Information And Research Methods In Business Paper

Information And Methods In Business - Research Paper Example Immediately prior to the generalization, however, we review the recent literature immediately available on the topic to reexamine our perspective and build our generalizations on a more stable foundation. There are three basic ways of identifying, summarizing and analyzing product quality problems. One basic way is to identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problem from the point of view of the consumer. The second basic way is to identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problems from the viewpoint of distributors. The second will only be applicable for businesses that tap distribution companies for a product. The third basic way is to identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problems from the point of view of our retailers. Like the second, this will not always apply to all types of businesses. Finally, the fourth basic way is to identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problems from the perspective of quality control and of a quality control system. In identifying product quality problems as perceived by our consumers, we can implement two kinds of research. One research can identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problem as perceived by the consumers of our product. The second research can focus on the target consumers of our product and identify, summarize, and analyze product quality problems as perceived by the target consumers of our product. In doing a research on quality problem among our consumers, we may want to follow the statistical protocol with regard to computation of the percentage of our consumer who desires certain changes or improvements in our product. A good material for this is Walpole et al. (2007, p. 299-302). For estimation related to means, Walpole et al. (2007) are also useful but one may wish to supplement the discussion on the material with insights from Dekking.

Comparison Contrast Between Iphone and Blackberry Essay Example for Free

Comparison Contrast Between Iphone and Blackberry Essay My world and Ray Bradbury’s world has some similarities and some differences. Both of our worlds have characters that agree with the negative effect of technology and the positive effect of it. To me I would agree with the positive effect of technology because without it people wont be the same as today. Have you ever thought of living without an iPod, laptop, cell phone, car, or a TV? Just take a second and imagine. Well, I can’t and I never could imagine that because ever since I was young, my whole life was based on technology. To me, technology is everything and without it I would feel lost, bored, and confused. Manny people would think that technology is the reason why were living, this is because its impact on everything we do. Like communicating, transporting, and being happy, However Technology is important because it is rapidly changing the way people are living. When I was in fifth grade my first electronic device that I used was a T-Mobile phone that my dad got me. I was so excited about, that I use to hold it in my hand 24/7 just to show off with it like I’m holding an iPhone. The phone was pretty, it was pink and it had some flowers on it. I use to always text my only one friend that I had on my phone, until my dad took it back from me and regret giving it to me, because I wasn’t ready for it. I was sad at that time, but then I realized that it’s not worth it. Staying up all night talking to your friend when she goes to the same school, now that’s just stupid. Later in the years I became more mature, and I got to explore on more stuff about technology that would just blow my mind off. An IPod touch came to my mind I felt like this is the most remarkable thing that have ever been invented. I told my dad that I wanted it and so he got it for me as a graduation present from elementary. I was so happy about it, that all I could remember is that I download 2 thousand songs as if I was going to listen to all of them. And I noticed that I wasted my time doing that, just for fun when I don’t even like listening to music that much. Currently my dad got me a Toshiba laptop, of course I loved it and at that time and I was so excited about it. But then when I got into school we started using Macbook, and I realized that its so much better then mine. So I started hating the one that I was using currently, and I begin to dislike everything about such as the word document and so on. And that’s because I wanted the better and newer one. I mean look at how fast technology can get, it changed my mind view of my new laptop that I just got to a newer one that I used in school for a couple of days. These days, technology is taking over us with out us knowing. Technology has influenced us in so many ways, we now think that the Internet is our first priority and we stopped spending time with our family like we use to do in the good ol’ days. I found that sad even though I do it myself with out knowing. The Internet is getting better, but worse at the same time, me, myself, and I try to take the good things from it and just ignore the other stuff. When I finished reading Fahrenheit 451, I noticed that there were many similarities and differences between my world and their world. The main thought that stood out for me was that my community in this world like to know about things but in Fahrenheit 451, they don’t really care about socializing or knowing stuff. I also found that in my world people love technology 99% of them cant even live with out it including me. But what I’m trying to say here is that in Fahrenheit 451 they all have negative effect about technology. One of the differences in my world is that when you go anywhere you would find books. In my world books are used to research a project, or to learn about life and so much more other stuff. Although I think these days not many use them as much as they use the Internet to find out stuff. But talking about Fahrenheit 451 they are not allowed owning a book. When there is hidden forms of information, opinion, or sense of understanding, that makes the society becomes unsuccessful, which show the necessity of books. Without the steady current of Information that books offers, the world of Fahrenheit will create weakness in society. People, in the novel, are left not knowing what true happiness because of the empty knowledge. Second reason that is similar in my world is the Parlor wall. In the novel, Mildred has a family on the television, which he uses to replace his own family with media, since it offers more happiness and less investment of her time, which is quicker than in real life. This wall is a flat screen kind of looking thing that would get people together for hours and make them communicate with each other even though they don’t know each other. This is the same in our world; Because people now a days would just ignore sitting with family, witch is the most important thing in life, and they would just create there own fun people that they would talk to 24/7 instead of setting with there family. Over all, you can see that our world and Fahrenheit 451 world is like total difference. And in my point of view I think our world is so much better. Technology in my world has a better use, we some use actually work with it, but the other half would actually just use it for entertainment just like what they do in Fahrenheit 451. In conclusion, I would say that technology has a huge impact in anyone’s life. It is part of who we are today. Facebook, MySpace, Skype, Twitter is now necessity to the world. Our world is growing bigger and smarter. We now have everything that you have never thought of when you were young. And that is where it all comes from â€Å"Technology†.

American Songs that Record Culture and History Essay -- Music Communic

American Songs that Record Culture and History As has been said many times over, songs are a reflection of society. They give insight into feelings, moods, historical changes, and the overall atmosphere of the society. Our American society is diverse and so too is our music. There are many genres of music and there were many evolutions to create those genres. Further, what happens in society, the historical changes, also effect those changes. Sex, drugs, alcohol. They are influential substance/actions by all accounts. Love, hate, sadness, desire, fear. They are strong emotions. In songs played on the radio there are many songs with references to both the good and bad of the topics mentioned above. However, just because there are songs in reference to drugs and alcohol does that make all Americans druggies and alcoholics? Not by any means. However the group singing a song may represent one portion of American society who deals with such issues at all times. Let’s take the song â€Å"Tipsy† by J-Kwon, a young rap artist for example. â€Å"Teen drinking is very bad...

Bureaucracy & Democracy

Democracy is a term with several meanings and this has led to a genuine misconception as to its real meaning. To some, bureaucracy is red tape, to others it is officialdom and to some it is an organizational form (Cole p25). Observation and studies on bureaucracy have been done by many academicians among them Max Weber (1864-1920). Weber wanted to find out why people in many organizations obeyed those in authority over them. Weber observed that people obeyed legitimate authority and he identified three types of legitimate authority as traditional authority, charismatic authority and rational-legal authority.It is the rational-legal form of authority that exists in most organizations today and this is the form to which Weber ascribed the term ‘bureaucracy’. Weber outlined the main features of bureaucracy as a continuous organization of functions bound by rules, specified spheres of competence, a hierarchical arrangement of offices, appointments to offices made on grounds of technical competence, the separation of officials from the ownership of the organization, official positions exist on their own right and finally rules, decisions and actions are formulated and recorded in writing (Cole p 26).Weber felt that bureaucracy was indispensable for large organizations and there is no doubt that this form organization has been adopted in one way or another virtually in all forms of enterprises the world over. Government bureaucracy: â€Å"If men were angels, no government would be necessary† James Madison and for governments bureaucracy is form of governance that is practicable.However this form of governance has critics and the views of Amy are that bureaucracy is a governance structure that is often perceived negatively by a number of people but he says that most criticisms of government bureaucracy are based more on myths than reality (Amy 2007 p1-8). Amy’s observation is that people normally associate bureaucracy to massive waste, ineff iciency, poor service, ever-growing organizations, mindless rules and realms of useless forms. For these people there is nothing good about bureaucracy as those working in such systems are considered to be lazy, hostile, overpaid, imperious and inflexible.In his arguments, Amy dismisses what he terms the four myths about bureaucracy; 1. Myth no 1: Bureaucracies are immensely wasteful. Tax payers wrongly or rightly believe that much of the tax increases are a result of wastefulness arising from bureaucracies. Government agencies are considered not only wasteful but enormously wasteful. A survey carried out revealed that Americans believe that 48 cents of every tax dollar going to bureaucracies such the Social Security Administration are wasted (Amy 2007).Amy says that investigations by the Government Accounting Office and various blue-ribbon commissions have found that waste amounts to a small fraction of that figure. 2. Myth no 2: Business is always better than bureaucracy. As per A my, there have been many empirical studies examining government bureaucracies versus business in many areas, including refuse collection, electrical utilities, public transportation, water supply systems and hospital administration. The findings have been mixed.Some studies of electric utilities have found that publicly owned ones were more efficient and charged lower prices than privately owned utilities. Several other studies found the opposite while many others found no significant difference. 3. Myth no 3: We want the government to act like a business. The main concern of the government is quality of the service not its costs unlike the business who are obsessed with the bottom-line and hence looking for the cheapest way to make a product or deliver as service.For example it will be imprudent to spend the least amount of resources in the air traffic control system or to look for the cheapest workforce to take charge of security at the airports. 4. Myth no 4: Bureaucracy is major cause of government growth. Conservatives argue that government bureaucracies have an inherent tendency to expand. However figures show that federal agencies have not been growing at an alarming rate. For example in 1970, about 2997000 civilians worked for the federal government at that time.By 2007 that figure had actually gone down to 2695000. An article in published by the Suburban Emergence Management Project (2006 home page) states that the Hurricane Katrina response by the federal, state and local governments in August-September 2005 caused some people to lose faith in the bureaucratic approach used by traditional government hierarchies to organize the provision of services to users who desperately needed them. For example, at the local level, New Orleans Mayor told the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security that he could not commandeer the dozens available school buses to evacuate people because the school boards owned buses, he had no authority over the boards and there was no agreement for the use of the buses. At the state level, the Governor delayed use of military forces to begin reconstitution of the stricken localities until she could validate her authority to rule the troops by disallowing federal National Guards in her state.At the federal level, the President, the Homeland Security Secretary and Federal Emergency Management Agency director could provide services to users of New Orleans during Katrina only at the discretion of the governor of Louisiana. Conclusion: There are areas where government bureaucracy is more effective while in other cases it is counterproductive as evidenced during the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Works cited Amy, D. J. (2007). ‘The case of Democracy, The government is Good We the People; An unapologetic Defense of vital institution’.Available at accessed on April 2, 2009. Pages 1-8 Cole, G. (2004). Management Theory and Practice, 6th Edition published, by Thomson Learning 2004. 25-28. Suburban Emergenc y Management Project (2006), ‘Government Bureaucracy and Two Newer Cultural Approaches to Provide Services Delivery to the Citizenry during Disasters’, Biot Report #411: November 07, 2006. Available at < http://www. semp. us/public/biot_reder. php? BiotID=411 > accessed on April 3, 2009.

