Models of Addiction Essay

The addicted person can be a composite of patterns of behavior, predisposition, and social environment. Generally, he is preoccupied with the substance or behavior of choice and will continue to practice the addiction in increasing amounts of time and material. Cessation results in withdrawal symptoms and discomforts both physically and psychologically. In spite of attempts to cut back or cease the activity, the addict will continue to his behavior to his own detriment and destruction. There are many factors that need to be considered when addressing causation, allowing the models of addiction to fall into three basic categories; medical, social, and psychological. Medical Models This model rests on the assumption that disease states are a result of a biological dysfunction, possibly one on the cellular or even molecular level (Doweiko, 2012). The disease or dispositional concept allows the addict to bear no responsibility for the addiction (Jenkins, 2014). Because of underlying physical abnormalities, the addict is not able to control the use of the substance or his behavior. This is the primary way of viewing addictions in the United States, according to Doweiko (2012). The cause here is considered biological or hereditary. A problem here is the potential for denial of personal responsibility. Genetic factors consider vulnerability, predisposition, and how genes come together to increase risk for addiction. Patterns over time and generations can be helpful in research and in understanding possible solutions. This idea is limited in that research is narrowly focused on biological and genetic factors versus other factors.   Social Models This model views peer pressure, social policies, and availability as major contributing influences surrounding addictions. It is mainly concerned with conformance and deviance, what helps, and what is a risk. Unhealthy relationships, dysfunctional families, and environment play a major part in the cause of addiction in this type of model (Jenkins, 2014). Inadequate coping mechanisms and vicarious learning contribute to the problem. The focus is on family, peers, personal relationships, and learned behaviors. The moral volitional or willful sin theory relies on social sanctions to remedy addiction and sees it as a weakness of character. The greatest hope here is that changing peers, places, and things offers recuperation. On a spiritual level, the degrading effects of sin illuminate the need for redemption (Jenkins, 2014). This compulsion is seen as a form of idol worship, as it places the obsession before God. It hinders spiritual growth and alters the image of God within the believer. Social models are limited in that relationships are difficult to measure (Jenkins, 2014). Rather than how the addiction develops, the emphasis is on recovery. Genetic predisposition and other areas are not taken into account or ignored and the individual’s ability to resist is not contemplated. Psychological Models With the rise of psychoanalysis came the psychological models of addiction. The addict is considered as being immature developmentally and as having fundamental traits that contribute to the problem. There is the belief that the dilemma is reinforced both socially and MODELS OF ADDICTION 4 environmentally creating a learned response through classical and operant conditioning (Jenkins, 2014). It is thought that the addict uses defense mechanisms to remain in denial about his predicament and will use cognitive justifications for otherwise unacceptable behavior (Doweiko, 2012). Conclusion From the various models used to understand and explain addiction, it is  apparent that there is an overlapping or interconnection among the theories. This would support an integrated approach to identifying the cause and effects of this problem. When all factors are considered, the puzzle is much easier to put together. Treatment can then be comprised of multiple options and resources making recovery more attainable. References Doweiko, H. 2012. Concepts of chemical dependency , 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning Jenkins, D. 2014. Presentation: Models of addiction. Retrieved from http://learn.liberty.edu.

Macroeconomics: Discussion Questions

In the aspect of macroeconomics, economists measure and evaluate the current condition and characteristics of a certain region’s economy based on the production ability and condition of the said population. This economic production value is summarized under the computation of the Gross Domestic Product of said the region. GDP is mainly the summary of the value added at every stage of production of all final goods produced by the subject region in a given period of time. Its computation include the total consumption of the population of the said region added with the gross investment of the private sector at the given period and the total money value of the government spending thus, summarizing the total production output of all the sectors in the society. In particular, the computation of GDP only includes the final goods and services for a particular year. This does not include the value of stocks and used goods that are bought and sold. This is mainly because the value of the said goods have already been included during the particular period on which they are originally produced thus, the second term of their usage are not being considered as this would only result to redundancy in the computation. Thus, to come up with the proper and effective measurement of GDP value, goods are only measured during the period that they were originally produced at that particular period of time. Regarding the aspect of contribution towards the GDP value of the involved region, the business firms in particular have a significant influence to the generation of the GDP of their region. Business firms are considered to be in the private sector of the business economy and their gross investment or capital becomes their contributory value towards the GDP generation. For them to affect positively the GDP value of their economy, they can increase their gross investment value towards the economy such as expanding their operation or increasing their production at the period being considered. Through which, they can effectively increase the value of GDP in their region characterizing the growth in their economy. 2. Define consumption and MPC. What is your MPC has it increased or decreased through time? Another important element in the computation of GDP is the value of public consumption generated by the spending characteristics of the population. This is mainly the gross money value generated by the financial and economic transaction such as producing, buying, and selling of the population in the given period. Intuitively, higher consumption requires higher income for the population for them to have the financially capability to buy goods in the market. Increased in the consumption through this added with the increase in the production of goods being sold in the market would result to higher GDP for the subject region. An important concern in evaluating the consumption value is the MPC or the Gross Propensity to Consume. This is mainly the proportion in the aggregate raise added in the income level of an individual or the population in general, which is added to his or her ability to consume as opposed to savings. Considering this value, the increase in MPC would be affected by the current condition of the economy and the decision of the person on whether to save or consume the additional value to his or her income. 1. How has business cycle impacted you and/or a business you have information about? How do changes in price level and production (real GDP) might have an affect on you or a business? The business cycle is generally considered to be a natural occurrence affecting the condition and characteristic of the business firm. This is mainly the event of the upward and downward growth trend in the business, which are cyclical in nature affected by the several factors internally and externally. This cycle is characterized by periods of trough, recovery, peak and recession reflected upon its value of real output. Included in the factors influencing this cycle are the price level and production level in a given period of their economy. Generally, increase in price level would likewise affect the profit level of the business, as they would generate more revenue from selling their production. On the other hand, the current production level will likewise affect the business wherein a high level of GDP would likely result to lower prices due to the surplus of products circulating in the market. The low price level would in turn, affect the business with the reduction of their income and profit level. 2. Assume that you are a business owner and looking into future, you want implement a long-term plan to expand your business what are the macroeconomics variable you will appraise to make an effective and successful business expansion? In developing a long-term expansion plan for a business organization, it is important to consider the macroeconomic variables that are influential in the business operation. In the expansion plan, it is important to consider the future possibilities of the society in which the business plan to conduct their operation. The macroeconomic variables such as the current production and price level trends are important in this plan as they would general affect the profit generation of the business. Projecting an increase in the price level would likely result to higher income for the production operation as they would generate more revenue in selling their goods thus, expanding operation during this condition can be beneficial. On the other hand, if the production level of the business’s product is high then it is likely that the good will have a surplus in the market thus, lowering their value in the market. This condition indeed would not be much ideally for the organization. Indeed, analyzing the current condition of the market is important for the expansion, as this will determine the ideal and effective moment for the organization’s plan. 3. Put the hat of a Keynesian economist on and convince your classmates why Keynesian economics polices are effective to control inflation and unemployment in the economy. The Keynesian economics is mainly characterized by its mixed value towards the state and private sector towards the development of the social economy. In this aspect, combining the gross production ability of the state and the private sector through developing strategies to equally maximize their output will effectively benefit the social economic condition. In particular, the Keynesian economic principles are effective in controlling the inflation and unemployment problems in the economy. Through encouraging greater investment and lesser savings, business organizations will be encourage to expand their operation thus, generating more jobs for the public. With this, production level will also likely increase thus, increasing the available goods in the market. In this condition, price level would likely decrease due to the surplus of economic goods thus, negating the negative factors of inflation in the subject regions’ economy. Bibliography McConnell, Campbell R. & Brue, Stanley L. (2006). Macroeconomics. McGraw-Hill/ Irwin

