Organizational Behavior, Mintzbergs Managers - 3841 Words

Introduction The theory our group will be discussing and explaining in depth is the leadership styles of top management using Mintzberg’s managerial roles. Mintzerg named ten different roles, all separated into three categories. The first category is interpersonal. This includes figurehead, leader, and liason. The second category is informational which includes monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. The last category is decisional which includes entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. These roles are all used in the leadership styles of top management and we will find throughout research which roles are most frequently used and which seem to be the most effective. We have selected five companies in†¦show more content†¦The spokesperson role takes information from inside the organization and relates it to the public. Good disseminators and spokespersons need to have good communication skills in order to interact with company heads as well as the public. A successful spokesperson needs to be able to speak during conferences with confidence and also be able to maintain a consistent relationship with the media. If a manager is both a spokesperson and disseminator, they are excellent in communicating both inside and outside of the company. The decisional category includes four roles: entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. The entrepreneur role is one in which managers take initiative and seek out opportunities that will both benefit the organization as well as create innovation. These managers work on major projects and are proactive in accomplishing goals as well as bettering the organization. The disturbance handler role refers to managers who are responsible in taking action when problems or disturbances occur. Every organization faces conflict, most of which are sudden and unexpected. The disturbance handler steps in to handle this conflict and attempts to resolve and correct the problem so that the organization can continue successfully. Organizations Identification/ Introduction and Descriptions Disney The Disney Company was founded by its namesake Walt Disney on October 16, 1923. In 1923, WaltShow MoreRelatedDifferent Types of Organizational Structure1406 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieve that not all organizations are alike. Henry Mintzberg explains five distinct organizational structures one should consider when determining coordination of an organization; simple structure, machine bureaucracy, professional bureaucracy, divisionalized form, and adhocracy. (Mintzberg, 1981) pg. 103. Simple structure as Mintzberg points out is, â€Å"not much more than one large unit consisting of one or a few top managers.† (Mintzberg, 1981) pg. 105. Machine bureaucracy is, â€Å"the offspringRead MoreDifferent Theories Of Management, By Henri Fayol And Henry Mintzberg1121 Words   |  5 Pagestheories of Management, include Henri Fayol and Henry Mintzberg. This section of this paper provides an overview of functions, roles and skills required of a manager. What is Management? Management can define as the process of reaching organisational goals by working with and through people and other organisational resources. (Management Innovation, 2008). According the Fayol theory, there are five primary roles of a manager. The five roles of a manager put forward by Henri Fayol may not fully expressRead MoreComparison of Management View Points by Henri Fayol vs. Henry Mintzberg 888 Words   |  4 PagesLike the two sides of a penny, Henri Fayol vs. Henry Mintzberg (Anon., 2010) Henri Fayol and Henry Mintzberg both have their own views on management. Of which, each man came up with their own management frameworks. This essay will take a closer look and compare the different management frameworks developed by Fayol and Mintzberg. A mining engineer and director in France, Henri Fayol, the vital early contributor to classical school of management theory believes that basic management and skills canRead MoreStrategic Management Position For Hilton Resorts892 Words   |  4 Pagesstrategic plan for the organization. In a management position for Hilton Resorts, this is especially important for employees to understand the aims and objectives set and the steps they will take to achieve them. As a company our first efforts for organizational improvement efforts as described by Wells (1998) are: †¢ Creating a vision of the organization’s future †¢ Developing a set of guiding principles (behavioral norms necessary to achieve that vision) †¢ Clarifying the mission, or core purpose, ofRead MoreCritiquethe Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact1532 Words   |  7 Pages | | |1:00Pm | Individual Critique The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact By Henery Mintzberg Summary †¢ Does anyone can fully expound what is manager’s job? The purpose of the article is to explore this question based on our bias and the essence of the managerial work. From a academic viewpoint, management can be divided into four elementsRead MoreMintzberg; S Decisional Roles1625 Words   |  7 PagesTo inaugurate this essay, a simple introduction of the manager interviewed and her company will be given. Ms YKL who accepted the interview works in Company BSB. Company BSB operates in the private and service sector with the size of 20-99 people. It provides digital marketing services. Ms YKL holds a position as a senior manager for Publishers amp; Partners, it is a term used in the Digital Marketing industry. Publishers amp; Partners team also means product team and this team will negotiate andRead MoreCritiquethe Managers Job: Folklore and Fact1547 Words   |  7 Pages| | 1:00Pm | Individual Critique The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact By Henery Mintzberg Summary †¢ Does anyone can fully expound what is manager’s job? The purpose of the article is to explore this question based on our bias and the essence of the managerial work. From a academic viewpoint, management can be divided into fourRead MoreManagement1653 Words   |  7 Pagesmore important in modern market. The key to survival and building of future dominance is getting much more information than competitors. Managers from its literal meaning are the persons who manage others. Therefore, organizations need good managers to help them coordinate team work and solve problems effectively and efficiently. According to Mintzberg(1973), managers have three roles which are informational roles, interpersonal roles and decisional roles. This essay focuses on Mintzberg’s informationalRead MoreMintzberg’s Theories On Organizational Configuration2139 Words   |  9 PagesTheories On Organizational Configuration According to Mintzberg, every organized human activity – from the making of pottery to the placing of a man on the moon – gives rise to two fundamental and opposing requirements: the division of labour into various tasks to be performed and the coordination of those tasks to accomplish the activity. Structure is simply the way in which an organization divides labor into distinct tasks and achieves coordination of these tasks. According to Henry Mintzberg, organizationsRead MorePower And Politics Organization Theory974 Words   |  4 Pagesthrough family and schools. Ordinary people such as scholars hesitate to talk about power. It is often equated with force brutality, unethical behavior, manipulation, connivance, and subjugation. Power and Politics organization theory was derived from the â€Å"modern† structural organization in the 1970’s to its present today. In the â€Å"modern† structural, organizational economics, and systems/environment theories of organization, organizations are assumed to be rational institutions with its primary purpose

Statement Of Purpose - 775 Words

I am writing this letter to apply for a position as Lecturer of Mechanical Engineering Science at the University of Surrey. My educational background in Mechanical Aerospace Engineering and comprehensive research experience in Biomedical Engineering inspired me to apply for this position. I consider that my excellence in teaching and research fulfil the requirements of this post. I was awarded my PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. My thesis was entitled â€Å"Computational Modelling of Neurovascular Hemodynamics and Endovascular Stents to Treat Intracranial Aneurysms†. Looking for a new challenge after the doctorate degree, I moved to Europe and participated multiple†¦show more content†¦Research Interests My research in Biomedical Engineering to date has focused on the medical image based Bio-Fluid Dynamics and medical device modelling. This includes Neurovascular Haemodynamics, Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Dynamics and Respiratory Aerodynamics studies. Clinical diagnosis support system I am particularly interested in using computational models to improve the diagnostic assessment of disease progression and to support the clinical decision making. For an instance, medical imaging is recognised as an important tool to estimate the flow properties in the fight against circulatory system diseases. However, rapidly changing flow properties in the medical images could be overlooked, even by highly experienced clinicians. Computational modelling and machine learning algorithm as a part of implanted software in the medical imaging devices can help to reveal those flow characteristics and provide relevant information to the clinicians. Endovascular device/drug delivery system modelling My research interests also lie in medical device modelling. Endovascular therapy is known as a minimally invasive therapeutic option to recover the original flow circulations in diseased arteries. Computational modelling techniques can accurately assess the effect of endovascular intervention devices. I have modelled neurovascular stents and coils to treat intracranial aneurysms to demonstrated theirShow MoreRelatedStatement of Purpose1126 Words   |  5 PagesStatement of Purpose Many professors, department websites, applications, and current graduate students will tell you that the statement of purpose is the most important part of the application. While the statement of purpose is the best way for the admissions committee to gauge your writing skills, it is quite different from the college admissions essay, or the law school personal statement. Admissions committees will not be looking for the most well-written essay with the catchiest introductionRead MoreThe Field Of Journalism And Education1320 Words   |  6 Pagesare minimal. The differences are noted in The School of Journalism and Media Studies, PAO Program Admissions section. The differences include: SDSU requires applicants to submit statement regarding what the individual’s research interest and goals are, and that applicants must also include a general statement of purpose, which details why the applicant wishes to attend the graduate program at SDSU (Weiss). An additional difference is t hat SDSU requires a minimal score of a 150 on the Graduate RecordRead MoreThe Core Elements Of My Research Topic, African American Males On Higher Education1436 Words   |  6 Pagesmy first memo, I focused on the core elements of my research topic, African-American males in higher education. Since our last meeting, I have taken time to reflect on your suggestions, and think about how to revamp my research questions and purpose statement. Most important, I have taken time to do self-reflection. Self-Reflection ï » ¿In a somewhat different approach to my first memo, I started this memo with my reflective thoughts. I took this approach because it lends to the process of discoveryRead MoreStatement of Purpose1069 Words   |  5 PagesSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE â€Å"A dream acted upon by confidence becomes an ambition and that when followed with determination defines the purpose of existence in its entirety† It is with a sincere sense of gratitude towards the opportunity given to me, I pen down this statement. Education not only expands the horizons of one s knowledge but also simultaneously implants an insatiable desire to acquire more and more knowledge. Knowledge is that which can enhance the strength of mind and therebyRead MoreStatement of Purpose996 Words   |  4 PagesSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE The unprecedented explosion of corporations and financial services industry has brought about immense opportunities to utilize newer principles, methodologies, tools and practices in the field of finance. It is this challenging field in which I would like to gain expertise. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND Since school days, I have always been regarded as an academically brilliant, having been awarded scholar badge and merit certificate throughout my school and university education.Read MoreStatement of Purpose804 Words   |  4 PagesStatement of purpose â€Å"Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.† Rabindranath Tagore. I’ve always believed that the answer to my destiny lies in creating the results that I desire. Success is never an accident, but is always by design. I believe perseverance, drive, passion and strength of character create the right formula for success. I schooled at one of Asia’s premier institutes, Mayo College Girls School. I was thrilled to discover myself here –Read MoreStatement of Purpose962 Words   |  4 PagesSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR MS APPLIED STATISTICS. Right from childhood, I was fond of mathematics and how it had the ability to convey a lot of information with so little illustrations. This, together with my consistent good performance in mathematics throughout high school, was responsible for the nurturing of a special interest in it. This childhood zeal in the subject gradually crystallized into a more mature form as I stepped into higher studies. The most significant influence on myRead MoreStatement of Purpose1694 Words   |  7 PagesStatement of Purpose Name : Sphoorti Sangamesh Biradar Program Applied : Masters (MS) Major : Sports Management About me: I am very thankful for providing me this opportunity and it is with sincere sense of gratification that I pen down my brief statement of purpose before you. I am Sphoorti Sangamesh Biradar, 21 years old. I am studying B. Computer Science engineering final year in the reputed university Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) at college Sir.M.Visvesvaraya InstituteRead MoreStatement of Purpose588 Words   |  3 PagesSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE NAME : jinson.j.erinjeri Applying for M.S. IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Firstly I would like to introduce myself as an undergraduate student of the bachelor of engineering program From the M.S.Ramaiah institute of technology, one of the most prestigious institutions of the Bangalore U university . I have completed my course of engineering in the field of Industrial Engineering’, which was for a period of four years. I graduated in the first class with distinctionRead MoreSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE1611 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿STATEMENT OF PURPOSE â€Å"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.† As I move towards a point where my undergraduate programme is about to end, and I sit down to define the course of my career, I felt a strong desire to pursue a career that combined IT with management skills. I believe MBA is a platform to cultivate diverse managerial skill sets, generate ideas with structured thoughts and capability of assuming higher

Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci Free Essays

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci [pic] Who (is he): He was an Italian polymath, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. He was born on April 15, 1452(1452-04-15) as the illegitimate son of a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, at Vinci in the region of Florence. He died on May 2, 1519 at an age of 67. We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci or any similar topic only for you Order Now What (are his contributions): He conceptualised a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, the double hull and outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics. As a scientist, he greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering, optics, and hydrodynamics. His journals include a vast number of inventions, both practical and impractical. They include musical instruments, hydraulic pumps, reversible crank mechanisms, finned mortar shells, and a steam cannon. When (his professional life begin ): 1476 Why (did Leonardo start doing all this things): Helen Gardner says â€Å"The scope and depth of his interests were without precedent†¦ His mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote†. Leonardo was the archetype of the renaissance man, a man whose unquenchable curiosity was equaled only by his powers of invention. Basically, he just did all this because of his curiousity. Where (was his starting point): In 1466, at the age of fourteen, Leonardo was apprenticed to one of the most successful artists of his day, Andrea di Cione, known as Verrocchio. Verrocchio’s workshop was at the centre of the intellectual currents of Florence, assuring the young Leonardo of an education in the humanities. Consequences (of his existence): Liana Bortolon, writing in 1967, said: â€Å"Because of the multiplicity of interests that spurred him to pursue every field of knowledge  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Leonardo can be considered, quite rightly, to have been the universal genius par excellence, and with all the disquieting overtones inherent in that term. Man is as uncomfortable today, faced with a genius, as he was in the 16th century. Five centuries have passed, yet we still view Leonardo with awe. How to cite Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci, Papers Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci Free Essays Leonardo was a man of many different talents; among those talents were polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, inventor, engineer, writer, geologist, anatomist, cartographer, anatomist, and botanist. Leonardo was primarily known for his painting (Mona Lisa, the last supper, Vitamins Man), and his fascinating inventions (Helicopter, tank, flying Machine, Viola Organists) which I will be talking about in depth in my research paper. First study science, and then follow with practice based on science†¦. We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci or any similar topic only for you Order Now . The painter who draws by practice and judgment of the eye without the use of reason is like the mirror the reproduces within itself all the objects which are set opposite to it without knowledge of the same†¦. The youth ought first to learn perspective, then the proportions of everything, then he should learn from the hand off good master. Leonardo Dad Vinci The Renaissance marked the transition point from the middle ages to the modern world. Young Leonardo Did Seer Piper Dad Vince received his education of Painter, sculptor, and engineering in Florence in the early sass. In a time when coming with a new approach toward science was considered a direct insult or challenge to the church, Leonardo managed to project his new finding of science, Mathematics formulas, and logical reasoning without creating a new reform of cultural beliefs. Among his reaction we can find what is considered to be an early predecessor of today’s helicopter. Between 1480 and 1493 Leonardo Dad Vinci designed what is known today as the â€Å"Aerial Screw’ or also known as the â€Å"Helical Air Screw’. Leonardo Helical Air Screw measure approximately fifteen feet across and the material used to build it were reed, linen, and wire. The main power proportion came from four men that were standing in the middle of the craft rotating different pedals in order to rotate the screw like shaft (See figure L-1). Leonardo was a very methodical reader and writer. He often read books that interest him with pen on hand. He was so critical of himself that he used to describe his though in writing, and draw them most of the time in order to retrace his thinking. In the old time it was common for inventors to read others innovators ideas in order to create new ones or reproduce the same invention with improvements. One of those creations was the Leonardo â€Å"Assault Vehicle†. After researching Roberto Evaluator’s â€Å"De re military’, Leonardo Dad Vinci went ahead and created the Assault Vehicle with a technology that was unheard of at the time. Due to the lack of funds and the war at the Apennines Peninsula Leonardo had o restrain his master creation to Just a blueprint. The Assault Vehicle had an upside- down cone shape with four wheels at the bottom, and a crankshaft for propulsion. Been that Leonardo was so critical of his own invention, he decided to make improvement to his own invention at a later time. One of those improvements was the vehicle self-propulsion. Leonardo achieved this improvement by creating a spring-power system (As the Motor), and an innovated differential transmission system. (L-2 Picture of Assault Vehicle) Another area in which Leonardo Dad Vinci broke new ground was painting. But to his misfortune in life by 1514 most of his paintings were not completed due to lack of commissions and Italian’s wars. One of those paintings happened to be the â€Å"Mona Lisa† or â€Å"La Cocooned† a 16th century oil painting portray of â€Å"Lisa did Antonio Maria Grenadine† which in today’s expert opinion it is one of the most impossible to comprehend painting in the history of art. Leonardo started to paint the Mona Lisa in 1503 under the commission of Francesco did Bartholomew did Zinnia del Giaconda and finished nil 519 shortly before he died. By 1511 Leonardo had to migrate under the Melee family protection to Vapor where he sided and produced magnificent creation of arts for two years in order to repay the Melee family hospitality. While at Vapor Leonardo continued to develop his new projects and improving his paintings knowing that sooner or later he will have to find a more suitable patron in order to be able to finance his work. The solution to financial impasse came in February 1 513 in the hand of Giovanni De’ Medici, the younger descendent of Lorenz IL Magnificent. With the death of Pope Julius II in Rome and Giovanni asserted to papacy under the name of Pope Leo X. Giuliani De’ Medici rather of Pope Leo X and by them commander of the papal army, invited Leonardo to Rome for his knowledge of art and military technology. The invitation to Rome by Giuliani De’ Medici was the opportunity that Leonardo Dad Vinci was waiting for. Unlimited commissions, immeasurable social status, and a very power full patron. What else? By September 1513 Leonardo relocated himself back to Rome where he was accommodated in the Vatican luxury Belvedere villas together with all his painting including some half stages such us the Lead, the Mona Lisa, and the Saint Anne. How to cite Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci, Papers

