Characteristic of the U.S. health care delivery system Essay

Characteristic of the U.S. health care delivery system - Essay Example 9). These characteristics hinder the delivery of healthcare in the US because they pose problems of delays and legal complications. These characteristics reflect that the US healthcare system is highly fragmented and has immense political, economic, and cultural influences. People belonging to certain ethnicities and age groups e.g. older African Americans receive poor access to effective healthcare treatment. In the researches controlling for insurance of health, the older African Americans have been found to have gotten lesser eye examinations, screening for breast cancer, and various other kinds of treatments (Yeo, 2009, p. 1279).The US healthcare system also reflects lack of a central governing agency in the US. The current system of US healthcare poses many emotional, cultural, and political challenges for the health care administrators. However, support for the model of universal health coverage in the US has increased in the recent years and this is seemingly the best way to make the healthcare system unbiased, cost effective, and of high quality (Pushman and Chung,

MicroEconomics Unit3 & 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MicroEconomics Unit3 & 4 - Assignment Example Railway transportation is a government monopoly in most of the countries. Usually, government prohibits private companies from entering into rail road transport and thus makes it a government monopoly. For example, in India, government is the owner of rail road and no other competitors are allowed in this field. Monopoly eliminates all type of competition and thus results in low quality output. In addition, consumers have no choice to make but forced to buy the item supplied by the monopolist. Consumers are exploited most of the time. Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the best examples of monopoly in US. Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League by a joint organizational structure. The structure developed between the National League and the American League since 1901. In 2000, the two leagues ceased to be separate legal entities, with the commissioners office assuming all responsibilities for running MLB. MLB operates as a single league and it is the most important sports leagues of the United States and Canada. It is currently composed of 30 teams — twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball, Major League Baseball hires and maintains everything related to baseball from umpiring crews to advertisements. It negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. After the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Major League Baseball maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league

System Development Lifecycle

System Development Lifecycle 1.1. Introduction According to Allerano and Taverz (2012), the system development lifecycle has dominated the information technology (IT) arena for numerous decades and remains one of the most commonly used methods in software development and acquisition. It is observed that, though the system development lifecycle has evolved over the years and has gone through a multitude of paradigm shifts with respect to building of software, at its core the process is resilient and its central tenets are applicable in business, industry and research (McMurtrey, 2013). Piccoli (2012), in his research, reflects on the SDLC system as being a dominant system development methodology in the 21st century, along with the method of prototyping. Langer and Langer (2008) define the system development lifecycle as one which promotes the planning, analysis, implementation and maintenance of information systems and which thereby serves as the foundation of the different activities associated with every phase of the SDLC. Accor ding to Hoffer et al. (2011), the process of systems development lifecycle can be broadly categorised into planning, analysis, design, development and testing so as to meet the stages of the various iterations and models of SDLC development. This report will focus on the importance of SDLC in different stages of system implementation and describe three methods of SDLC development. 1.2. Importance of SDCL in System Implementation According to Piccoli (2012), the SDLC is a guide to the project as it provides the flexible and consistent medium required to accommodate specific changes through the information system development and helps meet the objectives of the client. This section will examine the importance of SDLC in the investigation of a specific system through the different phases (Figure 1). This report argues that to date most system analysis and design books identify the need to promote SDLC from these five stages so as to help in the comparison of different models (Kendall and Kendall, 2011). Hoffer et al. (2011), however, criticise the system and argue that the systems analysis and design taking place in a cycle sometimes is pervasive and makes it difficult to develop and model a specific system. This research, however, will focus on the positives of the SDLC by identifying with its role in terms of its objectives to meet organisational requirements and its objectives during different stages of systems development. 1.2.1 SDLC Objectives According to Kendall and Kendall (2011), the use of the SDLC framework as part of systems development helps in ensuring the quality of systems. The authors contend that the SDLC should aim at promoting return on investment by enabling cost savings, product flexibility, improved decision support or promotion of strategic and operational planning. Leau et al. (2012) reiterate this view by indicating that through all the stages of the lifecycle development, SDLC helps relate a high degree of intrinsic quality. According to Khan et al. (2013), the importance of SDLC implementation for information system adoption is to provide a certain degree of management control. The author indicates that the use of the SDLC process should ensure that there is sufficient degree of information in terms of predictability (i.e. planning estimates for different stages of the project, the associated resources needed and the various stakeholders involved). It is also contended that the SDLC should promote management control by ensuring time for feedback from the management and the stakeholders. Leau et al. (2012) identify that the role of SDLC is to help in the maximisation of product performance by ensuring that the productivity of the project is promoted by meeting the ROI expectations. Hoffer et al. (2011) further indicate that the SDLC plays a primary role in delineating between the tasks and deliverables of a given project, thereby ensuring that resources are used in the most effective and efficient way possible. 1.2.2. Role of SDLC in Different Stages of the Project According to Hoffer et al. (2011), the use of SDLC in the planning phase is for three primary reasons: identification and selection of the system for development, assessment of project feasibility, and the development of project plan. Kendall and Kendall (2011) contend that in the planning stage the SDCL system is useful in focusing on the most ideal system which can help support the goals of the organisation. Boehm et al. (2000) further reiterate that the identification and selection of a system can be carried out by using specific strategic tools like value chain analysis (which helps identify the extent to which a new system is important to an organisation) and cost benefit analysis (the process by which the benefits and costs are compared). Nurmuliani et al. (2004) argue that the planning stage of the SDLC also helps identify the feasibility of a proposed system adoption and whether the same can be promoted from a financial, technical and organisational perspective. Therefore it is contended that the use of the SDLC is important in the development of the final project plan, wherein the activities of the system development are identified to ensure that the systems development is on time. During the analysis stage of systems development, the SDLC plays a vital role in the gathering and building of business requirements. The SDLC helps define the requirements of a system by identifying the needs of the project during the communication, documentation, management and change processes. Hoffer et al. (2011) contend that the development of a system using the SDLC process also helps in process modelling, wherein the entire system process and the flow of data within the system can be identified. The use of process models and data flow diagrams is to present a visual presentation of the system that is to be integrated with the organisational environment. The SDLC design stage involves the designing of the desired features into the system, wherein the design of the IT infrastructure and the systems model is important. According to Kendall and Kendall (2011), during the design of the IT infrastructure stage the identification of the type of networks, the type of clients and servers are identified, along with the type of database which is to be adopted. The authors further argue that the SDLC design stage helps in the designing of the system models, wherein the graphical user interface (GUI) and data models are used to help present a representation of the system model. In the systems development phase, the development of the IT infrastructure as per the design stage, along with the type of databases and programmes, is carried out. The final stage is the testing phase, where the errors, bugs and interoperability of the product are tested to ensure that the business requirements of the analysis are met. According to Devi (2012), the SDLC helps in the testing of project needs, project requirements and project transition based on the identification of defects and bugs in the project. 1.3. Different Models of Systems Development 1.3.1. Waterfall Model of Systems Development According to Munassar and Govardhan (2010), the first model of SDLC is the waterfall model, which is static in nature and approaches the process of system development in a linear manner, wherein one activity is to be completed before the next activity begins, thereby promoting a sequential approach. Fowler (2004) argues that the adoption of the waterfall style helps breaks up the project activities into requirements analysis (planning and analysis), design, coding (development) and testing. Pfleeger and Atlee (2006), on the other hand, identify the waterfall model as one which needs more detailed steps to present the phases of requirements analysis, systems design, program design, coding, unit and integration testing, systems testing and maintenance during operation. The author expands on the original waterfall approach, as he feels that there is a need to focus on the functioning of the systems after testing and the need to expand on the testing process. Fowler (2004) further conten d that the waterfall model is most effective for systems implementation, as specific goals for different phases of development are promoted. In this approach, once a single phase is completely developed, it proceeds into the next phase. This supports a structured and process centered approach, wherein every stage is clarified with respect to the objectives of the design (Figure 2). Fowler (2004) argues that though there is a period of handoff between phases and associated backflows, it is important to ensure that this is avoided. Researchers, however, contend that this is a primary drawback of the waterfall model, as there is an inherent inability to revisit a previous stage if there are any errors. For instance Adenowo and Adenowo (2012) contend that if there is an error detected during the implementation (coding) phase, there is limited opportunity to revisit the requirements analysis or the design phase to correct the error. On the other hand, Pfleeger and Atlee (2006), contend that the waterfall approach is promoted in structured systems development, wherein the alteration of the software after coding is prohibited. Over the years there have been improvements made to the waterfall model. McConnell (2010) identifies these models to be modified waterfalls, wherein phases of the project are allowed to overlap, where every phase is found to influence and is influenced by the next and previous phases of the model. The authors contend that the overlap of phases helps address the inherent limitations of lack of flexibility of the waterfall model. 1.3.2. Spiral Model According to Boehm and Hansen (2000), the spiral model of software development is one which places emphasis on risk analysis. The development of any system goes through the four phases of planning, risk analysis, engineering and evaluation. Boehm (1988) argues that the adoption of this model involves the system going through the phases in iterations. The baseline spiral is found to start with the planning phase, wherein the requirements of the system are gathered. The subsequent spiral is built on the baseline spiral, wherein the risks are identified, assessed and methods for risk mitigation are developed. At the end of the risk planning phase, a prototype is generated. The third spiral is the engineering spiral, which enables the development of the system, which is then evaluated by testing in the final phase. In this approach, the angular component represents the progress, while the radius of the spiral represents the cost of the model. 1.3.3. Agile Development According to Cohen et al. (2003), the adoption of an agile process of software development is based on promoting incremental and iterative development, wherein the phases of the development lifecycle are revisited a number of times. Dingsoyor et al. (2012) argue that the adoption of this approach involves the improvement of the software while using customer feedback to ensure that a convergence on the proposed solutions is arrived at. Nerur et al. (2010) identify that in the agile development model, when compared to other traditional models, the process of lifecycle development is not just divided into large phases, but there is use of smaller parts called increments or iterations, which help in promoting the development cycle. Cohen et al. (2003) summarise that the agile development process involves four primary attributes, including the early customer involvement, iterative development, self organising teams and adaptation to change. Nerur et al. (2010) argue that agile development methods are currently predominantly used, of which six primary approaches are promoted extensively, including crystal methods, dynamics development, feature driven development, lean development, extreme programming and scrum. This report will focus on one approach, extreme programming, and present its features. According to Dingsoyor et al. (2010), the adoption of the extreme programming approach relies on development and delivery of small increments in functionality. This process is largely dependent on the improvement in code in a constant manner. This process involves incremental planning where the requirements are recorded to be included along with the release. The key feature of extreme programming is the small releases, wherein the minimal useful set of functionalities providing business value is first developed. In this approach, there are frequent releases with improvement in product functionality. 1.3.4. Comparison of Different Methods This report contends that the agile development methods are better than the traditional development methods. This is because the agile development method promotes the successful delivery of results in a quick and inexpensive manner, with an emphasis on teams and customer collaboration. In contrast, the traditional methods of waterfall development and spiral methods focus on contracts, plans and processes with a one step involvement of the client (Cohen et al., 2003). It is also argued that since the development takes place in iterations, it is possible to change the direction of development at any stage with limited change in cost. Such an approach is effective in ensuring that the productivity and return on investment objectives are met. References Adenowo A.A Adenowo B.A (2012). Software engineering methodologies: A review of waterfall model and object oriented approach, International Journal of Scientific Engineering Research, 4(7), 427- 434. Arellano, M. M., Tavarez, J. M. M. (2012, June).A comparative analysis about Software Development Life Cycle Methodologies involving Business Processes and Web Services. InInformation Systems and Technologies (CISTI), 2012 7th Iberian Conference on(pp. 1-6). IEEE. Boehm, B. W. (1988). A spiral model of software development and enhancement.Computer,21(5), 61-72. Boehm, B., Abts, C., Chulani, S. (2000). Software development cost estimation approaches—A survey.Annals of Software Engineering,10(1-4), 177-205. Boehm, B., Hansen, W. J. (2000).Spiral development: Experience, principles, and refinements(No. CMU/SEI-2000-SR-008). CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIV PITTSBURGH PA SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INST. Boehm, B., Egyed, A., Kwan, J., Port, D., Shah, A., Madachy, R. (1998).Using the WinWin spiral model: a case study.Computer,31(7), 33-44. Cohen, D., Lindvall, M., Costa, P. (2003).Agile software development.Data Analysis Center for Software (DACS), New York. Devi, R. (2012). Importance of Testing in Software Development Life Cycle.International Journal of Scientific Engineering Research, 3(5), 1-5. Dingsà ¸yr, T., Nerur, S., Balijepally, V., Moe, N. B. (2012). A decade of agile methodologies: Towards explaining agile software development.Journal of Systems and Software,85(6), 1213-1221. Fowler, M. (2004).UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object ModelingLanguange. Addison-Wesley Professional. Hoffer, J. A., George, J. F. and Valacich, J. S. (2011) Modern Systems Analysis and Design. Prentice Hall, Boston. Kendall, K. and Kendall, J. E. (2011) Systems Analysis and Design, 8/E, Prentice Hall , Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Khan, M. F., Qazi, K. A., Shah, K. A. (2013).Performance Evaluation of Software Development Models.Software Engineering,3(1), 1-4. Langer, A. M., Langer, A. M. (2008). System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).Analysis and Design of Information Systems: Third Edition, 10-20. Leau, Y. B., Loo, W. K., Tham, W. Y., Tan, S. F. (2012). Software Development Life Cycle AGILE vs Traditional Approaches. In2012 International Conference on Information and Network Technology (ICINT 2012) IPCSIT(Vol. 37). McConnell, S. (2010).Rapid development: taming wild software schedules. OReilly. McMurtrey, M. (2013). A Case Study of the Application of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in 21st Century Health Care: Something Old, Something New?.Journal of the Southern Association for Information Systems,1(1). Munassar, N.M.A Govardhan, A. (2010).A Comparison of Five Models of Software Engineering. International Journal of Computer Science, 7(5). Nerur, S., Cannon, A., Balijepally, V., Bond, P. (2010).Towards an Understanding of the Conceptual Underpinnings of Agile Development Methodologies.InAgile Software Development(pp. 15-29).Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Pfleeeger, S.L. Atlee, J.M. (2006).Software Engineering: Theory and Practice, 3rd Edition. US: Prentice Hall Piccoli, G. (2012) Information Systems for Managers: Text and Cases, John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ.

