Assignment: What is Diversity

I was asked to do an assignment where I have to question 10 students about what is the meaning of diversity because we hear so much about diversity. But when I asked people what they mean by it, I got different answers. Every time when I mentioned Diversity, it got a bad rap because some of them related it to affirmative action, and because there's a lot of fear surrounding it. So I noticed that the word conjures up negative feelings sometimes. While some were saying that diversity only refers to skin color, which is not always correct, others found it as a misconception. For them, it relates to differences in gender, race, religious background, ethnicity, age and background. It also differs from other aspects such as your educational level or your family status. You can find a lot of diversity in businesses and your children’s schools. But what they had in common was that Diversity affects our lives every day. Everywhere we go, no matter what city, state, or country you travel to, you will always be surrounded by diversity. This can be both a good and a bad thing. However, diversity is a part of our daily lives and it is something that we must learn to live with. I think that some of their answers applied to Diversity Myths because there were some of them who think that diversity is to be feared because it is measured in many different ways. Gender, sexual orientation, religion and even geographical differences are just a few that affect diversity. People of different situations tend to react differently to diversity. It may depend on where you live or how you were raised and also what is â€Å"accepted† in our society. But they are not in accord with the concept that Diversity is a new phenomenon. It is true that it has been used in the past but the fact is that now we hear the word a lot, so much so that some people call it â€Å"the ‘D' word.

Animal Poaching Essay

What are your opinions on animal poaching? Do you think it is fair and commendable when a poacher brings home a rhino’s horn or an elephant’s tusk? A death of an animal is somehow seen as a commendable act in some disgusting way. Animal poaching is a terrible action in which humans partake. They somehow find enjoyment out of it, which I feel is astonishing. How can humans feel that they have a right to take the life of an animal? If it is against the law for a human’s life then it should be for an animal as well. Maybe not as harsh as murder yet it should still be a crime in which people do not commit. There are game reserves, which have to protect the numbers of certain animals so they can be preserved and not poached. The numbers for the Big Five has to be kept under great secret, as they need to protect these animals the most as they are at higher risk. If a large number of these animals are killed they are at a great chance of their species becoming extinct which is a major downfall as it not only affects other animals but it affects us humans greatly. This is because of the effect it may have on the vicious food chain. Animals from all around the world are such beautiful creatures that add to the amazing beauty of every country. In South Africa we have the black and white rhinos, elephants, giraffes, packs of lions and the list carries on. Without these animals what would our country be like? Just imagine South Africa with no wildlife, any nature and game reserves. It would feel incomplete. So why are people lowering the chances of their future families on being able to witness such tremendous wildlife. If you were lucky enough to experience such a wonderful thing in life, why would you deny it or take it away from anyone else?

Ethical and Legal implications of lack of access to healthcare Case Study

Ethical and Legal implications of lack of access to healthcare - Case Study Example The high expectations of ensuring effective care to those suffering from acute illnesses have taken a toll on the health care system in the country due to shortage of available resources against the number of people in need of care. Allocation of scarce resources in the midst of increasing costs and unemployment has led to a series of debates among scholars regarding the role and impact of ethics in provision of health care services. Although various health care reforms have been initiated over the years, to ensure better care for the citizens, the nurses and other care givers are entrusted with an ethical responsibility to provide equitable and fair distribution of resources (White, Duncan, 2002). The ethical obligation to offer adequate and timely health care services across all classes of the society entails two key principles of health care which includes - the provision of fair and equal opportunities to all members of the society and to protect and safeguard the interests of th e vulnerable populations by providing them proper health care benefits. These principles seem to have eroded with time, on account of increasing costs of drugs, rise in health care expenditures, and the resulting cost-control measures arising out of the same. This has lead to serious negative implications on the society as a whole such as reduction in overall health of the citizens, reduction in employee productivity, and an increased burden on the health care system in terms of added costs among many others (Sulmasy, 1992). Although access to health care services is not an end to all health related problems, the equitable access to such services does however significantly increases the odds of attaining better health outcomes due to timely diagnosis and treatment. According to the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedicine and Behavioral Science Research Commission, one of the key ethical obligations of the society includes ensuring equal access to health care services. The commission states that "Equitable access to health care requires that all citizens be able to secure an adequate level of care without excessive burdens" (Millman 1993, Pp. 32). Legal Implications of lack of access to health care: There are wide ranging racial disparities in the United States with regard to health care, despite of stringent laws against such discrimination. However, such disparities exist on account of various reasons such as the vulnerabilities of people belonging to certain races such as African Americans and Hispanics who belong to low socio-economic backgrounds. According to The Civil Rights Act of 1964, any discrimination in provision of health care may lead to enforcement of legal action against the accused. Section 601 of Title VI states that "No person in the United States, shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity r eceiving federal financial assistance" (Williams 2007, pp. 180). This clearly indicates that law prohibits any kind of discrimination however preventing such discrimination poses a greater challenge, due to the various types of

Design a usable and interactive on-line DVD rental system Coursework

Design a usable and interactive on-line DVD rental system - Coursework Example There is, therefore, need for development of an android mobile application for DVD rental. This will easy for movie lovers to rent DVDs without having to do it manually or using their PCs. New Ideas in Brief The new system will have an optional function that will occasionally update the user on the latest arrivals at the movie store. This will be done either by sending automatic short messages using the Short Messages Service or through email. In addition, the system will give users additional payment options. Existing Systems There are DVD rental systems that exist in the market. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are related to their user interfaces, the media of interaction between users and the core systems. One example of a system that already exists is Blockbuster.co.uk. A detailed analysis of user interfaces for Blockbuster.co.uk using Nielsen’s Heuristics yields the following results: Visibility The application does not have a mechanism for ke eping users updated on the progress they make while using the system. The developer should consider introducing progress bars in subsequent versions of their software. Familiarity (similarity of system with real world occurrences) Blockbuster.co.uk did a good job to use icons and symbols that are easy to identify, learn, and remember. This makes it easier for users to master the system. User Control and Freedom Blockbuster.co.uk has different categories of users, mainly categorized into two; Movie Administrators and Members. Whereas movie administrators have the rights to setup different types of accounts, edit, and delete items, members can only search and view movies apart from adding, editing and deleting member’s details. This categorization of users makes user management easy; hence, making the system efficient. The users are free to edit their personal details as they wish; they can change their names, email, password, as well as manage their address books and browsing preferences. Users also have the freedom of deleting their profiles by unregistering their accounts on Blockbuster.co.uk. Consistency and Standards Source:: http:// http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/help/help.aspx The user interface is consistent across different windows; buttons and icons with similar appearances and labels perform similar functions throughout the system. For example, the â€Å"search† field and shopping basket are located in similar positions as other e-commerce sites such as Amazon.com. This makes it easy for users with experience in online shopping to manoeuvre through the online store. In addition, it helps them to recognize various functionalities of the online store easily, rather than have to recall every detail about it. Source:: http://www.amazon.com Error prevention, detection, and resolution Source: https://www.blockbuster.co.uk/account/lostinpost.aspx?tab=home?href=/account/account.aspx Blockbuster.co.uk has a good error prevention system; it prompts the user to confirm his or her input into the system before committing them. In this way, the user consciously authorizes every transaction made by the system. The interface also has an area where users can report DVDs that get lost in post in the process of delivery. This allows users to alert management in case there is any error or discrepancy with their services. This helps the company to correct any mistakes it makes as it delivers services to its clients. Help and

Human security in the UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human security in the UAE - Essay Example The United Arab Emirates, a fast growing region economically, has been designated as a prospective target for extremists and several human security issues. Assessment and situations in the United Arab Emirates have made Western governments come to the conclusion that the region is a probable target for extremists. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Britain warns of the hazards of travel to the region based on its location in the Persian Gulf. It is central, the nearing the antagonisms of the Iraq war and regional anti-Western opinions. Apart from Britain, other Western nations have issued the same security warnings (Vallet, 2014). Various factors contribute to the rising human insecurity issue in the United Arab Emirates region. According to a novel report on global threats, growing extremism in the neighborhood, food insecurity, climate change, regional tension, and unemployment rates present security issues in the UAE. Additionally, the developments in the political arena in the UAE region in past years have also led to increased human insecurity. A publication by Control States, a security consultancy firm, has indicated various concerns. It reports that the increasing extremism in Yemen and the increase of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) pose a security threat. Additionally, food insecurity in the Arabian countries, struggle over the nuclear program in Iran, and the pulls in Iraq contribute to the poor human security in the UAE (Vallet, 2014). The upsurge of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) poses a threat of radicalization among visitors coming into the UAE region. Immigrants coming to the UAE from Africa and passing through Yemen have high chances of being radicalized. Yemen stands as an open door to the UAE region and thus very many people travel to the UAE through the region. The security issues posed by the porous border spurred the

Ethics statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics statement - Essay Example If values of both religions are compared, it can be deduced that human life is sacred in both religions. The best way to care oneself is to follow the divine personal rules. For example, for me, adopting the natural life style would be the best way to serve oneself. In which, waking up in the early morning would be the best service to oneself. In this way, the personal life would be healthy and it would put positive effect on one’s health which is fundamental to successful personal life. This success will also enable the person to perform other duties. Care and respect are two fundamental values that must be demonstrated from the character and behaviour of the person. Through these behaviours, tranquillity and mutual respect will spread among people which will increase the social cohesion in the society. For example, showing respects for elderly is the most important virtue in which a system of social cohesion is promoted. Additionally, if one witnesses an accident in which a person is critically injured, it is his moral responsibility to call the relevant authority and look after the injured until the police or any other rescue team is not arrived. â€Å"Family values are important for us† (Parma, 2009. p. 29).Family norms should always be followed. For example, showing respect to mother and father and caring them in their old age are some of those family duties and responsibilities that must not be compromised under any condition.

