My Little Pony Essay

There has been a recent social development concerning a very well-known series of toys, and a cartoon that has been airing for decades; namely, My Little Pony. Hasbro has marketed the line of toys since the early 1980s and along with that, created a cartoon, targeted toward toddlers and young girls. The cartoon has aired many different generations and adaptations of the show from 1984 to present. Since then, My Little Pony has been popular among the younger female audiences. (Bellis 1) A following has emerged with the creation of a new adaptation of the cartoon, called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The following originated from the internet; in particular, on internet forums where people discuss cartoons. The following figure shows the amount of threads per days posted between just October 2010 and February 2011. However, these posts have not been made from young girls, like the supposed target audience Hasbro has aimed for, but from older men and women, ranging from young adults to full-grown adults. Male fans of the show have begun to call themselves ‘bronies’ as a name that combines the word ‘bro’ and ‘pony’. Females have picked up the term ‘pegasisters’ as a more female term to describe a fan of the new series. There are many people that have noticed the increase in popularity of the show through media like news channels and internet articles. These people exert differing perspectives on why exactly older audiences have decided to create a massive subculture in the realm of My Little Pony. The first perspective comes from the perception begun by people who aren’t fans of the new My Little Pony series. ‘Looking in’ from ‘outside’ the following, they view it as juvenile, and as they notice the increase of male fans of the show, quickly gather the opinion that male fans of My Little Pony are using the show to suppress homosexual thoughts due to the feminine qualities of the show. A second perspective, made by males and females, usually ones who are fans of the cartoon, claim that they legitimately enjoy it because they find it clever, witty, funny, and cute. A relevant third perspective is that the cultural reemergence has come from the irony built into the juxtaposition of a show that has primarily targeted towards young females, and the unexpected older male following. The viewpoint that fans of the show are juvenile and that male fans are homosexual is to be expected. In a society where the term ‘gay’ was once popularly considered to mean ‘un-cool’, or ‘stupid’, there’s no doubt that there would be an attack on something that combined a male and a subject that is targeted toward females. Chuck D. Finley puts this viewpoint into an easy-to-read perspective in his article entitled: The My Little Pony Abomination: What is a Bronie and Why They Make God Cry. In this article, he states: â€Å"The sad fact is that many fathers today wish to spend time with their children, they will sit down to watch the cartoon with their daughters. And that is when they have got you. † Other statements in his article include name-calling and blatant hate for anything regarding following of the cartoon. Not only does this article ridicule the following for My Little Pony, but it radicalizes a level of dislike towards others who enjoy the show. Another viewpoint comes from the fans and their love for the cartoon. Of course, they are aware of themselves and of how popular the show is becoming. To contrast from a wide belief held by people who hold the previous perspective, this perspective doesn’t only include male fans. It also includes females. Nor does this perspective hold a gender stereotype upon itself on the reason why an older audience adores the new My Little Pony series. The viewpoint is rather simple, they like the cartoon because they enjoy it. People who watch the cartoon find the characters funny, clever, and relatable. (SquadSix)The creator of the current generation of My Little Pony, Lauren Faust, helped to support this claim in a general message. She was asked by someone â€Å"What do you think about the weird cult of manchildren [again, in reference to the first perspective, specifying male fans] called ‘bronies’ that worship you? † Her response was as follows: Hi [Constitutional], In general, I am still inspired by bronies. As a group, they have not succumbed to society’s pressure that young men must hold contempt on anything feminine no matter what. They’ve been able to see beyond the preconceived notions that they were most likely raised with to judge something for it’s merit. (Faust) So, Lauren Faust has shown support for the following of this series, no matter what age or what gender it may include. She explains an opposing side of the aforementioned perspective that being a fan of My Little Pony is ridiculous. That side includes the fact that the strains and expectations of gender stereotypes are loosened in favour of a more general approach where attraction to the show is independent of other perspectives. A more abstract viewpoint for why there is a large cultural following is that it’s ironic. Some people think that an older audience enjoying the show is somewhat of a counterculture. And therefore, by that logic, going against society’s norms of gender and age will promote an evolution of culture, where social norms are essentially broken. This type of mass following ignites something new and different in one’s understanding for what ‘culture’ is. This perspective holds that these broken reigns of social norms may be part of the excitement for fans that enjoy the cartoon. Through these few perspectives we can see that there are different reasons that people have given as to why there is an emergence of the popularity of My Little Pony, specifically, the new tv series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. There are some who hate the following of the show and think that the male fans are watching it for suppression of homosexuality. Then there are the fans who like the show simply because they think it’s a good show to watch. And then there are others who hold the perspective that the following is a collective attempt at creating a counterculture through the previously mentioned ironic qualities. These different perspectives help to create a flourishing exploration on why such a cultural phenomenon has appeared.

