerns matching internal skills, knowledge, and resources with opportunities and threats in the external environment (Grant, 2002, p.135). Strategy should not focus on market opportunities only, but address internal strengths and weaknesses and their proper management. Grant (2002) argued for the role of company resources in attaining competitiveness
Monday, August 26, 2019
The role of Government in the Information Assurance and Security Research Paper
The role of Government in the Information Assurance and Security process and their access to personal information to include soc - Research Paper Example Cyber criminals have continued to develop better and more sophisticated tools of accessing private information of highly confidential government agencies, banks, credit bureaus and research institutes. This has increased to pile more pressure on the government as steps that ensure information assurance and confidentiality rises. With the rising corporate competition, unauthorized access to the competitorââ¬â¢s strategic information can provide the necessary leeway for growth. This has seen companyââ¬â¢s loss private marketing and management ideas to their rivals through unauthorized access to private information. The government has a huge responsibility in the provision of information assurance and security to both its agencies and private companies. In the process of achieving this important goal, the government accesses private and personal information of its citizens. This has created a major public outrage as they feel that their privacies have been invaded. Mobile phones, social media and emails are avenues for individuals to exchange either business or personal information. ... Introduction Background information of the study Information security is the continuous protection of information and security apparatuses from any unauthorized access, disruption, alteration, publication or even termination and disruption. Information assurance and security is about creating systems that promote a secure platform for storing information and data without the fear of unwanted intrusion. Information in todayââ¬â¢s world is a critical asset that must be safeguarded at all costs. Unwanted access to private information can lead to loss of such important assets, which may cripple an organization. Competitive edge is the desire of every corporation in this competitive world of business. Any organization that can easily access the others information regarding their future operation plans can scheme to stifle such plans. Any step that threatens private and business information therefore threatens the existence of the business (Motorola Inc, 2010, p.4). Backstreet terrorism has been replaced with more advanced techniques that vary from cyber attacks, access to confidential security details online and attacks on bank information. Any lapse in the security system of technologically stored information translates into millions of shillings or thousands of lives lost. The main mandate of any government is to ensure that its citizens are protected at all times (Bowens and Keys, 2004). Adopting steps that ensure that no security lapse can occur within the government security details is of great importance. Attack on government dignitaries can be easier if terrorist access their private security details. It is therefore the sole role of the government to ensure that confidential information is kept safe and secure from terrorist attacks (Cybercore
Sunday, August 25, 2019
The health systems of Canada and Australia Essay
The health systems of Canada and Australia - Essay Example On the other hand, private healthcare system is majorly financed through private health insurance programs or out of pocket payments by the patients. The healthcare system in Canada is provided through the public funded system. The publicly funded health system is basically free during the point of use, and provides services mostly through the private entities. The Canadian health system is controlled through the 1984 Canadian Health Act. The Canadian government applies the federal standards in determining the healthcare quality. The health information of the patients is not accessed by the government; this ensures the confidentiality between the patient and the physician. The Medicare systems that are managed provincially in Canada have proved to be cost effective, due to the simplicity in the administration process. In every province, the physician presents the insurance claim on the provincial insurer. The patient is usually not directly involved in the healthcare billing and also the processes of reclamation. The proportion of the expenditure for private health institutions is approximately 30% (Warren, 2008). The Canadian Health Act is not supposed to cater for the cost of; prescription drugs, dental care, prescription glasses, long term care and homecare. This implies that patients cater for these health expenses through cash payments or private insurance. However, the provinces cater for partial costs of the health services not covered from the health act, for the vulnerable members of the society like children and elderly citizens. Competitive practices such as advertising are controlled. This ensures the maximization of revenues that are used directly in the healthcare. The health costs are generally catered for by the income tax funding. The Canada Health Act does not allow user fees; however, some doctors charge the yearly fees for the non-essential services such as doctorsââ¬â¢ notes and prescription
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Ethics - Coursework Example This may cause unhealthy conflict among the team members who may not be comfortable with the scrutiny and strictness that results from this kind of thinking. Understanding ones preferences as a leader are important in helping establish healthy leader-subjects relationship. It is a part of the self-awareness that is known to create a bridge between people with different personalities. Diversity being an expected aspect of teams and organization, understanding and being able to control ones thinking preferences makes one an engaging and respecting the leader (Marcic & Daft, 2013). When, for instance, a leader knows that he or she prefers imaginative thinking, they will be able to control it in such a way that it does not affect their focus on reality. In emotional intelligence, a leader can focus attention on the most important aspect of leader-subject relationship this is the emotional congruence and relationship. Any leadership process involves interacting with people at various levels. These interactions create emotions on the side of the leader as well as on the side of the subjects. According to Hughes et al. (2011), emotional intelligence does not only entail knowing or learning about the emotions of other peoples but self-awareness is an important principle. With self-awareness, the leader is able to focus on the personal emotions and feelings and hence align directly with the expectations of the subjects while still maintaining a cordial but professional relationship (Hughes et al., 2011). With self-regulation, an attribute of emotional intelligence, the leaders can successfully identify their personal values and those of their subjects. This develops within the relationship the notion of being accountable and knowing the limits of one another. The importance of this is that there is self-restraint from within the leadership structure and between the
Friday, August 23, 2019
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 Research Paper
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18 - Research Paper Example In the 1970s , the drinking age was reduced to 18 , as this was followed by many of the states so that the individuals be given the right under the Twenty Sixth Amendment passage. There are some states which give the permission to the 18 year olds to be present in the places where alcohol beverages are consumed , even if they are not consuming the beverages themselves and sometimes even give them the permission to work as bar tenders , serving the beverages. Whereas there are some states which give the permission to the 21 year olds to consume the alcohol beverages on the private property with the permission or the supervision of a family member. (Williams, Elizabeth M, and Stephanie J. Carter. The A-Z Encyclopedia of Food Controversies and the Law. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2011.) Despite the specific changes made by the federal law there are about thirty states within the United States which give the permission to the individuals of the 21 years age or over to consu me the alcohol under the supervision of a family member or with the consent of their parents. ... lif: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2011.) There have been many arguments and the debates that the minimum age of drinking should be reduced so that so that the individuals have the responsibility and staring at an early age will broaden their horizon to the responsible drinking. Amethyst Initiative , which are one of the groups of college educators, have agreed and given the advocacy of the underage drinking. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism College Drinking Task Force, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving , on the other hand have urged and they advocate rigorously against the reduction of the underage drinking so that the fatal consequences such as the alcohol related traffic incidents , alcohol related traffic deaths and alcohol related sexual assaults can be reduced and it can only be done with the help of the minimum drinking age laws enforcements on the campuses and the schools. For the policy makers in the United States, the underage drinking has been a well debated issue in the country and there have been various laws introduced and changed over the past many years as well. Due to the increase in the drunk driving fatalities , the United States government increased the drinking age from 18 years to 21 years so that the fatality rate could be decreased. There have been arguments put forth which question that what reasons have resulted in the underage drinking to be reduced to 18. There are some critics who criticize the current drinking age which differentiates and arbitrarily discriminates between the individuals who are 21 years old and the individuals who are 18 years old. In the country like United States, the individual who is 18 years old is regarded as the legally adult, and hence has the freedom to join military , have the capability and ability to
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Organ Transplant Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Organ Transplant - Research Paper Example The determination of the process of organ transplantation is an important subject matter in organ transplantation. It increases on consciousness and awareness on the issue of organ transplantation. There are different phases in the process of organ transplant. These include the determination of organ facts, the possible diseases, the devices, organ allocation, the waiting list and the hospitalization and surgery (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Determination of Organ Facts First is the determination of the organ facts. This includes the defective organs of the patients needing replacement. The common organs transplanted are liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, lung and intestine. Kidney is one of the organs susceptible to damage which can lead to the lost of function specifically the removal of waste from the body through filtration then urination. Regulations of blood pressure, blood volume and chemical or electrolyte composition of the blood, are included in the main functions of the kidney. Included in the kidney diseases that can lead to the need for organ transplant are polycystic kidneys, nephrosclerosis, chronic pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, diabetes mellitus, kidney stones, renal cell carcinoma ad Wilmââ¬â¢s tumor (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Liver is another organ susceptible to failure since itââ¬â¢s one of the largest organs with important function such as processing of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and storage of vitamins. It is responsible for the substance in blood clotting. ... It is responsible for the substance in blood clotting, bile for fat digestion and can break down toxic substances in drugs and alcohol. Diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, acute hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis, metabolic diseases, portal hypertension, hepatitis, liver tumors and biliary atresia (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Pancreas is another organ with the main role of producing enzymes for digestion as well as insulin which functions as a regulator of blood sugar in the body. A need for organ transplant can be caused by diabetes mellitus type II. Heart is another organ of importance commonly transplanted. It pumps blood that distributes nutrients and oxygen and gathers wastes and carbon dioxide from different parts of the body. It can acquire diseases and malfunctions caused by coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, congenital or valvular heart diseases, and hypertensive heart disease. Also located near the heart is the lung which is described as a spongy org an in the chest that functions for breathing. A person needs organ transplant when the lungs are damaged through COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, primary pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Intestines are also included in the organs transplanted. It can be damaged through short gut syndrome and other malabsorptive bowel problems (United Network for Organ Sharing, 2011). Waiting List of Organs One of the most important factors in the process of organ transplantation is the waiting list. In the study of the United States waiting lists of candidates by organ released on April 1, 2011, the largest composition is composed of people who needs kidney transplant, which
A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example for Free
A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay We watched two different versions of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream. The first version we watched was from the BBC. This version showed the dream world mixed in with reality, which was quite good. The second version of this play was by channel 4. This was a little less detailed as it showed the forest with lights hanging down. The accents of the actors in the first version were hard to understand because they were from all over England. The first version was also hard to understand because the actors did not use very good body language. The first version also good in the way that it made its forest so life like, well as in the second version it was plain and had doorways in the middle from where people came from. The language use was easier to understand than the second version because the actors used more present English rather than old Shakespeare language. I think that the second version we watched was more suited to children rather than adults because it contained childish humour. When Puck gave Bottom a donkeys head it looked quite unrealistic in the first version because it looked like a rabbit. In the second version Bottoms ass head was good because it actually looked a little realistic. In the second version when Bottom and Titania fell in love, I think they went a bit over the top with the love scene. The first version of the play showed the dream world mixed with reality because Puck made it easy to see who was in the dream world and who wasnt. The strange thing about the second version was having the little boy as a narrator. I think that may confuse people because they have now added another world to the whole story. There is now reality in the film, the dream world and reality in our world. When the first version showed the play by Bottom and his friends it seemed unpracticed and shabby. The second play showed a little humour by adding people forgetting their lines and the good roaring by the lion. They actually performed on a stage which was more appropriate for the occasion. In the first version they had to perform on the floor. If the actors were performing in front of a Duke and a Duchess then the performers should be given a proper performing stage. I think the second version of the play was by far the best because it had better acting and it showed some humour. In the first version I did not like it how the audience could sense the presence of the dream world. After Bottom and his friends had acted I did not understand why Puck had led all of the fairies through the corridors of the house. I think I prefer the second version of the play because I think it is more suited to my age group and plus I understood it a lot better than the first version. This is because it used present English and it used better body language.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Role and Responsibility of Media in Shaping Death Penalty
