Grand Canyon Essay Essay

Although not a more prominent theme, the theme of things happening for a reason and changing your life was also shown in the movie Grand Canyon. Through my own life experiences and the through the experiences of others I too have learned that things do happen with reason and that things may not seem good right at the moment, but things will turn out right in the end. To me, the movie showed this theme, but more subliminally then up front. When times do look bad, have faith and know that things will turn out for the better and that there’s a reason for why things are the way they are. In the beginning of the movie we see that Mack gets into car trouble in the wrong side of town. As Mack is beginning to be harassed by a couple of gangsters, Simon comes to the rescue. Simon, the tow-truck driver tells the gangsters to back off, thus saving Mack’s life. Mack is therefore grateful of what Simon has done. Despite the fact that Mack could’ve gotten himself killed, Mack wised up and made a new friend. In another part in the movie Simon’s sister’s house was shot at (they live in the wrong part of town). At first, his sister decides to just stay there, but later moves into an apartment that Mack suggested they get. Then there was the part where Simon and Jane, a girl Mack set up with Simon hit it off right away after their first date. If you think real hard about it, all those things that happened never would’ve happened if that night Simon and Mack had not met. Even though it was a bad way to meet, things did turn out right. Everyone involved learned more about each other and themselves and everything did turn out for the better. As did the case with Mack’s wife, Claire. One day on one of Claire’s daily jogs she literally finds a baby behind some bushes. Claire takes the baby into her care and later plans to adopt the child. The child seems to be what Claire was missing all this time. The baby seemed to fill an emptiness she had. As these situations in the movie shows, there is reason for why things are the way they are and that in turn changes our lives completely. In my own life experiences, I’ve come to terms with my faith in God and the belief that things happen with reason and that God would not abandon you. My mom has also taught me and instilled that belief in me. In the past couple of years things have been on the rough for my family and I. Four years ago  my dad lost his stable job of about 10 years. During and throughout that period of about a year, money was somewhat a problem and with each new day my dad became more and more depressed as each job interview passed with no reply. During that time my mom, told us to believe and kept telling us that bad things do happen, but they only happen when something better is to come. About 2 years ago, Bell Canada employed my dad. His office was even closer than the old one and his new office was larger and my dad loved his new job. My mom was right. But that’s not where it all ends. A year and a half ago, my dad was transferred to a Mississauga branch. My dad hated the commute each morning and you could tell he wasn’t liking it there. They were understaffed there so he always worked overtime, and that meant leaving later from his already far workplace. He was stressed a whole lot. Once again, my mom told us that this is just a period of time that tests us and that things would turn out for the best. About a year ago today, my dad was transferred to one of Bell Canada’s downtown branches. My dad now works right in the Eaton Centre and my dad is so happy. Through just that whole ordeal I’ve learned first, how powerful prayer really is and second, that things do happen for a reason. When my dad first moved to Mississauga he was thinking of quitting and looking for a new job, if he had done that he wouldn’t have ended up where he was today. Through many other experiences I have learned that something very little can change your life forever and that God only gives you things He knows you can handle. It may seem like through my experiences I’ve learned two different things, but to me they go together. God communicates to us through many different ways, so does fate. The littlest things like going to the mall or going home can change our lives forever. More recently, was the terrorist attack in the U.S. In the news and from various other sources you hear stories about people who missed their train or slept in that morning and therefore missing out on the Trade Centre collapsing. Just missing out by a few seconds how just by being late could change your life forever. It also shows the power of fate, it wasn’t your time to pass on. As little as something may seem, it can alter your life in more ways than one. When your life seems out of place or when you’re going through rough times,  you’ve got to just remember that things always turn out for the better. If something good has passed you by now, something better for you is bound to be coming soon. Though you may not be optimistic something better is coming, you’ve got to believe so. That something better may not come big, but it will change your life forever.

Report- Dimensions of Diversity Essay

Dimension of Diversity Race and/or gender are not the definition of diversity. Diversity is all of us and how we are so different. To better understand diversity it can be broken down into four different dimensions and classifications. These points will help you begin to pick apart the complex topic of diversity. Dimensions 1. Dimension may be hidden/ visible a. Race, gender and possible age or wealth index may be a visible dimension that / would classify people into one group. b. Intelligent, non-religious, and vegetarian are term that would identify a person to one group that would be hidden, until of course the person shared the information. b.i. Example- Sarah is a Caucasian, female in 40’s that is athletically built, truthful and caring. The first 4 descriptive words are physical traits that people can see. The last two characteristics are something that are not seen, but after time spent with Sarah it would be known. 2. Dimensions of diversity are found within groups as well as individuals a. Each person is different, so even when there is a group of like people there are going to be difference within the group. a.i. Example- In a small diversity class of students there are 20 or so students that are all working towards passing the class taught by Madison. All thought the group of people all are working towards the same goal; they are all very different in their approach to passing the class. They are all students, but they are graduating at different times, they have different working styles, communication styles and are different ages. 3. Dimensions of diversity are in a constant state of flux a. Individuals are constantly changing as well as the environment around them a.i. Example- When Danielle B. is at school she sees herself and acts as a student, but when she is at home or with family she sees herself and acts like a mother. 4. Dimensions of diversity are not always clear cut or easily defined a. Diversity is not the same to everyone a.i. Some people believe that diversity is simple race and/ or gender. Diversity is multidimensional and has various classifications from different scholars. Breaking down diversity helps us to become more aware of differences among individuals. Classifications of diversity 1. Personal Characteristic (hidden/visible) a. Appearance, health, educational background, family/marital status, faith, religion and recreation 2. Location Characteristics a. Housing, neighborhood, city, state, country 3. Work Characteristics a. Income, seniority, department, company, work status, field of work, paid/ unpaid employee, location 4. Population Characteristics a. Ability, age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic orgin How you perceive the listed characteristics also can classify a person because it makes them different from the next person. Diversity is an extremely complex and broad topic that many people just ignore. Gaining an understanding, and indulging in others that are different than you will build awareness in your knowledge box. Diversity Skills Now that there is a better way of wrapping our minds around diversity; skills can be addressed. Diversity skills are really just people skills. They are techniques that we use to better understand and work with people who are different than us. The key phrase to understand is â€Å"different than us†. Communication Communication is one of the most important skills that encompass the way people process and share information. It requires: 1. Active Listening a. Really understanding and hearing what the person is saying and finding interest in their topic. 2. Various ways/ styles to communicate effectively with people a. Aggressive, passive aggressive, and passive b. Communicate differently among groups c. Body language d. Add some humor or light to the context d.3.a.a. â€Å"results suggest that relational factors, such as one’s humor, may be important to the enactment of organizational citizenship behaviors among subordinates† 3. Tools of communications a. Emails, phones, text, visual aids, letters, blogs, social media network sites, virtual network sites People are all different. Take the time to listen to them and understand what they are trying to convey and then respond in a way that they will understand. Body language, electronic tools, and spoken language are all modes of communication that can be used to communicate more effectively. An amazing leader knows that communication is a skill that is built upon and continually developing. Conflict Management Conflict is defined as â€Å"one party perceives it’s interest are being opposed or set back by another party† (Kreitner and Kinicki). Conflict can be classified as functional or dysfunctional. 1. Functional a. More of a positive conflict that applies to â€Å"constructive or cooperative† conflict. (Kreitner and Kinicki) 2. Dysfunctional a. â€Å"Threaten the organizational interest† (Kreitner and Kinicki) â€Å"Dealing effectively with conflict requires fundamental skills in interpersonal relationships.†(Diversity Counciouceness, 169) According to an executive assistant that has had years of experience in social management dealing with conflict. She and her colleague believe there are nine skills that help manage conflict (Hagman and Stroope). 1. problem solving a. being able to work through a problem 2. asking for help a. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help so that a bigger problem is prevented. 3. engaging people to talk and work together a. Get everyone input and work together 4. communicating with sources of opposition in order to reach a compromise a. Talk to the person that does not agree, and compromise. 5. practicing avoidance techniques a. Spotting signals of frustration and letting the person calm down before you try to diffuse the situation 6. letting chance decide the outcome in moments of disagreement a. Let time solve the issue 7. accepting responsibility a. Take responsibility of your actions in the issue 8. apologizing when appropriate a. Remember to say you’re sorry when appropriate 9. using humor to alleviate awkward situations. a. Never hurts to add light to a dark situation Although many people will try to avoid conflict, it still does occur because people are different. Conflict is not always necessarily negative either. It can be functional or dysfunctional. Conflict will be a constant challenge in the workplace and there are steps to take to resolve the issue. A strong leader will not let conflict destroy the ultimate goal, but will find ways to turn the conflict into a positive outcome. Empathy â€Å"Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another’s state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to â€Å"put oneself into another’s shoes†, or to in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself† There are so many fascinating explanations of empathy on the internet. What it really comes down to is putting â€Å"yourself in another their shoes† and viewing the world in the way that they would. Six habits according to, Dr. Roman Krznaric, that some empathetic people have are: 1. Curiosity about different people a. â€Å"Curiosity expands our empathy when we talk to people outside our usual social circle, encountering lives and worldviews very different from our own.† 2. Challenging prejudices and seeing the commonalities a. We all of prejudices but if we could see beyond the them, there would be some common interest or characteristics that we shared with the other person. 3. Try another person’s life a. Experiment in different lifestyles, social groups, ethnic groups, activities, etcetera. 4. Listen hard and open up a. Falls under diversity skill of communication 5. Inspire mass action and social change a. Begin with our youngest population and educate and influence them to be empathetic 6. Develop an ambitious imagination a. Don’t just empathize with those that you believe are suffering. Empathize with all whose thoughts are different. These habits will help one to attain strong diversity skills and interpersonal skills for life. A stand-out leader will want to develop their sense of empathy to better understand desires of their team members. Self-Evaluation Self-evaluation is being able to look back at how you handled a situation and assess and improve yourself. Steps to self-evaluation are: 1. Think about the situation you were just in or the task that you just completed 2. Ask yourself questions a. How did I handle it? b. How were my emotions? c. Was I comfortable? d. What could I do better? e. How did I handle the conflict? 3. Assess yourself and compare the improvement or lack of improvement 4. Know your short-comings and strengths and build on them 5. Learn from mistake and always improve yourself Self-evaluation is self awareness of one’s self. A mindful leader will know their strengths and weakness and be eager to improve. Leadership â€Å"Leadership refers to the ability to influence group members and enable them to work together and achieve their goals† (Diversity Consciousness, 170) There are some traits that make a great leader. The most important are in no specific order: Honesty Communication Positive Attitude Creativity Intuition, gut feeling Ability to Inspire Ability to delegate the job to the right person Ability to make a group a team Creativity Confident Leadership can involve many other traits or qualities but what it really comes down to is inspiring individuals. There are many different styles or approaches of leaderships that can be use to motivate people. A great leader will have strong people skills and exude confidence. Bibliography Hagemann, Bonnie, Stroope, Saundra. â€Å"CONFLICT MANAGMENT.† T+D 66, no. 7 (July 2012): 58. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 20, 2013). Kreitner, Rober and Kinicki Angelo. Organizational Behavior 10th Edition. McGraw Hill, 2012. Textbook. Krznaric, Roman. â€Å"Six Habits of Highly Empathic People.† 27 November 2012. Greater Good the Science of a Meaningful Life. 20 July 2013. Martin, Diane M. and Craig O Rich and Barbra Mae Gayle. â€Å"Humor Works: Communication Styles and Humor Functions in Manager/Subordinate Relationships.† Southern Commnicationm Journal 69 (n.d.): 206-222. Reference.com. 20 July 2013.