Wide Dynamic Range Compression Benefits Health And Social Care Essay

Adults with a moderate sensorineural hearing loss have a demand for soft sounds to be amplified to assist with lucidity of address without traveling over a degree which the individual finds excessively loud. Moderate sensorineural hearing loss is caused by harm to outer hair cells, which can take to a reduced dynamic scope and finally, enlisting. The dynamic scope is the scope between the threshold of hearing and the uncomfortable volume degrees ( ULL ) . Venema ( 1998 ) refers to this as the floor ( threshold ) being raised and the ceiling ( ULL ) staying the same. When the ULL ‘s are unchanged, as thresholds worsen, an irregular addition in volume is perceived typically referred to as enlisting. In order to separate between different types of hearing AIDSs and happen the most suited for this type of hearing loss we have to look to see if the hearing AIDSs can embrace the individual ‘s dynamic scope without traveling over their uncomfortable volume degrees. It has been s uggested that end product restricting compaction ( CL ) and broad dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) hearing AIDSs are more good for this type of hearing loss compared to linear hearing AIDSs with extremum niping. Ultimately, for a moderate sensorineural hearing loss it is believed that WDRC is the most good type of elaboration at this clip. The outer hair cells in the organ of Corti have been referred to as the amplifiers of the cochlea ( Brownell, et al. , 1985 ) . In the absence of outer hair cell map, a moderate sensorineural hearing loss of around 40-50 dubnium is present ( Ryan and Dallos, 1975 ) . The most prevailing type of hearing loss in grownups is presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss ( Valente, et. Al. 2008 ) . Presbyacusis begins as a bilateral, symmetrical, high frequence sensorineural hearing loss impacting the outer hair cells in the radical terminal of the cochlea. Peoples with this type of hearing loss tend to kick about background noises such as address babbling in a noisy saloon. This can account for, what is normally referred to as the upward spread of cover, which is caused by lower frequences dissembling higher frequences ( Valente et. al. , 2008 ) . This consequences in softer, higher frequence sounds from address such as consonants being masked by lower frequence address sounds such as vowels . Presbyacusis causes a elusive lessening in hearing over clip ( Valente et. al. , 2008 ) and as a consequence, patients do non normally attend clinics until their households notice that the telecasting is excessively loud or the patient themselves realize that they can non hear every bit good in noisy state of affairss as they used to. Hearing AIDSs can include different types of compaction circuits, which can profit different types of hearing loss. Let ‘s first expression at input and end product compaction circuits. They differ to each other depending on where the volume control is located in the circuit. Output compaction circuits have the volume control before the compaction takes topographic point. This type of compaction affects the compaction kneepoint and the addition but non the maximal power end product. It is besides the type of circuit used with CL elaboration scheme and is associated with high compaction ratios and kneepoints. Input compaction has the volume control located after the compaction circuit ; therefore the sound is compressed before the volume control affects the sound. This means that the kneepoint is unaffected while the addition and maximal power end product are. This type of compaction circuit is what tends to be used with broad dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) scheme and is asso ciated with low compaction ratios and kneepoints ( Venema, 1998 ; Dillon, 2001 ) . The first type of compaction is end product restricting compaction elaboration. The input is additive until it reaches a high kneepoint and so it compresses the sound with a high compaction ratio ( Venema, 1998 ; Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . This type of compaction is really similar to top out cutting ( Personal computer ) , which is found in additive hearing AIDSs, nevertheless it is more pleasant for the hearer than Personal computer because there is less deformation. Peoples with normal hearing or mild to chair hearing loss will detect that the quality of address is more deformed with restricting when compared to people with terrible to profound hearing loss who will non detect this consequence as much ( Dillon, 2000 ) . In a survey of 12 grownups with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss, sound quality and lucidity were improved with end product restricting compaction when compared to top out cutting ( Hawkins and Naidoo, 1993 ) . It is by and large accepted that additive hear ing AIDSs with extremum niping no longer hold a topographic point in audiometry clinics and hearing assistance companies have stopped fabricating them. Wide dynamic scope compaction ( WDRC ) is a compaction scheme that aims to magnify soft sounds by a batch, medium sounds by a moderate sum and loud sounds by a little sum ( Souza and Turner, 1998 ) . WDRC tends to give more addition to soft sounds and has reasonably short onslaught and release times ( Marriage, et al. , 2005 ) . WDRC is a nonlinear compaction scheme, which tries to mime the non-linearity of the cochlea and efforts to account for loudness enlisting with sensorineural hearing loss ( Moore, et al. , 1992 ) . The threshold kneepoint is normally low at around 50 dubnium in order to magnify quiet sounds, compactions ratios are normally lower than 4:1 and onslaught and release times are short so that harmonic sounds are non masked by vowel sounds ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . WDRC is a comparatively new compaction scheme that is used normally in modern digital engineering hearing AIDSs. There are assorted positions as to whether WDRC is of more benefit than additive elaboration. It has been noted in some literature that mensurable benefits of WDRC include improved hearing for soft address sounds ( Souza and Turner, 1998 ) , address in quiet, address in noise, more comfy hearing state of affairss for loud address ( Moore, et. al. , 1992 ; Davies-Venn, 2009 ) and improved acclimatization ( Yund et. al. , 2006 ) . In contrast it has besides been reviewed that WDRC may better audibleness but non needfully intelligibility when compared to linear elaboration ( Marriage, et. al. , 2005 ; Souza and Turner, 1998 ) . WDRC may be of more benefit for people with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss compared to people with terrible to profound sensorineural hearing loss. This may be due to the suggestion that as hearing gets worse i.e. in terrible to profound sensorineural hearing loss that temporal cues are relied on more to a great extent to understand address. Since fast WDRC can alter temporal cues it may be that this population of hearing assistance wearers benefits more from compaction modification ( Jenstad and Souza, 2005 ; Davies-Venn et. Al. 2009 ) . In 1992, Brian Moore, et. Al. tested 20 topics with moderate sensorineural hearing loss, mensurating speech favoritism ability in quiet and speech response thresholds ( SRTs ) in noise. The topics were fitted with two types of hearing AIDSs: Linear amplifiers and two-band WDRC compressors. They were tested with their new hearing AIDSs and besides in an unaided status and with their ain original hearing AIDSs. With the compaction hearing aids the topics had good address favoritism tonss at all strength degrees in the quiet and the other three conditions showed diminishing address intelligibility as the strength degree got quieter. The WDRC AIDSs proved to assist topics accomplish lower SRTs in noise compared to the other conditions. Patients with decreased dynamic scopes besides benefited from the compaction hearing AIDSs more than the additive AIDSs in that they found the loud sounds more comfy. When surveyed the topics besides preferred the sound of the WDRC hearing AIDSs ( Moore, e t al. , 1992 ) . Another benefit of WDRC over liner elaboration is improved acclimatization. Acclimatization is the clip it takes for the encephalon to acquire accustomed to sound from a peculiar type of elaboration and to hold increased speech acknowledgment. Yund et. Al. ( 2006 ) did an acclimatization survey with 39 topics with mild to chair inclining sensorineural hearing loss, who had ne'er worn hearing AIDSs. They showed that topics who wore the WDRC hearing AIDSs experienced acclimatization, whereas the patients who wore additive hearing AIDSs did non demo any increased address favoritism tonss. They believed this was because the WDRC hearing assistance was able to treat the normal hearing dynamic scope into the dynamic scope of topics with mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss. After a period of have oning additive elaboration, topics were so fitted with WDRC hearing AIDSs. These topics still struggled with acclimatization after a period with their WDRC hearing AIDSs and needed excess aid in the signifier of audile preparation to acquire rid of the effects of the additive elaboration on the encephalon. Overall, it was concluded that hearing AIDSs with more sophisticated engineering may be the best AIDSs for acclimatization ( Yund, et. al. , 2006 ) . One survey compared the benefits of additive and nonlinear hearing AIDSs with address trials and Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile ( GHABP ) questionnaires. The bulk of topics preferred the WDRC nonlinear hearing AIDSs compared to the additive hearing AIDSs. They showed better tonss on address trials, had better address acknowledgment, and preferred the overall hearing experience with the WDRC hearing AIDSs. WDRC hearing AIDSs can be programmed with fast or decelerate onslaught and release times or a combination as this can be adjusted for different channels. In this survey the research workers found that there was more of a penchant for slow onslaught and release times for the most comfort and satisfaction compared to fast WDRC ( Gatehouse, et. al. , 2006 ) . In comparing, Shi and Doherty ( 2008 ) found better address acknowledgment tonss for both slow and fast, onslaught and release times compared to linear hearing AIDSs, nevertheless found no difference between tonss for slow an d fast times in WDRC. When onslaught and release times are shorter the soft address sounds are amplified more than the louder 1s. If the release clip is long so the soft and loud address sounds are amplified at the same degree, which may ensue in the softer phonemes being masked by the louder 1s ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . Where to put onslaught and release times may be different for each patient depending on their penchant ; nevertheless in these surveies it has been shown that holding onslaught and release times utilizing WDRC improves speech acknowledgment tonss compared to linear hearing AIDSs. WDRC multi-channel hearing AIDSs have a distinguishable advantage over individual channel hearing AIDSs because they have the ability to utilize BILL and TILL ( characteristics of WDRC ) at the same clip ( Sandlin, 2000 ) . BILL is the â€Å" bass addition at low degrees † and TILL is â€Å" the soprano addition at low degrees † ( Dillon, 2001, pp 169 ) . BILL will be given to travel into compaction a batch more with low frequence sounds and non every bit much with high frequence sounds. The scheme of BILL is to let the hearing assistance wearer to hear better in background noise. TILL will travel into compaction more frequently with high frequence sounds and non every bit much with low frequence sounds. The scheme of TILL is to increase audibleness of high frequence sounds. Both BILL and TILL used in concurrence can make a good adjustment scheme for a level moderate high frequence sensorineural hearing loss ( Venema, 1998 ) . Dillon ( 2000 ) described two jobs that can originate with WDRC hearing AIDSs. The first job is that while WDRC hearing AIDSs magnify really soft address good, they besides amplify really soft background noises such as the clock ticking or the sound of apparels traveling ( Dillon, 2000 ) . Fortunately with newer digital engineering, hearing AIDSs are able to divide address from background noise more intuitively than with linear engineering. A manner to cover with these really low degree background noises is to utilize enlargement. Expansion is the antonym of compaction and aims to do the weakest sounds in the quietest environments unobtrusive as it is below the hearer ‘s aided threshold ( Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . The 2nd disadvantage is the job of feedback being introduced when the hearing assistance wearer is in a quiet environment and the addition is increased ( Dillon, 2000 ; Valente, et. al. , 2008 ) . In the past few old ages digital feedback suppression/cancellation ha s become more sophisticated and this does non look to be a job with WDRC in hearing assistance wearers every bit long as a suited earmould is fitted. Wide dynamic scope compaction has been shown to hold advantages over additive elaboration utilizing compaction modification and extremum niping circuits. In some research workers sentiments it has still non been unambiguously proven that WDRC is the best adjustment scheme for all types of hearing loss. As degrees gets worse than moderate sensorineural hearing loss, the loss of outer and interior hair cell map causes temporal cues to decline. It is ill-defined whether fast WDRC may be doing deformation in address signals due to this. What is clear is that for mild to chair sensorineural hearing loss, most normally observed with presbyacusis, WDRC seems to better address acknowledgment in quiet, in noise, overall comfort and it is easier to acclimatize to have oning hearing AIDSs. There is non a great sum of recent literature on the topic of the benefits of WDRC in the moderate sensorineural hearing loss class. It would be interesting to see new research conducted to find whether there are more benefits in multichannel WDRC with newer, more intuitive, digital engineering hearing AIDSs.

