Best Orientation Practices For Nurses Term Paper

Best Orientation Practices For Nurses - Term Paper Example In the nursing profession, one of the problems facing nurses involves the retention of nurses. A methodical investigation cited by Kiel (2012) indicates that approximately thirty percent of newly registered nurses abscond from the nursing profession before the end of the first year at the job. Additional investigations showed that a quarter of newly licensed or registered nurses leave their jobs before the end of two years at the job (Kiel, 2012). This has necessitated the need for the introduction of effective orientation programs geared towards equipping these newly licensed nurses with skills and competency to remain at the job. In other words, the main challenge faced by these nurses during orientation is transitioning from being a student to a nursing professional. An article by Brown and Pillar (2014) brings out the fact that health organizations are faced with difficulties relating to how to successfully orient nurses in a bid to help them be accustomed to the daily running of the organizations. According to Robitaille (2013), "An effective orientation process is crucial to help ensure an individual's competency to perform his or her role and familiarize the oriented with an organization's culture, policies, and procedures, and unit-level protocols" (p. C7). In some cases, nurse managers assume the newly employed nurses will orient themselves in the course of their duties. Additionally, some nurse managers fail to ensure orientation of new nurses due to the high costs involved in such orientations.

Discuss How Shakespeare Uses Language Essay Example for Free

Discuss How Shakespeare Uses Language Essay Discuss how Shakespeare uses language and dramatic techniques for character development in Act 2 Scene 2 of Measure for Measure. Shakespeare uses a variety of linguistic devices and dramatic techniques for character development from Act 2 Scene 2 to Scene 4. We see Angelo’s precise, business-like persona transform to temptation, and final cruelty whilst we see the true, confident side of Isabella as as she attempts to convince Angelo to reverse his judgement, but eventually loses her ignorant hope on the realisation of his true ‘purpose’. In Act 2 Scene 2 Shakespeare portrays Angelo as precise, intelligently dealing with the pleas of Isabella to save the life of her brother by reversing the death sentence that has been handed down to him. The scene begins with the Provost and Angelo discussing Claudio’s punishment. The Provost dares to ask Angelo if he really wants Claudio murdered, ‘All sects, all ages smack of this vice, and he to die for’t!’, and Angelo states that he does, ‘Did not I tell yea? Hast thou no order? Why dost thou ask again? ’. Shakespeare instantly uses dramatic technique of foreshadowing the conflict that is to follow through the sharp words exchanged between the two. Provost then asks what’s to be done with the woman he got pregnant, Juliet. Angelo still refuses to relent, and says that Juliet, who is in labour, should go to a more fitting place, away from everything that is going on ‘Dispose of her To some more fitter place’ Shakespeare’s lexical choice conveys his ruthless nature to the audience, in this context would mean ‘send her away’, but of course reading the text using more modern language; ‘dispose’ is an unpleasant word, especially when referring to a human being, where it seems incongruous, especially in reference to a pregnant woman, thus subtly foreshadowing the revealing of Angelo’s animalistic nature later in the scene. Angelo also calls Juliet a ‘fornicatress’, the harsh constanents of the name once again conjuring the theme that is constantly present through the play, that of appearance versus reality. Although Juliet appears from Angelo’s quick appraisal to be just a sinful person, her reality is far more complex; she is much better than most women of the time, she is not a prostitute or adulterer, rather her only fault was not securing a marriage contract before she slept with her fiancee. She is actually a woman of strength and principle, not the simple sinner that Angelo’s developing harsh, cruel character reduces her to. Isabella comes to see Angelo innocently, as shy as she appeared in her first scene at the nunnery, and begins to plead with him for Claudio’s life, ‘I have a brother is condemned to die. I do beseech you, let it be his fault, And not my brother’. Angelo is portrayed to be business-like and unrelenting, ‘Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it? Why, every fault’s condemned ere it be done’ but Lucio urges her to persist, encouraging her ‘Ay, touch him, there’s the vein’ acting as a kind of Greek chorus for the audience. She does, and calls upon Angelo’s pity, mercy, and moderation; she recognises that Angelo has the power to enforce the law in full, but impresses upon him that one must use power with moderation. Isabella’s strategy is a keen one, trying to persuade Angelo to have the same mercy for her brother that she has. Once again, the issue of mercy is urged upon Angelo, as is the theme of human weakness, which all, Isabella stresses, fall victim to. Her character is portrayed as increasingly canny, when she has to be; her argument is strong and persuasive, although it is not her argument that causes Angelo to relent, but his attraction to her. Isabella also touches upon the theme of use of power; ‘it is excellent to have a giant’s strength,’ she tells Angelo, ‘but it is tyrannous to use it as a giant’, making an allusion to ‘Jove’ to demonstrate her point even the gods, with tremendous power, know how best to use their awesome abilities. This is another lesson that Angelo’s character must learn; for although he can use the law to its full extent if he wishes, he has to learn how to temper his power with mercy and heed moderation. Comparing the characters of Angelo and Isabella, one could argue that Isabella is ‘the symbol of goodness and mercy set against a background of moral decay’. Alternatively, one could see her character as self-righteous and hypocritical, as we later discover when she values her chastity higher than her brother’s life. Isabella continues arguing with Angelo until he finally relents and tells her to come back the next day to hear his judgement. Everyone leaves, and Angelo speaks a rather striking soliloquy, apparently talking to himself ‘†¦what art thou Angelo? Dost thou desire her foully for those things that make her good? ’. Thus, through Shakespeare’s staging, we learn that Angelo admits to himself that he is in love with Isabella because of her virtue and purity. Often characters in Shakespeare’s plays have soliloquies but they do not often refer to themselves in third person and when they do, it is often a sign of madness. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting this as a sign for Angelo. What is certain is that he is struggling with an inward battle between what he knows he should do and what he desires to do, as his develops and starts questioning the morality of his own character. It is with great irony that Isabellas call to Angelo to mark the weaknesses in his own heart is answered by Angelos acknowledgement that he is tempted by Isabella. It is this temptation that brings from Angelo his first statement of mercy toward Claudio: ‘O, let her brother live! Thieves for their robbery have authority when judges steal themselves!’ Shakespeare shows how Angelo realises that with experience of ones own weakness comes mercy for others failings; however, he soon ignores this lesson, and falls into hypocrisy in Act 2 Scene 4. In this scene, Isabella comes back the next day as Angelo had asked, and he begins by saying that Claudio must die. Isabella begins to leave, but Angelo begins to tempt her to save her brother, by offering herself instead. Isabella ignorantly misunderstands Angelo’s subtle sexual offer, and he is forced to tell her plainly that if she sleeps with him he will let Claudio live. Angelo accuses her of hypocrisy, and they discuss the frailty of women. In terms of character development in this scene, Angelo begins in a state of agitation, pondering why he cannot pray and with a new awareness of how the appearance of things might not be true to reality. Where before Angelo was unified in his intentions and actions, he has now become internally divided, ‘O place, O form, How often does thou with thy case, thy habit, Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls to thy false seeming! Blood, thou art blood. ’- questioning the power of authority, position and outward appearance to convince even wise men that false men are virtuous. Shakespeare uses language of coercion, ‘wrench’ and ‘tie’, and apostrophe – ‘O place, O form’ to perhaps illustrate the sophisticated and baffling nature of false appearances. Shakespeare also shows how Angelo is beginning to seduce Isabella with subtle and ambiguous lexis, but moving more and more towards blunt, harsh and animalistic discourse as the scene progresses. ‘I have begun, and now I give my sensual race the rein’; Shakespeare shows how Angelo has almost been possessed by his animal side. This is perhaps emphasised by the use of horse imagery, ‘race the rein’, as well as the use of plosives and dentals ‘fit they consent to my sharp appetite’, drawing attention to his teeth and lips, reinforcing his sexual lust and passion for Isabella. When Isabella enters, however, she meekly accepts Angelo’s judgement, but as the scene progresses she continues to find her voice. As Angelo descends into sensuality, she seems to become more pious and religously extreme, almost swapping roles with Angelo. ‘Th’ impression of keen whips I’d wear as rubies, and strip myself to death’ – Shakespeare uses images of love, death and falgellation to express her disgust at the idea of submitting to Angelo. Though the sentiment is spiritual, the language and images are highly physical, suggesting that her character would resist the carnal sexuality by yielding herself to more gruesome lovers: torture and death. Her innocence is also shattered by Angelo’s crass offer – she seems shocked to find out that justice might not be as perfect as it appears. Her naivety is gradually stripped away as Angelo easily overcomes her threat to expose him, and she sees that virtue does not necessarily triumph over iniquity. Yet, she still has ignorant faith in the honour of her brother, Claudio, and trusts that he will defend her honour even at the cost of his life.