Role and Responsibility of Media in Shaping Death Penalty Introduction: Nothing has received more praise and abuse than Death penalty. As a global controversial issue, Death penalty has been discussed for centuries. From the definition of the death penalty, it is obvious that the punishment is brutal and inhuman for people who commit a severe crime simply because Death penalty deprives a humanââ¬â¢s right of living on this earth. Since the peaceful lives are expected by the whole society, the crime of punishment is discussed by people anywhere at any time. Each country has different kind of crime punishment, but as for death punishment, it arise public attention and the whole democracy has focus on this issue. People hold different opinions regarding to the penalty of death, since it relates to people ââ¬Ëlives. Some people support death punishment because they believe people should be punished for what they did wrong. Others refuse the regulation of death penalty, because they expect liberal. There are many reasons that people support or object the death penalty, which encompass the political consideration, Liberal consideration and democratic reasons. However, these people can be affected by the social media in reporting the content of death penalty. The website, video and TV are considered as the social media, which is produced as a movie or advertising video to educate public. People who watch the news or events related to news every day may tend to be affected by the media (Bandes,S. 2003). This is considered as the power of me dia, people may change their mind by following the content or idea from media (Bandes,S. 2003). The aim of this article is to discuss the popular global issue-death penal. The reasons why people hold different opinions regarding to death penalty are various and why the social media could peopleââ¬â¢s opinion, which is to say, the relationship between social media and death penalty. Literature review In a lot of countries, The law allows countries to life imprisonment, But reserves the right to life. At present, Law and practice about 109 countries against the death penalty, 86 countries retain and use of the death penalty, (AI 2001). In Europe, there is no country introduce the death penalty now; and in 1999, The UN Human Rights Commission called for a global moratorium on the death penalty (Dieter 1999). Between 1990 and 2001, More than 30 countries abolished the death penalty (AI 2001). the United States still different in death penalty . In 2000, just five countries of the world government approval to perform death penalty which are: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq ,United States and China. the U.S. was one of them that accounted for 88% of executions of the worlds known (AI 2001). In the 1990s, there are seven countries to execute prisoners for crimes under 18 years old which are Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo , Yemen, Saudi Arabia and American (AI 2001). 38 American states and bot h civilian and military jurisdictions currently authorize the death penalty for capital crimes. Of this gross of 40 jurisdictions, 24 perform commitment under 18 years old (Streib 2001). Proposal In this essay will focus on ââ¬Å"how the media influencing and covering death penalty.â⬠and ââ¬Å"what the influence of social media on the people opinionsââ¬â¢ about the death penalty.â⬠Death penalty is known as the capital punishment, which means the legal process and sentence that put people into death as the consequences for being guilty (Soss, J., Langbein, L., Metelko, A. R. 2003). There are many types of death penalty punishment, which includes burning, crushing by animals or car, falling, poison gas, hanging, sawing, shooting and so on (Niven, D. 2002). There are all brutal and horrible in the modern society which people carries the ideas of peace and cooperation. The establishment of these methods of death penalty strongly protects the whole society and people and makes sure that the criminal have the consideration of death when committing crime (Tyler Weber, 1982). However, everyone makes mistake and it does mean the person who make the mistake deserve d eath. For example, in most countries, stealing is not punished for death, but it is considered as illegal action. Therefore, how do we define if the crime is fair or unfair? As many case reveals the wrongful conviction and innocent people who dose not make the crime are killed. With respect to the reasons, people who support capital punishment would think that killers need to pay the price for what they do, slight punishment is not enough to prevent them from killing again (Wonkglog 2014). However the capital punishment is deemed to be unfair because the regulation is different from countries to countries. To illustrate, killers is sentenced to death in America but for those people who kill someone in Australia, it will only be sentenced into jail. Furthermore, some people believe that the criminal should be given the second chance, because they may be forced to kill someone or commit a crime as self-defense. Moreover, the capital punishment is an effective way to reduce crime rate (Sotirovic, Mira, 2001). Admittedly, everyone is afraid of death. Sometimes people are guilty because they need survive. Consequently, death punishment will be major consideration when they conducting a crime, such as killing, violation of women or bribery. Due to the implementation of death punishment, the rate of crime is decreased. For example, the White people are strongly supported for the death penalty for the consideration of the racial attitudes and composition. Since racial discrimination is severe in the US, everything related to the Black will be underestimated or discriminated by the White. Also, from the previous case or the imaginary content of books, movies or TV shows, the Black are deemed to conduct more severe crime for surviving. As the Black possesses low living standards, most Black people are sentenced to be guilty because they expect better living quality. They are forced to steal and kil l or duplicate ID. Because of the ambivalence, people are susceptible changing his mind. Social media play integral role in influencing peopleââ¬â¢s mind on the implementation of the death penalty. Media exaggerates and highlights the problems in the application of death penalty by evaluating the fairness of capital punishment (Lipschultz, J. H., Hilt, M. L. 1999). To be specific, to protect the safety of the society, the government tries to put up with effective way to deal with the crime rate. It is not possible that the government can educate and encourage each person to behave well, follow the moral instruction, obey the related laws and regulations, discipline as a reputable citizen. Therefore, the application of social media will assist government to report and reveal the nature of problems on the crime to the public. Since social media is an effective communicative tool that links people and people, people and society to interact each other globally. For example, a large amount of informatio n events and news can be seen from web-based Internet, TV, newspaper and on-line videos. These are useful tools as the public advocation when people using the social media to understand the information around their lives. The positive and negative effect of media on peopleââ¬â¢s opinion about death penalty The influence of social media on the people opinionsââ¬â¢ about the death penalty can be positive or negative (Lynch, 2002). As for the negative point, media tend to exaggerate the problem regarding to the crime in order to tell people that the reality and crime is closely related and thus leading people to moral noble instruction and positive attitudes. The purpose of social media exposure and report crime is to educate the public in an opposite way, which is telling people the serious For instance, in America, the Black is discriminated. Most movies, related videos demonstrate the violence and bloody picture and pornographic contents about the black crime. Publishing and describing the negative side of the Black to people, the society and the whole world that the Black is dangerous and ruthless. Then, people are aware of the Black is dangerous and they will threaten the facilities and societies and tries to connect with them, avoid them to be friends or neighbors. Also, with more and more unhealthy, bloody and pornographic content exited via media, people, especially youngsters are affected by these content and thus their minds are changed followed by these. Indirectly, it is easy for them to go astray and more violent, supportive for the death penalty, instead losing the nature of real young people that possess native, nice and kind-hearted. Therefore, people tend to be more supportive of the death penalty in protecting themselves and societies. With respect to the positive effect, the social media is powerful tool to encourage people and the whole society to behave well as a responsible, law-abiding citizen. The media release the political news, economic information or Cultural issues, which are all considered as useful way to make people know more about the world and thus , understanding the right or wrong, what is a good responsible person? What should be done or what should not be done as responsible citizens? In understanding and acquiring more information regarding the politics and economics, people have the lower chance to commit crime. The primary aim of the creation of media is to educate and provide more information to public. The invention of social media is to offer the close relationship between people and