Group Communications Essay

Three videos of different group and team interaction will be reviewed for this paper. After they have been viewed they will be discussed on matters of the relationship between group members, member diversity and communication style. The first case study to be reviewed is: Helping Annie. In this video a school nurse has called a meeting with a psychiatrist and a social worker to discuss the case of a High school student, Annie, who possibly suffers from depression and an eating disorder. Right off the bat the school nurse is interrupted by the psychiatrist before she can finish giving the background information on Annie. He wants facts immediately not â€Å"impressions.† He makes a quick decision as to her problem and her treatment within minutes of their meeting and seems to believe that they are done, no more needs to be said. The Social worker does not agree with his decision and offers a counter solution but is again interrupted by the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist wants to use medication and the Social workers wants to first talk to Annie and see if they can understand what the teenager is going through. The psychiatrist sees this as a total waste of time. There does not seem to be any real facilitator of these meeting, and no one points out the psychiatrist’s constant interruptions of the social worker but the social worker herself. The school nurse is totally intimidated into silence by both of their behaviors. The psychologist seems to have the communication traits of what the test calls thinkers, and the Social worker has the traits of a feeler. According to the text, Thinks are task-oriented. They take pride in their ability to think objectively and logically, regardless of if those thoughts are correct. (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 3, pg.69, para.2) Feelers are people-oriented. The psychologist is very direct and analytical. He seems to want to remove any feelings or humanity from Annie’s case while the social worker is taking a more subjective, humane approach to Annie’s problems and is obviously more concerned with the girl’s well-being than a quick fix. The diversity that exists in this group is both gender and class. The group consist of two women and one older man, the older man, the psychiatrist,  seems to believe that the social worker and school nurse are not in the same class as he, his age, experience and profession making him superior to them on all levels, therefore, their opinions are not worth considering. This diversity is a hindrance in their communication because the psychologist is not listening to the two women and continues to interrupt them because â€Å"he doesn’t have much time here.† If using a high context perspective the viewer could draw the conclusion that the psychologist does not agree with the social worker by watching his nonverbal behavior such as his gestures and facial expressions. In a high-context culture little meaning is expressed through words. Meaning can be conveyed through status such as age, gender, education or title. (Reeve, 2007) One method that could have been used to improve communications would have been to have a facilitator present to ensure that each party had the same amount of time to express his or her opinions. Another improvement would have been a change of setting from the informal setting to a more professional seating arrangement that may have helped foster communication between all parties present, such as a round table or face to face seating. The second video reviewed is: Planning the Playground. The group consists of three males and two females; three Caucasians and two minorities. The video case opens with two new members, one a younger male, Ray and one older woman, Betty, meeting the team for the first time. There seems to be two slightly awkward moments when Ray first only offers to shake the hands of the men at the table and when he has trouble pronouncing the name of the minority female Iesha. The moment was defused quickly when Iesha decided to make a small joke about her name to ease the tension and held out her own hand in greeting. Betty seemed uncertain about speaking and said she only joined the team to make friends. Communications between the team started out stiff and slow but by using â€Å"team talk,† (the nature of the language that group members use as they work together. Not only does team talk enable group members to share information and express opinions, but analysis of team talk also â€Å"reveals where the team is coming from and where the team is headed.) (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 5 pg. 124, Para. 2), team leader David kept the discussion flowing and moved it to the reason they were there. The role the diversity of the group played in their communication was the different  experiences each had to bring to the discussion. Iesha obviously liked research and set numbers and offered not only a sound dollar amount to strive for but reasoning behind it. Ray countered that he thinks the amount should be higher but offered no real reason as did Phil who wanted the amount lower. After deciding to compromise they moved to fundraising. The immediate response to Betty’s suggestion of having a Bake sale was obvious. They did not take her input seriously at all but again the team leader chimed in before their dismissive attitude could be considered rude an d insulting. Diversity was also not a strong hindrance to the group even though the potential was there. Conflict management techniques were used by the group by expressing interest in solving the problem and keeping their tone and language non-threatening, using phrases like â€Å"well, yes but let’s look at it from a different angle† or â€Å"that’s a good idea but may not be exactly what we need now.†The use of team speak was a very effective communication tool that kept the team focused and on track. Another important tool that was used was nonverbal. The seating arrangement at the table permitted members to have their personal space but still be able to have direct eye contact. According to Reeve, each person’s choice of seating position in groups has a direct effect on interaction and influence. A number of studies have demonstrated that group members prefercorner-to-corner or side-by-side seating for cooperative activities. Such an arrangement allows them to be close enough to share materials. (Reeve, 2007, CH. 5 pg. 138, Para 1) The team in thi s case study did show good communication skills on the whole but the one improvement would have been to ensure that before the meeting took place, that each member understood what the reason for the meeting was. The last video reviewed is Virtual Communication. This video is a presentation of three people meeting as a team via conference call. The third unseen member is not listening to what is being said by the manager or his coworker. This is obvious because when they ask him a question he pauses or stutters, then repeats something that neither of the other participants actually said. Listening is important in any group so that you can be sure to get all the available information as well as know exactly what is  expected of you. This is even more so in the virtual business work when team members are not actually sitting face to face. Charlie is neither listening to what is being said or to the messages that were contained in Ellen’s email or voice mails to him. According to the text, Effective listening in virtual groups requires adapting to a different medium of expression Your only adaptation is making sure that your microphone is on or off at appropriate times. In an email disc ussion, however, you can neither see nor hear participants, but you still must â€Å"listen† to their messages. (Reeve, 2007, Ch.6, Pg,.168)The disadvantage of group meetings using a virtual medium is that you can fake listening by answering â€Å"I agree† or a non-committal sound. You can also pretend you didn’t hear something that you don’t want to address as Ellen does in this video when Charlie tries to place the blame on her. Charlie did not effectively use any of his listening skills while on this call. It was apparent by his distracted â€Å"non-answers† that he was not listening. The entire fault is not necessarily Charlie’s; it is not known if he ever fully understood what was expected of him from the first meeting. If he had at any time used one listening skill such as paraphrasing he might have had enough clarification to get his assignment done in time. Paraphrasing is a form of feedback that one lets the speaker know you are listening and gives them the opportunity to clarify their statement. Paraphrasing can be used for multiple purposes such as: To ensure comprehension before evaluation; to reassure others that you want to understand them; to clear up confusion and ask for clarification; and to help other’s reach their own conclusions. (Reeve, 2007) References Engleberg, I. Wynn,D. 2007. Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies (4th ed.) Allyn & Bacon Publishers. The Collaboration Tool Box. 2002-2003. MIT. Online resource. Retreived online January 12, 2009 from http://web.mit.e