LOU Survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LOU Survey - Essay Example n; Level III – state of mechanical use; Level IV A – state of routine; Level IV B – state of refinement; Level V – state of integration; Level VI – state of renewal. The behavior of the majority of the users or specific groups of users will dictate the decision of the organization on the terms of intervention, planning and preparation for the technology or technologies that they will have to adopt. Orr and Mrazek (2008) have used the LoU along with Stages of Concern (CoN) to assess the â€Å"professional growth of among the professionals pursuing graduate course work in educational technology† (p. 2) at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. What they did was to formulate statements that describe the level of their use or the extent of their confidence with respect to their manner of using technologies instead of just labeling the choices with numbers similar to a Likert scale. This was deemed much better since the respondents will not be biased in their answers. Examples of the statements used in their study are as follows: I really don’t know anything about this technology, or am not sure that it would be useful for my classes – to reflect level 0; I am collaborating with colleagues to develop ways in which we can use this technology to better meet our common objectives for our classes – to reflect level V; and finally I still use this technology, but I am exploring other technologies to replace it that will better meet the objectives for my classes – to reflect level VI. The interpretation of the data gathered from this survey is a simple computation of the mean, median and standard deviation of the responses of the respondents. The data gathered will of course reflect the common technologies being used by the respondents and what they do not know how to use or what they don’t use. This will somehow provide insight on what technologies they need to be trained on and the possible technologies that would be practically fit for

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises Literature review - 1

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises - Literature review Example Therefore, BRIC is expected to bring forth changes in the list of the greatest world economies in the near future. On the other hand, BRIC economies are not similar, though they are in the investment classification, whereby others having political and economic alliances, which are from the groups. Nevertheless, among these countries, China has made significant achievement, thereby making them eliminate the need for alliances. BRIC has made a significant effort in conversion of the growing economic influence into a political power, through summits comprising of analysts (The State University of New York, 2011, 1). In this case, the analyst work together in the BRIC countries in order to establish a future economic partnersip in these countries, whereby China will dominate in manufactured goods, provision of services is dominated by India while the field of material supply is dominated by Russia and Brazil (EconomyWatch, 2010, 1). Globalisation has been attributed to the acceleration of international economic integration, which has been unexpected in numerous ways. However, there are expectations that this might contribute to the vulnerability of workers in BRIC economies. There are resenting developments in the world concerning the increased importance of emerging economies, for instance, China has become a large exporter, whereby it has raised its reputation in international production networks entailing off shore business. Therefore, globalisation has enabled these countries to work together in order to counter well-established interests and organizational structures. The relationship between America and Europe has been substantial in facilitating the developments between the BRIC countries. Globalization in BRIC countries that are attributed to integration with the inputs, finished goods and services, which are underscored by increased business transactions in the world trade. In fact, the ratio of trade-to –trade GDP and the shares of

Cultural communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cultural communication - Essay Example According to the Teamsterville’s code of communication that is code of honor, the people of the society communicate on the basis of their social roles. For them, the social meaning is related to their social positions. The male and female members of the society have to use their code of honor in order to continue with a relationship or to communicate. For them, social meaning is concerned with cultural communication. They use cultural codes to indicate their part in society. According to Nacirema’s code of communication that is code of dignity, the people of the society communicate on the basis of their self-growth. For them, the social meaning is related to their own self. They consider the society as secondary and their own self as primary. They employ code of dignity that states that an individual is important and should be given full opportunity to grow for his/her own self. For them, social meaning is related to self- growth. They give too much importance to communication as close, supportive and flexible and in case of lack of communication, they consider the situation as problematic. For them social meaning is related to closeness, supportiveness and flexibility in communication. Cultural codes play a crucial role in our lives and they help us to identify ourselves and our society. Every culture has some patterns and believes and people tend to be different with their respective cultures. The ethnographic definition of culture can be a shared set of values identified by all members of the society. Culture of a society or individuals can be revealed by means of communication. Communication is very significant in the identification of cultural roles of a person. In communication, we inform other people about our cultural codes. For every person of society, there is some rule of communication according to which, he or she communicates with the rest of the people of the society. In Speaking Culturally by

Data Collection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Collection Paper - Essay Example This is where good academic performance usually starts. However, as these students continue to blend with others or as they continue to dwell within the grounds of the academic institution, they encounter certain things that influence their thinking, their outlook and their attitude. In the case of academic performance, there are several factors that can affect students' attitude towards school. Some of these factors include peer pressure, family background or problems, school location or environment, the student's lifestyle and teachers, and other psychosocial reasons. There are also studies that show that ethnic differences can affect a students' attitude towards school. Professor Laurence Steinberg, in one of his publications, stated that ethnic differences causes students to have different beliefs or reactions regarding failing in school. Specifically, he cited Asians as believers that poor performance in school would have negative or unfavorable consequences. Furthermore, he exp lains the effect of peer pressure on a child. Results of his studies also show that a lot of American teens believe that people make fun of those who do well academically. This implies that they would rather not have high grades to avoid being laughed at. Majority of the students also expressed that they never talk about academics or school-related issues with their friends (Edsource Online, 1999). In relation to the g... This teacher factor means how the teacher deals with the students, the teacher's manner of teaching, the teacher's professional and casual relationship with the students, and other relevant and significant elements that might have an impact on the students' performance. This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the factors that can affect a students' academic performance 2. What are the examples of "teacher factor" that have significant effects on a student's performance In addition, at the end of this study, solutions on how to minimize the negative effect of "teacher factor" on students' performance should be provided. Since the research will tackle the different factors, particularly the "teacher factor", that affects students' performance in school, results will be beneficial to other students of different educational level. Through this research, students will learn about how to avoid being affected by such factors, and therefore, begin to develop a more positive outlook about school and help them excel in class. Aside from the students, this research will also be of help to educational institutions by providing them with relevant information on how to improve and develop better relationships among the teachers and the students. This research can also serve as a reference for future researchers. This is going to be a descriptive research which will involve male and female high school students as respondents. The sampling technique to be used will be random sampling. This research will make use of a questionnaire as the data collection method. This will allow the researcher to have a larger sample size and, therefore, obtain more reliable and accurate results. This method is also less

Latino dropouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latino dropouts - Essay Example In 2000, about 530,000 Hispanic 16- 19 year olds were classified as dropouts, a percentage of 21.1. However, many of these were recently arrived immigrants who had not been in the US education system. So the actual figure for drop out of the US schools is about 15%. In 2000 the Latino dropout rate was three times greater than for non-Hispanic whites. The percentage of Latinos completing higher education has also consistently lagged behind whites and African Americans. It is also important to consider that the rate of dropouts could change at any time since some students presently enrolled in high schools can drop out at any time, and some drop outs could obtain their GED at any time in the future. Several factors have been suggested to explain the high rate of dropouts. The major factor has been the language, but Adam (2003)2 describes how researcher Saenz breaks down the factors into â€Å"individual factors, family-related factors and the structural level†. The individual factors have to do with the student’s own academic expectations and performance, peer pressure, generational status and acculturation. But one big effect comes from lifestyle where they are forced to become adults too early in life either through early pregnancy or having to help with looking after younger siblings. The strongest family factor seems to be the socioeconomic status of the family since having the resources to navigate the system makes a difference to the success of the students. The economic context in which the students and the school reside can place a strain on the family to keep up. Also the connection between the family, school and culture is important. The language plays a big part in this connection. Other school practices such as tracking, grade retention and unequal treatment of minority students all are common causes of dropout. Jones and Bou-Waked (2007)3 add to the discussion of the part that language plays in the dropout crisis. They noted that about

The Al Qaeda Manual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Al Qaeda Manual - Essay Example The manual demonstrates that Al Qaeda is more than just a religious militant terrorist group set on destroying western interests and attacking western values, it also highlights the difficult task that law enforcement is faced with in the modern war on terror. There is little doubt that the Al Qaeda manual asks its followers to be specifically anti-Western and anti-US. The manual proclaims that "Colonialism and its followers, the apostate rulers, then started to openly erect crusader centers, societies, and organizations like Masonic Lodges, Lions and Rotary clubs, and foreign schools" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.8). These are the symbols that they perceive as American. The manual further radicalizes its readers by tying these activities to religion. "The bitter situation that the nation has reached is a result of its divergence from Allah's course and his righteous law for all places and times" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.9). By casting the Western symbols as anti-Islamic they are able to exploit the centuries old religious fears and furors that have historically pitted Islam against Christianity. 1 Along with being an extremist religious organization, the manual indoctrinates the reader to the military arm of Al Qaeda. The document professes its need for illegal documents and counterfeit currency. These resources are then to be used to commit violence against the US and their interests anywhere around the world. There is no doubt about their propensity for violence when the state that their goals are "Kidnaping enemy personnel, assassinating enemy personnel as well as foreign tourists, blasting and destroying the places of amusement, the embassies and attacking vital economic centers, [and] bridges leading into and out of the cities" (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.13). The manual is also quite detailed in the requirements for forged documents. It explains what type of documents are needed, how many to possess, and requires that members' documents have a picture without a beard (Al Qaeda Manual, n.d., p.23). While this non-dated document may be more difficult to implement in today 's world of heightened security, it demonstrates their organizational commitment to doing anything necessary to subvert US interests around the world. 2 There is the question as to whether or not the possession of this document could identify someone as a terrorist and subject them to arrest under the current US Law. The professing of violence against specific targets, advocating illegal activity, and the ties to an organization labeled by the State Department as a terrorist group, would place the person who posses this document at some risk of being suspected of being a terrorist. This brings into question whether I will be at risk since I have downloaded a copy to my computer and I do not have the technology to eradicate it from the disc drive. While I would like to think that justice would win out and an explanation of "used for academic purposes" would be enough, the headlines are full of the innocent people who are still in obscure prisons for terrorist activities. This could be further complicated if I was an Islamic student that was studying in America. This manual not only illustrates the depth of commitment that Al Qaeda h as to its goals, it also shows the difficulty that law enforcement has in regards to its ability to evaluate motivation, intent, and