Abraham Conclusion Essay

While writing the whole play for my group, and doing research, I learned a lot of things about Abraham. God helped Abraham a lot, first with the blessing, then Lot, and even for the birth of Isaac. Most of the time when something bad happens, Abraham doubted God. God never zapped him, or kill him, He was patient. At the end, Abraham could not help Isaac find a wife himself for he is weak and old, he trusted that God will help him like the way God helped him before. I think faith means to trust God completely, 100%. True faith is shown, when you yourself could not help anymore, only God could. And you trust unto Him a very hard job, being sure that He will be able to do it. See more: Beowulf essay essay This happened when Abraham was too old to go look for a wife for Isaac, he had faith that God will find one for him, and God did. What I learned about God while reading about Abraham is that God is very patient. Every time Abraham questions or doubts him, he doesn’t get angry. I also learned that God is faithful and true to his word. Every single promise God made came true, though not the way some people expected it. Last of all, I learned that God is omniscience. Though Sarah is very old and beyond the age of child bearing, God was able to make her have her son, the son that was the one to take the true blessing, Isaac.

Charley Chaplin Movie Review essays

Charley Chaplin Movie Review essays The movie is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression era. The film's main concerns are unemployment, poverty, and hunger. Chaplin alternates jobs from an assembly-line factory worker, a shipyard worker, a department store night watchman, an overstressed singing waiter, or an occupant in jail. He is constantly hassled by the 'Big Brother' factory boss, a minister, a sheriff, a shipyard foreman, a department store manager, etc. The film opens with an overhead shot of a flock of sheep shoved in their sheep pen and then the sheep dissolve into a similar overhead shot of industrial workers pushing out of a subway station on their way to work in a factory. Charlie Chaplins character The Tramp is a factory worker whose job it is to tighten bolts on an endless series of machine parts. Under the strain of the job, he finally goes crazy, slowly engulfed by the assembly line. He is hustled off in a car by a white-coated assistant, to be treated in a mental hospital for a nervous breakdo wn. Out on the streets, a young orphaned girl is hungry and wants to help feed her family. Her father is killed and her sisters are now in the hands of social service. She runs off from them and onto the streets of the town. She meets Chaplin and they agree to help each other. They go through many ups and downs with Charlie going to jail several times and not finding a home to live in. They both finally find a job and are successful until the social service men recognize her and try to arrest her. They both escape and walk along a long road to their new life together. The workers are portrayed as being machines. They work non-stop and have to work with the speed of the conveyer belt. They are seen as being substitution for machines. The harder they work, the more products will be made, the more money the company will get. The owner is the man that collects the money from the products that the workers make. He is seen ...

The eNotes Blog 10 Ways To Get More Sleep DuringFinals

10 Ways To Get More Sleep DuringFinals Since when do â€Å"sleep† and â€Å"finals† belong in the same sentence? By the end of the semester, it seems almost natural to swap sleep for study. While this may have earned you an A in the past, it’s not sustainable and can negatively alter your overall performance come test time. Sleep deprivation leads to less efficient learning, higher emotionality, increased anxiety, and a less efficient brain.  Ultimately, getting enough sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself during finals week. Therefore, cut back on the caffeine, establish a sleep schedule, and feel well-rested by the time you’re sitting down for your first exam. Lets look at 10 simple ways to get more sleep this finals week. 1. Reset your body clock It’s no surprise that our bodies desire consistent sleep patterns. While the amount of sleep varies based on the individual, it’s a great habit to establish a sleep schedule. Try setting your alarm for the same time each morning and going to bed around the same time each night. This helps your body get into the groove of a routine to have you feeling well rested by the time your alarm goes off. 2. Avoid all-nighters In reality, no one wants to pull all-nighters. Theyre simply the result of procrastination and actually do more harm than good. After staying up all night, youre less likely to remember everything you were trying to study and your ability to reason may be impaired from lack of sleep.  You should aim to  get at least four hours of sleep the night before any test. Besides, doesnt your bed sound way more appealing than another energy drink? 3. Nourish your body Hours of studying may have you consuming ungodly amounts of caffeine while maintaining a strict vending-machine diet. It’s vital to stay hydrated and consume full meals regardless of how long you’re sitting in the library. When your brain is functioning on a full reserve of water, you think faster, are more focused, and experience greater clarity and creativity.   Neglecting to properly nourish your body will cause it to crash, ultimately disrupting your mood and sleep patterns. Use your study breaks as an opportunity to eat something substantial so you’ll have enough energy throughout the day. 4. Study on Sundays I know what youre thinking: why would you ever give up a day of your weekend to study? Though Sunday may be a day of rest, its not a bad idea to carve out some time to prepare for the week ahead. Reviewing material before Monday also helps open up some free time during the week as well as provide time-management insight. Above all, youll be able to cross one more thing off your to-do list to ensure youre getting enough rest during the week. 5. Exercise! Did you know that just 30 minutes of cardio can actually improve your memory?  Whether youre jogging, dancing, or walking, the point is to take a short study break to get moving. Releasing endorphins helps maintain productivity and keeps you in a good mood. Taking some time to exercise also helps  improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and relieve anxiety. If you feel like you dont have enough time to spare, you can always bring your study material to the gym or create some study audio you can listen to on the go. 6. Unplug before bed Weve all been there: mindlessly scrolling through our news feed before bed only to realize weve stayed up way longer than anticipated. Electronics emit a blue hue that is similar to daylight. Looking at your electronics before bed not only makes it harder to fall asleep but also impacts how alert you are the next day. Make a conscious effort to avoid the use of light-emitting screens before bedtime. Treat your bed as a sanctuary for sleep and engage in other restful activities like reading or meditating. 7. De-stress Finals week is undoubtedly one of the most stressful times of the school year and, in turn, can interrupt how well youre sleeping. It can be difficult to keep calm and carry on when youre feeling overwhelmed. Finding time to partake in some de-stressing activities will benefit your overall well-being. Try taking a yoga class, exploring aromatherapy, or treating yourself to a warm bath. During finals week, schools will often offer free massages, puppy play dates, and other on-campus activities to help minimize your stress. Find something youll enjoy, and relax- you deserve it. 8. Keep your room cool Perhaps youve never thought twice about the temperature in your room or how its affecting your sleep patterns.  For optimal sleep, specialists recommend a room temperature of between 60 and 67 degrees to stimulate the production of melatonin.  Once we lay down to rest, our body temperature naturally drops, igniting our instinct to sleep. So the next time you get ready for bed, turn down your thermostat and see how long it takes you to drift off to dreamland. 9. Use your bed solely for sleep While your bed may seem like the most appealing place to start studying, think again. Studying in bed can limit focus, decrease your productivity, and inhibit your sleep. Its important to distinguish where you sleep from where you study or else you may end up falling asleep while youre studying. If your goal is to study somewhere comfortable, look into setting up a hammock outside or laying a blanket out at the park. If you inevitably fall asleep, allow yourself to take a nap before you start a study session. Theres no shame in a little snooze. 10. Plan ahead Time management is the most obvious key to success. Take the time to plan out a schedule that is realistic. Allow yourself time to do the things you want while still dedicating some time to study. Don’t feel obligated to attend every end of the year event that will sabotage your schedule and sacrifice sleep. Focus on what you need to do to finish and plan accordingly. The finish line is in sight!   Studying takes time and commitment; however, theres no need to neglect your regular self-care regiments come finals week. Dont think of sleep as the enemy, for it is necessary for success. It is the time for the brain to consolidate memories of what we studied and learned that day. Therefore, listen to your body and allow yourself to rest. Best of luck on all of your end-of-the-year endeavors and may the odds be ever in your favor! (All Images Via Unsplash.com)