Graduation Speech: Always Look On The Bright Side of Life :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I have been chosen today to come before you and give some words of encouragement to the graduating class because I am seen as an example of one who has succeeded in school. And yet, I am by no means the only person in our class who has succeeded. Woody Allen once said, â€Å"Success is 80 percent showing up† and since all of you have shown up here today and at school for the last 12 years, you all are most of the way there. So what makes up the remaining 20 percent? Not getting all As on your tests, or going to state or winning first prize in a contest. It is merely trying. If you try your best, you have already succeeded, regardless of where you end up. The world is a fickle place and too often the most deserving, hardest-working people are passed over in favor of the ones who obtain the best-looking accomplishments. Thus, one’s measure of success should be based not on how well you do by society’s standards, but on how hard you worked and how much you got out o f it. As Tennyson once said, â€Å"How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!† But rather, we should be, as he said, like the â€Å"spirit yearning in desire To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought ... To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.† Just because we are graduating today does not mean we now know everything; rather, it is just the opposite. As we go out into the world we will continue to grow, to learn, to mature. Indeed, this is perhaps one of the greatest qualities of mankind, that we can develop our minds to better understand. It is a rare and important gift that should not be abused through neglect or halfhearted attention. Never stop trying and never stop learning because the moment you do, you begin to die. Once you leave here tonight, you will no longer be seniors. You will be adults, set adrift with the entire world at your disposal. It will be up to you, and you alone, to decide your futures. Today more than ever, as we stand at the dawn of the new millennium, you have the opportunity to become something great, to achieve wondrous deeds.