Sharing and Nurturing Ideas through Liquid Networks Essay

Sharing and Nurturing Ideas through Liquid Networks - Essay Example Blakley agrees with Johnson in her talk, â€Å"Lessons from Fashion's Free Culture.† She says that the fashion industry promotes creativity, because it legalizes copying from one another. In â€Å"Exploring the Diffusion of Innovation among High and Low Innovative Localities,† Walker, Avellaneda, and Berry explore the diffusion of innovation among high and low innovative localities. They learn that competition and learning are some of the factors that can promote and reinforce innovation processes. King and Anderson review several cases and studies in their book, Managing Innovation and Change: A Critical Guide for Organizations, and they discover that many innovation processes do not follow a linear nature of ideation. This essay examines how innovative ideas are formed. It is an important topic because with numerous social, economic, and political issues and problems plaguing communities and societies, innovation is a critical component in resolving them. Innovation c an help provide different options, and even, radical new ways of analyzing and resolving social problems and concerns. This essay reviews literature from Johnson, Blakley, King and Anderson, and Walker et al. These authors, Johnson, Blakley, King and Anderson, and Walker et al., agree that innovation takes time and teamwork. ... Blakley’s idea, where organizations that promote producing, nurturing, and sharing of ideas through liquid networks are the â€Å"hotbeds† of innovation. Spaces and organizations that promote the production of different ideas instigate innovation through promoting the free flow and exchange of ideas. Johnson observes that the sources of innovations are places that generate â€Å"liquid networks.† Johnson defines â€Å"liquid networks† as spaces, where people from numerous backgrounds and who have different values, practices, values, and interests, collaborate and share their ideas. He notes that it is a liquid network, because of the easy flow of ideas and it is a network, because people come together to share these ideas. He stresses that these liquid networks are places where ideas intersect, mix with each other, or help people generate something new from parts of the old. Johnson states that one classic example of liquid networks are coffeehouses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. During the Enlightenment, Johnson narrates that instead of coffee, alcohol was served in these coffeehouses. He notes that these people drank alcohol from morning until evening, by sipping beer or wine every now and then, since water was not very safe to drink then. With these stimulants, he notes that â€Å"better ideas† are formed. In addition, Johnson stresses that the â€Å"architecture of coffeehouses† made it easy for ideas to â€Å"have sex.† In these coffeehouses, people from different fields had their ideas openly shared, made, altered, and combined with other ideas. These are places where innovation thrived, because of the setting that allowed the free sharing of ideas possible. If Johnson is looking for a liquid network culture, he can also find it in the fashion industry.

Critically examine the use of patient satisfaction as a measure of Essay

Critically examine the use of patient satisfaction as a measure of health care quality - Essay Example Patient satisfaction assessments are used to determine if the hospitals have accomplished the performance standards to qualify for Medicare reimbursements. Efforts are therefore focused on accomplishing the standards set in the VBP program and hence improved patient satisfaction. This essay critically examines the use of patient satisfaction as a measure of healthcare quality. It is aimed at developing a critical understanding of the political, professional and public dimensions of quality as well as an assessment of the relevance and validity of quality measures within the context of public services. Patient satisfaction is a multidimensional result that cannot easily be defined. The expectations of different patients for any healthcare setting are varied and significantly influence their satisfaction. The nature of ailment generates psychosocial aspects that may influence how a patient rates the level of satisfaction, such as pain, unhappiness and fear among others. For the healthcare professionals, patient satisfaction is characterized by the success of surgical procedures and the objective results. On the other hand, patients are likely to base their satisfaction on the inter-personal contact with the healthcare provider. This inconsistency between the parties involved is likely to weaken patient satisfaction as a measure of quality. Moreover, some of the survey questions are based on the communication between doctor and patient, focusing on doctor’s courtesy, esteem and attentiveness to the patient as well as simplicity with which a doctor explains issues to the patie nt (Neuner et al. 2014). There is a possibility of bias associated with individual perceptions of behavior and expectations. Doctors may not be focused on the interpersonal relationship as much as they do for the ailment, which makes efficient doctor-patient communication difficult. In most cases, inpatients are not aware of the doctor in charge of their treatment. This is

Sample Persuasive Message Essay Example for Free

Sample Persuasive Message Essay Most people have ventured onto the world wide web. Some enter the online world to check email from family members far away. Other people enjoy the web to watch videos on YouTube of babies doing the weirdest thing. Some log online for social media websites that let them know what their friends, family and celebrities are doing that day. Most people who have ventured online have shopped on electronic retail sites like Amazon or Overstock. Electronic retailing has become a big part of who we are today. There are many sites that allow you to shop for everyday items, groceries, or furniture like Amazon, Overstock, Alice, or Newegg. You also have big box stores that have followed suit with e-commerce as they allow customers to purchase products online that can be shipped to their home or a local store. As new and existing retailers grow retailers are forced to stay competitive, retain current customers, find new customers, and keep fighting to be the best e-commerce retailer out there. According to Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee and Viehland (2008) â€Å"one of the keys to building effective customer relationships is an understanding of customer behavior online† (p. 157). So for businesses to be active and competitive online they need to understand the general online behaviors of the customer to stay in business. In this paper I will be discussing three behaviors natural to e-tailing that assist e-commerce companies understand customer behaviors online. I will be discussing the type of communication used when each behavior occurs and explain how each type of communication enables e-commerce. Analyzing each behavior using the communication process will also be discussed ensuring to include descriptions of the purpose, sender, receiver, message, environment, technology, noise, and feedback in the communication process. Lastly, I will explore a sample persuasive message designed for a virtual audience. Behaviors in E-tailing I see myself as a savvy online customer. I have shopped for products for my home, family, and friends. I have shopped for services like insurance, dog sitting, or home maintenance. The internet has a vast number of websites that help me pick and choose the products and services that work best for me and the general population. When shopping online customers are looking at the type of product or service (is it safe, recommended, green, easy to use, etc. ), how can they go about purchasing the product or service, and the reason customers choose one company over the other. Finding the Right Product or Service If you are shopping online you probably have a clear idea of what kind of product or service you are looking for. If a customer is looking for a camera that is user friendly, can take pictures during important moments in their life, can take pictures in a flash, and is pocket sized they can essentially look on numerous websites. Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Newegg, the options are endless. With all the options finding the right camera could be difficult. Turban et al. (2008) explains that the product search is influenced by independent variables (p. 158-159). Independent variables include personal characteristics and environmental variables. When searching for the right camera your personal characteristics – age, gender, education, lifestyle, values, personality, etc. – weigh in on finding the right camera. Environmental variables like a customer’s social influence and culture help to narrow down which camera the customer would likely purchase (Turban et al. , 2008, p. 158-159). Who a customer is and who they socialize with is not the only thing that influences them in purchasing a camera. In order for customers to know a little about a camera the manufacturer or retailer needs to be able to get the camera out there and communicate to the customers of the perks of the camera. Like regular retailers, e-tailers use internet based advertisements on their website as well as sponsorship websites (i. e. Yahoo, Google, Bing) to advertise the product. When using sponsorship websites e-tailers are driving sales by driving customers toward that specific camera. As e-tailers advertise the camera they are using the communication process. The customer – or the sender – initiates the start of the communication process as he or she searches online for right camera. The customer finds an ad online (message) that matches their WINs (Wants, Interests, and Needs) of the product. The advertisement helps to â€Å"comprises the target audience of a message transmitted by the sender† (p. 10) which according to Roebuck (2006) stands as the receiver in the communication process. The advertisement links the customer with the e-tailer which allows the e-tailer to provider further information and reviews for the camera. Purchasing product or service Once you find the right camera you go into the purchasing behavior. Turban et al. (2008) states â€Å"the two most-cited reasons for not making purchases are shipping charges (51 percent) and the difficulty in judging the quality of the product (44 percent) (p. 59). If the customer finds the perfect camera and it is available at Sony. com for $299 with a $19. 95 shipping charge and BestBuy. com for $307 with free shipping the customer would most times go through BestBuy. com because of the cost savings. Quality of a product is important. E-tailers who offer a â€Å"chat now† option that allows customers to ask experts questions on the quality and durability is a positive step towards purchase. E-tailers who have reviews of the product also assist customers in understanding the general consensus of the product. Customers also weigh in on how secure the online payment is prior to purchasing a product. Customers are weary about unsecure online payments due to the coming age of hacking and identity theft. Having a certificate of security online gives the customer added security to make the purchase. The â€Å"Chat Now† option and a valid certificate showing a secure site for payment are forms of communication in the purchasing process. During this e-tailing behavior the e-tailer becomes the sender as it provides the customer (receiver) with how to purchase the product and general customer service. By providing superior medium in customer service the e-tailer and customer build a relationship that heads toward loyalty. Company â€Å"The internet customer is very hard to predict and is different from the normal customer† (Prasad amp; Aryasri, 2009, p. 73) because of this the e-tailer’s online store must appeal to the buyer and find ways to encourage the customer to purchase the product with them instead of a similar product elsewhere. When the e-tailer paved the path towards customer loyalty during the purchase process they opened the door to complete e-loyalty. Turban et al. 2008) advised that â€Å"customer acquisition and retention is a critical success factor in e-tailing† (p. 167). Providing a customer with loyalty programs, promotional emails, and discounts allows the customer to feel valued. Retaining customer information (name, address, credit card information) also assists in building customer loyalty as it makes for easier check out. Using the communication process, the sender is the e-tailer. The e-tailer can email or mail information regarding loyalty programs, promotional emails, and discounts to the customer who is the receiver. Providing such information makes the customer feel valued and willing to return to the e-tail website. Sample Persuasive Messages A persuasive message helps to influence people in making a certain decision or action. Using the same camera sample we used in e-tailing behaviors we could create a persuasive camera message that helps to influence people to want to purchase the camera. Finding the right persuasive message for a camera boils down to understanding a customer’s WINs. Wants. Interests. Needs. The customer wants to purchase a camera that is user friendly because they do not use the camera for anything but recreation. The customer is interested in a camera that can take pictures during important moments in their life like graduations, 1st birthdays, and family functions. The customer needs a camera that can take pictures in a flash and is pocket sized so they can take it out in a whim and put it back without fuss. Using this customer’s WINs a persuasive message aimed for the virtual audience can easily be made: Aim amp; snap precision for all of your unforgettable moments. A message does not have to be long with so much information. Instead, it can be short but still reach the audiences WINs. Using persuasive messages allows e-tailers to acquire new business and persuade current customers in upgrading their current equipment. Conclusion E-tailers have to understand each customer to ensure that traffic goes in and out of their virtual store. Understanding the product and service search of a consumer, understanding what affects the customer’s purchasing decision, and creating a loyal customer base helps strengthen those traffic numbers. Using the communication process I was able to define how each behavior occurs and what type of communication was used to address each behavior. Creating a persuasive message that was short but covered the customer’s WINs demonstrated how a simple message can generate e-commerce.