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To Most students (and their professors) are assured that distractions is something you should avoid - they keep you away from getting your tasks done on time, listening carefully to your tutor in class, and studying for important exams. But you cannot help it! When you have to study for several hours straight, your mind gets tired and trivial little things seem to become incredibly important. You switch your attention to a TV show, updating your software, or flipping through Facebook news. Well, these distractions cannot help you be more productive especially when you have an exam tomorrow. However, there are distractions that can actually boost your energy and help you improve your studying results. There are right distractions, which give you a mental rest. A short rest can strengthen and consolidate your memory and improve later learning. Here are some beneficial distractions for studying you can use for better productivity. You can clean your room and update your Windows later Physical Exercises When the body gets sluggish, so does the mind! Keep up with physical training during midterm exams to stay bright eyed and bushy tailed. Attending gym lets you switch over to another wavelength. It is beneficial since you give your brain a break from studying while refreshing your body. Late Night Time with Friends Make it a routine to have late-night events with your friends. Invite your friends for a movie or get some snacks together. This will help you stay efficient when you have to complete a task late at night because of the burning deadline. Just dont forget to go back to studying when you have to! Naps Short power naps can improve your productivity and memory. Allow yourself to catch small periods of sleep, but keep them to less than half an hour, or else your head will experience something like heaviness and it will be difficult to come back to your work. Long nap will also steal your time, and you need to finish your project before the deadline! Something Funny Do something that will make you laugh: whether it is watching an episode of Friends or your favorite stand-up show. Laughter reduces stress and releases endorphin, your bodys natural hormone of happiness! So take your mind off your textbooks for at least 30 minutes, laugh hard, and then come back to studying. Meal Your body and mind need energy. Take a break for a nice meal to replenish your energy supplies. It is true that most people retain more information if their stomach is full. Also, allow yourself to have some snacks while studying, but make it healthy. Replace biscuits and potato chips with nuts and dried fruits. Music The right kind of music is perfect for studying. It works as a right distraction that cuts down on useless distractions and helps you relax your mind and focus on your homework. Classical music for better concentration is a traditional productivity advice. Teaching Yourself Something Interesting If you are interested in fine arts, cinema or quantum physics - make a pause to read a couple of articles or books on the topics of your interest. This will keep your mind active and efficient while taking a small break from a boring textbook. Its like continuing your studying while taking a rest from your studying! Double win! Games and Puzzles Small games really work for most people. They keep your mind in an active thinking mode so you dont have to go through engage/disengage process. Yet, small games provide refreshing break because they are sufficiently different from studying work. So, from a practical point of view, we suggest that when students are faced with complicated and long tasks, such as large writing projects or midterm exams, it is crucial for them to take small breaks on themselves. Small breaks will help you get more energy and stay focused on the task! Work hard, rest hard and good luck! What other distractions do you find helpful? Share your experience in the comments!

Clean Edge Case Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clean Edge Case Questions - Essay Example This functions to maintain sales and productivity for the old products while establishing a niche in the market for the new products. The idea is to avoid the new product from cannibalizing the old products while simultaneously maintaining a competitive edge for an organization’s entire product range. The customer’s sense of utility for both products should remain high for both products. There is a real threat of the new product over-shadowing the old product; therefore, it is paramount for the marketing team to have ample preparation for such an eventuality. Defects in the new product released warrants management to either recall the released products. This is a weakness, which the organization should strive to eradicate (Beckham & Quelch). Non-disposable razor use is categorized into two general types. The first is the everyday shaver, which seeks to create an ultimate shaving experience for consumers. The product’s affordability ranges from high to low-end. Conversely, the second category is the general shaver, which is available for all consumers depending on their financial capabilities. The R&D department at Clean Edge seeks to find out consumers’ frequency of use, their budget and their expectations of the product; for example, a consumer’s lifestyle determines the type of razor they require. I would recommend Clean Edge being sold as a niche positioned product, which offers the ultimate shaving experience for men who shave routinely and who seek a superior razor and performance razor. This will appeal to the functionality appeal of the consumer for a non-disposable, high quality razor. This will maintain the competitive edge that Clean Edge has and set it apart as a high quality product- a must have which appeals to the masculine in the male consumer. I would not recommend the mainstream positioning of the Clean Edge, as it would face harsh competition form the already flooded market. It could also spell the decline in

Coursework on Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Coursework on Family Law - Essay Example Family law is a diverse field of study. In order to cover the full range of subjects associated with its research, my primary focus is on discussing the impact of such a study on a variety of disciplines affected by its impact: with this aim in mind I have attempted to test a central hypothesis (or research question) which would aid in deciding the course of action for better evaluation of the family law concept. Using established sources for feasibility study (Hasday, 2004; Stark, 2006; Rocher, 2003; Elardo, 2002; Abu-Odeh, 2004), the following research question has been tested in this essay: Family law is dynamic, in a constant state of flux and its mechanisms are governed by the legal traditions in which they are formulated1. In my study, I shall focus on English Common Law as the basis for this methodological evaluation. Doing it would require a detailed grasp of the following evaluation parameters which have been tested for their relevance to our study (see below). 1 Refer the following sources for a comparative analysis of main research parameters covered under study: Hasday, 2004; Stark, 2006; Rocher, 2003; Elardo, 2002; Abu-Odeh, 2004 Literature Review/research parameters: As has been discussed in our evaluation scenario, English Common Law is the basis for understanding the legal traditions within which this area of study operates. Since family law is a diverse concept, the following elements are within the scope of study (Carbonne, 2000; Esposito, 1982; Frier & Ginn, 2004; Sutherland & McCall-Smith, 1990): 1. Entering marriage: Marriage as a contract or a status and their statutory requirements. In this section, we'll mainly look at the main legal requirements of a common law marriage. 2. Legal consequences of marriage (abortion): Pregnancy and abortion are issues that hold a lot of importance to . 3. Changing marriage norms: Here we shall take a look into civil unions covering themes such as same sex marriage, rights/responsibilities and their implications. 4. Conception of children: Controversial concepts such as sterilization and surrogate parenthood are covered under this theme. Also, paternity testing is discussed. 5. Domestic violence and other family disputes: This is an important area of family law in which different ethical constraints are evaluated for common research scope studies. 6. Child supervision: This covers areas such as parental supervision, child abuse and foster care. 7. Adoption: The legal consequences of adoption have been discussed for understanding the dynamic changes brought into the system through an

Revolution in Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revolution in Egypt - Essay Example Currently, similar protests are ongoing in Libya and Yemen, creating lot of political and economic uncertainty in the Arabic world. This paper expounds on the causes and the effects of Egyptian revolution in the country and in the world. Causes and effects of Egyptian revolution In the streets of Sidi Bouzid city in Tunisia, a twenty six year old university graduate, Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze in late December 2010, allegedly for lack of job and harassment by the government officials for hawking groceries in the streets. This incident sparked the now popular revolution in the Arabic countries that have for so long resisted the political changes occurring around the globe. In highly globalized world, the actions of Bouazizi elicited anger and desire for political and economic change especially among the youths across these countries, through social networking sites. Within a brief period, the Tunisian president resigned, and simultaneous protests broke out in Algeria, Albania , Libya, Mauritania and Oman. Other countries where similar protests have since spread include Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Morocco (Blue, 2011). These protests have ultimately changed the political environment in Arabic world, resulting to resignation of presidents and implementation of economic reforms. For about three decades, Egypt demonstrated a sense of stability in the extremely politically volatile Middle East region. Since President Hosni Mubarak succeeded Anwar Sadat in 1981, the country has enjoyed cordial relations with the United States, mainly because of the critical role that Egypt plays in maintaining peace between Israel and other Arabic countries in the Middle East (ECFA, 2000). For a president who had served for such a long period, winning with landslide victories in a series of presidential elections that had been conducted in the country since 1981, his ouster was a surprise to many political observers in the world. There are several causes of the revolution in Egypt and in other Arabic countries in general. For long periods, autocratic leadership that undermines basic human rights and liberties enjoyed in the free world characterizes political governance in most Arabic countries (Bruce, 2008, p63) Egypt is not an exception. Historically, major revolutions across the world originate from a variety of reasons, but the main underlying factor is the gross abuse of human rights. The main causes of revolts include gross abuse of state power, whereby the state uses violence, threats and intimidation to suppress dissent, freedom of expression, association and other forms of public expressions. In most cases, the suppressed populations are at economic disadvantage, experiencing high levels of poverty and discrimination in accessing employment opportunities in the government or public service (Mythen, 2008, p19). The causes of Egyptian revolution in 2011 originated from autocratic governance, economic problems, corruption, and re volutionary movement that had just happened in Tunisia accelerated Egyptian movement (Blue, 2011). The major concerns for the youth who played a crucial role in the revolution included lack of employment opportunities, abuse of basic human rights, including freedom of expression (Blue, 2011). According to ECFA (2000), the Egyptian government has invested in education of the youth and the country has one of the highest populations of university graduates in the

Enhancing employability Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enhancing employability - Coursework Example of handling and evaluating information to make it useful for the company, developing strategies at different levels, awareness about competitors and customers trends, knowledgeable about his responsibilities and most importantly have strong communication skills which are also known as soft skills among many professionals. It has also been observed that universities succeeded in developing all other necessary skills among its graduates but developing soft skills is dependent on individuals own effort as it is difficult to teach these skills at graduate level. In addition to the above mentioned skills there are many other which every employer wants to have in its employees. These skills will also be discussed in this report. On the other hand fresh graduates also want to attain good positions in reputable organizations in order to build professional careers. This report will explain how universities devise their curriculum which helps to integrate both technical and other employability skills among its graduates. And the criteria through which universities determine if they have succeeded in developing the essential skills. a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that makes graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. With the increase in economic recession it has become more difficult for people to get job of their own choice. This problem is more serious among fresh graduates who do not have professional experience and need a step to start their journey of life. Unemployment is not the problem of poor countries this problem has been prevailing throughout the world, only difference is in the number of unemployed people. The rate of unemployment can be seen in table 1 in annexure. Struggle to get good job has increased as there are fewer employers and more employees who are willing to work. Therefore it has