Different De-Icing Systems for Aircraft Research Paper

Different De-Icing Systems for Aircraft - Research Paper Example This paper looks at the various systems used for de-icing in airplanes. The protection of engines and the aircrafts can take fundamental forms. One of them is the removal of ice once it has been formed, or probes be used to prevent it from forming. De-icing is the removal of ice, snow, or hoarfrost on the surface of the airplanes. However, deicing is correlated with anti-icing, which is defined as the use chemicals in the surfaces of the aircraft. The chemicals do not only de-ice but also stay put on a surface and prevent buildup of ice for a period, or hinder adhesion of ice to make mechanical removal easier. Therefore anti-icing is also a form of de-icing (Skybrary, 2012). Removing ice on the surface of the aero planes takes various forms. It can be done using chemical methods such as scrapping and pushing. In order to achieve this, heat must be applied on the surface of the plane, by using liquid or dry chemicals that are formed to decrease the freezing point of water. Such chemic als include alcohols, brines, salts, and glycols. Moreover, they can combine many of these chemicals in order to enhance their effectiveness. De-icing can also be done through the use of a protective layers such as the use of viscous liquid known as the anti-icing fluid on the surface of the aero plane to absorb the contaminate. ... In addition, it dilutes the anti-icing fluids used thus changing into a contaminant itself (Lankford, 1999). Salt has also been another method that is used to de-ice. It has traditionally been used to de-ice roads with the addition of sand and gravel. This has been effective due to the availability of the chemical sodium chloride also known as rock salt. This method is effective and inexpensive to use. Moreover, it is readily available. However, this method cannot be used for temperatures below -18 degrees centigrade, which mostly is easily achieved by highflying aeroplanes. Moreover, this method causes corrosion on the surface of the aeroplane, therefore rusting the steel, which is one of the materials used to make the surface of the aeroplanes (Roskam, 2000). In addition, de-icing on the aeroplanes uses another method that uses different categories of salts such as calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. These salts are important since they condense and depress the freezing point of water to a lower temperature. However, this salt also causes exothermic reaction. In the recent years, more advanced salts have been developed which do not cause environmental issues that was previously affected by the salts. They also have a longer residue effect when used together with the traditional salts such as salt brines and solids (Roskam, 2000). In addition, de-icing has taken various forms with the development of technology. More recently, the flight industry has turned into using the infrared de-icing system. This method is advantageous in that it is subsequently faster than the traditional salt systems and conservative heat transfer modes used by

Is Henry Rollins a good poet Discuss with specific reference to his Essay

Is Henry Rollins a good poet Discuss with specific reference to his work - Essay Example When Henry Rollins is criticized for being a lesser poet, and not so good a performer, what these critics miss is the totality of the artist that he is. Of the different categories of performers he belonged to the category of super active performers. In 1980s when he was with the punk rock group the Black Flag his pre show appearances on the stage were very critically acclaimed. He would come on stage in only a pair of black shorts while the rest of the band is tuning up before the concert. He will pace up and down the stage grinning and grinding his teeth. According to sub pop critic Calvin Johnson, â€Å"Henry was incredible. Pacing back and forth, lunging, lurching, growling; it was all real, the most intense emotional experiences I have ever seen† (as quoted by Azzerad Michel, in Our band could be your life: scenes from the American Indie Underground PP38) This shows that Henry Rollins was more a performer than a poet whose energy is more in performing poems rather than wi th in the poems. So the poetry is only one of the media he uses to perform before the world. For him a poem is not a whisper as it is too many poets, but a big shout out. It is this aspect as a performer poet that is missed out in the criticism of the poems of Rollins. Every word uttered is made into a performance by Henry Rollins. That’s why his spoken-word performances are so popular, receiving good reviews from respectable journals and News papers everywhere. In many of his interviews Rollins confesses himself to be workaholic.† I don’t have a great deal of love life. I love my work, but don’t know many people.† He explains in his interview with another poet/musician/actor, Saul Williams. Work with out love and the years flying away is almost a perpetual theme in Rollins poems. The agony of loneliness is getting denser here. The inability to love or to reach out to the lover is getting graver which is summed up so poetically and beautifully as â€Å"my silence spit in your

Hobbes and Locke Essay Example for Free

Hobbes and Locke Essay Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both sought to explain the behavior of humans in the purest form. In comparing and contrasting their theories, one begins to realize the extent to which these philosophers agreed and disagreed. While Hobbes states that human nature is malicious and requires a sovereign, Locke explains how humans are benelovant and pastoral with no motivation to advance. In Hobbes’ theory of a natural state, people live with no sense of government or law, forcing society into chaos and a war where â€Å"every man [is] against every man† (Hobbes 1651:3). Without the constraints of an institution, people begin to reveal their most unpleasant virtues. The three â€Å"principal causes of quarrel† include competition, diffidence and glory (Hobbes 1651:2). In order to control these causes, Hobbes proposes a sovereign with the ability to preside over all. He proposes a Leviathan with which the people can create a social contract and increase their probability of self-preservation. In return for its protection, the Leviathan assumes the power over all through violence, resulting in contracts of fear. Ensuing from the contract with the Leviathan, society understands that â€Å"a kingdom divided in itself cannot stand† (Hobbes 1651:7). Similar to the covenant between Rome and the Romans, however, if their sovereign fails to uphold its conditions of safety and security, the commonwealth can justify his disposal. In summary, Hobbes’ believes that a successful society is one that prevents people from experiencing complete freedom, simply because they cannot handle this privilege. In comparison, Locke states that the main concern for society is the placement of property rights. In a natural state, people are equal to one another and thus have no chance to progress. Just as Hobbes recommended the Leviathan, Locke presents the placement of property as an ideal solution. Locke believes that people are able to reason, and therefore understand what is morally right and wrong. This understanding allows resolution of conflicts without an intervening sovereign. Their trouble, however, stems from the inconsistency of their ability to apply these morals when faced with conflict. By appointing property rights, people develop a capitalist style marketplace. Methods of exchange are agreed upon, and therefore each man can benefit from one another. They acknowledge that if a man puts labor into land, it is his own; as he benefits from his own land, he is simultaneously improving the welfare of his entire society. Man is able to apply his rationality and take no more than he needs. In this scenario, one of the greatest differences between Hobbes and Locke is revealed. While Hobbes believes man is merciless, Locke explains it is man’s modesty that prevents him from going to war with his neighbor. In Locke’s society, people are rational, but do not always practice this rationality. Therefore, they must give up a little freedom, in order to gain wealth and acquire benefits. Hobbes and Locke share the idea that in the state of nature, men are equal. Despite man’s equality, both philosophers also believe man is constantly at risk of endangering himself. Where their theories contrast is in the definition of a social contract and with whom. While Hobbes maintains a negative perspective of war and violence, Locke’s view presents a more positive outlook. While Hobbes puts forth a government with totalitarian values, Locke’s government represents a liberal monarchy. Hobbes believes a social contract exists between a sovereign and his people; he obtains absolute power and cannot be overthrown. In contrast, Locke’s government is conditional and depends on the social contracts between society members. Traits of Hobbes’ natural state are still evident today in some societies. Without fair governments, corrupt populations will attempt to overthrow unjust rulers. A recent example is the 2011 Libyan revolution. Under Mummar Gaddaffi, the Libyan people felt their government was no longer acting in their best interest. As a result they overthrew their oppressive rulers and abolished the wrongful government, capturing and eventually killing Gaddaffi.