Prehistoric Medicine Essay Example for Free

Prehistoric Medicine Essay They used herbalism; the practise of using herbs to heal people. In each tribe there were shamans who would ‘exorcise ill people’ demons’ and apothecary. They had medicine men who were shamans and witch-doctors. They would provide supernatural treatments like charms, spells and amulets to ward off evil spirits. If someone was ill the medicine man would initiate a ceremony over the patient where they would use magic formulas prayers and drumming. People thought that the medicine men could contact the spirits or Gods so people looked up to them. They used healing clays to heal their internal and external wounds and just after surgery. Prehistoric people also used trepanning mainly in Peru. This was when they would drill a hole in a person’s skull to relieve pressure. It was mainly done as an emergency operation after a head wound to remove shattered bits of bone. They believed it would treat epileptic seizures, migraines and mental disorders. They would keep the bit of skull around their neck as they thought it would ward off evil spirits. Nowadays people use a modernised trephine instrument in a corneal transplant surgery. Early medicine for Greeks and Romans: Hippocrates: Born 470 BCE ‘Father of Modern Medicine’ He had a theory of the 4 humours. He thought that the human body contained 4 important liquids called humours. They thought if the humours became unbalanced then people would become ill. The 4 humours were black bile, yellow bile blood and phlegm. His theory was wrong but it was a breakthrough in medicine because it made people think that illness was caused by something natural inside your body instead of the Greek Gods. Quote from a book in the Hippocratic Collection of books: ‘Man’s body†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦has blood, phlegm, yellow bile and melancholy (black) bile. These make up his parts and through them he feels illness or enjoys health. When all these elements are truly balanced and mingled, he feels the most perfect health. Illness occurs when one of these humours is in excess or is lessened in amount or is entirely thrown out of the body.’ Hippocrates invented the Hippocratic Oath which was taken by all physicians; this is still in use today. Herophilus: He was the 1st anatomist. He introduced the experimental method to science. He discovered that the brain controls how the body works, not the heart by dissecting human bodies. He also identified parts of the stomach. He did a lot of work on nerves. Claudius Galen: He was the Roman Emperor’s doctor. Galen’s work was based on the Hippocratic Collection. He was one of the Great surgeons of the ancient world. He added his own theory to the 4 humours theory. He developed a theory called the ‘treatment of opposites’. So if an illness was caused by heat he would cool them down and vice versa. Galen also emphasized the importance of clinical observation and would take detailed notes on his examination of his patients. He was one of the 1st physicians who used experiments in his medical investigation. Through that he proved that urine was formed in the kidney as opposed to the bladder. His most important discovery was that the arteries carried blood but he never discovered circulation.

Are Wars Good for the Economy?