Depression and Suicide in Older Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Depression and Suicide in Older Adults - Essay Example Recognizng depression can be tricky because depressive symptoms manifest themselves differently in older people than they do in younger people. Health care workers need to be alert to the signs and symptoms of depression because untreated depression represents the greatest risk factor for suicide among older adults. Many people may believe that depression in older adults is simply a normal event that most people go through at one time or another; and that there is no real reason to be alarmed. It might be thought that these individuals should accept sad feelings and disinterest in life as a typical part of growing older. Nevertheless, depression is a very real disorder, and not just one that comes with age. Depressed individuals often cannot just 'snap out of' the problems they are facing. All too often, older adults end up taking their own lives when their depression becomes too painful for them and remains untreated (Brent, et al, 1997). Older adults have the highest rate of suicide in the United States, with over half of all suicides occurring in adult men, aged 25-65. Moreover, suicide rates steadily increase with age (Heisel, 2004). The rate of suicide among people 65 years and older is 50% higher than the national average. A senior citizen in the United States commits suicide every 90 minutes. Clearly, this is a problem that must not be ignored, particularly among older adults who are disproportionately impacted. Although older adults currently make up only 13% of the population, they suffer 19% of all suicide deaths. Persons who are 65 years and older have the highest suicide rates of any age group, and 84% of those who commit suicide are men. Population experts estimate that by 2030, older adults will comprise about 20% of the population, or about 75 million people. Thus, the problem of suicide, if left unaddressed, can be expected to increase. Heisel (2004) states, "There is a pressing need to identify vulnerability and protective factors associated with late-life suicidal ideation and behavior in order to inform assessment and treatment considerations with seniors at risk of suicide" (p. 50). Anyone working with elderly peopleolder adults must be aware of the scope of the problem and the potential ways to help. It is important, therefore, to evaluate ways to reduce the risks posed by depression in older adults, particularly the risk of suicide. With that goal in mind, this paper will examine the prevalence of depression among older adults, diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors for suicide. It will briefly examine depression's long history. Also, the literature dealing with various approaches to treatment of depression will be reviewed. Ultimately, this paper will thoroughly explore the question of why older adults choose to take their own lives. Diagnosis of Disorder Virtually everyone is sad from time to time, and this is generally not a cause for alarm. In many cases, a temporary negative change in mood is brought on by some specific loss, and corrects itself within a reasonable period of time. Losses late in life tend to become more common. For example, as people get older, they will likely know more

Enhancing employability Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enhancing employability - Coursework Example of handling and evaluating information to make it useful for the company, developing strategies at different levels, awareness about competitors and customers trends, knowledgeable about his responsibilities and most importantly have strong communication skills which are also known as soft skills among many professionals. It has also been observed that universities succeeded in developing all other necessary skills among its graduates but developing soft skills is dependent on individuals own effort as it is difficult to teach these skills at graduate level. In addition to the above mentioned skills there are many other which every employer wants to have in its employees. These skills will also be discussed in this report. On the other hand fresh graduates also want to attain good positions in reputable organizations in order to build professional careers. This report will explain how universities devise their curriculum which helps to integrate both technical and other employability skills among its graduates. And the criteria through which universities determine if they have succeeded in developing the essential skills. a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that makes graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. With the increase in economic recession it has become more difficult for people to get job of their own choice. This problem is more serious among fresh graduates who do not have professional experience and need a step to start their journey of life. Unemployment is not the problem of poor countries this problem has been prevailing throughout the world, only difference is in the number of unemployed people. The rate of unemployment can be seen in table 1 in annexure. Struggle to get good job has increased as there are fewer employers and more employees who are willing to work. Therefore it has

Matlab Simulation for the DiPPM with RS system Essay

Matlab Simulation for the DiPPM with RS system - Essay Example The Matlab software was used to simulate the DiPPM system (Appendix-?). The system design was depended on the DiPPM system troth table, table ( ). The DiPPM system program contains two main sections, DiPPM coder and DiPPM decoder. The first step is a clock and a random binary PCM signal generating. The generated PCM signal is changing every running of the simulation to produce a different binary PCM signal. Thus, different DiPPM pulses are being shaped. The second step is calling the DiPPM coder subroutine. The DiPPM coder subroutine was used to create the DiPPM signal (SET & RESET) from the binary PCM signal. Each change from zero to one in PCM sequence gives SET in DiPPM signal, and the change from one to zero in PCM sequence produces an RESET pulse in DiPPM. No pulse generated in DiPPM signal when the PCM sequence does not change. The third step in this program was used to regenerate the original PCM sequence from the DiPPM sequence (DiPPM decoder). The program is going to produce a binary one in PCM sequence when it receives an SET pulse, and it continues until an RESET pulse is received to produce a binary zero. The fourth step of the program is applied to change the binary sequence (one & zero) to pulse shape. Plots output for the DiPPM coder and decoder system were set in the last part of the program. Figure (5.1), shows the DiPPM system results for two different PRBS PCM sequences. Each run simulation produces four line output plot, clock sequence in the first line, then the PCM sequence and DiPPM and Decoded PCM sequence are coming respectively. It is clear from the figure that the system working as the DiPPM theory mentioned, chapter three. The first function is for RS encoder and the second function for RS decoder. The encoder function encodes the message in (msg) using an [n,k] Reed Solomon code and specifies the generator polynomial (genpoly) for the code. The message is a Galois array of symbols having m bits each.

A Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

A Christmas Carol Essay As proved by in Scrooges words and character the Ghost of Christmas Past has had a positive impact on the transformation in his character. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge another view of Christmas, a view in which Scrooge had never encountered before in the past or present, a view into a poor familys house in this case his clerk Bob Cratchits house. They watched as they dined and then sit round the fire. Scrooge asked if Tiny Tim will live which indicates to the reader that he has a slight feeling of remorse as he is partly to blame for paying such a low wage. The Ghost says that if the future is unaltered he will die however then uses Scrooges own words against him saying if he be like to die, he had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Hearing these words he hung his head with guilt. He had learnt a lot from that visit and had come to his senses about the poor realizing that they lived every day going hungry, wearing rags, some were ill but couldnt afford treatment. The theme explored during this scene was guilt. The Ghost then takes him to his nephews house where a Christmas party is underway. When they played music all the things that the ghost had shown him, came upon his mind and he gradually softened. Through that if he could have listened to it often, years ago, he might have cultivated the kindness of life for his own happiness with his own hands. This shows that his past experiences with the Ghosts have had a great impact on his character as the sound of music softened and brought kindness to his heart realizing his past mistakes. He reacts in a very different manner compared to his own when everybody starts singing and dancing, he joins in without a care in the world singing and dancing, joining in with the fun. However being in a shadow he couldnt be seen or heard. The Phantom then shows Scrooge two children both wretched, frightful, hideous, miserable ragged where devils lurked from his robe. They were the children of man symbolizing mans Ignorance and Want. Scrooge was told to beware before it vanished. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has been made the most the most frightening of all described as a phantom moving silently concealing his face and form in a deep black garment. They first went and overheard a conversation between a group of businessmen. They were talking about Scrooges death. They commented on his legacy, however concluded that he left it to his company. They talked about his funeral, not caring at all. One queried whether they should make up a party and volunteer; another replied I dont mind going if a lunch is provided. This shows that Scrooge was a very uncared for person. Scrooge understands that if he changes he could change the course of his future. He tells the spirit that he will change and honor Christmas in all his heart. In the last chapter Scrooge was overcome with joy when he realizes its Christmas day. He tells a passing boy to buy the prize turkey and send it to Bob Cratchits. He went out wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they went by. He sees the charity workers and tells them to come back later where they will receive payment. He went to his nephews house and joined in the party sharing happiness and joy. The next day he got in early catching his clerk coming in late. Bob thought he was going to get fired; instead Scrooge raised his salary and promised to help his struggling family. From this it shows Scrooge was able to redeem himself in every possible way in contrast to the past. From there on Scrooge kept Christmas in his heart and was a changed man. In conclusion the moral in which Dickens is trying to elicit in his readers is in my opinion that It is never too late to change your ways. You should be kind to yourself and others. Sharing Christian values in every possible way. Dickens shows the differences in society between the rich and the poor and how we should help others to benefit all. Especially highlighting the views and opinions of the poor and how they feel because many people arent aware of these factors.