Ethics and Technology Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Technology Essay The biggest limitation of our existing system is its inherent inability to achieve its fundamental goal. Whatever happened to the dream of progress that modern technology would free people from drudgery, and everyone would be able to live in comfort, spending their time enriching the world and thinking great thoughts? Wasnt that what we really set out to achieve? Toward that goal, we can now make virtually any region of the earth comfortably habitable. We can produce food and clothing in staggering quantities, at unbelievable rates of production, using very little labor in proportion to the output. We have greatly extended the life span of our species, and we know how to cure or eliminate the suffering of a great range of diseases. We can communicate around the globe in less time than it takes to hear the voice of someone across a room. An interesting question to consider is this: if the technology necessary to live this way really could be developed, would it result in such a society? Starting from our present society, I would say absolutely not. The technology that could easily feed the world would probably result in mass starvation. The competitive system can produce the tools we need to create a future of freedom and enlightenment, but unless the system evolves, it will work against our using those tools to the benefit of humanity. The system must evolve. Were not spreading the benefits of advancing technology, were using it to exclude more and more people from the fruits of progress. Instead of laying off the excess workers and increasing the stress on those left behind, consider what would happen if we simply reduced the burden on everyone. We dont need to throw out our traditions of free enterprise and individual responsibility. We just need to revisit our vision of progress and see where we want to go, and where were heading. Not all technology is hampering the societys progress. Technology was developed to ease mans work and provide him with a little help . It wasnt invented so that we could just copy and paste an essay for our next paper, or download a ready made presentation from the internet or make google do all things for us. The web is what you make of it, you cant blame technology for ruining your work ethics. Its you whos become super lazy and dependent I am from a time when technology is called progress and it was considered heretical to doubt its benefits. We tend to forget the years before antibiotics when people died from pneumonia and infections. We take for granted the warnings about kidney failure, liver damage and replacement therapy for intestinal flora that accompany todays bigger and better medications. Technology has made our lives very easy, but it turn, has made us lazy. I believe that if we continue to make and improve technology, there can be some really useful inventions. However, we can make sure that the improvements don’t make us lazy, in very simple ways. We can ask ourselves, does this pen that writes down our thoughts and tells us how to spell correctly really need to be in everyone’s daily lives? Technology moves at a pace that can easily outrun ethical standards surrounding its use. The effects of technology on work ethics move at a similar pace with employers moving to establish ethical boundaries that seem to infringe on employee privacy rights and restrict communication abilities. These tactics have led to courtroom battles, quick job terminations and complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board. Special Purpose: To inform my audience of the negative effects by becoming too dependent on technology. Central Idea: By becoming too dependent on technology will give negative effects to our education, behavior and economic. Introduction According to study conducted by a company called McCan Worldgroup, young people are obsessed with their technology until the point that they would rather lose one of their most important sense than to lose Facebook, the internet and their cell phones. â€Å"To them, losing the ability to explore and communicate via technology would be like a blind man losing his stick†. According to Oxford dictionary, technology means machinery or equipment developed from scientific knowledge. Do you realized how much we depend on technology?