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest †The Movie :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest – The Movie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, tells the story of McMurphy, a convict, who is sent to a mental institution because he believes he is insane.   In actuality McMurphy, is sane when he comes to the mental ward, he only wants to get out of the work that jail time entails.   It is believed that his stay in the mental ward is what drives the man insane.   While in the mental ward, he interacts with the patients of his ward and ends up changing their worlds completely.   When two different societies are combined, they undoubtedly will change one another.   This is the case when McMurphy coming from the "real" world, a society where a person can do what he pleases, is associated with the mental ward patients, whose lives are completely controlled by their nurses and their routines.   McMurphy and the patients have a significant effect on each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mental ward and the world that McMurphy comes from are completely different.   The mental ward is completely based on rules.   The patients' lives are based on the routine that their nurse, Nurse Ratched, has established for them.   Nurse Ratched believes that the rules she sets for the patients are in their best interest or getting better.   The nurses have entire control over the patients.   They are locked into their beds every night, get up at the same time, they eat at the same time, and they watch tv at the same time every day.   The patients follow Nurse Ratched's rule without ever questioning them.   Basically, they have no minds of their own.   McMurphy comes from a society almost opposite of the mental ward.   He has lived his whole life doing what he wants.   He has never had a nurse hovering over him telling him what he has to do at all time.   Being in prison shows that McMurphy has a hard time living by the rules.   So living by strict rules of the mental ward is going to be even harder for him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Living in the mental ward is very hard for McMurphy at first.   The patients and McMurphy cannot understand one another so socializing with them is hard for him.   When he begins to interact with them, he has a profound effect on the patients of the mental ward.

Environmental Conflicts In Literature :: essays research papers

Conflicts are a very prominent element in literature. If you were to look up the dictionary definition of â€Å"conflict†, you would find that it is a â€Å"struggle, controversy, or fight.† Conflicts can take many forms, and each has its own place in literature. Environmental conflicts are certainly one of the more recognized and appreciated types of conflicts. They are easy to identify, understand, and analyze. An environment can be described as one’s surroundings, so logically, an environmental conflict is a conflict with one’s surroundings. Environmental conflicts pit man against a greater power, and it is unsure what will happen next. Throughout [good] literature, a vast array of environmental conflicts can be found. Let us take a look at â€Å"Leiningen Versus the Ants,† by Carl Stephenson. In this story, environmental conflicts are exceedingly prevalent. In fact, the entire story is built upon the â€Å"act of God† that Leiningen faces. A twenty square mile army of ants threatens Leiningen’s plantation and his life. The ants prove to be a formidable opponent, even for a man of such cunning as Leiningen. They represent the power and unpredictability of nature—a perfect example of an environmental conflict. Not all environmental conflicts are huge, apocalyptic, catastrophic events. They can be as simple or commonplace as a tree falling. Such is the case in â€Å"The Interlopers,† by Saki. Saki recognizes the power of nature, and makes use of something so unimportant as a fallen tree to trap Ulrich and Georg beneath it, and dramatically alter the course of the entire story. Not only that, but at the end of the story, Saki uses wolves to change the direction of the story once more, and this time he creates some irony as well. In almost all cases, the environment does triumph over man in some way or another. â€Å"To Build a Fire,† by Jack London is a prime example of this happening to a large extent. A man and his dog are lost in the wilderness at sub-zero temperatures, and he is not only involved in an environmental conflict, but a struggle to live. Eventually the man dies of hypothermia. Again, this is another instance that illustrates the power that nature has over us.

Effects of Colonization on the New World

The effects of colonization on the New World have been a controversial topic for some time. Many historians have debated for centuries about how good or bad colonization was and there are many different aspects that you must look at. Even after all this time the question still stands, unanswered, what is the impact of colonization on the New World. The first thing that the colonists did that had an impact on the New World was trading goods with the Indians. The natives were so unaccustomed to all the new items important and fickle that they would â€Å"give valuable things for trifles† just because they didn’t know.More importantly, however, was the introduction tools and weapons. All the natives were lacking and unaccustomed to every type of iron and weapon that the explorers had brought. This had a large impact on the new world because with the new implementation of these new tools the inhabitants could now work more efficiently and protect themselves better. Tools an d weapons were not the only important items that the explorers introduced to the natives that had a great impact. When explorers arrived at some parts of the new world they realized â€Å" they have no fruit trees nor do they know of such.†When colonists them implemented fruit trees and plants it created a new, more convenient, way of producing and gathering food. Furthermore, the natives of the new world were unfamiliar with fishing. The introduction of this concept also created an easier and much more reliable food source to help the Americas grow and become more advanced. Not everybody agrees that colonization was a positive thing for the New World. The Spaniards in particular caused major damage to the New World.â€Å"Among these gentle sheep†¦ the Spaniards entered†¦ like wolves, tigers, and lions which had been starving for many days† not only did they enter and kill people to establish dominance but over 500,000 were killed from being transported to Hi spaniola. All over the country native populations were wiped by new explorers. Not all of the colonists were hostile towards the natives either. Chief Powhatan even composes a speech requesting a friendship of sorts with the natives. He implores that the colonists â€Å"sleep comfortably, live quietly with my women and children.†This shows that the Indians believe the colonists to be people of reason and good deeds if he is wishing to have an alliance with them. He even goes on to say that he wishes to be friends and trade copper and hatchets together. The disease and transportation also didn’t cause a decline in population across the board either. â€Å"Some Indian groups are more populous today than in 1492. † And more importantly we must look at what Columbus and the explorers did as a whole; they created â€Å"the single most important event in the emergence of our modern sense that we are all together living on one planet.†In other, more understandab le terms, they brought everybody together as a whole. Lastly, there is a major misconception that must be put straight. People believe that Indians were poor and un-evolved across the whole border. This however is not the case. The city of Tenochtitlan is a great example of this. For one, the city was so advanced they had a ruler who everybody worshiped religiously. He is so highly regarded that when he is addressed people do not look him in the eyes as a sign of respect. Secondly, the city of Tenochtitlan was highly decorated with precious metals and stones.â€Å"Every object†¦imitated in gold, silver, precious stones, and feathers. † In conclusion, the New World had many positive impacts as a result of colonization for the Old World. The colonists brought many useful tools and weapons along with new crops for farming and food gathering strategies like fishing. Along with that colonists made some alliances with natives and by doing so brought the whole world closer and more connected as a whole. Of course there are negative impacts but at the conclusion of it all the ends do justify the means. Effects of Colonization on the New World The effects of colonization on the New World have been a controversial topic for some time. Many historians have debated for centuries about how good or bad colonization was and there are many different aspects that you must look at. Even after all this time the question still stands, unanswered, what is the impact of colonization on the New World. The first thing that the colonists did that had an impact on the New World was trading goods with the Indians. The natives were so unaccustomed to all the new items important and fickle that they would â€Å"give valuable things for trifles† just because they didn’t know.More importantly, however, was the introduction tools and weapons. All the natives were lacking and unaccustomed to every type of iron and weapon that the explorers had brought. This had a large impact on the new world because with the new implementation of these new tools the inhabitants could now work more efficiently and protect themselves better. Tools an d weapons were not the only important items that the explorers introduced to the natives that had a great impact. When explorers arrived at some parts of the new world they realized â€Å" they have no fruit trees nor do they know of such.†When colonists them implemented fruit trees and plants it created a new, more convenient, way of producing and gathering food. Furthermore, the natives of the new world were unfamiliar with fishing. The introduction of this concept also created an easier and much more reliable food source to help the Americas grow and become more advanced. Not everybody agrees that colonization was a positive thing for the New World. The Spaniards in particular caused major damage to the New World.â€Å"Among these gentle sheep†¦ the Spaniards entered†¦ like wolves, tigers, and lions which had been starving for many days† not only did they enter and kill people to establish dominance but over 500,000 were killed from being transported to Hi spaniola. All over the country native populations were wiped by new explorers. Not all of the colonists were hostile towards the natives either. Chief Powhatan even composes a speech requesting a friendship of sorts with the natives. He implores that the colonists â€Å"sleep comfortably, live quietly with my women and children.†This shows that the Indians believe the colonists to be people of reason and good deeds if he is wishing to have an alliance with them. He even goes on to say that he wishes to be friends and trade copper and hatchets together. The disease and transportation also didn’t cause a decline in population across the board either. â€Å"Some Indian groups are more populous today than in 1492. † And more importantly we must look at what Columbus and the explorers did as a whole; they created â€Å"the single most important event in the emergence of our modern sense that we are all together living on one planet.†In other, more understandab le terms, they brought everybody together as a whole. Lastly, there is a major misconception that must be put straight. People believe that Indians were poor and un-evolved across the whole border. This however is not the case. The city of Tenochtitlan is a great example of this. For one, the city was so advanced they had a ruler who everybody worshiped religiously. He is so highly regarded that when he is addressed people do not look him in the eyes as a sign of respect. Secondly, the city of Tenochtitlan was highly decorated with precious metals and stones.â€Å"Every object†¦imitated in gold, silver, precious stones, and feathers. † In conclusion, the New World had many positive impacts as a result of colonization for the Old World. The colonists brought many useful tools and weapons along with new crops for farming and food gathering strategies like fishing. Along with that colonists made some alliances with natives and by doing so brought the whole world closer and more connected as a whole. Of course there are negative impacts but at the conclusion of it all the ends do justify the means.