How You Are Using Reflective Practice Nursing Essay

How You Are Using Reflective Practice Nursing Essay The aim of this assignment is to discuss how I am using reflective practice and codes of conduct in my journey to becoming a health professional. Through this discussion, the relationship between reflection, codes of conduct, and professional development will be demonstrated. For the purposes of this assignment, references to a reflection on an aspect of my clinical practice; namely maintaining patient confidentiality, will be made (see appendix). This reflection is guided by Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) (cited in Jasper, 2003, p. 77). I selected this framework as it allows one to reflect in a systematic manner on positive aspects of the experience as well as areas for improvement. Indeed, this aspect of my clinical practice will form the context of this assignment, as well as other relevant standards of conduct (Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC), 2008). The following paragraphs will discuss codes of conduct and the process of reflection with reference to my professional development. Nursing practice is underpinned by clear regulatory principles (the NMC code of conduct, 2008). The code provides standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives and is a tool in safeguarding the wellbeing of the public. As Goldsmith (2011, p. 12) states, the code should be used to guide daily practice. However, Sutcliffe (2011) argues that the code can be difficult to implement in practice. Sutcliffes argument is supported by first-hand experience during my placement. The following excerpt summarises the experience on which I reflected: During visiting hours on the ward a gentleman approached me to ask for the whereabouts of a patient (this patient had recently gone to theatre). In a helpful manner, I proceeded to inform the gentleman of the patients location. However, the conversation was interrupted by a member of staff who correctly established the identity of the visitor. In these circumstances, I did not uphold a key principle of the code: to respect peoples right to confidentiality (NMC, 2008, p.3); in spite of the fact that I had learnt about this principle prior to going on placement. This key standard of conduct is reiterated in the guidance published by the Department of Health (DH, 2003) and by the Caldicott report (1997) (cited in Crook, 2003). Whilst reflecting-on-action following this experience, the code offered a benchmark against which I evaluated my professional conduct. As a developing health professional I learnt that I must respect a persons right to confidentiality and I must act as an advocate for those who I am helping to care for. My reflective process highlighted the importance of regularly referring to the code and other supporting guidance so as to develop my professional practice in this area. In my reflection, I propose an action plan for managing subsequent situations. This action plan applies other pertinent aspects of the code, for example, to work effectively as part of a team, to share information with your colleagues (NMC, 2008, p.5) and to keep clear and accurate records (NMC, 2008, p. 6). With reference to applying these principles to my practice hereafter, I would consult the patients notes to confirm next of kin and patients location (i.e. theatre) and effectively communicate with colleagues about this situation. Furthermore, confidentiality is underpinned by trust (Pattison Wainwright, 2010). Gibbs action plan (1988) functioned as an aid to my learning and development. Throughout my career I plan to consider and reflect on the fundamentals of the code whenever I am thinking of my learning obje ctives and professional development (Goldsmith, 2011). Johns (2004, p. 1) proposes that the reflective process is a way of being within everyday practice. To illustrate this further, the technique allows the practitioner to become mindful of self within the context of a particular experience. The intention is to resolve incongruity between a practitioners own vision and actual experience (Johns, 2004). Schà ¶n (1987) (cited in Johns, 2004, p.1) distinguishes between reflection-on-action (as shown by my reflection) and reflection-in-action. For example, reflection-in-action refers to occasions when a practitioner takes a momentary pause during a particular experience in order to make sense of it and to consider how best to proceed. Consequently, as we become accustomed to thoughtfully analysing our practice following an event (on-action), the ability to reflect-in-action becomes a part of everyday practice (Johns, 2004). Mention should be made here of an absence of conventional research to support this argument; although anecdotal eviden ce has been found (Johns, 2004). These two layers of reflection; namely in-action and on-action, are the cornerstone of professional development. For me, reflection as a learning process will facilitate the move from a novice learner to an intuitive expert, by means of developing implicit knowledge accumulated from past experiences (ORegan Fawcett, 2006). As I reflect on subsequent experiences in the remit of patient confidentiality, I will develop practical and professional knowledge. The benefits of using reflective practice have been well documented. ORegan Fawcett (2006) explains that the process reduces the gap between theoretical knowledge and nursing practice and fosters the development wisdom and implicit knowledge. Fawcetts argument has been illustrated by my reflective process. It is important to discuss what it means to be a professional nurse in order to evaluate its significance to the reflective process and codes of conduct. A registered nurse acquires a body of specialist knowledge from the educational and practical setting. However, the idea of holding a body of knowledge is arguably less important than the ability to draw on intuitive knowledge, tuned through previous practical experimentation and reflection (Schà ¶n, 1987 Stevenson, 1990). My personal experience of the reflective process is that it facilitates the move from reflection-on-action to reflection-in-action. Similarly, this sophisticated skill reduces the perceived theory-practice gap. ( To summarise this discussion, I have used Gibbs reflective cycle to reflect on an aspect of my clinical practice; namely patient confidentiality. The code (NMC, 2008) has functioned as a benchmark against which I have evaluated my professional knowledge and behaviour. Indeed, the NMC advocates the use of reflective practice for professional growth. I can conclude that an improved skill in reflective thinking will drive my professional growth. Similarly, the values highlighted by the code are equally essential for the development of my professional accountability. It is important to note that the mutual function of reflective practice, codes of conduct and professional development is to ultimately deliver excellent nursing care to our patients. References Crook, M. A. (2003) The Caldicott report and patient confidentiality. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 56 (6): 426-428. Department of Health (DH). (2003) Confidentiality: NHS code of practice. Leeds: DH. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University. Goldsmith, J. (2011) The NMC code: conduct, performance and ethics. Nursing Times, 107 (37): 12-14. Institute of Health Records and Information Management. (1997) The Caldicott Report. London: IHRIM. Jasper, M. (eds.) (2003) Beginning reflective practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Johns, C. (2004) Becoming a reflective practitioner. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC). (2008) The code: standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives [online]. Available from: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/Standards/The-code-A4-20100406.pdf [Accessed 25 February 2013]. ORegan, H. Fawcett, T. (2006) Learning to nurse: reflections on bathing a patient. Nursing Standard, 20 (46): 60-64. Pattison, S. Wainwright, P. (2010) Is the 2008 NMC code ethical? Nursing Ethics, 17 (1): 9-18. Schà ¶n, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Stevenson, J. S. (1990) The development of nursing knowledge: accelerating the pace. In Chaska, N. I. (ed.) The nursing profession: turning points. St Louis: The C.V. Mosby Company. pp. 597-607. Sutcliffe, H. (2011) Understanding the NMC code of conduct: a student perspective. Nursing Standard, 25 (52): 35-39.

Sex Education: A Necessity in Public Schools :: Sex Education Essays

Sex Education: A Necessity in Public Schools Today Alice was a normal sixteen year old; she loved school, her family and her boyfriend. She was having a blast during her Junior year, until the day she found out about the "accident". Alice and her boyfriend ,Brad, had been together for over two years, and they planned to get married. Both of them felt they were ready to have sex. However, neither of them knew anything about birth control or the dangers of having unprotected sex. What they knew about sex they had learned from watching television and from what their friends had told them. So one night they decided to go ahead and try it. Then about six weeks later, Alice noticed that she wasn't feeling well and that she hadn't gotten her period for a long time. Of course, Alice had no idea what was wrong with her, so she told her mother how she didn't feel well and she hadn't had her period. Alice's mother asked Alice if she and Brad had slept together, and Alice had to tell her the truth. Right away her mother knew exactly what was wrong. Alice was pregnant. Alice's mother, Gertrude, immediately called Brad's parents. The teenagers and their parents met and discussed the "accident". Later that year Alice dropped out of school and gave birth to twin girls. By this time, Brad had graduated and found a job, where he could work enough to support Alice and the twins. This one "accident" changed Alice and Brad's lives forever. Alice never made it to her sex education class her senior year. Alice got pregnant during a time when most teenagers weren't having sex. However, recently a survey done by Health Initiatives for Youth , showed that more than two-thirds of high school students in the U.S. have had sex by the time they are Seniors ("Sex Education. . ."). The history of sex education goes back to the late nineteenth century. Sex education then consisted of medical and biological information about venereal disease and reproduction. Later, when the Second World War was over, mass media played a large role in making information on sex available to kids. Many people felt this caused a need for sex education in public school ("Sex Eduation," Encarta.). Halfheartedly public schools began teaching minimal sex education, until the late 1960's, when educational and governmental organizations created more developed programs for sex education in schools.