people, people and society or the whole world. Given that each country has own sort of regulation and rules, but the main purpose is to make the better development of the society and improve the peopleââ¬â¢s living standards, provide the peace and security to peopleââ¬â¢s lives. Considering this reason, the government applies various of media resource to educate people or obtaining the democratic opinion on some important decisions. Specifically, some related video, newspaper and Internet are compiled with a story or documentary content of crime to be published with the purpose acquiring the public opinions or may change the peopleââ¬â¢s mind. For example, people who against death penalty change the mind due to the governmental advocation of the media. The liberal and democratic consideration is always the crucial when people thinking the punishment of crime. However, because the media highli ghts the problems of crime and the punishment, people consequently may choose opposite side to support capital punishment in protecting the whole society. Some citizens believe that death is bloody, violent and high profile, which indicates that the countries have no consideration of peace and sympathy. Also, it will bring a great impact in the education childrenââ¬â¢s lives. Although the media and press will cover the content or information of the real punishment of death, such as how one person should is killed by gun shot or how one person should is hanged by the rope, children can understand their countries have the regulation or laws about the death penalty. Because children are part of social media, they also, connect with the world; there is no doubt that, they can find the information via media regarding the crime punishment. The influence of media is tremendous. In the contemporary society, many actors and actress features the movies or TV shows which tells the duplicated and imaginary story and case of crime and punishment. After being sentenced as guilty, if the crime is server enough, such as killing or raping, the death penalty will be applied (Slater, M. D., Rouner, D., Long, M. 2006). Also, some bloody and unhealthy pictures are demonstrated in front of viewers, which mean people will be affected by the media potentially through watching these. In the movie of Saint of Joan, the French girl Joan was participated in the Country War to fight with England Arm. During the fight with the intruders, she was suspected as a traitor and sentenced as the death by fire. This is a good example of death penalty being implemented in an innocent people. In fact, there are several wrongful cases that innocent people being sentenced into jail or executed as death. Whatââ¬â¢s more, people could interact through media to discuss the crime related case or whether the death crime is appropriated around the society. Also, some governmental agency registered own account number on Twitter or Facebook to facilitate the discussion with the society and thus knowing if the democracy is supportive for the death penalty. Twitter and Face book provide the stage that billions of people could communicate and discuss the latest or popular news or events, no matter the limitation of the distance is bothered. Since Twitter and Facebook is globalized website and have share-linked function. People who live in the planet could communicate each other regarding global issue. One countries can attain the ideas or opinions regarding the implementation of penalty death from people who come from other countries in order to know what others people believe. Therefore the development of the countries can be better. Some people commit the guilty but the reasons can be forgiven by the public. It is common that some unsolved cases are being uploaded into website to let the public. The criminal acknowledge the guilty but he or she may be forced to do that or for the purpose of self-defense. The media provides that channel to people to speak or deliver their own opinions. People represent democracy and may have the opinions represents democracy, which means they have the sympathy on the criminal who can provide the reasons that could be forgiven to commit crime (Conquergood, 2002). By considering the opinions from people, the policeman and the government may or may not take the opinion from people but at least the democratic opinion will affect the final sentence they will be given. Also, considering the peopleââ¬â¢s opinions will reduce the chance of executed a innocent people and a false claim, because the multiple opinions and suggestions will improve the accuracy of a case. Death is not the best way to solve the problem of killing Sometimes, even the case is finished and the criminal is sentenced into death, it not the best solution for what he or she did harmful to people or the society. To illustrate, death is not the best way to solve the problem of killing. Instead, it still left panic or scare to the whole society. The primary purpose of death punishment is to ensure that people who make the severe crime, such as serial killer is responsible for what he or she did and thus it will not happen and threaten people and society in the future (Capital punishment, 2014). If the serial killer has already cause the panic and scare to people and society, capital punishment cannot help to solve the problem. After killing them, people are still scared of going outside alone at night or working alone at night. This indicates that the problem is not solved and peopleââ¬â¢s lives have been affected. Therefore, the key point is to solve the problem radically, which means make the serial killer get punished and also gi ve the society the peace and security. Last but not the least, the criminals make the crime because they are most physically and psychologically defect and probably lack of good education when they are young. Moreover, it is possible that the criminals have the bad living standards or inferior environment around them. Most case shows that large majority of criminals are from single parent family or they are divorced or they are suffered from harmful thing and horrible experience during the lives (McLeod et al. (1995). Therefore, it is effective and valid for the government to utilize social media as a channel to deliver more educated and moral documentary, motivational films on the TV, website or video. Also, the encouragement of young people accepts education when they are young and the government and parents should be supportive for childrenââ¬â¢s education. The crime rate is closely related to the education (Howard, 1995). In order to reduce the crime rate, the government should be not only educating public but also applying the cooperation of the social media. In providing the effective educational documentary via social media, people tend to behave well knowing how to be a responsible person and knowing the right thing to do and release positive energy to the whole society. Conclusion To sum up, death punishment which is known as the capital punishment is considered as brutal and ruthless in the contemporary society. To evaluate if this implementation is fair or unfair has been discussed globally. People hold different opinions because they pursue different things. As for many reasons, political, liberal and democratic consideration, the consequence of death penalty has arisen for various feedbacks. For those who support death penalty, they believe a good development and security of society can not live without punishment by people who do wrong. Death punishment is an effective tool in protecting the security and safety of human and society, so it is necessary. However, People who refuse the implementation of death penalty think it is brutal and will bring negative effective to the whole society, especially children; the key point is to solve the problem radically. These are under the consideration of liberal and democratic. Social media is a powerful tool to educ ation public with delivering the crime case to people and making them to behave moral and get away from the crime. It also highlights and exaggerates the problem of crime and thus makes people changesââ¬â¢ the mind and following the media. Everyone has the right to make the mistake and the right to be forgiven by public. Death penalty may be too serious for people but if the society is lack of severe punishment, the whole countries will be in chaos and peopleââ¬â¢s lives can not be guaranteed.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Issue Of Self Harm In Society Social Work Essay