Sir Edward Coke essays

Sir Edward Coke essays Sir Edward Coke, one of the most famous jurist and politicians in English history, was born on February 1, 1552 in Mileham, Norfolk, England. He was educated at Norwich Grammar School and Trinity College in Cambridge, and entered the, Inner Temple or colleges in the university of law in 1572. It did not take long before he established himself as one of the most notorious lawyers in the English Monarch. Some of his most famous cases include the Cromwell libel case, implicating sedition to Edward Denny for words expressed about Henry, Lord Cromwell, and Shelly. It became a influential decision in the history of English land law. Under the sponsorship of William Cecil and Lord Burghly, Sir Edward Coke entered into the public service sector and quickly rose, becoming a member of the Parliament for Aldeburgh in 1589 and solicitor general and recorder of London in 1592. Just one year later, after showing great skill in carrying out Queen Elizabeths policy of curbing the Commons passion for discussing ecclesiastical matters, Sir Edward Coke was elected speaker of the House of Commons. Up until this point in Cokes life, he had encountered little competition for posts that he desired. In 1593, Cokes path crossed that of Francis Bacon. Bacon and Coke were in direct competition for the attorney generals position. Bacon, supported by the Earl of Essex, was the favorite to win the position. Sir Edward Coke was not one though to down without a fight. He campaigned on his own behalf and soon gained enough support to win the appointment in 1594. To ice the cake, Coke even prevented Bacon from becoming solicitor general. This was not the twos last encounter. A few years later, instead of fighting over a political position, they were fighting over a woman. The lucky lady was Elizabeth Hatton. Guess who won? Yep, you guess it, Sir Edward Coke. Now lets get back to Coke&ap...

Free Essays on The Incidence of Tuberculosis Among Low Income People

Background i. Statement of the problem People in economically disadvantaged positions living in medically under-served communities are at an increased risk for tuberculosis. The disease does continue to be a barometer of poverty and race, but there are other significant factors associated with the incidence of TB. Studies in South Africa suggest that those qualified as black or coloured had significantly less access to health care, and thus stood less chance of being diagnosed than their white counterparts (Andersson 1990). Those in this disadvantaged condition tended to suffer disproportionately from other socio-economic related medical factors, such as malnutrition and incidence of HIV/AIDS that are closely linked with the incidence of TB. The pattern is similar in other countries, including the USA. The problem in the United States is that there is limited population-based data on TB by social class (Lifson et al. 1999). There is even less data on the incidence of seeking medical care between the onset of symptoms and the visit to a medical center. The incidence of TB is indeed higher among low income people because they are less likely to seek medical care. But the objective of this study is to suggest that there are other critical factors in the complex social dimension of public health problems associated with TB. These will be discussed in parts iii and iv of this section. ii. Literature review During the 1980s and 1990s, there have been dramatic transformations in the epidemiology of tuberculosis in the United States (Bloch et al. 1996). As TB morbidity began to increase in 1985, after an all-time U.S. low, a significant number of studies were begun to explain the phenomenon. Some of the conclusions of this study will be based on the extensive current literature attempting to explain this recent increase in TB morbidity. Two of the most important factors have been the available evidence on HIV co-inf... Free Essays on The Incidence of Tuberculosis Among Low Income People Free Essays on The Incidence of Tuberculosis Among Low Income People THE INCIDENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG LOW INCOME PEOPLE Introduction This paper explores whether the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is higher among low income people because they are less likely to seek medical care. It investigates two urban districts that compare in terms of race and income level, these being Harlem and West Central, USA. To determine the role of race and economic disadvantage in the incidence of tuberculosis in these geographic areas, ethnographic methods were used to analyze the information. It appears that there are significant race and class dimensions to the incidence of tuberculosis in these areas, but there are other confounding factors – such as (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV and the times at which sufferers sought medical help. This study suggests that there is a pressing need to improve our understanding of the socio-economic aspects of problems affecting public health, such as TB in the United States. Background i. Statement of the problem People in economically disadvantaged positions living in medically under-served communities are at an increased risk for tuberculosis. The disease does continue to be a barometer of poverty and race, but there are other significant factors associated with the incidence of TB. Studies in South Africa suggest that those qualified as black or coloured had significantly less access to health care, and thus stood less chance of being diagnosed than their white counterparts (Andersson 1990). Those in this disadvantaged condition tended to suffer disproportionately from other socio-economic related medical factors, such as malnutrition and incidence of HIV/AIDS that are closely linked with the incidence of TB. The pattern is similar in other countries, including the USA. The problem in the United States is that there is limited population-based data on TB by social class (Lifson et al. 1999). There is even less data on the incidence of seek... Free Essays on The Incidence of Tuberculosis Among Low Income People Background i. Statement of the problem People in economically disadvantaged positions living in medically under-served communities are at an increased risk for tuberculosis. The disease does continue to be a barometer of poverty and race, but there are other significant factors associated with the incidence of TB. Studies in South Africa suggest that those qualified as black or coloured had significantly less access to health care, and thus stood less chance of being diagnosed than their white counterparts (Andersson 1990). Those in this disadvantaged condition tended to suffer disproportionately from other socio-economic related medical factors, such as malnutrition and incidence of HIV/AIDS that are closely linked with the incidence of TB. The pattern is similar in other countries, including the USA. The problem in the United States is that there is limited population-based data on TB by social class (Lifson et al. 1999). There is even less data on the incidence of seeking medical care between the onset of symptoms and the visit to a medical center. The incidence of TB is indeed higher among low income people because they are less likely to seek medical care. But the objective of this study is to suggest that there are other critical factors in the complex social dimension of public health problems associated with TB. These will be discussed in parts iii and iv of this section. ii. Literature review During the 1980s and 1990s, there have been dramatic transformations in the epidemiology of tuberculosis in the United States (Bloch et al. 1996). As TB morbidity began to increase in 1985, after an all-time U.S. low, a significant number of studies were begun to explain the phenomenon. Some of the conclusions of this study will be based on the extensive current literature attempting to explain this recent increase in TB morbidity. Two of the most important factors have been the available evidence on HIV co-inf...

The History of Black Women in the 1950s

The History of Black Women in the 1950s African-American women are an essential part of our collective history. The following is a chronology of events and birthdates for women involved in African-American history, from 1950-1959. 1950 Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize (for Annie Allen). Althea Gibson became the first African-American to play at Wimbledon. Juanita Hall became the first African-American to win a Tony Award, for playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific. January 16: Debbie Allen born (choreographer, actor, director, producer). February 2: Natalie Cole born (singer; daughter of Nat King Cole). 1951 July 15: Mary White Ovington died (social worker, reformer, NAACP founder).   Linda Browns father sued the Topeka, Kansas, school board because she had to travel by bus to a school for African-American children when she could walk to the segregated school for white children only.  This would become the  Brown v. Board of Education  landmark civil rights case. 1952 September:  Autherine Juanita Lucy and Pollie Myers applied to the University of Alabama and were accepted. Their acceptances were rescinded when the university discovered they were not white. They took the case to court, and it took three years to resolve the case. 1954 Norma Sklarek became the first African-American woman licensed as an architect. Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-Amerian woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, for playing the lead role in Carmen Jones. January 29: Oprah Winfrey born (first African-American woman billionaire, first African-American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show). September 22: Shari Belafonte-Harper born (actress). May 17: In Brown v. Board of Education, Supreme Court ordered schools to desegregate with all deliberate speed - finds separate but equal public facilities to be unconstitutional. July 24: Mary Church Terrell died (activist, clubwoman). 1955 May 18: Mary McLeod Bethune died. July: Rosa Parks attended a workshop at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, learning effective tools for civil rights organizing. August 28: Emmett Till, 14 years old, was killed by a white mob in Mississippi after he was accused of whistling at a white woman. December 1: Rosa Parks was arrested when she refused to give up a seat and move to the rear of the bus, triggering the Montgomery bus boycott. Marian Anderson became the first African-American member of the Metropolitan Opera company. 1956 Mae Jemison born (astronaut, physician). Hundreds of women and men in Montgomery walked for miles to work rather than use the buses as part of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. A court ordered the University of Alabama to admit Autherine Juanita Lucy, who filed a lawsuit in 1952 (see above). She was admitted but was barred from dormitories and dining halls.  She enrolled on February 3 as a graduate student in library science, the first black student admitted to a white public school or university in Alabama. The university expelled her in March, claiming she had slandered the school, after riots broke out and the courts ordered the university to protect her. In 1988, the university annulled the expulsion and she returned to school, earning her M.A. degree in education in 1992. The school even named a clock tower for her, and featured her portrait in the student union honoring her initiative and courage. December 21: The Supreme Court ruled bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama was unconstitutional. 1957 African-American students, advised by NAACP activist Daisy Bates, desegregated a Little Rock, Arkansas, school under the protection of military troops ordered in by the federal government. April 15: Evelyn Ashford was born (athlete, track and field; four Olympic gold medals, Track and Field Womens Hall of Fame). Althea Gibson became the first African-American tennis player to win at Wimbledon and the first African-American to win the U.S. Open. The Associated Press named Althea Gibson their Woman Athlete of the Year. 1958 August 16: Angela Bassett born (actress). 1959 March 11: Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry became the first Broadway play written by an African-American woman - Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil starred. January 12: Motown Records founded in Detroit after Berry Gordy deferred working for Billy Davis and Gordys sisters Gwen and Anna at Anna Records; female stars from Motown included Diane Ross and the Supremes, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah. December 21: Florence Griffith-Joyner born (athlete, track and field; first African-American to win four medals in one Olympics; sister-in-law of Jackie Joyner-Kersee).