Creativity And Innovation Management Commerce Essay

Creativity And Innovation Management Commerce Essay Innovation is at the heart of every business enterprise. With the advancement in technology, businesses have adopted new production processes which have enabled them to increase their productivity as well as remain competitive in the market. In order for a business to be innovative, it needs to be creative in the practices that it conducts thus helping it to emerge successful. It is therefore important for an organization to invest funds in latest technology products to enable it be at par with other competing organizations (Afuah, 2009). In the case of Procter and Gamble (PG), the company invests $2 billion every year to enable it hire competent staff that would enable it to conduct thorough research in the field that it specializes. In order for the organization to emerge successful, it must be willing to invest a lot of funds in innovation and research thus enabling it to come up with the best strategies for managing its production processes and employees. This way, PG has been able to set clear goals which have enabled its employees to remain focused to the objectives that the organization strives to achieve. Companies should study global organizations and what enables them to conduct their operations in an effective manner. As a result, it would be possible for an organization to know the kind of practices that it should adopt thereby enabling it to compete effectively with other leading organizations internationally. In the case of PG, the company obtains its employees from different parts of the world who in turn conduct research of the various forms of innovation that other organizations adopt thereby enabling it to embrace the latest technology and practices which then enable it to increase the overall productivity of the organization. In order for a company to be successful in the technology market, it needs to analyze the core areas of technology and decide the best form of technology to adopt depending on the production processes that it adopts. This way, a company is able to realize the areas that need more emphasis thereby enabling it to become more efficient in its areas of specialization. To ensure that it is efficient in its production processes, PG hires more than 1.5 million researchers so that it can manage to invest in the different areas of technology that can enable it to increase its productivity significantly. This number of researchers enables the organization to focus on the more than 150 core areas of technology thereby enabling the organization to cope with the challenges that are present in the modern world in an efficient manner. Explain how you will lead others to positively embrace innovation and change Innovation is essential for every organization to survive since the global market has become competitive. Moreover, most companies are finding it appealing to adopt innovation since it acts as a form of investment. Companies are competing severely so that they can be able to meet the overall needs of their customers. Since most markets are becoming global, it is important CEOs to ensure that they devise ways in which other members of the organization can embrace change and innovation (Afuah, 2009). To be successful in enabling other employees to embrace innovation and change, there are various practices that the CEO should emphasize on in order to ensure that the employees adapt to change in an efficient manner. The CEO at PG should therefore make it his responsibility to ensure that the innovation champions in the organization have up-to-date information regarding the types of change and innovation that other organizations around the world adopt thereby enabling the organization to be on the frontline with regard to innovation change. Most organizations have managers who are risk averse and this makes it difficult for them to adopt change in an effective way. Most of the middle managers are always busy doing their jobs thereby limiting their ability to implement change. Since the jobs of middle managers are easier to fill, they often end up being risk averse. In the case of PG, the CEO can make it his duty to reduce the risk that is associated with change in order to enable the managers to be more innovative. Therefore, it is the duty of the CEO to ensure that he sets up incentives to the managers so that they adopt innovative attitudes. This would make the organization to stand ready for any opportunity that is associated innovation. Adopting innovation in every department is a very important factor to consider while implementing change. The innovation in the 21st century targets an entire organization and not specific department s in an organization. An organization should also hire professional personnel who can help an organization to identify the best areas that it should invest in (Brown, 2005). PG should therefore focus on hiring people whose fulltime responsibility is to drive innovation within the company. Basic training with regard to technology adoption is essential in that the CEO would be in a position to select the employees who are given professional training in innovation change. The trained people would act as self-sustaining innovation processes thereby enabling the company to stay ahead in terms of embracing innovation and change. Assess the influence of vision and mission on generation of creative and innovative management processes in an organization Vision and mission statements play an essential role in terms of enabling an organization to be effective in terms of adopting innovation, creativity and change. It is not possible for CEOs to establish an organization without setting clear objectives within it. An organization needs to define its vision and mission statements in an effective manner thereby enabling it to achieve its reasons for existence. Vision and mission statements therefore act as a catalyst for enabling an organization to adopt change and innovation (Anthony, 2012). It is therefore important for the CEO of PG to ensure that the organization sets clear vision and mission statements to enable it achieve its objectives. The various forms of innovation that an organization engages in usually take time to generate sufficient revenue. Companies therefore need to focus on enhancing their reputation in the community so as to acquire a large customer base. Therefore, the strategies that organizations adopt need to be balanced in order to enable an organization to be effective in terms of adopting the best strategies for the organization. The CEO of PG needs to devise a way in which the strategies, mission and vision statements can be communicated to other members of the organization with regard to the long-term goals that a company hopes to achieve. Mission and vision statements should help managers to build positive relationships with employees so that they can serve as powerful motivation tools to employees. The managers at PG need to communicate the vision and mission of the organization in order to arouse a sense of organizational purpose among the employees. The employees should be made to understand why the business environment is changing and why the new direction is needed so as to win their commitment and perseverance. This would make it possible to move an organization towards the chosen path (Anthony, 2012). In this perspective therefore, it is important for the CEO at PG to ensure that he monitors vision and mission statements within the organization and determine whether they are in line with the overall innovation strategies that the organization desires to adopt. Elaborate on how you would use analytical tools to identify potential creative and innovative management ideas In order to determine whether an organization is on the right path towards adopting change and innovation, there are certain tools that the CEOs need to use. These tools are essential in that they can enable an organization to determine whether there are any weaknesses in the strategies that it adopts and therefore enable it to take corrective measures to enable it remain innovative and competitive. An organization needs to map its financial schemes and determine whether its funds are sufficient in terms of enabling it to implement the strategies that it desires to implement (Stevenson, 2002). A quick competency test needs to be adopted within an organization in order to determine whether it is ready for the change. In this case, the employees within the organization should be evaluated on whether they are capable of coping with the change that the organization wishes to adopt. Moreover, the systems within the organization need to be tested in order to determine whether there would be any need to conduct replacements or whether the existing systems can cope with the change that the organization desires to implement. Assess risks and benefits of creative and innovative management ideas When an organization desires to invest in innovation, there are various benefits and risks that it can face. In terms of risks, an organization is likely to constrain its resources in such a manner that it would be unable to conduct its operations in an efficient manner. Lack of time is also an issue that an organization is likely to face. The time when an organization desires to implement change may be too late to have any impact on the consumers. Even though an organization may desire to implement change, the employees working in it may fear failure thereby making them to refrain from adopting the innovation that the organization wishes to implement. Moreover, the leadership in an organization may be unclear thereby making it difficult to implement change in an efficient manner (Stevenson, 2002). In this perspective, the employees might not be aware of the roles that they are supposed to play within the organization thereby limiting their ability to implement the change. Insufficient incentives towards the employees also limit the employees from adopting the change. In this perspective, the employees may be unwilling to adopt the various forms of innovation that the managers stipulate unless they are awarded incentives and other forms of financial remuneration. In addition, lack of sufficient training and talent may also hinder the employeesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ ability to implement creativity and innovation in the organization. However, though creativity is associated with certain risks, there are also benefits that the organization may come across as a result of engaging in change practices. In his perspective, the modeling behaviors of the employees is likely to change and the support of the management grows significantly. Moreover, the management is able to set up the right team to perform certain duties within the organization. This way, an organization is able to increase its productivity and competitiveness in the market. This is because, as an organization invests in innovation and creativity, it improves on its production processes thereby enabling it to become efficient and more productive. Use change models to support the implementation of creative and innovative management ideas All businesses must exercise change in order for them to remain competitive in todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s business environment. There are various models of change that businesses need to adopt to enable them implement creative and innovative practices. The Kurl Lewin model of change can therefore be used to support the implementation of creative and innovative management within PG Company. The first stage in the model is the unfreeze stage. In this stage, it is the duty of the organizationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s management to ensure that they prepare the organization for the change that is essential for it. In this case, the managers need to ensure that the existing modes of operation are broken down to before they decide on whether they will adopt the new ways of operating inside the organization. In this case, the managers should demonstrate to the employees the reason as to why the new ways of operating cannot be continued. In this perspective, the CEO at PG can be able to understand why an organization is experiencing a reduction in sales as well as why the organization experiences poor financial results (Gerybadze, Hommel, Reiners, 2010). The unfreeze state usually creates uncertainty within the organization. However, in the change stage, people start looking for uncertainty and looking for new ways in which they can resolve any forms of uncertainty. The employees in the organization start looking for new ways in which they can support the new direction that the organization hopes to achieve. The managers of the organization need to understand that the transition from unfreeze to change does not happen overnight. Employees usually take time to adjust to the new change. Therefore, in order to ensure that the employees embrace the change, the CEO and the managers should make the employees understand how the change will benefit to them since not everyone falls for the changes that the company hopes to achieve. The refreeze stage is also important to consider. The organization is usually ready to refreeze once the changes are observed to be taking effect. In this case, the organization becomes stable whereby the job descriptions appear to be consistent. This stage normally helps the employees and the institution to internalize the changes proposed. In this perspective, the changes need to be used all the time and be incorporated in the daily operations that the organization engages in. Once the organization starts realizing stability, the employees become comfortable with the new ways of working. Therefore, by incorporating the model in its operations, the organization would be able to implement innovation successfully (Gerybadze, Hommel, Reiners, 2010). Task 2 Produce an appropriate rationale to persuade stakeholders of PG of the benefits of a creative and innovative management idea Before the CEO and the managers of an organization decide to implement change and innovation, they need to assure the shareholders that the change will benefit the organization and the employees in diverse ways. It is therefore the duty of the CEO and the managers to ensure that they develop a rationale that will demonstrate to the shareholders that the change will be fruitful. As a CEO at PG, one needs to demonstrate to the shareholders that the change will tackle the various strategic challenges within the organization and enable it to be resourceful and adopt more creative solutions. The organization would be able to draw on ideas that are generated from other organizations thereby improving its outcomes. This can be done by ensuring that the senior managers within the organization are able to disseminate knowledge to the employees thereby providing an avenue for development of new production mechanisms. This enables an organization to adopt innovation in an effective manner. When an organization implements innovation, the managers are able to take responsibility for any form of innovation and change. This way, they are able to identify the critical areas that should be changed. Moreover, investing in change demonstrates the commitment by the members of an organization to change (Kaplan Norton, 2004). Moreover, the CEO and the managers are able to assess the benefits of innovation before it is implemented. In addition, the decision to change encourages the employees to question the methods adopted therefore creating room for them to propose other change mechanisms that would be more effective. By deciding to invest in new technology and innovation, an organization is able to come up with new ways which enable it to invest in technology in its area of specialization. This way, an organization is able to come up with new ways that can enable it to overcome any forms of resistance as a result of allowing the employees to be involved in the change process. This has the effect of encouraging the employees to identify the various forms of improvements to the services that an organization delivers thereby enabling the organization to succeed through original thinking. Moreover, the organization is able to draw on new methods and techniques of conducting its operations. This way, the employees are able to understand the fear of change thereby encouraging them to welcome the change that the organization desires to implement. As a CEO how will you communicate a creative and innovative management idea to stakeholders of the organization? The CEO is the one who decides whether change in an organization should be implemented. In this perspective, the CEO is the one who is supposed to demonstrate to the shareholders the manner in which change and innovation will impact an organization. The CEO therefore needs to devise effective means which can enable him convey the message regarding change and innovation to the shareholders. For communication to be effective, it is important for the CEO to conduct thorough research pertaining to the change process thereby enabling him to have a basis on how to explain to the shareholders why the change in necessary (Galavan, Murray, Markides, 2008). An effective way of conducting effective communication is through facts. It is therefore important for the CEO to ensure that he gathers sufficient facts relating to the change and innovation that he desires to invest in the organization. While communicating to the shareholders therefore, the CEO should gather facts on how the change process has worked in other organizations and the benefits that the change process brought to the organizations that have ever adopted that kind of change. Demonstrations are an effective way of enabling people to understand how a certain concept works. In this perspective therefore, it is the duty of the CEO to demonstrate to the shareholders the manner in which he hopes that the change and innovation initiative will work in the organization. The demonstration that the CEO adopts should be realistic such that the shareholders would believe that the investment will work when applied to a real world scenario. The CEO needs to have gathered sufficient information regarding the initiative. In this perspective, the CEO should be prepared to answer the questions raised by the shareholders in an effective way. This means that the CEO should be confident enough to enable him answer the questions raised in an effective manner. Once the CEO demonstrates effective way of communicating with the shareholders regarding the change process that the organization wishes to invest in, the shareholders can embrace the idea. However, if the CEO is unable to communicate effectively to the shareholders regarding the impact that the innovation will have towards the organization, the shareholders are likely to reject the idea thus limiting the organization from adapting to the current changes that are happening in the business environment (Brown, 2005). Establish key goals and priorities for implementation of a creative and innovative management idea using feedback from stakeholders Before deciding to invest in innovation, there are certain things that should be prioritized. The essential things are the ones that should be given more emphasis. In this perspective, the CEO of the organization should gather sufficient information on the operations of an organization and determine the ones that have more impact towards the productivity of the organization. He should then decide on the way in which innovation will be implemented in the company. Innovation should be carried out in phases starting with the sections within the organization that are regarded as more essential. The financial resources that a company has should also be considered. An organization might deem it necessary to invest in a particular form of change but fail due to insufficient funds. Innovation should therefore be carried out in those areas that the company can afford adequately. In this perspective, the manner in which the funds are used should be carefully monitored so as to ensure that the sections that change has been implemented are operational in an effective. There are instances whereby an organization might decide to invest in a particular change but funds may be insufficient thereby putting the company at the risk of failing to function as expected (Afuah, 2009). In this perspective therefore, the stakeholders need to be notified of the change that the organization desires to invest in and then determine whether the funds available are sufficient. This is in order to ensure that the shareholders do not complain of funds misuse whenever they realize that a particular stra tegy did not work. Before deciding to invest in any form of innovation, it is important for an organization to ensure that the employees are ready for the change being implemented. There are certain times when an organization may invest in a form of innovation where the employees are not adequately prepared. In this perspective, the organization would deteriorate in performance instead of improving. As a result, the employees need to be given sufficient training regarding the change being implemented. Moreover, the employees must be willing to accept the change especially if the change would improve the manner in which they operate within the organization. The shareholders therefore need to be notified on the training being conducted on the employees (Galavan, Murray, Markides, 2008). This is because training employees requires funds. Therefore the shareholders must be notified so that they do not assume that it is a form of funds misappropriation. Innovation needs to be consistent with the operations that an organization conducts. The innovation should be an improvement and not a change of the organizational practices. In case innovation is a form of change in organizational practices, most employees would not manage to handle the new operations and this would therefore require the organization to look for a team of new employees. However, given all the experience that employees have regarding the operations of the organization, a change in the organizational practices would make the organization to deteriorate in its production processes thereby making the customers to disregard the reputation of the organization. The priorities that the CEO sets regarding the form of innovation to be adopted therefore need to be communicated to the shareholders for analysis and to determine whether innovation change is viable towards the organization. Assess the barriers to the implementation of a creative and innovative management idea at PG Every organization is susceptible to barriers when deciding to invest in any form of innovation. The CEO of PG therefore needs to be aware of the various barriers that he can encounter while deciding to implement any form of change within the organization. This is because the barriers can lead to the failure of the entire project if they are not monitored in an adequate manner. Employee unpreparedness is one of the major barriers that the organization is likely to face while deciding to invest in any form of change. This is because most employees are used to the normal operations that an organization engages in. In this perspective therefore, in case an organization engages in any form of innovation, the employees would not be in a position to cope with the prevailing state of affairs. This would have the effect of lowering the productivity of the organization thereby making it to be outdone by the competitors (Galavan, Murray, Markides, 2008). The financial soundness of an organization matters a great deal when an organization desires to invest in any form of change. For example, the environmental conditions might require an organization to invest in change but, due to financial constraints it may fail to implement the change in an effective manner. By investing in change processes halfway, an organization may end up failing totally because of inefficient innovation practices. This would lower the reputation of the company as well as reduce its productivity significantly. It would therefore be difficult for the organization to rise from this form of failure. The managers, CEO, and the shareholders might desire to invest in change management but the organization might not be ready for the change being implemented. For example, there are certain change practices that might require an organization to change its infrastructure completely. However, changing the infrastructure of an organization is an expensive undertaking. As a result, an organization would be required to invest a lot of funds in changing its infrastructure thereby making the company to suffer financial loss. Since most managers, shareholders, and the CEO would not be willing to carry out such an exercise if the organization does not have sufficient capital base, this would therefore be a major barrier towards implementing the change. Shareholders play a very essential role in terms of facilitating the decision making process within the organization. In this perspective therefore, the CEO may propose to the shareholders that a particular form of innovation is important in order to increase the organizationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s productivity as well as sustain its competitiveness. However, if the CEO is unable to convince the shareholders effectively on the reason as to why a particular form of innovation is essential, the shareholders are likely to reject the whole idea thus acting as a barrier towards the adoption of innovation inside the organization. In order for any form of innovation to be successfully implemented in an organization, it is important for the CEO to look for a team of experts who would facilitate the implementation of the change in the organization. However, with the competitiveness that is present in the modern business environment, there exists a group of professionals who are not adequately trained to guide an organization on the best form of innovation to adopt. In this perspective therefore, there are CEOs who look for non-qualified professionals to facilitate in change implementation in organizations. Such people often make the wrong predictions regarding the form of innovation that the organization should adopt. They therefore end up misleading the organization which then leads to its collapse (Stevenson, 2002). Plan a strategy to overcome identified barriers to the implementation of a creative and innovative management idea at PG Despite the existence of a broad range of barriers towards implementing innovation in an organization, there are various strategies that PG can adopt to enable it implement change in an effective manner. In this perspective, it is important for the CEO to consider certain barriers that prevail within the business environment so that he can be able to devise effective strategies and plans on how to cope with them. Most organizations face challenges while implementing change because they fail to conduct a thorough study of the market. Without a proper understanding of the way in which the market operates, the managers, CEO, and the shareholders of PG are likely to adopt innovation strategies that are not consistent with the requirements of the organization. In this case therefore, it is important for the CEO to ensure that he conducts a thorough study of the business environment whereby PG operates so that he can manage to get a clear picture of the way in which strategies are essential in the organization. This way, the CEO can be able to collect sufficient information on the form of innovation that PG should adopt thereby enabling it to succeed in its operations. Creativity and innovation fail in an organization because most employees are not adequately prepared for the change. Most employees therefore find it difficult to adapt to the new production processes that an organization adopts because of lack of experience in new technology. Therefore, in order to ensure that the employees welcome a change initiative within their organization of work, it is important for the CEO to ensure that he liaises with the shareholders and the other managers at PG in order to ensure that the employees receive adequate training regarding type of change that the organization desires to adopt. The employees should be trained in advance before the change has been implemented so as to ensure that they are ready to proceed once the change has been implemented (Gerybadze, Hommel, Reiners, 2010). Unqualified professionals are the leading cause of failure in many organizations with regard to creativity and innovation management. In order to avoid being misled by unqualified professionals, the CEO of PG should ensure that he conducts thorough research on the most qualified personnel in the market and who have a proven track record with regard to creativity and change management. Such a person would be able to direct PG on the most effective forms of innovation to invest in by analyzing the trends in the market. Inadequate funds often act as a barrier towards implementing change in an organization. Therefore, in order for an organization to be able to implement creativity and innovation in its practices, it is important for it to devise means through which it can gather sufficient funds to enable it cope with the changes in the business environment where it operates. Therefore, the organization can mobilize funds in form of profits, loans or through capital investments to enable it raise funds to facilitate creativity and innovation. Explain how a strategy plan for overcoming barriers will ensure innovative change is achieved Every organization hopes to overcome barriers found in its operating environment so that it can emerge successful while implementing innovative changes in its systems. By adopting strategies to overcome the various barriers that are present in the operating environment therefore, a business has the potential to ensure that it achieves change. Therefore, in the case of PG, change can be achieved if the managers, CEO, and the shareholders show commitment to addressing the various barriers that hinder the implementation of innovation change in an effective manner. For example, once the employees are trained adequately on how to cope with the change before it is implemented, they can be able to embrace the change in a more efficient manner as opposed to when the change is implemented when employees are not well prepared for the change. Most organizations that prepare their employees well in advance before innovation change management is implemented are known to be good performers (Anthon y, 2012). This is an indication that proper planning has the effect of improving the overall performance of an organization With advancements in technology and the popularity of globalization catching on in many organizations, it is important for businesses to set aside sufficient funds to cater for such issues. In this perspective, most CEOs and managers of businesses usually ensure that all funds within the organization are accounted for since the business environment is not predictable. This state of affairs enables businesses to be prepared for any changes that occur in the business. The businesses that do not set in place sufficient funds for innovation change are known to fail due to lack of sufficient finances when the time to be innovative comes. It has also been noted that most business enterprises today are designed in such a manner that they can be able to cope with innovation change regardless of whether the change requires a business to change its infrastructure. Moreover, businesses that consult their shareholders before investing in any form of innovation change and hire professionals to guide their investment activities perform better than those organizations that do not follow such procedures. It is therefore true that the strategies that are adopted for overcoming barriers ar

