Change: Indispensable Organizational Act Essay

Whenever change takes place, good and bad things happen in an organization. The management has the dice to roll on how to deal with such changes. People’s motivation will be affected especially those individuals who assumes that the management will get rid off them (Lawler, p. 157). When a company faces reduction in force, proper selection and guidance must be set. Result of reduction in force will cause the company with short-term and long-term consequences. Being the lead consultant, reduction in force will be the last resort to reconstruct the organization. To minimize or to come up with zero error can be attainable if proper line of communication is present. Since this is the main problem of the company, restructuring the way people communicate with other people from one department to another will be crucial. Every individual under the company needs to know that the company is working on the same goal (Termini, p. 186). Playing as one team with one spirit, proper coordination and communication are essential ingredients to keep on winning the stiff competition. Never fight with eyes close or else the opponent will easily know where to give their strong blows. The Essence of Proper Communication: Tool for Success People resist from change because of numerous factors that they will be dealing with. One is fear of loosing their vested interest with the current position. Individuals with anxieties guard off more what they can do with themselves than with the company (Reina and Reina, p. 7). The effects of changes with the company were not their concern but rather the implication of these changes with themselves. Another issue is, when there would be changes, rumours spread within the four corners of each department (Lawler and Rhode, p. 100). Misunderstanding takes place and people crumble more, leaving their work on a mess. Some may feel neglected while some may feel packing their things and headed on their way out. These reactions of people in an organization with regards to change are normal. Humans are bounded by intellectual and emotional abilities when stimulated by certain factors that will affect their desires. Employees of Pegasus have the benefit of realizing their potential because the company supports their way up. The company sets its benchmark in retaining its best people and allowing them to grow with the company. It is the main reason why people never leave Pegasus. Why waste this opportunity just because of miscommunication among departments? Communication is the answer and as much as possible, reduction will be the last resort to solve this problem. Employees of Pegasus set their lives with the company and it’s an asset which distinguished the difference of Pegasus from their competitors. There are approaches to cater the effects of change in an organization (Bahrami and Evans, p. 3). Proper education on people about the change effort beforehand helps employees to see the logic why the company needs to do such modification and alteration especially in communication. Participation of every division or department is an important element to transpire with positive effects of transformation. When there is a resistance to change, the management can have an arrangement to settle things. The company can offer incentive if projects will be completed at a given turn around time. There can also be a proposal that the department with much mistake will owe the rest of the team with an â€Å"after work dinner. This will enable each person within the company to loosen up. Casual talks involve in dinner party or any activity hosted by the company will enhance communication among its people. Such occasions allows people to mingle and rub elbows with other group of people. A friendly working environment makes people work with happiness in their hearts no matter how tough their assigned task is. It invites positive outlook in humans while working which allows optimistic drive to run through. A company needs to treat its employees not just a mere part of the team but most likely a part of the family. When one get hurts, everybody does.