Career Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Career - Research Paper Example US department of labour gives a mean hourly rate of $ 45.14 and a mean annual wage of $ 93,900 (US department of labour web). Louisiana is the second paying state for civil engineers with an annual average of $ 111,980 with an hourly average of $ 53, 84. The trend of construction engineers is that this occupation will grow at an average rate to all occupations in California. This is the case nationally because of road repairs, road construction, bridge construction and other structures are expected to rise. Construction engineers work in different environments. When designing projects entrusted to them, they work in a quite office environment. However, if a project is in a remote area, construction engineers have to bear with the cold or hot environment in such areas. Physically they are supposed to be fit to lift up some construction items here and there. In addition, they should have good eyesight to see details at a close range, Knowledge of tools, methods, and materials used in construction. Most construction engineers work full time and in most cases on overtime to complete contractual

FORECASTING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FORECASTING - Assignment Example 66). The mandate for goods of any customer is a Poisson process with passion. Time calculate of goods delivery from the wholesaler to the customer has a normal distribution with limitations. The policy in order forming for the customer can be presented as: A new order is positioned at the specific time, when the stock levels fall to a certain level the order quantity is constant. We suppose that the quantity is greater than the level arrived at. It is important to note that order reorder point of the level and quantity are control parameters of the first stage model. During this stage, it is supposed that the manufacturer supplies his production to wholesaler according to a fixed package. Therefore, the ordering process is considered to be within a constant period. The moments of placing adjacent wholesaler’s orders and order quantity is recognized as a difference between fixed stock level and the quantity of goods in the period of ordering. Therefore, the period and stock level will be control restrictions in the proposed model time in the second stage. The assumption is that every time a new order has to be placed in any condition in the event that the stock level is large then a new ordering should not occur. Commonly, the model would maintain the state of lead-time and quantity of goods at that time as soon as the order is established (Jain and Malehorn, 2005; pg. 241). This in turn is linked to the actual scenario where the wholesaler will use his own means of transport. In most cases, this part ways at the suitable time with fixed moments of time. However, this does not depend on the existence of the order and with the arbitrary lead-time. For example, there will be ferrying of goods using the previews that depart the 2nd and 16th day of every month. The Warnsley Ltd Company places an order after every two weeks. The quantity ordered at the beginning of the week usually

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Formal leadership is effective in managing and organizing people in an organization. Thus, leadership becomes incredibly important as it draws the line between organization success, failure or satisfaction and lack of it among the employees (Culbert 5). This paper is going to discuss effective leadership in an organization and the challenges of leadership. Leadership is very important in every workplace as it maximizes efficiency and allows employees to achieve goals set by the organization. Leadership is the starting point of all the actions that takes place in the organization, that is, the leader starts by informing the staff members on the organization rules, policies and regulation and describes all that needs attention by the workers. Thus, the leader sets the pace and the workers follow hence initiates all the actions involved in running the organization (Johnson 22). In addition, leadership entails motivating fellow employees with economic or non-economic rewards such as prom otion, which will ensure employees give their best of performance to the organization. With this motivation, the leader in the organization ensures that the employees maximize their potential and enhances organizations performance. Guidance also comes from leadership, as the leader has the responsibility to outline all the policies of the organization. With good leadership from a good leader, all employees will work under the rules set by the leader ensuring that all the employees work and flow together on their work (Kouzes and Posner19). Subsequently, effective leadership helps to build the confidence of the employees. For instance, a leader in the organization will provide guidance to the employees and constantly monitor and listen to the employee’s needs and demands pertaining to their job. This will help employee’s understand that the leader is concerned about their welfare and is among them, hence enhancing their confidence. Consequently, leadership helps to buil d an efficient and effective working environment, in that, it ensures that goals are achieved, an element of management. This working environment promotes the relationships among the workers as it provides an understanding in the work place (Giulian and Kurson 38). Leaders should also take time to listen to their employees’ problems and try to solve them, this will in fact promote one on one relationship between the workers enhancing working environment. Nevertheless, in matters of personal interest and the organization interest, leadership will synchronize the two interests’ ensuring that all the interest are met through coordination. All these factors above are vital for the growth and development of any organization and workplace. Without leadership, an organization will have no formality of running its operations preventing it from achieving its objectives. Hence, every successful business lays great leadership (Harrison, Greenfield, Fiorina, and Chambers 26). Bad leadership directly or indirectly harms the organization. It pushes away hardworking and skilled staff due to bad leadership, as this has a direct impact on the economic performance and general growth of the organization. In spite of leadership being a great thing for an organization, it never misses challenges that prevent it