Birth of the Calle Ocho Festival :: Little Havana Miami Latin Culture

The Birth of the Calle Ocho Festival In the heart of Miami, Florida, the Calle Ocho Festival is an event open to people of all ethnic backgrounds and age groups. This event dates back to the late seventies. The festival originated in 1977. It was organized by two men, Leslie Pantà ­n Jr. and Willy Bermello, who wanted to start a project with the Miami Herald to bring the community closer together. They decided on a festival while scribbling on the back of a place mat at lunch one day at the Red Coach Inn during the summer of 1977. Pantà ­n and Bermello's goal was to have a street party that would display the Latin-American lifestyle in the city of Miami for non-Spanish speakers. Today, this festival has grown into the largest Hispanic festival held in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the event for the dancing, eating, and getting to know everyone and everything that is part of Little Havana. The Calle Ocho festival was originally named the Open House Eight, because the two organizers wanted the festival to be an open welcome to southwest Eighth Street. With no credit, Pantà ­n and Bermello ran into a slight problem with their idea. They needed money to start up their plan for the festival. Relying solely on the aid of friends for finance, they managed to raise $37,000 to put on a fifteen block street party. However, Pantà ­n and Bermello still needed coverage for the new festival. Thanks to knocking on many doors, making presentations to advertisers, and receiving television coverage, they received all the publicity they needed. People from all over South Florida came to attend the Calle Ocho festival. The first festival, held in 1978, was a major success. Music, food, dancing, and smiling faces are some of the many attractions you may find at this festival. Performers such as Willy Chirino, Oscar de Leon, El Gran Combo, Celia Cruz, The Barrio Boys, and Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, among others, have performed during the past twenty years. Salsa, merengue, cumbia, and guaguancà ³ dancers fill the streets of Little Havana every year.

Wystan Hugh Auden Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Wystan Hugh Auden Wystan Hugh Auden was born on February 21, 1907, in provincial York, England. Over the next sixty-six years, he became one of the most prolific poets of the twentieth century. He was a versatile poet who felt that poetry was "a game of knowledge." He boarded at Gresham’s School in Norfolk and in 1925 went to Christ Church at Oxford. Although he initially studied biology, he quickly switched to English. From there he embarked on a literary career that covered almost fifty years. Auden’s influences were plentiful: T. S. Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Robert Frost, and above all Thomas Hardy. Ironically, future generations of poets, including John Ashbery, W.S. Merwin, James Wright, and James Merrill, would look to Auden as a primary influence in their own poetry. The first phase, or "chapter" as Auden would call it, of his literary life covered 1927 to 1932. During this time he emerged from the land of English Romanticism, the Lake District. A pamphlet entitled Poems was printed out in 1928 on a hand press with the help of poet and friend Stephen Spender. After spending a year and a half in Berlin, Germany, Auden returned to England to have his first book published. This book, again entitled Poems (1930), was published by Faber and Faber under the direction of T.S. Eliot. As David Perkins explains in A Modern History of Poetry: Modernism and After, Auden "seemed in the 20’s to be the next step beyond Eliot. The general trend of his writing, regarded as a reaction against Eliot, seemed to be toward accessibility, a more conversational tone, and a freer use of discursive or generalizing language" (151). But the thirties led to a new "chapter" in Auden’s life. By the 1930’s, Auden, alo... ... the Pulitzer Prize. This was followed up with the esteemed Bollingen Prize (1954) and Feltrinelli Prize (1957). Auden continued to write with twenty-one more volumes to come. In 1946 Auden became an American citizen. W. H. Auden deserves his ranking as not only one of the 20th-Century’s greatest poets, but also as one of its most prolific literary authors. Apart from his poetry, Auden wrote reviews, critical articles, and essays ranging from Greek literature and Icelandic sagas to modern poetry and fiction, folklore, children’s literature, psychology, religion, history, biography, light verse, and music. His influence can be compared only to the likes of Eliot, Yeats, and Pound. WORKS CITED Auden, W. H. Collected Poems. New York: Vintage International, 1991. Perkins, David. A History of Modern Poetry: Modernism and After. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1987.