Formula 1 Constructors

Introduction The Formula One World Championship was started in 1951 by private sportspersons. Today, Formula One is the world’s biggest motor sports event and is arguably the second most popular sport in the world. It consists of ten teams, with two cars each, contesting a 17-race series. It involves two titles, the Driver’s Championship and the Constructors Championship. Formula One today is a highly dependent on technology (Denison and Henderson, 2004). This article will discuss the resources, capabilities and attributes required by Formula One constructors.This article will also analyse the reasons for the dominance of different constructors during different periods, by using one of the methods of identifying competitive advantage. It will analyse the reasons behind their inability to sustain their dominance and also suggest ways by which these constructors could have sustained their competitive advantage. â€Å"A firm is said to have competitive advantage when it i s implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors. (Barney, 1991:99) Resources, capabilities and attributes required by Formula One Resources can be classified as financial, physical, human, technological and organisational (Grant, 1991). The financial resources required by Formula One constructors are vast (close to $1 bn), the human resources required are a staff of around 450-800. They need highly qualified staff like race engineers, designers, aerodynamicists, composite experts and system specialists. They require physical resources including their own testing and development equipment like wind tunnels, test tracks and other equipment.They also need to constantly change their strategies to counter strategies of the other teams. All the teams and members need to work as a cohesive unit. Based on Porter (2004) we can identify factors important for competitive advantage in the Formula One industry. Technology deve lopment is crucial to competitive advantage in the racing industry. Technology development involves steps to improve the racing car in aspects like power, stability and drag. It involves steps like research, product design and servicing procedures.Human resource management is also key to competitive advantage in the racing industry. Human resource management involves activities like recruitment, training, and development of employees. In Formula One human resource management involves choosing the right drivers, engineers and designers who are expertds in their fields and also good team players. It also involves training new drivers, engineers and designers and keeping them satisfied and motivated so that they don’t leave and join other competitors. Firm infrastructure involves activities like general management, planning, finance and accounting.This can also be an important source of competitive advantage as management and planning are crucial to success in the racing industr y. Value linkages are also an important source of competitive advantage in the racing industry. Linkages can be both internal and external. Internal linkages include co-ordination between various departments within the firm like the design team, racing team and the technical team. External linkages include co-operation and co-ordination with component suppliers and sponsors(Porter, 2004). Attributes are qualities or skills possessed by constructors.Attributes include trust, relationships, history and management structure within a firm (Barney, 1995). These skills relate to ways in which they do things. These skills and qualities are not easily transferable, as they cannot be easily copied. These skills and qualities are generally developed over a long period of time. Formula one constructors require attributes like knowledge, experience and flair for innovation. A firm’s capabilities are based on the resources it has. Capability means the ability of a firm to perform certain tasks based on the resources it has.Capability is created by the integration of many key resources and attributes. Resources and attributes alone do not lead to competitive advantage, but capabilities are a source of competitive advantage. The key resources of an organisation need to be identified, and capabilities, due to a combination of particular resources that need to be identified. Capabilities involve efficient interaction between people and other resources. Formula One Constructors require engine manufacturing, car design and technological capabilities. Key capabilities are those that are not shared by the firm’s competitors.Strategy of an organisation has to be based on its resources and key capabilities to gain a competitive advantage (Grant, 1991). For example, Ferrari had the unique capability of manufacturing engines, which its other competitors did not have. Hamel and Prahalad, (1990) describe key capabilities, which lead to competitive advantage as ‘core competencies’. Ferrari’s success in the mid 1970s Ferrari was the dominant Formula One Constructor’s Championship in the mid 1970’s. Using one of the many approaches to determine competitive advantage, the reasons for Ferrari’s dominance can be identified.Some approaches to determine competitive advantage are explained below: Porter’s (1980) five forces model helps to position a firm in the best way to tackle competitors. This model helps in understanding the competition and formulating strategy accordingly. Carl Shapiro’s (1989) approach is based on making competitive firms act in unproductive ways. This theory can only be used where competitors are closely placed. Barney’s (1995) resource based approach believes that competitive advantage is due to unique resources. The capability of the firm is based on its unique resources.He suggests that it is important to understand the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses to understand how exactly competitive advantage can be gained. Barney’s (1995) approach is based on SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Barney’s (1995) approach implies that only those firms that use their internal strengths to make use of the available opportunities gain competitive advantage. Strengths and weaknesses can be understood by 1. Continuously checking whether resources and capabilities of a firm help it in the changing environment. 2.Checking whether these capabilities and resources are unique to the firm. 3. Understanding if the resources and capabilities of the firm are difficult to imitate. 4. Checking if the firm’s processes make use of the resources and capabilities effectively. Teece (1997) suggests that dynamic capabilities are a source of competitive advantage. â€Å"Dynamic refers to capacity to renew resources so as to achieve congruence with the changing business environment. † (Teece et. al, 1997:515). A ccording to Teece (1997) dynamic capabilities of a firm depend on its processes, position and path.Processes mean the way things are done in the firm, position means the technology, assets and customer base the firm has, path means the ways available to the firm to do things. These dynamic capabilities of the firm lead to competitive advantage. Porter (2004) introduced the concept of value chain to determine competitive advantage. It was based on identifying the primary and secondary activities of the firm. Primary activities include activities like inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service.Secondary activities include firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development and procurement. It then identifies and separates activities that are unique strengths of the firm in relation to the competition. Spanos and Lioukas (2001) argue that Porter’s value chain is based on external factors of competition and ignores the cr ucial internal resources and capabilities of the firm. Rumelt (1984) also argues that strategy of a firm should be based on its unique resources and capabilities.McWilliams and Smart (1993) argue that Porter’s value chain theory lead managers the wrong way by suggesting to develop unique activities based on the resources, even though the activities may not be beneficial to the firm. From the various views it can be seen that Barney’s (1995) approach, based on identifying and focusing on unique resources and capabilities, based on SWOT analysis, is more relevant in analysing competitive advantage in Formula One. Using SWOT analysis we can identify that one of the strengths of Ferrari was the use of component knowledge as a source of competitive advantage.Component knowledge means skills, resources and knowledge related to particular parts of a system. For example, in Formula One it means technical and design skills related to engine, chassis and gearbox. (Pinch et al, 2 003). The Ferrari 12-cylinder engine and 312-T car was a result of component knowledge. In 1975, Ferrari designed a new car 312T, which had a wide low body, powerful 12-cylinder engine and a revolutionary transverse gearbox. All these improved the balance and handling of the car. 312T had a chassis, engine and gearbox combination, which could not be matched by the engine, gearbox combination of the competing cars(Johnson, G et. l, 2008). The component knowledge behind this engine and car could be easily understood, but could not be easily transferred because it was based on firm specific component knowledge and because it didn’t fit in with the systems of other manufacturers; hence it was not used widely. The other strength that was the reason for Ferrari’s success was the use of architectural knowledge as a competitive advantage. Architectural knowledge considers the whole system and the interaction between component knowledge of its various parts (Matusik and Hill, 1 998).It is difficult to transfer architectural knowledge between organisations because it is distinct for each organisation and develops over time. The highly efficient practices introduced by Montezemolo were the architectural knowledge of Ferrari. Montezemola ensured that each team concentrated on a specific task, for example, chassis, gearbox, engine and suspension. This helped avoid conflicts and helped in getting a great car made. The system of having each team concentrating on a specific task to avoid conflicts was also a part of architectural knowledge of Ferrari.Architectural knowledge also helps in determining the ability of organisations to acquire new knowledge. (Zahra and George, 2002). Human resource management was another strength, which was a factor of competitive advantage in Ferrari’s success, as Montezemola recruited the right driver in Nicki Lauda, who could communicate effectively with the technical team. Another of Ferrari’s strengths were the uniq ue resources that it had, like its Maranello factory where it made its own engines and the test track in Fiorano, which is one of the most advanced and sophisticated test tracks in the world, which enabled it to test and develop cars.All these strengths were the reason for Ferrari’s dominance in the 1970’s. McLaren’s domination in the late-1980’s In September 1980 Dennis was appointed as the team principal. Dennis bought in Barnard as a car designer. Barnard had ideas of making the racing car chassis of carbon fibre, instead of metal. Barnard left in 1986 but a lot of progress in car design had been made by then. By SWOT analysis we can identify the strengths of McLaren, which endowed it with competitive advantage. One of McLaren’s strengths during this period was the efficient and disciplined way in which the organisation was run.They prepared carefully for all the races. Many elements that contributed to McLaren’s success are still unknown . This is an example of architectural knowledge being used for competitive advantage. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Good human resource management can be seen to be another strength, which was the reason for McLaren’s success as McLaren had the right people for the job in Dennis and Barnard. Dennis had good managerial skills while Barnard had highly innovative design skills. Dennis, in turn, recruited the best drivers in Senna and Prost, who were crucial to McLaren’s success.Senna was fast and determined whereas Prost was fast and good at tactics. Another of McLaren’s strengths was the use of external linkages of value chain as a competitive advantage, by its collaboration with Honda for engines. All these strengths helped McLaren dominate F1 from 1988 to 1991. Williams’ success in the mid 1990’s Williams developed on the ideas of ground effect, carbon composite monocoque, semi-automatic gearbox and active suspension. Williams considered the driver to be o nly part of the system.Using SWOT analysis we can determine that one of the strengths of the Williams team can be attributed to use of cluster level architectural knowledge as a source of competitive advantage. Cluster level architectural knowledge refers to knowledge shared by groups of organisations in a particular geographical area. Cluster level architectural knowledge also involves common ways of thinking and habits among organisations in the cluster. Hence it becomes difficult for organisations outside the cluster to copy the technologies developed in the cluster.An example of cluster level architectural knowledge can be seen in UK’s ‘Motorsport Valley’. Many technologies used in Formula One cars have been developed here, for example, the use of carbon composite materials, traction controls and active suspension systems (Henry and Pinch, 1999). Brown and Duguid (2001) argue that component knowledge is the ‘cargo’ that is moved around on the â⠂¬Ëœrails’ of cluster level architectural knowledge. The ‘Ground effects’ technology was developed in Motorsport Valley and was first used by Lotus.The Williams team that was in the same area was the one that applied the ‘ground effects’ technology efficiently. Thus, all the technologies developed in the ‘Motorsport Valley’ were transferred to and adopted by Williams, this contributed greatly to its success. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Thus it can be seen that Williams developed strong and unique capabilities in the designing of the car body, chassis and gearbox. Human resource management was another strength, which also acted as a source of competitive advantage. Frank Williams was the founder of Williams and he appointed Patrick Head as the Technical Director.The attributes of entrepreneurial energy and technical excellence helped them to succeed. Patrick Head appointed good drivers like Senna and Prost. Another strength of Williams was thei r external linkages. Their linkage with Renault helped them use the powerful and reliable Renault engine, which complemented their FW15 chassis. All these strengths that acted as sources of competitive advantage led to William’s domination from 1992 to 1994. Ferrari’s return to winning ways after 1999 Montezemela was brought back to Ferrari, as CEO in 1992. He set up a new design department with 50 people.Ferrari’s focus shifted from engine to integration of main parts. The strengths of Ferrari, identified using SWOT analysis, was that value linkages (Porter, 2004), both externally and internally became a source of competitive advantage for Ferrari. Internal linkages were the co-operation between the departments manufacturing engine, chassis and the aerodynamics department. These were crucial in integrating all components of the car efficiently. External linkages were the collaboration with Bridgestone for making customised tyres for Ferrari and with Shell for f inancial and technical support.Another strength identified was good human resource management, which also acted as a competitive advantage by Ferrari’s appointment of Montezemela as chief executive and Schumacher as the driver. Ferrari recruited Schumacher in 1996, who was a great driver and motivator. He communicated well with the engine technicians. The core competency (Hamel and Prahalad, 1990) of Ferrari was the capability of manufacturing powerful engines. Since Ferrari manufactured its own engines they were able to integrate engine, chassis and aerodynamics early in the process. This was the most significant and unique strength of Ferrari.All these factors helped Ferrari win the constructors championship in 1999, after a gap of 12 years. Reasons for Ferrari, McLaren and the Williams teams not being able to sustain their success Using SWOT analysis we can see that one of the major weaknesses of Ferrari, due to which they could not sustain their success, was their lack of dynamic capabilities. Dynamic capabilities mean the ability of firms to adapt their competencies to the changing times and changing external environment. Ferrari needed the dynamic capability to create newer cars, which were more powerful, had better balance and had great aerodynamic properties.Penrose (1959) and Teece (1982) were the first to suggest that, to sustain competitive advantage, firms will need to utilise their firm specific capabilities and also develop new capabilities. Deeply ingrained ideas of architectural knowledge prevent the organisation from acquiring new knowledge. (Henderson and Clark, 1990). Another weakness of Ferrari was their strongly ingrained architectural knowledge that prevented them from initially accepting the ground effects technology, as it was concentrating only on engine design. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Lack of dynamic capabilities to adopt the ground ffects technology and bad human resource management that led to loss of Nicki Lauda from Ferrari, were major reasons due to which Ferrari was unable to maintain its success after 1979. One of the weaknesses of McLaren, identified by SWOT analysis, due to which they were unable to maintain their competitive advantage, was the pulling out of Honda from Formula One. McLaren were not prepared for this and did not have any other good engines to replace Honda. Thus the lack of ability to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage was the one of the reasons for the failure of McLaren.The other significant weakness identified was their not continuing to use human resource management as a source of competitive advantage. The loss of Senna to Williams in 1993 was a big blow to McLaren and they had not developed any new drivers to replace him. The main weakness that was the reason for the decline of Williams was the use of technologies developed by them by other competitors, like Benetton. Their competitors easily replicated their component knowledge. Since their capab ilities could be easily copied they could not maintain competitive advantage in the long term.The death of Senna in an accident left Williams without a good driver. Another weakness was the lack of dynamic capabilities that led to their not having a good replacement for Senna. Renault’s decision to supply engines to Benetton also meant loss of competitive advantage. The inability of Williams to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage was another weakness identified. The main weakness that was the reason for the decline of Ferrari after 2004 was they were not able to adapt their capabilities and external linkages to the changed rules.The strategies that could have been developed by each of these teams to further sustain their period of dominance. Spanos and Lioukas (2001) and Wenerfelt (1984) suggest that Porter’s value chain and the Resource based view are complementary and considering both together can help in sustaining competitive advantage. But from empirical studies conducted by Spanos and Lioukas (2001) it was found that focusing on unique resources and capabilities was more beneficial in sustaining competitive advantage than focusing unique activities in relation to competition.Thus it can be concluded that it is important to consider both your firm specific unique resources and capabilities and to develop activities that are unique in relation to competition in developing strategy, to sustain competitive advantage. Capabilities that are not easily transferable, that cannot be easily copied, that are not transparent and those that last a long time act as significant sources of long-term competitive advantage (Grant, 1991). Walker, (2007), suggests that to sustain competitive advantage a firm must use tactics of offence and defence.Offence involves working towards dominating the competition and defence involves taking steps to maintain the dominant position. Ferrari could have continued their dominance from the 1970à ¢â‚¬â„¢s if they had used opportunities identified using SWOT analysis to develop dynamic capabilities to adopt new technologies like ‘ground effects’ and to recruit other good drivers to replace Nicki Lauda. Miller (2003) suggests that the differences between firms are a source of sustained competitive advantage.Hence it can be said since from all the racing constructors only Ferrari made their own engines and other parts, they could integrate the parts much better. This was another opportunity for Ferrari to use this capability as a long-term competitive advantage and helped extend their period of dominance. McLaren could have used opportunities identified to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage by persuading Honda against quitting Formula One or by developing other external linkages for supplying engines, as a replacement for Honda. They needed to develop dynamic capabilities to have good alternative drivers for Senna.Teece et. al (1997) su ggests that competitive advantage can be sustained by improving efficiency. Hence, considering this theory McLaren could sustain their competitive advantage by improving their efficiencies continuously. Williams could have used the opportunities identified to develop strong architectural knowledge, which would not have been easily replicated by their competitors. The fact that all new technologies like ground effect, active suspension and semi-automatic gearbox were first developed by Williams was the differentiating factor from other racing constructors.Hence by Miller (2003)’s theory Williams needed to use that capability to sustain their competitive advantage. They needed to develop their innovative capabilities in a way that they could not be easily copied. They also needed to develop dynamic capabilities, in terms of other drivers, so that they had a replacement for Senna. To sustain competitive advantage after 2004, Ferrari needed to have dynamic capabilities, which wou ld help adapt their capabilities to the new rules. ConclusionFrom the study of the periods of dominance of various Formula One constructors, it can be concluded that each of the constructors had individual strengths, which they could have used as their core competencies and developed dynamic capabilities to be ahead of the competition. They need to focus on their unique resources, capabilities and develop unique activities, in relation to the competition, to gain competitive advantage. Success in Formula One is dependent on a variety of factors like the cars, the drivers, the management etc. Hence the constructors need to continuously improve their cars and retain their good drivers, to succeed.