Are Asains Becoming White Essay

1) Asian Americans have been stereotyped under the image of being a model minority from the mid-1960s to our present day (Macionis 2010:278). Being a model minority means â€Å"overcoming extreme hardships and discrimination to achieve success (Macionis 2010:278). † Success â€Å"economically, socially, and educationally†¦without resorting to confrontation with Whites (Schaefer 2009: 252). † Asian Americans have done this and the public has â€Å"attributed their winning wealth and respect in American society to hard work, family solidarity, discipline, delayed gratification, non-confrontation, and eschewing welfare (Macionis 2010:278). † Being labeled a model minority might appear to bring only prestige but in fact it brings consequences as well. One such consequence is that being a â€Å"model-minority holds Asian Americans to higher standards (Macionis 2010:279). † Situations that may be accepted for some aren’t accepted from them. They are â€Å"judged by standards different from average Americans (Macionis 2010:279). † Also because of the expectations placed upon them they are channeled to â€Å"specific avenues of success, such as science and engineering (Macionis 2010:279). † This leads up to another consequence of parents â€Å"often discouraging their children from entering fields they regard as unlikely to offer financial security, such as the arts (Schaefer 2009:252). † A child may have a gift as an astounding writer, yet the parents will still discourage it due to worries about job outlook and income in the future (Macionis 2010:279). Another consequence the label causes is that it â€Å"reinforces the myth that the United States is devoid of racism and accords equal opportunity to all (Macionis 2010:279). † This implies that â€Å"those minorities that do not succeed are somehow responsible for their failure†¦this attitude is yet another instance of blaming the victims (Schaefer 2009:252). † Although, not all bad, an advantage of the stereotype is that Asian Americans are more likely to attain a high-paying job. It is common to see â€Å"Asian Americans are concentrated near the top in professional and managerial positions†¦(Schaefer 2009:251). † Simply due to what they are known for Asian Americans are allowed more opportunity and they prove themselves over and over again; with the highest median household income of all racial groups, and the lowest poverty rate of all racial groups (Macionis 2010:278). 2) Min Zhou asks the question, â€Å"Are Asian Americans becoming white? † First off, what does it mean to be White? â€Å"White is an arbitrary label having more to do with privilege than biology (Macionis 2010:276). † Being white means different things to different people. To some becoming white â€Å"can mean distancing oneself from â€Å"people of color† or disowning one’s ethnicity (Macionis 2010:276). † To others becoming white is something to strive for because it means attaining a privileged status (Macionis 2010:280). The most common view accepted by Asian Americans is â€Å"that â€Å"white† is mainstream, average, and normal, and they look to whites as a frame of reference for attaining higher social positions (Macionis 2010:279). † Asian Americans are becoming white as I see it. They are gaining prestige, they working hard and they strive for something greater. Especially since being white is commonly associated with being an American (Macionis 2010:280). â€Å"Asian immigrants tend to believe in the American Dream and measure their achievements materially (Macionis 2010:279). † They share common interests with most Americans such as, â€Å"to own a home, to be my own boss, and to send my children to the Ivy League (Macionis 2010:279)†, as one Chinese immigrant stated. Of course, being an American is more than just these items, but it is a generalized American mentality that shows common ground. If Asian Americans choose to marry a partner of a different racial background, 87 percent of those marry whites (Macionis 2010:280). There are thoughts that some Asian Americans hold, such as, â€Å"You can certainly be as good as or even better than whites, but you will never become accepted as white (Macionis 2010:280). † I believe this to be incorrect. â€Å"According to a new Purdue University study, more than 94 percent would say that having United States citizenship makes someone â€Å"truly American. † http://phys. org/news64938913. html: 3)† If we were to relate being white to being American, most Asian Americans are already there. With the mentality, dedication and perseverance that Asian Americans display, I would say, Yes, Asian Americans are becoming white. 3) The Jews and Asian Americans had two different experiences that could be seen to relate in certain aspects despite the large difference in events. The Jews were intelligent and successful though looked down upon in the United States and they were seen as â€Å"members of an inferior race (Macionis 2010: 266). † It wasn’t until after World War II those things drastically changed. â€Å"Before the war, most Jews, like most other Americans, were working class. Already upwardly mobile before the war relative to other immigrants, Jews floated high on this rising economic tide, and most of them entered the middle class (Macionis 2010:272). † Like Asian Americans, Jews were always ahead of the other races. They were given difficult roads to face and large obstacles to climb, yet they achieved success, following the definition of the model minority. Similarly they struggled with the dilemma of being considered white. Before the war, â€Å"Columbia University took steps to decrease the number of entering Jews by a set of practices†¦(Macionis 2010:269). † It wasn’t until the war that there were â€Å"changes set in motion during the war against fascism that led to a more inclusive version of whiteness (Macionis 2010:270). † Though the struggle was different, it was still there for both groups. The Jews compared to Asian Americans benefited most from government programs that spurred upward mobility because after the war the government was in need of a rise in the economy and they created great programs to assist in that matter (Macionis 2010:270). The â€Å"Jews’ and other white ethnics’ upward mobility was the result of programs that allowed us to float on a rising economic tide (Macionis 2010:273). † Asian Americans on the other hand, upward mobility wasn’t based off of programs as much, as their heritage and culture. Instead, â€Å"In spite of these obstacles, Asian Americans students soldier on with strong support from their parents (Schaefer 2009:252). † As for comparison with African Americans and Asian Americans they are in two completely different categories. Both are minority groups, though they are on opposite sides of the court. Asian Americans have higher income rates than Whites, African Americans on the other hand, have their â€Å"household income of Blacks is still 60 percent that of Whites, and the unemployment rate among Blacks is more than twice that of Whites (Schaefer 2009:250). † Still to this day Blacks â€Å"remain significantly underrepresented, despite Senator Barack Obama†¦(Schaefer 2009:520). † Asian Americans are well represented due to being the model minority. Asian Americans are a very diverse group of people. â€Å"Their diverse origins include drastic differences in languages and dialects, religions, cuisines, and customs (Macionis 2010:278). † Because of this â€Å"all of these differences create obstacles to fostering a cohesive pan-Asian solidarity (Macionis 2010:278). †

Significance of Reverse Logistics

To the corporate world, it is all about making a profit. To the corporate world, efficiency is a means to achieving that profit. To the corporate world, one can not achieve profit with logistics. To modern researchers, the corporate world has just truly begun to turn its eyes towards reverse logistics. To us business students today, without reverse logistics there can be only limited profit. Within the scope of this analysis we shall be examining the significance of reverse logistics.To comprehend the importance of this study we must first ensure that the reader understands that reverse logistics is an acutely fascinating yet highly misunderstood concept which differs from company to company. Reverse logistics is a manner of reversing the supply chain. In this analytical reversal lies a world of opportunities to businesses. In a manner of speaking, reverse logistics is a highly analytical procedure which calls for the usage of statistical tools and highly trained managers and financi al accountants to understand how to place products back into a supply chain in order to achieve profits.Part of this definition means that businesses should be aware of which products they can expect to see as ‘returned items’. These items should be anticipated to be sold to another supplier to be turned into scraps for another project. Also customization needs to occur to increase the positive user experience; including warranty programs as well to increase the satisfaction level of customers. Businesses highly dislike having items returned to their inventory. Items returned that fail to sell are regarded as a loss in profits and revenue.For companies seeking to understand why such rates of returns occur they must turn to reverse logistics, as a seemingly modern tool, used towards understanding why this occurs to begin with. For businesses it is vital that they analyze, among other information, why such items are returned, how to alleviate this revenue loss, what techn iques or selling tools can be used to prevent this from occurring, and perhaps how to protect the entire company should this occur in various divisions within the company. In analyzing why this occurs we must turn to reverse logistics management.This management solution takes crucial time and effort to look at how to manage the entire returns process. By managing this process, companies can increase the recovery of net assets and revenue goals. As the introduction paragraph points out it is all about ensuring that the profit margin and supply chain is being fulfilled. At this time we shall examine how textile and apparel industries are adversely affected by returned items. When examining the online marketplaces, researchers have determined that typically garments are in danger of being returned by consumers who purchased them online.Purchasing decisions are driven by a consumer’s feelings about themselves and their bodies or physical image of themselves. For instance, when a woman is seeking to purchase clothing which is dependent on a fashionable image they expect the color, feel, fit, image, and expectations to match what they thought they ‘saw’ on the internet. As you can not ‘feel’ or ‘wear’ the garment when purchasing online, you are making the decision to purchase based upon other factors. These factors include color and style.Because consumers are attempting to make an effective choice on what to purchase they are often disappointed by what actually arrives in the mail. As a process hierarchy situation businesses are finding it pertinent to have marketing and sales staff which are willing to communicate with the supplier chain about how to survey consumers and generate more purchasing power in the online stores. Engineering teams are being used to modify the online appearance to appeal to more consumers (Hammond, website).The article, â€Å"In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns are a Real Problem† by J an Hammond and Kristin Kohler, it is emphasized that â€Å"†¦high return rate of apparel products purchased online†¦mirrors the rate of catalog apparel purchases†¦returns for apparel bought from catalogs ranged from 12 to 35 percent.. † This return rate process is a serious concern of companies marketing apparel online and in catalogs. On the other hand, the article shows that decisions to buy generic goods like books, music, electronic, etc..are less reflecting a return rate because less emotional factors tie in to the consumer’s decision to purchase those items. This article indicates that accuracy of color plays a crucial role in decision making of consumers on the web. Surveys conducted, including one by InfoTrends Research Group, indicated that 88% of consumers will shop at online stores which guarantee that their products reflect â€Å"true and accurate† color standards and schematics. Because of feelings of insecurity about acquiring the it ems which meets their color standards and expectations, consumers are less prone to make the initial decision to purchase.Because of this ‘risk’ of purchasing an item â€Å"unseen†, â€Å"untouched† , and â€Å"unworn†, consumers surveyed have become interested in companies which use the new initiatives to improve the color on their websites. For example, detail and color would be greatly improved with companies using zoom technology such as HP Open Pix and Live Picture (Hammond, website). Other companies are seeing products such as BodyMetrics LTD, which can ‘on-line visualize’ body dimensions on a mannequin to see how the item would fit the consumer’s body composition.These tactics are all methods of reverse logistics management, because they improve the online visibility of items which can increase the purchasing of consumers while decreasing the rate of return behavior that companies experience. In addition, as companies are seeking to place their products in online supply markets they can provide those supplier companies with an up-selling tool which aids in their own sales protection. For instance, let us closely examine IKEA’s effective operation management. IKEA, a furniture retailer, has invoked in its company a strong usage of operations management.Operations management is a means towards which a company organizes its hierarchy, sales structure, approach to service, strategic operations, systematic direction of the company, and finally the control of internal and external processes which turn inputs into completed goods and services. IKEA’s experience in operations management is highly organized and analyzed by reverse logistics management. In understanding IKEA’s operations management style we must first recognize that IKEA believes in a self-service concept.This means that IKEA believes that customers service their own needs by picking up their furniture themselves from the warehouse. IDEA’s furniture is built with high quality in mind and displays a wide variety of choice for the every day consumer. Showrooms have been explicitly designed to reflect various rooms and items related to the household goods. Because the ordering and picking up of items is performed by the customer, there is no chance that the consumer be unaware of what they are purchasing. Catalogues and notices are placed around the store explicitly showing the illustrations, dimensions, and availability of color of the goods.These room settings also allow customers to make educated decisions and comparisons about items without being infringed upon by sales personnel hoping to make a sale. As part of the reverse logistic management, this customization of user experience allows for the customer to examine and make decisions while not being under sales pressures (Slack 14-15). As the customer knows exactly where in the store they are purchasing the items from they have the opportun ity to return to the area for further decision making.This operational strategy is very successful to IKEA because of the piece of mind given to customers. Customers see how smooth the process is from selecting their items, to loading their items in a large loading area explicitly for customers, to non-pestering salespeople, to sufficient variety of quality goods at less expensive prices, to well-designed showplace environments, and to staff which willingly help customers at request. This attitude fosters a good mindset in consumers and presents the every day customer with a pleasant environment.Should consumers seek to return items the customer service is guaranteed to be a pleasant one. For customers this operations management has considered all reverse logistics and countered them with a steady aptitude for impressing the every day customer. This situation is truly a competitive advantage for IKEA over the competition. While reading this case study I was impressed with the idea t hat they have an eatery and a location where parents can drop off their children for daycare services while they shop peacefully.In general, this design contains such attractive features which allows for the operations of the organization to be seen on various levels (Slack 14-16). The case study also relates how the transformation process model works at IKEA. In this concept lies the idea of how the resources are used to â€Å"change the state or condition of something to produce outputs. † The nature of this operational concept is that a company can use its resources to literally transform itself and its resources into goods and services. IKEA has done both.It has used quality items from global companies and its in-store services to create the groundwork for a pleasant customized experience. Customers experience a variety of feelings about the IKEA stores while shopping which has a positive affect upon their decision to make purchases. For instance, the daycare allows paren ts to cope with making the decision to purchase while not have the added responsibility of watching over rampant children. Considered a customer processing strategy, this helps the psychological state of customers.In addition, IKEA stores have allowed for showroom settings and customized ideas to help differentiate one product from another. Non-lingering salespersons also alleviate any pressure of making an immediate decision to purchase versus feeling hounded by expectant salespeople. The nature of this process allows for the consumer to feel that they are making the right decision making the purchase. Like all competitive companies they feel that the inputs to the transformation process needs to be â€Å"error-free, fast, and efficient information processing.† Customers feel that this information is an aid for allowing the consumer to be satisfied that their concerns and questions on how to use or install the items will be handled in a professional and efficient manner (Sla ck 17-23). In general, all these processes from business processes to the customer-supplier relationship and interacting relationships are vital to competitive businesses. Whether it be an online stores or a physical store, it is important to recognize that reverse logistics plays a key role in ensuring a satisfied customer while providing a way to generate revenue.Works Cited: Reverse Logistics Management: Manage Returns Processing Across Multiple Channels. Viewed March 26, 2007. http://www. manh. com/reverse_logistics_management/index. html? g=4&gclid=CNG4kM HsjYsCFQlQWAodVUPdWA In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem. Published: April 15, 2002 . Jan Hammond and Kristin Kohler. Viewed March 26, 2007. http://hbswk. hbs. edu/item/2883. html Slack, Nigel, Stuart Chambers, Christine Harland, Alan Harrison, and Robert Johnston. Effective Operations Management. 1998. London, Pitman

Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility

In the novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen portrays the adversities of two sisters by emphasizing one’s impulsiveness and the other’s cautiousness. The two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, have contrasting, yet complementary qualities. Elinor being the disciplined one, is cautious about all aspects of her life, especially her love for Edward Ferrars. Marianne is the impulsive one. She does not sit back and wait, she goes after what she wants. Elinor Dashwood, the eldest daughter, is expressive and loving but also disciplined. She surpasses her mother and sister in her ability to manage her emotions. She acts as the â€Å"sense† of the family. Her disciplined nature keeps her from acting on her feelings toward Edward. â€Å"I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him-greatly esteem, that I like him,† (p. 17, Austen). Elinor is unwilling to just confess her deep feelings for Edward to Marianne. He has not yet confessed the way he feels about her, therefore, she does not want to assume that he cares for her anymore than a friend. Elinor stays realistic in fear of being disappointed. Her serious personality is the exact opposite of her sister, Marianne’s. Marianne Dashwood is the middle sister. She shares Elinor’s kind and caring nature, but acts only with her heart and emotions. She is very honest but also impulsive and vulnerable. She falls head over feet for a young man named John Willoughby. She knows him for only a short period of time, yet is swept away by him. â€Å"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others,† (p.51, Austen). Marianne does not think that her short acquaintance with Willoughby is improper. She is more than willing to confess her love for him almost instantly. Jane Austen describes her as â€Å"anyth... Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility Free Essays on Impulse Plus Caution Equals Sense And Sensibility In the novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen portrays the adversities of two sisters by emphasizing one’s impulsiveness and the other’s cautiousness. The two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, have contrasting, yet complementary qualities. Elinor being the disciplined one, is cautious about all aspects of her life, especially her love for Edward Ferrars. Marianne is the impulsive one. She does not sit back and wait, she goes after what she wants. Elinor Dashwood, the eldest daughter, is expressive and loving but also disciplined. She surpasses her mother and sister in her ability to manage her emotions. She acts as the â€Å"sense† of the family. Her disciplined nature keeps her from acting on her feelings toward Edward. â€Å"I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him-greatly esteem, that I like him,† (p. 17, Austen). Elinor is unwilling to just confess her deep feelings for Edward to Marianne. He has not yet confessed the way he feels about her, therefore, she does not want to assume that he cares for her anymore than a friend. Elinor stays realistic in fear of being disappointed. Her serious personality is the exact opposite of her sister, Marianne’s. Marianne Dashwood is the middle sister. She shares Elinor’s kind and caring nature, but acts only with her heart and emotions. She is very honest but also impulsive and vulnerable. She falls head over feet for a young man named John Willoughby. She knows him for only a short period of time, yet is swept away by him. â€Å"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others,† (p.51, Austen). Marianne does not think that her short acquaintance with Willoughby is improper. She is more than willing to confess her love for him almost instantly. Jane Austen describes her as â€Å"anyth...

Modern Problems and Opportunities in our Society

Modern Problems and Opportunities in our Society Introduction In modern society, people are facing serious problems that have impacted negatively on their lives. These problems are social, economic or political problems (Davis, 2004). These problems have led to the deteriorating development in many countries of the world. The situation is severe in third world countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Problems and Opportunities in our Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The problems have caused immense suffering to the people living in these counties and huge amounts of money are being used in addressing the problems. The outcome has been vicious circle of poverty amongst the several countries. Main problems; their prevalence and how they have affected the Society The societal problems encountered today may be either natural or artificial (Guba Lincoln, 1909). The most serious ones include poverty, diseases (cancer, HIV Aids, diabetes, malaria), child abuse and molestation, drug abuse, corruption and racial discrimination, inequality, economic problems such as unemployment, rapid population growth and infant mortality among others. Despite the fact that some efforts have been made to reduce these problems the rate at which they are being wiped out is very low. A disease like malaria is a serious killer especially in the tropical areas that has claimed the lives of many people including young children. The other dangerous diseases include cancer, diabetes and HIV aids which are incurable. The prevalence of such diseases bring with them other problems, for instance many orphans who are left by their parents become dependency and are burden to the society.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Problems like criminal injustices are very common in many countries and the most shocking thing is that they are perpetrated by the ones who should be against the virtue. There is no fair treatment and this has been strengthened by the increasing corruption. Discrimination is all over and people are being deprived of their rights. Discrimination leads to misallocation of resources and people perpetrate poverty among the disadvantaged groups in the societies (Guba Lincoln, 1909). Poverty is another major social problem that is threatening the lives of many civilians. It is estimated that almost more than a half of the world’s population is living below the poverty line. Child abuse and molestation has been on the increase. There has been several reported cases of rape amongst the young children, a major violation of human rights that is affecting the welfare of both the victims and those who take care of them. Drugs are being abused everyday life. Many youths’ lives are at stake due to misuse of drugs. Drugs abuse bring with them both social and economic costs. The economic costs are incurred in th e sense that rehabilitation expenses and other medical costs are incurred in tackling the drug abuse related cases. The social costs are on the user’s side since there is serious deterioration in one’s life. Rapid population growth is a demographic and social problem prevalent in developing nations. This leads to competition of the available resources and high dependency ratio in those countries. This condition has led to the emergence of other social problem due to limited social amenities. There has been an issue of gender violence among some families, a situation that has been difficult to handle.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Problems and Opportunities in our Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Almost all the problems being faced in modern world are created by the human being himself and they are increasing at a very high rate thus compromising the betterment of human welfare (Guba L incoln, 1909). Opportunities arising as a result of the Societal Problems Every problem calls for a course of action (Goodman, 1984). In the process of addressing the above-mentioned problems, some opportunities are created for the people who are involved. International development groups are emerging out to assist the victims of poverty through provision of humanitarian aid. They require people to handle the tasks and subsequent creation of job opportunities for those handling the tasks. Problems like drug abuse are brought about by the psychological problems and therefore they call for peer counselors and appropriate advice to the victims. In addition, rehabilitation facilities need to be put in place to assist the victims. All these require well-established institutional frameworks that also require personnel and specialized facilities that need to be established. Consequently, there is creation of more employment opportunities. In a move to combat several cases of human rights v iolation and criminal injustice cases, there is greater need to maximize citizen’s welfare and enhance development in the society. There has been emergence of numerous advocacy and lobby groups to effect the desired change in the society. They are being led by human rights activists that want to see justice restored and the fundamental human rights are properly safeguarded (Davis, 2004). The efforts are also enhanced through international support whereby numerous opportunities are created and where people can share ideas and some job opportunities are created.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion The most serious problems facing the modern societies have contributed to backwardness, injustices and reduced democratic space. It has been noted that majority of the problems are caused by human beings themselves (Goodman, 1984). Though the problems come along with some opportunities, the damage they cause to the society is huge and appropriate measures need to be put in place to make the world a better place to live. References Davis, G. A. (2004). Creativity is forever. Atlanta: Hunt Publishing Company. Goodman, N. (1984). Of mind and other matters. Cambridge, M: Harvard University Press. Guba, E. Lincoln, Y. (1909). Fourth generation evaluation. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Audiovisual Cues in Bilingual Language Acquisition