Organizational Behavior Manufacturing Companies

Question: Discuss about the Organizational Behavior for Manufacturing Companies. Answer: Organizational change in Nissan Nissan and were Toyota were the two best car manufacturing companies in Japan. But, during the 1990s it suffered great loss due to mismanagement and complacency. It got dumped under huge debt. The cars manufactured were also not up to the mark, not at all inspirational(Pasmore, Woodman, Shani, 2010). Yet Nissan did not lose its importance in the eyes of European car manufacturing companies. They noticed the promising horsepower potential in it. Waiting to spread worldwide they were also looking for places to start off, so in this scenario, Nissan in Japan seemed to fill the gaps of their expectation. At first, Chrysler Daimler, the German car manufacturer of the famous Mercedes-Benz approached Nissan. Daimler did a lot of queries and investigations regarding the future aspect of the company if he overtook it, but could not find any positive sign to overtake it. Then came Louis Schweitzer, chairman, and CEO of Renault who gave an offer of 5.4 billion dollars to get off the stake in N issan, which was accepted. He sent an executive name Carlos Ghosn to Japan to take hold of the new alliance(Tager, 2003). Ghosn was an ambitious person who had a frank quality to make things right. Within the year 2000, he recovered Nissan from its previous half-dead condition. He made many changes in Nissan after taking control over its management decisions. He clearly understood the main reasons behind that condition of Nissan(Donnelly, Morris, Donnelly, 2005). The main reasons were like less focus on profits, less focus on the customer, missing the sense of urgency, existence of silos and no vision towards the future aspect of the company. The previous management had no idea about where would that company lie in the upcoming 10 years. Another issue that struck Ghosns mind regarding this company was the policy of seniority which meant that the longer a person worked in that company the more his salary used to get increased. This deprived the young talents to get their actual value. Ghosn always encouraged young talents. So he eliminated many employees as much as 21,000 and reduced the capacity of pro duction by 30%. He also gave stress on producing models on 15 platforms instead of 24 platforms and sharing with Renault. Both Nissan and Renault were expected to produce 1million units per year while sharing the same platform(Pasmore, Woodman, Shani, 2010). He reduced the number of suppliers from 1145 to 600 so that cost could be spread over a large number of volumes by them. He made sure to sell off unprofitable and unrelated investments. In a high-profile event, he personally guaranteed maximum exposure and gave a clear signal to the employees, investors and customers about the future vision of Nissan. Though this open announcement was a big risk and open challenge to the world but then, he not only successfully won the challenge but also gave a new life to Nissan in a decade. His transparency and simplicity nature made him a good leader and this in turn, provoked workers to be faithful not only to him but also towards the company(Anderson, 2014). Team work Ghosn believed in the aspiration present in the young generation. So he always encouraged young talent. While getting rid of the old employees with a huge amount of salaries, he hired young talents. During the dark years of Nissan, many expert workers left Nissan. But Ghosn did not lose hope. He decided to make a new team keeping in mind the four criterions. Firstly, the workers should be open-minded. Secondly, they should have acquired expertise in their field of work. Thirdly, they should be expert coaches, that is, they work as a team, teaching and learning from each other towards the way of growth. Lastly, they should be able to relocate to Japan if necessary. His main motto was to make people understand that difference is innovation("Vancouver testing for new Nissan FCV", 2006). They should have the patience and enthusiasm towards accepting something new. He always motivated his team members. Motivation was the main medicine behind the recovery of Nissan. A person should know wh o they belong to and what their company is all about. If they have no idea or no interest about all these stuff then, they should forget about going an extra mile forward with their company(Marcum, 2000). We all know that Japan is a country where group work is the priority but then, it should not be forgotten that if a useful group can enhance the profit of a company at the same time a useless selfish group could even bring about the destruction of that company. Though he maintained transparency with his team but kept the decision-making authority up to himself only. While taking any new decision there used to be 12 hours discussion amongst the team but the main decision used to be taken by Ghosn himself. He never gave individual responsibility to anybody. If anybody came up with any new ideas then, he divided the worker into different teams to get the plan executed. He never showed betrayal towards his employees which in turn kept the candle of faith burning in their mind(Chen Tjosvold, 2013). Targets with time limits used to be given to the employees and when they reached the target they used to be rewarded and along with it new targets with more responsibilities used to be given. This increased the team spirit and kept them motivated. If Ghosn had confidence in any employee then he gave him more responsibilities and targets. Bt if he had less confidence in any employee then he used to get down to the root of his problem, solve it and then provide possible targets for him. He kept that much transparency with them that his employees were open to share problems with him and he used to solve it accordingly. Yes, under his leadership along with his team members Nissan got back its value and worth within a decade(Bellot, 2011). All this was the result of his leadership and teamwork represented by his team. References Anderson, J. (2014). Counterfactuals and their Truthmakers.Polish Journal Of Philosophy,8(2), 7-24. https://dx.doi.org/10.5840/pjphil2014829 Bellot, J. (2011). Defining and Assessing Organizational Culture.Nursing Forum,46(1), 29-37. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6198.2010.00207.x Chen, N. Tjosvold, D. (2013). Inside the leader relationship: constructive controversy for team effectiveness in China.J Appl Soc Psychol,43(9), 1827-1837. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12134 Donnelly, T., Morris, D., Donnelly, T. (2005). Renault Nissan: a marriage of necessity?.European Business Review,17(5), 428-440. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09555340510620339 Marcum, J. (2000). Out with motivation, in with engagement employee relations.Natl. Prod. Rev.,19(4), 57-60. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1520-6734(200023)19:43.0.co;2-n Pasmore, W., Woodman, R., Shani, A. (2010).Research in organizational change and development. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Tager, M. (2003). What people really need from a change leader.Leader To Leader,2004(31), 6-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ltl.56 Vancouver testing for new Nissan FCV. (2006).Fuel Cells Bulletin,2006(4), 4. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1464-2859(06)71002-1

Computer Engineering Essays - Computing, Classes Of Computers

Computer Engineering Computer technology has advanced dramatically over the past ten years. Technology has advanced from computers the size of a room that can only perform one particular task, to personal computers (PC's) that will fit on a desk and perform multiple tasks. Understanding computers and their programs and being able to apply that knowledge is very important in today's workplace. Engineering is a field that requires an extensive background in computer technology. Future engineers will benefit dramatically from having a strong background in computer technology. In order to understand why computers are important, we have to understand what a computer is and what it does. A computer is a device capable of performing a series of calculations or logical operations without human intervention. The computer is characterized by the number and complexity of operations it can perform and by its ability to process, store, and retrieve data ("Computers" 1). The development of computers began in the 19th century by British mathematician Charles Babbage (Eadie 3). Babbage designed, but did not build, a mechanical digital device capable of processing information as a modern computer does (4). In 1930 American scientist Vannevar Bush built a mechanically operated device, called a differential analyzer (4). It was the first general-purpose analog computer. Analog computers will be discussed later in this paper. The first information-processing digital computer actually built was the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, or Mark I computer (4). Completed in 1944, this electromechanical device was designed by American engineer Howard Aiken (5). In 1946 the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, was put into operation (5). Using thousands of electron tubes, it was the first electronic digital computer. In the late 1950s transistors replaced electron tubes in computers, allowing a reduction in the size and power consumption of computer components (5). In the 1960s hybrid computers were tried that connected analog computers to digital ones. Later integrated circuits were developed that allowed further reduction in component size and increase in reliability. The introduction of a relatively easy to use PC in 1981 began a period in the rapid growth of the computer industry. The computer industry is still thriving today with the introduction of faster processors such as the Pentium II and now the Pentium III, high tech printers, scanners, and of course the Internet. There are two types of computers, analog and digital. An analog computer is designed to process data in which the variable quantities vary continuously; it translates the relationships between the variables of a problem into analogous relationships between electrical quantities, such as current and voltage, and solves the original problem by solving the equivalent problem, or analog, that is set up in its electrical circuits (Eadie 9). Because of this feature, analog computers are useful in the simulation and evaluation of certain complex situations. Analog computers do not play a role in engineering today, but without the introduction of analog computers PC's would not be what they are today. Digital computers are referred to as PC's. PC's are used everyday in the workplace, at school, and at home. Many programs can be accessed and loaded into a digital computer. Most technical jobs, including engineering, require experience and understanding of PC's and the programs that are related to the field in which the PC is being used. A digital computer is designed to process data in numerical form; its circuits perform mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The numbers operated on by a digital computer are expressed in the binary system. Binary digits, which are also known as bits, are 0 and 1, so that 0, 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, etc. correspond to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. A series of eight bits, called a "byte", is the basic data unit of computers. A digital computer can store the results of its calculations for later use, can compare the results with other data, and on the basis of such comparisons can change the series of operations it performs ("Computers" 2). PC's would not be useful if it were not for the information that we enter into them. Input to a computer can come directly from people. Human beings can directly communicate with the computer terminals, entering instructions and data by means of keyboards or by using a mouse and receiving the information through a printer. Entering data into a computer can be extremely complicated for someone who is not experienced in downloading. In engineering understanding how to download a program is not as important as knowing how to run a program unless, of course, you are

Personal Financial Planning essayEssay Writing Service

Personal Financial Planning essayEssay Writing Service Personal Financial Planning essay Personal Financial Planning essayQ1. How are you saving for retirement?   If you are currently not saving for retirement, design a plan for your retirement savings.   Explain in 1 concise paragraph.Retirement planning will strongly depend on the type of income that will be available in the future and the options offered by the employer. One possible way of planning for retirement is the following: investing about 4% of gross salary into an annuity which will yield the basic income and investing 3% of gross salary into an Individual Retirement Account with reasonable mutual fund investments and solid previous history. Such diversification allowsQ2. Would you favor reforming Social Security to eliminate inequalities in the distribution of spouse benefits? If so, what kind of changes would you propose?Spouse benefits in Social Security often result in discrimination against low-earning workers in a couple, since they will receive the same benefits as the persons who have never worke d and therefore never invested into Social Security. Since in most cases the lower-earning person in the household is wife, in the couples where men earn equally those women who never worked are eligible for similar retirement benefits as those who did work but received lower wages (Gitman ¸ Joehnk Billingsley, 2010). On one hand, those women who invested their time in child-rearing and looking after older relatives deserve these payments, but such inequality also rewards those who withdraw from work. It would be useful to introduce a cumulative index for individuals taking into account their work contributions and family contributions. The value of benefits determined using such an index would help to reduce or even eliminate inequality.Q3. What do you think is the single most pressing political issue for older Americans? Explain your answer.For older Americans, key political issues are related to financing their retirement and accessing medical services. Currently the most pres sing issue is the existence of Social Security fund and its accessibility in the future. There might be different pressures depending on the generation; for example, when the Millennials approach retirement, they might face a depletion of Social Security resources accompanied by additional measures limiting their eligibility (such as increased retirement age) (Gitman ¸ Joehnk Billingsley, 2010). This issue has a direct impact on the lives of older Americans and therefore is the most pressing for them.

Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course work - Essay Example In regard to the NEC contracts, the issues that arise between parties involved in the contract are handled by the adjudicator (clause 91.1). The adjudicator will give his ruling after a maximum period of 4 weeks (Bennett 2001). During this time the parties must go on with their obligations as if nothing has happened as they wait for the ruling. Reasons for termination are outlined in clause 95(95.1 -95.6) that show the grounds that can be used by either party to terminate the contract. Sacking of a contractor is the termination of the working agreements between them. The contract becomes null and void and the parties lose the working relationship they once had. Removal of a contractor is usually an extreme method of dealing with non-performance. This is despite the fact that it might lead to less headaches in regards to the particular contractor it has certain adverse effects (Rowlison, 2011). It is advisable to have the contractor on board until a particular project is finished then seeking legal redress thereafter. This protects the project manager from some legal hurdles. To begin with, it is very difficult to fire a contractor. Once a contractor is fired, there is the issue of the unfinished work which is on a certain timeline. Getting a different contractor to finish the work can be a hassle given that other contractors will be wary of working with such a project manager (Bennett 2001). The project manager will have limited bargaining power and might not get the best that the market has to offer. This will therefore compromise the quality of the project. Termination of a contract can be by two ways. This can be by using the terms of the contract or claiming that the behavior of the contractor is appalling and this behavior may imply that the contract does not exist. Termination by using the terms of the contract involves giving notice to the contractor as per the set guidelines in the contract (Rowlison, 2011). Contract termination due

Contemporary issues in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Contemporary issues in management - Essay Example Besides, Boje applies a wide spectrum of academic formulae that is in the quantum age management to identify the diverse availability of the organizational storytelling purposes. In addition to that, he rejects the systematic conformity to professional bureaucracy, further alienating the managerial academics. Instead, Boje’s arguments lean towards standing conferences on management, international business academics and sources that support responsible civic friendliness. In a story â€Å"The true account of death by violence†, the author seeks to define the meaning of organizational storytelling practices. He sets outs to explain the difference between Washburn’s counter narrative and the historical narrative that was passed down along generations. Therefore, in this context, storytelling is a general declaration of the entire field. The above story is an important depiction of the sub domains of the wider storytelling. These are the storytelling practices and the organizational storytelling practices. Storytellers in an organizational environment make sense of the organizational past stories by playing the role of passing the stories down along the generations. The CEO in an organization, according to Boje, is not the only storyteller in the institute. Instead, everyone inside and around the organization bears the role of a storyteller. Despite this, the difference between these groups of storytellers lies in their positional power, influence and awareness. In a bid to explain the storytelling in organization, the author depicts it as purposive distortion, cons, exaggeration, gossip, lies, witch-hunt and rumours in the view of pragmatic storytellers. This is the main reason why the author redefines quantum storytelling. He observes that the competence associated with storytelling is steadily declining, as the societies are

Zara Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Zara Business - Essay Example From there it expanded into 79 countries with 1,830 stores all across Asia, Europe, Africa and America (Qureshi, Store Wars: Zara and Mango, 2012).Its main focus has always been creativity, quality of design and rapid response time. Zara’s main target customers have always been young, price-conscious people who are very sensitive to latest fashion trends. According to the article ‘Analyzing Zara’s Business model’ its product line is divided in to 60% for women, 25% for men and 15% fast growing children (Analysing Zara’s business model , 2011). Main customers of Zara are middle class urban women for whom fashion means everything. The customers of this particular brand wants trendy, fashionable and unique outfits at an affordable price and up to date with the new up coming fashion trends. Another unique characteristic of this particular brand is that they take very less time in identifying and bringing their products to shelves that is with in 30 days where as others may take around 3-4 months (Analysing Zara’s business model , 2011). This is possible mainly due to their control on garment supply chain from design to retail unlike many other competitive stores. It is possible as most of the manufacturing is being done in-house. 50% of the products are produced in house where as 46% are framed out into ready to cut pieces (Roux, 2002) Zara’s core mission has always been a blend of creative, quality and rapid response to market demands. To achieve this a business model was framed that depended on two main points. One being quick response to changing fashion and second being involvement of employees at a large scale. For instance a store manager could decide which clothes to put on sale in that particular store according to the response of customers shopping there. The vaiety of clothing also becomes a main selling point of the brand. In the article Reign of Spain the author talks about how a model never stays in the s hop for more than four weeks. This increases the visists of the customers, for Zara’s its 17 times a year where as for other similar competitive stores its only 3 to 4 times a year (Roux, 2002). In around four to five weeks new collections are available. It’s designer team comprises of around 2 thousand designers which produce 12,000 models each year for sale which are designed kept in mind customer preferences, wishes and demands. Since every four weeks the stores are hit by new models the quantity produced of each model is very less making it a unique piece which makes customers rush to stores to grab them before they run out this has made its customers in to serious impulse buyers. Unlike other brands Zara spends very less on advertisement which is around 0.3% of its total revenue unlike other competitors which spend around 3-4%. Instead they spend heavily on their stores which are located in prime locations of cities. The complany is built upon a vertically integra ted demand and supply chain while most textile chains rely on outsourcing and cheap labor in China. Vertically integrated are companies that are linked together by a single owner it gives Zara a greater control over the whole process from manufacture to retail which helps it fulfill its main idea of its business plan which is to respond quickly to demands and fashion trends. The operational cycle of Zara includes three main basic steps ordering, fulfillment and design and manufacturing. Each store places order twice a week to headquarters to replenish items and for new stocks. These orders are sent to stores in two days. The design and manufacturing goes throughout the year. New models are continously hitting stores unlike other competitive firms that lauch collections for just summer, spring, fall and winter. Another competitive