Are politicians from particular backgrounds or with certain Essay

Are politicians from particular backgrounds or with certain personality types more susceptible to being caught up in a political - Essay Example In general, a good public servant should closely observe and maintain good family values. Therefore, it is the moral duty of each politician to avoid engaging themselves in any form of infidelity scandals (Doherty and Dowling, 2011, p. 753). Aside from illegal use of public funds, other issues that can be exposed to the public include alcohol or substance abuse, administrative corruption, bribery, conflict of interests, eating disorders, financial or family problems, infidelity, psychological, mental, or physical illnesses, sexual misbehaviour, and vote buying (Moran, 2012; Fleming, 2006, p. 77; Haldane, 2004, p. 202). With the CPI score of 17, UK ranked the 17th least corrupt country worldwide (Rogers, 2012). Unfortunately, UK’s CPI score of 17 in 2012 has decreased from its 16th ranking position back in 2011 (Rogers, 2012). Back in 1970s, John Stonehouse who was a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) received 21 charges for conspiracy, fraud, forgery, and theft and was imprisone d for seven (7) years (Bloxham, 2010). A good example of moral conduct violation is sex scandal. Back in 1970s, Jeremy Thorpe who was a leader of the Liberal Party was not only involved in a homosexual scandal with his male lover but was also accused of consipracy (Bloxham, 2010; White, 2010). Recently, John Profumo – the Secretary of State for War in 1963 was engaged in a sexual scandal for having an affair with Christine Keeler (Evans, 2013; Haldane, 2004, pp. 202 – 203). Considering the long-list of political scandals which occurs both in the local government authorities and the British royal families, it makes a lot of sense to ask questions such as whether or not politicians coming from a particular political, family, or social background or those with certain types of personality are more susceptible to being caught up in a political scandal as compared to others. Is there any close relationship between certain political, family, or social background and the risk s where in the politicians could get themselves involved in a political scandal? Is there any truth behind the idea that political leadership is hereditary? Are certain types of personality increases the risks wherein a politician would be tempted to engage themselves in illegal and immoral acts? What are the common factors that make politicians engaged themselves in a world-wide political controversy? Political Background in UK In the world of politics, Stokes (2005, p. 2) explained that political jobs are meant only for some people who belong to a particular background. For example, as a common knowledge, politics in UK is based on a unitary democracy which follows the structure of a â€Å"constitutional monarchy† (Mannin, 2010, p. 64). Specifically the nature of UK’s political background clearly explains why the English Parliament is composed of the Monarchy, the Lords, and the Commons (Mannin, 2010, p. 63). Based on UK’s current political structure and pract ices, the Monarch is considered as the leader of the state whereas the Prime Minister of UK is referring to the person-in-charge of the government. In general, the monarchy plays a role in the UK politics. Even though the executive or political role was already removed from the British Sovereign (The British Monarchy, 2014b), the King or Queen are still expected to perform their national duties such as

Workplace Counselling Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Workplace Counselling - Case Study Example Also in (managing trauma and stress) it is noted that "Workplace counseling provides measurable benefits by offering staff solution focused counseling to assist in resolving issues of stress, trauma and personal problems which have a negative effect on both the employee and the workplace alike, costing businesses many millions of pounds every year." (Valentine Sean) added more information on the subject matter where he says "Employment counseling is commonly used in companies to assist employees with various personal and professional challenges that are confronted in the workplace. Such guidance could affect the degree to which employees believe a company proactively supports an ethical orientation." The Value of counseling in the work place: Motivating all the workers. There is need at any working place to motivate workers in order to encourage them on what they are employed for. Counseling in a workplace thus explains to management the great need for that. "Keep rules and policies to a minimum. ... yment counseling is commonly used in companies to assist employees with various personal and professional challenges that are confronted in the workplace. Such guidance could affect the degree to which employees believe a company proactively supports an ethical orientation." The Value of counseling in the work place: Motivating all the workers. There is need at any working place to motivate workers in order to encourage them on what they are employed for. Counseling in a workplace thus explains to management the great need for that. (The guidelines for motivating workers) states that: "Keep rules and policies to a minimum. Rules are there to protect your business and create organization, if a rule does not serve that purpose only, then you will need to consider retiring that particular policy. After the rules are established, it is essential that all employees know what is expected of them. Make sure that the rules and/or policies are published and posted in a manner in which all employees are aware. Create a code of conduct. Make this a collaborative effort which involves all or most of the employees that work with you. Use this to identify values that should be held on high in your organization. Follow the rules. As a manager it is your job to be sure that not only the employees are following the rules, but that you are as well. All members of management should follow the rules that have been established. The employees should notice a sense of consistency from the management team rather than employees knowing which managers will let them "get away" with things while others will not. Management should recognize and address inappropriate behaviors on an as-needed basis rather than picking and/or "waiting" for someone to mess up. Use counseling or a progressive

Conventional Wars, Rules of Engagement, Chain of Command Essay

Conventional Wars, Rules of Engagement, Chain of Command - Essay Example The implementation of the rule of engagement led him to victories as his attacks were effectively launched. The chain of command broke down responsibilities based on the allocation of specific responsibilities at each position. In addition, each official reported to the one above them (Bevin, 2014). It shows the flow of duties through ranks, from the commander in chief of the armed forces to the individual soldiers in the field. The rules of engagement define the conduct of opposing sides in a war situation Napoleon’s military had individual soldiers in the field who executed decisions made by senior persons in authority. They were the junior most officials of his military. They formed the basis of every attack. Their fundamental task was going out to the battlefield and fighting their opponents. They focused on defeating their enemies in the shortest span of time. The process involved employing tactical methodologies and strategies in launching their attacks to force the opponents do things against their own will. This has always been the fundamental goal of any war (Greene, 2007). The attacks would be organized in troops that had adopted a policy that involved ambushing supply columns. The military had battalion commanders who would execute command from division commanders. The battalion commanders were second lowest in command. They directed orders to the soldiers in the field, who are a fundamental group to any military unit. They would mentor and coach their subordinate staff officers and company commanders. They would be involved in giving morale, enthusiasm in their organizations and training. This would eventually boost their performance at war and consequently lead them to victories. The battalion was capable of independent missions and operations of a specific period of time and scope The military had division commanders who would receive orders from the general. They directed their orders to the battalion commanders. They