The Host Chapter 1: Remembered

I knew it would begin with the end, and the end would look like death to these eyes. I had been warned. Not these eyes. My eyes. Mine. This was me now. The language I had found myself using was odd, but it made sense. Choppy, boxy, blind, and linear. Impossibly crippled in comparision to many I'd used, yet still it managed to find fluidity and expression. Sometimes beauty. My language now. My native tounge. With the truest instinct of my kind, I'd bound myself securely into the body's center of thought, twined myself inescapably into its every breath and reflex until it was no longer a seperate entity. It was me. Not the body, mybody. I felt the sedation wearing off and lucidity taking its place. I braced myself for the onslaught of the first memory, which would really be the last memory ?C the last moments this body had experienced, the memory of the end. I had been warned thorougly of what would happen now. These human emotions would be stronger, more vital than the feelings of any other species I had been. I tried to prepare myself. The memory came. And, as I'd been warned, it was not something that could ever be prepared for. It seared with sharp color and ringing sound. Cold on her skin, pain gripping her limbs, burning them. The taste was fiercely metallic in her mouth. And there was the new sense, the fifth sense I'd never had, that took the particles from the air and transformed them into strange messages and pleasaures and warnings in her brain ?C scents. They were distracting, confusing to me, but not to her memory. The memory had no time for the novelties of smell. The memory was only fear. Fear locked her in a vise, goading the blunt, clumsy limbd forward but hampering them at the same time. To flee, to run ?C it was all she could do. I've failed. The memory that was not mine was so frighteningly strong and clear that it sliced through my control ?C overwhelmed the detachment, the knowledge that this was just a memory and not me. Sucked into the hell that was the last minute of her life, I was she, and we were running. It's so dark. I can't see. I can't see the floor. I can't see my hands streched out in front of me. I run blind and try to hear the pursuit I can feel behind me, but the pulse is so loud behind my ears it drowns everything else out. It's cold. It shouldn't matter now, but it hurts. I'm so cold. The air in her nose was uncomfortable. Bad. A bad smell. For one second, that discomfort pulled me free of the memory. But it was only a second, and then I was dragged in again, and my eyes filled with horrified tears. I'm lost, we're lost. It's over. They're right behind me now, loud and close. There are so many footsteps! I am alone. I've failed. The Seekers are calling. The sound of their voices twists my stomach. I'm going to be sick. â€Å"It's fine, it's fine,† one lies, trying to calm me, to slow me. Her voice is disturbed by the effort of her breathing. â€Å"Be careful!† another shouts in warning. â€Å"Don't hurt yourself,† one of them pleads. A deep voice, full of concern. Concern! Heat shot trough my veins, and a violent hatred nearly choked me. I had never felt such an emotion as this in all my lives. For another second, my revulision pulled me away from the memory. A high, shrill keening pierced my ears and pulsed in my head. The sound scraped through my airways. There was a weak pain in my throat. Screaming, my body explained. You're screaming. I froze in shock, and the sound broke off abruptly. This was not a memory. My body ?C she was thinking! Speakingto me! But the memory was stronger, in that moment, than my astonishment. â€Å"Please,† they cry. â€Å"There is danger ahead.† The danger is behind! I scream back in my mind. But I see what they mean. A feeble stream of light, coming from who knows where, shines on the end of the hall. It is not the flat wall or the locked door, the dead end I feared and expected. It is a black hole. An elevator shaft. Abandoned, empty, and condemned, like this building. Once a hiding place, now a tomb. A surge of relief floods through me as I raced forward. There is a way. No way to survive, but perhaps a way to win. No, no, no! This thought was all mine, and I fought to pull myself away from her, but we wer together. And we sprinted from the edge of death. â€Å"Please!† The shouts are more desperate. I feel like laughing when I know that I am fast enough. I imagine their hands clutching for me just inches behind my back. But I am as fast as I need to be. I don't even pause at the end of the floor. The hole rises up to meet me midstride. The emptiness swallows me. My legs flail, useless. My hands grip the air, claw through it, searching for anything solid. Cold blows past me like tornado winds. I hear the thud before I feel it†¦ The air is gone†¦ And then pain is everywhere†¦ Pain is everything. Make it stop. Not high enough, I whisper to myself through the pain. When will the pain end? When†¦? The blackness swallowed up the agony, and I was weak with gratitude that the memory had come to this most final of conclusions. The blackness took all, and I was free. I took a breath to steady myself, as was this body's habit. My body. But then the color rushed back, the memory reared up and engulfed me again. No! I panicked, fearing the cold and the pain and the very fear itself. But this was not the same memory. This was a memory within a memory ?C a final memory, like a last gasp of air ?C yet, somehow, even stronger than the first. The blackness took all but this: a face. The face was as alien to me as the faceless serpentine tentacles of my last host body would be to this new body. I'd seen this kind of face in the images I had been given to prepare for this world. It was hard to tell them apart, to see the tiny variations in color and shape that was the only markers of the individual. So much the same, all of them. Noses centered in the middle of the sphere, eyes above and mouths below, ears around the sides. A collection of senses, all but touch, concentrated in one place. Skin over bones, hair growing on the crown and in strange furry lines above the eyes. Some had more fur lower down on the jaw: those were always males. The colors ranged through the brown scale from pale cream to a deep almost-black. Aside from that, how to know one from the other? This face I would of known among millions. This face was a hard rectangle, the shape of the bones strong under the skin. In color it was light golden brown. The hair was just a few shades darker than the skin, except where flaxen streaks lightened it, and it covered only the head and the odd fur stripes above the eyes. The circular irises in the white eyeballs were darker than the hair but, like the hair, flecked with light. There were small lines around the eyes, and her memories told me the lines was from smiling and squinting into sunlight. I knew nothing of what passed for beauty among these strangers, and yet I knew that this face was beautiful. I wanted to keep looking at it. As soon as I realized this, it disappeared. Mine, spoke the alien thought that should not have existed. Again, I was frozen, stunned. There should have been no one here but me. And yet this thought was so strong and so aware! Impossible. How was she still here? This was me now. Mine, I rebuked her, the power and authority that belonged to me alone flowing through the word. Everything is mine. So why am I talking back to her? I wondered as the voices interuppted my thoughts.

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Response paper - Essay Example Apart from certain borrowing between some of them, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam on the one hand, and Hinduism and Buddhism on the other, these religious cults have developed a sophisticated vision of the creation, which definitely and firmly departs from the realm of mythology and appertain to the realms of divine and/or philosophy. Given the major differences, in terms of monotheism and polytheism, between those religions, as well as the fact that all of them claim – quite understandably indeed – the divine high ground, it does rather beg the question of how one can discern their true value. Their concepts of the creation could present us with all-important clues in regard to this question. Due to the borrowings between some of those religious cults, as stated earlier, and for the sake of brevity, the following sections discuss only two of them, which are considered prototypes – Judaism and Hinduism. With its stunning array of traditions, which are not embraced by a single holy book or subjugated to a universal dogma, Hinduism hardly resembles an orderly religious cult, but rather a miscellany of things that Hindus consider essential to practice their religion – from astronomy to music and dance1. The four Vedic collections – Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva – which are believed to have been composed between 1750 BCE and 1500 BCE as a revealed scripture, consist of four sections each, namely hymns (Samhitas), directions for the performance of the sacred rituals (Brahmanas), the so-called ‘compositions for the forest’ (Aranyakas), and the Upanishads2. The latter are believed to have been composed around 600 BCE and are considered philosophical works which contain truths about the universe and the place of humanity in it3. The beginning of the world, according to Rig-Veda and Atharva-Veda, is seen as follows: â€Å"In the

List of possible risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

List of possible risk - Essay Example This may also subject the respondent to severe loss of reputation since confidentiality and privacy being the reasons normally given by potential respondents for unwillingness to participate in such surveys. This risk can easily be reduced by the members adherence to confidentiality of the survey responses and to make sure no information is leaked to irrelevant persons and in the long run will boost the confidence of the respondents to give all the information required. Also the computers used in storing the information are locked with passwords which are only accessible by the members only. Data and information security is high priority; this is due to the fact that this information is sometimes confidential. The risk of losing or unprotect the data will mean losing the survey and could lead to the share of the information to a third party. Even after carefully planning and survey administration, problems do take place leading to a data which is not sufficiently valid and reliable. Insufficient measures for keeping data, as in computer information systems also result in loss and alteration of data. (Marrett, 2003). Data can also be lost during the analysis, processing and reporting of data information through incorrect transfer of data in the database, this can therefore by use of any kind of backups on the computers used and also by using cloud computing. Data loss through members of the team can also be prevented by the team administering an oath of allegiances, this will make the members to be more careful on the kind of information they share from the survey. (Marrett, 2003). For a survey to give a consistent, relevant and sound evident, the information it provides must be both valid and relevant to the purpose. For the survey to be reliable, all the measurements must be consistent from one individual to the other involved in the survey at different

Italian luxuries Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Italian luxuries - Research Paper Example Italy has produced famous artists, painters, actors of all time including Leonardo Da Vinci, Amy Adams, and Rose McGowan etc. As far as the fashion is concerned Italy is jam packed with fashion and luxurious houses like Giorgio Armani, Laura Biagiotti, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Roberto Cavalli, Corneliani, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Dsquared2, Etro, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Alberta Ferretti, Gucci, Krizia, Loro Piana, Marni, Max Mara, Missoni, Miu Miu, Moschino, Prada, Emilio Pucci, Trussardi, Valentino, Versace, Tods and the list goes on. Italy was into fashion right from the beginning of Renaissance period. Italian fashion is appreciated all across the globe and its fashion shows including Milan Fashion Week is regarded as one of the biggest show in which variety of designers take part to present their fashion skills. Italy, also known as Italian Republic, is situated in the southern Europe so its most of the fashion styles are similar to the other high class fashionable countries of Europe including Germany, France, United Kingdom and Spain. Moreover Milan, Florence and Rome are generally considered to be one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world along with London, Paris and New York. Italian luxuries are not only famous only in Europe but also whole across the globe. One who’s not familiar with Bottega Veneta simple has no right to live according to most of the high class fashion designers of Vicenza. It was founded in 1966 and now comes under the multinational group Kering, formerly known as Gucci Group. It is famous for producing high quality leather goods including fashionable and stylish leather bags, clutches, bracelets, watches and wallets. Bottega Veneta also serve its customers with exquisite fragrances, furniture and home accessories. Versace is one of the leading brands in Italy. It was founded in 1978 by Gianni Versace. Versace serves wide range of ready-to-wear products including bags,