Team Dynamics for Managers

|[pic] |Course Design Guide | | |College of Social Sciences | | |PSY/430 Version 5 | | |Team Dynamics for Managers |Copyright  © 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course provides an exploration into how managers and employees work in groups for the completion of organizational objectives. Emphasis is placed on the growing dependency on self-directed work teams in the workplace. This course equips student with the ability to manage work teams, work in teams successfully, and to obtain results via team dynamics. In addition, impacts upon customer satisfaction are explored. PoliciesFaculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: †¢ University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. †¢ Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. U niversity policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Engleberg, I. N. Wynn, D. R. (2010). Working in groups. (5th ed. ). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text] Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, PSY/430—Team Dynamics for Managers Course website.. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Effective Communication in Diverse Groups | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives |Explain the relationship between group member diversity and communication style. | | | |Determine effective use of verbal and nonverbal interaction in groups. | | | | |Describe the importance of listening and effective listening techniques. | | | | |Determine appropriate methods of group facilitation. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 1 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 3 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 4 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 7 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 8 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |Selection of Teammates |By Thursday, please let me know in your Individual forum if you could work with people |By Thursday of | | | |outside your time-zone. |Week One | | | | | | | | |On Friday, I will post a note in the Main forum with the names of the people in each team. | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. | |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |By Friday of the |2 | | | |first week. | | |Article Review |Complete and Submit article review to thread in Main forum for it. |By Sunday of the |3 | | | |first week. | | |Search through the Electronic Resourc e Reading list consisting of articles from UOPX’s Online| | | | |Library. | | | | | | | | | |Share with your teammates which article you plan to review so that each member reviews a | | | | |different article. | | | | | | | | |Coordinate with teammates so that everyone in your team summarizes a different article. | | | | | | | | | |Submit two aragraphs and a quotation to the Main forum in reply to the post I will be | | | | |posting. | | | | |In the first paragraph, provide a short summary of the article. (100 to 150 words) Add an APA| | | | |citation. | | | |In the second paragraph, relate the information to your work, social, and/or home life. (100 | | | | |to 150 words) | | | | |For the quotation from the article, explain why you think it is an important quote. 50 to 75| | | | |words) Add an APA citation. | | | | |Provide an APA formatted reference. | | | |Individual |Review the Working in Groups videos located on your student website. Choose three of the four|By Monday, the |8 | |Group Communication Video |videos to watch. last day of the | | |Cases | |first week, | | | | | | | | |Review the grading form and use the sample paper provided for this assignment in the Course | | | | |Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Write a 200- to 300-word response to each video clip by answering the following questions. | | | | | | | | |Choose one video that you will use to discuss the relationship between group member diversity| | | | |and communication style. What diversity existed in the group? How did this affect the group | | | | |members' communication styles?Was diversity a hindrance to communication? Determine two | | | | |communication methods that could have been used to better facilitate the group. | | | | | | | | | |Choose another video and describe the verbal and nonverbal interaction among the members of | | | | |the group.What were these interactions communicating? Were they helping or hindering the | | | | |group process? Come up with two c ommunication methods that could have been used to better | | | | |facilitate the group. | | | | | | | | | |Watch the third video and determine the listening techniques used by members of the group. | | | |Describe the importance of listening in group communication and relate it to this scenario. | | | | |Were the listening techniques used in this situation effective? If not, which effective | | | | |techniques should have been used to better facilitate the group process? | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Resources: Three Resources: (1) textbook, (2) one article from the Electronic Reserve | | | | |Readings or another article in UOPX’s Online Library, and (3) one other resource or another | | | | |article from UOPX’s Online Library. | | | |Format your paper according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, levels with subheadings, citations, and references. | | | |Use sample paper and review grading form; both provided in Course Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | |Submit to the Assignment Section. | | | Week One Individual Participation (2)Discussion Questions (2) Article Review (3) Group Communication Video Cases (8) Individual Total: 15 |Week Two: Cohesion and Decision-Making | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives | | | | | |Evaluate individual strengths that apply to the group process. | | | |Apply conflict management techniques to group conflicts. | | | | |Identify problem-solving techniques that facilitate group decision-making. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 9 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 10 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 1 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. | |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |By Friday of the |2 | | | |second week | | |Individual |See description in Week One. By Friday of the |3 | |Article Review | |second week | | |Individual |This two -part assignment enables you to reflect on your individual strengths and | | | |Rough Draft |problem-solving skills as they apply to the group process and decision-making. |5 | | | | | | |Individual Strengths and |Review the grading form and use the sample paper provided for this assignment in the Course | | | |Problem-Solving Techniques |Materials forum. | | |paper | | | | | |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper formatted according to APA guidelines.The paper must be| | | | |organized according to the following categories: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Part 1: Individual Strengths and the Group Process | | | | | | | | | |Describe a group setting or scenario in which you have worked or of which you are | | | | |currently a part. | | | | | | | | | |What are the strengths and skills that you have brought to this group setting? How have they | | | | |benefited the group? | | | | | | | | |Are there any drawbacks your strengths and skills have brought to the group? Describe how | | | | |t hey have affected the group. | | | | | | | | | |How have other group members’ strengths and skills affected the group process? | | | | | | | | |What are some skills you could improve to foster a more effective group environment? How can | | | | |you improve these skills? | | | | | | | | | |Part 2: Problem Solving Techniques and Group Decision Making | | | | | | | | | |What problem solving techniques do you know or use regularly? | | | | | | | | |How do your techniques influence group decisions? | | | | | | | | | |What other problem solving techniques could you use when making group decisions? | | | | | | | | | |What can you do to develop or improve your problem solving techniques? | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Resources: Three Resources: (1) textbook, (2) one article from the Electronic Reserve | | | | |Readings or another article in UOPX’s Online Library, and (3) one other resource or another | | | | |article from UOPX’s Online Library. | | | | |Format your paper according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, abstract, levels with subheadings, citations, and references. | | | | | | | | |Use sample paper and review grading form; both provided in Course Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | |On the last day of the second week, submit a working draft of the Job Redesign and Workplace | | | | |Rewards Assessment to the three reviewing services in the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE)| | | | |for evaluation: (1) Write Point, (2) Tutor Review, and (3) Plagiarism Checker. | | | | | | | | |On the last day of the second week, provide proof of your submission by taking a Screen-Shot | | | | |of the My Papers page showing the submission to three reviewing services. | | | | | | | | | |Submit the Screen-Shot to your Individual forum. | | | | | | | | | |In the subject line, type the words, â€Å"Screen-Shot. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |On the third day of the third week (Thursday), download all three reviews. | | | | | | | | | |Write Point and Plagiarism Checker take 15 minutes to an hour to complete. | | | | | | | | | |Tutor Review takes two to three days to complete. | | | | |By the last day of| | | |Write Point and Tutor Review are Word documents that are easily saved. |the second week | | | | | | | | |The Turnitin report is saved by clicking on the icon, which looks like a piece of paper with | | | | |a downward arrow. It is on the far right of the page. | | | | |By the last day of| | | |Submit them to your Individual forum. |the second week | | | | | | | | |In the subject line, type the words, â€Å"Copies of the Results of the Three Reviewing Services† |By the third day | | | | |of the third week. | |Learning Team |For the Charter, in the first section, complete with the necessary information from each of |By Saturday of the|5 | |Charter and Timeline |the members. In the remaining sections ((1) Team Ground Rules and Guidelines, (2) |second week | | | |Expectations for Time Management and Involvemen t, (3) Ensuring Fair and Even Contribution and| | | | |Collaboration, and (4) Special Considerations. ) complete each as a collaborative effort | | | | |rather than simply submissions from each member. | | | | | | | | |Do not say member A thinks one of the Ground Rules and Guidelines should be that everyone | | | | |posts every day in the learning team forum. Then, member B thinks everyone should post every | | | | |other day, while, member C thinks every three days is fine. In other words, collaborate as a | | | | |team to make one list for each of the following sections: In this way, I will know that | | | | |everyone agrees with each other. Additionally, be sure to answer all  questions in relation to| | | | |each section. | | | | | | | | |For the timeline, use the one in the Course Materials forum. Be sure to  include what each | | | | |member is to do each week to satisfy the successful completion of the project and how the | | | | |team will know that it has been completed . Include dates as to when each step is to be | | | | |finished. | | | | | | | | |Collaboratively complete both the charter and timeline. | | | | |Submit to Assignment Section. | | | Week Two Individual Participation (2) Discussion Questions (2) Article Review (3) Rough Draft: Individual Strengths and Problem-Solving Techniques Paper (5) Learning Team Charter and Timeline (5) Individual Total: 12 Learning Team Total: 5 Week Three: Group Member Roles and Responsibilities | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives | | | | | |Identify group member roles and responsibilities. | | | | | | | | | |Identify the qualities of an effective group leader. | | | | | | | | |Explain methods of managing difficult group members. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 5 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 12 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. | |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discu ssion questions. By Friday of |2 | | | |the third week | | |Individual |See the details in the first week. |By Friday of |3 | |Article Review | |the third week | | |Individual |Use the results of the three reviewing services to correct any grammar, punctuation, and APA |By the last day|14 | |Final Draft |mechanical errors. |of the third | | | | |week | | |Individual Strengths and |Submit to the Assignments Section. | | |Problem-Solving Techniques | | | | |Paper | | | | |Learning Team |Each team member identifies a conflict that he or she has recently encountered while working |By the last day|10 | |Conflict Resolution |in a group. |of the third | | | | |week | | | |These groups could be work groups or school learning teams. | | | | | | | | |As a team, discuss the conflicts and choose one to focus for the team assignment. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Review the grading form and use the sample paper provided for this assignment in the Course | | | | |Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which the team describes the group conflict scenario | | | | |and propose a possible solution. | | | | | | | | | |The focus of the paper should not be on the conflict and possible solution, but on the | | | | |process, the group followed in coming to a solution.In the paper, be sure to address the | | | | |following questions: | | | | | | | | | |Describe the past situation of the conflict, the reasons for the conflict, and the proposed | | | | |solution. | | | | | | | | | |How did individuals in the group use their personal strengths to devise a solution to the | | | | |conflict? | | | | | | | | |What conflict management techniques were used to solve the problem? | | | | | | | | | |How did the group arrive at a decision? | | | | | | | | | |What other conflict management techniques could the group have applied to solve the problem? | | | | | | | | |Resources: Three Resources: (1) textbook, (2) one article from the Electronic Reserve | | | | |Readings or another article in UOPX’s Online Library, and (3) one other resource or another | | | | |article from UOPX’s Online Library. | | | | |Format your paper according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, abstract, levels with subheadings, citations, and references. | | | | | | | | |Use sample paper and review grading form; both provided in Course Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | |Submit to the Assignment Section. | | | Week Three Individual Participation (2) Discussion Questions (2) Article Review (3) Final Draft: Individual Strengths and Problem-Solving Techniques Paper (14) Learning Team Conflict Resolution (10) Individual Total: 21 Learning Team Total: 10 Week Four: Implementing Group Motivation Strategies and Rewards | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives | | | | | |Determine appropriate group incentives for reaching goals. | | | | | | | | | |Design rewards based on effective group dynamics and desired results. | | |Readings |R ead Ch. 6 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. | |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |By Friday of |2 | | | |the fourth week| | |Individual |See the details in the first week. By Friday of |3 | |Article Review | |the fourth week| | |Individual |Complete the â€Å"Group Motivation Inventory† at the end of Ch. 6 of the textbook. Determine your|By the last day|10 | |Group Motivation Inventory |score and post it to your Individual forum and your Learning Team forum. |of the fourth | | |Paper | |week | | | |Review the grading form and use the sample paper provided for this assignment in the Course | | | | |Materials forum. | | | | | | | | |Then write a 1,400- to 1,800-word paper, formatted consistent with APA guidelines, that | | | | |includes the following information: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Scoring and Interpretation of Group Motiva tion Inventory | | | | | | | | | |Were the group expectations unclear or unreasonable? What did you like about the | | | | |expectations, and what did you dislike? | | | | | | | | |Did some members make it difficult for others to participate? Why was working with them | | | | |difficult? | | | | | | | | | |Are some members doing most of the interesting work, while others do routine assignments? In | | | | |the future, what can you do to make sure the interesting work is shared? | | | | | | | | |Were some members ignored? What could you have done to help people not feel this way? | | | | | | | | | |Personal Interpretations | | | | | | | | | |Describe what you learned about yourself in this exercise. | | | | | | | | |How does this knowledge affect the way you interact in groups? | | | | | | | | | |What will you do differently in future groups as a result of this exercise? | | | | | | | | | |Based on your results, what may you do to be more motivated? | | | | | | | | |What incentives w ould help you be more motivated when working in a group? | | | | | | | | | |What considerations would you have to make for incentives when group members’ motivations are| | | | |different? | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Resources: Three Resources: (1) textbook, (2) one article from the Electronic Reserve | | | | |Readings or another article in UOPX’s Online Library, and (3) one other resource. | | | | | | | | | |Format your paper according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, abstract, levels with subheadings, citations, and references. | | | | |Use sample paper and review grading form; both provided in Course Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | |Submit to the Assignment Section. | | | Week Four Individual Participation (2) Discussion Questions (2) Article Review (3) Group Motivation Inventory Paper (10) Individual Total: 17 Week Five: Group Presentation Tools | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives | | | | | |Identify advantages and disadvantages of usin g presentation aids in group presentations. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 13 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read Ch. 14 of Working in Groups. | | | |Readings |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. | |2 | |Article Review |See the details in the first week. |By Friday of |3 | | | the fifth week | | |Learning Team |Write a 2,150- to 2,500-word paper, formatted consistent with APA guidelines, that includes |By the last day|10 | |Group Incentives and |the following information: |of the fifth | | |Problem-Solving Techniques | |week | | | |Review the grading form and use the sample paper provided for this assignment in the Course | | | | |Materials forum. | | | | | | | | | |Incentives | | | | | | | | | |Each member is to compile his or her team results from the â€Å"Group Motivation Inventory† in a | | | | |brief, informal summary. | | | | | | | | |Each member is to discuss the team incentives each team membe r identified in his or her | | | | |individual assignment. | | | | | | | | | |As a team, explain how each member’s incentives will help this team achieve desired results. | | | | | | | | | |As a team, design two incentives created specifically for this team’s dynamics. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Problem-Solving Techniques | | | | | | | | | |Name two problem-solving techniques this team used in the last five weeks? What were the | | | | |reasons for using them? | | | | | | | | |Which problem-solving techniques were helpful, and which ones were not beneficial? | | | | | | | | | |What other problem solving techniques could this team have used during the past five weeks | | | | |when making group decisions? | | | | | | | | |Resources: Three Resources: (1) textbook, (2) one article from the Electronic Reserve | | | | |Readings or another article in UOPX’s Online Library, and (3) one other resource or another | | | | |article from UOPX’s Online Library. | | | | |Format your paper according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, abstract, levels with subheadings, citations, and references. | | | | |Use sample paper and review grading form; both provided in Course Materials forum. | | | | | | | | |Submit to the Assignment Section. | | | |Learning Team |Prepare a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes, in which the|By the last day|5 | |Presentation Tools |team identifies advantages and disadvantages of using presentation aids in group |of the fifth | | | |presentations.Address the following in your presentation: |week | | | | | | | | |Describe four different presentation aids used in group presentations. | | | | | | | | | |Identify the advantages of your selected aids when used in group presentations. | | | | | | | | |Identify the disadvantages of your selected aids when used in group presentations. | | | | | | | | | |Resources: Two Resources: (1) textbook, and (2) one other resource. | | | | |Format the presentation according to APA standards. | | | | | | | | |Include title-sheet, citations, and references. | | | | |Include an introduction and a conclusion. | | | | |Include speaker’s notes. | | | | | | | | | |Submit to the Assignment Section. | | | Week Five Individual Participation (2) Article Review (3) Learning Team Group Incentives and Problem-Solving Techniques (10) Presentation Tools (5)Individual Total: 5 Learning Team Total: 15 Individual Grand Total: 70 Learning Team Grand Total: 30 Copyright University of Phoenix ® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and Windows NT ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in a ccordance with University of Phoenix ® editorial standards and practices.