Social Unrest, Political Disorder and the State Essay

Social Unrest, Political Disorder and the State - Essay Example Such easy formation came as a result of the isolation which Ireland had due to its geographical location. Just like any organized crime group or a terrorist group, the IRA has a method of operating in a hierarchical manner with exclusive membership and explicit rules (Mahan and O’Neil 1998, p.6) Although, IRA does not consider itself to be an organized criminal group in any way, neither as a mafia of any sort, but when analyzed closely, it does appear to have a historical background of being involved in criminal activities and terrorism. But they have evolved from merely a rural peasant protection group to a secret society which constantly challenged against the status quo. According to Mackenzie, there are different agendas which secret societies have, ranging from spiritual, moralistic, patriotic, and political to criminal activities (Mackenzie 1967). The IRA has experienced a similar process of evolution over the years and operated in a corresponding manner in each of the c ases as per circumstances. Furthermore, the IRA shares organizational characteristics which befit only criminal business groups with much focus diverted towards their political goals (Bell, 1997). For the purposes of analyzing the IRA and its methodology, ethnographical research method is deemed to be most appropriate. According to Hobsbawm’s observation (1969), in any oppressed society, there is always to be found a minority group which is willing to devote itself to rebelling against the status quo. In that, some people will choose positive methods and some will be inclined towards illegal means to achieve the same end. One feature that stands out in the IRA is that it was basically formed to raise a solemn voice against oppressing conditions of the peasants in Ireland and the high degree of feudal practices to suppress the masses There was massive unrest especially after the forceful 1800 Act of Union was passed by Westminster to create United Kingdom, which ended up bindi ng Ireland under its rule. This is a significant curve at the point of which the peasant protection group was compelled to take political action (Toolis, 1995). As there increased the number of peasants willing to fight for the political cause they all believed in, the need for more organized formation arose and hence, the IRA was formed. ‘The Whiteboys’ and ‘the Oakboys’ along with ‘phoenix’ were a precursor in Ireland for forming such hierarchical groups for cohesion and organization with enhanced sophistication. It became a sub-culture within a sub-culture (Lambart, 2010). Something that gives them authority is their ability to monopolize violence in their respective communities. Traditionally, Ireland is known for its familial unit and camaraderie, hence the rise of the IRA has its roots in such a background. Those who were out of any secure means for livelihood sought shelter in such organizations for mutual protection (Collins, 1986). The modus operandi of the IRA depends on the kinship and friendship networks that it has developed through practicing its hold on its community. If there is kept no check from the government’s side on their activities, they spread their values and ideologies very easily. Even there had been such fortunate historical events in favor of the IRA where their sub-culture has proliferated with changing

DETERMINING IF A BURGLARY SUSPECT WAS GUILTY Essay

DETERMINING IF A BURGLARY SUSPECT WAS GUILTY - Essay Example Burglary can be committed in any building, tent or vessel used as a â€Å"human dwelling†. The words â€Å"human dwelling† must be noted as it connotes a wider meaning than the term â€Å"dwelling house†. (Tudor Jackson, The Law of Crimes, 3rd Edition). Once it is established that there has been a â€Å"breaking and entering†, it must still be proved that there was intent to commit a felony therein. Usually a felony has been committed on the premises e.g. theft, otherwise the intent to commit a felony must be established. This is the mens rea in the offence. The intent must exist at the time of breaking and entering. Therefore to determine that the suspect of burglary is guilty, the courts must establish the guilty mind or intention (mens rea) of the accused which shall be followed by the actual act committed i.e. breaking and entering into the house. To constitute burglary, it is not necessarily that the suspect must after breaking into or entering the house has to steal something. Having the intention of stealing even if he/she did not find what she intended to steal and left without taking anything is itself an offence of burglary committed. In Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S 784 (1969), the petitioner was tried in a Maryland state Court for burglary and larceny. He was acquitted of larceny but convicted of burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison. On retrial the petitioner was found guilty of both offences and concurrently sentenced to 15 years for burglary and 5 years for larceny. The appellate court ruled against petitioner on the double jeopardy issue.

Benefits of Drinking Coffee and the Benefits of Green Tea Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Drinking Coffee and the Benefits of Green Tea Essay Compare and contrast the benefits of drinking coffee with the benefits of green tea? It is nice to have a cup of hot drink in the morning, there are many options which to choose, such as coffee and green tea, two famous drinks in the world. They have different effects on body, and could prevent different kind of diseases, one similarity thing is both of them contain Caffeine. Coffee could effects on body, prevent diseases and contain vast caffeine. Your muscle strength will be stronger after you drink coffee because of caffeine, coffee couldn’t make you fatter, but if you put sugar into your coffee, it will make your stature fatter, and almost everyone put sugar in theirs coffee. According to Brian Fung (2012, July 3rd), â€Å"We are learned that coffee can protect your heart, reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer, and curb the risk of fibrosis among those with fatty liver disease.† Drink coffee is not a preferred option before you go to bed, because of the caffeine, it could stronger refresh you, so it better to drink it in the morning. Green tea could make you body slim, prevent diseases and contain caffeine. An antioxidants called catechins was found in green tea, it could inhibits the cholesterol produce, decrease the cholesterol content could make you body healthy. According to Leslie Beck (2011, July 5th), â€Å"Its a beverage thats touted to boost metabolism, prevent cancer, ease arthritis pain, even fight dental cavities. Now, new study findings suggest theres one more reason to drink green tea: It lowers blood cholesterol.† If somebody was drunk, green tea could help you get out of that bad condition because the caffeine that in green tea could boost metabolism. In conclusion, different people have different opinions, both coffee and tea is benefit for us. So what drinks is not important, the important thing is to understand yourself and find an appropriate drink. References Fung, Brian. (2012, July 3rd). The Case for Coffee: All the latest research to defend your caffeine addiction, in one place. The Atlantic . Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-case-for-coffee-all-the-latest-research-to-defend-your-caffeine-addiction-in-one-place/259404/#.UGODjDyjSBw.email Beck, Leslie. (2011, July 5th). Why green should be your cup of tea. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/why-green-should-be-your-cup-of-tea/article4210709/