International management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International management - Essay Example Even though my previous academic achievements qualify me for a high-level employment opportunity in a management profession, becoming an all-round and outstanding chief executive is my immediate objective. Completing the program in a recognized institution and working for an outstanding organization are, therefore, the important ladders to my dream. Getting an opportunity with such kind of an employer, however, depends on the program that I intend to pursue and the institution from which the degree is acquired. The high level of competition that has arisen in the job market has also prompted my desire to take international management as my second master’s degree in order to match the current high and diversified academic qualifications employers require. Upon completion of the program, I intend to work with a multinational hotel, in which I shall have an opportunity to manage diversified cultures in different legal environments. Using my acquired skills from the course to contribute back to the society is also my aim. I, for instance, intend to apply the acquired knowledge to lecture in ‘business-oriented’ institutions besides contributing in public forums. Upon achieving my professional objective, I also aim at attaining a social status that will command authority to influence and mobilize the youth into productive activities such as entrepreneurial ventures and pursuit for higher education. This is because the youth currently lack professional figures with such authority and my level of passion. However, I can achieve such a social goal only through completing this master’s degree in international management for a highly regarded professional status. Besides my professional and social interest in the program, I have a wide base of strengths that guarantee my ability to complete the degree within the duration stipulated by the institution. Apart from completing my bachelor’s degree, which

Data Minining and Data Discovery Research Paper

Data Minining and Data Discovery - Research Paper Example However, the data that is analyzed via different techniques is fetched from data warehouses, where many databases are interconnected with each other. Major techniques that are involved in the process of data miming are regression, classification and clustering. Data mining is incorporated for gaining in depth patterns for market intelligence from data warehouses containing massive amount of data. However, the issue that arises is not the quantity of data, as we already have massive amount of data to work with, it is the methodology that is required to learn data. 3 Data Mining 3NF is usually recommended for a corporate environment managing massive amount of replicated data. For instance there is no requirement of saving data several times. However, there is a requirement of doing more joins. Comparatively, 1NF will provide the functionality of storing replicated data regardless of number of joins. It is the choice of database administrator to evaluate what is the right form; it may b e 3NF or 1 NF. Moreover, normalization comprises of five rules that are applied on a relational database. The main objective is to eliminate or minimize the redundancy and at the same time increasing database efficiency. The negative part illustrates that too much implementation of normalization can cause issues. The objective is to deploy the highest acceptable level of normalization. If we compare three of these NF’s, the 1NF removes replication in groups. The 2NF reduces data replication or redundancy and the 3NF reduces columns from the tables that are not reliant on primary keys. Therefore, database design must demonstrate the highest level of normalization possible, in order to make database efficient and robust. In order to maintain 3 large databases for a VLDB and to keep them efficient for two years if required, there is a requirement for constructing a ‘store and forward’ mechanism that will process the data or information from and through each distribu tion center database. Likewise, at the same time embrace that data or information pending till the completion of EDW. Moreover, data archiving is also required for maintaining each distribution center becoming a VLDB. EDW is efficient enough to support this scenario. A study demonstrated the overall cost of this disease throughout the world is $376 Billion annually. It is now almost fundamental that a person exceeding an age of 60 have more chances to get this disease, as it is now considered as the fourth largest live taking disease globally along with making its name for the fourth most common disease that contributes to a death of a person. However, the most common of all diabetes is the type 2. As there are almost 20% habitants suffering from in the United Arab Emirates alone, many research studies and debates are conducted yearly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Moreover, awareness sessions are conducted in every town of the cities to aware the people about this disease (MoH launches se cond phase of diabetes campaign.2010). However, this case study demonstrates the disease diabetes and medical data associated with patients from the Middle east region i.e. United Arab Emirates for discovering concealed patterns and the valuable information that can be utilized for decision making process. In addition, these informed decisions are performed by medical personnel

Essay question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essay question - Assignment Example The Roman Empire was ruled Patricians and they were considered to be the most powerful ones in the region. It has been known that there was a lot of mismanagement and uneven distribution of wealth in the Roman Empire. The poor got poorer and rich got richer. The Roman leaders involved in battles, trying to capture territories of their allies, them being not present in the capital to handle state affairs and other such matters led to the Roman demise. Eventually, the death of Julius Ceaser proved to be the last nail in the coffin of once great and mighty Roman Empire and led to its demise. Clarifier: Before the 20th century, muckrakers were simple investigative journalists but with the start of 20th century they worked as reform journalist and started a movement to finish off corruption in the system. The Muckrakers are known as pioneers of proper investigative journalism in the history. Historical Significance: The muckrakers and their movement in the 1900s was aimed to improve the standard of journalism. The movement started in the early 1900s and was very popular till the Second World War. They worked to expose social ills in the society and to stop corruption in the system. After the Second World War this movement faced its end due to dirty political skills showed by the government. Clarifier: Sit-Down Strikes gave way to a new sort of protest so that the authorities would have no other option but to meet their demands in order to start the progress otherwise they would have to face huge losses. Historical Significance: History is full of examples of sit-down strikes in which workers of factories protested for raises or bonuses. One such example is the strikes of American factory workers during the industrial revolution. More than 3,000 workers stopped work and protested. Other notable examples include the strike of United Auto Workers and the French revolt which is marked till today on May 1st every year. Historical

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the Literature review

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the and backgroud chapter on monday - Literature review Example The market also does asset valuation, arbitrage, raise capital, commercial transactions and invest in bond, stock or money. Besides, all these, the market also does forex risk management (Levinson, 2005). Forex has four interdependent spot markets where currencies are traded. These are the spot market, futures market, option market and derivatives market. Most of the time, these markets are availed by key actors in direct and indirect investments, such as, exporters, importers, investors, speculators, and governments. Trading is often done at interbank markets and financial institutions although the most common currency traded is the US dollars. Exchange rates are managed either in fixed rate, semi-fixed systems, and floating rates. Forex Risk Management Forex risk management is basically protecting a foreign currency from losing value against the domestic (Levinson, 2005) â€Å"currency before an export payment is received as well as enabling markets to attach price to risk, permit ting firms and individual to trade risks until they’d hold to what they wanted to retain† (Russell, 2011). ... Investors, either individual or institutional, who are motivated to and to gain capital are assured of this market’s system of resiliency in risk management (Russell, 2011). This is further supported by the institutionalization of formal markets where investors can immediately raise capital by selling shares at the stock exchange (Russell, 2011). The foreign exchange is a huge trading market that is geographically dispersed and exchanges could either be favorable or not depending on the measures of risk management employed otherwise it can be limiting â€Å"trade lot size, hedging, trading only during certain hours or days, or knowing when to take losses†(Milton, 2011). Forex trading may seem easy, but in all honesty so difficult, indeed. Traders would either experience sudden corrections in currency exchange rates; bewildering variations in exchange rates; susceptibility to market’s rapid change for profit opportunities; lost payments; delay in the confirmation of receivables and fees; discrepancy of bank drafts received and the contract price †(Milton, 2011). Tools for Forex Risk Management How should a trader control his loses? Expert in trading currency suggested that investors should think twice to set limits on potential â€Å"pressure or drawdown† one is willing to stake in trading. They also advise make use of â€Å"correct lot sizes and to start at lower amount depending on one’s level of risk tolerance (Easy Forex, 2011). But for experts, the best rule is to utilize small account balance. They also advised tract â€Å"overall exposure† to be abreast of the developments and correlation of currency pairs (Easy Forex, 2011). Gain complete risk control and define your opportunity when the right

Project management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project management - Case Study Example Utilisation Utilization = Actual output/ Design capacity In this case the actual output is 12,000kg and designed capacity of 20,000kg. Utilization will be; 12,000/20,000*100%= 60%. 60% utilization determine the effective capacity since if the plant is not turned on, then the effective capacity is zero. Ultimately, the dry cleaner designs will have some redundancies which lead to simple de-bottlenecking "adding" to capacity.   v. Efficiency Efficiency is the actual output as determined through a percent of effective capacity. Hence, it is given as; actual output / effective capacity. In this case study, efficiency will be; (12,000/16,000) * 100% = 75%. (b) Managing Actual Output, Utilisation and Efficiency of the resources available The concern in the dry cleaning business is more on productivity that relates to competitiveness. The business will not be able to earn greater profit or charge a lower price. There is need for the business to increase its efficiency from 75% to over 80% to boost operational efficiency whenever probable. Utilization as well is at 60% which is low. The solutions to increasing utilization is through keeping the dry cleaning equipment in proper operational conditions, correcting quality problems, reducing bottlenecks and training of employees (Krajewski & Ritzman 2005). In order to increase the actual output, the company must use a benchmarking method which measures capacity from choice of one not requiring adjustment or constant updates. The dry cleaning company can benchmark the existing operational efficiency against other efficient dry cleaners in the locality whether in emerging or mature markets. The next step is to evaluate the efficiency of work process to point out areas requiring improvement. Finally, the company can develop solutions meant to increase performance in these areas. This can include checking the speed of receipt of garments, sorting, cleaning, drying and packaging of cleaned clothes. Increasing the hours worked for each employee is one input which should be increased to over 70% but by not increasing the number of employees to run the dry cleaning business (Krajewski & Ritzman 2005). The gains or losses must be tracked and performance standards established. The company should also create worksheets capturing weekly, monthly and yearly data. Question 2 Devise and implement a brief project management plan to include; a) Scope Management Scope management ensures clarity of project guidelines drawn from the triple constraints such as cost, quality and time or schedule. For instance, a construction project synchronises the triple constraints to drive stakeholders’ perceptions of the success of the project. The scope of the project plan is monitored for probable changes if the scope of the project changes (Carly 2004). Agreeing on the scope ensures minimal rework which commits extra resources, time and cost overruns. In the case of the construction project, the prefabs will take 45 days to complete 4 houses. The expected project cost will be $4500. This project is anticipated to be made of cedar, cemented floor and Gall sheet roofing. The project will involve a sufficient amount of work, only necessary work is carried out and work completed contributes to success of the construction project. The project will use existing technology since it is conventional (Thieraus et al 2009). The scope is clearly defined and the design