Audiovisual Cues in Bilingual Language Acquisition Article title: Bilingualism modulates infants’ selective attention to the mouth of a talking face Authors: Pons, F., Bosch, L., Weikum et al., 2007). Significant research has been conducted to explore the auditory domain of bilingual language acquisition and there is strong evidence that both bilinguals and monolinguals rely on redundant audiovisual speech (Rosenblum, 2008; Stein, 2012; Sebastià ¡n-Gallà ©s et al., 2012). However, this paper seeks to understand the importance of audiovisual cues as a mechanism that bilingual infants utilize during complex language processing in comparison to monolingual infants. METHODS (234 words) To test these predictions they conducted two experiments each on infants whose native languages were Spanish/Catalan. The goal of the first experiment was to extend the findings of previous studies about monolingual, native English speaking, infants’ use of audiovisual speech cues to infants whose native languages are eithe r Spanish or Catalan. Sixty monolingual infants (with native languages of either Spanish or Catalan) participated in this experiment and formed three groups: 4, 8 and 12 month-old infants with 20 participants in each group. Stimuli, 45-second videos of one of two female actors speaking a monologue in English or Spanish/Catalan, were presented on a computer screen in front of the infant. Each infant watched one video of a monologue in their native language and a second video of a monologue in English. Throughout the procedure, an eye-tracker was utilized to enable researchers to collect data about their attention to two areas of interest (AOI), the speaker’s mouth and eyes. The second experiment investigated how bilingual infants’ selective attention to these AOI changes and develops in their first year of life. 63 Spanish-Catalan bilingual infants (once again divided into groups of 4, 8 and 12-month-olds) were presented with the same stimuli as in the first experimen t and researchers tracked their eye movements to AOI. They conducted a Mann-Whitney test to compare the vocabularies of the monolingual and bilingual infants and found no significant difference between their lexica. DISCUSSION (399 words) The results from the first experiment successfully extended the findings of Lewkowicz and Hansen Tift’s (2012) study to monolingual speakers in Spain of Catalan or Spanish. They saw the same developmental trends with language acquisition and attention to AOI with this group of infants: when presented with both native and non-native audiovisual stimuli 4-month-old infants spent more time attending to the eyes of the speaker and 8-month-old infants spend more time attending to the mouth of the speaker. When presented with stimuli in their native language, the 12-month-old infants spent equal time looking at the mouth and eyes but with stimuli in their non-native language they spent more time looking at the mouth than the eyes. One of th e most intriguing comparisons explores the differences between the monolingual and bilingual infants’ developmental pattern of attention during audiovisual stimuli presentation (comparing Experiment 1 and 2). They found the biggest differences at 4-months and 12-months. 4-month-old bilingual infants attended equally to the mouth and eyes while the 4-month-old monolinguals spent more time attending to the eyes. 12-month-old bilingual infants spent more time attending to the mouth in both native and non-native language presentation while the monolinguals attended more to the mouth only in non-native trials. On average the bilingual infants spent more time attending to the mouth of the speaker than monolinguals at their same age. These findings support evidence that audio input is not the sole contributor to language acquisition and differentiation. Visual cues are crucial in understanding and interpreting speech because there is not a 1:1 relationship between speech signals a nd meaning; we must use hermeneutics and external cues to make sense of language. The McGurk Effect demonstrates this idea: when just using audio input a person hears â€Å"ba, ba† but when provided with audiovisual stimulus, a person hears â€Å"da da† as a result of hearing â€Å"ba, ba† but seeing the mouth produce â€Å"ga ga.† These early studies illustrate the importance of visual input but do not explore how this reliance on external cues during development is different for bilinguals. This paper offers fascinating evidence that shows how monolingual and bilingual infants rely on audiovisual input to acquire, perceive and comprehend language. Research still must explore how these effects continue after 12 months old, once native and non-native language systems are more defined: do bilingual young adults still look more at the mouth than the eyes of a speaker? REFERENCES Bijeljac-Babic, R., Serres, J., Hà ¶hle, B., & Nazzi, T. (2012). Effect of bilingualism on lexical stress pattern discrimination in French-learning infants. PLoS ONE , 7 (2), e30843.       Bosch, L., & Sebastià ¡n-Gallà ©s, N. (2001b). Evidence of early language discrimination abilities in infants from bilingual environments. Infancy , 2 , 29-49. Lewkowicz, D. J., & Hansen-Tift, A. M. (2012). Infants deploy selective attention to the mouth of a talking face when learning speech. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA , 109 , 1431-1436. Oller, D. K., Eilers, R. E., Urbano, R., & Cobo-Lewis, A. B. (1997). Development of precursors to speech in infants exposed to two languages. Journal of Child Language , 24 , 407-426. Pons, F., Bosch, L., & Lewkowicz, D.J. (2014). Bilingualism modulates infants’ selective attention to the mouth of a talking face. Psychological Science , 26.4, 490-498. Rosenblum, L. D. (2008). Speech perception as a multimodal phenomenon. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 17 , 405-409. Stein, B. E. (2012). The new handbook of multisensory process- ing . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Weikum, W. M., Vouloumanos, A., Navarra, J., Soto-Faraco, S., Sebastià ¡n-Gallà ©s, N., & Werker, J. F. (2007). Visual lan- guage discrimination in infancy. Science , 316 , 1159.

Just Desert Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Just Desert - Essay Example The Just desert model suggests that retribution justifies punishment because individuals deserve what they received for past deeds. Under the just desert theory the punishment should be the same for all people who commit the same crime. But the idea is that does just desert punishments stops the offenders to repeat it again Has it created the peace balance in the society and is it beneficial for us in general Is the Punishment based on deterrence or incapacitation wrong In a research (Kevin M. Carlsmith and John M. Darley and Paul H. Robinson; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2002, Vol. 83, No. 2, 284-299) they came to know people are in favor of deterrence at macro level, but when it comes to individuals, people favor just desert because they consider it right and wrong doers deserve it. "The task of a just deserts theorist, then, is to assess the magnitude of the harm and to devise a punishment that is proportionate in severity, if not in kind. Kant (1952) recommended censure proportionate to a perpetrator's "internal wickedness," a quantity that may be approximated by society's sense of moral outrage over the crime". After researching for quite sometime, I came to know that many are in favor of just desert. They suggest that just desert results in social Control. When there are established criminal justice punishments in society and people know the degrees of punishment they will have to suffer if they committed any wrong deeds, people tend to think before doing anything. Because they are aware of retribution, and they know that punishment will be same for all levels of people without being bias, they feel just and are less likely to commit serious crimes. But some argue that being blind to class difference doesn't lead towards just. Ehrlich (1938: 363) pointed out that the more the rich and poor are dealt with according to the same legal propositions, the more the advantage of the rich is increased'. Galanter (1975: 363) puts it more beautifully. "The sailor over board and the shark are both swimmers, but only one is in the swimming business". Geertz (1983: 217) says that "there are number of f acts about the way the world works, mostly facts about the distribution of power, which prevent punishment being imposed on the most deserving of it. A policy of attempting punishment of all those who deserve it (and who can be caught) has the effect of increasing injustice, worsening tendencies to punish most where desert is least. This is because for the tendency for the law to be 'the most powerful where least needed, a sprinkler system that turns off when the fire gets too hot'." Some argue that the theory is fair to the offender if the punishment fits the crime; same punishment of all offenders for the same crime, etc which give people the sense of just. People know that it does not authorize selecting a criminal for particularly cruel punishment by random drawing, even if this would expend fewer overall social resources than imposing lower and proportionate punishment on all similar offenders, which is referred to as the consequentiality theory. Another benefit is that in just desert, people are punished according to the seriousness of the crime.