Marks and Spencer Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marks and Spencer - Coursework Example Its history can be traced back to the late 1980s when the company opened its first stall in Kirkgate Market, Leeds. From a single point store, the company has now become one of the world’s largest retailers. The aim of the study is to analyse the different strategies and activities of Marks & Spencer’s such as its leadership style, organizational structure as well the analysis of the company’s resources and competencies. Introduction The garment industry consists of organizations that design, manufacture and market clothing, its associated accessories and footwear. The product category encompasses almost everything starting from basics such as underwear to the luxury items such as alligator-skin handbags to costly sweaters. Traditionally, majority of the apparel companies used to function as a wholesaler where bulk quantities were sold to the retailers and the retailers in turn sold them to the consumers with a profit margin. However, in the present context it ha s become extremely difficult to draw a line between an apparel retailing company and an apparel wholesaling company because most of the apparel companies now have both types of operation. Reports have suggested that a number of factors lying outside the internal environment of the organization impact the industry. One of the most apparent one is the speed of change. Managers and industry experts feel that the speed of global communication and pace of technological change has rapidly increased since the last few years and as a result of that, companies had to bring a different kind of strategic changes. Scholars argue that the strategy of a firm depends upon the positioning and repositioning of the company and also depend upon its competencies related to the marketplace and the forces that shape the market (Mcgrath, 2001). According to a report by Barrie (2013) â€Å"uncertainty is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the apparel industry in 2013.† Furthermore, the global fina ncial situation coupled with rising production cost, lack of innovation and low growth resulted in industry downsizing. Hence, it is evident that the garment industry needs to reinvent them for the purpose of gaining competitive advantage in the marketplace. For this purpose, a company needs to create an edge over its rivals. One of the most common ways of gaining competitive advantage is to carry out strategic planning and extensive research works. The company failed to keep up the pace with the rapid changes taking place in the retail market. This has resulted into declining market share and profitability. In the context of the technological environment, the company has failed to launch simple and basic schemes such as buying cards. Company profile (M&S) Marks and Spencer PLC, commonly known as M&S, is a UK based multinational retailing company. The company was founded in the year 1984 by Sir Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. It is presently headquartered in London, England. From a single market stall in Leeds, the company went on to become one of the world’s largest multi-channel retailing retailers. Presently, Marks and Spencer operate in more than 40 countries of the world with 1184 stores spread in different countries. The UK alone consists of 766 stores and the remaining 418 are international stores M&S organization Structure & Management Function The organization structure is one of the crucial factors of a company. A well defined organization structure not only ensures a smoother flow of information but also promotes internal and external communication. In the context of Marks and Spencer, the company follows a functional organizational structure and as a result o

Investment Portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Portfolio - Research Paper Example It involves providing concise method of communicating the process and objectives amongst all parties involved with the investments and to assign responsibility for implementations. (Winfield R. G. and Curry S. J., 1995.) Once the Investment Policy has been established other factors affecting the investment such as financial and economic conditions, and risk factors will be examined. How to allocate the 100,000 to specific assets will be determined. RiskGrades will be used for optimal allocation. RiskGradeTM measure is an open and transparent benchmark to measure the risk of the world's financial assets. Another optimization criterion to be looked at briefly is the Markowitz co-variance approach. According to Markowitz, (1952), the co-variance matrix can be used to compute portfolio variance. Peter Zangari (1996)'s document on risk metrics assumes that the market is driven by risk factors with observable co-variance. These risk factors which have been incorporated in the analysis include; time series of prices or levels of stocks, currencies (foreign exchange rates), commodities and interest rates. The evaluation of investment performance is very important to any investor. Evaluation goes hand in hand with re-examining the policies and altering the strategies. The constructed portfolio will be monitored throughout the period under review. The reasons why it is performing in a certain way is examined. Policy Statement This is a statement of Investment Policy and investment goals, which establish the investment management procedures. The five basic components of the statement include; Summary of investor circumstances. Investment objectives, time horizon and risk attitudes. Permissible asset classes, constraints and restrictions. The asset allocation decisions. Selection, monitoring and control procedures. For an investor, investment policy depends on circumstances (Winfield, 2005). Institutional investor will be concerned with long-term investments as opposed to an individual investor who will be limited to personal factors such as financial situation, age, family circumstances, and personal preferences to risk. An elderly investor will invest in investments which are short-term though the risks might be high as opposed to a young investor. Diversification comes in for the issue of risks. Diversification is a risk limiting strategy. Since I am a young investor, I would like to diversify my investment and also take a greater amount of risk to enhance the potential earnings on the investment. According to Winfield (2005), as a

Demand Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Demand Analysis - Term Paper Example Hence, gasoline prices will be a potential determinant of Toyota SUV’s future demand. Reports indicate that gasoline price is likely to fall by the middle of 2013 and therefore demand of Toyota SUVs would be further increased after one year. BP gasoline The BP gasoline has a good market demand currently. Undoubtedly, price of the BP gasoline is the major factor affecting its market demand. When the BP gasoline price increases, the product’s demand will decline and vice versa. In addition, the level of demand for fuel vehicles greatly influences the BP gasoline demand because this product is majorly used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. While analyzing the BP gasoline demand a year from now, it seems that the demand is more likely to be declined because modern people are turning towards electric vehicles. However, gasoline price projections for 2013 indicate a downward trend and this situation would in turn promote gasoline demand to some extent. 3D movies Deman d for 3D movies is very high in modern entertainment industry. According to a survey commissioned by the International 3D Society, nearly 74% of the participants opined that â€Å"today’s 3D movies are better than 2D movies†; and in addition, 30% was of the view that â€Å"3D movies are incredible† (BusinessWire). Weaknesses in the 2D technology and customer expectations on 3D movies seem to be the important elements promoting the demand for 3D movies. In addition, recent technological developments in the 3D movie sector also contribute to the demand. However, 3D movie ticket prices can have a direct influence on its demand in line with the law of demand. The demand for 3D movies may further rise after one year because the International 3D society survey indicates that the majority of the people are yet to see a 3D movie (BusinessWire). Obesity cures Obesity cures have an immense demand across the globe, especially in the Western countries like the United States . The prevalence of overweight and obesity is soaring in the US mainly due to people’s adverse lifestyle practices and unhealthy food habits. Nowadays, people are more concerned about their health and hence they are willing to pay more for healthcare services. Hence, individuals’ consciousness is identified to be the major factor influencing the demand for obesity cures. Since the US healthcare sector is still struggling to control obesity related issues in the country, demand for obesity cures is most likely to mount throughout next few years. Tattoos While evaluating the current market position of tattoos, is clear that the conventional social stigma concerning tattoos is rapidly disappearing and which in turn promotes the demand for tattoos; and it is observed that the increased use of tattoos by celebrities has greatly added value to the tattoo demand (BBC News). Undoubtedly, tastes and preferences of customers would probably affect tattoo market demands. In additi on, many marketers offer good quality and attractive tattoos at fairly low costs and therefore the cost effectiveness also promotes the demand for tattoos. There would be a higher demand for tattoos in a year from now because the social image of tattoos is positively changing. Furthermore, marketers are vehemently trying to offer more improved and variety tattoos at cheaper costs.