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the Literature review

The topic is forex risk management but i need to hand in the and backgroud chapter on monday - Literature review Example The market also does asset valuation, arbitrage, raise capital, commercial transactions and invest in bond, stock or money. Besides, all these, the market also does forex risk management (Levinson, 2005). Forex has four interdependent spot markets where currencies are traded. These are the spot market, futures market, option market and derivatives market. Most of the time, these markets are availed by key actors in direct and indirect investments, such as, exporters, importers, investors, speculators, and governments. Trading is often done at interbank markets and financial institutions although the most common currency traded is the US dollars. Exchange rates are managed either in fixed rate, semi-fixed systems, and floating rates. Forex Risk Management Forex risk management is basically protecting a foreign currency from losing value against the domestic (Levinson, 2005) â€Å"currency before an export payment is received as well as enabling markets to attach price to risk, permit ting firms and individual to trade risks until they’d hold to what they wanted to retain† (Russell, 2011). ... Investors, either individual or institutional, who are motivated to and to gain capital are assured of this market’s system of resiliency in risk management (Russell, 2011). This is further supported by the institutionalization of formal markets where investors can immediately raise capital by selling shares at the stock exchange (Russell, 2011). The foreign exchange is a huge trading market that is geographically dispersed and exchanges could either be favorable or not depending on the measures of risk management employed otherwise it can be limiting â€Å"trade lot size, hedging, trading only during certain hours or days, or knowing when to take losses†(Milton, 2011). Forex trading may seem easy, but in all honesty so difficult, indeed. Traders would either experience sudden corrections in currency exchange rates; bewildering variations in exchange rates; susceptibility to market’s rapid change for profit opportunities; lost payments; delay in the confirmation of receivables and fees; discrepancy of bank drafts received and the contract price †(Milton, 2011). Tools for Forex Risk Management How should a trader control his loses? Expert in trading currency suggested that investors should think twice to set limits on potential â€Å"pressure or drawdown† one is willing to stake in trading. They also advise make use of â€Å"correct lot sizes and to start at lower amount depending on one’s level of risk tolerance (Easy Forex, 2011). But for experts, the best rule is to utilize small account balance. They also advised tract â€Å"overall exposure† to be abreast of the developments and correlation of currency pairs (Easy Forex, 2011). Gain complete risk control and define your opportunity when the right

The consequences of child abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The consequences of child abuse - Essay Example Even though there are rules that are at protecting children, child abuse is still an enormous issue that plagues our future generation. Child abuse negatively affects the physical, mental, emotional and sexual condition of a child. However, there are solutions that are devised to fight child abuse. This article will scrutinize the various forms of child abuse and the solutions that can help solve this issue (Crozier, Hopper and Kolk, 2013). Child abuse can be in different forms. One of the most common child abuse methods is through physical abuse. Physical child abuse is the most noticeable form of child abuse. Physical child abuse is as the tangible harm caused by physical molestation of a child. Physical injury can be enacted by kicking, biting, caning or even burning a child. Physical molestation can also be brought about by use of the improper discipline of a kid. For example, if a parent regularly punishes his/her child using violent methods that entail excessive caning or any other form of physical harm, then the parent has physically hurt his/her child. According to the USDHHS (United States Department of Health and Human Services), inappropriate discipline was the number one cause of physical abuse among children in the year 2007. It is not parents alone that can physically harm children. Children, especially in developing countries can suffer from physical molestation by other adults like teachers. Most develo ping countries lack the legal framework in terms of rules and regulations that protect the children. Consequently, children are brutally disciplined in school and left with physical injuries. Some societies still dwell in the age that believed in the adage ‘spare the rod, spoil your child’. Often, most parents in these societies excessively punish their children. Physical child abuse can be detected by noticing physical injuries like cuts, bruises and broken bones (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Another