Mistakes are Steps to Success

Many people think that mistakes just make their life miserable. But, ironically, that is not true. I always thought that making a mistake will make me regret that mistake for the rest of my life. But luckily I fell into the learning side of mistakes. Mistakes are like missions in a game, you may not die or you may die. If you die, you may learn from the mistakes that made you die in the first place. So the next time the same mission comes again you may not die because you have already learned from it. I believe that if you make a mistake, be optimistic and learn from the mistake.It makes you learn something about a situation and actually move on positively with it. When you make a mistake, it opens an automatic door to get to know yourself better. People can often learn more from a mistake than success. Some people may do the same mistake 2 or 3 times and then learn, that totally depends upon how seriously the mistake is. For example if you play with a needle, you might not get hurt the first time, but if you do it wrong the needle might poke a hole in your skin. Next time you do it you might think, NEEDLE=BAD.Sometimes we don’t realize we’re doing something bad until we get hurt and that’s usually how we learn. Everyone has made a mistake in their lives. At least just one, I mean if someone has never made a mistake, well that obviously means he/she doesn’t know anything. Why? Because mistakes are mostly the things that teach us in life. If we were perfect, nothing would make us happy, curious or even sad. I guess that’s a good thing, but that’s not true. I feel that mistakes give us more strength and make us stronger to deal with life.From my previous mistakes, I learned to never let anyone hurt me and crush my feelings, I learned to not show my emotions so much in future relationships, I learned about the kind of person I want in the future and the kind of person I don't want, I learned not to be so needy and to depen d on myself and my family for my happiness. Another false step that really taught me something was to lie to my parents. When we turn teenagers we change our path and do far worse mistakes than we do as kids.Something like that happened to me, I started to lie more and more until my parents would find out everything I lied about; I got phone and my PS3 taken away for a long time and that taught me to be truthful and honest to both of my parents so I won’t be able to suffer and have nothing in my life to entertain myself with. Some mistakes can be learned from, but few cannot. For example, if you’re teacher wants you to study on the computer and you start playing games, you might not get the second chance.Instead you probably will get a detention. I know that it is pretty hard to accept mistakes made by us but it’s easy if we can see our mistakes from a different angle. We usually think the negative thoughts about our mistakes, but we need to understand and accep t that the mistakes we do will bring big changes and make our lives distinct in some sort of way, depending on the mistake. I now realize why mistakes are also helpful and not only hurtful.

The gender pay gap in the uk and why it still exists Essay

The gender pay gap in the uk and why it still exists - Essay Example Workplace segregation remains prevalent as high concentrations of female employees are associated with relatively low rates of pay. And higher levels of part-time working are associated with lower rates of pay, even after other factors have been taken into account. Women’s employment is highly concentrated in female-dominated occupations which are often the lowest paid. Women are still under-represented in the higher paid jobs within occupations. Qualified women are characteristically denied top level jobs in corporate offices but instead of terming it what it is, sexism and discrimination, this form of unequal treatment is referred to as the ‘glass ceiling’ effect. Women do indeed have to perform twice as well as a man to retain the same pay and position at similar occupational arenas. This discussion will examine barriers to equality in the workplace, the reasons for this cultural phenomenon, evidence to support this claim and some possible solutions. Women must struggle to cope with discrimination in the workplace as is evidenced by occupational segregation. This terminology refers to the reality that women tend to work in different sectors of the economy and occupy different employment standings than men within the same occupational group. Government statistics reveal that women are highly concentrated in certain jobs as 60 per cent of working women are employed in just 10 per cent of available occupations (â€Å"What is the pay gap?†, 2006). While about one-half of workers are in sex-dominated employment, women are engaged in a narrower scope of occupations than men. There are seven times more male-dominated non-agricultural jobs than female. ‘Sex-dominated’ occupations are defined as when workers of one sex constitute more than 80 per cent of the labour force (Anker, 1998). In the UK, women constitute just 30 per cent of managers, 25 per cent of executives and 10 per

Public sector and management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Public sector and management accounting - Essay Example Most accounting standards organisations set standards for the running of companies. This is because such companies are in the majority in most nations. And such companies have stakeholders who demand timely and comprehensive financial statements. However, the public sector has distinct requirements and expectations. Due to this unique posture, the public sector requires different standards and frameworks for accounting. The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) sets standards for the public sector in the international community. And these standards are applicable to government agencies and other public sector entities as well as intergovernmental organisations. These standards are known as International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The aim of this paper is to examine the framework for such standards and how they operate. The paper would examine the important framework and systems for the creation and the operation of IPSASs. It would include a critical review of IPSASB and how they operate as well as their scope. The main objective of the IPSAS is to improve the quality of financial reporting by public sector entities (Jorge, 2008). This is to provide a framework for the provision of periodic reports by these entities that exhibit transparency and accountability (Muller-Marques, 2010). IPSAS is a major set of standards that tries to provide the rules and definitive guidance for the creation of financial statements for these public oriented companies around the world. The main reason why a different set of accounting reporting rules are needed for the public sector is that they have a welfare oriented system which is in contrast with the profit-orientation of the private sector. Hence, there is the need to create a system of rules for the public sector. The main scope of the IPSAS is to provide guidelines for central and decentralised

Emotional experience Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Emotional experience - Article Example The social and psychological impacts of this enormous advancement of technology are points of debate from the very beginning, and therefore considerable research has been devoted to find out the truth and balance between the extraordinary fruit of technology, mental dilemma regarding acceptability of the less worse in comparison to the worst (Verberg et al, 2008, 2050-2055) so the best possible outcomes can be delivered to the clients who are now consumers with great financial stakes (Smeenk et al., 2001, 1420-1423). It has been already cited in the literature that emotional components in IVF irrespective of a successful outcome are very intense, and emotional components of the participants often influence outcomes (de Klerk et al., 2003, xviii47-xviii48). Added to it, the resultant gloom, grief, and depression in the couple from a miscarriage would further make the outcome precarious in the next attempt (Brady et al., 2008, 186-190). Knowledge in this area is a necessity since it is often invisible, and the practitioner must consider these effects with a priority, since overlooking these is unethical and unprofessional, leading to a situation of unaccountability. There is evidence of adverse emotional experiences in such patients; however, the questions how far and how much intense and important these are need to be answered in order to address the gap in research and to design an intervention (Cumming et al., 2007, 1138-1145). Evidence from literature will be sought to design a methodology tha t can address these questions, and validity and reliability of these methods will be sought. A proposal for data collection will be made, and prospective synthesis of the findings will be undertaken so the utility for practice can be determined. Brief Literature Review A literature review with the key words, "in vitro fertilisation", "miscarriage", "emotional experience", "psychological stress", "assisted conception", "assisted reproduction" and "United Kingdom" was conducted from appropriate databases, and research articles were located. The initial articles were narrowed down to combine key words, and ultimately 5 studies were selected for review. The findings are presented below. Although not recent, the study by Mahlstedt et al. highlights the basic tenets of the emotional experience of the couples undergoing IVF. The aim of the study was to undertake a self-administered questionnaire study for a period of 6 months on 94 IVF and embryo transfer patients with the objectives of acknowledging their emotional states and of developing strategies for providing emotional support. This study revealed that 77% of the participants reported that they perceive the loss of control as the most stressful dimension leading to feelings of vulnerability and intense stress. Aside from these they reported a wide range of emotions during a brief period of time. This emotional strain was a major factor of consideration when the decision about a repeat procedure