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Service Management - Assignment Example The factor that is driving the change in strategy is the maturity and experience they have gained as solicitors over a long time they have as an independent firm. Furthermore, the fact that the number of clients they have is not growing, hence, they plan to find ways of increasing the number of customers. Another fact is that Smith and Jones want to be more visible in the market, and expand their business by employing another solicitor, who will assist them (Johnston, Clark & Shulver, 2012). John Smith differentiated his firm from the competition by noting that other solicitors believe that the business grows on its own, and they should just sit back and watch. Conversely, his firm is different since they work hard to maintain a client by ensuring that they come back and refer them to their friends (Krajewski, Ritzman & Malhotra, 2007). Their firm does not just wait, but treat their clients well by excellent communication, and providing good services to both the personal and commercial clients (Greasley, 2008). John Smith differentiates his firm from the competition by stating that their firm does not abuse their clients, and do believe that all customers are not happy with their solicitors. With this concept, John knows that their firm operates differently from her competitors and is more careful when it comes to handling their clients (Metters, King-Metters & Pullman, 2003). The changes John Smith will need to make to the operation include making efforts in selling their services. This can be achieved by putting a brochure together and list the extra services they provide including the steps they can take in order to receive the services. The change John Smith would need to make is to find good services that are related to their initial job. The services might include offering guiding and counseling, and teaching ethics, morals and ways of running their business

Business Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Administration - Essay Example There are three main ways to create organisational structures which are discussed below: Functional structure This technique divides work according to the function of an organisation; it makes departments on the basis of organisational functions such as marketing, finance, human resource etc. (Torraco & Swanson, 1995) This is a very successful way to create an organisational structure as it promotes strong communication between departments and allows employees to use their expertise to achieve organisational goals. This structure is used by both small and large firms (Tobey & Benson, 2009). Example Revlon is a multinational cosmetics, skin care, personal care and fragrance firm and it uses functional organisational structure to manage its 6800 employees. It focuses on organisational functions to meet organisational goals. (Five approaches to Organizational Design) Divisional structure This way of developing structure, make divisions according to the types of products and market areas (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). This structure is usually used by large firms which have wide variety of products and its operations are geographically expanded. Small size firms can also use divisional structure on a small scale (Vosburgh, 2007). ... It uses divisional structure. (Five approaches to Organizational Design) Matrix Matrix structure is combination of functional and divisional structure; it is a hybrid which is normally used by large multinational firms. Though it is a complex and costly structure but firms using this structure enjoy the benefit of both functional and divisional structures (Aguinis, 2009). Example Starbucks coffee company is an international coffee house which operates in many countries. It uses matrix structure which is costly but Starbucks Corporation is enjoying advantages of both functional and divisional structure which is helping them to expand and to maintain its focus on company’s goals (Hitt, 2008). How managers can be supported during the process of organisational structure change. Managers play an important role during the process of organisational structure change. They need to be very systematic to implement the change and has to be very careful about the processes involved (Armstr ong, 2009). Change can be a shift to other structure or it may also mean to bring in the change within the selected organisational structure (Beatty & Schneier, 997). There is an eight-step process which can support managers the process of structural change. Following figure shows the steps involves in the process: (CliffNotes) Managers first need to analyse the need for change of organisational structure, then they need to develop the goals of change, once they decide goals then they need to select the change agent, then they need to do diagnosis, after diagnosis they need to select the intervention method, then they need to do develop a plan for change, once the plan is develop than

World History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

World History - Essay Example However, the after affects of colonization are still causing shocks in regions such as Africa and some parts of Asia where unresolved questions still come up regarding international borders disputes or sharing regional resources. In such situations, it becomes easy to say that perhaps freedom from colonization was not a good idea for some sub-Saharan African nations where freedom has resulted only in the law of the jungle. Countries where independence was supposed to bring about a break from oppression and the rule of the elite have only seen corruption, inept governments and governmental policies which are making the rich richer and killing off the poor. For the lack of a better word, it seems that some former colonies are more or less ‘unable’ to handle the processes of government since they cannot establish governmental policies or control. It can be considered a little condescending on the part of Akbar (2005) but he strongly suggests that the management of financial affairs and handling large sums of money regardless of where they come from can be an issue for many young countries. This is especially true in the case where these newly independent nations have had no previous experience in managing such sums of money. Therefore he is in complete agreement with Rato (2006) and they both suggest that international organizations and donor agencies should help governments. This help should be targeted towards the creation of useful government policies and financial aid should be given to support specific causes and development programs. In effect, instead of establishing control over the government of the country, the donor agencies or countries can establish control over how the donation is used. While this protects the sovereignty of the nation, it also allows the weak government to gain access to some of the brightest minds in the world when they need to know how they can improve the conditions of their country. As per the recent

Role Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Role Model - Essay Example Dali’s worldview can be seen in the way he viewed his career, family and religion. It seems most important for Dali was his career. As we read in Dali’s Diary of a Genius all his everyday life was depend on his creativeness and so was his whole life. He sees himself like a genius who is need to be developed almost in any cost (Dali, 2007). That’s typical for an artist to be egocentric and focused on his own personality. But focusing on one side of life, you sacrifice others. Dali often was blamed by his quondam friends for his moral qualities turned into worse. Luis Bunuel – a famous filmmaker who was one of Dali’s closest friends in youth, - in his book My Last Sigh compares a young artist Salvador he once knew to an iconic figure Dali, and says adult Dali cared too much about money (Bunuel, 2013). I think it’s a natural cause on a choice Dali had made, though it’s not close to me. For public person it’s harder to build a family because your family also becomes public, so most of public persons sacrifice their family to their career. Dali combined his private life and even subdued his family life to his career. In his Diary of a Genius Dali speaks about his wife Gala as his greatest muse (Dali, 2007). Though this view on family relationship doesn’t seem suitable to me, it’s a good way for public person to have a family while having their career. Many people that have been raised in unhappy or single-parent family are failed to build a standard family as adults. Dali had hard relationship with his father and other relatives. Firstly, his brother had died as a child and Salvador blamed parents to see the reflection of their dead child in Salvador (Dali, 2007). He argued also with his father after mother’s death because of Salvador’s rebel behavior and on religious ground. That ended with complete break up. Another reason for Dali to not build standard family was, of course, his choice not to be

Business Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Administration - Essay Example There are three main ways to create organisational structures which are discussed below: Functional structure This technique divides work according to the function of an organisation; it makes departments on the basis of organisational functions such as marketing, finance, human resource etc. (Torraco & Swanson, 1995) This is a very successful way to create an organisational structure as it promotes strong communication between departments and allows employees to use their expertise to achieve organisational goals. This structure is used by both small and large firms (Tobey & Benson, 2009). Example Revlon is a multinational cosmetics, skin care, personal care and fragrance firm and it uses functional organisational structure to manage its 6800 employees. It focuses on organisational functions to meet organisational goals. (Five approaches to Organizational Design) Divisional structure This way of developing structure, make divisions according to the types of products and market areas (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). This structure is usually used by large firms which have wide variety of products and its operations are geographically expanded. Small size firms can also use divisional structure on a small scale (Vosburgh, 2007). ... It uses divisional structure. (Five approaches to Organizational Design) Matrix Matrix structure is combination of functional and divisional structure; it is a hybrid which is normally used by large multinational firms. Though it is a complex and costly structure but firms using this structure enjoy the benefit of both functional and divisional structures (Aguinis, 2009). Example Starbucks coffee company is an international coffee house which operates in many countries. It uses matrix structure which is costly but Starbucks Corporation is enjoying advantages of both functional and divisional structure which is helping them to expand and to maintain its focus on company’s goals (Hitt, 2008). How managers can be supported during the process of organisational structure change. Managers play an important role during the process of organisational structure change. They need to be very systematic to implement the change and has to be very careful about the processes involved (Armstr ong, 2009). Change can be a shift to other structure or it may also mean to bring in the change within the selected organisational structure (Beatty & Schneier, 997). There is an eight-step process which can support managers the process of structural change. Following figure shows the steps involves in the process: (CliffNotes) Managers first need to analyse the need for change of organisational structure, then they need to develop the goals of change, once they decide goals then they need to select the change agent, then they need to do diagnosis, after diagnosis they need to select the intervention method, then they need to do develop a plan for change, once the plan is develop than