Issue Of Self Harm In Society Social Work Essay This essay will discuss the complex issue that is self harm in society today; although word count will restrict many of the areas this essay will try and achieve an overall balance. The essay will look at the psychological causes and treatments available to service users via the National Health Service. It will be necessary throughout the essay to compare the issues surrounding self harm with that of parasuicide and suicide itself. Consideration will also be given to the views and perspectives of the service user with regard to the service they receive and where appropriate this essay will refer to practice experience to provide depth and insight into aspects of the discussion. Reference will also be made to the links with self harm in the animal kingdom. This brief discussion with animal self harm will be an attempt to show dual causation in humans and animals. Highly concise introduction, well done. In order to better understand self harm this issue must be clearly defined as to avoid inaccurate and misleading terminology as self-harm covers a wide range of behaviours some of which are directly related to suicide and some are not. Self harm (SH) or deliberate self harm (DSH) including self injury (SI) and self poisoning (SP) is defined as the intentional direct injury of body tissue without suicidal intent (Laye-Gindhu, A 2005., Klonsky, E.D 2007., Muehlenkamp, J.J 2005). Self harm is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-1V-TR) (1994) as a symptom of borderline personality disorder. However, patients with other diagnosis may also self harm including those with depression, and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders post-traumatic stress disorders, schizophrenia and several personality disorders. Self harm is also apparent in high-functioning individuals who have no underlying clinical diagnosis. (Klonsky, E.D 2007). Guidelines for the treatment of self harm are not specified from NICE. What is self harm, self harm is deliberate damage of the body that is intentionally not life threatening, often repetitive in nature and usually considered socially unacceptable, 80% of self harm involves stabbing or cutting the skin with a sharp object (Greydanus, Shek, 2009). It is generally agreed that someone does not intend to die as a result of his or her self harm. However, many acts of self harm are not directly connected to suicidal intent they may be an attempt to communicate with others to influence or to secure help or care from others or a way of obtaining relief from it difficult and otherwise overwhelming situation or emotional state (Hjelmeland et al., 2002). Walsh and Rosen (1998) in discussing the difference between self mutilation and parasuicide have noted; In the case of ingesting pills or poison, the harm caused is uncertain, unpredictable, and basically invisible. In the case of self lacerations, the degree of self harm is clear, unambiguous, predictable as to course, and highly visible (Walsh, B.W., Rosen, P.M 1988). However someone who self harms is 50-100 times more likely to attempt suicide than someone who does not (Martinson, D. 1998).There are many reasons why people self harm, in a survey conducted of young people aged 16 through to 25 the most common reason was to find relief from a terrible situation (Samaritans 2001).Self harm is often associated with a history of trauma and abuse including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, drug dependence eating disorders or mental traits such as low self-esteem or perfectionism. (Swales, M. 2008) Emotionally invalidating environments where parents punish children for expressing sadness or hurt can contribute to a difficulty experiencing emotions and increased rates of self harm (Martinson, D. 2002). Abuse during childhood is accepted as the primary social factor as is bereavement, and troubled parental or partner relationships. Factors such as war, poverty, and unemployment may also contribute. In addition some individuals with pervasive developmental disabilities such as autism engage in self harm, although whether this is a form of self stimulation or for the purpose of harming oneself is a matter of debate (Edelson, 2004) It is noted that Service users who self harm give broadly three reasons for their behaviour these are, controlling mood, regulating moods in terms of how a person is able to cope with emotions and feelings especially feelings which are particularly unsettling unpleasant or intense. Communication, some people use self harm as a way of expressing themselves if those expressions are directed at others this can be seen by some as attention seeking and manipulation. Understand in what an act of self harm is trying to communicate can be crucial to dealing with it in an effective and constructive way. Control/punishment, people who self harm have often experienced traumatic experiences in their lives including emotional physical or sexual abuse. (Martinson, D. 1998). Self harm can be a form of trauma re-enactment or way of bargaining or engaging in magical thinking if I hurt myself I will prevent the thing I fear protect the person I care about. A common belief regarding self harm is that i t is an attention seeking behaviour however in most cases this is inaccurate. Many self- harmers are very self-conscious of their wounds and scars and feel guilty about their behaviour leading them to go to great lengths to conceal their behaviours from others (Mental Health Foundation 2006). People diagnosed as having certain types of medical disorder are much more likely to self harm in one survey of a sample of the British population people with current symptoms of mental disorder up to 20 times more likely to report having harm themselves in the past (Meltzer et al., 2002).People diagnosed as having schizophrenia are most at risk and about one-half of this group will have harmed themselves at some time. When assessed the majority of individuals engaging in self harm will be diagnosed with depression although two thirds will no longer fit the criteria after a year. This explains why nearly half of those who present to an emergency department meet criteria for having a personality disorder (Haw et al., 2001). However, there are problems with doing this because some people who self harm consider the term personality disorder to be offensive and to create a stereotype that can lead to damaging stigmatization by social care workers (Babiker Arnold, 1997., Pembroke, 1994). About one in six people who attend an emergency departments following self harm will harm themselves again in the following year (Owen et al., 2002). For the last 25 years it has been NHS policy that everybody who attends hospital after an episode of self harm should receive a psychological assessment (Department of Health and Social Security, 1984).While psychological assessment includes several components, the most important are the assessment of needs in the assessment of risks. The assessment of needs is to each item to identify those personal (psychological) and environmental (social) factors that might explain an act of self harm; this assessment should lead to a formulation, based upon which a management plan can be developed. Despite the importance of comprehensive assessment following an act of self harm many service users fall through the net. In many hospitals, more than half of the attendees are discharge from the emergency department without specialist assessment (Termansen Bywater, 1975; Thomas et al., 1996; Kapur et al., 1998). Patients who leave hospital direct from an emergency department and especially those who leave without a psychological assessment are less likely to have been offered to follow- up (Owens et al., 1991; Suokas Lonnquist, 1991; Gunnell et al., 1996; Kapur et al., 1998). In addition, those who do receive the psychological assessment (rather than the needs or risk assessment specifically) may be less likely to repeat an act of self- harm (Hickey et al., 2001; Kapur et al., 2002). These figures suggest that the service user is being set up to fail or more directly not being correctly diagnosed and treated properly. Service users experiences and attitudes to the services they receive can vary but most feel like the following quotation Got no help at all. All they wanted to do is pick on me like I was a naughty little girl, and it made me very angry, and I couldnt open all for how they treated me. I just dreaded going to see them (Harris, 200). Not only do these kinds of attitudes make users experiences of services unpleasant, but they can also increase service users echoes of distress. Not only are service users critical of emergency department staff, but patients admitted to hospital following self poisoning also feel isolated, ignored and inhibited by staff (Dunleavey 1992) a fast tracking of service users through the system should be considered to minimize harm resulting from their injury and to minimize distress. Service users also point out the importance of being listened to by staff even when the interaction is brief or only a single occasion (Arnold 1995). A safe environment and being li stened to it especially important since service users may reveal information about their injuries that makes them feel vulnerable, fearing negative repercussions. As a result of poor stuff attitudes towards people who self harm, service users feel that they are frequently treated differently compared with service users who have not self harmed. I was told off by nurses and the doctors; I just felt small. They do treat self harmers different to accident people. We are classed as suicides. The hospital staff just look at you as though youre wasting time. Thats how I felt. (Harris. 