Good Night Motel Сase Ыtudy

PurposeTo discuss the factors which motel owner Justin McGregor’s should consider when deciding on business proposal from a well respected community resident George Alward for 2 nights full house accommodations. Offer for half room rate, during low occupancy season, for church convention attendees.Background SummaryGood Night motel is a family owned and operated motel, located near main highways, restaurants and retail shopping in the Canadian town Grand Bend. The town is a summer resort with local businesses exposed to seasonal business patterns. Such is the Good Night motel, which has 30 units and charges $80/nt, rate comparable to the high-end motels in the area.Due to the global economic recession over the past few years Good Night’s occupancy rates have dropped resulting in lower annual revenues and increased competition for guests. 2012 is the first time in five years with earned profit.In the â€Å"low† period (Oct 16-May 14) the motel is rarely more than a quarter full at any time. During this time the operating and administrative expenses do not vary with the occupancy rate except cleaning supplies ($2.74 rm/nt) and heating ($5 rm/nt).Important FactorsWhen making the decision McGregor should consider both macro and microeconomic factors affecting his business.Global Recession: Currently due to the global economic recession and the  appreciation of the Canadian dollar vs US, less people are travelling, their leisure budgets are smaller. Consequentially the revenues are lower and the competition for customers higher. In a competitive environment, customers are not price takers. There are various comparable motels so George Alward can simply take his business to the competition.Possibility for repeat business: If McGregor accepts the offer he will create an opportunity for possible repeat client next year during slow season. And since Alward is a respected member of the community, his recommendations will have positive impact on the image of the motel.Opportunity Cost: McGregor should look not only the money he would be bringing in, but also at the lost opportunity costs. Although highly unlikely, there is forgone possibility that other people may wish to rent the 30 rooms at the standard rate of $80 per night.Qualitative Factors: In the event of full occupancy there is a possibility of lower efficiency. If the staff has to accommodate all 30 rooms at the same time, they may not be able to provide good quality service.Pricing Strategy: Accepting lower price for the room may set precedent for future clients demanding lower rates.Accounting Figures: Assuming all other operating and administrative expenses are the same for both cases accept or reject the offer do not vary with occupancy. For low season, accepting the offer results in positive incremental profit.Conclusion/Computations:Based on the fact that the global economy has not yet fully recovered from the recession and the seasonal low occupancy of the mot el, despite the possibility of higher opportunity cost and unwanted precedent effect, it would be beneficial for McGregor’s business to take the offer. The motel will benefit from positive incremental surplus, hopefully some repeat clients and good marketing from serving the local community.

Financial Statements Essay

What does the Consolidated Statements of Earnings the income statement tell you about the company? Why is this statement important? What business decisions could be made using the income statement? What does the balance sheet tell you about the company? Why is  the balance sheet important? What business decisions could be made using the balance sheet? What does the statement of cash flows tell you about the company? What business decisions could be made using the statement of cash flows? What information is provided in the statements that will assist you in making these business decisions? What information is not provided that could assist in managerial decision making? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Business – Accounting Using Home Depot, Inc. 2008 Annual Report located in Appendix A of the text, Fundamentals of Financial Accounting , prepare a 1,050-1,750-word paper in which you answer the following questions: What does the income statement tell you about the company? Why is this statement important? What business decisions could be made using the income statement? What does the balance sheet tell you about the company? Why is the balance sheet important? What business decisions could be made using the balance sheet? What does the statement of cash flows tell you about the company? What business decisions could be made using the statement of cash flows? What information is provided in the statements that will assist you in making these business decisions? What information is not provided that could assist in manager†¦ Follow the link to get tutorial – https://bitly.com/12BS8dD When you are traveling far from home for college, determine whether you should bring your vehicle or leave it home. In areas of high population, free parking spaces can be difficult to find. Also, if you have a car on campus, you will have to pay for regular maintenance as well as insurance and gas. Business – Accounting Using Home Depot, Inc. 2008 Annual Report located in Appendix A of the text, Fundamentals of Financial Accounting , prepare a 1,050-1,750-word paper in which you answer the following questions: What does the income statement tell you about the company? Why is this statement important? What business decisions could be made using the income statement? What does the balance sheet tell you about the company? Why is the balance sheet important? What business decisions could be made using the balance sheet? What does the statement of cash flows tell you about the company? What business decisions could be made using the statement of cash flows? What information is provided in the statements that will assist you in  making these business decisions? What information is not provided that could assist in managerial decision making? †¦

Chili’s Bar Essay

In the decision making process, it helps to look at all the information. This SWOT is comparing Chili’s restaurant to two of its competitors, Ruby Tuesday’s and Applebee’s. Company History Chili’s restaurants are part of the company, Brinker International Corporation. Chili’s Bar & Grill is a casual dining restaurant that was founded in 1975 and has expanded to include 1,200 restaurants located domestically and internationally. There menu consists of fresh and healthy American dishes and limited amount of southwestern style Mexican dishes. In the last 30 years, Chili’s has created an identifiable, recognizable brand name, just think of the commercials. Chili’s Strengths Chili’s is the one of the largest full service restaurant chains with over 1,200 stores, second only to Applebee’s which has about 1,900 stores. Their competitor Ruby Tuesday has less than 900 stores with many of those franchises. Chili’s is part of Brinker Intl. , which is world’s second largest casual dining restaurant operator, the first being Darden restaurants. This allows them to offer affordable prices, because they can negotiate product rates for all of their stores, unlike a smaller company. They have also expanded their company to include Chili’s Too, Small Town Chili’s, and offer catering services. They update their menu one to two times a year, unlike Ruby Tuesday’s which updates their menu every three to four months. Chili’s has a popular menu that keeps people coming back, so they tweak it a bit to keep up with trends, but keep their core items. At this time they serve the same menu in every store, which allows for consistency throughout the company. They have a very broad market with a recognizable brand name and they focus on customer satisfaction. The restaurant business can be very competitive, but they have unusually high management retention and that may be in part to extremely competitive starting salaries and excellent benefit packages. Their competitor, Ruby Tuesday, has franchised many of its stores, creating varied salaries, salary caps, and benefits, when going from a franchise to a corporate store, which can make it difficult to retain managers. When Chili’s is looking for hourly employees, it offers several opportunities to them. They can apply and interview online, receive benefits and have the opportunity to grow with the company. Their hourly employee turnover rate is also lower than the industry average. Chili’s Weaknesses Even though the Chili’s brand is recognizable, it doesn’t appeal to the upper class. The casual dining concept, no matter how different, is still the same. They receive much of their food frozen, unlike Ruby Tuesday which receives all of their meat and produce fresh, making some items not the best of quality. During the busy times, servers are pressured to decrease their table turn time, the time from when a guest sits at the table until they leave and the table is ready for another guest, which can make it difficult to build a rapport with their guests, but at the same time they want their PPA (per person average) to be higher. Many of their restaurants are focused around the bar, which segregates some consumers that do not want to be in that environment. It also makes their seating area than some of their competitors. Chili’s Opportunities There are several things Chili’s can do to remain competitive in the casual dining industry. They can continue to expand internationally, beyond the 20 countries they are already in. Their competitors have yet to exceed that with Ruby Tuesday’s being in about twelve countries and Applebee’s is in almost twenty. They have a very well known brand which will allow them to continue expansion at a rapid rate with the backing of their parent company, Brinker Intl. They are launching a program to try international cuisines at some of their foreign locations. If consumers react positively this could be a great growth opportunity, if it is not taken to, it could be a threat to their international stores if they continue it. They can enlarge their restaurants or configure different models, based on the demographics of the area, to include more seating for guests and not just the bar area. They can continue to expand their brand recognition apparel and glassware. Chili’s Threats The largest threat to the Chili’s brand is the competition of casual dining restaurants, which are easy to duplicate. Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s both had higher 1-year sales growths, with 10% and 17. %, respectively, compared to Chili’s at 6. 1%. Chili’s saturated some U. S. markets and has no where else to expand in those areas. They need to keep up with current trends and eating habits, because they change often, to stay current with the market. Summary Chili’s has managed to saturate the US and foreign markets better than its competitors. Their sales are higher and they retain their employees longer. They need to look at a few things like following eating trends and standing out from the competition a bit more, but they are a highly competitive company that keeps people coming back.