THE PERIOD 18811919 MARKED A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN AMERICAN FORIENG Essay

THE PERIOD 18811919 MARKED A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN AMERICAN FORIENG POLICY. EXPLAIN THE CHANGES THAT OCCURRED IN THIS PERIOD. WHY DID THESE CHANGES OCCUR THE - Essay Example They were so diverse that to unite them was very difficult. They engaged in strikes, politics to live better life. The industrialists employed low wage workers from small areas of the country and rest of the world. The low class people also needed some work to earn their living. This made people from various countries to migrate to United States. This migration caused a point of concern for the local skilled worker class. Thus protests were carried out against the migration and foreign policies to make some changes. Thus the worker class was divided into northern European skilled workers and southern and eastern unskilled European workers. This diversification was not only among the worker class but also in the educated service class. The racial difference was set between the white native Americans and the black African Americans. Racism was started among white and black people. Poverty was so increased that women and children were also supposed to work in factories to satisfy the basic needs. In the late nineteenth century a new managerial class evolved. This class comprised of white collar people and army people. The major population of this group was from middle class and basically were those people who work between executives of the company and white collar workers. As new technology introduced typewriters in the offices the office work was increased. Women were given more preference because they work for low wages and also can earn more money in shorter time. The late nineteenth century was the era of progressivism. The progressive movement was based on the concepts of social justice, greater efficiency in government and social control. The people thought that the government should become more active regarding democratic reforms and in protecting laborers. William McKinley was the president at that time. McKinley was the 25th president of United States Of America. To increase the American colonial power he fought Spanish American war. The main point of attraction of progressive movement was cities. Civilized cities was the main aim of progressive movement. The urban population wanted cities to be better and safer place to live. The progressive movement was started from the local government and then moved to the upper level government. Theodore Roosevelt, a young man with a great political experience became 26th president of United States Of America. He was the youngest president with age of forty only. His personality reflected as activist and moralist due to his policies. He won a noble peace prize for negotiating an end to Russo-Japanese war and preserving open door policy in China. The foreign policies like Monoroe doctrine and open door policy were proved to be beneficial for American trade. In late nineteenth

Obesity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Obesity - Term Paper Example However, health issues are not the only problems associated with obesity there are also certain economic side effects of it (Sandman, 2007). Different nutritionists and dieticians suggest a number of solutions and cures for this disease. However, there are a few major categories where the first one is in the form of dieting in which the aim is to cut down on consumption of fattening food. Another popular technique is working out, which includes aerobics, yoga, gym, wait training and many others (Wright, 2004). Some people use the combination of these both with a proper weight loss plan, which is another technique. Also taking prescribed medication is essential to control obesity as medicines control appetite (Caprio, 2006). Also the surgical options have started to work more and more with the passage of time. Obesity is a disease that has no boundaries and is common amongst all age groups, gender and ethnic backgrounds. It is an epidemic that has spread all around the globe. Statisti cs show that 31% of Americans are considered obese with a BMI crossing 30 (Grossman, 2004). Works Cited Butcher, Kristin F. Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes. The Future of Children, 16, 2006 Caprio, Sonia. Treating Child Obesity and Associated Medical Conditions. The Future of Children, 16, 2006 Grossman, Michael. The Economics of Obesity. Public Interest, 2004 Sandman, Nirit.

Portfolio Theory's Underpinning Principles Need to Be Uncovered before Assignment

Portfolio Theory's Underpinning Principles Need to Be Uncovered before Appreciating the Ceration of Capital Asset Pricing Model - Assignment Example The gain achieved from one asset can offset the loss incurred from the other only if both the assets are negatively correlated. In this project the basic principles of the portfolio theory or the portfolio management theory has been discussed along with the theoretical aspect of the portfolio management theory. The investment viability criteria have also been discussed along with the other basic conditions like risk and return which should be considered before making any investment. The need of diversification of the portfolio has also been discussed along with all the risks associated with the diversified portfolios. Principles of portfolio As per Lonestreth Bevis portfolio can be described as a mixture of investment which is held or will be held by the investor. This means a portfolio is a collection or a group of two or more assets or securities held by the investor to gain maximum return while setting off the risk associated with one stock with the return of the other. The invest ment portfolio is guided by a number of principles. The decision regarding the portfolio will comprise of the decisions regarding the securities held in that portfolio. If the investor is expecting more return then he have to bear more risk too. This means that high return comes with higher risk. The risk of the variability of a particular asset held in the portfolio depends on when the investor will liquidate or sell it. Diversifying the investment will lessen the risk associated with the portfolio. Therefore diversification will help to reduce of the variability of the return associated with the portfolio. The portfolio should be formed as per the need and the risk tolerance level of the investor (Periasamy, 2009, p.7.10). One of the important principles regarding the portfolio is efficient allocation of assets in the portfolio. Moist of the performance of the portfolio depends upon the correct allocation of securities in the portfolio. The securities which are to be included in t he portfolio the portfolio should be properly analysed in term of the expected return and risk associated with them and should be allocated in the portfolio according to the most appropriate weightage in order to achieve desired return from the portfolio. This could be done by analysing the historical prices and the performance of the portfolio (Ambrose wealth management, No Date, p.10). Theoretical background of portfolio management theory The portfolio management deals with the formation and performance of the portfolio. Theoretically the portfolio can be managed in five basic steps. The first step of managing the portfolio is to analyse the securities which are available for investment. This step includes accessing the various securities available to the investors. The securities which are available are analysed on the basis of the risk and return of those securities. The securities can range from the stocks to fixed deposits to risk free assts like treasury bills. The second ste p is to form different portfolios and analysing them. This is done by analysing

Community Health issue Impacting the Health Profession Research Paper - 1

Community Health issue Impacting the Health Profession - Research Paper Example y health issues started sprawling up in the United States and therefore necessitated a change in the health profession more so the increased adoption or application of technology in the health practice. Presently, cancer is one of the most common and thorny health issue in the United States and it has contributed to the death of many people. Johnson (2011) stated that previously cancer was not prevalent as it is today and it used to affect mostly the older people but nowadays there are cases of young children even below the age of one year being diagnosed with cancer. Johnson (2011) stated that these increased cases of cancer in the United States had lead to the health profession undertaking some changes in order to tackle this rising issue. For example, increased cases of cancer have lead to an increase in the number of health workers who are being trained specifically on how to care and conduct treatment for cancer patients. Secondly, the health profession has adopted advanced technology for cancer screening and treatment. Thirdly, medical health professionals regardless of specialization are being taught on basic techniques of diagnosing cancer. Johnson (2011) stated that issues of drugs and alcohol abuse in the United States rose by 70% in the past decades, equally the disorders associated with drugs and alcohol abuse have also increase in equal measures as the national cost or government expenditure of dealing with cases of drugs and alcohol abuse. According to Johnson (2011), alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine are the most common in the American community and recent figures indicate there is an increase in the abuse of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs. The health profession has witnessed certain changes due to the issue of drugs and alcohol and one of the changes is the increased monitoring and control of controlled drugs within the healthcare centers. Additionally, health professionals have been made to be more accountable for the drugs they handle

Appiled Arts Essay Example for Free

Appiled Arts Essay Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them-clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal-it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the applied arts. Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty vase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the objects primary function. ?Sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptors aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than bronze). Even though the fine arts in the twentieth century often treat materials in new ways, the basic difference in attitude of artists in relation to their materials in the fine arts and the applied arts remains relatively constant. It would therefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners of the fine arts work to overcome the limitations of their materials, whereas those engaged in the applied arts work in concert with their materials.