Self awareness in persons with brain injury

Self awareness in persons with brain injury Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a major medical issue which can affect anyone regardless of class, race, ethnicity, gender, or age. It can be defined as damage to the brain, which occurs after birth and is not related to a congenital or a degenerative disease. These impairments may be temporary or permanent and cause partial functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment (Brain Injury Association, 2009). People who have sustained an acquired brain injury are not easily pinpointed in society due to the lack of external symptomology, and therefore ABI is usually referred to as the hidden disability. This title, named accordingly, is due to the extensive damage to their cognitive and social functioning and less to do with their physical appearance, which in many cases remained unchanged. So what causes ABI, and who can be affected by it? This type of injury can occur due to a series of incidents, and anyone can be affected by it. Some possible incidents include a road traffic accident, a fall, an assault, a stroke which causes damage to the brain, complications during brain surgery, tumours, viral infections, or lack of oxygen to the brain (a possible result of a heart attack, hypoxia, or anoxia). ABI can be split into two types traumatic and non-traumatic. A traumatic brain injury can occur due to a closed or open injury. The more common type, closed injury, occurs when the brain is bounced around in the skull due to a blow to the head, such as the impact from a road traffic accident. What this impact results in is damage to the brain tissue. An open injury, on the other hand, occurs when an object such as a bullet, fractures the skull and enters the brain (Headway, 2009). This type of injury is less common and usually damages a specific part of the brain, therefor e resulting in specific problems. The other type, non-traumatic injury, is simply one that does not occur as a result of a trauma, such as a stroke or a tumour. Prevalence of ABI is unknown within Ireland, however Headway (2009), an Irish organisation specialising in brain injury rehabilitation, accumulated ABI data from various countries and applied this to an Irish population in order to estimate the prevalence. With this information they suggested that between 9,000 and 11,000 people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year in Ireland. They estimated that there are approximately 30,000 people in Ireland between the ages of 16-65 with long term problems following trauma to the brain, and that the 15-29 year old group are three times more likely to sustain a brain injury than any other group. Another Irish study, OBrien Phillips (1994), recorded individual patient details for all head injury admissions to the Neurosurgical Unit at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. They estimated a prevalence of head injury among patients in Ireland to be approximately 13,441 per year, which is just slightly higher than Headways (2009) estimation. Results from t he 225 patients they studied portrayed that road traffic accidents accounted for 48% of injuries sustained (the largest proportion), and falls accounted for 36%. The researchers also found that between 1987 and 1993 there were 3,154 people killed and 64,971 injured on Irish roads. Alcohol consumption prior to the injury was also found in 31% of cases. In a larger study, Tagliaferri et al. (2006) attempted to locate the prevalence rate of brain injury, this time in Europe. They claimed that the absence of prevalence data hampers the full assessment of medical treatment and rehabilitation needs (p. 265) and that prevalence studies in Europe are essential, and should be undertaken extensively. With this in mind they suggest that brain injury patients will increase by 775,500 each year in the EU, and that 6,246,400 people are alive with some degree of TBI [traumatic brain injury] (p. 260). Thus we can conclude from these studies that Ireland has a prevalence rate of ABI from about 9,000 to 13,5000, a slight impingement upon Europes figures, but a worryingly high statistic for Ireland alone. There are three levels of brain injury, which indicate the severity of the neurological injury mild, moderate, and severe brain injury. To qualify for a mild brain injury, one must score between 13 15 on the Glascow Coma Scale, which records the conscious state of a person. This type of brain injury can occur due to a brief loss of consciousness, and the patient may present himself or herself as confused, and suffering from a concussion. Symptoms that occur within this severity of brain injury are predominantly headaches, fatigue, irritability, sensitivity to noise or light, balance and memory problems, nausea, decreased speed of thinking, depression, and mood swings. A moderate traumatic brain injury can be diagnosed when the patient scores a 9 12 on the Glascow Coma Scale. This injury occurs when there is a loss of consciousness that lasts from a few minutes to a few hours, and confusion lasts from days to weeks. Patients in this category usually make a good recovery with treatm ent. The last level of brain injury is severe brain injury, and this occurs when there is a prolonged unconscious state or coma that lasts days, weeks, or months. This category can be categorized into subgroups of coma, vegetative state, persistent vegetative state, minimally responsive state, akinetic mutism, and locked-in syndrome. (Brain Injury Association, 2009). There are many changes and consequences that affect a person after they have suffered from an acquired brain injury, whether mild, moderate, or severe. These changes may be temporary, improving in time, or permanent, dictating the way they live the rest of their lives. Not only do the changes affect the victim, but they also affect the victims support system (i.e. their surrounding family and community). Each brain injury is unique and subject to change, and depending on the severity of the injury, a patient will witness cognitive changes shifts in the ability to think and learn, affecting memory, concentration, flexibility, communication, insight, and responses. Physical changes will also be apparent in the form of fatigue, headaches, chronic pain, visual and hearing problems, and sexual function. Behavioural changes may include impulsivity, irritability, inappropriate behaviour, self-centredness, depression, lack of initiative, and sexual behaviour. Challenging Behaviour As stated earlier, most people who have a head injury are left with a change in the form of their emotional or behavioural pattern. This is inevitable as the brain is the seat and control centre of all our emotions and behaviour (Powell, 1994, p.96). With this in mind, challenging behaviour alone has become synonymous with ABI as one of the main behavioural deficits that occur following injury. The literature of ABI has accentuated that challenging behaviour presents the most significant behavioural disturbance within this diagnosis, and can pose serious problems for their recovery, their family, and also their community. Kelly et al. (2008) provided evidence that challenging behaviours have often been associated with risks such as family disintegration, loss of accommodation, reduced access to rehabilitation or community facilities and legal charges (p.457). Results of their study indicated that 94% of the patients they studied showed broad behavioural disturbance, with 60% engaging in four or more behaviour problems (p.463). However, due to convergent opinions on what constitutes a challenging behaviour, defining such behaviour has become difficult. However, Headway Ireland (2009) have made one such attempt to define challenging behaviour: any behaviour, or lack of behaviour of such intensity, frequency and/or duration that has the potential to cause distress or harm to clients/carers/staff or one which creates feelings of discomfort, powerlessness, frustration, fear or anxiety. It is also behaviour, which delays or limits access to ordinary community facilities and is outside socially acceptable norms. As mentioned earlier, types of behavioural problems that may occur following an acquired brain injury include agitation, depression, anxiety, self-centredness, withdrawal, physical aggression, increased/decreased libido, impulsivity, self harm, restlessness, paranoia, and many others. As each brain injury is unique, some patients may suffer with some symptoms, whereas others may not. Each person is entirely unique, with severities and symptoms being completely individual. So why exactly do patients suffering from an ABI present with challenging behaviours? Powell (1994) suggests that there seems to be four main reasons why these challenging behaviours exist: (a) direct neurological damage; (b) exaggeration of previous personality; (c) the stresses of adjustment; and (d) the environment the person lives in (p.97). With regards to direct neurological damage, the challenging behaviour results directly from the damage done to the certain area of the brain. Many of the challenging behaviours stem from damage done to the frontal lobes, which are important for the regulation of emotions, motivation, sexual libido, self-control and self-awareness. Following a brain injury, the patients existing personality traits, tendencies, and problems may be exaggerated, it is as if the controls or brakes which modify and regulate the personality have been loosened, and traits and mannerisms become distorted and exaggerated (p.97). It is highly important for the professio nals working along side the patient to be aware of the patients previous personality when attempting to understand their challenging behaviour. Thirdly, stress of adjustment can also be a major contributor to the challenging behaviour that persists in patients with ABI. Finding out that one can no longer do the simple things in life anymore, such as play their favourite sport or instrument, can be extremely frustrating and stressful for the patient. It is more likely that under these extreme conditions of stress that one would become more angry and irritable, and become more preoccupied with their problems than before. Finally, the social and physical environment can also contribute to the onset of behavioural problems. The social environment relates to the natural supports surrounding the patient such as family, friends, neighbours, and professional staff, whereas the physical environment depicts the patients setting, whether its an institutional setting or a family home. Taking in to consideration both the social and physical environment, if the person suffering from ABI is not understood, and communication and support is poor, then their behaviour is likely to deteriorate as a result. It is crucial for the patient to be in the correct environment to reap the best opportunities possible. How others respond to the challenging behaviour of a person with an ABI plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation process, as well as the quality of life of family and friends surrounding the patient. Of concern is the setting in which the patient is located these behaviours can endure and worsen over time, particularly in unstructured settings where there is often little control over the environmental contingencies that govern behaviour (Kelly et al., 2006). Alderman (2001) has stated how behaviour modification programmes can create profound changes within the neurorehabilitation setting. There exists an amalgamation of research conducted in this area with some very mentionable results. Watson et al. (2000) conducted a case study on patient, JH, who had sustained a brain injury as a result of a gunshot wound, and developed severe behavioural problems. A differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) intervention was devised for 85 weeks, which allowed JH the opportunity to gain stars at the end of the day if he had absolved from aggressive behaviour to a created limit. This treatment resulted in JHs level of Clopixol being reduced from three times a day, down to two without any side effects on his challenging behaviour. DRL has demonstrated the effectiveness in reducing both the frequency and severity of aggressive behaviour 10 years after a very severe TBI had been sustained (p.1011). Other studies stress different approaches to treatment of challenging behaviours, such as remedial behaviour therapy approaches, or Rothwell et al. (1999) who suggest the main emphasis in treating challenging behaviours should be upon behavioural assessment as it engenders an empathic understanding of what is often offensive behaviour, which helps reduce the stress experienced by the people affected by the behaviour and leads to respectful, individualized and holistic interventions (p.530). Self-Awareness As mentioned earlier, challenging behaviour is synonymous with ABI, however deficits in self-awareness have also been well established in the literature to be evident in patients with brain injury. Impaired self-awareness poses great challenges for rehabilitation, and also for the safety of the patient suffering from the ABI. Self-awareness can be defined as the capacity to perceive the self in relatively objective terms while maintaining a sense of subjectivity (Prigtano Schacter, 1991, p. 13). The ability to think subjectively and objectively of ourselves, and to adjust our behaviours accordingly, are abilities that are often overlooked, but are none-the-less crucial for daily living, and integration into society. These skills are commonly impaired following a brain injury, as both are constructs associated with executive functions and related to frontal-executive systems dysfunction (Goverover et al. 2007, p. 913). Oddy et al. (1985) undertook a study in a bid to portray the implications of a decreased level of self-awareness (specifically behavioural limitations) after traumatic brain injury. The researchers asked patients and their surrounding families to describe the behavioural problems that prevailed seven years following the brain injuries occurrence. The results noted that patients tended to underestimate their problems in comparison to their families reports. For example, 53% of patients noted that memory problems were the most common long term difficulty, whereas 79% of the families noted memory problems as significant sequelae. Also, patients failed to report two problems that the families reported. 40% of the families noted that the patient behaved in a much more childlike manner, and also that the patients refused to admit to their difficulties. This study brought to light the issue of self-awareness impairment. We have so far spoken of self awareness deficits and its prevalence within people who have ABI, but what exactly are the implications of such a deficit? It is widely suggested that an increased impairment of self-awareness is associated with increased problems in most other areas of the patients life. For example, Larn et al. (1998) studied that ABI patients with poor self-awareness show less compliance and participation during treatment in rehabilitation. Malec Degiorgio (2002) found that ABI patients with decreased level of self-awareness are considerably more at risk of being referred for more intensive rehabilitation. Malec et al. (2000) found that such patients require longer lengths of stay in rehabilitation; Sherer et al. (2003) found that patients are more likely to be associated with a poorer functional status at time of discharge from rehabilitation. Ezrachi et al. (1991) found that deficits in a patients level of self-awareness is foretelling of a low rate of return to em ployment following a brain injury. And finally, Ergh et al. (2002) found that a high level of impairment of self-awareness with the ABI patient is reflective of higher distress among caregivers (as cited in High, 2005). With regards to treatment of impaired self-awareness in individuals with ABI, there is a vast range of methods which have been studied. Crosson et al. (1989) have shown that group therapy programmes can be beneficial in increasing intellectual awareness. Zhou et al. (1996) studied three adult males who were trained in knowledge of ABI residuals using a game format to present training information (p. 1). Results suggested that all participants increased their knowledge relating to areas of behaviour, emotion, cognition, communication, physical, and sensory residuals. Many studies have exemplified the role of observation and feedback to improve individuals level of self-awareness. For example, Schlund (1999) undertook a case study of a 21-year-old male who was a TBI survivor and was 5 years post-injury. Results of this study showed that report-performance measurement, feedback and review, positively altered the patients awareness deficit. However, observation and feedback are not witho ut its faults as Bieman-Copland Dywan (2000) point out. Their study suggested that direct feedback becomes confrontational and can lead to agitation among patients with severe brain injury. This study highlights the need for each treatment to be individualised to ensure the best possible outcomes of treatment. Fleming et al. (2006) evaluated the usefulness of an individualised occupation-based approach for participants dealing with ABI, specifically with regards to the level of self-awareness and emotional status. The unique focus of the program was the use of meaningful occupations to provide the individuals with experiential feedback of their current level of ability through the use of self-monitoring and supportive therapist feedback (p. 51). The results supported the use of this type of therapy in increasing self-awareness, and that occupational performance may be highly important in increasing the self-awareness of people with ABI. Finally, Goverover et al. (2007) conducted a randomised controlled study on the self-awareness treatment model, stipulated upon Toglia and Kirks model (2000). Their study provided evidence for experiencing different tasks and everyday activities for enhancing self-awareness and self-regulation. Although treatment of impaired self-awareness is crucial for the patients full recovery, it has been studied that increasing the level of self-awareness in ABI patients can also have some negative consequences. Fleming Strong (1995) suggested that the belief that increased self-awareness is essential for positive outcomes in rehabilitation and needs to undergo further investigation, as a literature review suggests that the development of self-awareness can be associated with emotional distress in the individual (p. 55). This study further exemplifies the necessity to create individual treatment plans when in rehabilitation. Interventions With technology constantly advancing in the medical sector, it is evident that sustaining a brain injury no longer suggests a death sentence. With this in consideration, the emphasis has shifted towards rehabilitation of those who have sustained such an injury in order to help them attain the best quality of life possible. Many interventions have been conducted and researched for improving self-awareness, and also for managing challenging behaviours, which directly improve the life of the patient. There are limited studies focusing on the effectiveness of interventions in reducing self-awareness deficits, and whether these interventions contribute to positive outcomes in rehabilitation. However, in a literature review, Lucas Fleming (2005) suggest that interventions in self-awareness can be broken into two categories restorative/facilitatory, or compensatory. Within the restorative/facilitatory category, education, direct feedback, and experiential feedback [are] the most frequently recommended (p.163), with others such as behavioural therapy, psychotherapy and rating of task performance also being recommended. Education relates to ensuring the patient understands his or her injury and the impairments that this injury brings. This can be delivered through a variety of ways such as group therapy, visual aids, and support groups. Direct feedback following a task performance can be used to facilitate intellectual, emergency, and anticipatory awareness (p.164), whereas experient ial feedback allows the patient to go through difficulty in a real-life situation and is useful in emergent and anticipatory awareness (p.164). Compensatory strategies then As noted earlier, challenging behaviours and problematic social interaction have been liked to individuals with brain injury, which result in an amelioration of difficulties in areas such as family life, integration into the community and employment, to name but a few. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) works with environmental stimuli that impede on the challenging behaviour, and it is behavioral [sic] research in the field of brain injury rehabilitation [that] is an effective means of identifying techniques for reducing challenging behaviours and improving adaptive skills (Selznick Gurdin, Huber Cochran, 2005, p.15). This research is extensive and incorporates many different behavioural interventions, all of which have been proven to be successful. Within schools and residential programs, intervention procedures have been undertaken to reduce challenging behaviours that disrupt academic behaviour. Feeney Ylvisaker (1995) incorporated antecedent treatment using graphic organizers, curing, plan-do-review routines, and inclusion of the participant in decision-making. This treatment reduced the intensity and frequency of aggressive behaviour evident in three males with TBI. Gardner, Bird, Maguire, Carrario, Abenaim (2003) also reduced challenging behaviours using antecedent control procedures, however their success was due to interspersal and fading techniques. Selznick Savage (2000) examined self-monitoring methods for individuals who had sustained a brain injury. These methods proved to be effective for increasing attending, academic responding, and task accuracy as well as for improving social skills with individuals with behaviour disorders, mental retardation, and learning disabilities (p.243 ). This study found that on-tas k behaviour increased to 89 100% for three boys with brain injury when these self monitoring procedures were undertaken. Consequence-based interventions have also been studied extensively in this area and prove to have significant positive results. Peck, Potoczny-Gray, and Luiselli (1999) used instructional motor activities when a 15 year old boy with ABI showed signs of stereotypy in the classroom. This intervention reduced stereotypy and maintained its reduction when treatment was faded. Within the rehabilitation area, there has been extensive research depicting behavioural procedures that reduce challenging behaviour. Hegel (1988) implemented a token economy system to an 18 year old boy with a brain injury during therapy session in order to reduce his disruptive vocalizations and his noncompliance. As a result of the token economy system, his vocalizations decreased and his achieved goals increased. On a similar note, Silver et al. (1994) used a monetary reward system on a 12 year old girl with an anoxic brain injury. This was incorporated in a bid to improve her performance of morning tasks. She was reinforced with one penny for each step that she correctly completed. Reinforcement was gradually faded, and by the end of the intervention her verbal cues and physical assistance had decreased by 70 92%. Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviour (DRA) has also been proven to be successful in reducing challenging behaviour. Slifer et al. (1993) used this tech nique with extinction, response cost, and a token economy, to reduce disruptive behaviour. In most cases, DRA reduced disruptive behaviour and also increased compliance. From examining these studies, it suggests that various reinforcement procedures may facilitate more efficient therapeutic goal attainment and subsequent home and community reintegration (Gurdin et al. 2005, p.12). Purpose of current study The purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of self-awareness and challenging behaviours in persons with acquired brain injury, intervention types, and success ratings. This study will incorporate a sample of Irish patients who have ABI, which is presently absence in the research conducted to date. It will also provide information on what intervention types are most regularly used among persons with ABI, and the success ratings of such intervention types.