Horror Story Essay

It was a wonderful day in southern Spain and Sara and Kevin was out for a walk in the mouintains on their last vacation day. The view was extrodernery, olive plantings turning the otherwise dry land green and small white houses forming tiny villages, everything bathing in the strong Andalusian sunlight. As they walked upon an old path with a high cliff on the left-hand-side they passed a yellow sign with some text and the cliff painted in black, but since neither of them spoke Spanish they thought nothing of it. They walked on by and enjoyed each others companies very much, holding hands and talking about their holiday. Suddenly Sara stopped and claimed that she heard a noice of a rock falling down from the mountain beside them, but Kevin assured her that it was perfectly okay for them to continue their walk, since he was enjoying it so much. Just a second after he spoke those words a loud noise shoke the ground and before they even had time to react, massive rocks were flying down f rom the cliff just beside them. They threw themselves against a big tree next to the path as rocks kept falling down and dust started to fill the air. The horrible moment seemed to last forever†¦.. At last it stopped, and everything turned dead silence. After a few seconds a voice was heard shouting: ‘’Sara , are you okay? Where are you? It was Kevin ofcourse. He was lying under the tree, and seemed to be safe and sound despite the horrible incident. A few seconds went by without an answer from Sara. He started panicing and shouting, even louder and more anxious than before. Then silently, but still, a wage sound was heard. Kevin jumped up from the place he was lying on and started to look around. There, on the path, under a pile of rocks he saw a red thing but he couldn’t distinguish what it was. Coming closer, he saw that Sara was lying there and that the red was from her T-shirt which she wore that day. He quickly grabbed the biggest rock on top and started to push, at first it was all still which made Kevin again to panic. With all his force he pushed once again and now it slowly started to move and finally, after an heroic effort the rock slid off and Sara could get loose. She miraculously was also without any severe injuries and hugged Kevin harder than ever before, and they agreed that they won’t ignore signs they don’t understand ever again.

Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care

Running Heading: Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care Aversive Racism and Inequality in Health Care: Kenisha Wilkerson Walden University Socioeconomic conditions of persons and the places where they live and work do strongly influence their health. In the United States, as elsewhere, the risk for mortality, morbidity, unhealthy behaviors, reduced access to health care and poor quality of care increases with decreasing socioeconomic circumstances (CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, 2011). Bias in the health care situation is most often indirect and universal (Halwani, 2011). Indirect discrimination occurs when exactly the same services are provided to everybody, but when cultural, religious, linguistic or other reasons it is not possible for members of one or more black and minority ethnic groups to benefit equally from them (Halwani, 2011) . Yet, when African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos are compared to European Americans, these minority groups have higher rate of chronic diseases, higher mortality, and poorer health outcomes which is documented due to health disparities. While, aversive racism is caused by clever bias and ignorance rather than any malicious feelings towards minorities. Persons who often interact with minorities as equals (ei. coworkers, friends) rather than on a different level (employee/employer) will find themselves less likely to have hidden prejudices (Cannon, 2011). However, there are methods that can be used for reducing such racism for some but for others; simply understanding that aversive racism exists can help. In conclusion being in the know about racial or ethnic inequality in health care and aversive racism can help eliminate problems. Raising public and provider awareness of racial/ethnic disparities in care, expanding health insurance coverage (Obama Care), improving the capacity and number of providers in underserved communities, increasing the knowledge base on causes and interventions to reduce disparities, examining your own behavior, and techniques aimed at its roots at both the individual and collective levels. Bibliography

Technological Determinism in Modern Era Research Proposal

Technological Determinism in Modern Era - Research Proposal Example The changes in technology resonate with societal changes because the process now affects the way humans feel, operate and think. This is attributable to communication and technological developments that dictate the way that people communicate and their effects on the messages sent across and received (Hickman, 2010, p. 78). Hard and soft technological determinism Hard technological determinism advance specific consequences that are either highly probable or inevitable while determining the development agenda and social organization of institutions. This requires specific conditions that are either sufficient or necessary. Apparently, sufficient conditions require unitary causes while necessary conditions require some additional preconditions as companions. Weak technological determinism is the most accepted technological status. It portends on the adoption of some technological orientations that only facilitate or enable the utilization of relevant potential opportunities for consump tion by some communities. It presumes that technology should only shape the structure of the society, but not the outcome of their actions. Many scholars recommend this form of technological determinism. Over the past few decades, the movement in technological developments has been so fast. The technologies of yesteryears continue to be rendered irrelevant with the emergence of innovations. For instance, a number of years ago, communication involved writing and printing of materials. This took a long time to reach the recipients so that by the time they get the information, it is outdated already. Such events as death or wars could have escalated while this information is still on its way to the recipient. Then there was the innovation of television that changed the communications industry by providing the most recent and up to date information that not only oriented people on social situations but also updated people on weather conditions gave information on new products. Televisio ns also enabled the relaying of video clips that can now be shot and aired so that an average person can get first-hand information on important world events. This way, technology has contributed to altering how society and people feel. Today, people will watch television clips on different happenings around the globe and give their opinions on whether there are justifications or not for the acts. For instance, conflicts and tensions between or within countries normally elicit different opinions from a cross section of the society. Through this technology, helps shape the society in particular orientations (Hugh & Reynolds, 2001). The innovation of cell phones was also a major technological change that influenced significantly on the societal implications. Additionally, cars and airplanes technologies ensured that families could spread out and still keep in touch with each other over long distances. Using cell phones, people could possibly talk across boundaries and even continents without having to write letters that would take long periods to reach the destinations. Therefore, cell phones managed people to meet their societal needs by allowing convenience in communication irrespective of the distance between the communicators.

Portfolio (2000 words) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Portfolio (2000 words) - Essay Example It was evident that as I progressed in my placement, I came to know specific details about portfolios as it progressed, but it was mainly a tool for self-directed learning. An important underpinning concept within the portfolio use is its firm entrenchment in learning from nursing practice experience usually in a self-directed manner. This means I had responsibility for completing the portfolio, although there was a relative freedom with task completion, often with minimal direction and guidelines. This portfolio has been designed to improve self-development and assessment as to whether I had been able to develop of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) competencies. This portfolio has been based on ANMC competency standard seven (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council 2006), which speaks about nurses competency for provision of comprehensive, safe, and effective evidence-based care to achieve health outcomes for individuals or groups in an identified population. This document was prepared that I’m a capability on assessing and conducting the comprehensive nursing care effectively in my own studies. A child health assessment report following by the health intervention plan This document was prepared as an assessable component on my studies. It is emphasis on my knowledge of acute action plan. The tutor’s mark sheet and comment are included to further substantiate my claims for competency. The appendix 1 shows the item of evidence. This contains the feedback from my facilitator. My facilitator had been instrumental in development of my nursing skills and professional development which were important in my competency development. She had commented that I demonstrated willingness to participate in the team environment. As per her evaluation, my clinical skills had improved over time, and I could interact with the patients in a friendly and empathic manner.

You will find the topic in order instructions Essay

You will find the topic in order instructions - Essay Example Women are migrating overseas to look for work more and more because of the attractiveness that is on offer. These women are mostly not very highly educated, although the case of Rena demonstrates that it can even happen amongst college educated women to. In their home countries, women are likely to be restricted in what they can do simply due to the local traditions and customs. Many women feel bound to their home country because of the ways that they have been brought up. For these who rebel against cultural expectations, migrating to another country for work purposes is an attractive option because of the freedom that it gives. Generally, the pay is also greater because of the higher standard of living that is available. Aside from this, many women appreciate working in a foreign culture because it allows them to come out of their shell. Looking at it from the other side, there is a huge demand for female labor and this demand drives up the number of immigrants who choose to go to look for work in a foreign country. As previously stated above, many women find work in the service industry because that is the easiest work that they can perform. Exploitation is huge in these instances because employers can take advantages of their employees, who may not understand the local culture and thus are at the mercy of their superiors. Women who work in jobs like these may be asked to do something that they may not feel too comfortable with. However, because of their situation, they generally have no choice but to go along with what is being asked of them. This means that they are in a disadvantageous position and can be exploited. Depending on whether they are legal or not, they may not want to report something to the police for fear of being kicked out and sent back to their home countries. This may mean a loss of income for the women concerned, not to mention a complete loss of face. Faced with a tough choice, migrant women are more likely to comply with what