Attitude, Legislation, Litigation Essay Example for Free

Attitude, Legislation, Litigation Essay Attitudes, legislation and litigation impact the lives of students with disabilities. People have changed their mindset toward mentally disable people from the beginning of time until the 21st century on how they view people with disabilities. Many doors that were closed to them has been open and the laws are constantly changing to make sure that people with disabilities has the same equal right as any other person. In the past, the government attitude were very negative toward individual with a disability because they believe, they were a burden on society and not worthy of living amongst them. In that particular era, they also thought that children who had a disability did not have the right to receive an education and medical attention. The text stated that, â€Å"The German government actively terminated the lives of people with disabilities as a means to â€Å"purify† the human race and put these â€Å"wretched individuals out of their misery† (United States Holocaust Memoral Museum, 2008)† (Hardman, Egan Drew, 2011, p. 4). In 1950, there was an organization developed called the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) combined with the NARC, National Association for Retarded Children. These groups work hard and fought for the nation to take a stand for people with disabilities, they had good intentions to provide people that are mentally disable with; equal medical treatment, social services and education. The Civil Rights and American Disabilities Acts provided individuals with disabilities the opportunity to equal education and they were not discriminated against because of their physical ability. During the past 50 years people attitude has changed in our society toward individual with disabilities. Social attitudes revealed that people with disabilities were unhealthy and imperfect, for a long period of time society had pity and feared for disable people. Their negative attitude was because individuals were incompetent of partaking in or contributing to society and that they must rely on public assistance or nonprofit organizations. With legislation setting the bar for individuals with special needs, people are more compassion and are not disgrace or have negative feelings towards individuals with special needs. As a result, of the people coming together to help those in need there are many individuals that resides in the community instead of institutions. Due to the changes, during the 1970s and 1980s many of the institutions for people with developmental disabilities were closed. In spite of a person’s ability, everyone deserved an opportunity to participate in normal civilization. People today are more receptive of helping, people that are disabled because of the positive attitude they have toward them; even educators must teach with an attitude of personal commitment to every child (Lecture Note). Our special need students have a bright future ahead of them because of the Supreme Court decision in the 1970s case, Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC). â€Å"The court ordered Pennsylvania schools to provide a free public education to all children with mental retardation between the ages of 6 and 21† (Hardman, Egan Drew, 2011, p. 6). Today in 21st century life we have in place, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This has generated over time which made public education, ensures related services available such as transportation, counseling, and Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is use for academic, social, or physical concerns in a classroom. I am sure that special needs people has a sense of pride with the education that they are entitled to because they have the same opportunity as any other person to learn and develop skills so they can work and live in a community as we do. During my first personal encounter with an individual with a disability, I have to honestly state that I was frightened to go close to the person. I really can not state why I was scared, I just felt something come over me maybe it was fear; as I think about it that is the only way I can describe it. With my knowledge and experience now my response will be receptive of the individuals, I can come in close contact and interact without thinking twice about. I have two cousins that are mentally disabled and over the years being around and having personal relationships with them I have learned a lot and became comfortable within myself and them to want to help others that are physically challenge. With the many challeges that special eeds students face, I predict that educators will have the necessary tools needed to continue to help them strive towards succeed. Educators will be able to teach each student on their individual level and not keep them behind because the school system feels they are not ready to progress forward. The No Child Left Behind standards should not be required for special needs students, they should progress based on their IEP. I believe that the educators should not solely be the blame for student performance, the school leaders have to take some of the blame. We can only teach with what we are provided with, more tools and resources are needed in the classrooms; in order to help the students constantly build on their knowledge. With laws changing every year, to enhance the early intervention programs it will impact the climate of special education. In the future more intervention programs will be included in the schools to help those with special needs to have positive peer influences by the attitudes and behaviors of students. School counselors should guide in assessing school climate in relation to students with disabilities and commencing interventions or advocating for change when appropriate. Thinking has changed tremendously towards students with disabilities since the 1950s era. I do not think there are still people out there that feel that students with disabilities should not live or have the opportunity to enjoy life as a person without a disabilities. I believe that thinking has changed because there are many services available for students with disabilities, if people did not care these services would not be available. You have to have passion to work with a mentally disable person, if you have any negative feelings; I truly do not feel that you can work with or for them for that matter. People attitude has changed toward individual that has disabilities; education has become a right for them due to the people taking a nation wide stand. Many people today are willing to help individual that are mentally challenge, there are many services that are available for them. The laws are updating every year to protect people with disabilities.

The Hotel And Tourism Tourism Law Tourism Essay

The Hotel And Tourism Tourism Law Tourism Essay In problems with the Environmental Issues or Laws, with the cooperation of our tourism they develop awareness, concern and knowledge of the environment and its different importance and other things. Those are different laws that have rule in Philippine tourism, including or even the different government office is involved too. It will also provide current situation that have in the tourism, travel and making hospitality which may be analyzed, interpreted and doing what can do on laws that have. The Environment laws protect our natural resources by controlling businesses that have the possible cause to them. Due to the matter of these laws, the Environmental Protection was formed whose main duty that must have done is to control and decrease pollution in finding out some materials that could cause harm, to see that companies that may cause environmental injury, they sets right of practice to lessen environmental effect and to carried punishments for those who did not follow environmen tal rules. Therefore, for any industry or in the hotel and tourism, it is helpful to be well known with the matter that given by our environmental laws, and responsible for law that government given, and the kinds of different way and some business through which those environmental laws are need to implement. Tourism or the Hotel Management can have different effects on a given area such as economical, social, environmental etc.The most important  economic  effect that tourism has is that it provides more  employment  for the people in that area and hence in a way increases their  standard  of living. In fact certain economies primarily run on tourism.As a result it also helps the region as a whole to develop and as a result the governing bodies can utilize the funds to promote the  destination  and make it more attractive for tourists. Tourism is now one of the worlds largest industries and one of its fastest that is develop in our country. For many countries tourism is seen as a main used for wide development, as it alert to the new different economic performance or activities that have in the government. Tourism may have a positive economic effect on the balance of payments, on employment, on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. Unexpected things in developing tourism can result in such a worse of the environment that tourist growth can be demanded. Being the major source of tourist product of the government, therefore it should be protected in order to have something development of tourism and doing good for the country in following years. In additional of business activities worldwide and as a result of more high knowedge , there has been increasing learn to everyone and concern with the injury to human health and environmental damage that cause by the different business activities .These problems is need for business and industry to be controls at all levels, and for the main that could be hardly sustain development to be established in international and national environmental laws to make sure that foreign investment and other business activities lead to development that is sustainable in environment . In this way, the Hotel and Tourism Management play an important role in development . If the government takes the recommended actions for development and promotion it will establish market targets that specify the number and types of tourists that the country will be able to attract. To make sure that national and local tourism development agreements stress a policy of sustainable tourism development. Incentives that given by the government can encourage many corporations involved in the tourism business to do more their activities to have more recently having a large countries. Thinking of environmental problems it will assist the manager in helping such individual responsibility for and liability to environmental damage, in integrating environmental affairs with operations, and in developing policies and professionals to manage environmental issues. Tour operators have a great deal of influence on the destinations, activities and overall experience of tourists. Therefore its hard that they have understand the idea of ecotourism and the conservation requirements of protected areas that have rules to follow. They need to be fully aware that the ecotourism product they are trying to promote is easily broken and must be carefully preserved. The tourism industry is also an important partner since it is a vital source of information about need trends, promotion and marketing. It would bring attention to the present and future environmental issues facing the health of our planet and the people it supports. And our responsibility to protect the health and well-being of that ecosystem start to beginning of a day on the number of aware that surrounds in the world. Philippine laws rule the rights and obligations of which support in the hospitality and tourism industry. It provides for their rights, liabilities and even benefits as order by law. It affects the globalization of the tourism industry, also in opportunity to begun addition or widely into the international market or in target grow internationally. Realize the level of technology and technological capabilities within the host country in order to assess the advantages or disadvantages the hotel may face. Human activities are sources of environmental impacts. Since a sustainable environment must be achieved, individuals should make efforts towards developing and protecting the environment in learning of good methods, techniques, and policies. Human activities are sources of environmental impacts. Since a sustainable environment must be achieved, every person should make efforts towards developing and protecting the environment by learning or doing of good methods, techniques, and policies. Support different developing countries efforts to implement different things that could have in development the practices and protect the global environment. To make sure that the goal is in full support of environmental laws. Overall, consideration of the environment and stick to environmental laws and regulations have become important in the day-to-day behavior of business or in the Hotel and Tourism Management all in the Philippines or throughout the world. Working together by the businesses, workers, environmentalists, and government officials is to find economically into our environment. In helping of our government rules as well our tourism department, we can do better for the everyones life. Inspite of rising the demands of needs of everyone, of everyone come to show full support to the strong campaign for the different environmental laws or regulations, with the biggest role of our tourism in advocating and promote or not violating any rules to anyone who is responsible, we should have all the confident to win this one..    With the skills or knowledge of all in the tourism management and see how that connects and from there start volunteering for programs and tell people about it. But before that first learn how blessed we are and how rich our natural resources are, you would be inspired and motivated to take better care of it. From there, you start with yourself not only our government who pay attention on it. Sources http://www.egerton.ac.ke/index.php/bsc-ecoahos.html http://bio427.blogspot.com/2010/10/environmental-laws-of-philippines.html-. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Philippine_tourism_laws#ixzz2718t1XVm