Legalized gambling Essay Example for Free

Legalized gambling Essay The Economic Impacts of Legalized Gambling Introduction The effect of gambling on the standard of living will be pronounced if the gambling activity is regressive, meaning that the rate of participation (as a percentage of income) declines as people earn higher incomes. In other words, if most gamblers are poor, then gambling is more likely to affect the standard of living among the poor. One study showed many forms of gambling to be regressive. Impact on Surrounding Communities Much of the economic research investigating the ancillary economic benefits of casinos has focused on riverboat casinos. Riverboat casinos are a uniquely American establishment. They began operating in Iowa in 1991 and quickly expanded throughout the Midwest. By 1998, over 40 riverboat casinos were in operation in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa. 2 Nearly 50 riverboat and dockside casinos were in Louisiana and Mississippi (NGISC, 1999). There does not appear to be empirical evidence of economic growth as a result of the expansion of riverboat casinos. In terms of generating local tourism, riverboats seem to have been most successful in places such as Galena, Illinois, where the tourism industry was already established. Case studies suggest that the bulk of patrons of riverboat casinos are day-trippers who spend virtually no time at local non-gambling establishments (NGISC, 1999). There, thus, appear to be few, if any, positive economic spillovers to the local hotel or restaurant industry. In support of the cannibalization hypothesis, Siegel and Anders (1999) provide empirical evidence that riverboat gambling in Missouri led to a displacement of revenue from industries that constitute substitutes for gaming activity, such as entertainment and recreation services. 3 Evans and Topoleski (2002) conduct a rigorous examination of the economic and monetary impacts of Indian casinos for both Indian tribes themselves and surrounding communities. Impact on Native American Tribes An explicit goal of the IGRA was to promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments. Tribes frequently refer to casinos as the new buffalo, meaning the new source of economic sustenance for their communities. The tribes point to repaired infrastructure; diversifying economies; rising employment; augmented health, housing, education, and monetary budgets; greater indigenous language retention; and generally renewed community vitality (Taylor, Krepps, and Wang, 2000). Evans and Topoleski (2002) find that four years after tribes open casinos, tribal population is up by 12 percent and tribal employment has increased by 26 percent, resulting in an increase in tribal employment-to-population ratios of five percentage points (12 percent). Because the current program seems to be generating jobs does not necessarily mean that granting reservations a monopoly in a particular industry is a desirable policy. 9 Impact on Public Revenue Casino businesses are subject to taxation and, therefore, have a direct impact on public revenue. Maximum tax rates on gross gaming revenues in American casinos range from 6. 25 percent in Nevada to 35 percent in Illinois. Taxes on casinos are not an important source of public sector revenues for most states in the United States; only Nevada is heavily dependent on tax revenue from casino gaming. Non-Indian casinos paid over two billion dollars in taxes to states on gaming revenues in 1997, compared to state lottery revenues of approximately ten billion dollars in the same year (Eadington, 1999, p. 187). By law, states cannot tax the profits of tribal businesses. But in some states (e. g. , Connecticut, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and New Mexico), tribes have agreed to make annual payments to state governments. These fees are typically payments for the monopoly rights the state have granted the tribe to provide certain forms of gambling. In 2003, tribes contributed over $759 million to state and local governments via various forms of revenue-sharing (Meister, 2004, p. 1). Table 2 lists tribal contributions to state and local governments by state. As shown, there is tremendous variability across states. The two tribes that operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods in Connecticut alone account for over half of these payments. 10 Casinos might indirectly affect public revenue as well. Insofar as casinos generate additional business income, they might indirectly increase other forms of tax revenue. Insofar as they cannibalize sales from other businesses, they might decrease net tax revenue. Anders, Siegel, and Yacoub (1998) find that as a result of the introduction of two Indian casinos into Maricopa County, Arizona in 1993, employment and retail sales in the restaurant and bar sectors declined. Popp and Stehwien (2002) estimate a similar model to examine the effect of New Mexicos 11 Indian casinos on gross state tax receipts using quarterly data from 1990 to 1997. They also find a negative effect of Indian casinos on state sales tax revenuesthe introduction of a single Indian casino is found to be associated with a one percent decrease in county tax revenues, but the introduction of a second Indian casino in the county if found to reduce sales tax revenue by more than six percent. While suggestive, these analyses are limited in scope and their results do not necessarily generalize to the experiences of other states. Additional research on the link between casino gambling and state sales tax revenue is warranted. Casinos could also cannibalize sales from state lottery operations. Three studies offer evidence suggesting that they do. Siegel and Anders (2001) investigate the relationship between Indian casinos and state lottery revenue in Arizona. The authors empirical analysis finds that a ten percent increase in the number of slot machines is associated with a 2. 8 percent decline in lottery sales. Elliott and Navin (2002) examine the impact that the introduction of riverboat casinos between 1989 to 1995 has on state lottery sales. They find that riverboat gambling expenditures have a negative and statistically significant impact on state lottery revenues. Fink and Rork (2003) build on this work by examining data on 48 states from 1988 to 2000 and using actual tax receipts from all forms of commercial casinos. Also, like Elliott and Navin (2002), the authors perform a Heckman two-step selection correction, but in the first stage, the authors model the adoption of a commercial casino, rather than the adoption of a state lottery. Their analysis finds a strong cannibalization of state net lottery revenue by commercial casino tax revenue. Specifically, they find that an increase of one dollar in commercial casino revenues reduces net lottery revenues by $0. 56. Economic Impacts on States Casinos are good business, say their proponents. Case studies show that legal casino gaming can increase tourism, employment, sales of noncasino goods, and tax revenues. In Nevada, gaming employs 211,000, or 24. 41 percent of the workforce. Direct annual state gaming taxes total over $500 million, or more than 42 percent of the state budget. In contrast, the cost to regulate the gaming industry was less than $21 million. Las Vegas alone attracts thirty million visitors annually. New Jersey, the second state since 1931 to legalize casino gaming, also realizes significant revenues. In 1996, total direct tax revenues were over $232 million. Since casino gamblings inception, the state has realized $3 billion in direct taxes and millions more in property and luxury taxes. Gaming has resulted in 91,600 direct and indirect jobs, and community reinvestment money from casinos has totaled about $500 million. In South Dakota, the government predicted that it would generate $1 million in tax revenues in the first year of operation. From November 1989 to August 31. 1990, the City of Deadwood alone received more than $4. 3 million in taxes. Taxable sales increased 41 percent in the first year of operation. Tourism increased 300 percent. In this formerly depressed area, the casinos created more jobs than there are residents. Consequently, some workers must commute from surrounding communities. Perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of casinos have been some Native American tribes. While previously plagued by high unemployment, poor medical care, poor infrastructure, and other problems, many reservations now enjoy employment, job training, new schools, new hospitals, and college scholarships, all provided by casino gambling. Some tribes have wisely invested their revenues in new businesses that are not casino-related to provide diversity and a new economic base. Effects of Gambling on Local Economies Gambling has expanded at all levels and has even brought a rise in attendance at church bingo games. The new gambling outlets were impressive for their variety: electronic slot machines in rural South Dakota bars; imitation Wild West casinos in old Colorado mining towns; riverboats along the Mississippi River, from the distressed industrial communities of Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico; and gambling establishments on Indian reservations from coast to coast. (James, 2000) New Orleans was now building what promoters tout as the worlds largest casino, while the mayors of Chicago, Philadelphia, and other big communities enthusiastically embrace gambling proposals. (James, 2000) Casino companies often enjoy economic advantages that are available to few other businesses. Since they are usually granted exclusive government franchises, they are able to generate short-term profits on a scale that proprietors of other businesses can only dream about. (James, 2000) Earnings of five to eight percent of revenues are the norm for most American businesses. In the gambling industry, however, yearly profits between 30 and 50 percent are not unusual. It is not extraordinary for companies to be able to pay off their total investments in one or two years. One Illinois riverboat company reportedly tripled the return on its investment in just six months. (Laurence Armand French; 2000) More and more Americans are being persuaded to try their luck. According to casino industry sources, the number of American households in which at least one member visited a casino doubled between 1990 and 93 from 46 million to 92 million. More than three-quarters of this upsurge was the result of community people visiting casinos outside Nevada and Atlantic City. (James, 2000) In 1994, gambling industry leaders and other business observers were predicting even more spectacular growth. By the year 2000, said Phil Satre, president of Harrahs Casinos, one of the worlds largest casino companies, 95 percent of all Americans will most likely live in a state with legal casino entertainment. (James, 2000) A Large Business Since the governor signed Fort McDowells compact, the tribe has expanded twice, more than tripling the casinos size. Completed in 1994, this is the building that stands today. Now it has 475 slot machines, more than 70 poker tables and a 300-seat restaurant. As Fort McDowell has grown bigger, so has its purchasing power. Businesses come to the reservation now, seeking contracts for everything from the satin jackets sold in the gift shop to office furniture and bingo cards. They visit us just like they would a factory outlet center, says Nunez. The casino has become one of the areas largest businesses, employing 1,300 workers, most of whom commute from nearby cities like Phoenix, Mesa, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and others. It takes a mix of talent to run a casino: everything from skilled accountants, managers, slot technicians and poker dealers to minimum-wage food servers and money changers. Many people think that Americans/Canadians enjoy gambling, that the gaming industry brings new jobs and money with them when they come to a community. Government sees it as an important source of revenue. Moreover the funds and support that gambling business provides for monetary sector especially for education is significant. In my opinion, our society should be more open to the expansion of gambling that will benefit the whole community. The devastating Hurricane Katrina, which squashed New Orleans, may hit the business and revenues generated by the Casinos operating in the region. End Notes 1. Thomas Barker, Marjie Britz; 2000, Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-First Century Praeger Publishers, 2000 2. Ambrose I. Lane, Esteban E. Torres, Terry L. Pechota; 1995, Return of the Buffalo: The Story behind Americas Indian Gaming Explosion Bergin Garvey, 1995 3. Laurence Armand French; 2000, Addictions and Native Americans Praeger Publishers, 2000 4. Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized, March 5, 2004, 5. http://collection. nlc-bnc. ca/100/200/300/fraser/fraser_institute_digital/gambling_with/gamblingwithourfuture. pdf 6. Scheherazade Daneshkhu et al. , Online Betting Operator Jailed: Internet Gambling Decision Could Slow Growing Business, FIN. TIMES, Aug. 11, 2000 7. James W. Prado Roberts, Jail Unlikely to Slow Cyber-Gambling, ASBURY PARK PRESS, Aug. 13, 2000 8. Michael D. Cox, The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act: An Overview, 7 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 769, 770 (1995). 9. Indian Reservations and the New Mexico Economy: Monograph 2: Tourism, April 6, 2004, 10. http://www. sandiapueblo. nsn. us/sandia/gaming/car_tourism. html Works Cited Ambrose I. Lane, Esteban E. Torres, Terry L. Pechota; 1995, Return of the Buffalo: The Story behind Americas Indian Gaming Explosion Bergin Garvey, 1995 Gambling with Our Future? The Costs and Benefits of Legalized, March 5, 2004. Accessed, November 30, 2005, from: http://www. sandiapueblo. nsn. us/sandia/gaming/car_tourism. html Indian Reservations and the New Mexico Economy: Monograph 2: Tourism, April 6, 2004. James W. Prado Roberts, Jail Unlikely to Slow Cyber-Gambling, ASBURY PARK PRESS, Aug. 13, 2000 Laurence Armand French; 2000, Addictions and Native Americans Praeger Publishers, 2000 Michael D. Cox, The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act: An Overview, 7 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 769, 770 (1995). Scheherazade Daneshkhu et al. , Online Betting Operator Jailed: Internet Gambling Decision Could Slow Growing Business, FIN. TIMES, Aug. 11, 2000 Thomas Barker, Marjie Britz; 2000, Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-First Century Praeger Publishers, 2000.