Air India 5

2012 Flying Too Low: Air India 2009 & Beyond External Environment Analysis Group 10 Strategy analysis begins with an analysis of the forces that shape the competition in the industry in which a company is based. An important factor of the analysis is External environment analysis. The essential purpose of this analysis is to identify the opportunities and threats in the organization operating environment that will affect how it pursues its mission. Analysis the industry environment requires an assessment of the competitive structure of the company’s industry. It also requires analysis of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry. Here, while analyzing the external environment of Air India according to the information presented in the case, we will concentrate on Porter Five Forces Model, PEST Analysis of the Air India, opportunity and threats to Air India. Finally, we will quantify all our analysis factors to come to a conclusion. Porter’s 5 forces model: Porter's five forces analysis is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon industrial organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An â€Å"unattractive† industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability. Three of Porter's five forces refer to competition from external sources. The remainders are internal threats. Porter referred to these forces as the micro environment, to contrast it with the more general term macro environment. They consist of those forces close to a company that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. A clear example of this is the airline industry. As an industry, profitability is low and yet individual companies, by applying unique business models, have been able to make a return in excess of the industry average. We will see how these five factors are working for Air India. I. Rivalry among existing competitors: 1. Competition in domestic and international routes * On domestic front, private airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines * On international front, major competition was from companies like Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airlines, Qatar Airlines and new entrants like JA 2. Better performance by competitors 3. Rapid increase in market share of competitors 4. Poaching of employees by competitors II. Threat of new entrants: 1. Possibility of liberalization of Aviation Industry will weaken the entry barriers and thereby will lead to increase in number of new entrants 2. Business was very lucrative to attract new entrants 3. Consistent and rapid growth of demand for airlines offering scope for profitable business and low cost carriers 4. Examples GoAIR, IndigoAir, Paramount Airways, SpiceJet III. Threat from substitution: Road and rail services posing a major threat by offering cheaper, reliable, convenient services. Travel. In case of higher Air ticket fares, Air India could lose potential customers to Rival airlines and Indian Railways. The possibility of loss of market share to Indian railways further increases by the fact that over a period of time the rail ticket fares have marginally varied compared to significant variation in air ticket fares. IV. Bargaining power of suppliers: 1. Slow nature of aircraft sales, because the high value order placed by the industry can take several years to be delivered. 2. Labour unions are suppliers who have significant power. The performance and flexibility of the entire industry depends heavily on labour unions. 3. Aviation fuel is a commodity and its prices are decided by market forces and existing geopolitical factors such as OPEC. At times, oil producing nations at the behest of OPEC manipulate oil production target in order to keep the prices of crude to suit their profit intentions. High cost of fuel accounts for about 35% of the total cost and increasing cost is a threat to the company’s profits. 4. Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is a major cost component for the Airlines in India. It is about 40% of the operating cost of the domestic carriers V. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of buyers refers to the amount of pressure customers can place on a business, thus, affecting its prices, volume and profit potential. Various airlines are competing for the same customer, which also results in strengthening the buyer power. Hence, the bargaining power of customers in the airline industry is very high since they are price sensitive and search for the best deals available. Customers are price sensitive. Many new players who are Low Cost Carriers attract these travelers by offering them low fares and those that are convenience oriented by providing them with frequent flights. While choosing which airline to fly with, customers enjoy switching costs through frequent flyer programs created by some airlines. PEST Analysis: PEST analysis stands for â€Å"Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis† and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. Some analysts added Legal and Environmental and rearranged the mnemonic to PESTLE. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis and gives an overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. * Political factors are how and to what degree a government intervenes in the industry or firm. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labour law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, government policies and political stability. Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions. * Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company's products and how that company operates. * Technological factors include technological aspects such as R;D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. They can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Furthermore, technological shifts can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation. In case of Air India, the analysis of external environment is as follows: Having done the required analysis, now let us quantify the opportunity and threats. 1| Poor control over decision making| T| 2| Drop in oil prices*| O| 3| heavy control and interference of government| O| 4| worsening service image| T| 5| Labour union| T| 6| inclination of society towards low cost travel| T| | global recession| T| 8| significant air traffic growth over a period of time| O| 9| restriction on FDI in Indian aviation industry| O| 10| Mergers among competitors| T| 11| possibility of opening of aviation market and privatization| T| 12| interest burden of new aircraft orders| T| 13| company's image perceived as public carrier| T| 14| near monopoly among Indian players in international routes| O| 15| over capaci ty of industry| T| 16| poaching of pilots from competitors| T| 17| declining debt equity ratio| T| 18| changes in ground handling policy| T| 19| agency problem| T| Here ‘T’ indicates Threat and ‘O’ indicates Opportunity Assigning the weightage to the important factors, in the sense of their importance in analyzing external environment and using rating scale of 1 to 5 where 3 indicates average favorableness of the external environment, we get- As the quantified average of all the external environment factors is coming slightly below average, we conclude that, the current external environment is not favorable to Air India but, it can work on its decision making process and improvement of service image as an immediate measure.