African Archaeology :: Africa African Archaeology Essays

1) Metallurgical Origins in Africa Introduction The study of metallurgy in Africa has been dominated by a concern with origins and antiquity. Some Anthropologists believe that African metallurgy was an early, independent invention, while others believe that it was an innovation, which came relatively late, and was a product of diffusion. With these two hypotheses as our only reference points, we are limited in our knowledge of metallurgy as well as its role in the lives of African people. Anthropologists often find themselves in the predicament of being presented with a small number of precedent theories, which shape and direct further studies. Diffusionism J.O. Vogel, in an article published in the Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa (1991) entitled â€Å"Copper Metallurgy,† took the diffusionist theory of African metallurgy as a given, stating that â€Å"The ultimate source of sub-Saharan metallurgy has not been conclusively identified, but among the most likely source areas are Carthage or southern Morocco via Berber traders crossing the Sahara.† (Vogel, 1997: 125) This author was working within the framework of diffusionist ideas, leaving little room for alternate theories. James Woodhouse, however, a proponent of Indigenism, discusses the logistics of this theory, citing references that suggest that smelting in Carthage only appeared in the early first millennium B.C., making diffusion into Nigeria, and lands further south, difficult in such a short time, if not impossible. More explicitly, Vogel states that â€Å"Copper metallurgy was invented in Eurasia, and began before 6000 B.C,† (Vogel, 1997: 125) and place s the first evidences of African smelting between 900 and 300 B.C. (Vogel, 1997: 126). Without any specific physical evidence cited to this effect, the argument lacks a certain amount of credibility. Another model, which is inherent of diffusionist theory, is that of â€Å"progressive development.† It seems to be a trend in much of Western thought that societies must undergo certain stages of development to qualify as civilizations. The theory proposes that when faced with a new technology, people will automatically embrace it in order to â€Å"better† themselves, and to move up on the ladder of civilization. Proponents of the progressive development theory see any deviation from this pattern as problematic and anomalous. This is shown in the terminology used by certain anthropologists when describing such deviations. In the case of African metallurgy, any society, which does not produce metals, or does not embrace the technology immediately, is seen as facing some sort of â€Å"barrier.