Arkanul Islam and Aqeeda ul-Islam

Arkanul Islam and Aqeeda ul-Islam Task 2 The relationship between Arkanul Islam and Aqeeda ul-Islam The relationship between the arkanul Islam and the aqeeda ul-Islam is fundamental to the Islamic Faith. These two concepts provide part of an ethics basis to Islamic life and the link is inseparable. To achieve Allahs mercy and favour in life, a Muslim must practice first and foremost the Arkanul Islam or the five Pillars of Islam (practiced by the Sunnis). The Aqeeda ul-Islam are the â€Å"Articles of Faith† and give meaning and purpose to the Arkanul Islam. The pillars are so central and important to Islamic life, that by not following them, one is not truly submitting themselves to Allah and is therefore not a Muslim. And without the meaning given by the Aqeeda ul-Islam the deeds of the Arkanul Islam are meaningless in Allahs eyes. The five Pillars of Islam require the articles of belief before the act of a deed is meaningful. The submission to the six articles allows all deeds a Muslim may perform to be righteous and positive. The Aqeeda ul-Islam have six articles of belief. The articles are: 1. Belief in Allah, the only God 2. Belief in all the Prophets sent by God 3. Belief in the Angels 4. Belief in the Quran 5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and in the Resurrection 6. Belief in Destiny and Gods chosen path The five Pillars are set down in the Quran in various suras and provide a template of life for a Muslim. The most important Pillar and also the most conceptual is Shahadah, or the acceptance of Allah and his final messenger the Prophet Muhammad. This deceleration ties in with the Tawhid concept of God, a monotheistic and indivisible entity. A Muslim practices the Pillar of Shahadah simply by never relinquishing his belief or questioning the truth of the oneness of Allah or the Hadith, the teachings and stories of the Prophet. This declaration ensures that Allah is completely central to a Muslims life in every way. The praying of a Muslim towards Mecca, Salah, is an indication of his worship to God and also the giving of thanks towards Him. The most important aspect of salah is that a Muslim dedicates this time five times a day only to the worship of Allah. He asks Allah for guidance along the path of good that He has willed for him. But if the Muslim has no niyyah, then his prayer is worthless and the deed is not counted by God. Zakat in Arabic means purification. This purity is taught to a Muslim by sharing his wealth and to eradicating poverty and inequality in his community. The Zakat purifies the giver of selfishness and greed. To Allah, all of humankind is equal in His eyes, and wealth should be distributed fairly, for everything in Creation belongs to Him. Sawm is the abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk in the month of Ramadan. This teaches a Muslim directly the suffering and plight of the poor and its purpose is one of understanding. Also it allows a Muslim closeness to God and to express their dependence on Him and His benevolence. The Hajj in a Muslims life is his pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. A Muslim should try and make the journey at least once in his lifetime if he can afford it. The hajj demonstrates the solidarity of the Muslim community and their total submission to Allah. The pilgrimage to Mecca is the most arduous and demanding deed of the Pillars, a pilgrim not only must travel from all parts of the world but also strive for self-improvement throughout the journey and understand why he is on the pilgrimage. The five Pillars of Islam essentially teach a Muslim humility, respect and worship for his Creator. Every deed performed throughout a Muslims life whether it is a holy act or not must always be performed with the mind-set that Allah is watching and judging everything. It is simply not enough for a Muslim to practice the five Pillars and not understand or accept their meaning and the doctrines of the Aqeeda ul-Islam. The deeds of the Arkanul Islam are charitable acts as well as acts of worship and faith declaration towards Allah, but they also provide an ethics system fundamental to a believers life. Without niyyah or pure intention, the deeds become worthless in the eyes of God. One must understand and feel the significance of his acts before they are counted to his benefit. References: www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ee_1193085474 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Pillars_of_Islam en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqidah www.thenoblequran.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=AQDloadpage=displaysection.cfm www.qss.org/articles/Aahaad.html