Wildlife on and Around Airfields :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The danger of wildlife, particularly birds, on and around airfields has become a major issue on military bases. Hour upon hour is spent researching and testing methods to protect the wildlife, personnel, and aircraft. Despite these gallant efforts there are thousands of mishaps every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, the effect on the environment and its living creatures wasn’t a top issue when building military bases. Unquestionably, it has been a concern though. Since flying first became a reality, documented safety reports go back as far as eighty-eighty years. As a result of not making it a number one priority, today we have problems with environmental organizations under the Endangered Species Act and millions of dollars are spent on scientific systems and even more lost to accidents and fines. There was no way obviously when airfields were being constructed that the significance of this matter could have been predicted. However, with a little more effort years ago and not just within the last twenty, many hazards could have been avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of the numerous wildlife strikes to aircraft, literally millions of dollars in damaged parts are spent and millions are lost to complete destruction to aircraft. On the average, 3,126 strikes are reported each year by the military at nearly an average cost of $12,000 per case. This has led to over $700 million dollars lost or spent on aircraft over the past 20 years. Over all, the United States alone has lost $300 million annually, so you can tell the problem is not a small matter. Equally important are the fines handed out. Such as the case involving an international airport in France, where a flock of birds that was feasting on a carcass was neither reported nor removed before a jetliner was to depart. The plane received damage when it attempted to take-off but avoided serious consequences by shutting down just before the end of the runway. The airport was fined $3,000,000. Along with the financial losses, there have been several injuries and, more importantly, human fatalities. Possibly the most dramatic military incident was one in which several birds flew into a plane cruising at a high altitude. Damage was done to the engines and cockpit windows, causing the plane to crash and kill all 24 passengers. Over the past 30 years, a total of 37 Air Force aircraft have been completely destroyed, bringing along with it 35 fatalities. Wildlife on and Around Airfields :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The danger of wildlife, particularly birds, on and around airfields has become a major issue on military bases. Hour upon hour is spent researching and testing methods to protect the wildlife, personnel, and aircraft. Despite these gallant efforts there are thousands of mishaps every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, the effect on the environment and its living creatures wasn’t a top issue when building military bases. Unquestionably, it has been a concern though. Since flying first became a reality, documented safety reports go back as far as eighty-eighty years. As a result of not making it a number one priority, today we have problems with environmental organizations under the Endangered Species Act and millions of dollars are spent on scientific systems and even more lost to accidents and fines. There was no way obviously when airfields were being constructed that the significance of this matter could have been predicted. However, with a little more effort years ago and not just within the last twenty, many hazards could have been avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of the numerous wildlife strikes to aircraft, literally millions of dollars in damaged parts are spent and millions are lost to complete destruction to aircraft. On the average, 3,126 strikes are reported each year by the military at nearly an average cost of $12,000 per case. This has led to over $700 million dollars lost or spent on aircraft over the past 20 years. Over all, the United States alone has lost $300 million annually, so you can tell the problem is not a small matter. Equally important are the fines handed out. Such as the case involving an international airport in France, where a flock of birds that was feasting on a carcass was neither reported nor removed before a jetliner was to depart. The plane received damage when it attempted to take-off but avoided serious consequences by shutting down just before the end of the runway. The airport was fined $3,000,000. Along with the financial losses, there have been several injuries and, more importantly, human fatalities. Possibly the most dramatic military incident was one in which several birds flew into a plane cruising at a high altitude. Damage was done to the engines and cockpit windows, causing the plane to crash and kill all 24 passengers. Over the past 30 years, a total of 37 Air Force aircraft have been completely destroyed, bringing along with it 35 fatalities.

Developing Collaborative Partnerships :: Workforce Work Essays

Developing Collaborative Partnerships Collaboration has become the byword of the 1990s as a strategy for systemic change in human services, education, government, and community agencies. Increasingly, public and private funders are rewarding or requiring collaborative efforts. The advent of block grants is creating an urgent need for integrated, locally controlled services. Shrinking resources are causing many organizations to consider the potential benefits of working together. States are looking at ways to integrate their economic, work force, and technology development efforts (Bergman 1995). Perhaps most important is the realization that the complex problems and needs of families, workers, and communities are not being met effectively by existing services that are "fragmented, crisis oriented, discontinuous, and episodic" (Kadel 1991, p. vi). Collaboration involves more intense, long-term efforts than do cooperation or coordination. Collaborating agencies make a formal, sustained commitment to accomplishing a shared, clearly defined mission. Collaborative efforts can overcome such problems as fragmentation of client needs into distinct categories that ignore interrelated causes and solutions. They can make more services available or improve their accessibility and acceptability to clients (Melaville and Blank 1993). Collaborations require a change in thinking--the ability to see the "big picture"--and in operating--alteration of structures, policies, and rules to make service delivery seamless. Such changes, or "paradigm busting" (Bendle/Carman 1996) can be intimidating or threatening; in addition, other barriers must be overcome in order to make partnerships work: negative past experiences with collaboration; difficult past/present relationships among agencies; competition and turf issues; personality conflicts; differing organizational norms, values, and ideologies; lack of precedent; and fear of risk (Anderson 1996; National Assembly 1991). This Brief looks at successful collaborations involving work force development, family literacy, and welfare reform to identify the elements that make collaborations effective. Based on existing guidelines and successful programs, the steps needed to create and sustain collaborative relationships are described to help adult, career, and vocational educator s forge the linkages that could improve services. Collaborative Examples One-stop career centers are collaborative efforts among agencies that have traditionally provided employment and training services such as information, counseling, referral, and placement; U.S. Department of Labor funding has supported their development in several states. Before the federal initiative, a prototype arose in Waukesha, Wisconsin (Anderson 1996), where the Workforce Development Center provides an integrated, seamless system of employment services through the joint efforts of nine public and private agencies, including the state job service, a technical college, child care center, labor organization, and county health and human services department.

Gunslinger: Battle Between Good and Evil :: essays research papers

The dilemma between good and evil began long before our time, and it’s been chronicled since man could write. Stephen King, one of the controversial writers of our time, brings his characters to life by giving them peculiar attributes, individual and bold attitudes, and places them in unusual predicaments. The Gunslinger series by Stephen King is a sequence of books that show the internal struggle between good and evil. His character are presented with obstacles, and readers observe how each one responds to the challenges presented to them, waiting to see how far they will go to achieve what they believe is the greater good. King realistically conveys to his readers that although his characters put forth their best efforts to do what they feel is upright, their actions are not always in their best interests. The author clearly shows readers that no amount of good a person does can prevent them from getting hurt. In books one, two, and four King puts his characters through cer tain situations to create certain outcomes. King makes an effort to show readers how people arrive at the right, or wrong choice, in different situations. This is, of course, the classic struggle between good and evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King introduces Roland, the protagonist, in â€Å"Gunslinger†. Roland is crucial in King’s endeavor to present to his readers how people make the choice between good and evil. In â€Å"Gunslinger†, Roland is presented with an option; he can either save a boy’s life, or he can let the boy plunge to his death and not deviate from his plan. Roland loves the boy, Jake, and is torn between saving him and pursuing his target, the man in black. Roland decides to sacrifice his friend’s life in order to hound the man in black. Roland’s goal is to reach the Dark Tower, and he feels that he must make sacrifices and forgo the sentimental, in order to achieve his goal. His ultimate goal is what he believes is the greater good, and he will go to any length to reach it. Society has sacrificed of innocence to achieve their definitive purpose, history is proof of this. King simply brings this to light. Roland has love for the boy; however, in not saving his life he saves more lives in the end. Saving Jake’s life might be in Jake’s best interest, but in doing so Roland will be affected negatively.