Computer Systems Essay

1. Introduction The purpose of this report is to survey the current state of scanner technology and to briefly discuss predicted advancements in the field. By examining a range of recently published journal articles, magazine articles and internet sites on the topic of scanners this report describes the main types of scanners in common use today and examines their performance in relation to four criteria: resolution, bit-depth, dynamic range and software. The report then considers the effect of further technological advances in these four areas, as well as the deployment of new sensor technology on the future development of scanners. The first scanner, initially referred to as a ‘reading machine’, was developed in 1960 by Jacob Rabinow, a Russian born engineer. The device could scan printed material and then compare each character to a set of standards in a matrix using, for the first time, the â€Å"best match principle† to determine the original message (Blatner, Fleishman and Roth 1998, p.3). This reading machine was to form the basis for the development of current scanning, sorting and processing machines. An early improvement on the reading machine was the drum scanner. These scanners used a type of scanning technology called photomultiplier tubes (PMT). Drum scanners are still used in industry today because of the high quality images they produce. The development of smaller, more economical scanners such as desktop scanners and scanners for domestic use followed the drum scanner as the number of computer users increased and computer technology advanced. Scanners can now capture images from a wide variety of two and three  dimensional sources. These images are converted to digitised computer files that can be stored on a hard-drive or floppy disk. With the aid of specific software, these images can then be manipulated and enhanced by the user. It is now possible to deploy electronic acquisition to create an entire layout (including all graphic elements) from the same computer. This means manual stripping is no longer required (Scanners, digital cameras and photo CDs 2000). Scanners are considered an invaluable tool for adding graphics and text to documents and have been readily adopted by both business and domestic users. 2. How scanners work A scanner is a device that uses a light source to electronically convert an image into binary data (0s and 1s). This binary data can then be used to store the scanned image on a computer. A scanner recreates an image by using small electronic components referred to as the scanner’s ‘eyes’ (Scanner tips 2000). The type of ‘eyes’ used in today’s scanners are charge-coupled devices (CCD) and photomultiplier tubes (PMT). These electronic eyes measure the amount of light reflected from individual points on the page and translate it to digital signals that correspond to the brightness of each point (Englander 2000). To create a file on the computer that represents a colour image, the scanner divides the image into a grid with many individual points called pixels or picture elements (Scanner tips 2000). A scanning head, termed a row of ‘eyes’, reads over the grid and assigns a number to each pixel based on the main colour in that pixel, u sing green, blue and red. For example an aqua pixel would be saved as a number to represent the proportion of blue, green and red which represents the colour aqua (Scanners, digital cameras and photo CDs 2000). 3. Types of scanners There are five main types of scanners in common use today: drum scanners, flatbed scanners, sheet-fed scanners, slide scanners, and hand held scanners. 3.1 Drum scanners Drum scanners were widely used in the past, however they are much less commonly used today due to advances in scanner technology. As a result of their expense, these machines are primarily used by professionals in industry, where they are considered important due to the high-end quality image they produce and because they use PMT technology which is more  sophisticated than charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and contact image sensor’s (CISs). Drum scanners are difficult to operate and technicians operate these scanners by placing the item to be scanned on a glass cylinder rotating at high speeds around the sensor (Sullivan 1996). 3.2 Flatbed scanners The most popular scanners for general use are flatbed scanners. This type of scanner is highly versatile because it is able to scan flat objects as well as small three dimensional objects. Flat-bed scanners operate by placing the item to be scanned on a glass window while scanning heads move underneath it. A transparency adapter is used to scan transparent originals such as slides or x-rays, and an automatic document feeder is available for scanning large numbers of documents (Scanner tips 2000). 3.3 Sheet-fed scanners Sheet-fed scanners have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly for small office or domestic use as they are reasonably priced, can scan full-sized documents and are compact, requiring limited desk space (Scanner tips 2000). Most models of sheet-fed scanners have an inbuilt document feeder to overcome the problem of manually feeding one sheet of paper at a time. However the actual process or scanning with a sheet-fed scanner may result in distortion as the image to be scanned moves over the scanning heads (Scanner tips 2000). A further limitation of sheet-fed scanners is that they are unable to scan three dimensional objects. 3.4 Slide scanners This type of scanner is used to scan items such as slides that need careful handling during scanning. Unlike other scanners, the scanning heads in slide scanners do not reflect light from the image, but rather pass light through it. This enables these scanners to produce superior results without distortions caused by reflective light. To be able to scan small and detailed items, these scanners have a large number of eyes on the scanning head which produces a high quality result. Slide scanners tend to be more expensive and less versatile than flatbed and sheet-fed scanners as they are limited to only scanning slides and film. These scanners, however, are well suited to users requiring high quality scans of large numbers of slides (Scanner tips 2000). 3.5 Hand held scanners Hand held scanners are compact, portable scanners which are simply dragged across a page manually to capture an image. These scanners are easy to use and economical to purchase; however, their use is limited to text of up to four inches in diameter that does not require a high resolution. For this reason, hand held scanners are unsuitable for colour images. A further disadvantage of hand held scanners is that the user must have a steady hand when scanning or the resulting image will be distorted (Scanner tips 2000). 4. Scanner specifications The performance of a scanner can be examined in relation to four main criteria: resolution, bit-depth, dynamic range and software. 4.1 Resolution Resolution is a measure of how many pixels a scanner can sample in a given image. It is used to describe the amount of detail in an image (Figeiredo, McIllree and Thomas 1996). Higher resolution scanners are generally more expensive and produce superior results as they have a greater capacity to capture detail. Scanners have two types of resolutions: optical resolution and interpolated resolution. Optical resolution, or hardware resolution, is a measure of how many pixels a scanner can actually read. A current model desktop scanner typically has a resolution of 300 x 300 dots per inch (dpi) (Anderson 1999). This means that this scanner has a scanning head with 300 sensors per inch, so it can sample 300 dpi in one direction and 300 dpi in the other direction by stopping the scanning head 300 times per inch in both directions. Some scanners stop the scanning head more frequently as it moves down the page, giving an optical resolution of 300 x 600 dpi; however, scanning more frequently in one direction does not improve the result of the scan. The basic requirement for scanning detailed images and line art from photos or other printed originals is an optical resolution of 600 dpi. When scanning slides and negatives the minimum optical resolution is 1200 dpi. Interpolated resolution measures the number of pixels a scanner is able to predict. A scanner can turn a 300 x 300 dpi scan into a 600 x 600 dpi scan by looking in-between scanned pixels and guessing what that spot would have  looked like if it had been scanned. This prediction is then used to insert new pixels in between the actual ones scanned. This technique is less precise than optical resolution; however it assists in improving the enlargement of scanned images. 4.2 Bit depth Bit depth refers to the amount of information that a scanner records for each pixel when converting an image to digital form. Scanners differ in the amount of data they record for each pixel within an image. The simplest kinds of scanners only record data related to black and white details and have a bit depth of 1 (Anderson 1999). The minimum bit depth required for scanning photographs and documents is 24-bits, while slides, negatives or transparencies need a scanner with at least 30-bits. Thus for a scanner to produce a high quality scan with colour, a higher bit depth is required. In general, current scanners have a bit depth of 24, which means that 8 bits of information can be collected for the three primary colours used in scanning; blue, red and green (Anderson 1999). This high resolution allows scanners to produce images close to photographic quality. 4.3 Dynamic range Dynamic range refers to the measurement of the range of tones a scanner can record on a scale of 0.0 to 4.0, with 0.0 being perfect white and 4.0 being perfect black. Colour flat-bed scanners usually have a dynamic range of 2.4. A range of this measurement is unable to provide high quality colour scans. A dynamic range of 2.8 and 3.2 is suited to professional purposes and can be found in high-end scanners. An even higher dynamic range of 3.0 to 3.8 can be provided by drum scanners. 4.4 Software A scanner, like any type of hardware, requires software. Typically the two most common pieces of software provided with scanners include optical character recognition (OCR) and image editing software. Optical character recognition software translates the information recorded in a scan, tiny dots, into a text file which can be edited. Image editing software allows the tones and colours of an image to be manipulated for better printing and display. Image editing also gives filters to apply special effects to scanned images 5. Future developments The quality of scanned images is constantly improving as characteristics such as resolution, bit-depth and dynamic range are enhanced and further developed. More sophisticated image editing and optical character recognition software development is also resulting in superior quality scans. Future advances are expected to result in the incorporation of specialized scanners into other types of technology such as the recently developed digital camera. This device allows the user to take pictures of three-dimensional objects much like a regular camera, except that instead of using film, the objects are scanned by the camera in a similar process to the functioning of a flatbed scanner. The relatively new area of sensor technology in the form of a contact image sensor (CIS) (see Appendix 1) is expected to improve the functionality of scanners and the quality of images as it â€Å"replaces the cumbersome optical reduction technique with a single row of sensors† (Grotta and Wiener 1998, p. 1). Developers have already been able to produce a CIS scanner which is thinner, lighter, more energy efficient and cheaper to manufacture than a traditional CCD base device. However, the quality of the scan is not as good as its counterparts. Further development of CIS technology is needed to improve image quality and colour, and to address the problem of a limited 300 or 600 dpi. 6. Conclusion This report has identified five types of scanners currently available. Some are primarily used for professional purposes such as the drum scanner; others are used more broadly in the workplace and home such as flatbed scanners and to a lesser extent sheetfed scanners. Scanners for specialized purposes have also been identified such as slide and handheld scanners. The performance of these scanners is dependent upon their resolution, bit-depth, dynamic range and software. Scanners have improved significantly in recent years in terms of weight, size, price and speed, and the replacement of CCD technology with CIS technology is anticipated to produce further benefits to these areas as well as to scan quality. The impact of these improvements is expected to increase the accessibility of scanner technology to a wider range of users and its suitability for a wider range of purposes. In  relation to this, the future of scanner technology seems to point to the convergence of different techn ologies. Specialized scanners are currently being incorporated into other types of technologies such as digital cameras, printers, and photocopiers. This can be expected to continue with other forms of technology in conjunction with further improvements to image quality, speed, price, size and weight. 7. Reference list Anderson, D. The PC Guide. [http:www.pctechguide.com/18scanners.htm]. Blatner, D., Fleishman, G. Roth, G. (1998) Real world scanning and halftones 2nd edition, Peachpit Press, USA. Englander, I (2000). The Architecture of computer hardware and systems software. John Wiley, USA, p272. Figeiredo, J. McIllree, J. Thomas, N. (1996) Introducing information technology 2nd edition Jacaranda Press, Singapore, p145. Grotta, D. and Weiner, S. What’s now †¦What’s next. [http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/scanners98/intro.html] PC Magazines 20 October 1998. 8/4/00 Prepress, scanners, digital cameras and photoCDs. [http://www.prepress.pps.com/mem/lib/ptr/scanners.html] 1998. 6/4/00 Scansoft scanner tips [http://www.scannercentral.com/scanners/tips/tips1.asp] 2000.6/4/00 Sullivan. M. Types of scanners. [http://hsdesign.com/scanning/types/types.html] 1996. 8/4/00