The Strength And Weaknesses Of Oracle Company Information Technology Essay

The Strength And Weaknesses Of Oracle Company Information Technology Essay The company Oracle is particularly keen to keep all its newly acquired customers happy and convince them to buy into its Fusion roadmap. For enterprises making strategy software decisions, the company believes that it has the richest most complete portfolio of applications and middleware. The company also complies with all the ethical guidelines that law has placed and it also has its own ethical guidelines that the entire work force follows. Oracle is the only company that is capable of implementing complete global e-business solutions that extend from the front office customer relationship management to back office operational applications. Larry Ellison saw an opportunity that other companies missed more than three decades ago. This was a description of a relational database. There was no company at that time that committed itself to commercializing the technology, but Ellison and co-founder Bob miner and Ed Oates realized the business potential of the relational database model. The company is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California. Throughout history, the company has proved that it can build for the future, meeting all demanded and changes in trends. The intimate knowledge of customers and successes analysed by the best technical and business minds in the world, made the company what it is today. The main focus of the company is to fulfil its customers needs and implement key technology and business decisions that upend conventional wisdom and take its products and services in new directions. If one looks at companies that are similar to Oracle, it has become a standard for database technology and applications in enterprises throughout the world. The products of the company can be found in nearly every industry, and in the data centres of 100 of the fortune Global 100 companies. Oracle was the first company to develop and deploy 100% internet -enabled enterprise software across its entire product line: database, business applications, application development, and decision support tools. (Wikipedia) Strength and Weaknesses Oracle being the first company to introduce relational database, had the first mover advantage. It helped businesses improve their organization of information and also helped them improve their business processes. It is the worlds leading supplier of software for information management, and it is the worlds second largest independent software company. It has annual revenues of more than $10.1 billion. The company offers its database tools, application products, along with related consulting, education, and support services, in more than 145 countries around the world. Oracle is the only company that is capable of implementing complete global e-business solutions that extend from the front office customer relationship management to back office operational applications. Oracle software runs on PCs, workstations, minicomputers, mainframes and massively parallel computers, as well as on personal digital assistants and set-top devices. This makes its product the best in the market. The attribute of compatibility is what gives Oracle an edge over the other companies being its major strength. Oracles internet-enabled solutions provide a cost-effective way to expand market opportunities and improve business process efficiencies, and attract and retain customers. This is especially for the small and medium businesses that need an IT infrastructure in their organization that would help them get an edge over their competitors. With Oracles help, these companies are able to replace expensive, unwieldy client/server computing models with the efficiency and reach of the internet, companies can deploy a wealth of innovative applications that can be accessed with a Web browser. A weakness of the company that hurts its market is the way it markets its product. Because of the image perception that it has, it is always trying to gain market on the basis of this brand recognition. And this brand recognition has badly affected it in the past. The company markets most of its products using the slogan Cant break it, cant break in, or Unbreakable. (Wikipedia)What this signifies is the increasing demands on information safety. People expect the software to be unbreakable. The company also stresses on reliability of networked databases and network access to databases as major selling point. But two weeks after its introduction in 2002, David Litchfield, Alexander Kornbrust, Cesar Cerrudo and others demonstrated a whole suite of successful attacks against Oracle products. (Poulsen, 2002). Then the commentators criticized the slogan as unrealistic and as an invitation to crackers, but the companys chief security officer Mary Ann Davidson portrayed the criticism as unfair. Environmental factors Competition It is a fact that IBM dominated the mainframe relational-database market with its DB2 and SQL/DS database products, it delayed while entering the market for a relational database in UNIX and windows operating systems. What this did was that it opened the door to Sybase, Oracle, and Informix then eventually Microsoft to dominate mid-range and microcomputers. This was the time Oracle lagged behind Sybase and in 1990-1993 Sybase became the fastest-growing database company and the database industrys darling vendor, but soon it merged mania and to technical issues with System X. But in 1993, Sybase sold the rights to its database software running under the windows operating system to Microsoft Corporation, which now markets it under the name SQL Server. Informix Software overtook Sybase in 1994 and became Oracles most important rival. But eventually Oracle defeated Informix in 1997. And in November 2005 a book detailing the war between Oracle and Informix appeared. This book provided a detailed background on what happened and how Informix Softwares CEO Phil White landed in jail because of his obsession with overtaking Ellison. But once it overcame Informix and Sybase, it enjoyed years of dominance in the database market. But everything changed when Microsoft SQL Server became widespread in the late 1990s and IBM acquired Informix Software in 2000. It is still the same today as it competes for license on UNIX, Linux, and Windows operating systems primarily against IBMsDB2 and Microsoft SQL Server. In 2004 was the year when Oracles sales grew at a rate of 14.5% to $6.2 billion, giving it 41.3% and the top share of the relational-database market. (InformationWeek March, 2005). Oracle Corporations main competitors in the database arena remain IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server and to some lesser extent Sybase and Teradata. With open source databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL, has recently made inroads by claiming that its product delivers Oracle compatibility features at a much lower price point. The software-application market tells the same story. Oracle Corporation primarily competes against SAP. And on March22, 2007 Oracle used SAP, accusing them of fraud and unfair competition. But due to the expanding market for business-intelligence software, many other software companies have successfully competed in quality with Oracle and SAP products. But more products will appear within the next 10 years. Oracle Strategy The company Oracle is particularly keen to keep all its newly acquired customers happy and convince them to buy into its Fusion roadmap. For enterprises making strategy software decisions, the company believes that it has the richest most complete portfolio of applications and middleware. The companys breadth and depth is a big plus and it has helped it in earning a good reputation for supporting acquired best-of-breed products. Furthermore, the company capitalizes on these amassed solutions, Oracle will need to further develop its ISV partner-friendly, solution-centric ecosystem a d continue to chip away at its historically less than customer focused perception. (Duncan Jones) Corporate Governance Oracles Board of Corporations has always developed a corporate governance practice in order to fulfil its responsibilities to the Oracles Corporation stockholders. There are certain guidelines that the board must follow to help ensure that it has the necessary authority and procedures in place to oversee the work of management and to exercise independence in evaluating Oracle Corporations business operations. These guidelines help them align the interests of directors and management with those of the company stockholders. The company continually applies good corporate governance principles to multiple areas. Director The major members of the Board of Directors of Oracle must qualify as independent directors in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The person to be selected as a Director will possess certain attributes including business judgment, management, economics, accounting and finance, legal, marketing, industry and technology knowledge, international business, leadership and strategic vision. 2. Director Responsibilities One of the basic responsibilities of the directors is to exercise their business judgment to act in a manner they reasonably believe is in the nest interest of Oracle and its stockholders and in a manner consistent with their fiduciary duties. The directors can conduct any type of investigation as they deem appropriate, and may reasonably rely on the information provided to them by Oracles senior executives and its outside advisors and the auditors. The board is also responsible for overseeing managements efforts to assess and manage material risks and for reviewing options for risk mitigation. It also reserves the right of overseeing the major risks facing Oracle and may delegate risk oversight responsibility to committees of the Board. Directors are expected to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and to regularly attend Board meeting and meetings of committees on which they serve, to spend the time needed in preparation for such meetings and to meet as frequently as they deem necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. In addition to this the directors should stay well-informed of Oracles business and markets and as appropriate, meet with Oracles customers or attend events or take other actions they deem appropriate to enhance Oracles business and its effectiveness as directors. The board also believes that the management speaks for Oracle. Individual Board members may, from time to time, expressly represent Oracle in meetings or otherwise communicate with various third parties on Oracles behalf. It is expected that Board members will do this with the knowledge of the management. The most important thing is that all the directors are expected to comply with the Oracle code of Ethics and Business Conduct. (Oracle, The Oracle Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, 2010) Conflicts of Interest The director also has the responsibility to ensure that other commitments do not conflict or materially interfere with the directors responsibility to Oracle. 11. Performance Evaluation There is a Board that is led by the Nomination and Governance Committee that will periodically conduct a self-evaluation to determine whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively. The Board with the assistance of the nomination and Governance committee shall periodically review these Corporate Governance Guidelines to determine whether any changes are appropriate. (Oracle, ORACLE CORPORATION CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES, 2010) Finance and Audit Committee The purpose of this committee is to provide advice with respect to corporations financial matters, to oversee the accounting and financial reporting process of the Corporation and the audits of the financial statements of the Corporation, to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities regarding finance, accounting, tax and legal compliance, and to evaluate merger and acquisition transactions and investment transactions proposed by the Corporations management. Decision making: There are three types of decision making all of which are distorted and affected while in the state of crisis. Intelligence Identify conditions that are required for decision making Design Invent, develop different courses of action and analyse them Choice Choose the best alternative, make a choice Structured decision making: This is defined which becomes unstructured when in the state of crisis and when it is not managed properly. Unstructured decision making: Non-routine decision making (this is not defined) TYPES OF SYSTEMS: There are four types of system which we have covered in this (MIS) course which I will be discussing here with their importance in the Crisis management: Transaction Processing System: This system serves the manager at operating level. This system helps to record the transaction that took place within the organization as well as outside the organization. Management Information System: This system serves the managers at the middle level. This system is used to control and monitor the business functions. The input it gets is from the T.P.S. this system is not flexible and it is used for routine decision making. Decision Support System: This system also serves the manager at middle level. This system uses the analytical models to show the performance and it is used for non-routine decision making. This system gets it input from T.P.S and M.I.S. This system has flexibility to change data/information. Executive Support System: This system serves the manager at top level. This system is used to dig out information from big stores. This is used for non-routine decision making, and uses graphical representation of data. Its input sources are M.I.S and D.S.S. But it does not use analytical models for it representation. This means that the decision making processes within the organization get distorted. And because the decision in any company is vital to its operations, hence it is important to have IS as a supporting tool in crisis management. The company uses all these software in its IT infrastructure. It does not need to do anything in order to change this or to improve this. All it needs to do is to maintain a place where all the information of the organization could be accessed easily. This would reduce the time of data retrieval and would also help them in improving them customer relations and their business. Oracle and Ethics Internet technology has posed new challenges for the protection of individual privacy. Information sent over this vast network of networks may pass through many different computer systems before its final destination. Each of these systems is capable of monitoring, capturing and storing communications that pass through it. It is possible to record all online activities of literally tens of millions of people, including which online newsgroups or files a person has accessed, which Web sites and Web pages he or she has visited, and what items that person has inspected or purchased over the Web. Much of this monitoring and tracking of Web site visitors occurs in the background without the visitors knowledge. Tools to monitor visits to the World Wide Web have become popular because they help organizations determine who is visiting their Web sites and how to better target their offerings. Some firms also monitor the Internet usage of their employees to see how they are using company network resources. Web retailers now have access to software that lets them watch the online shopping behaviour of individuals and groups while they are visiting a Web site and making purchases. The commercial demand for this personal information is virtually insatiable. Information technology has made it difficult to protect in tellectual property because computerized information can be so easily copied or distributed on networks. Intellectual property is subject to a variety of protections under three different legal traditions: trade secrets, copyright, and patent law. Oracle takes this into account and makes sure that these things are kept in mind and that the company name is not amongst the ones that are not known for their services. All the products produced by the company are up to customer standards and they try to fulfil them by being true and not being fraudulent.

Columbian Exchange Essay -- History

On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus departed from Palos, Spain to begin his journey across the Atlantic Ocean. This was the first of many voyages that allowed him to explore a New World where he was able to discover plants, animals, cultures and resources that Europeans had never seen before. The sharing of these resources and combination of the Old and New World has come to be known as the Columbian Exchange. During these explorations, the Europeans brought diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, typhoid and bubonic plague to the New World, wiping out entire Indian populations. There were also many other populations wiped out due to complications that came from this exchange. Were these explorations and the wiping out of entire populations worth the benefits gained by the exchange? The Beginning Christopher Columbus was a famous navigator and explorer who was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. Columbus wanted to claim land for Spain so he could be rich and spread religion. He originally set out to find the East Indies for many reasons. One was that he hoped to establish trade routes and colonies in order to gain wealth. Another was that there were now bigger guns that could be strapped on ships so he felt that his voyage had more of a chance of being successful. The main reasons for his exploration was that he wanted to find a western route to Asia to find the riches that Marco Polo talked about in his book. So basically he was not courageous, he was just greedy. He intended on arriving in Japan on his first voyage, but instead, he arrived at the Bahamas archipelago. He ended up making numerous voyages and claiming the lands he visited for the Spanish Empire. Columbus continued voyages creating the first lasting European conta... ...ormation: tourism, travel, culture, language, business, people.  » Blog Archive  » Columbian Exchange." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/colombia/Columbian-Exchange/5062 (accessed April 3, 2012). †¨ †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Pelletier, Michelle. "The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade - CDA's World History Wiki." Welcome to CDA's World History Wiki Updates - CDA's World History Wiki. http://cdaworldhistory.wikidot.com/the-columbian-exchange-and-global-trade (accessed April 3, 2012). †¨ †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Qian, Nancy, and Nathan Nunn. "The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas." Journal of Economic Perspectives 24, no. 2 (2010): 163-188. "The First Voyage of Columbus." The Columbus Navigation Homepage. http://www.columbusnavigation.com/v1.shtml (accessed April 3, 2012).