Role Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Role Model - Essay Example Dali’s worldview can be seen in the way he viewed his career, family and religion. It seems most important for Dali was his career. As we read in Dali’s Diary of a Genius all his everyday life was depend on his creativeness and so was his whole life. He sees himself like a genius who is need to be developed almost in any cost (Dali, 2007). That’s typical for an artist to be egocentric and focused on his own personality. But focusing on one side of life, you sacrifice others. Dali often was blamed by his quondam friends for his moral qualities turned into worse. Luis Bunuel – a famous filmmaker who was one of Dali’s closest friends in youth, - in his book My Last Sigh compares a young artist Salvador he once knew to an iconic figure Dali, and says adult Dali cared too much about money (Bunuel, 2013). I think it’s a natural cause on a choice Dali had made, though it’s not close to me. For public person it’s harder to build a family because your family also becomes public, so most of public persons sacrifice their family to their career. Dali combined his private life and even subdued his family life to his career. In his Diary of a Genius Dali speaks about his wife Gala as his greatest muse (Dali, 2007). Though this view on family relationship doesn’t seem suitable to me, it’s a good way for public person to have a family while having their career. Many people that have been raised in unhappy or single-parent family are failed to build a standard family as adults. Dali had hard relationship with his father and other relatives. Firstly, his brother had died as a child and Salvador blamed parents to see the reflection of their dead child in Salvador (Dali, 2007). He argued also with his father after mother’s death because of Salvador’s rebel behavior and on religious ground. That ended with complete break up. Another reason for Dali to not build standard family was, of course, his choice not to be

Data Representation Arithmetic Essay Example for Free

Data Representation Arithmetic Essay Oxford University Press Dictionaries defines an allegory as â€Å"a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one† Many people read in William Goldings Lord of The Flies as an allegory. There’s no question that it can be looked at as a symbolic story, however, the question is what Lord of the Flies is an allegory of? One way this novel can be looked at is as an allegory of human nature. In other words, this story can be seen as symbolism of how humans behave and show their true colors when placed into a survival situation. Various characters in Lord of the Flies could be thought to symbolize different qualities of human nature. Ralph, Piggy, and Jack are three extremely influential characters and all three of them represent both sides of human nature: good versus evil. Ralph symbolizes the good in humanity in Lord of the Flies. The name Ralph derives from the Anglo-Saxon language and means â€Å"council. † As commander of the conch, Ralph was voted chief of the boys on the island; and from this point, his name became affiliated with council and government. Throughout the story, Ralph never gave up on his views and priorities, them being to get off the island. Ralph also, in terms of Lord of the Flies, symbolized civilization and order. He established order and civilization on the island at the first meeting by creating a main goal, priorities, and gave out positions such as the hunters and his right hand man, Piggy. Ralph was the only outlet of hope towards the end of the book and he was able to follow through and survive without falling into the savage state like the others. In this novel, Piggy symbolizes intelligence and logic. From the beginning, by finding the conch and recognizing its importance, he has always been the voice of intelligence and insight. One may say that piggy may be more logical and objective and therefore describe him as being left-brained. He uses his logic at many points throughout the book in such times as when he wanted to take attendance or when make the sundial. Piggy has good intentions for his ideas, however, because of his lack of confidence and his physical appearance, he is shot down by most of the other boys. He is a great example of symbolism for human nature in Lord of the Flies because for one, he and Ralph both make up a nearly perfect leader with intelligence, leadership, logic, and insight. Also, it is important to connect that insight, being Piggy, was shot down and made savage by the hunters.

The use of ICTs

The use of ICTs Abstract As a great attention has been paid for the development of new generation eMediaries, the rapid escalation of the Internet and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has also precious for recognized tour operators. The main purpose of this report is to examine the use of ICT by the tour operator Thomas Cook and to analyze the key issues. The report uses information from journals, companys reports and trade press articles. The report highlights the fundamental aspects of Thomas Cooks Business Strategies and the Business Model. (Marianna Sigala) The eBusiness impact is well documented by Jacsson and Harirs (Jackson): suggested that the Information and Communication Technology affecting the processes of companys operations followed how they do business, is well interpreted and how company need to reorganize and restructure themselves continuously. The aim of this report is to explain the acceptance of eBusiness by the traditional operators, and to explain the competitive advantage of eBusiness and Information and Communication Technology with a neat explanation and interpretation by analyzing Dniel Frews view (Daniele). The report briefly explains the Thomas Cooks strategies, as a large tour operator increasing profitability with the vertical integration and how it produced a substantial concentration in the market. The report explains the key factors and the need of ICT for tourism, like the importance of IT trainings and education for business policy makers, key role players and managers in the industry. Explains the integration of different sectors in this industry, example: transport, lodge, etc., the up gradation of organizations Technical Infrastructure and the need of Human Infrastructure like people with technology skills, vision and management skills. (Shanker, 2008) The report explains the importance of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and how tourism industry adopted ICT to make the best sales trough eMarketing as well as online sales. It supports several indications like internet connectivity ad usage of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Systems. It also explains the customers expectations and market competition. And the gap between small scale companies and large scale companies utilizing ICT and applications of eBusiness. The report briefs the use of eBusiness for Thomas Cooks business strategy on business objectives like business integration and delivering planned synergies, use of eBusiness to strengthen the main stream model for tour operating, implementing the independent travel segments, to expand the groups financial services. (plc, 2007) The report summarizes information on computing and Information Systems, here Information and Communication Technology plays a vital role to present the organizations ability to satisfy its customers travel safety measures and presenting them for great leisure time. The way Thomas Cook approaches its customers to explain the tour packages with visualizations on their website and in other way of electronic communication like contacting them by means of Tele-Communications, electronic mails and social networking sites. This report presents the way Thomas Cook achieved its success in competitive advantage. Conclusion: The report presents the e-Commerce and the e-Governance approach towards its customers, and how the web makes it easy for travelers to plan their holidays. How Thomas Cook provides appropriate online experience to its visitors to ensure the quality conversion and sales. Explains how online booking become an impotent part of their business and growth is set to continue (TravelMole, 2007). And the research methods Thomas Cook taken about, its customers progress through the online journey and how it will continue to enhance its websites and tools respectively (TravelMole, 2007). References: Daniele, R. . Intermediaries to Market-Makers:. In A. J. (Ed), Information and Communication Techonologies in Tourism (pp. 546-557). Jackson, P. . (n.d.). EBusiness and Oraganizational Change: recounciling traditional values with business transformation. Journal of Oraganizational Change Management , 16(5), 497-511. Marianna Sigala, L. M. (n.d.). Tour Operators in in an eBusiness World. Retrieved March 19th, 2010, from http://books.google.co.uk: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s9f5_kvYrZoCpg=PA207lpg=PA207dq=thomas+cook+information+and+communication+technologysource=blots=KkiM3J5HGosig=iL2qLClFWLyN8wzC6Dgx3PXScUchl=enei=1vykS5jQFIS80gTFitT1CQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved= plc, T. C. (2007, June 27). Thomas Cook Group plc. Retrieved March 19th, 2010, from http://www.thomascookgroup.com: http://www.thomascookgroup.com/media/tcgpresentationfinal2007.pdf Shanker, D. (2008, May 15 17). ICT and Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved March 19th, 2010, from http://dspace.iimk.ac.in: http://dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/536/1/50-58.pdf TravelMole. (2007, October 02). Thomas Cook e-commerce director highlights online trends. (http://www.marvellousmedia.com, Interviewer)

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis :: Health Medicine

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis There are several diagnostic tests used to detect Multiple Sclerosis (referred to as MS). An MRI (multilple resonance imaging) can confirm a diagnosis by showing lesions and sites of inflammation in the brain. Although the presence of lesions is common in Multiple Sclerosis sufferers, the absence of lesions is not a sign that the disease is not active. An electroencephalogram (EEG) can isolate changes in brain waves when introduced to audio or visual stimuli. The Evoked Potential test measures the speed with which nerve impulses travel. Demyelination significantly reduces the speed of nerve signal transmission and can be detected with this test. Lumbar punctures and spinal taps are also used to test spinal fluids for the presence of certain immuno-proteins present in Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. Facts about Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and is believed to be immune mediated. This debilitating disorder affects at least 350,000 people in the United States. The disease occurs in young adults with the mean age of onset of 30 years. Women make up 70% of the MS population. This gender preference remains unexplained. Clinical Features The symptoms of MS may be mild or severe, of short or long duration and may appear in various combinations, depending on the area of the nervous system affected. Complete or partial remission of symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease occurs in approximately 70% of MS patients. The initial symptoms of MS are often blurred or double vision, red-green color distortion, or even blindness in one eye. However, visual problems tend to clear up in the later stages of MS. Inflammatory problems of the optic nerve may be diagnosed as retrobulbar or optic neuritis. MS patients will have an attack of optic neuritis at some time or other and it will be the first symptom of MS in approximately 15 percent. This has led to general recognition of optic neuritis as an early sign of MS, especially if test also reveals abnormalities in the patient's spinal fluid. Most MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance at some time during the course of the disease.