Are Wars Good for the Economy? Mr. PRAKHAR MAHESHWARI Are Wars Good For Economy? INTRODUCTION â€Å"War, n: A time-tested political tactic guaranteed to raise a president’s popularity rating by at least 30 points. It is especially useful during election years and economic downturns.† Chaz Bufe, American Anarchist Author Wars. Invasions. Fights. The reason for these and the final consequence of these is economy. Communities, kingdoms and countries have been fighting countless wars and invading other countries and kingdoms in search for wealth and money. The Mughals and the English came to India having knowledge that the country was full of gold and had massive wealth. Americans declared war on Iraq in search of the precious oil. Even particular individuals fight with their own kin and family for property, wealth and money. But is destruction of life and property the only thing which happens before, after even during a war? This project deals with precisely that. The project focuses on the economic development and/or economic destruction of USA during world wars. However, the project isn’t strictly focused on only US. Countries like Britain, France and Germany needed to be given a special mention in such kind of a topic. Wars make or break a country. And it is an integral question that we must ask ourselves: Are wars really good for economy? ECONOMY AND WORLD WARS There are several reasons to enter a war. Although economic reasons are the most important, patriotism, loyalty and friendship towards a nation and the belief of â€Å"helping the needy and the right out† not only decides if a nation should enter a war but also decides which side that country would join. World War 1 The United States entered the war very late. They were participants for approximately an year and a half – from April 1917 to November 1918.[1] This little participation in terms of days was very different from the point of view of contribution. The number of Americans serving the Army was more than a staggering four million. Not only did they provide men to the fighting nations, they also equipped them with great supply of raw materials and weapons and ammunition.[2] Before the war, the American economy was in a bad shape. However, the buying of U.S. weaponry and goods for war by the fighting Europeans and when the U.S. itself joined the conflict, the economy boomed.[3] Hugh Rockoff writes that if the United States had not converted the opportunity of making and delivering goods and weapons to the European Allies, it would have been next to impossible for the country to enter and win the war.[4] The massive production of such goods, which were added only after looking at the demands made by the European countries, ensured easy entrance of the United States.[5] Also, the goods were made in such a way that the country itself would need it if it enters the war.[6] The Americans had actually realized that the spoils of the war, if they won, would be huge and the profits were not ignorable. Hugh Rockoff also observes that â€Å"Entry into the war in 1917 unleashed massive U.S. federal spending which shifted national production from civilian to war goods. Between 1914 and 1918, some 3 million people were added to the military and half a million to the government.†[7] Infact, the impact of such employment was that the rate of unemployment came down from 7.9 percent to 1.4 percent.[8] This was not only due to the addition of men in the armies but also because labours and workers were required in large numbers to new manufacturing jobs like manufacturing guns, war infrastructure and developing technology.[9] U.S. exports to the European countries, due to this war in 1917, shot up to almost three times the year 1913’s exports. While U.S. exported goods worth $1.5 billion dollars in 1913, the sales were in excess of $4 billion dollars in 1917.[10] Now let us assume that the United States had got nothing to do with the war. It was a neutral country and was not supplying any goods to any European country. Also, let us assume that the raw material used to produce these exports for the European countries were only able to manufacture about half as much value when such goods were transported to other countries which were not at war.[11] Based on these assumptions, if we calculate the value in output in the year 1917, the loss would come out to be a bit more than $2 billion dollars per year.[12] In 1917, this was worth 3.7 percent the U.S GNP and about 6.3 percent of the total U.S. cost of war.[13] Rockoff estimates â€Å"the total cost of World War I to the United States at approximately $32 billion, or 52 percent of gross national product at the time. He breaks down the financing of the U.S. war effort as follows: 22 percent in taxes, 58 percent through borrowings from the public, and 20 percent in money creation. The War Revenue Act of 1917 taxed excess profits profits exceeding an amount determined by the rate of return on capital in a base period by some 20 to 60 percent, and the tax rate on income starting at $50,000 rose from 1.5 percent in 1913-15 to more than 18 percent in 1918. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo crisscrossed the country peddling war bonds, even enlisting the help of Hollywood stars and Boy Scouts. The prevalence of patriotic themes created social pressure to purchase the Liberty bonds (and, after the armistice, the Victory bonds), but in practice the new bondholders did not make a tangible personal sacrifice in buying war bonds, sin ce the yields on these debt instruments were comparable to those on standard municipal bonds at the time. As can be seen, patriotic motives were not sufficient to alter market prices of assets during the war.†[14] Due to this war, various infrastructural projects were taken up and developed like Railroad, fuel and granaries. Since men had to go to war, the women took up the initiative of working in companies, etc. This ensured the economic freedom of women and more and more women started working. It is often said that the one’s gain is another’s loss. Wars are no different. Where one country’s, the United States’, economy was going through a positive transformation, the economies of the European powers were humbled. Even though the Allies won the war, the major participants, the British and the French, suffered massive losses. Saints have said that â€Å"Everything that shines is not gold.† They may have â€Å"won† the war, but economically, they had been fooled by this shine. However, the losses were restricted mainly to the battle fields. Overall, even the British economy (in terms of GDP) grew by around 14-15% during the four to five years of the world war. However, the country lost its men fighting for the country.[15] As discussed earlier, war also involves patriotism and many civilians hence started saving and investing in wars rather than the normal consumption. These investments were used majorly for ammunitions. The Government’s share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose from 8% to 38% in these five years.[16] The story of the Germans, the losers of the war, was however very different. Not only they had to give huge taxes and compensation, there economy was brought to the knees. Germany, just like any other country, had to borrow money from various banks, the axis powers and even its citizens. When the Germans lost, they had to pay back even these creditors. The Germans were left in huge debts and their economy was destroyed. And the main cause of their destruction was the Treaty of Versailles. Supposed to be a peace treaty, many people claim it to be an important reason of the Second World War. This treaty literally forced the Germans to pay huge compensations – a total sum of  £6.6 billion.[17] This amount was way beyond the financial capacities of the Germans. Economy doesn’t only mean the money or financial capacity. It also means the territorial extend of the country. After all, even territories are the properties of a country. After the First World War, Germany had to give up large chunks of its territories to the Allied Forces. â€Å"The Versailles treaty deprived Germany of around 13.5% of its 1914 territory (some seven million people) and all of its overseas possessions. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, and Belgium was enlarged in the east with the addition of the formerly German border areas of Eupen and Malmedy. Among other territorial re-arrangements, an area of East Prussia was handed over to Lithuania, and the Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia. The German army was limited to a maximum of 100,000 men, and a ban placed upon the use of heavy artillery, gas, tanks and aircraft. The German navy was similarly restricted to shipping under 10,000 tons, with a ban on submarines.†[18] The other financial and economical clauses of the treaty are dealt with in Article 248 to 312 with certain Annexes. Hence where some countries were enjoying the spoils of war, the other countries had to pay heavy compensations and reparations. World War 2 World War 2 was no different when the reasons for the war are given a thought. The world had seen one of the greatest economic tragedies ever in the form of the Great Depression of 1929, just 6 years before the start of the Second World War. There was chaos on the streets as people lost on jobs and the unemployment rate was on an all time high, crossing the 25% mark. The companies were going bankrupt, economy was in a disaster and depression, as the name phenomenon suggests, was spread across the world. It was evident that another war was on its way. With the rise of Adolf Hitler and economic woes of Germany after accepting the Treaty of Versailles, Germans had to wage wars, once again with the Allied Powers. The U.S., like the previous war, joined this one later, approximately by 2 years. The country, however, like before, started producing and manufacturing wartime goods for the â€Å"worst case scenario†. When the United States got involved in the Second World War, the demand for labor shot up. To fight a war, country needs weapons and for that the country needs manufacturing facilities and labor in huge numbers. The national employment suddenly fell to a minimal 10% in just a few months of the declaration of war by the country from its 1940 level.[19] The country was at war and weapons and infrastructure need to be built up with a rapid speed. Even fortification of borders and military bases abroad was equally important.[20] All these factors coupled with the fact that weapons and military equipments, vehicles and other wartime instruments needed to be transported and mobilized ensured vast labor requirement.[21] The Employers wanted to fill the vacancies as fast as possible so as to meet the production demand. This however, brought in vacancies in other non-war areas. These positions were then filled by women and non white people. They had been excluded from a long time from such industries which payed highly and involved high skills. Hence war meant employment for the whole country.[22] War doesn’t only bring profits. It brings massive destruction to life and property. Britain gave us the Industrial Revolution, and the very same industries, which were the pride of the Great Britain, were left nothing more to rumble. The damage that these facilities incurred, not only in Britain but also in other European countries, was much more than what they had incurred in the previous wars.[23] Where the damages incurred by France were approximately thrice of their total annual income, Britain suffered heavy losses in the form of damages to residential houses.[24] About 30% of the homes in Britain were destroyed by Germans in the Second World War, first by the aerial blitz and then by bombs and rockets.[25] The Germans, losing the war again, had their country divided into West and East Germany. While West was influenced by the capitalist USA, the East was the communist USSR. The economic woes for Britain and France were not limited to their own countries. They had to let go many important colonies as they had exhausted their money and resources and had none left for their militaries in these areas. India gained its independence as the growing revolts and violence in the country left Britain shocked. Britain had no more resources to deal with these violent outbursts and had to leave the country, just like they had to leave many other territories. USSR and US strengthened their economies during cold war, but USSR, after the recession of 1970, could not recover like the US and had to surrender in the cold war. It has been seen by historians that whenever countries have not gone to war or had no threat of being attacked, their economy have not grown or grown but with a very low percentage. But the wars, apart from developing or destroying economies, affect common man too. Inflation and rise in taxes are the two main effects. These are however short term. â€Å"Increasing taxes reduces consumer spending, which does not help the economy improve at all. Suppose we decrease government spending on social programs. Firstly weve lost the benefits those social programs provide. The recipients of those programs will now have less money to spend on other items, so the economy will decline as a whole. Increasing the debt means that well either have to decrease spending or increase taxes in the future; its a way to delay the inevitable. Plus theres all those interest payments in the meantime.†[26] Lack of wars The European countries in the western side of the continent have very little or no threat of being overtaken by another country in the present times. The politicians and ministers are therefore not criticized for not developing the economy faster. Infact, when these ministers lose their office, they are â€Å"garlanded† with income boosts from counseling and consultation as well as speaking fees. If not these, then they retire to an amazing and dreamy holiday spot.[27] This however is not true for the countries that face constant danger from their neighbors or other countries. An example would be that of China and Japan. The Japanese face great pressure, both territorial and geographical from the Chinese.[28] This is true for India and Pakistan. India today is the largest importer of ammunitions as she faces constant and grave danger from its parted neighbors, Pakistan. Hence where countries like India face constant danger from almost all its neighboring countries, they are the highest importers of ammunitions and weapons and countries like Switzerland, which are considered to be one of the most peaceful countries, hardly import any weapons.[29] US spend approximately $650 billion dollars in ammunitions.[30] This is what wars can do. They can make a country develop its resources and infrastructure. CONCLUSION As we can see, wars have the ability to develop an economy. In this project we dealt with three types of outcomes of a war. And each type had its representative. In the first type of outcome, the country wins. They win and enjoy a good deal of compensation. There economy grows by leaps and bounds, the rate of unemployment declines, infrastructure develops and the spoils of war compensate the losses they suffer. An example of this is the United States. While they joined late in the world wars, they had a great say and impact on the war. They had already developed their weapons and ammunitions and had gone to war with preparation. The second type of outcome is one in which although the country wins the war, they are badly hurt as far as economy is concerned. Their industries are destroyed, territories left damaged and even the spoils of war are not enough for their recovery. Britain and France are good examples of these. They â€Å"won† the Second World War but ended up losing m ore than what they won. They exhausted all their resources and their colonies gained independence. The third type of outcome is one in which the country loses; Germany being the example. Germany lost both its wars and had to pay damages which the obviously couldn’t. Infact, they had to ask for loans from the same countries they had to pay the damages. But leaving aside these so called boosters of economy, can any war, battle or fight justify the loss of human life? How can we as humans put a value to a person’s life? Economy may get boosted but for a short while. The damage to life, however, is a very very long one. In conclusion, I would like to say that war, like alcohol, is an addiction. Initially it tastes good, you think that all the worries are now away. But it’s not long before the person indulging himself in such addiction realizes that the pleasure was momentary, what he faces now is scars for life, which no money or economy can remove. [1] Price Fishback, U.S. Economy in World War I (eh.net 2010) http://eh.net/encyclopedia/u-s-economy-in-world-war-i/> accessed 28 June 2014. [2] Price Fishback, U.S. Economy in World War I (eh.net 2010) http://eh.net/encyclopedia/u-s-economy-in-world-war-i/> accessed 28 June 2014. [3] Carlos Lozada, The Economics of World War I (nber.org 2014) http://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/w10580.html> accessed 29 June 2014. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Carlos Lozada, The Economics of World War I (nber.org 2014) http://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/w10580.html> accessed 29 June 2014. [10] Price Fishback, U.S. Economy in World War I (eh.net 2010) http://eh.net/encyclopedia/u-s-economy-in-world-war-i/> accessed 28 June 2014. [11] Ibid. [12] Price Fishback, U.S. Economy in World War I (eh.net 2010) http://eh.net/encyclopedia/u-s-economy-in-world-war-i/> accessed 28 June 2014. [13] Ibid. [14] Carlos Lozada, The Economics of World War I (nber.org 2014) http://www.nber.org/digest/jan05/w10580.html> accessed 29 June 2014. [15] Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War: Explaining World War I (1st, Basic Books, 1988) 249. [16] Ibid. [17] London Jewish Cultural Centre, Economic effects of the Treaty of Versailles (theholocaustexplained.org 2009) http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks4/the-nazi-rise-to-power/the-german-economy-c-1919-29/economic-effects-of-the-treaty-of-versailles/> accessed 29 June 2014. [18] Michael Duffy, Treaty of Versailles, 28 June 1919 (firstworldwar.com 2009) http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/versailles.htm> accessed 29 June 2014. [19] David Siminoff and Deb Tennen, World War II: Home Front (shmoop.com 2009) http://www.shmoop.com/wwii-home-front/economy.html> accessed 29 June 2014 [20] Ibid. [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Dr. Susmit Kumar, Consequences of World Wars I and II (susmitkumar.net 2010) http://www.susmitkumar.net/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=66:consequenses-of-world-wars-i-and-iiItemid=38> accessed 29 June 2014. [24] Ibid. [25] Dr. Susmit Kumar, Consequences of World Wars I and II (susmitkumar.net 2010) http://www.susmitkumar.net/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=66:consequenses-of-world-wars-i-and-iiItemid=38> accessed 29 June 2014. [26] Jodi Beggs, Are Wars Good for the Economy? (about.com 2014) http://economics.about.com/cs/issues/l/aa032003c.htm> accessed 29 June 2014. [27] Tyler Cowen, The Lack of Major Wars May Be Hurting Economic Growth (nytimes.com 2014) http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/14/upshot/the-lack-of-major-wars-may-be-hurting-economic-growth.html?_r=0> accessed 29 June 2014. [28] Ibid. [29] The 15 countries with the highest military expenditure in 2013 (table). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2011). [30] Ibid. Georgia OKeeffe | Artist Biography Georgia OKeeffe | Artist Biography Georgia OKeeffe Georgia O’Keeffe is one of many famous American painters. Her paintings of flowers, skulls, horns, and pelvises against a colorful New Mexico background are what made her known to the art world (Zophy 448). There are so many interesting facts about Georgia O’Keeffe, which include her education and teaching, her major works and where they are, the honors she has received, and her charcoal drawings. Georgia and her siblings attended the Number Five District school house. This school was called the Town Hall School. Georgia once stated, â€Å"My memories of childhood are quite pleasant, although I hated school. I left the local school when I was twelve, and was sent to a convent school in Madison, Wisconsin. It was the one year I ever really learned anything,† (Robinson 24). While Georgia attended the Sacred Heart School, she was in the advanced section of her class. â€Å"At the convent in Madison, I don’t even remember wanting to do anything I shouldn’t,† she said (31). In 1902, she was sent to the big public high school in Milwaukee. She didn’t pay much attention to the academics and did not like the art teacher either. In the art room of the high school, she realized that the world through which she walked was a never ending source for her work. Since the age of ten, she knew that painting would be her life long profession (Zophy 448). Georgia first taught at the Chatham Episcopal Institute in Williamsburg, Virginia. The six weeks at Chatham showed Georgia how to continue her art, live in the country and be able to live off her artworks. It showed her a life she might make for herself after all (Robinson, 79). Georgia was offered a teaching position at the University of Virginia. When she wrote to a friend in Texas to get a reference, her friend told her about an opening in Amarillo. She immediately took the position in Amarillo. â€Å"I was very excited about going to Texas, where Billy the Kid had been,† (Robinson, 86). â€Å"Later she went to West Texas State Normal College in the Texas panhandle. Her teaching methods were unofficial. Georgia was head of her own department. She taught the students the methods of design, drawing, costume design, interior decoration, and the teaching of drawing† (Robinson, 159). â€Å"One of Georgia’s many famous paintings is the Jack-In-The-Pulpit series. This series is a powerful celebration of the strong thrust of spring and of the dark secret tower enfolded in green. Due to the natural design of the Jack, the paintings have been viewed as sexual. Georgia did not like her paintings to be put into that category† (Robinson, 354). Another series of Georgia’s paintings is the â€Å"Corn† series. â€Å"She got the inspiration to paint this series while living with Albert, her husband, in the country. She loved working in her garden which is where the vision came to her. The design of the young plants while she was looking down onto them made an exciting and stirring statement to her† (Robinson, 269). The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum opened on July 17, 1997 in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was built for the purpose of preserving and presenting the life work of one of America’s famous artists, this museum now houses a permanent collecton of O’Keeffe’s art (â€Å"Georgia†). O’Keeffe Museum’s Director, Peter H. Hassrick, added, â€Å"O’Keeffe’s life and work are central to the Santa Fe mix. When people visit Santa Fe, they think of Georgia O’Keeffe, and an institution devoted to her artistic accomplishments, located in the region that inspired much of her work, is long overdue.† (â€Å"Georgia†). â€Å"There are more than eighty paintings, watercolors, drawings, pastels, and sculptures in the collection. One of the centerpieces of the collection is â€Å"Jimson Weed†, a large-scale flower painting, one of her favorite flowers, created in 1982. She liked to make more than one version of her paintings† (â€Å"Georgia†). â€Å" The museum’s long-range plans include the building of a study center on the museum grounds providing scholars, students, and the general public with reference materials on the life and art of Georgia O’Keeffe and her fellow artists† (Robinson, 423) â€Å"Another place that Georgia’s paintings can be seen is at the National Gallery of Art. â€Å"Secretary of Treasury, Andrew W. Mellon, first wrote of his interest in creating a national art museum in Washington, D.C. in the year of 1928. Later in 1937, Congress passed legislation to build the National Gallery of Art as an independent agency within the Smithsonian Institution. Four years later, the National Gallery of Art was dedicated by President Roosevelt in the evening of the seventeenth of March which was attended by over 8,000 guests† (â€Å"National†). â€Å"The mission of the National Gallery of Art is to serve the United States of America in a national role by preserving, collecting, exhibiting, and fostering the understanding of works of art, at the highest possible museum and scholarly standard,† (â€Å"Mission†). â€Å"The 291st Gallery in New York was the first gallery to recognize her talent. There were few galleries in New York that showed American art because each artist had their own special style† (â€Å"Younger†). It soon closed shortly after its opening in 1917 (â€Å"Younger†). Georgia had received many great honors throughout her life. Here are some of them: in 1935 she was recognized for excellence in her field by the New York League of Business and Professional Women. â€Å"Later, in May of 1938, she received her first honorary degree, a doctorate of fine arts, from the college of William and Mary, in Williamsburg† (Robinson 423). In 1939, she was chosen as one of the twelve most outstanding women of the past fifty years. â€Å"Her painting, Sunset-Long Island, was picked to represent New York at the World’s Fair† (Ahsby, 432). â€Å"In 1942, she was given a second honorary degree, this one from the University of Wisconsin. In 1946, Georgia received an honor from the Women’s National Press Club, as one of ten women who had reached distinction in their fields† (Ashby, 451). Thirty-one years later, on January 10, 1977, Georgia was given the Medal of Freedom, which is America’s highest civilian award and was awarded to her by president Gerald Ford (â€Å"The Award†). Georgia recieved another award from a President in April of 1985. This one was the National Medal of Arts, given to her by President Ronald Reagan. This is the highest award given to artists and art supporters by the United States Government. â€Å"With this medal, the President recognizes the extent of creative expression of America’s artists. This is a lifetime achievement award.† (â€Å"The Award†) Georgia was given this medal one year before her death (â€Å"National†). â€Å"In 1962, the American Academy of Arts and Letters elected her into membership. That same year she was honored with the Bandeis University Creative Arts Award. In 1966, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences† (Robinson 507). â€Å"Georgia O’Keeffe also did many charcoal drawings. Her very first charcoal drawing was titled the â€Å"Special No. 15,† a very early drawing of the Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. It sends a remarkable and significant sense of place. Then eighteen years later in 1934, she drew â€Å"Special No. 40.† She wrote, â€Å"This is from the sea – a shell – and paintings followed. Maybe not as good as this drawing.† Also in this group of Georgia’s drawings is a rare charcoal drawing of her friend, the African American painter Beauford Delaney from the 1940’s. In 1959, she made a charcoal drawing of a riverbed in a desert, which was inspired by sketches she made during one of her first airplane rides† (â€Å"Philidelphia†). â€Å"Another one, â€Å"Banana Flower No. 1,† was chosen by Albert to be shown in his gallery. Because of her high standards when drawing flowers, some people thought there was some hidden meaning in them† (â€Å"American†). â€Å"She also drew â€Å"Maybe a Kiss† in 1916, another of a series, because of a boyfriend who left â€Å"(Robinson 133). In 1934, she drew the â€Å"Eagle Claw and Bean Necklace (Robinson, 406). â€Å"All of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings and drawings had a reason to be drawn. The first reason is because she loved nature.† Many times, she said, â€Å"You know how you walk along a country road and notice a little tuft of grass, and the next time you pass that way you stop to see how it is getting along and how much it has grown?† (Robinson 233). Many of Georgia’s visions came from nature, she would tell people this by saying, â€Å"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for a moment,† (Robinson, 33). She would walk through the pines and hear â€Å"singing woods,† (Robinson, 118). â€Å"On the prairie she noticed how dried bones and skulls had a beauty of their own. She liked the color, strength, and shapes of these.† (Robinson, 119) â€Å"Another reason for her charcoal drawings is because of her emotions. In the nineteenth century, and in earlier decades of the twentieth century, art critics enjoyed the sentimental and long discussions of the emotional qualities in the paintings they saw: sadness, tenderness, passion, rage – all four were great feelings to be kept in print† (Robinson, 178). â€Å"It seemed she did most of her charcoal drawings when she was sad or lonely† (Ashby, 133). She once told a friend that art was a force that passed through the soul (Robinson, 28). Summing up her life, Georgia moved to Abiquiu, New Mexico permanently after her husband died in 1946. She had visited there many times before and fell in love with the place. She rented a ranch and stayed there six months out of the year (Ashby 204). â€Å"Her style was known as modernism. Some of her most innovative works were in watercolors, pastel, and charcoal† (â€Å"O’Keeffe†). By the year of 1984, she was blind (Robinson 249). â€Å"She spent the rest of her life with a nurse. She died on March 6, 1986 at a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was ninety-nine years old. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered into the â€Å"windy landscape† near her house at Ghost Ranch† ( Robinson, 550). This paper has some of the many interesting facts about Georgia O’Keeffe, including: her education and teaching, her major works and where they are, all of the honors she has received, and her charcoal drawings. Georgia O’Keeffe had a ve ry interesting life, this term paper only touched on part of it. Works Cited â€Å"American.† Arkansas Art Center. 2000. 20 Feb 2008. . Ashby, Ruth, and Deborah Gore Ohrn. â€Å"Georgia O’Keeffe.† Herstory: Women Who Changed the World. New York: Penguin Books, 1995: 202-204. â€Å"The Award.† Presidential Medal of Freedom. 2007. 20 Feb 2008. . â€Å"Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.† Traditional Fine Arts Online, Inc. 1997. 22 Feb 2008. . â€Å"Mission Statement.† National Gallery of Art. 2008. 21 Feb 2008. . â€Å"National Gallery of Art.† National Gallery of Art. 2008. 19 Feb 2008. . â€Å"The National Medal of Arts.† National Endowment for the Arts. 22 Feb 2008. . â€Å"O’Keeffe on Paper.† Traditional Fine Arts Online, Inc. 1996-2001. 22 Feb 2008. . Robinson, Roxana. Georgia O’Keeffe: A Life. New York: Harper Row, 1989: 24-550. â€Å"Special.† Philadelphia Museum of Art. 1996-1999. 20 Feb 2008. . â€Å"Younger American Artists.† National Gallery of Art. 2008. 21 Feb 2008. . Zophy, Angela Howard, and Frances M. Kavenik. â€Å"Georgia O’Keeffe.† Handbook of American Women’s History. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 1990: 448. Bradford Assay: Standard Quantitative Method Determination Bradford Assay: Standard Quantitative Method Determination The Bradford assay is a standard quantitative method for the determination of protein concentrations. Bradford reagent used in the assay contains Coomassie Blue which produces a characteristic blue colour upon binding to proteins in solution (Bradford, Anal. Biochem. 72: 248, 1976).. Using a spectrophotometer the absorbance of the coloured product can be determined. Analysis of multiple samples may involve the use of a microtitre plate so that samples can be replicated and more reliable results obtained. The use of microtitre plates also automates the process so results are produced very quickly. Samples are pipetted into multi-well plates and the absorbance values measured using a multi-well microtitre plate reader equipped with a 595 nm filter. Part 1 Calibration Data for the Bradford Assay A calibration curve for the Bradford assay in the range 0.2- 1.0 mg/ml was obtained using three replicates for each concentration, using a microtitre plate. These data are shown in Figure 1 below. Linear Regression Analysis was performed and the equation of the line of best fit, y=mx +c, was produced (where y represents absorbance, x is the concentration of protein, m is the slope of the line of best fit and c is the intercept of the line on the y-axis). Q1. Describe the relationship between protein concentration and absorbance for the Bradford assay calibration curve. Q2. What is meant by a line of best fit? Q3. Comment on the value of R2 Using the values of the equation of the line of best fit, the absorbance value for each standard was used to calculate the actual concentration of protein in each replicate. The mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation ((mean/SD)x100%) were calculated and are presented in Table 1 below: Comment on the reproducibility of the assay in the range 0.2 to 1.0mg/ml of protein. Part 2 Investigation of the effects of detergents on the absorbance of a set concentration of protein, using the Bradford Assay. Background You are part of a research team that is looking at the different proteins involved in a cell signalling pathway which leads to the increased synthesis of a specific protein, P. One technique used in this work involves the use of cells kept under tissue culture conditions. These cells are treated with inhibitors, after which they are broken open by solubilisation of their membranes (cell lysis) and the soluble cell contents taken up into solution. Before analysis of the solution for levels of P, the total protein content of each lysate has to be determined. One of the reagents in the buffer solution that can be used to solubilise the cell membranes is a detergent. Detergents can cause interference in a protein assay. In an investigation using the Bradford assay, two detergents at different concentrations were exposed to a set concentration of protein (0.5mg/ml). These are sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and Triton X. The absorbance values were converted into protein concentrations using the equation of the line of best fit from the calibration curve and the data subjected to statistical analysis (One Way ANOVA). Mean data are compared in Tables 2 and 3, and Figures 2 and 3.