Goodisons Absolute Essay example -- essays research papers

Goodison’s Absolute In For My Mother: May I Inherit Half Her Strength, Goodison publicizes the private issue of her parents’ less-than-perfect marriage, and, in turn, unfolds a powerful dialectic on female self-sacrifice and subjectivity. She wonders at the prolonged strength of her mother- a woman who, regardless of being the victim of an unfaithful marriage, neither confronts nor flees her fate. And at the core of Goodison’s poem is her own conflicted decision, as the female product of this union, to define her mother’s attitude as unwavering strength, worthy of reverence, or as passivity, masked by nonchalance. The title of this work illustrates this ambiguity: does the clause â€Å"may I inherit half her strength†, translate into â€Å"may I be permitted - by the same mysterious influence that affected my mother - to remain strong just like her† or â€Å"may I never allow myself to be quite as tolerant as she was.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first stanza, Goodison suggests that the â€Å"absolute,† â€Å"my mother loved my father,† had governed her perspective of her parents’ marriage for twenty-nine years. Its indisputability may have functioned as a motivation for her father’s on-going extra-marital affair(s). But even more explicitly, this absolute implied that despite the pain inflicted by her father, â€Å"whom all women loved†, Goodison’s mother’s love remained unshakably loyal, and that that was somehow all that really mattered. At least, up until Goodison wrote this poem. â€Å"In this my thirtieth year/ the year to discard absolutes† signals Goodison’s revolt against this belief that had relentlessly threatened to break her mother’s â€Å"straight-backed,† fronted dignity and that absolved the indifference of her father’s â€Å"always smile†. The lack of control of Goodison’s writing in the first stanza points to something deeper about her relationship to this absolute. Since absolutes are characteristically irrefutable and deemed factual, I had expected that Goodison’s writing would have illustrated the finiteness of this absolute by sealing it with a full stop. However, here, in the most transparently opinionated stanza of her entire poem, there is no punctuation whatsoever; each distinct thought simply spills into the next, and even farther into the following stanza where her topic diverges. It is difficult to say whether or not Goodison’s omission was deliberate; noneth... ..., â€Å"on her wedding day she wept† and at its setting. She endured â€Å"better† and â€Å"worse† and at last, â€Å"she fell down†¦to the realization that she did not have to be brave, just this once.† Her tears functioned to honor the sacrifices of â€Å"her body†¦ twenty years permanently fat,† of her sewing machine, the emblem of her livelihood, to pay her daughter’s â€Å"Senior Cambridge fees,† but also to purge â€Å"the pain she bore with the eyes of a queen.† Nevertheless, mingled with Goodison’s mother’s sorrows, are tears of love for the husband that betrayed her. For My Mother makes a complete revolution, in that it begins with the acknowledgement and criticism of Goodison’s mother’s love for her mother and ends with the reverence for this kind of love that, a seemingly astonished Goodison, cannot comprehend. Even after giving justifications of why her parents’ marriage was far from ideal, the absolute that she so wanted to discard in the first place looms over her unaffected and, of course, undisputed. In an alpha and omega fashion, this absolute in Goodison’s work proves its place amongst other absolutes as an unfathomable force that refuses to be contested and most assuredly, will not be discarded.

Importance of Planning

Any successful Project Manager will tell you that the success of a project is determined by the initial plan. This plan, although changes may arise, provides a blueprint that allows managers to measure deliverables that determine the project’s success or failure. In the beginning phase of planning, the specifications are outlined which results in an agreement by each member of the team to handle specific responsibilities. This allows each member to gain clarity and understand how he or she fits into the overall plan. Then the plan is looked at in a manner, which points out easily identifiable obstacles that can cause the project to fail. This is important because it allows the Project Manager to determine an initial outline that should be followed. As Blair states, â€Å"From a purely defensive point of view, the agreed specification also affords you protection against the numbties who have second thoughts, or new ideas, half way through the project†. During the specification stage, errors and challenges are identified through rigorous brainstorming and outlining the procedures that are to follow. This is important because it eliminates ambiguity and puts everyone on the same page. It also ensures that team members aren’t duplicating efforts or straying away from the initial plan. It is often easy for someone to find an easier or more efficient way to do something but if it deviates from the overall goal, it’s not worth it to implement the change. Once the beginning phase is over, there are numerous events, resources, and people that must be allocated to the project. This is extremely important as well. The Project Manager must ensure that resources, time, and personnel are orchestrated correctly so that the ball is never dropped and the plan continues to move as scheduled. Without an initial plan, it would be impossible to measure the failure or success rate and projects would never be on schedule and there would be chaos.

Middle Range Theory Essay

Middle-range theory, developed by Robert K. Merton, is an approach to sociological theorizing aimed at integrating theory and empirical research. It is currently the de facto dominant approach to sociological theory construction,[1] especially in the United States. Middle-range theory starts with an empirical phenomenon (as opposed to a broad abstract entity like the social system) and abstracts from it to create general statements that can be verified by data.[2] This approach stands in contrast to the earlier â€Å"grand† theorizing of social theory, such as functionalism and many conflict theories. Raymond Boudon has argued that â€Å"middle-range theory† is the same concept that most other sciences simply call ‘theory’.[3] The analytical sociology movement has as its aim the unification of such theories into a coherent paradigm at a greater level of abstraction. The midrange approach was developed by Robert Merton as a departure from the general social theorizing of Talcott Parsons. Merton agreed with Parsons that a narrow empiricism consisting entirely of simple statistical or observational regularities cannot arrive at successful theory. However, he found that Parsons’ â€Å"formulations were remote from providing a problematics and a direction for theory-oriented empirical inquiry into the observable worlds of culture and society†.[4] He was thus directly opposed to the abstract theorizing of scholars who are engaged in the attempt to construct a total theoretical system covering all aspects of social life. With the introduction of the middle range theory program, he advocated that sociologists should concentrate on measurable aspects of social reality that can be studied as separate social phenomena, rather than attempting to explain the entire social world. He saw both the middle-range theory approach and middle-range theories themselves as temporary: when they matured, as natural sciences already had, the body of middle range theories would b ecome a system of universal laws; but, until that time, social sciences should avoid trying to create a universal theory.[5] Merton’s original foil in the construction was Talcott Parsons, whose action theory Merton classified as a â€Å"grand theory†. (Parsons vehemently rejected this categorization.) Middle range theories are normally constructed by applying theory building techniques to empirical research, which produce generic propositions about the social world, which in turn can also be empirically tested. Examples of middle range theories are theories of reference groups,  social mobility, normalization processes, role conflict and the formation of social norms.[3] The middle-range approach has played a key role in turning sociology into an increasingly empirically-oriented discipline.[6] This was also important in post-war thought. In the post-war period, middle-range theory became the dominant approach to theory construction in all variable-based social sciences.[5] Middle range theory has also been applied to the archaeological realm by Lewis R. Binford, and to financial theory by Harvard Business School Professor Robert C. Merton,[7][8] Robert K. Merton’s son. In the recent decades, the analytical sociology program has emerged as an attempt synthesizing middle-range theories into a more coherent abstract framework (as Merton had hoped would eventually happen). Peter Hedstrom at Oxford is the scholar most associated with this approach,[9] while Peter Bearman is its most prominent American advocate. Middle Range Theory (Final) MRT approach was developed by R K Merton in contrast to abstract theorizing of total system in all aspect of social life by scholars particularly Talcott Parson. Hence it opposed the grand theorizing of social theory like functionalism, conflict theories etc. MRT is an approach to sociological theorizing that integrates Theory and Empirical research. They are constructed by applying theory building techniques to empirical data. These produce general statement about the social phenomenon under study which can be this verified by data. Examples: theories of reference groups; Social mobility; role conflict etc. However he agreed with Talcott Parson that narrow empiricism cannot arrive at successful theory. He saw MRT approach and theories as temporary that would become a system of universal laws on maturity, so before that he says that social science should avoid trying to create a Universal Theory. Currently MRT approach has become a dominant approach to Sociological theory construction and has been applied to other fields like archaeology, finance etc. as of now analytical sociology program is attempting to unify MRTs into coherent abstract framework as hoped by Merton.

Greco-Persian Navy War

During the Greco-Persian war (500 B. C. – 449 B. C), many battles took place in this bloody war. Battles were fought on land and at sea. Sea battles played a major role during the war. The Athenian Fleet was among the most sophisticated and powerful navies to date that time. The Persian Armada seemed unbeatable with its vast number of ships and soldiers. The Athenian Navy had a higher kill ratio than the massive Persian Fleet. The Persians and the Athenians both used that same type of ship for sea battles, the trireme. A trireme was warship used in ancient civilizations.They were wooden ships powered by mostly men with oars. The strucural integrity of these ships was remarkable. The average trireme with a length of 120 ft. could hold about 40 tons. These ships weighed about 2,200 pounds. The hull was composed of small yet dense planks held together by interlinking edges. Due to their inovative design these vessels were able to reach top speed reaching almost 10 mph. In the fro nt of the vessel was the primary armament of the ship, the bronze battering ram. The secondary armament included spearmen and bowmen. The two main tactics of naval warfare during ancient times were boarding or ramming.When boarding, the oarsmen on one boat would board the enemy boat and fight to the death. When raming, you would manuever around enemy and strike the enemy ships from the side in order to sink their ships. The Athenian generals were highly effective with their tactics. The Battle of Salamis Like the Battle of Thermopylae, the Greeks were largely outnumbered in the Battle of Salamis. They faced an overwhelmingly large number of Persian ships. The Athenian Fleet Force included according to Herodotus, 366 triremes. The Persian Armada however, included 1,207 triremes. The Athenians were facing a seemingly unstopable force.However, in middle 480 B. C, a storm arose and destroyed one third of Darius’s fleet. The Greeks had two commnaders, Themistocles of Athens and Eu rybiades of Sparta. The commanders of the Persian Fleet were Xerxes of Persia, Artemisia of Caria, and Xerxes’s brother Ariabignes. Artemisia was the only commander in Xerxes’s force to be female. Xerxes’s brother Ariabignes perished in the Battle of Salamis. The Persian’s primary tactic for this battle was to overwhelm the Athenian Navy with their massive armada. Xerxes wanted to end the conquest of Greece in a single military campaign.The Persians were better sailors; they had experienced men and ships that had fought before. The Greeks had unexperienced sailors and new ships. Statisticaly speaking, in an open sea battle, the overwhelming number of Persian ships and experienced sailors should unquestionably defeat the Athenian Navy. The Greeks without many choices had to defend the Island of Salamis. If the Greeks wanted any chance in winning, they would have to bring the Persians someplace where the number of ships would no longer be a variable. Themis tocles sailed his navy to the narrow straits of Salamis in order to constrict Xerxes’s fleet.Once they came through the narrow path, the Spartan Navy began attacking along with the Athenians. The battle was brutal and long. Persians sent wave after wave of triremes to devastate the Greeks. Their efforts were futile for the Greeks had a better tactical position, which was to defend the coast. Persian admiral Ariabignes had died early in the battle. This caused much perplexity among the Persian ships. Confused and without their admiral, their strategy began to fall apart. Artemisia, realizing defeat was imminent, attacked a Persian trireme to trick the Greeks into thinking she was an ally so she could flee.She succesfuly escaped with the conscience of leaving her men to die in battle. The Persians quickly retreated to avoid further losses. Xerxes was furius; upset at the astonishingly incomprehensible loss of his massive fleet. After the battle he said ‘’my men hav e become women, and my women men’’. This Greek victory played a major role in the winning of the war. The battle of Salamis also gave prestige to Athenians and their allies. They now had the most powerful navy in the World. Their navy’s kill/death ratio had rissen by 480%; they were precise, efficient, and above all lethal.