Chessington World of adventures Essay Example for Free

Chessington World of adventures Essay In this assignment I am going to investigate the purpose for which an organisation uses ICT. The company that I am going to review is called Chessington World of Adventures. I will also write about the ICT systems used in one department that I have written about in unit 2a. I will write about the marketing department and explain devices they use etc. In the marketing department they use many different types of computers for many different things. Some staff will use their computers for typing long documents or letters; others may use them for creating PowerPoint presentations for various things. In most organisations people will use their computers or a choice of devices for similar things, but this isnt the case in Chessington. Proposed Hardware and Software for a Computer Aided Design Company There are several pieces of computer equipment a design company would need to function efficiently. Firstly they would need the correct input and output devices. To input the data a computer and mouse would be needed, these are standard input devices. The company would perhaps benefit from the use of a light pen rather than a mouse, though this would depend greatly on the software packages they would be using. Another input device that may be useful to the company would be a Graphics Tablet or Digitiser. The user can draw professional quality illustrations onto the flat rectangular surface of the digitiser, using a stylus. The computer traces the movement of the stylus and displays it on the screen. A high-resolution tablet would be needed by a CAD company. A scanner may also be of use to the company, or a digital camera, depending on what exactly the company was designing. Images of high quality can be obtained from the use of a digital camera, and there are many high-resolution scanners that would allow the company to scan in pictures that will be needed in the design of the product they are creating. Whether the company chose a scanner with OCR (optical Character Recognition) would be there choice, though it would not be necessary. The software the company would need would probably be specialist software, rather than off-the-shelf packages. However as well as this the company would need the relevant software to co-ordinate the input and output devices (this normally comes with the hardware). An operating system, such as Microsoft Windows, would be essential, and it may also be useful to the company to have a word processing and a database package. This would allow the company to keep their accounts on computer and allow them to send mail merge letters, for example. Output devices the company would need are obviously a printer. I would expect them to choose a colour laser printer, as this provides the best quality printouts, quickly and quietly. The expense of the toner cartridges would be easily justified, as the plans/posters the company will be creating are essential to their business. If the company need to produce detailed line drawings a plotter would be ideal. The company would also need a visual display unit. As they will undoubtedly want to work with many colours and a high resolution the type of VDU I would recommend is an XGA (extended graphics array), which has a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The company may even want a screen with an even higher resolution. As for the memory required by the company, they will need a very powerful processor, perhaps a 1GB processor. They will also need enough RAM to run all the applications. As well as the company will need non-volatile memory, ROM. This could be anything from magnetic tapes to optical disks. I think it would be advisable for the company to have a large hard disk drive, to save templates on, for example. Floppy Disks would not really be a suitable solution as they arent big enough to hold large picture files, for examples. CD-Rs or CD-RWs would be more suitable to save individual design projects on, and magnetic tape, such as Digital Linear Tape, would be a suitable method of backing storage due its large memory capabilities. Graphics: Graphics are computer-generated images, such as pictures or illustrations. The range of graphics software is extensive and you have probably come across images stored in word processing software (e. g. Clipart) and images created on the computer using lines and shapes (e. g. circles, rectangle, or square). STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT: Before you can design or write a computer program, there are many stages of development that you must go through when doing this process, these are as follow; Analysis of the requirement what does the computer program need to achieve? Design of solution. Development of the program probably broken down the into small subprograms. Implementation and testing of the program, including training of the eventual users of the program. Preparation of documentation, which will include documentation relating to the actual program and documentation for the users (i. e. a users guide or manual). Ongoing maintenance and development of the program. In this department I will mention these components groups: Input Output   Processor   Storage   Ports/Cables Input An input device is any hardware, which is used to enter data into the computer system. Chessingtons keyboards are the most common input devices, which are used. They use a QWERTY keyboard, which is the most common type of keyboard. The name comes from the first six letters on the keyboard. They are based on the design of the first typewriters. Each key is connected to a switch, which closes when the key is pressed. This sends a signal to the CPU based on the characters ASCII code. There is another type of keyboard that is called a Concept keyboard (soft touch keyboard). They are faster but more limited. They are normally used in the food shops and the restaurants around Chessington. Each switch has a symbol on it representing a piece of data stored in the computer like the price. This is designed to meet the needs of the marketing department. The second most popular piece of hardware used in the marketing department is the mouse. There are two or three buttons. When a cursor is over an icon, menu item or edge of a picture the mouse button can be clicked once or double clicked to give the computer a command. It Can also be held down to drag something over the screen. There is a ball under the mouse that moves across a flat surface. Sensors measure the movements of the balls in two directions and from this the computer can measure the distance travelled. This is used to move the cursor on the screen. There are other types of mouses like a: Tracker ball, which works in the same way as a mouse, but the ball is moved by hand so it takes up less space. This is a fiddly method that is not that accurate or quick. The marketing department use this because it is easier to use and more common than the other types of mouses. Touch sensitive pad, which look like small screens. You move your finger across the pad, which moves the cursor. They use less space than a mouse but they are easily damaged and not very reliable. The employees in Chessington dont think its suitable to use. Little pimples work by putting your finger on them and pushing them in the direction you want the cursor to move. They are very small and not very precise/accurate. Output An output device is any hardware used to communicate the result of data processing carried out by the CPU (Central Processing Unit). The most common output device used in the marketing department is a VDU (Visual Display Unit) also more commonly known as a monitor. They are used when visual information is needed. The two ways in which monitors differ are size and resolution. Size is measured in inches across the diagonal of the screen. Most PCs have 17inches and laptops have 12 inches. Resolution changes by the number of pixels/dots, which make up the viewed image on the screen. The two main types of monitors are: LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display), which are used in laptops and some desktops. This is the monitor, which the department uses most of the time when the employees are working in groups or individually. CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes), which are used in PCs. These are the same ones as used in TVs and can be damaging to the eyes when in long use. The marketing department rarely use this because of the consequences and the after effect. Another main output device is a printer. This is used to produce a permanent hard copy of the information on paper. There are three types of printers used in the marketing department: Dot-Matrix Printers also called impact printers, which are the cheapest to buy and operate. The cashiers of shops around Chessington mainly use this in tills. The print head is a template of pins consisting of 9 or 24 arranged in a vertical line or block. Each fibre is formed using a set pattern of some of the pins. The ribbon is a long strip of material with ink on one side. The print head pins push the ribbon on the paper to create a series of dots. The advantages are that it is cheap to buy and operate. The disadvantages are that it is very slow, low resolution and very noisy. An Ink-Jet Printer costs less than a laser printer but better quality than a Dot Matrix. This is the most common type used by many organisations. The main component is the print head. This has lots of tiny nozzles or spouts through which small jets of ink are sprayed on to the paper. The advantages are good resolution-300 to 600, which means you can print good quality documents, and often in colour. Disadvantages are its can be slow when printing in colour, often less than four pages per minute. It can be expensive to run and the cartridges cost more per page than laser printer cartridges. Thirdly the Laser Printer that is also called the page printers because the data to be printed is sent to the printer in complete pages, one at a time. This printer is the type of printer output device that Chessintgon mainly uses. They work in the same way as photocopiers. There are four main parts, which are the electrostatic rotating drum that has a negative electrical charge. The laser reflects on to the drum a mirror image of the page to be printed. Where the page hits the drum the negative charge is removed. When the drum passes over the toner cartridge the ink is attracted to the negatively charged areas of the drum. The ink is then transferred on to the printer paper. The fuser unit heats the paper to fuse the ink onto it. The advantages of a laser printer are very high resolution like 600 dots per inch or more meaning they can print high quality documents. They are also very fast by managing to print over 10 pages per minute and also very quiet. The disadvantages though are they are still quite expensive. There are lots of complex parts inside which are expensive to repair. The marketing department cant use continuous or multi-part stationary. How the CPU controls input and output hardware This shows how the information from the input (hardware) devices transmits information into the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The Central Processing Unit then processes the given information, organises it and then transmits it to the output devices that display it. Processor Storage The main storage of the computer stores all of the data, which is going to be processed. All of the data is entered from an input device. The data will reside in memory while it is being processed, then it will be joined by the results of the processing, which will be contained until it is to be carried out and transferred to an output device. ROM (read only memory) holds predefined program instructions that were written onto the ROM permanently during the manufacturing. These instructions are non-volatile, which means the instructions are unaffected by loss of power, from the computer. RAM (random access memory) is possible to read or write to this type of memory but the contents will be deleted when the power is turned off and the data will not been saved. RAM is also used to hold programs such as Microsoft word while they are running they are held as files on a disk when they are not in use. RAM also holds graphics data, which is shown on the screen, on the VDU. Ports/Cables CABLES AND CONNECTORS: CABLES: The different components of a computer system are connected by the cables. CONNECTORS: Computers have connection signs to show the person where to put the wire in, e. g.if you were to look behind a tower case you can see the mouse sign to where you put in. The Control Unit The control unit (CU) coordinates the work of the whole computer system. It controls the hardware attached to the system by making sure that the command given to the program are activated. It controls the input and output of data, so all the signals go to the right place at the right time and also controls the flow of the data with the CPU. The Arithmetic and Logical Unit This is where the computer processes data by either manipulating it or acting upon it. The Arithmetic part does calculations. The Logic part makes decisions. Immediate Access Store The (IAS) holds any data and programs needed by the computer when they are being used. The CPU reads data and programs kept on the backing storage that is stored temporarily in the IASs memory. The Advantages and Disadvantages of using IT There are different times when to use ICT and when not to. For example when you want to write the same letter to more than one person, it would be ideal to use ICT to do a mail merge on Microsoft Word. If you want to keep permanent records UN damaged then ICT will be the best way. When not to use ICT will be when you just want to make notes, quick drafts or diagrams. When you are not creating anything permanently, just deciding different ideas. The Advantages A computer based filing database system takes up a lot less space than a paper based filing system. Searching for records is a lot easier and quicker. More than one person at a time can access the data if it is a network connection PC. The data is saved/stays in the computers memory and it wont get lost or miss filed. There a fewer staff needed to look after the computer system. Reports can be generated very quickly often by an automated processing routine. The Disadvantages Setting up a computer system is very expensive. Big systems in large organisations such as the NHS cost millions of pounds. Computer systems need to people to maintain and use them. Training costs can be high and the money is wasted if that person leaves. Computer systems are not perfect, if there is a system failure or a power cut, then the important data may get lost or corrupted. It can be easy to copy files and so remove confidential information from the system. The system needs to be kept secure from unauthorised users and hackers. Data Validation and Verification Data Validation Data validation checks the data is the correct type. The computer can perform validation automatically while the data is being entered. There are four main data validation techniques: Range check This makes sure that the data is within the specified range for example a percentage is 0% 100%. Presence check This makes sure that important information has been entered for example when a person orders an item online they need to enter their name, address and credit card number or without these it wont allow it to function. Check digit This checks that numerical data has been entered accurately Data type check This will check to make sure that text has been entered where needed and not numbers for example. Data Verification This is different compared to validation because this is making sure the data that has been input is the same as the original data. There are two main verification techniques: Proof-reading is when a person reads the data that has been entered onto the system and compares with the original, any incorrectly entered data will be edited. Double entry is when the data is entered by twice by two people. The computer then compares the two versions and any found errors are then corrected. Problems with data validation are that it only checks that it is the right type and not whether it is accurate or not. Any problems with the verification program could mean other possible mistakes. Problems with data verification are that double entry is time consuming and can be very expensive. Proof reading is also expensive and doesnt allow for computer error. Analysis In my project, I found the hardest thing was trying to create a booking system. That one page took me four weeks, as I had to type the HTML code, edit it and re edit it. Publisher was much easier to adapt to. There is nothing that I would change to my project as I feel I have done mine the best possible way. One of my problems was trying to insert a calendar on the site. When I did it I couldnt proportion it correctly. The text wasnt as visible as I would have liked unless I proportioned it to the whole page. In the end I chose to abandon the calendar. None of the layouts suited my task so I had re design/alter the way they had done it. I did a different background and colour scheme. When using HTML it was hard remembering to use the American language to write it in instead of English. I did like the way that Publisher toolbar menus were easy to use and understand, for example inserting hyperlinks was much easier than in HTML due to the excellent Microsoft Wizard. I chose Publisher as it actually had a web site creating program unlike Microsoft Word. I thought that this project was good and the way I did it. Next time I do my project I would write out long texts areas in Microsoft Word because it is easier to do alignment, format and spell check the text. I would still use Microsoft Publisher if it was accessible otherwise HTML. I would also try to be more creative next time for example like adding Java features.