2000). Some self harmers, however, use the practice of self harm in a ritualistic way. This type of self harm has been practiced by different cultures for centuries, for example the Maya priesthood performed auto- sacrifice by cutting and piercing their bodies in order to draw blood (Gualberto, A. 1991). It is also practiced by the sadhu Hindu ascetic, in Catholic mortification of the flesh, in ancient Canaanite mourning rituals as described in the Ras Shamra tablets and in the Shiite annual ritual of self-flagellation, using chains and swords, that takes place during Ashura where there Shiites sect mourne the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (Reference). Another little known fact is that the animal world is prone to self harming and there is some correlation between animals and human beings on this issue. Self -mutilation in non-human mammals is well-established, although not a widely known phenomenon and its study under zoo or a laboratory conditions could lead to a better understanding of self harm in human patients (Jones, I.H., Barraclough, B.M. 2007). Zoo or laboratory rearing and isolation are important factors leading to increased susceptibility to self harm in higher mammals. Lower mammals are also known to mutilate themselves under laboratory conditions after administration of drugs (Jones, I.H., Barraclough, B.M 2007). In dogs, canine obsessive compulsory disorder can lead to self inflicted injuries, for example canine lick. Captive birds are sometimes known to engage in feather plucking causing damage to feathers or even the mutilation of skin or muscle tissue (20..?..) A good example of feather plucking in birds would be battery hens that are kept in cages with no access to movement or sunlight. Useful analogies! Many people who engage in self harm do so not that they intend to take their life or that they are seeking attention. People who self harm do so because they are looking for some form of relief from their situation. As a coping mechanism, self harm works for the person doing it. (Reference needed on coping mechanisms) Many self harmers who seek help in the form of medical attention face an uphill struggle in the face of adversity, negativity and disbelief from the service that is in situ to help them. Negative attitudes from medical staff and social care workers affect the self harmer and they feel increasingly isolated. Within the medical profession comes a coldness not afforded to accident and ill people, along with a lack of understanding and a lack of training. Communication with the service user as well as empowerment would enable service users to have a greater say in their treatment and rehabilitation and this would go a long way in addressing this problem. Service users know why they self harm but feel they are not being listened to. Until this issue is addressed the problem will go largely unchanged. (Need references for stigma and self harm treatment in A E)
Monday, August 19, 2019
July 31, 1976 Colorado :: essays research papers
On July 31, 1976, a violent rainstorm hit the area where the Big Thompson Canyon is located. According to reports the rainfall was falling at an alarming rate of 2â⬠per hour which caused the Big Thompson river to rise and return to its primordial state. This all began when winds from the east pushed very humid air up the mountains. The unstable air continued rising as its water vapor condensed. The winds were less than 20 mph above 10,000 feet that was too weak to move the storm away. Humid high-altitude air combining with weak winds meant the storm pulled into little dry air to weaken the rainfall. Hardly any of the rain soaked into the steep-sided canyon. The river quickly went over its banks, filled with debris that acted like battering rams against downstream buildings and cars. The water then backed up in the canyonââ¬â¢s narrow mouth, in floods, water often backs up as debris piles against bridges. The Floodwater sped up as it squeezed through narrow places was freed when the dam that was formed by debris burst loose. Due to these events, occurring in such a short time the U.S. Army came to rescue 850 people off the tops of homes, canyon walls, and rocks. The flood destroyed 556 homes and 52 businesses. The total damage was $35.5 million to the area; it cost $1 million dollars to remove 320, 450 tons of debris. The storm and flood caused the Big Thompson River to change course in thirty places. The flood killed 144 people and it took the authorities working until mid-September to identify all the bodies. The town felt that most of the deaths occurred due to the lack of a timely warning. To prevent this from happening again they installed a reverse 911 emergency system.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Enders Game :: essays research papers
Enderââ¬â¢s Game In this book Orson Scott Card writes about a boy who is born to save the Earth. Ender Widgeon is born as a ââ¬Å"Thirdâ⬠in the future where only two children are allowed per family. Enderââ¬â¢s older brother and sister, Peter and Valentine, were not what the government needed to save the world, so Ender was born, that he would be somewhere in the middle of their extremes. Peter is too violent, and Valentine has too much empathy. Ender is the right combination for the Battle School. Ender and Peter have power, but, only Ender has respect. Both of them are killers, but Peter loves killing while Ender regrets it after he does it. They both also become heroes, but both will not remain heroes when the historians begin to examine things. Though Peter and Ender both have power over other people. However, Ender & Peter get and use their power differently. Peter gets power by terrifying people. Everyone knows he is a cold-blooded murderer, so they do as he says because they are afraid. Also, he influences on the ââ¬Å"netsâ⬠(The nets are networks similar to the internet). He uses them to sway the public. Once Peter has gotten power, he uses the power for himself. He uses people as pawns to do what he wantsââ¬âto rule the world. However, Ender gets his power by being the best at all the games. He becomes commander of an army. But, he doesnââ¬â¢t use the army to get anything for himself, except to be number one in the point standings. He makes the people in his command better soldiers by telling them what he knows. He allows the platoon leaders to make decisions in battles, so that the whole army doesnââ¬â¢t rely on him all the time. Peter and Ender kill throughout the book. Peter kills squirrels and animals. He threatens to kill Ender and Valentine if they do not do as he tells them. He enjoys these kind of things. He shows no sorrow or sympathy for the dead animals he leaves in his back yard. Ender kills out of defense and feels lots of sorrow. He never intends to kill anyone that he kills. All the people he kills are accidental, but if Ender wouldnââ¬â¢t have killed them, they would have killed him. These deaths are hidden from Ender because of the pain he would feel knowing what he had done.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Private schools vs public schools Essay
Introduction: The controversy related to private schools vs public schools has developed over the years. Several arguments have been forwarded from the proponents of both view points and have eulogized the one stream of schools over the other. Private schools are generally regarded a better option for educating the children if one has the resources. à Private schools are able to execute more effective and efficient educational policies and programs and can take on better teachers owing to strong financial backup that itself is generated through heavy students tuitions. In contrast to private schools, public schools are funded by government treasury and have little sources to finance the more modern and effective education policies and methodologies. This paper will analyze the pros and cons of both streams of schools systems. Private Schools: Less-population-More Concentration: The most important aspects of private school as compared with public schools is the strength of the students at class and school level. Private schools have smaller number of students as mainstream students attend the local public schools. National Center for Education Statistics says in this regards; ââ¬Å"As reported by teachers in 1999-2000, average class size for self-contained classes tended to be somewhat larger in traditional public and public charter elementary schools than in private elementary schools.