Essay --

The film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind focuses on the interesting topic of memory. The film follows two main characters, Joel and Clementine, who have both chosen to erase part of their memory. What both characters, and other characters in the movie, find out though is that our memory is complex and very flexible to what we make of it. The film reflects the tendency that we have as humans, to think that we are in control of our memory. The truth is that our memory is not like a video tape of the events in our lives nor is it a library of the knowledge we have collected. As I watched the movie, I couldn’t help but think; our memory is more like a ball of clay. Our minds can take the clay and make it into a shape and we can stare at that shape and know that shape but our minds will play with that clay and mold it into something different eventually. The idea portrayed in the movie is that no memory is safe from our meddling minds. The film emphasizes on the power of our long-term memory and our episodic memories. Would we be happier if we forgot about traumatic past experiences? Or are our long-term memories so tangled up with emotions and sensations that our brain is unable to truly let go of long-term memories? The film also looks at the difference between explicit and implicit memories. Although the film plays out in non-linear progression and is somewhat confusing at times, the audience quickly catches on to the plot. Joel and Clementine are in a relationship for two years before finally deciding to break it off. Like most couples, the two shared a lot of good memories but the fights that lead to their breakup were too emotionally heavy for free-spirited Clementine to bear any more. She pays some futuristic company ... ... to look past all the terrible things in their past and they chose love again. This film challenges the audience to actively get involved with the two characters, Joel and Clem. We see both characters try and take control of their memory. First by undergoing the procedure and then especially when Joel tries to keep his memories of Clem. But the characters find out that memory is more complicated than we think it is. We can mold out memories, change our memories, repress our memories and remember things we didn’t even know we experienced. In some ways, the writers challenge us to think about our own memories. If we were given the chance would we erase some of our painful memories? I think we are unable to detangle our memories. I think that our memories are stacked and tangled with each other and deleting or tampering with those memories is dangerous and unnatural.

E Commerce Case Study 1

Page 163-165, #’s 1-3 1) Prepare a report in which you analyze the marketing channel conflicts and cannibalization issues that Lonely Planet faces as it is currently operating. Suggest solutions that might reduce the revenue losses or operational frictions that result from these issues. a) Lonely Planet has several forms of marketing channel conflicts and cannibalization. These forms range from print media, to Internet videos, to television shows and even travel services. Cannibalization is evident where many of the books are now being substituted for forums, online articles, and digital photo galleries.Some of these new electronic forms of media are even subscription based. I think that Lonely Planet needs to keep its major business entities separate from one another and try a separate name for each category. These could be broken down into travel services, publications, and strictly online based media social networking website. The publications can retain the ‘Lonely P lanet’ name. The social networking site could have a fresh name and look, but be mentioned that it is brought to you by the same people that bring you Lonely Planet. The same goes for travel services.This will keep peoples purchases separated with the want to buy from different vendors, but with the backing of a trusted company. 2) Prepare a list of new products that Lonely Planet might introduce to take advantage of Internet technologies (including wireless technologies for mobile devices) and address customers’ concerns about the timeliness and currency of information in the printed travel guides. Briefly describe any problems that Lonely Planet will face as it introduces three new products. b) There are many options to take advantage of Internet technologies.One is as simple as developing an application for Android and IOS devices. This will allow people the ability to use their current location and have the app search quickly for them attractions nearby without hav ing to type a single word. The app can also give real time updated articles that will be current to the reader/traveler. This will blow away the concerns about issues with currency and outdated articles. Again, as this product is introduced, I believe it should have its own recognized name, but be backed by Lonely Planet. If people figure out that it is this asy to access articles for free and the comfort and convenience of them being right in the palm of your hand, a subscription may have to be implemented, but lets say the first three are free. A digital bridge to the once printed publications is cannibalization. Being that the printed publications is such a large part of their revenue, this may want to be thought about and tested thoroughly before it is implemented. 3) Many loyal Lonely Planet customers carry their travel guides (which can be several hundred pages thick) with them as they travel around the world.In many cases, these customers do not use large portions of the trav el guides. Also, Internet access can be a problem for many of these customers while they are traveling. Describe a product (or products) that might address this customer concern and also yield additional revenue for Lonely Planet. Your answer here could build on ideas that you developed in your solution to part 2. c) These customers may want to have the convenience of using a physical travel guide at home to plan out their destinations.A benefit to not having to carry a thick, couple hundred-page book would be enormous. This is where a full digital copy or individual chapters could be sold and used on handheld devices such as e-readers, tablets, and smartphones. The customer could also print out the sections they desire to have handy while out and about if an electronic device is not applicable for the location that they are visiting. These digital copies do not require Internet access, except for the initial download. This is perfect for areas without this type of amenity.

Judaism †Meaning of life Essay

The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the significance of life or existence in general. It can also be expressed in different forms, such as â€Å"Why are we here? â€Å", â€Å"What is life all about? â€Å", and â€Å"What is the purpose of existence? † It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. There have been a large number of proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the ‘how’ of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question â€Å"What is the meaning of my life? † The value of the question pertaining to the purpose of life may coincide with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or even a feeling of sacredness. governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through study of His Torah, and adherence to its mitzvot (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special covenant with a people, the people of Israel, at Mount Sinai, giving the Jewish commandments. Torah comprises the written Pentateuch and the transcribed oral tradition, further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as â€Å"a kingdom of priests and a holy nation†[69] and a â€Å"light to the Nations†, influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical Seven Laws of Noah. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative and prohibative injunctions. Modern Jewish denominations differ over the nature, relevance and emphases of mitzvot. Jewish philosophy emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist Maimonides sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe. [70] Among fundamental values in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education. [71][72] The world to come,[73] prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God. [74] Simeon the Righteous says, â€Å"the world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness. † The prayer book relates, â€Å"blessed is our God who created us for his honor†¦ and planted within us everlasting life. † Of this context, the Talmud states, â€Å"everything that God does is for the good,† including suffering. The Jewish mystical Kabbalah gives complimentary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an immanent relationship with God (personal theism), in Kabbalah the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of God’s Being (panentheism), related to the Shekhinah (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the sephirot (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of God’s persona, exiled in physical existence (the Kelipot shells), through the actions of Jewish observance. [75] Through this, in Hasidic Judaism the ultimate essential â€Å"desire† of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by man from within his limited physical realm, when the body will give life to the soul. Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy named after its prophet Zoroaster, which is believed to have influenced the beliefs of Judaism and its descendant religions. [77] Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazda’s creation is asha, truth and order, and it is in conflict with its antithesis, druj, falsehood and disorder. (See also Zoroastrian eschatology). Since humanity possesses free will, people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fayols Concept Management Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Fayols Concept Management Essay Henri Fayol is widely acknowledged as the earliest pioneer and advocate of the task of management Parker and Ritson, 2005 His management theories were first proposed in the early 1900s. Despite many criticisms, Fayol’s theories still form the basis of management practices and teachings in the 21st century. Taking some articles for reference, this essay will mainly analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Fayol’s concept of five functions of management in modern enterprises by some examples. There are about three main parts in this essay beginning with the introduction. And in the main body of this article, based on some academic researches, there are about seven parts discussing the advantages and disadvantages of Fayol’s concept of five functions of management. A conclusion will be made at last. There is no doubt that Fayol is best known for a three-fold contribution to management theory. Among his contributions, the concept of five functions of management i s worth discussing all the time. Fayol identified five key functions of management and these functions of managerial activity are: forecasting and planning, organizing, coordination, command and control. According to Fayol, forecasting involves analyzing the future and drawing a plan of action (Pugh ad Hichson, 2007). And as for organizing, Fayol believed that an organization’s structure was important, as it can facilitate the optimum conduct of its business activities (Pugh and Hichson, 2007). According to Pugh and Hichson (2007), in his original writing, Fayol used the term â€Å"command† to illustrate a manager’s responsibility to lead and direct employees towards the achievement of organizational goals and strategies. About the function of coordination, Fayol made a suggestion that managers should bind together, unify and harmonize all the organization’s activities and efforts. In contemporary management practice, this can be explained into that the m anagers should be responsible for making sure that all the organizational business activities are coordinated to make the employees can unify together within one department or among different departments. The last not the least function of management is control. Fayol recognized the importance of control within an organization and support that it ensures â€Å"everything occurs in conformity with established rules and expressed command†. In the article of â€Å"Fayol-standing the test of time†, McLean (2011) firstly introduced the contents of the five functions of management and stated that in contemporary society, there are some advantages of these functions to development of the enterprises. First, McLean (2011) stated that with the development of globalized knowledge economy, the abilities of forecasting and planning can gain success in the competition. Second, organizing can ask the managers to carry out an appropriate infrastructure, which will optimize the organi zation’s system, resources, procedures, processes and services and enable knowledge to be disseminated to those who need it, when they need it. Third, McLean (2011) also stated that control is one of the most important responsibilities of a manager and under the control of the managers. Under control of the managers, the policies and strategies can be implemented according to plan and within budget, set timescales and allocated resources. Fourth, under the function of command, the managers can develop a thorough knowledge of their employees, which can generate a positive psychological contract that engages employees with their jobs and the organization. What’s more, Fayol’s managerial functions are frequently cited as the inspiration for the contemporary practice of dividing managerial activity (and management textbooks) into the functions of planning, leading, organizing and controlling (Davidson and Griffin, 2000; Lewis, Goodmand and Fandt ,1995).