Royal Mails Human Resource Strategy

Royal Mails Human Resource Strategy 1.The Royal Mail do have three levels of strategies:- Corporate level -which deals with the overall organization. Ex: Geographical regions, Market selection. Business level strategy is mentioned for each type of business carried out by the Royal mail. Functional level- The Finance, Human Resource Management, Production, Marketing, Research and Development comes under this section. The Corporate strategy of Royal mail is designed in such a way that it shows their ability to cope with the market changes in a positive and negative manner. It is the hardships of the employees and their standard customer services makes the Royal mail to get a competitive advantage over its competitors like TNT, DHL etc. Royal Mail which was once said to be the Monopolist in the field of Postal services lost the title of Monopoly in the beginning of 2006. It had 99% of the market share in its hands. Royal mail do have a view to make their corporate Strategic responsibility to become a part of their strategic management process. They are:- 2. Corporate Strategic responsibility includes:- The support of the workers from the workplace which forms the backbone of the Royal mail. The management also deals with the workers in a more friendly manner without any kind of discrimination. Being workers said to be the assets of the firm, Royal Mail takes good care of their workers and regarding the working conditions too. To make its actions designed to have a strong positive effect on its workers, customers and to its suppliers. Achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2015 and to support their clients to do their activities to have a positive advantage towards the environment and to attain a competitive advantage. With their Corporate responsibility in mind Royal Mail wishes to be different from its competitors Royal mail had created their corporate strategy by taking into consideration of their Organizational objectives and their achievement. It is in the Functional level the Human Resource Strategies arrives. The definition of the Human Resource strategy and the Human Resource Strategies of the Royal Mail from 2005-2010 are mentioned below. 3.Human Resource strategy (Definition):- Before moving to Human Resource Strategy we should know what is meant by the term strategy?.Strategy usually means selecting the best decision from a stream of decisions. According to Lundy and cowling (1998,p16), strategy is: The art of war, generalship, especially the art of directing military movements so as to secure the most advantageous positions and combination of forces. The Human Resource Management team in the Royal Mail directs the workers by motivating them and providing them proper training in order to achieve the Organizational goals and to get a competitive advantage over its rivals. The term Human Resource Strategy is well defined as Human Resource management (HRM) is a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasises that leverage peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices. [Bratton and Gold,4e,p3] 4.The Human Resource Strategies from 2005 2010:- Human Resource Management forms the most important function in an Organization as the workers are considered to be the valuable assets of the firm. The right kind of people in right position at the right time is the objective of the HR Manager. It is said that normally in a day HR Manager usually spends 20% of their working hours in dealing with the grievances of the employees without affecting the Organizations routine activities. HR Executives should have an ability to deal with their staffs in a fair and friendly manner rather than imposing more control on them. The Royal Mail take the efforts made by their workers into good consideration and rely on the fact about their career development rather than simply a job. The Royal Mails Human Resource strategies in the period from 2005 to 2010 is mentioned below which includes several threats they faced and the steps undertaken to face those threats. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2005:- One of the most important actions of the Royal Mail can be seen in the beginning of 2005 which employed candidates from the socially excluded groups. The candidates who were recruited performed very well in the selection process as well as in the Organization too. New recruits by this process were placed in position as post man, delivery van drivers, letter sorting who were ex-service men or those who are homeless. This Pilot program helped the Royal Mail in lowering the cost and labour turnovers and proved as the firm with best employee satisfaction. The employees thus had a long term commitment and had a self motivated approach to work hard for the firm to achieve its goals. The employer expectation of high commitment and the employee expectation of taking care of their social needs made the workers of the Royal Mail to be loyal to the firm and improved the ratio of trust towards the firm. The voluntary organizations like the Royal Association of Disabled and Rehabilitation, Busine ss action on Homelessness etc helped the Royal Mail to get candidates of socially excluded groups. The Human Resource team played a very important function in sorting out the list of disabled candidates and selecting the best candidates through a standard selection process. The Human Resource Manager who have the Management as an art aspect means having inborn talents will have those skills to recruit those people who can contribute to the maximum of their extend towards their Organization. The Royal mail team supervised by Mr. Adam Crozier made record annual profits in 2005 which helped to give 1074 pounds of bonuses to its workers. These were achieved by the employee performance,better customer service by properly trained staff and their performance related pay strategy of the Human Resource team. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2006:- The Human Resource team in the Royal Mail were able to provide instant solutions to the grievances of the employees. The starting of the year 2006 was not as good for the Royal Mail as it faced a postal strike in Belfast. Nearly 200 postal workers stopped their work for 2 weeks which made a very negative impact on the Royal Mails services to the customers. The customers were said to contact the office directly for any important matters and most of the letters and documents were blocked in some places remained undelivered. The Communication Workers Union says that the strike was due to the bad and unfair practices of the managers towards the workers in Belfast and the core issue is not accepted by the Royal Mail. Important delivery including specialized services were stopped temporarily and the management took immediate action to solve the problem. The Workers in strike were assured that they will not be treated badly when they return to their work and necessary actions will be taken against those who were found guilty. The Human Resource team in the Royal Mail took the issue seriously and they guaranteed that the workers will be treated fairly and without any discrimination. The psychological contract which says high motivation and high commitment should be taken into consideration which made the Human Resource Manger to deal with the situation in a friendly and wise manner. It was this year the Royal Mail lost its position as a Monopoly in the postal Industry and started facing wide spread competition. The management agreed that their will be no reduction in the work force, high job security will be provided with raise in pay scales to the staffs. The Christmas season of 2006 also made the customers of the Royal Mail to suffer due to the strike of 800 workers which caused huge volume of undelivered documents in the office. The managements decision to change some full time post to part time when an job opening arise was objected by the trade union by saying tha t it is against the National agreement. The matter was raised very seriously and the Royal Mail responded to it by saying that the decision will be with the consent of the worker agreement. The strike was stopped by reaching to the point that the new job openings in the Royal Mail will be carried out by the management with the combined hands of the trade union to make decision regarding whether to treat the vacancy full time or part time and the management assured that no staff will be forced to change his full time job status to part time. The closing of the sorting office in Paddington, London in the same year was explained by the Royal Mail as a step taken in order to improve their customer satisfaction and productivity against the wide spread rumours about some illegal actions of the postal workers. The 950 workers who worked their were temporarily kept away from their duties and some of them were given transfer offers. The workers commitment in a firm not only depend on their s alary but also on other factors like work atmosphere, employee- employer relationship, colleague character etc. The sacking of 5 workers who treated their women colleague very badly in one of the Royal Mail branch shows the immediate response taken by the Human Resource team in those matters which affects an employee to perform well in an Organization and to reduce those activities which affects the reputation of the firm. The Human Resource team has made recently certain improvements in the health and safety measures for the workers due to the huge fine the firm had to pay regarding the death of an employee, which was made as a health and safety issue by the court. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2007:- The Privatization of the Royal Mail was the main problem discussed by the Human Resource team in the Royal Mail and the workers point of trust towards the firm tends to decrease day by day affecting their performance in the work. The Communication Workers Union was opposing the issue but some managers say the Privatization will help the future of the Royal Mail. A deal was agreed between the management and the labour union in 2007 followed by stopping the workers strike. The new policies changed the working time and new technologies were introduced which was implemented in each and every branch of the Royal Mail improved the productivity and performance of the workers. The new modern way of thinking and acting was successful in the Royal Mail. Also Mr. Mark Higson the managing director of the Royal Mail added that the future of the Royal Mail Pension scheme will not form any part of the agreement. The Human Resource Strategy of making the employees feel they are a part of the firm made the management to come to a point of distributing around 20% of its shares to the employees was opposed by the Government and the plan was turned down. The Human Resource team and the other managing partners have plan to explore the unused markets and to identify new opportunities to make the Royal Mail to offer quick and friendly based customer services. The Human Resource Department also do have plans to provide Occupational pension schemes for their employees in future. The Human Resource Manager also responded to the worst situation of poor quality service by the Royal Mail in Scotland and he promised to provide better customer service the coming year. The contract lose with the online service provider Amazon hits very badly towards the Royal Mail and its bad position to face more rigorous competition. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2008:- In order to face the competition and the consideration of the future of the Royal Mail, the Human Resource Department made plans to reduce the number of workers and providing better benefits for those who remains. The Workers and the union feared about the reduction of the full time jobs and including more part time workers. The Privatization of the Royal Mail which the British public doesnt like was also considered as the main issue by the trade unions and the management. The Privatization will cause more job losses says the union members but the Royal Mail needs finance to support its future plans says the Management. The Management also planned to change the offices from old buildings to new ones in which the trade unions responded and they said that the change of offices will cause problems in sorting of letters, loosing some customers and they feared about loosing jobs too. Also plans were prepared by the Human Resource team to raise the salary scale of the executive Directors o f the Royal Mail who are the main key players in obtaining maximum profit. The Devanna model which shows performance appraisal, Human resource development and reward systems should be given due consideration. Many office branches of the Royal Mail were shut down and the remaining workers should be motivated by their performance and the management should create trust from the side of the workers which in turn gives high commitment. The Soft HRM feature of high commitment and high motivation as well as the Hard HRM feature of managing the workforce in a more rational way should be undertaken by the Royal Mail. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2009:- To Prevent the customers complaint about the closing of the post offices the Human Resources team implemented a plan to provide mobile post office services to the customers by Van. The Royal Mails plan to make 30% privatization was opposed by the public and the Government continuously, if privatized it will cause raise in prices, job losses and the customers as well as the workers trust in the Royal Mail will reduce. The Human Resources team introduced new uniforms to the workers which is suitable for the climate and having big pockets to place the hand held computers which the customers prefers to sign and trace items was considered as a part of the improvement in the delivery system of the Royal Mail. The year also faced a strike on the pay cuts, salary freeze of the workers. The Communication Workers Union said that even cutting the wages or freezing the salary will not help the Royal Mail instead it should implement new ideas in technology and new advanced machinery to support th e workers. All over the strike is making the customers to move away from receiving the services from the Royal Mail. In the matter of improving their services, the Royal Mail and the Microsoft had joined hands to hands by introducing the new e-mailing service without having computers. The HR strategy of how to compete with their rivals has made the above decision to implement in the Royal Mail. Human Resource strategies of the Royal Mail in 2010:- The Privatization of the Royal Mail is the main consideration of the Royal Mail as the firm is running out of Finance, huge pension deficits and inefficiency in operations. The private fund is needed for the smooth function of the Organization, says the Managing director of the Royal Mail. The Human Resource Manager is taking keen steps in promoting the existing workers with good training but most of the workers had lost the trust with the Royal Mail. The privatization will cause more job losses, price for the products will be raised and the top level managers will get more benefits; a trade union leader says in a meeting. The workers says that if the new management can help them in providing benefits and good promotional appraisal packages to them, it is better to get privatized. The natural constraints like volcano ashes also affected he Royal Mails service in some part of the United Kingdom. The Psychological contract between the employee and the employer is broken. The employees social and other needs are not fully met and the huge sacking of employees made them to loose commitment towards the firm which leads to inefficiency, reduced services, low productivity and down turn of profits. The Royal Mail is still considered as the provider of the best service among the European nations with lowest service charges. The Human Resource team have plans to increase the state pension age for men. The Royal Mail is trying in many ways to improve its services by providing different varieties of stamps, weekend services, superior customer service but the competition and its bad financial position is weakening its movements to go forward. Even though it is known that the entry of new firms into the Postal Industry is very difficult due to entry restrictions, the Royal Mail is facing very tough competition. The firms like TNT, DHL and many of the online services are serious treats to the Royal Mail. The day when the Royal Mail lost its Monopoly in 2006 marked the beginning of competition as a headache to the Royal Mail. Another problem which the Royal Mail faces is the reduction in the volume of the letters but the postal workers tells that the number is increasing day by day. The Royal Mail like all other firms had undergone a SWOT ANALYSIS to understand its positives and Negatives internally and Externally. TheSWOT analysis is done to identify their threats and opportunities, strengths and weaknesses. 5.SWOT ANALYSIS:- The Swot Analysis is usually conducted by the management which gives the Royal Mail a good indication of its Strength and Weakness internally and its Opportunities and Treats in the outside market. The highly skilled hard working staffs having high commitment motivated by the efficient management and the firms large and other financial resources forms the Strength of the Royal Mail. Some complaints have been raised regarding the letters not reaching the destination and stealing of the letters/parcels by its staffs affects the Royal Mails prestige and the strikes which are made by the trade unions in Royal Mail forms its major weaknesses which hardly hits its reputation and directly states that employees are not satisfied with the management actions. The Royal Mail do have new opportunities to identify more customers and Business clients and providing support to them which will have a competitive advantage over its rivals. The Competitors like TNT, DHL, UKMAIL and the possibility of more rivals to enter the Industry forms the main threats for the Royal Mail. The wide usage of internet, online banking, online delivery and e-mailing has reduced its number of customers to a large extend has made huge reduction in the volume of mails in the Royal Mail is also considered as big threats. The Royal Mail still stands as the Standard postal service in the United Kingdom with its valuable staffs and its improved services like First class service, weekend service etc. Royal Mail also provides online supports and International postal services. The Administration of the Royal Mail includes series of committees like The Audit and Risk committee, The Management board, Pensions committee, Remuneration committee, Nomination committee and Social and Responsibility Committee. The new Human Resource Strategy and policies are being Introduced by the Royal Mail in order to face these threats and for the motivation of the workers. 6. The new Human Resource strategy to support the Royal Mail in the present bad condition:- Steps have been taken in the all the levels of the Organization to support the firm from the credit crunch and competition. To the workers:- Workers are provided with improved new range of training and guaranteed performance related pays. The employees who are considered as a valuable assets in the Royal Mail were provided with revised employee policies and procedures and long term job security and motivation. In order to improve its reputation and to obtain a good employee- employer relationship some additional steps were also taken. They are:- The new plan for temporary redundancy and early retirement are going to be enforced as soon as possible. Existing contracts will be renewed and new standardized contracts will be provided to the employees. The introduction of new machinery and techniques helps the workers to achieve world class standard in performance. The new revised Pension scheme plans are going to implement for those employees in the Royal Mail pension scheme. The working hours, the minimum wages are also revised. The safety of the staffs are taken in great consideration. Improved working conditions, first aid facilities, stress relief exercises, changing their job tasks over a period of time, self appraisal process, promotional and increments are also introduced to the new plan. To the firm:- The modernization of the firm with improved customer service support is the main objective of the firm. The co-operation of the Management with the workers and the trade union added with signing an agreement in new policies and procedures of the firm supported by the trade union is going to happen. The improved efficiency and productivity with unmatched competition by providing lower price and better quality services to its clients. To the Trade Union:- The firm will give suitable position for the trade union in its management activities. Support from the trade union in motivating the workers to cope with the Organizational rules and regulations and to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. To develop new communication levels between the trade union and the management. 7.The Royal Mails respond to the Competition and to the recent Credit Crunch:- The Royal mail which was once called as a Monopoly firm now faces serious competition and holds a bad reputation due to its continuous strikes , shutting down of the offices and complaints regarding its employees. Even though any firm can compete with its rivals in two ways, one way by reducing its prices and the other is by improving its quality of service/product. The Royal Mail provides high quality service to its customers and also the lower service/product price compared with its competitors helps the Royal Mail to attain a sustainable competitive advantage. The Human Resource team is making its level best efforts to prevent such issues but the employees relationship with the management is unclear. One of the main issues is the privatization of the Royal Mail which make the staffs to loose trust towards the firm making them de-motivated. The corporate strategy is well defined and the Human resource planning and its strategical process is some what following the corporate strateg y. Making a friendly relation with the CWU and a strong psychological contract between the workers and the Management is very much needed for the smooth functioning of the Royal Mail. The recent credit crunch has made the Royal Mail to close most of its offices and to sack many of its employees. The economic downturn in the UK is being faced by the Royal Mail in some extend due to its highly skilled, flexible core employees. The peripheral workers who were highly skilled were also taken into good consideration by the Royal Mail. The customers still rely on the Royal Mail due to its better quality services and lowest prices compared to its competitors the TNT, DHL, UKMail etc. The name of the above model is The Five Forces Framework which is developed by [Porter 1980] shows the fact from where does the competition come from?. We can combine this model with the Royal Mails competitive nature. It has elements like 1.Potential entrants mentioned as new competitors of the Royal Mail. 2.Rivalry from existing firms like TNT, DHL etc which are faced by the Royal Mail with its high quality products/services and of its highly skilled workforce who are trained and developed by their talented Human Resource team. The substitutes can be shown as the e-mail, online transfers and online mail ordering groups. Threat from the customers in the form of bargaining power, their change of demand, their potential for forward integration (which is implemented by the firm with the availability of suitable Human Resources). Threat from the Suppliers includes their bargaining power, switching costs, market dominance of the suppliers, the potential for backward integration (which is implemented by the firm with the availability of suitable Human Resources). The suppliers include the printing and stationery, technology, clothes, transport and travel agents. The Royal Mail uses the Generic Strategies frame work of Mr. Porter(1985) to define how they faced these competitions. The basic idea which is derived from the framework is:- Any firm can compete with other by lowering their prices Competing in the matter of quality makes each firm different Focusing on the main market and its customers can gain competitive advantage over its rivals. The Human Resource strategy of identifying the competitive areas and setting plans for how to compete helped the Royal Mail to face all types of competition and to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. The Human Resource Management team of the Royal Mail have a good background from the Top Ranked Business Schools added with their inborn talents and experience helps the Royal Mail to compete with their rivals in a more technical way which is difficult for the competitors to identify and which makes the Royal Mail to have a strong base in the UK postal industry. The top quality products/services with the top quality employees makes the Royal Mail to move forward with confidence. The Human Resource strategy of implementing new techniques and training services with the performance related pay aspect for the workers can be seen in the Royal Mail. Last year the Royal Mail received three bronze awards from the World Class Manufacturing Association for its performance, health and saf ety care of its workers. The Royal Mail consider each and every worker in the matter of safety and performance and they say that if they can make one worker to perform well, it will make another to perform well and it goes on and the whole workers will perform well gives high productivity and profits to the firm. 8.Conclusion:- The essay can be concluded by stating that the Royal Mail have to face the credit crunch and the present difficulties in order to hold a strong position in the UK postal Industry. The Royal Mail do have a strong corporate responsibility strategy and Human Resource strategy which is properly planned and helpful to the employees as well as the to the firm for further development. The Human Resource Strategy from 2005 2010 shows the problems faced by the Royal Mail and the Strategies used by them to solve these problems. The privatization and the pension deficits are the main problems faced currently by the Royal Mail in which the management have certain plans to overcome the situation. The new entrants and the present rivals are competing very roughly with the Royal Mail and they are faced by the Royal Mail by its good quality services and its lowest service/product prices.