â⬠(NCES) According to a web site called Public School Review, ââ¬Å"Private schools average 13 students per teacher, compared with an average of 16 students per teacher in public schoolsâ⬠(publicschoolreview). So public schools are more crowded as compared with private schools. This strength ratio clearly manifests that in private schools more attentions and concentration can be given to individual students. This one to one attention remains a hallmark of the private schools. Higher education Focused Courses and Programs: The second most important strength of the private schools is that it offers supplementary enhanced and higher education focused lessons and courses and their objective remains to polish their students to join an institute of higher education. NCESââ¬â¢ study shows in this regard; At least 40 percent of elementary schools in all sectors reported offering students extended, before-school, or after-school daycare programs. Private and public charter elementary schools were the most likely to offer such programs. An estimated 65.1 percent of private schools and 62.9 percent of public charter schools offered such programs, compared with 46.5 percent of traditional public elementary schools. (NCES) In comparison with private schools, public schools seem working on the conventional philosophy that each student is unique and college education does not suit everyone and hence no one should be forced to go ahead with higher education and they should be allowed and encouraged to choose and carve their own future paths. à Courses: Public schools offer general programs whereas private schools offer specialized programs for students that can enable them to take specialized courses at college and university level. In public schools the education of the students is pre-decided by the state what they have to learn and parents and/or students have no say in this regard. Private schools provides flexible programs and students and their parents can opt from variety of options. Great school staff website highlight and analyze the impotence of these flexible courses and says; Private schools have the flexibility to create a specialized program for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Private schools can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many also choose to use standardized tests. (Great School Staff, 2008). Less Bureaucracy: Another indirect advantage that contributes toward the overall efficiency of the private schools is the minimum role of state bureaucracy. Less time is spent on formalities including following unnecessary state policies and paperwork and thus more time is available to concentrate the quality of education, syllabus and methodologies. Teachers are more independent in their classrooms and they work out certain creative strategies to teach their students in an innovative way. The efficiency and usefulness of public schools is marred because they have to go after all national, state and local policies pertaining to education as well as finances. Higher Academic Excellence: Quality of education is the most important tool to measure the excellence of either a private school or a public school. The study ââ¬Å"The 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)â⬠conducted by National Center for Education Statistics reveals that private schools produce more excellence academically than public schools. This comparison in academic excellence was conducted at various levels and in various subjects. The results of a grade 4 ââ¬Å"Readingâ⬠discloses that; ââ¬Å"In the first set of analyses, all private schools were compared to all public schools. The average private school mean reading score was 14.7 points higher than the average public school mean reading scoreâ⬠¦.â⬠(NCES) Same was the case with Grade 4Mathamirtics where private schoolââ¬â¢s students scored 7.8 higher than the public schoolsââ¬â¢ students. Same results were shown for Grade 8. This study is a clear manifestation of higher academic superiority and quality of education they offer. Safety at Campus: General school environment related to safety and conflict among students is another factor that parents keep in mind while opting for a schools. This is an important factor as Schools are not only a home to impart quality education but they are also concerned with the personal grooming of the children. Safe and sound environment reflects itself in the development of a good and healthy personality whereas conflict-ridden environment does not produce high-quality characters. Studies show that Private schoolsââ¬â¢ campuses are less prone to conflict as compared with Public schools. NCES reports manifests; Private school teachers were also less likely than teachers in other sectors to report physical conflicts among students as a serious problem in their school. Just 1.0 percent of private school teachers reported that physical conflicts among students were a serious problem in their school, compared with 4.8 percent of both traditional public school and public charter school teachers. (NCES) Public Schools Proponents of the public schools forward certain arguments and supported evidence in favor of academic excellence at public schools. They further quote various studies in favor of their prepositions. The most important arguments forwarded by advocates of Public schools are as under; Enhanced Extra and co-curricular activities: This does not suggest that public schools have no advantages over private schools. Public schools can offer more on co-curricular activities and can fund more activities in this realm than private schools. Maureen Boland says in this regard; Most public schools are simply bigger than private schools, and have enough students to pull off a science fair or power a chorus or computer club. Whatââ¬â¢s more, federal and state laws require public schools to provide diagnostic and disability services. Public schools are more likely to offer gifted and talented and remedial programs, too. (Boland) Higher Teacher Qualification: NCES study reveals that Public schools teacher are more qualified as compared with their private school counterparts. Furthermore, teachers form public schools attend the professional development courses more often. The study says; ââ¬Å"Among full-time traditional public school teachers, 59.3 percent participated in such professional development activities, compared with 55.2 percent of full-time public charter school teachers and 43.1 percent of full-time private school teachers.â⬠(NCES) Adherents of public schools are of the view that ââ¬Å"Private school innovations do not in every case stimulate improved practices at the public schools with which they compete.â⬠(Rothstein et al) They further illustrate that ââ¬Å"Private elementary school personnel are not necessarily more accountable to parents than are public elementary school personnel.â⬠(Rothstein et al) Conclusion: The above-mentioned arguments of the proponents of the public schools can easily be refuted as the primary objective of the schools remains imparting academic excellence and quality education whereas co-curricular activities and higher teacher professional development are secondary or subservient to the stated primary objective. Public schools are cost effective as compared with private school because they are hugely funded from the state treasury. But the abovementioned arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that this cost effective sacrifices the quality of education. Although private schools charge huge amounts as fees but there are two valid reasons for this. Firstly they are self-sponsored. Secondly they need huge amounts to spend on the quality of education they produce or wish to produce. On the whole, private schools are more focused and thoroughly committed to the development of education with excellence. They do not believe in the mere transfer of knowledge but take into account the aptitude and mental inclination of the children and believe in charging their creative batteries. The faculty member of the private schools earn more and thus are dedicated toward their work and hanker after more excellence. References Boland, Maureen. Public vs. private: Which is right for your child? Parent Center. Center on education Policy. Are private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High School? October 2007. Great Schools Staff. (2007). Private vs. Public: Whatââ¬â¢s the Difference?. National Center for Education Statistics. Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Elementary and Secondary Schools. Fast Facts. Public School Review. Public Versus Private Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Rothstein. Richard, Carnoy, Martin & Benveniste, Luis. Can Public Schools Learn From Private Schools? Case Studies in the Public & Private Nonprofit Sectors. Economic Policy Institute. à U.S. Department of Education. Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Site:nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006461.pdf Ã