The Similarities and Differences Between Professional Football and Basketball

humanism A new concept of human individuality, originating in the citystates of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Italy, that was based on desire for excellence in scholarship, creative work, and education. The humanist movement spread to northern Europe, France, England, and elsewhere, and continued to flourish until the mid-seventeenth century. Among its more familiar literary figures are, in Italy, Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca (known as Petrarch), Giovanni Boccaccio, Baldassare Castiglione, and Niccolo Machiavelli; in England, Thomas More, Francis Bacon, and John Milton; in France, Francois Rabelais and Michel de Montaigne.Books setting forth an ideal of the well-formed individual, ruler, or commonwealth are a major aspect of the humanist movement, from Leonardo Bruni’s Dialogues ( –? ) to Roger Ascham’s Schoolmaster ( ), Machiavelli’s The Prince ( , publ. ), Castiglione’s The Courtier (ca. , publ. ), and More’s Utopia ( ). Durin g the Renaissance the term humanista meant nothing more than a teacher of Latin. But the Latin classics proved to be the key to the era’s renewed understanding of the individual’s goals and ideas.Latin authors addressed issues like the dignity of man, the role of fate, and the strength of human will: the factors in life that make for human happiness, or flourishing. HUMANISM 145 (Greek was somewhat less familiar, at least at first, among the humanists; Petrarch and Dante could not read it. ) The Renaissance’s new studia humanitatis contrasts with the earlier medieval version of education, which consisted of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy).In the medieval scheme, there was little room for the study of history or moral philosophy. Now, though, education could be based on the ethical ideas suggested by the ancients in their literary and philosophical speculations. The key terms of the It alian humanists are fame, fortune, glory, and virtue. They see creative achievement and knowledge as heroic tasks, analogous to the brave deeds of conquerors and emperors. In the Middle Ages, prior to the humanist revolution, the sense of history was providential, based on the sacred narrative of the Bible, and moving from creation to revelation and edemption. (Saint Augustine’s City of God [ – / ] was the major commentary on this narrative. ) In the Italian Renaissance, with political life controlled by rivalrous city-states, history became a matter of daring strategy, not scriptural validation. Providential history did not disappear, of course; it was a significant influence in the Reformation. But it had been challenged. Another aspect of the humanist movement was its sense of intimacy with the classical past. Petrarch wrote a series of familiar letters addressed to Homer, Virgil, Cicero, Livy, and others.Allied to this closeness with antiquity was a desire to corr ect the distortions of ancient texts, to recover them in their original fullness. The ambition to search for the source characterized the humanist attitude toward religious texts and ideas. The great Netherlandish humanist Desiderius Erasmus translated the New Testament into Latin ( ), saving the sacred text from the errors committed in the Vulgate (the medieval Latin Bible, in the universally read version produced by Saint Jerome). In an effort analogous to his philological study of the original text of the Bible, Erasmus in his Colloquies ( reacted against the medieval corruptions of church hierarchy. Through his description in the Colloquies of friendly, egalitarian conversation on both spiritual and worldly matters, he tried to regain the original ethical ideal of Christian community and decency: a humorous, liberal-minded fellowship. For humanists like Castiglione in The Courtier, the self became a work of art, with the individual’s â€Å"knowledge and skill informed by proportion and 146 HUMANISM grace† ( Joseph Mazzeo). The Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt, in his great Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy ( , first described the ambition of figures like Leonardo da Vinci and the architect Leon Battista Alberti to become the uomo universale, or universal man. Here Burckhardt evokes the supremely well-rounded, eccentrically talented Alberti (who became worldfamous as the inventor of the laws of perspective): â€Å"In all by which praise is won, Leon Battista was from childhood the first: . . . with his feet together, he could spring over a man’s head; . . . in the cathedral, he threw a coin in the air till it was heard to ring against the distant roof. . . He acquired every sort of accomplishment and dexterity, cross-examining artists, scholars and artisans of all descriptions, down to the cobblers, about the secrets and peculiarities of their craft. . . . He also wrote an Italian treatise on domestic life in four books; and eve n a funeral oration on his dog. . . . And all that he had and knew he imparted, as rich natures always do, without the least reserve, giving away his chief discoveries for nothing. † Burckhardt concludes by remarking, of this godlike lusus naturae, that â€Å"an iron will pervaded and sustained his whole personality. Alberti proved that the individual can do anything, and with perfect style. The humanist was an intellectual hero and adventurer. His interest in magic and mystical lore, like Francis Bacon’s devotion to science, was a way to achieve power over the secret sources of nature. For Pico della Mirandola, author of the Oration on the Dignity of Man ( ), the human self was distinguished by flexibility and aspiration, and was capable of raising itself almost to divine level: wrestling successfully with the Protean, the endlessly various, character of God’s creation.The Renaissance is the real home of humanism. But Victorian sages like Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, and John Ruskin shared the humanist belief in individual aspiration and excellence, necessarily grounded in the strength of the surrounding culture. Their concerns lived on in the works of American critics a hundred years later: for example, Lionel Trilling and Irving Howe. In the early twentieth century, a â€Å"new humanism† was promoted by the literary critics Irving Babbitt and Paul Elmer More, who reacted against the overly specialized aspects of philology as it was then practiced.But Babbitt and More were felt to be too vaguely emotive, their moralizing too glib. When critics like Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks turned, in the s, toward a stricter consideration of the technical aspects of poetic lan- HUMANISM 147 guage, they were in fact promoting another version of the humanist ideal: man as the hero of articulation, expressing his precarious and uniquely complicated existence, and fighting with the weapons of skilled ambiguity, irony, and paradox (see NC ). Humanism can be a pejorative term in current literary and cultural criticism, especially in the disciplines of cultural studies and new historicism. This turn began with the philosopher Martin Heidegger, whose â€Å"Letter on Humanism† ( ) criticized Jean-Paul Sartre for his humanist existentialism. Heidegger asserted that man, Sartre’s focus, was a limited concept and should be superseded by the notion of Being (in German, Sein or Dasein, two distinct but related terms).Later philosophers like Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida, both highly influential in literary studies, followed Heidegger’s lead in questioning the centrality of the human. But humanism always seems to return, if humanism is understood as the commitment to asking whether particular goals, practices, and ideas serve or damage the hope for human excellence and happiness. The definition of humanist ideals remains a constant concern of philosophy and cultural commentary, as seen recently i n the works of thinkers like Martha Nussbaum and Tzvetan Todorov.On Renaissance ideas of humanism, see Joseph Mazzeo, Renaissance and Revolution ( ); Paul Oskar Kristeller, Renaissance Thought ( ); Hans Baron, The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance ( ); Eugenio Garin, Italian Humanism ( ); and Thomas M. Greene, The Vulnerable Text ( ). Constance Jordan provides an interesting account of Renaissance humanism in its attitude toward women in Renaissance Feminism ( ). Rebecca Bushnell in A Culture of Teaching ( ) connects Renaissance ideals with contemporary American debates over education.

Health and Social Care Essay

P1. EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF A HEALTH OR SOCIAL CARE ORGANISATION. The aim of the organization (red hut day nursery) was to carry out high standards of care from children age from 3 months to 5 yrs old. Whilst following the curriculum guidelines of early years foundation. The role of the organization was to care for children within their responsibilities whilst the Childs parents or carer has left them in the organization care. Policies such as ensure every child is treated fairly and equally depending on that Childs needs in order for their needs to be meet , was expected of all staff members to conduct themselves in such away . the role of each staff member was to ensure that health and safety measure where up to scratch for instant making sure sharp , hot , dangerous objects where out of reach of the children , picking objects off the floor to avoid any one tripping over , cleaning spillages up etc . the procedures of the organization ( red hut day nursery ) was that all staff members interact and conduct themselves in a friendly manor so the children would feel relaxed and not intimidated without their parents present, making the nursery a pleasant place to be for the children My roles and responsibilities within the organization was to interact with the children to making the Childs time whilst in care of the organization pleasant and of high quality of care assisting the child to the toilet if needed , changing nappies , whipping the Childs nose if needed etc , maintaining health and safety measures to minimize the risk of any incidents occurring. my other responsibilities where to help the children prepare for meal times by occupying a number of children at a time on the carpet with a game or activity whilst a few children at a time take it in turns to wash their hands before eating . log any incidents that occur. Description of services users Services users such as parents who both work and need some one to look after their child professionally whilst they work, or a parent who wishes for their child to further their development by enrolling them to the organization which will help them to learn new skills whilst interacting with other children and building up their independence. Links with other organizations/services Link services available through the organization is after school club which takes on children of school age up until the age of 8 this services provides parents extra time to work or carry out every day needs to support their families . The services runs from 3pm to 6.30pm where a member of the team will collect pupils from school and bring them into the care of the organization where they will be given a meal and after interact in activities until their parents collect them. the organization also has a breakfast class which runs of the same basis as the after school club but instead of picking up the child the parents drop the child off between 8am and 9pm where the child will receive a breakfast cereal or toast and once it is time for their school to start they are escorted to the school. P2/M1.report on own contributions to a specific team activity relating to health and social care . Following policies and procedures the children’s toys and equipment must be regularly cleaned to maintain hygiene, therefore in a team we had to gather all the children’s toys that were outside in the garden whilst at the same time watch over the children as they played in the garden we took it in turns to watch the children and clean the toys. I help to assist the children as they played in the garden ensuring that they wasn’t interfering with the toys as they being cleaned and staying within the play area and not at harm , then rotated with other team member to wash the toys and put them back into place . My contributions to the team whilst conducting the activity was using my skills as working as a team player to complete a task and taking it in turns to keep watch on the children as well as help to clean toys. My contribution help to minimize risk of children interfering with the toys as they were being washed which could of lead to a child slipping in the water and . Overall My contributions to the team on a whole enable the task to be completed smoothly without any complications as I interacted with children in playing games helping the on the slides ect to avoid any accidents whilst playing or the children interfering with the toys as they where being washed which as a result could lead to an accident . my contributions help team sprit as we took it in turns at both interacting with the children and cleaning the toys to ensure fairness in the task as well as team work which help us to complete the task successfully without any problems . My contribution to the team also enables the task to be completed quicker than if a single person was to complete the task. D1. Make recommendations as to how you could have adapted your own contribution to the team to enhance the success of the activit y .