Sea-Cucumbers :: Personal Narrative Writing

Sea-Cucumbers I have always found sea-cucumbers to be strange. If you have ever been snorkeling, you may or may not have noticed these elongated vegetables on the sea floor. I suppose I shouldn’t call them vegetables though, because they are slightly more ‘cognizant’ than garden-variety greenery. Instead I have dubbed them ocean-turds, because honestly, they do look the great defecation of a marine mammoth. They are also well-shaped, perfectly cylindrical turds at that! I am rambling again. Forgive me. In eighth grade, my parents and I took a trip to Japan. My dad is a baseball scout, and instead of flying over solo to give the Kyoto Carps the once-over, he decided to make the scout into a family vacation. I was skeptical. I don’t like seafood, and here we are, going to a country that eats raw fish and that names its baseball teams after blunt-nosed marine life. The city itself seemed a bouleversement of day and night. Humanity’s great invention, the lightbulb, mocked with overwhelming voltage, density, and quantity nature’s celestial fireballs. Bulbs, the imitators, the pupils of fusion, now ridiculed night with flashes from across the spectrum. As we drove into Tokyo, I couldn’t believe that its citizens were able to sleep at night, what with such lambent pollution. But I was eager to walk the streets, to run into the shops that beckoned to me with signs for Sony and with gadgetry that inhabited the display windows. The hotel room had paper walls! As an American used to a room’s noiseless seclusion, I liked the idea that here, rooms were not meant to be space with a relentless fixation on privacy. I promptly made my mark. Restless after the long plane flight, I was bouncing off the walls when I literally poked an extremity through one. You can image my surprise at discovering such fragility. I am in the holy land of ninjas and samurai, and I have just punched my way through a wall. Awesome! I felt like ‘the kid’ from â€Å"Karate Kid.† All that was missing was the exotic, ruminative twang and non-western modality of Asian music. Of course, my ninjas-and-gadgets glorification of the place was, alas, not meant to be. My fun and games had to be extinguished; a foot had to be put down and that foot was Japan’s ooey-gooey cuisine. My dad was interested in one of the Carp’s players, and as was customary, the team’s owner felt a strong sense of duty to take us out for a traditional Japanese dinner, so that the two of them could discuss arrangements for the trade.

Afterlife Essay -- essays research papers

The Afterlife   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering my thoughts on the afterlife is something I have done several times in my life. My views and beliefs have changed over the years regarding this subject. My Catholic upbringing was probably where my first views came from. They were the traditional heaven and hell beliefs and also of purgatory. Today my thoughts are not so black and white.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am not sure what lies beyond this life. I do believe that we just don’t disappear but that we change forms. I personally struggled with this subject because I have researched several different religions. I saw each had unique beliefs about the afterlife but all believed in one. For me I believe that we are reunited completely with our Creator. As a result all our fea...

Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - The Impact of Dean on Sals Identity Essay

Impact of Dean on Sal's Identity in On the Road       In part I, chapter 3 of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, Sal arrives at Des Moines and checks into a cheap, dirty motel room. He sleeps all day and awakens in time to witness the setting sun. As he looks around the unfamiliar room, Sal realizes that he doesn't understand his own identity. Identity lost, he states "I was half way across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future." He has lost the calming influence of his aunt, and Dean and partners are not around to feed his wild streak. The only clues to his identity are to be found in the strange motel room. This appeal to emotion gives the reader personal hints to identify with.    Many people have become lost in the context of their life and do not understand what they have been doing or what the purpose of existence is. The manner in which Kerouac relates his own feelings to the dark, soothing atmosphere of the room gives the reader a clear idea as to what he is experiencing. This appeal to style lulls the reader into contemplation concerning their... ... of my life you could call my life on the road." Sal needed Dean to have an identity. In fact, as much of a driving force that Dean was, in the end, Dean and Sal needed each other to balance out the holes in their personalities.       Bibliography    Charters, Ann. Kerouac: A Biography. New York: A Warner Communications Company, 1973.    Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. United States of America: Penguin, 1976.    Tytell, John. Naked Angels: the Lives and Literature of the Beat Generation. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976.      