Demographic Factors Research

Running head: DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS RESEARCH Demographic Factors Research University of Phoenix MMPBL 560 Managing in a Cross-Cultural Environment October 19, 2009 Organizations around the world are experiencing the effects of cultural and global diversity. Kellogg, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Arbor are four companies introduced in this paper. They have been researched in order to identify how each company is affected by demographic factors, how these factors are managed, and what systems are implemented to enhance the success of the business; thus, this paper illustrates the key course concepts and their application to the best practices of these companies. The dynamics and dimensions of diversity in an increasingly global business environment can challenge the demographic factors of most organizations. Basically, Kottak and Kozaitis (2003) declare, â€Å"In the 21st century, the overwhelming majority of the world's population, along with a large percentage of the populations of the United States and Canada, will be descendants of the non-Western groups† (Ch. 1, p. 29). In other words, organizations will need to learn how to manage the complexities of a diverse workforce. Among these complexities, organizations will encounter demographic factors such as age, race, education level, religion, political party preference, sexual orientation, and gender (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003). Because of these diverse factors, organizations need to be prepared to recognize the individuals’ behavior that is influenced by culture, values, and beliefs. To illustrate, culture refers to people’s identity in their traditions, customs, and way of life (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003). In fact, Kottak and Kozaitis (2003) declare that culture is all encompassing. In essence, it is important for organizations to know that individuals are influenced by popular culture as well. Therefore, individuals in a diverse workplace need to understand and respect each other’s differences. It is not enough to know that the workplace is composed of people with different views in life, values, and attitudes. Kottak and Kozaitis (2003) state that â€Å"Ethnic diversity may be associated with positive group interaction and coexistence or with conflict† (Ch. 5, p. 12). Knowing that diversity can be beneficial to the organization will help management integrate appropriate value systems within the company. However, in the event that conflict exists as a result of diversity, management would need to consider alternative best practices to address the organizational conflict. Given the complexities of a diverse workforce, organizations need to examine constantly alternative solutions to help them manage the demographic factors within the company. Kottak and Kozaitis (2003) declare that â€Å"Failure to achieve an accurate account and appreciation of a race-based group of people results in racism† (Ch. 6, p. 3). Certainly, organizations need to mitigate any potential and undesirable outcomes that can negatively affect the reputation and profitability of the business. To put it differently, â€Å"The great sociopolitical paradox of the contemporary world is that both integration and disintegration are increasing† (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003, Ch. 3, p. 5). In addition, globalization is contributing to the workforce diversity around the world, and organizations are continually being challenged to learn new ways to manage these changes. Organizations are not only challenged with internal changes but also with external forces such as economic and political factors. The importance of understanding the presence and influence of diversity that affect the contemporary American culture can prove enormously beneficial for any organization. In effect, organizations need to learn how to effectively manage the effects of demographic factors involving their planning and decision making in motivating and rewarding individuals (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003). Consider for instance, Kellogg started its business more than 100 years ago and has quickly expanded into new geographies, leading to a stead fast growth plan that provided them with a global business, which still stands strong today. While remaining a superior global food company, Kellogg’s management realized that they had to have the strongest possible resources to support their business growth in a diverse and competitive environment (Kellogg, 2009). Likewise, Starbucks is managing its competition challenges; the current economic conditions are factors that Starbucks needs to consider in order to market the new products to preserve its clientele and bring in new customers. Hence, Starbucks is wise to use the four P’s model; Price, Product, Place, and Promotion, to determine the course of action best suited to stay ahead of the competition. To be clear, both Kellogg and Starbucks are managing the effects of postmodernity; that is, â€Å"postmodertnity describes our time and situation—today's world in flux, with people on the move who have learned to manage multiple identities depending on place and context† (Kottak & Kozaitis, 2003, Ch. p. 29). To manage the influence of postmodernity within the context of demographic factors, Kellogg and Starbucks are implementing strategic approaches to aid them in their success involving global and cultural diversity. For example, Kellogg committed itself to developing a comprehensive and ground-breaking supplier diversity program. This program was to cultivate strategic procurement relationships with W/MBE-owned, controlled and operated businesses while supplying products and services Kellogg purchased; this would allow them to foster the growth of their business while marketing the long-term growth of Kellogg (Kellogg, 2009). Similarly, Starbucks expanded the menu to include products to target non-coffee drinkers, with the introduction of blended or iced cold coffee drinks, frappuccino’s, lattes, mocha’s, and teas. Starbucks creatively integrated a diverse menu consisting of bold aromas to creamy sweet flavors, attracting a range of customers to Starbucks at various times and for various reasons. Starbucks’ intention to satisfy the demographic factors has prompted management to add items on the menu for anyone willing to try; among them, Professionals heading to an early morning meeting needing a â€Å"stout† cup of coffee, housewives stopping for a late morning latte with friends after dropping the children at school and the high school and college students in search of Wi-Fi connection and snack (Kembell, 2002). Another company that has continued to strive for cultural adaptability in a diverse global environment is McDonald’s. This company is an organization that can be found in every country, servicing nearly 47 million customers around the world. Because of McDonald’s unique demographic factors, managers are trained through a comprehensive Management Development Program. This program encompasses McDonald’s core values and principles along with the dedication to serve customers, the community, and employees (McDonald’s, 2009). One of the demographic factors affecting McDonald’s management planning involves the aging population in Australia. In other words, McDonald’s management is challenged with having to change its marketing approach in order to reach the newly identified groups (Monash University, 2009). Similar to Kellogg and Starbucks, McDonald’s management is searching for effective systems to help aid the company in addressing the increasing changes in demographics. Fortunately, McDonald’s continues to find strength on its business models in which McDonald’s management is â€Å"committed to exceeding [†¦] customers' expectations in every restaurant every time† (McDonald’s, 2009). Accordingly, McDonald’s management recognizes that the company’s core values go beyond demographics, for this reason, McDonald’s philosophy declares, â€Å"We will seize every opportunity to innovate and lead the industry on behalf of our customers† (McDonald’s, 2009). Effectively, the best practices of McDonald’s, Starbucks and Kellogg demonstrate the dedication and commitment to learn and adopt successful systems that will help them serve customers regardless of demographic factors. Unquestionably, these organizations need to also integrate rewards and motivation systems to help them sustain a diverse workforce anywhere in the world. For example, Arbor Education and Training is a leading provider of workforce development services to job-seekers, workers, employers, and communities nationwide (Arbor E & T, 2009). Arbor employees come from many different walks of life, employees of all ages, religions, and other factors; these employees are treated equally within the organization in decisions concerning rewards and performance. Kottak and Kozaitis (2003) state that â€Å"Cultural diversity refers to variation in institutions, traditions, language, customs, rituals, beliefs, and values† (Ch. 4, p. 6). In summary, organizations are required to continually scan their business environment in order to identify the challenges that come with a diverse workforce. Overall, Kellogg, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Arbor are challenged with cultural diversity, yet each company is finding the way to integrate successful best practices in the workplace. As noted, the dimensions of diversity in relation to each demographic factor play a crucial role in how Kellogg, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Arbor cope with the increasing changes of the business environment. Accordingly, the practices of these companies serve to address the presence of a diverse workforce in a constantly changing society. Synopsis of Kellogg by Wendy Harris Kellogg Company, a company with many competitive advantages in global communications, started its company more than 100 years ago and quickly expanded into new geographies. With a stead fast growth plan that provided them with a global business which still stands strong today. While remaining a superior global food company, Kellogg Company realized that they had to have the strongest possible resources to support their business growth. A great deal of that strength was acquired through raw materials and other products and services from the widest and best foundation of resources. During the building process, Kellogg Company committed itself to developing a comprehensive and ground-breaking supplier diversity program. This program was to cultivate strategic procurement relationships with W/MBE-owned, controlled and operated businesses while supplying products and services Kellogg purchased; this would allow them to foster the growth of their business while marketing the long-term growth of the Kellogg Company. Kellogg’s code of conduct, their management staff is required to hold certain employees to special responsibilities under the Code. Kellogg believes it’s their managers’ responsibility to create and maintain a work environment in which all employees and agents know that ethical and legal behavior is expected of them at all times. Each manager is expected to model the highest standards of ethical business conduct and encourage discussion of the ethical and unethical as well as the legal implications of business decisions. It is the mangers responsibility to make sure that anyone needing additional information in an effort to do his or her job receives appropriate policies and training. It is the managers’ responsibility not to hire or retain any employee or agent who they feel may engage in unlawful conduct or unethical activities. In 2005, Kellogg incorporated an awards program called the W. K. Kellogg Values Award, which is given annually to one individual and one team of employees who best exhibit the K Values while working. This program initiated to support their code of conduct as well as the company’s mission. Synopsis of Starbucks by Colleen Holdahl Young urban professionals consuming specialized coffees were the first to patronize Starbucks. Today the popular coffee chain attracts 25 million people each week and draws a large demographic of patrons varying in age and ethnic backgrounds (Hanft, 2005). The most common customer Starbucks attracts is of course, the coffee drinker, yet the company expanded the menu to include products to target non-coffee drinkers, with the introduction of blended or iced cold coffee drinks, frappuccino’s, lattes, mocha’s, and teas. With the presence of bold aromas to creamy sweet flavors, a range of customers are frequenting Starbucks at various times and for various reasons. Starbucks has items on the menu for anyone willing to try: Professionals heading to an early morning meeting needing a â€Å"stout† cup of coffee, housewives stopping for a late morning latte with friends after dropping the children at school and the high school and college students in search of Wi-Fi connection and snack (Kembell, 2002). Adding new products is a challenge as Starbucks must consider many factors. For example when the new Creme Frappuccino was created, Starbucks took into consideration the demographic areas to launch the drink, the market to target, and the packaging of the new product. Introducing the Creme Frappuccino, Starbucks faces a competition that the company has not previously experienced, with competitors imitating the Creme Frappuccino. Competition and the current economic condition, both are factors Starbucks needs to consider how to market the new products to preserve current patrons and bring in new customers. Starbucks is wise to use the four P’s model; Price, Product, Place, and Promotion, to determine the course of action, best suited to stay ahead of the competition. Emotions are potent internal influences described by Hawkins, Mothersbaugh, and Best (2007) as â€Å"strong, relatively uncontrollable feelings that affect behavior† (p. 364). Starbucks is in a controversy over the supposed injustice and treatment toward coffee growers in Ethiopia. The controversy deals with negative emotions of customers, due to the report that Starbucks deprives the Ethiopian growers of $90 Million annually by opposing the Ethiopian government’s efforts to trademark three locally grown coffee beans (Economist, para. ). The Creme Frappucino gives Starbucks an opportunity to offer a guilt-free alternative to non-coffee drinkers or patrons who oppose the Ethiopian controversy, during the time the legal and public-relations situation is in transition. Synopsis of McDonald’s by Marisela Jimenez McDonald’s is an organization that can be found in every country, servicing nearly 47 million customers around the world. Because of McDonald’s unique demographic factors, managers are trained through a comprehensive Management Development Program. This program encompasses McDonald’s core values and principles along with the dedication to serve customers, the community, and employees (McDonald’s, 2009). Hence, the demographic factors affecting McDonald’s vary from each country, yet management understands that by following McDonald’s philosophy, their planning can help mitigate the effects of each demographic factor. To illustrate, some of the demographic factors affecting McDonald’s management planning involves the aging population in Australia, the decline in birth rate, the changing family, the increase in ethnic diversity, and the population growth. In other words, McDonald’s management is challenged with having to change its marketing approach in order to reach the newly identified groups (Monash University, 2009). To address this organizational conflict involving the demographic factors, McDonald’s management focuses on its services and products. Accordingly, McDonald’s management is trained to approach each conflict with honesty and integrity (Monash University, 2009). Not only is McDonald’s management keeping up with the rapid demographic changes, they are also continuing to manage conflict by remaining committed to their principles. This means that McDonald’s management is â€Å"committed to exceeding [†¦] customers' expectations in every restaurant every time† (McDonald’s, 2009). Fundamentally, McDonald’s best practices on dealing with organizational conflict are strongly carved on its philosophy; that is â€Å"We will seize every opportunity to innovate and lead the industry on behalf of our customers† (McDonald’s, 2009). Hence, McDonald’s management recognizes that their focus is every customer, regardless of age, ethnicity, sex, and location. McDonald’s is an organization that understands how to motivate and reward people. Consider for instance, McDonald’s has what is called People Promise. This means that McDonald’s promises to â€Å"value each and every employee, their growth and their contribution – every day in every way† (McDonald’s, 2009). McDonald’s managers recognize and respect each employee; each employee is empowered and coached. This organizational practice is found in every McDonald’s around the world, for this reason, McDonald's prides itself on offering â€Å"more than a pay check to our employees. Our Crew members enjoy flexible schedules, paid training and the chance to have fun working with friends while learning valuable life skills† (McDonald’s, 2009). Synopsis of Arbor E&T by Eduardo Mata Arbor Education and Training (Arbor E & T) is a company with offices throughout the United States and have a very diverse workforce that demonstrates a unique demographic factor. Arbor Education and Training is a leading provider of workforce development services to job-seekers, workers, employers and communities nationwide (Arbor E & T, 2009). Arbor employees come from many different walks of life, employees of all ages, religions, and other factors and these employees are treated equally within the organization when it comes to decisions concerning rewards and performance. Founded in 1968, Arbor E&T is now the largest single supplier of job-related education, counseling and employment assistance under federally funded programs such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs (Arbor E & T, 2009). Management planning for many of its customers receiving federally funded assistance requires that certain guidelines are followed and because of being federally funded and services provided must meet the customer’s requirements and expectations along with the government regulations. Arbor E & T provides services to a wide variety of customers seeking employment, education or training and also provide excellent services to migrant and seasonal farm workers and United States Veterans seeking employment and other services. Training is provided to the entire workforce in providing the best services possible to each group. Arbor management is committed to providing the leadership, training, and resources required to enable our employees to consistently adhere to regulatory requirements, to tirelessly seek improvement of our processes, and to continue to provide world-class services to all of our customers. We are dedicated and caring people who form a company providing excellent human services that enhance the lives of individuals. The company rewards its employees based on employee performance and whether their goals were met for the preceding year. As found in Arbor E & T (2009): Our goal is to be known by our clients and by the workforce development community as the leading provider of services in the markets we serve, i. e. , One-Stops, TANF, youth, early childhood education, and vocational training programs. Our quality management system is a critical element of our effort to achieve this goal. † References Arbor. (2009). Arbor education and training. Retrieved October 17, 2009 from http://w ww. arboret. com/ Hanft, Adam. (April 1, 2005). What you can learn from starbucks. Retrieved October 13, 2009 from http://www. inc. com/resources/marketing/articles/20050401/starbucks. html. Hawkins, D. , Mothersbaugh, D. and Best, R. (2007). The Economist. Consumer behavior: building marketing strategy. Retrieved October 13, 2009 from http://highered. mcgraw- hill. com/sites/0073101370/information_center_view0/revision_changes. html. Kellogg Company. (2009). Kellogg company. Retrieved October 17, 2009, from http://www2. kelloggs. com/General. aspx? ID=466 Kellogg Company. (2003). We act with integrity and show respect in everything we do. Retrieved from http://files. shareholder. com/downloads/K/749861120x0x196418/ ec25a03a-7081-450d- a942-16ee7ad2ee1b/GlobalCodeofEthic. df Kembell, B. (April 2002). Catching the starbucks fever: starbucks marketing strategy. Missouri State University. Kottak, C. P. , Kozaitis, K. A. (2003). On being different: diversity and multiculturalism in the north american mainstream. (2nd ed. ). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. McDonald’s. (2009). Our story. [Online]. Available: http://www. mcdonalds. ca/en/aboutus/index. aspx (2009, O ctober 16). Monash University. (2009). Briohny’s report. [Online]. Available: http://www. monash. edu. au/lls/llonline/writing/business-economics/marketing/3. 3. 2. xml (2009, October 16). | |MMPBL/560 Demographic Factors Research Rubric | |Week 2 | | | | | | | |Criterion |Unsatisfactory |Satisfactory |Exceptional |Score | |Knowledge of Course Concepts (40%) | |Describe the Effects of Demographic|Demonstrates a level of knowledge|Demonstrates a level of knowledge |Demonstrates a level of knowledge that |2. 00 | |Factors on Management Planning. that is below the requirement |that meets the requirement |meets or exceeds the requirement and is | | | | | |well supported | | |Analyze the Role Demographic |Demonstrates a level of knowledge|Demonstrates a level of knowledge |Demonstrates a level of knowledge that |1. 33 | |Factors Play in Contributing to |that is below the requirement |that meets the requirement |meets or exceeds the requirement and is | | |Organizational Conflict. | |well supported | | |Examine the Influence of |Demonstrates a level of knowledge|Demonstrates a level of knowledge |Demonstrates a level of knowledge that |1. 33 | |Demographic Factors on Individual |that is below the requirement |that meets the requirement |meets or exceeds the requirement and is | | |Rewards and Recognition. | | |well supported | | |Research (20%) | |Provide Benchmark Research on |The benchmarked companies’ |The benchmarked companies’ |In addition to meeting the requirements of|  2. 0 | |Organizational Applications of |situations do not relate to the |situations relate to the course |satisfactory, the benchmarked companies’ | | |Course Objectives |course concepts, or are not |concepts and are researched from |situations provide a thorough coverage of | | | |researched from academic or trade|academic or trade publication |course objectives | | | |publication sources |sources. The score is ranged | | | | | |between satisfactory and | | | | | |exceptional. | | | |Critical Thinking (15%) | |Demonstrate Critical Thought in |Does not demonstrate critical |Demonstrates critical thought in |In addition to meeting requirements of |1. 0 | |Analyzing Information |thought in the analysis of the |analyzing the information by |satisfactory, synthesizes information | | | |information, or analysis is |presenting various perspectives on|across concepts effectively | | | |disjointed |the concepts | | | |Written Communication (15%) | |Demonstrate Quality and |Written communication is |Written communication is effective|In addition to meeting requirements of |2. 5 | |Effectiveness in Written |ineffective, with numerous | |satisfactory, the paper is engaging to the| | |Communication |spelling and grammatical errors | |reader with concise and clear | | | |or poorly constructed sentences | |communication | | |Format, Style & Citation Standards (10%) | |Adhere to University of Phoenix |Numerous errors in format, style,|Few errors in for mat, style, or |Virtually no errors in format, style, or |1. 25 | |Writing Style (APA) Requirements |or reference citation |reference citation |reference citation | | |Final Score==> |12. 1 | | | |Team B, | | | |The overall submission was interesting and well written. The concept of management planning was thoroughly researched and discussed. All of the companies clearly | |described the organizational conflict except for Arbor and Starbucks omitted the section on research and recognition. All of the companies were demonstrated as | |benchmarked companies that addressed the concepts; however, in some instances a piece was omitted. The score was reduced under critical thought because only | |comparisons were addressed and not all concepts were covered. The written communication was well done and only a minor APA formatting issue was noted. Your research | |section as the instructor’s plagiarism checker noted consisted of an 13% plagiarism rate. The instructor’s plagiarism checker also checks past student papers, as well| |as a more thorough Internet search. Not everyone turned in their team evaluation; however, by the way it looks everyone participated equally in the group. Good | |work! | | |