Computer Supportive Cooperative Work Essay

Research Question How can businesses in the United Arab Emirates make use of computer-supported-cooperative work (CSCW) in order to enhance productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets? In this regard, this research study will look at various businesses in the UAE and assess their level of using computer technology in their business operations. In addition to this, the study will identify factors and variables that affect the level of using computer technology in businesses in the UAE. Likewise, it will also assess the features and benefits of using CSCW as it applies to businesses in the UAE. Through this parallel analysis, a better understanding of how CSCW may be implemented in the business environment in the UAE will be explored. Introduction to Dissertation The economy of the United Arab Emirates is a wonder. From being too dependent on oil, it managed to diversify its economic performance through the revenues from oil and gas. Beginning 2005, it was able to overcome its budget deficit and replace it with a surplus. The industries being developed in the country includes the telecommunications and banking, even the stock markets of the UAE are developing and growing. Given these growth of these industries, it is very important to ensure that the growth is sustainable and that these industries should be able to compete both in the domestic and international markets. This is because of the increasing globalization of the economies of the world. Ensuring competitiveness, better productivity and efficiency mandates the need to use all available resources. The information technology revolution and the ever increasing popularity of the Internet are revolutionizing the way that businesses are being run all over the world. Given this scenario, the businesses in the UAE can no longer ignore the fact that they have to compete using every technological means available. The framework of computer supported cooperative work will help them achieve this level of competitiveness, productivity and efficiency in the market. Brief Literature Review The United Arab Emirates is in a very good position in the Arab world today. It is showing the great potential for growth. However, it has been noted that the Arab world is not maximizing the use of computers and internet technology. This trend has a negative impact in the sustainability of business undertakings and in the overall economic growth. Given the widespread use of computers and information technology all over the world, businesses in the UAE have a tendency to lag behind their competitors who are using these technologies. The overriding intention for using computers and information technology, hence, is twofold. For one, computers and the Internet help enhance the overall communication scheme of any company—coordination, and the provision of directives are easily accomplished. On the other hand, computers and the Internet also help businesses gain important information that will help in the overall improvement of the business. Using computers also empower the employees of any given company and enhances the level of output and coordination that they have with their colleagues (Hayes & Walsham, 2000). Timely and accurate communications will lead to greater efficiency of business operations. In turn, greater efficiency will lead to better productivity. It must be noted, however, that improving productivity should still be coupled with other business processes, which may or may not be aided by the use of computer supported cooperative work. When productivity is enhanced, then profits will go up, enabling the company to save and divert these savings to the accumulation of capital or increasing their base of operations. This can then be used as the spring board for UAE companies to boost their competitiveness, and quite possibly, embark on a strategy to extend their operations to other countries in the Gulf region and in the world. In implementing CSCW in the UAE, however, both the technical and non-technical aspects should be considered. Under the technical aspect, the software for CSCW should be chosen carefully. It should be flexible, and easily adaptable to the particular contexts of the people using it (Dittrich & Lindeberg, 2003). In the context of the UAE, such software should take into account the language of the people working there. It should also demonstrate cultural sensitivity wherever possible. In addition to the technical aspect, the non-technical aspect of implementation of CSCW should also be undertaken. Issues of training, organization culture, leadership and matching suitable employees to their areas of expertise in the framework of CSCW should be considered. In this regard, Ackerman (2000) took note of the social-technical divide that pervades CSCW frameworks. As such, the norms for the interactions between people should not be taken over completely by the norms of human-computer interactions. In a society such as the UAE, this is of particular importance in putting CSCW to work in the business settings. Although this proposal has presented a brief literature review, the final study will follow the following outline. First, the literature review will delved with the recent revolutions in the area of information and communication technologies and the driving forces behind this revolution. In addition to that, the impact of this revolution to the economy will be explored. Varian, Shapiro, and Farell’s (2004) The Economics of Information Technology is a good starting point on the forces driving this revolution as well as the effects of this revolution in businesses around the world. From a macro perspective, this literature will then focus on the performance of the UAE in terms of integrating telecommunications in the society, especially in business settings and operations. Ayish (2005), conducted a study of 20 organizations in the UAE and their usage of internet in propagating information within the organization and to the world. In addition to this, the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2006, published by the United Nations (2006) will help the researcher understand the overall situation of the prospect of growth in the way that UAE citizens and organizations use computers and information technologies. The literature review will also look at the various research methods and approaches used in analyzing the use of computers in various organizations in the country. Data Collection and Data Analysis This study will make extensive use of the case study as a research method. This research method will delve deeply into the strategies being used by companies in the UAE to ensure productivity and efficiency. Special attention would be given to the computers, information technology systems and the internet that they are utilizing. The product and services of these companies will also be analyzed in relation to the market where they are serving. Corollary to this, the immediate economic environment and competitiveness of these companies will be analyzed through content analysis and by going through secondary data. As such, the needs of these companies will be identified and analyzed alongside the trends in the market. Moreover, their needs for the use of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). The benefits of using the CSCW will also be analyzed. These will then be applied to the setting of the various companies under consideration with the interest of arriving at a framework that integrates the use of CSCW in the overall business operations in such a way that the productivity and efficiency of the business firm is enhanced. In other words, the variables that this study will look at and measure are: (1) the level of reliance of companies on computer and other related technologies; (2) the effectiveness of the communication and coordination processes that the organization uses to deliver products and services; (3) the responsiveness of the employees of the organization in using CSCW; (4) the impact of external trends and situations in the organization’s drive to achieve its targets; and (5) the suitability of CSCW for the use of business organizations in the UAE. The study will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve a greater level of reliability and validity. According to Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004), the mixed-method kind of research draws upon the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative analysis, which enables the researcher to draw upon several methodologies in measuring the variables of the study. The results of this study will be collated, compared, and analyzed. These data will be presented through various visual presentations such as tables, graphs and charts for easy reference. This will make comparisons and analyses easier and will make plainer the relationships between the variables and factors that shall have been identified by this study. The relationships between variables shall be highlighted. Presentation of Analysis and Outcome of Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The result of the methods employed will be presented in an easy to understand manner, and in tables or matrices where possible. Such an analysis will help highlight the relationships between the variables identified in the study. These variables will then be used to formulate a set of guidelines that will help business organizations implement CSCW in their organization. Through this set of guidelines, they will be able to make the transition and implementation as smooth as possible and they will be able to avoid the pitfalls in conducting such an endeavor. Significance of this Study The expected outcome of this study is a set of guidelines or framework for the integration of CSCW in the operations of business firms with the intent of enhancing their productivity and efficiency. Such a framework would be very helpful for firms that are operating locally in the UAE, as well as for those that conduct operations abroad. It would also set the foundation for future work exploring this same issue. Through the framework that will be established by this study, the global competitiveness of companies in the UAE will be enhanced. Moreover, those who are not already reaping the benefits that computer support cooperative work offers can begin to explore it and not long after, they will be able to use it. Seen from a wider perspective, the use of CSCW in the business organizations in the UAE will help make businesses more viable in this kind of situation. Structure of the Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The different parts of this study, together with their brief descriptions may be found in the section below. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Introduction will contain basic information about the subject matter, about the research questions and topic under investigation, as well as the environmental context in which the study may be situated. The Literature Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Literature review presents the findings of articles and books written on the subject. Through this, the major points, observations and debates in the research topic will be explored, thereby making the researcher familiar with the research topic. Research Design   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is in this section that the methodology, the research tools will be outlined so that the researcher will have a definitive guide as to the way that he will get the important data for the analysis of the research topic and question. Summary of Results   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the research design, the kinds of data that will be collected and the summary and salient points of the summary should be presented in graphical format such as tables and graphs. Analysis and Recommendation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the results generated, the data will be analyzed and the trends and relationships between variables will be established. Lastly, an action point or call to action may be instituted in this last part of the paper. Reference Ackerman, M. S. (2000). The Intellectual Challenge of CSCW: The Gap Between Social Requirements and Technical Feasibility. Human-Computer Interaction, 15 (2-3), 179-203. Ayish, M. (2005). Virtual Public Relations in the United Arab Emirates: A Case Study of 20 UAE Organizations’ Use of the Internet. Public Relations Review, 31 (3), 381-388. Dittrich, Y. & Lindeberg, O. (2003). Designing for Changing Work and Business Practices. In Patel, N. V. (Ed). Adaptive Evolutionary Information Systems, (pp. 152-157). Hershey, PA, IGI Global. Hayes, N. & Walsham, G. (2000). Competing Interpretations of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work in Organizational Contexts, Organization, 7 (1), 49-67. Johnson, R. B. & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come. Educational Researcher, 33 (7), 14-26. United Nations (2006). World Economic Situation and Prospects 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2007 from http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp2006files/wesp2006.pdf. Varian, H. R., Shapiro, C. & Farell, J. V. (2004). The Economics of Information Technology: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.