Midterm for Information System

MIS EXAM – QUESTIONS 1) Developing a new product, fulfilling an order, and hiring a new employee are examples of business processes. Answer: True False 2) A fully digital firm produces only digital goods or services. Answer: True False 3) A business model describes how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth. Answer: True False 4) Information technology (IT) consists of all the hardware that a firm needs to use in order to achieve its business objectives, whereas information systems consist of all the software and business processes needed.Answer: True False 5) Computers are only part of an information system. Answer: True False 6) The dimensions of information systems are management, organizations, and information technology. Answer: True False 7) In order to understand how a specific business firm uses information systems, you need to know something about the hierarchy and culture of the company. Answer: True False 8) Business processes are logically related tasks for accomplishing tasks that have been formally encoded by an organization. Answer: True False ) A substantial part of management responsibility is creative work driven by new knowledge and information. Answer: True False 10) Intranets allow firms to work easily with third-party suppliers and vendors. Answer: True False 11) An IT infrastructure provides the platform on which the firm can build its information systems. Answer: True False 12) The six important business objectives of information technology are new products, services, and business models; customer and supplier intimacy; survival; competitive advantage; operational excellence; and A) improved flexibility.B) improved decision making. C) improved business practices. D) improved efficiency. Answer: B 13) Which of the following choices may lead to competitive advantage: (1) new products, services, and business models; (2) charging less for superior products; (3) responding to customers in real tim e? A) 1 only B) 1 and 2 C) 2 and 3 D) 1, 2, and 3 Answer: D 14) The move of retail banking to use ATMs after Citibank unveiled its first ATMs illustrates the use of information systems to achieve which business objective? A) improved efficiency B) customer and supplier intimacy C) survival D) competitive advantageAnswer: C 15) The three activities in an information system that produce the information organizations use to control operations are A) information retrieval, research, and analysis. B) input, output, and feedback. C) input, processing, and output. D) data analysis, processing, and feedback. Answer: C 16) Output A) is feedback that has been processed to create meaningful information. B) is information that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate the input stage. C) transfers data to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.D) transfers processed information to the people who will use it or to the activiti es for which it will be used. Answer: D 17) Converting raw data into a more meaningful form is called A) capturing. B) processing. C) organizing. D) feedback. Answer: B 18) The fundamental set of assumptions, values, and ways of doing things that has been accepted by most of a company's members is called its A) culture. B) environment. C) atmosphere. D) values. Answer: A 19) The hardware and software used to transfer data in an organization is called A) data management technology. B) networking and data management technology.C) data and telecommunications technology. D) networking and telecommunications technology. Answer: D 20) Networking and telecommunications technologies, along with computer hardware, software, data management technology, and the people required to run and manage them, constitute an organization's A) data management environment. B) networked environment. C) IT infrastructure. D) information system. Answer: C 21) From a business perspective, raw data is transform ed systematically during various stages, transforming it into valuable information, in a process called A) the information value chain.B) the IT value chain. C) information processing. D) feedback. Answer: A 22) The costs for firms operating on a global scale have been drastically reduced by A) networking technology. B) investments in organizational complementary assets. C) the Internet. D) the rise of digital content. Answer: C 23) Which of the following are key corporate assets? A) intellectual property, core competencies, and financial and human assets B) production technologies and business processes for sales, marketing, and finance C) knowledge and the firm's tangible assets, such as goods or services D) time and knowledgeAnswer: A 25) Overproduction or underproduction of goods and services, misallocation of resources, and poor response times are the results of a firm's having A) poor relationships with suppliers. B) poor relationships with customers. C) inadequate information . D) a surplus of information. Answer: C 25) A firm that must invest in new information systems capabilities in order to comply with federal legislation can be said to be investing to achieve which business objective? A) customer intimacy B) operational excellence C) survival D) improved reporting Answer: C 6) Operational management is responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the business and therefore needs transaction-level information. Answer: True False 27) You would use an MIS to help decide whether to introduce a new product line. Answer: True False 28) Transaction processing systems are most commonly used by the senior management level of an organization. Answer: True False 29) A transaction processing system is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Answer: True False 0) Management information systems typically support nonroutine decision making. Answer: True False 31) Functional systems tha t support business processes within a single functional group, such as human resources, are being phased out in favor of cross-functional systems. Answer: True False 32) Managers need TPSs to monitor the status of internal operations and the firm's relations with the external environment. Answer: True False 33) Decision-support systems help managers make decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance.Answer: True False 34) Decision-support systems use internal information as well as information from external sources. Answer: True False 35) ESSs are designed to serve the middle management of the organization. Answer: True False 36) ESSs are designed to incorporate data about external events, but they also draw summarized information from internal MIS and DSS. Answer: True False 37) Enterprise systems often include transactions with customers and vendors. Answer: True False 38) Supply chain management systems are more externally oriented than enterpri se systems.Answer: True False 39) Which of the following is an example of a cross-functional business process? A) identifying customers B) creating a new product C) assembling a product D) paying creditors Answer: B 40) Which type of system would you use to change a production schedule if a key supplier was late in delivering goods? A) ESS B) TPS C) MIS D) DSS Answer: B 41) To monitor the status of internal operations and the firm's relations with the external environment, managers need ________ systems. A) decision-support B) knowledge C) transaction processing D) management information Answer: C 2) Which systems are typically a major source of data for other systems? A) transaction processing systems B) management information systems C) executive support systems D) decision-support systems Answer: A 43) Which type of system would you use to determine the five suppliers with the worst record in delivering goods on time? A) ESS B) TPS C) MIS D) DSS Answer: C 44) A relocation control system that reports summaries on the total moving, house-hunting, and home financing costs for employees in all company divisions would fall into the category of A) knowledge management systems.B) transaction processing systems. C) executive support systems. D) management information systems. Answer: D 45) The term â€Å"management information systems† designates a specific category of information systems serving A) integrated data processing throughout the firm. B) transaction process reporting. C) employees with online access to historical records. D) middle management functions. Answer: D 46) Non-typical business problems with causes and effects that are rapidly changing are typically handled by which type of information system ? A) MIS B) TPS C) ESSD) DSS Answer: D 47)________ systems are especially suited to situations in which the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully defined in advance. A) Management information B) Transaction processing C) Decision-su pport D) Knowledge management Answer: C 48) Which type of system would you use to forecast the return on investment if you used new suppliers with better delivery track records? A) ESS B) TPS C) MIS D) DSS Answer: D 49) ESS are specifically designed to serve which level of the organization? A) operational B) end-user C) middle managementD) senior management Answer: D 50) Executive support systems are information systems that support the A) long-range planning activities of senior management. B) knowledge and data workers in an organization. C) decision-making and administrative activities of middle managers. D) day-to-day processes of production. Answer: A 51) Which type of system would you use to determine what trends in your supplier's industry will affect your firm the most in five years? A) ESS B) TPS C) MIS D) DSS Answer: A 52) What is the most important function of an enterprise application?A) increasing speed of communicating B) enabling business functions and departments to share information C) enabling a company to work collaboratively with customers and suppliers D) enabling cost-effective e-business processes Answer: B 53) ________ are designed to support organization-wide process coordination and integration. A) Decision-support systems B) Management information systems C) CRM systems D) Enterprise applications Answer: D 54) Enterprise systems are also known as ________ systems. A) resource planning B) enterprise resource planning C) enterprise supportD)management information Answer: B 55) ________ systems are designed to help firms manage their relationships with their customers. A) CRM B) MIS C) CLE D) CLU Answer: A 56) Which types of systems consolidate the relevant knowledge and experience in the firm to make it available to improve business processes and management decision making? A) TPS B) extranets C) KMS D) CRM Answer: C 57) Which of the following types of system helps expedite the flow of information between the firm and its suppliers and customers? A) intranet B) extranet C) KMS D) TPS Answer: B 8) Which of the following is not one of the fifteen categories of collaborative software tools? A) file sharing B) event scheduling C) white boarding D) extranets Answer: D 59) You work for a highly successful advertiser that is just about to expand nationally. Of utmost importance will be finding a way to store and disseminate their clients' continually updated branding guides, which include multiple image files and text documents, to all of the firm's branches. What system will best serve these needs? A) an intranet with KMS capabilities B) an extranet with KMS capabilitiesC) a TPS with KMS capabilities D) a CRM Answer: B 60) You have been hired by a worldwide non-profit agency to implement a system to handle their donations. The system must be able to handle and record telephone, sms, and Internet donations, provide up-to-the-minute reports, and create highly customizable mailing lists. In addition, event fundraisers nee d to be able to quickly access a donor's information and history. Which of the following systems will best meet these needs? A) TPS B) TPS with DSS capabilities C) TPS with MIS capabilities D) TPS with ESS capabilities Answer: C 1) The interaction between information systems and organizations is influenced A) primarily by the decision making of middle- and senior-managers. B) by many factors, including structure, politics, culture, and environment. C) by two main microeconomic forces: capital and labor. D) primarily by the organization's business processes and culture. Answer: B 62) An organization is a A) stable, formal social structure that takes resources from the environment and processes them to produce outputs. B) formal, legal entity with internal rules and procedures that must abide by laws. C) collection of social elements.D) B and C E) A, B, and C Answer: E 63) How does the technical view of organizations fall short of understanding the full impacts of information systems in a firm? A) It sees information systems as a way to rearrange the inputs and outputs of the organization. B) It sees capital and labor as primary production factors. C) It sees the inputs and outputs, labor and capital, as being infinitely malleable. D) It sees the organization as a social structure similar to a machine. Answer: C 64) All of the following are major features of organizations that impact the use of information systems EXCEPT for A) business processesB) environments C) goals D) agency costs Answer: D 65) Business processes are collections of A) informal practices and behaviors. B) formalized and documented practices. C) routines. D) rights and privileges. Answer: C 66) The costs incurred when a firm buys on the marketplace what it cannot make itself are referred to as A) switching costs. B) transaction costs. C) procurement. D) agency costs. Answer: B 67) Which of the following statements is NOT true about information technology's impacts on business firms? A) It hel ps firms expand in size.B) It helps firms lower the cost of market participation. C) It helps reduce internal management costs. D) It helps reduce transaction costs. Answer: A 68) According to agency theory, the firm is viewed as a(n) A) unified, profit-maximizing entity. B) task force organization that must respond to rapidly changing environments. C) entrepreneurial endeavor. D) â€Å"nexus of contracts† among self-interested individuals. Answer: D 69) The ________ model is used to describe the interaction of external forces that affect an organization's strategy and ability to compete.A) network economics B) competitive forces C) competitive advantage D) demand control Answer: B 70) Which of the following industries has a low barrier to entry? A) automotive B) computer chip C) restaurant D) airline Answer: C 71) Which of the following is NOT one of the competitive forces? A) suppliers B) other competitors C) external environment D) customers Answer: C 72) A manufacturer of deep-sea oil rigs may be least concerned about this marketplace force. A) product differentiation B) traditional competitors C) low number of suppliers D) new market entrants Answer: D 3) A firm can exercise greater control over its suppliers by having A) more suppliers. B) fewer suppliers. C) global suppliers. D) local suppliers. Answer: A 74) The four major types of competitive strategy are A) low-cost leadership; substitute products and services; customers; and suppliers. B) low-cost leadership; product differentiation; focus on market niche; and customer and supplier intimacy. C) new market entrants; substitute products and services; customers; and suppliers. D) low-cost leadership; new market entrants; product differentiation; and focus on market niche.Answer: B 75) When a firm provides a specialized product or service for a narrow target market better than competitors, they are using a ________ strategy. A) product differentiation B) market niche C) mass customization D) proc ess efficiency Answer: B 76) ________ is the ability to offer individually tailored products or services using the same production resources as bulk production. A) Mass customization B) Size customization C) Magnitude customization D) Dimension customization Answer: A 77) Hilton Hotels' use of customer information software to identify the most rofitable customers to direct services to is an example of using information systems to A) strengthen customer intimacy. B) differentiate their service. C) focus on market niche. D) increase efficiency. Answer: C 78) An information system can enable a company to focus on a market niche through A) complex trend forecasting. B) tailoring products to the client. C) intensive product trend analysis. D) intensive customer data analysis. Answer: D 79) Upon which of the following industries has the Internet as a whole been a disruptive technology? A) bill payments B) air travelC) books D) real estate Answer: B 80) Internet technology A) makes it easy for rivals to compete on price alone. B) imposes a significant cost of entry, due to infrastructure requirements. C) increases the difference between competitors because of the wide availability of information. D) makes it easy to sustain operational advantages. Answer: A 81) The Internet raises the bargaining power of customers by A) creating new opportunities for building loyal customer bases. B) making more products available. C) making information available to everyone. D) lowering transaction costs.Answer: C 82) A virtual company A) uses the capabilities of other companies without being physically tied to those companies. B) uses Internet technology to maintain a virtual storefront. C) uses Internet technology to maintain a networked community of users. D) provides entirely Internet-driven services, or virtual products. Answer: A 83) The four key technical trends responsible for current ethical stresses related to information technology are (1) doubling of computer power every 18 months, (2) data analysis advances, (3) declining data storage costs, and (4) ________.A) advances in wireless networking B) international standards for data protection C) networking advances and the Internet D) increased ease in file sharing and copying Answer: C 84) The use of computers to combine data from multiple sources and create electronic dossiers of detailed information on individuals is called A) profiling. B) phishing. C) spamming. D) targeting. Answer: A 85) Accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for the decisions you make is referred to as A) responsibility. B) accountability. C) liability. D) due process. Answer: A 6) The feature of political systems in which a body of laws is in place that permits individuals to recover the damages done to them by other actors, systems, or organizations is referred to as A) accountability. B) responsibility. C) due process. D) liability. Answer: D 87) The feature of social institutions that means mechanisms are in place to determine responsibility for an action is called A) due process. B) accountability. C) the courts of appeal. D) the judicial system. Answer: B 88) Which of the following is not one of the five steps discussed in the chapter as a process for analyzing an ethical issue?A) Assign responsibility. B) Identify the stakeholders. C) Identify the options you can reasonably take. D) Identify and clearly describe the facts. Answer: A 89) The ethical â€Å"no free lunch† rule states that A) if an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any time. B) one should take the action that produces the least harm or incurs the least cost. C) one can put values in rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action. D) everything is owned by someone else, and that the creator wants compensation for this work. Answer: D 0) European privacy protection is ________ than in the United States. A) less far-reaching B) less liable to laws C) much less stringent D) much more stringent Answer: D 91) The Internet has made the protection of intellectual property A) more difficult, because of the lack of enforcable regulations. B) easier, because of the proliferation of creative and professional software. C) more difficult, because of the ease of copying and transmitting digitized media. D) easier, because of the ability to track user behavior and visits to Web sites and file-sharing services.Answer: C 92) When a cookie is created during a Web site visit, it is stored A) on the Web site computer. B) on the visitor's computer. C) on the ISP's computer. D) in a Web directory. Answer: B 93) The Online Privacy Alliance A) encourages self-regulation to develop a set of privacy guidelines for its members. B) protects user privacy during interactions with Web sites. C) has established technical guidelines for ensuring privacy. D) is a government agency regulating the use of customer information. Answer: A 4) Intellectual property can b est be described as A) intangible property created by individuals or corporations. B) the expression of an intangible idea. C) unique creative work or ideas. D) tangible or intangible property created from a unique idea. Answer: A 95) A limitation of trade secret protection for software is that A) it does not protect against copying the underlying ideas behind the software. B) it is difficult to compare one piece of software to another. C) it is difficult to prevent the ideas in the work from falling into the public domain.D) few software programs contain truly unique elements. Answer: C 96) The strength of patent protection is that it A) puts the strength of law behind copyright. B) allows protection from Internet theft of ideas put forth publicly. C) is easy to define. D) grants a monopoly on underlying concepts and ideas. Answer: D 97) One of the difficulties of patent protection is A) that only the underlying ideas are protected. B) digital media cannot be patented. C) preventin g the ideas from falling into public domain. D) the years of waiting to receive it. Answer: D 8) In general, it is very difficult to hold software producers liable for their software products when those products are considered to be A) part of a machine. B) similar to books. C) services. D) artistic expressions. Answer: B 99) The most common source of business system failure is A) software bugs. B) software errors. C) hardware or facilities failures. D) data quality. Answer: D 100) Two of the three principal sources of poor system performance are A) software bugs and errors and outdated standards. B) hardware or facility failures and malware.C) hardware or facility failures and poor input data quality. D) poor input data quality and insufficient integration with legacy systems. Answer: C 101) The practice of spamming has been growing because A) telephone solicitation is no longer legal. B) it is good advertising practice and brings in many new customers. C) it helps pay for the Inte rnet. D) it is so inexpensive and can reach so many people. Answer: D 102) Which of the five moral dimensions of the information age does spamming raise? A) quality of life B) system quality C) accountability and control D) information rights and obligations Answer: A