Problem For Swinton Hotel Management

Problem For Swinton Hotel Management The aim of this project is to build a comprehensive tool E-reservation system for Swinton Hotel Management. Swinton Hotel provides all facilities like, advance booking room facilities, Better Food quality and also management believes to present good customer services. Management does not have proper reservation system and lack of data management system. In addition, they dont have any advance E- reservation system for tourist. The organisation needs to take further step to implement its business by develop a website. The projected system will be more flexible to use for tourist and Faster for staff to manage all information. Currently, the existing system is based on paper work, manual checking and use of Microsoft Excel Data sheet. Apart from this, advance reservation does by telephone. Due to which the staff faces lots of problems and also very time consuming for tourist to reserve room in advance. A new web based application is developed to provide reservation solution to the management. The application comes out in form of an Information Management Tools, like, ASP.NET. And database will handle through Microsoft Access. So, with build up a new system will helpful for tourist to reserve room and itll beneficial for staff to manage data. After all, new web based system will be benefited to management. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 02 1. Introduction 04 2. Problem Identification 05 2.1 Current System Specification 05 2.2 Consequence for Issues 07 3. Proposed System 08 3.1 System Architecture Specification 10 3.2 Technology Used 11 3.3 System Requirement Specification 12 3.4 Cost of System 13 3.5 Impact of the Proposed Changes 14 4. Change Management 15 5. Conclusion and Future enhancements 15 6. References 16 7.0 Diagram 17 1. Introduction: Now in present time, web-platform becomes necessary for all sector of business to get more success. Especially, in Banking, Hotel, and many other educational and training organization it becomes basic needs for business to have web-platform. In hotel Industry through website tourist can reserve room in advance. And also able to get other information of the hotel which will be useful for them. Static or dynamic website is useful for the organizations growth. The projected Hotel Reservation System brings the main requirements of the Swinton Hotel Management. In addition, reservation system classifies a way to manage the database of the tourist (Customers). And reduce paper and manual work system. Moreover, business point of view, it is time and cost effectiveness which is vital assets for the organization. In addition, Swinton Hotel Management has very simple and complicate reservation system. The organization has faced many issues with current System. Firstly, the current system is running on Microsoft Excel datasheet. Secondly, management requires allocate one staff for manual room check. Last but not least, it is very difficult to manage vacation time for staff schedule. And lastly, its very complicate process for tourist to reserve room in advance. So, management has been facing these major issues with reservation system. Furthermore, the purpose of develop website for Swinton hotel to improve in customer service. Customer can easily communicate with Hotel Staff and can browse all latest information about Hotel for advance room reservation. Apart from this, it will be extremely useful for staff to manage customer database. For instance, no time consuming process for room checking availability. , easy to access customer details. And also itll very simple to handle invoice of customer. Invoice handling is more important for management to know about real profit of business. In addition, account department also able to get profit and loss account. 2.0 Problem Identification In Hotel Industry a reservation system must be very accurate and very user friendly. So, customer or tourist can access all information which they want to browse. In this are of business, website should be in proper way which can helpful for customers and also for Hotel department. However, Swinton Hotel Management has very simple stage of reservation system for advance room booking or get any information about hotel. Inaddtion, A management is facing many issues with this present system. Here, we are going to present what are the major issues in present system? 2.1 Current System Specification First of all, we collect all information about Current system through interview with manager and staff members. Manual Data Sheet Screenshot of Excel Database A management of Swinton Hotel is using simple this format database for customer. First of all, its very difficult to unique identification of customer. Means that, not allocate any facility which can identify user unique information. For instance, if same name customers come then its very difficult to identify. Secondly, Staff does manual entry for tourist which is very difficult to manage during the peak time or vacation time periods. Last but not least, its very complicate for other staff members to understand this system. Only one staff member is able to handle this complicated system .So, for future point of view itll be difficult for management. Telephone Reservation Change Telephone Reservation system in this Hotel done by Telephone which is one of the major issues with management. Customer can get room information through telephonic it is time consuming. First of all, a manual room checker will check room whether room available or not? And passed information to the call receiver. Furthermore, other disadvantage of telephonic reservation thats, cost of call. Because, sometime its very expensive to make call. So, in this situation its very expensive to reserve a room via telephone through current reservation system. Manual Room Checking In present system, to access room information need to allocate one staff for checking all information about available room in hotel for traveller. This is very cost and time consuming process for staff and customer. Especially, during the peak time its very difficult to access all information about available room for customer. In addition, for management point of view its very expensive to allocate special one person for check. They can not allocate for other work. So, this is one of the issues in this current system. Lack Of Customer Communication Current System of Swinton hotel, Staff not able to communicate with customer. Customer needs to introduce self every time for access any information about hotel. The Current system is done by manual entry. So, staffs needs to follow that process and they are not able to answering in proper and right way. And only one staff allocate for excel data sheet, for telephonic reservation and also for receiving call. So, its really difficult to handle all tasks at a same time. And which can create negative impact on customer mind for Hotel. No Registration system for Customer In this Current System, traveller needs to show own identification every time. Its complicated and time consuming. Apart from this, customer has to pass reservation process. And every time need to feel a form and give it back to staff. So, during the vacation time period its difficult. And it influences on customer service. No Customer Database In this present System, a management has faced problem with customer database. Because, currently all customer data saved in Excel data entry sheet. Its very time difficult to handle all data. So, management keep only one week datasheet. So, no any security for hotel point of view. 2.2 Consequences for Issues Management of Swinton Hotel has faced all these major issue with current system. There are many consequences for raising these problems for management. Firstly, lack of management. as we seen that management has faced many issues with current system. But, management doesnt think about to build up a new system for Hotel. Secondly, untrained staff. This is one of the big consequences for all. Only one staff handles too many tasks which is very difficult. And not allocate other staff for this role. This shows untrained staff. Finally, structure of management is not in proper and right ways is also one the main cause for failure in business. 3.0 Proposed System Nowadays, tourist business has gained extremely top level. In addition, in this area of business, in this present time web-platform modifies a structure of business for ever. For instance, Travelodge. Even more, with help of IT tools really change the way of the business of hotel. Hotel reservation has started through web-platform. In this present time, most hotels worldwide use online Hotel Reservation .its very convenient for traveller to book hotel room. Here, we are going to develop a new web system for Swinton Hotel Management. 