Global Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Global Strategic Management - Essay Example The transformation of local issues and phenomenon into the global ones are known as globalization. The process of unifying people of different culture identities and societies occur in the element of globalization. The entire process of globalization is basically a combination of different factors which are economic, socio-cultural, political and technological. However, globalization is usually referred to as economic globalization and it is related with the concept of integration of national economies into international arena where there are different factors like capital flows, mitigation, foreign direct investment and etc (Stiglitz). Strategists and economist suggests that organizations focuses a lot on globalization and international organizations which are termed as multinationals have to comply with the process of globalization because through this strategy they can enhance their profits and they can they experience growth in both the short and the long term. Different scholars believe that globalization is a wide spread term and this term can be taken and defined into number of ways. However, economic concepts of globalization depicts that the removal of trade barriers between different countries to initiate a proper flow of goods. This phenomenon is not new and it initiated in the 19th century but slowly and gradually this phenomenon gained momentum and different countries and organization started to adopt this phenomenon. Strategic management on the other hand is an important element for the organizations of today's world and strategic management allows the organizations to opt for new and modernized methods and how they can excel in this competitive world. Strategic management is the phenomenon of implementing decisions that are usually of cross functional nature and these functions enable the organization to achieve the long term goals of the organization. The organization's mission, vision and objectives are identified in the strategic management processes (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson). Different approaches are used by different organization like business balance score card, situational analysis, matrices and etc. Globalization and its impact on businesses The effects of globalization are far reaching and it is considered as a complex phenomenon and it is considered as a hotly contested issue in global and corporate arena. This phenomenon is considered to be irresistible at one end and organizations and different companies have to campy with this but on the other this element is considered as a source of contemporary ill. The corporate effects of globalization are wide and varied and organizations have to transform themselves in order to face the challenges of globalization. Organizations have to adopt a novel approach because they have to comply with the changes (Steger). These organizations hav

How has Modern Technology improved Emergency Response Capabilities Assignment

How has Modern Technology improved Emergency Response Capabilities - Assignment Example The software development is focused to develop methods to generate high resolution fused data studies to create three-dimensional product view among other features for correct forecasting to generate accurate weather alerts, which is just one of the various features of the software development (NWS, 2012). Future is full of new possibilities in the fields of technology for emergency communication in the time of disasters. Technology advancements also offer new challenges to apply new innovations in the current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) programs. The ongoing communications programs need to be revised for assimilating future additions of modern technology. Cyber Security & Communications (CS&C) has always played a leading part in the overall security of the nation’s 18 important infrastructure divisions under Homeland Security President Directive-7 (HSPD-7). CS&C is behind all the government communications programs related to priority services such as GETS, which is a White House initiated emergency telecommunications service, offering communications support to all government and non-government missions (DHS News, 2012). Emergency management in the context of interstate collaboration can better help in making a quick response to catastrophic disasters. Such an agreement named the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is based on mutual help in collaboration with other states, facilitating states to take collective action against natural and human disasters, mostly before the availability of federal disaster assistance. Emergency management can be well understood by discussing EMACs call to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to attend to the critical requirement for evaluation of emergency management at the local level. A studious evaluation of news reports, government papers, and reports from related organizations needs to be conducted to reach at some conclusion on the extent and way of EMACs execution and its conduct at the time of response functions.

My English Mastiff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My English Mastiff - Essay Example He is already eight years old and weighs approximately 160 pounds (72 kg.). He is 30 inches (76 cm.) tall. Ramzee’s outer coat is smooth, short and straight. His undercoat is dense and close lying. His coat color is golden fawn brindled with black around his eyes and extending up between them, over the muzzle, ears and nose. Like all English mastiffs, Ramzee is very powerful, massive and muscular. He has a large, heavy, square head with a short muzzle and distinctive dewlaps and flews. He has medium-sized ears that are pendant and falls just below his cheeks. His eyes are small and hazel in color. His teeth meet in a scissors bite. Ramzee’s tail is set high and curves down reaching to the hock. Although Ramzee’s size is over-powering, you can consider him a gentle giant. He rarely barks but he makes a good guard dog because his nature is to defend his territory and family. I did not need to train Ramzee because he is a natural guard dog. He is very friendly but w hen he senses I’m in danger, I can feel him becoming more watchful. I always bring Ramzee in public places, such as the park so as to prevent him from becoming aloof to strangers. He also gets along well with other dogs in our neighborhood. My young nieces love Ramzee because he is very playful, intelligent and calm. The only thing that my nieces do not like about Ramzee is that he drools a lot, like all other mastiffs. He also wheezes and snores loudly when he sleeps. Ramzee tends to be lazy at times so I see to it that I take him to regular daily walks after our dinner. His veterinarian also suggested these regular exercises so that he does not gain so much weight. Apparently, most mastiffs suffer from hip and joint problems when they become overweight. Let me describe to you now what a typical day is for Ramzee. Ramzee is my alarm clock. He wakes me up by licking my feet. He seems to have his own clock because he usually does this every 6:00am in the morning. His main reas on though for waking me up is because he wants to go out in the yard to pee. After allowing him to do his morning routine in our yard, I give him his breakfast which he eagerly awaits. I make sure that the dog food I give him is especially formulated for his breed which has the right combination of protein and fats. I give him three cups of dog food in the morning and another three cups for his dinner. He easily finishes his food within minutes. Later, you can see his bowl spic and span as if there was no food there minutes ago. After finishing his food, he drinks lots of water which makes him drool a lot too. I usually wipe the edges of his mouth to prevent those food debris sticking to my pants later on. After eating, he would once again go the yard to â€Å"empty† himself. Ramzee gets a bath once a month. I don’t give him a bath often because dogs have natural oils that keep their fur shiny and prevent their coats to become dry. Today is Ramzee’s bath day. Si nce bathing is quite a chore for a mastiff because of its size, I take Ramzee to the groomer. His groomer gives him a bath and a flea and tick dip. His nails are then trimmed and his ears are cleaned. His eyes are also wiped to prevent the build-up of dirt that might lead to eye infection. The groomer then brushes his teeth with toothpaste. Ramzee likes the taste of toothpaste but it makes him drool more. During this grooming time, Ramzee remains very calm and he seems to be enjoying every moment of it. But I think his favorite part is the combing of his coat. I know he likes it so much because I see him closing his eyes, almost falling asleep. After the trip to the groomer, Ramzee and I go back home. Tired from the car trip, Ramzee goes over to his bed and falls asleep easily. While I am taking my lunch, I

Database Modeling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database Modeling - Essay Example It might be important to have alternative contact addresses for students in case of unexpected situations. Therefore, in order to cater for such a situation, we need to create additional tables to handle the addresses. One table named email-address will contain the following fields: id, email address and student-id. Likewise, another table named phone-number will be created containing the following fields: id, phone number, and student-id. Finally, another table will be street-details. This table will have the following fields: id, street-name, city-name, state, and student-id. The four tables created to satisfy the requirements of 1NF. They are also in 2NF since they do not contain any partial dependencies. All fields in each table are uniquely reliant on the respective primary key as 2NF requires (Buxton, 2009). The four tables also fulfill the requirements of 3Nf since all fields present depend on the primary key for their values. The next table that requires normalization is named course-information. This table contains the following fields: Course-Id, course-title, and course credit. This table is already in first normal form since it does not contain multi-valued fields. This table also fulfills the requirements of 2NF since all fields in the table rely uniquely on the primary key. This table also fulfills the requirements of 3NF since each field in that table is dependent on the primary key. The last thing now is to create a relationship between a student and the courses that they take. This can be done by employing a many to many relationships between student-information table and course-information table. In order to accomplish this relationship, another table is required.  

Reflective journal Essay Example for Free

Reflective journal Essay My third week of clinical placement at Trillium Hospital assigned on the same unit and same patient. Arrive early in the lobby of 4J Rehab meet with our Clinical Instructor and group mates. Started with pre-conference had briefing for the day activities assigned as schedule to be with our Clinical Instructor in giving 10:00 am medications. After the briefing, I went to the station where, met my new preceptor , exchange of greetings little bit of introduction about me and her. We started by taking the endorsement from the outgoing night shift nurse. Review the plan of care of our assigned patient. She asked to get the manual Blood Pressure Apparatus and handed me her pager. I was thinking why the pager. She notice me in confusion of the pager, she just smiled and said â€Å" I want you to feel your the real nurse and I am just your assistant†, dont worry I am at your side† just answered â€Å"ok†. We went to each patient room, greeted patient, took the vital signs, recorded it my notebook, does the head to toe assessment . After all of these activities we went back to the nurses station where I do the documentation with regards to patients vital signs. At around 9:00 in the morning we do the morning care for each patient, I had the chance to assist her male stroke patient change his catheter. We finished around 9:30 and had our break. After the break 10:00 Am time to give the medication for my assigned patient together with my preceptor as per schedule. My assigned patient is male 51 years old Spanish who has an Ileostomy case. The medication that I was going to give are pain medications and for his hypertension. My clinical instructor asked me also about the medication routes, and the classification of the drugs. So thankful to her my Clinical Instructor she is so kind and willing to give us all the information we need to learn. I also documented in the MAR sheet, signed the drugs that I gave. I also had the chance of changing the dressing of my assigned patient, Ileostomy case. Prepared the materials needed for the procedure. Feeling nervous at the beginning, my first time to do this kind of dressing, packing ribbon on an stoma. With my preceptor around who is so cooperative and teaching me the proper way to do it I feel confident and grateful to her too. Me and my group mates had also the chance to watch doing the bladder scanner knowing the amount of urine in the bladder. One of my group mates did the in and out catetherization, but unfortunately it did work out, something is blocking maybe pus. I also helped the transferring of patient from bed to wheel chair using the manual Hoyer Lift. Get tired that day but happy I learned a lot of challenges, having this positive attitude, experiences during my clinical duty I know I can handle and deal with the situations that I will be encoutering.