Obama Health Care Reform Essay Example

Obama Health Care Reform Essay Example Obama Health Care Reform Essay Obama Health Care Reform Essay Obama Health Care Reform-NO!! When it comes to our health care system, most of us agree that America is ready for a change. We need a system that delivers accessible, high quality care, but we can’t achieve this goal with government policies that attack the foundation of our current health care system which is employer sponsored health insurance. The Obama administration and members of congress are pushing legislation to set up a government run health care system. This government run system would operate in competition with private health insurance that is commonly provided by many employers to employees and their families. Employer sponsored health insurance is the backbone of our nation’s health care system and if this health insurance is banished this would affect 160 million Americans. Do you want the future of health care be in the hands of a few politicians, the same politicians that are making themselves exempt from their own policies? This trillion dollar takeover of health care will just make things worse for us Americans. This plan will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit. It would also mean new taxes and a huge backdoor premium that will make health care costs even higher, not lower. Businesses and taxpayers will be stuck paying for a government run plan through higher taxes, these costs we cannot afford at this time when our economy is facing real challenges. This new health care reform will cover fewer medical procedures and each American will have long waiting periods before they can get the medical care they seriously need. Under this plan if you need surgery or a transplant it may take so long for the government to O. K. the medical procedure you need that you may die before your treatment is approved. Other countries with this same government run plan has put price tags on the lives of their citizens. This health plan oversees your care and it makes the ill patients wait for the critical care they need to survive. Sadly, some people don’t survive long enough to see the government approve their medical care. For example, in Massachusetts, which in 2006 provided everyone with health insurance, their patients have to wait up to 63 days to get an appointment to see their doctor, could you wait that long to see your doctor if you was ill? As you can see a government run health care system won’t fix our health care system. America doesn’t need a one-size fits all government health care plan. We have to eep in mind the famous words of President Harry Truman, â€Å"Healthy citizens constitute our greatest national resource, and that welfare and security of our Nation demand that the opportunity for good health be made available to all. † He recognized the need for a better health care plan system that would be able to accommodate all Americans and treat any hea lth problems they may have. We need to work together as Americans to find a solution for a health care reform that lowers costs and expands access to private health care coverage that all Americans can afford, not a massive government takeover that puts a price tag on our lives!