Friday, August 16, 2019
Business Strategy and the Importance of Data-Driven Decision Making Essay
Good decision making is arguably the most important skill a successful manager can possess, but the ability to make intelligent decisions on an on-going basis requires not only intuition and experience, but also the right data. In fact, Garrison, Noreen, and Brewer (2012) identify intelligent, data-driven decision making as a business leaderââ¬â¢s most basic managerial skill. That basic skill plays a critical role in helping a manager formulate and execute a successful business strategy. Managerââ¬â¢s need access to relevant historical data and projections to make intelligent, fact based decisions. The use of business intelligence and analytics has become the cornerstone of strategy formulation and execution across corporations around the globe. Access to relevant data is a necessity in not only formulating a business strategy, but in monitoring the execution of that strategy. The use of data for effective decision making is not a new concept, but since the introduction of the balanced scorecard by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1996, the use of data to support decision making has taken off. In addition, the adoption of enabling technologies has accelerated the use of data-driven decision making. Whether itââ¬â¢s an operations manager monitoring key operational indicators or a sales manager forecasting sales revenue, appropriate data and the technologies which enable its most effective use, are key necessities in making intelligent and timely decisions. Formulating and executing a business strategy is a basic requirement for just about any business, but making good decisions is the difference between a successful business and one that goes bankrupt. The key to making those intelligent decisions that aid in the formulation and execution of a successful business strategy is the use of data to support those decisions. As an encore to their balanced scorecard concept, Robert Kaplan and David Norton (2001) describe how to successfully execute a business strategy by creating an organization where everyone is focused on strategy. At the heart of their approach was their original balanced scorecard which provides a summary of relevant data for managers. In their next book, they expand their original concept by making strategy a priority for everyone involved in the organization (2001). Although, Kaplan and Norton focused on business strategy, what they really succeeded in doing was putting data at the heart of every business process in every organization that adopted their approach. They enabled data-driven decision making as a by-product of designing a successful mechanism for executing business strategy. Kaplan and Norton understood that having access to relevant data was the key to successful decision making. Since Kaplan and Norton, the use of data-driven decision making has expanded. Today, aggregating, displaying, and analyzing data is referred to as business intelligence and analytics. Laursen and Thorlund (2010) contend that the deployment of business analytics and a businessââ¬â¢ strategy are tightly linked. Analysis of important data sources and methods are a critical component of overall strategy development and decision making (2010). Today, successful business leaders not only recognize the use of data to make effective decisions, but they demand it. Although companies are capitalizing on the use of business intelligence and analytics today, itââ¬â¢s clear the use of data as a tool for decision making had its roots in Kaplan and Nortonââ¬â¢s balanced scorecard (1996). The balanced scorecard concept was originally proposed by Kaplan and Norton (1996) as a way to measure a companyââ¬â¢s performance and execute the company strategy. It was an improvement on the traditional method of using financial systems to track performance (1996). Kaplan and Nortonââ¬â¢s balanced scorecard became the norm for not only measuring performance, but also as the preferred method for executing business strategy (1996). Although the use of data was nothing new in business, the balanced scorecard gave way to an era of using data for making critical business decisions. I have been involved in business meetings for a number of years with business leaders from operations managers to senior executives. Each meeting from operations reviews to performance or strategy always includes the review of some form of scorecard with critical business data. Simply adopting the balanced scorecard approach is not sufficient though. Managers must choose a method for implementing the approach that is efficient and gets the right data to the right people when they need it; the use of business intelligence can accomplish this goal (Paladino, 2008). Businesses have recognized the value of critical business intelligence, but some have taken the approach a step further. The most successful companies have adopted helpful business intelligence technologies available today to optimize the use of the balanced scorecard approach. Leading business intelligence tools on the market optimize the use of data for intelligent decision making by taking volumes of data and making it easy to access, organize, and augment to quickly fit the needs of the business. These enabling technologies allow a company to efficiently use data to formulate and execute a sound business strategy. Business Intelligence offerings from SAP, IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft represent more than half of the tools available in the market and are often tailored to specific industries (Henschen, 2012). For example, iLog is a business rule management system product from IBM that enables an insurance company to build a list of business rules that make a decision on whether or not an individual is approved for coverage based on user input (IBM ILOG, 2009). An individual enters all pertinent information into a form on the insurance companyââ¬â¢s web site (powered by the ILOG product), and a decision based on coverage is immediately provided. An insurance company whose business strategy outlines process and operational optimization and improving customer acquisition is better positioned to execute that strategy with such a product. ILOG however is geared toward a more specific purpose. The more common business intelligence technologies take volumes of company and market data and organize it in such a way that provides a summary of valued business indicators. These technologies enable managers to make more informed decisions by having the right data readily available. Intelligent decision making is a complex process that requires a combination of experience and intuition, but most importantly, the use of the right supporting data. The formulation and execution of a successful business strategy requires managers to make a number of intelligent decisions. Having access to relevant data to make those intelligent decisions is the key to success. Integrating the balanced scorecard into the heart of a businessââ¬â¢ management system as outlined by Kaplan and Norton (2001) is, in fact, a way to integrate data into every business process within an organization. More recent business intelligence and analytics technologies have made adopting these methodologies much easier for businesses. Managers are finding that an investment in enabling technologies yields significant financial results through efficiency and optimization. There is a common element that exists within any organization that has developed and executed a sound business strategy. Within each business, you will find a manager or team of business leaders who recognized and implemented the use of data to drive their decision making. References Garrison, R. H., Noreen, E. W., & Brewer, P. C. (2012). Managerial Accounting (14th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. Henschen, D. (2012). Advanced analytics. InformationWeek, (1351), 7-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1220681098?accountid=7083 IBM ILOG Solutions for Insurance. (2009, July). IBM Software Group Solution Brief. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www-304.ibm.com/easyaccess/fileserve?contentid=193615 Kaplan, Robert S., and David P. Norton. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 1996. Print. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2001). The Strategy-Focused Organization: How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Laursen, G. H., & Thorlund, J. (2010). Business Analytics for Managers: Taking Business Intelligence Beyond Reporting. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Paladino, B., & Williams, N. (2008). Moving strategy forward: Merging the balanced scorecard and business intelligence. Business Performance Management Magazine, 6(2), 12-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218349922?accountid=7083
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)