Free software Essay

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0). The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2). The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this You are free to (1)study it, (2)redistribute it, and (3) modify it. 2. Why is Linux popular? Why is it popular in academia? Bell Labs offered it to educational institutions at nominal cost. The schools, in turn, used it in their computer science programs, ensuring that computer science students became familiar with it. Because UNIX was such an advanced development system, the students became acclimated to a sophisticated programming environment. As these students graduated and went into industry, they expected to work in a similarly advanced environment. As more of them worked their way up the ladder in the commercial world, the UNIX operating system found its way into industry The source code for the operating system is readily available so that students can understand more easily how GNU/Linux works and can modify the code further to understand its operation and change the way it works. 3. What are multiuser systems? Why are they successful? Sharing the computer’s power among many users and giving them the ability to share data and programs are central features of the system. a multiuser operating system allows many people to use all of the system resources almost simultaneously The use of costly resources can be maximized and the cost per user can be minimized—the primary objectives of a multiuser operating system. 4. What is the Free Software Foundation/GNU? What is Linux? Which parts of the Linux operating system did each provide? Who else has helped build and refine this operating system? The Free Software Foundation (www. fsf. org) is the principal organizational sponsor of the GNU Project. GNU developed many of the tools, including the C compiler, that are part of the GNU/Linux Operating System Linux is the name of an operating system kernel developed by Linus Torvalds and expanded and improved by thousands of people on the Internet. Torvalds’s kernel and GNU’s tools work together as the GNU/Linux Operating System 5. In which language is Linux written? What does the language have to do with the success of Linux? 95% is written in C. Because Linux is portable, it can be adapted (ported) to different machines and can meet special requirements. For example, Linux is used in embedded computers, such as the ones found in cellphones, PDAs, and the cable boxes on top of many 10 Chapter 1 Welcome to Linux and Mac OS X TVs. The file structure takes full advantage of large, fast hard disks. Equally important, Linux was originally designed as a multiuser operating system—it was not modified to serve several users as an afterthought. Sharing the computer’s power among many users and giving them the ability to share data and programs are central features of the system 6. What is a utility program? otften reffered to as â€Å"commands† These utilities perform functions that are universally required by users. The sort utility, for example, puts lists (or groups of lists) in alphabetical or numerical order and can be used to sort lists by part number, last name, city, ZIP code, telephone number, age, size, cost, and so forth. A utility (program), sometimes referred to as a command, is a program that performs a task that is frequently related to the operating system. A utility is simpler than an application program although there is no clear line separating the two 7. What is a shell? How does it work with the kernel? With the user? In a textual environment, the shell—the command interpreter—acts as an interface between you and the operating system. its the link between user and kernal to tell it what to do. or view what the kernal is doing. its the command line interface that accepts input from the user. 8. How can you use utility programs and a shell to create your own applications? Write a shell script, also called a shell program, or a batch file under DOS. A shell script is one or more command lines contained in a file. Make the file executable and give the name of the file as a command: The shell executes the commands in the file, as though you had typed each command individually 9. Why is the Linux filesystem referred to as hierarchical? The Linux filesystem provides a structure whereby files are arranged under directories, which are like folders or boxes. Each directory has a name and can hold other files and directories. Directories, in turn, are arranged under other directories, and so forth, in a treelike organization. This structure helps users keep track of large numbers of files by grouping related files in directories. Each user has one primary directory and as many subdirectories as required 10. What is the difference between a multiprocessor and a multiprocessing system? multi processor is a computer that has more than one processor (processing units) and multiprocessing system is the fact that it can process multiple tasks at the same time Multiprocessing is the use of more than one CPU in a computer system 11. Give an example of when you would want to use a multiprocessing system. Multiprocessing is the use of more than one CPU in a computer system so when you have more than one CPU you can take advantage of it. Multiprocessing sometimes refers to the execution of multiple concurrent software processes in a system as opposed to a single process at any one instant 12. Approximately how many people wrote Linux? Why is this project unique? The Linux kernel was developed by Finnish undergraduate student Linus Torvalds The Linux operating system, which was developed through the cooperation of many, many people around the world, is a product of the Internet and is a free 13. What are the key terms of the GNU General Public License? The GPL says you have the right to copy, modify, and redistribute the code covered by the agreement When you redistribute the code, however, you must also distribute the same license with the code, thereby making the code and the license inseparable.

Management perspectives and Future Strategies Essay

Management perspectives and Future Strategies - Essay Example For this organization, wealth creation and profit maximization is not the ultimate objective as they want to reach out to more number of customers and at the same time also wanted to maintain the ecological balance and stability as well as wanted to play a major role in the development of the society. (Roddick) The mission statement of the company is one of the key parts of their 5 main values which are closely associated with their overall business policies. 3.  Marketing Mix: For every organization, marketing mix is the key for the success. Marketing Mix can be defined as the set of controllable, tactical marketing outfits that every company mostly uses to yield a substantial amount of profit from the target market. Generally the marketing mix is divided into 4 different variables namely: product, price, promotion and place. Each of these 4 components has their own tools to contribute towards the development of the marketing strategy of every company. (Kotler, Armstrong & Cunning ham, 67-68), As a company, The Body Shop has a wide range of product in their kitty to attract a large variety of customers across various niches. The company was started with 25 products only but slowly it has grown in size and by 2000 it has over 200 products under its brand. The main reason behind their great success in the early part was their innovative pricing and promotional strategy. To fulfill the value of each customer, after sale service and customer retention was the key of the company.

Write about the picture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Write about the picture - Essay Example These techniques allowed Kirkland to create entirely new visualizations for his ideas that were true to his artist’s vision His work is divided into these categories: Designed Realism,   Surrealism, Hard Edge Abstraction/Abstractions, Abstract Expressionism  and The Dot Paintings, with the latter ones focusing on depictions of the physical universe beyond earth’s atmosphere (Kirkland Muesum). Kirkland’s unique technique is clearly visible in the â€Å"Conception of Space Mysteries† painting which is designed to evoke the sense of inscrutability, grandeur and awe of the unknown space in the viewer. Kirkland himself was an avid fan of the discoveries of the cosmos and the advancement taking place in space exploration. His paintings try to depict the wonder of the yet unseen space as conceptualized through basic human senses of sight. The Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, Là ³rà ¡nd Hegyi had this to say about the painter â€Å" in his later work, he developed a visionary art which mystically empathized with the entire universe, gavecosmic universality visual form in explosive images and used panel painting to convey the perpetually changing state of the universe.† (Hegvi, p65) The painting masterfully uses the bold shades of red and purple as the background to convey the awesome power and force of the galaxies, contrasted against lighter, more subtle shades of blue, green and yellow to give the painting depth. By mixing oil and water, Kirkland is also able to provide a textured surface to his painting that provide a different feel to his space era paintings; the surfaces even resemble the rugged surfaces of a moon’s crater to the more imaginative. It can certainly be implied that the painter carefully formed the style of painting that would allow him to project visuals of the space as he conceived them- as something very different

Public Services Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public Services Management - Essay Example Organisational culture shapes the different procedures within the organisation and serves to either obstruct effective goal attainment and problem-solving or facilitates achievement of objectives (Yilmaz and Ergun 2008). Differences in organisational culture in the public sector versus the private sector are substantial. The public sector is largely characterised by having bureaucratic management systems with a much higher emphasis on establishing control and compliance systems than building flexibility. In the private sector, there is much more emphasis on human relations and human resources, hence employees are engaged and consulted in much higher frequency than in public organisations. This essay describes the disparities between public sector culture and commercial businesses, with an emphasis on bureaucracy, internal talent collaboration, motivational strategy development, and the quality of leader/member exchanges. Research indicates that there are significant differences between private and public sector organisational cultures and, as a result, this disparity creates a variety of negative consequences related to contemporary public service management. Historically, the public sector in the United Kingdom has been dominated with bureaucratic management systems whereby decision-making is highly centralised and there is little to no consultation with employees in the process of solving organisational problems. However, in response to changing external conditions and new privatisation of public services, it was becoming recognised by public sector administrators that there was a need for decentralisation in order to build a more motivated, committed and collaborative team environment. Known as New Public Management, the goal was to improve managerial accountability, break down the hindrances of consensus management, and generally incorporate some of the more effective and foundational management ideologies used in