3.1 System Architecture Specification The projected system is basically based on web-platform. And the main architecture of the web-platform three tiers. Client Application Server Database Server The main aim of using three tier architecture for the system to improve execute faster and also can easily fetched data from database which is one of major advantage for use of three tier architecture. In addition, new system can manage large database as well. This will solve a Customer Database problem for current system. Faster responses make the user more user- friendly and comfortable to work with the system In addition, vital advantage for use of 3 tier architecture is more secure for personal data. CLIENT APPLICATION SERVER DATABASE SERVER Request Reply Command Result Fig 1. Three Tier Architecture 3.2 Technology Used Operating System> Windows XP Front End > ASP.NET(c#) Data Base> Microsoft Access Design Platform> HTML, PhotoShop Front-End Platform ASP.NET ASP.NET is the next version of ASP framework to build up a web-application. The .net framework consists of many class libraries, functions, and common execution platform. We can create ASP.NET applications using any of the built-in any languages. Web-application is easier and faster compared to other technologies. With use of ASP.NET clients gets the faster response which is one of the major advantages to use this platform for build an application. In addition, ASP.NET is totally server side technology. ASP.NET advantages Asp.net reduce the amount of code for build an application. It is very easy to maintain with server side programme model. This platform pages are very simple to write and maintain. Very easy to design any page for application. ASP.NET makes for easy deployment. There is no need to register components. ASP.NET applications run faster in large volumes of data without any problem. ASP.NET validation controls entered by user without any coding. .So, for security point of view its more secure compare to other technology. (Source: http://www.startvbdotnet.com/aspsite/asp/) Data base Connectivity: ASP.NET can configured with any Database. In the projected system, Microsoft Access database has been used. There are many benefits for using this platform as a back- end. ASP.NET platform has wide range of data access options. These include support for the generic class library data access classes. ODBC, OleDb, dbExpress driver. ADO.NET is the portion of the ASP.NET foundation class library that applies to data access, storage and manipulation. (Source: http://www.devx.com/dbzone/Article/42281) 3.3 System Requirement Specifications: R1: Login Form Input: Travellers Username and password Output: Travellers Details Description: Once Traveller registered in website. Then they are able to access all information about SWINTON Hotel. And they can reserve room, Extra facilities, details information about rent etc through access reservation form. R2: Registration Form Input: Travellers Details Output: Allocate Username and Password Description: Traveller needs to fill out the form for access any information and reserve any room. Through this form unique username and password will allocate to tourist. So, next time traveller need to enter username and password in login form. And they can access any information. In addition, through this form a management can manage their customers records. R3: Staff Login: Input: Staff Username and Password Output: Administrators Homepage Description: The main purpose of this form to develop an interface for any staff to look at the Travellers Details. With Staff username and Password can access their respective homepage where they can browse the travellers details. R4: Reservation Form: Input: Select Room number and Type Output: Current Status, Rent, Facilities Description: when traveller enters successfully through login form then they can reserve any room, can access rate information, facilities details etc. R5 Invoice Form (only for Staff access) Input: Room No. Output: Invoice Description: This form presents all information about user. Which facilities they have used, time periods, Room Type etc. and shows total invoice amount for user. 3.4 Cost of System How much does a website cost? Basically, there are main two separate cost elements. First is cost that covered the registration of domain name and Internet space for hosting the site. In addition, second element is creation of website. There may also be some on going maintenance costs depending on how often you require changes to be made to the site when it is complete. First of all, management of the SWINTON hotel will not pay any amount for system up to three year. Because, the organization has done big deal with some outsourcing small IT company. So, for domain name, space and any other specification IT company will responsible. However, if the management of SWINTON HOTEL needs to pay some amount after three year. This will cost only  £30 every year. In addition, management of hotel is not giving any cost for developing a new system to solve problem of the old system. Furthermore, management has benefits at initial stage in this web platform. If in future any problem will create regarding system then IT company will responsible up to three year. So, for management point of view it is major advantage. [https://auctions.godaddy.com/?ci=13335] [http://www.toucher.co.uk/website_cost.htm] 3.5 Impact of the Proposed Changes The purpose of the new system is to provide better services to traveller, so they can able to access important details and also reserve Hotel room through website. In addition, developers of this system try to build a user friendly web platform. And the new system will be easier for staff to maintain traveller data. Furthermore, a tourist can browse information from any where and any time. The major advantage of this system is the able to keeps all information about traveller, staff information, and maintenance of database periodically. Client Functionalities Traveller can get all information about SWINTON Hotel. Once traveller is registered in website then to have own username and password. Traveller able to access important details any time. And also check its status. Traveller also able to access other facilities which provided by hotel. Admin Functionalities The main aim for develop this system is to provide better service to travelers of the hotel. In addition, for management point of view, to provide easy system to maintain tourist database. As the main goal of this system is to reduce manual, paper work and time of the administrative department. So, it will bring more efficiency in work and customer service. Furthermore, through help of this system staff can able to access all information about travelers. 4.0 Change Management According to press release Dec. 03 2009, A hotel website will help to management boost in worldwide. A hotel website will only give lots of advantages towards promoting hotel more in this competition era. The management of SWINTON hotel will need to invest on web based platform for success in Hotel industry. In addition, management of the hotel also needs to focus on database maintenance for tourist. The database of the system will increase more. Because as the new travelers come for reservation room and other facilities. So, for management point of view it is very vital part in system. Furthermore, if new system will success in future then a management needs to think about further implementation of the system. Finally, the proposed system Hotel Reservation system is developed on proper way. Especially for user it is very easy to access this website. However, I can recommend that for future point of view need to require some more implementation of the system. 5 Conclusion and future enhancements: In this present era web platform is necessary for success in business. Especially, for hotel industry. So, new system will helpful for SWINTON HOTEL management. Through proposed system time can be saved, more accuracy, security and reduce manual work which is one of the major advantages of this system. Last but not least, the management is not paying any amount for develop a new system. For clients point of view, it is more flexible to access information about hotel. And for staffs point of view, it is very easy to maintain database for travellers. Future Enhancements: Invoice report Auto e-malling system Track Travellers data

Anglo American Model Of Corporate Governance Finance Essay

Anglo American Model Of Corporate Governance Finance Essay Corporate Governance Models In many countries, companies are run mostly for the benefit of the shareholders, the rightful owners 0. However, there are circumstances in which the corporation is also run for the benefit of other interest groups such as customers and employees or the general public at large -1. This is the substantive difference between the two primary models of corporate governance namely the outsider model, which is used in Anglo-American countries such as the United States or United Kingdom 1 and the insider model, which is used predominantly in European countries such as Germany or France 4343. The outsider model, also known as the Anglo American model of corporate governance because it is predominantly used in Anglo American states like the United States and United Kingdom, is consistent with the narrow definition of corporate governance in that it has a bias towards shareholders over other stakeholders in the corporation 2. This bias is justified on the premise that in most instances, other stakeholders have recourse to protect their interests through contractual agreement, whereas the shareholder remains unprotected as corporate decisions and activities cannot be predicted in advance 3. Since the shareholders carry the risk of the investment decisions made by the corporation, it is argued they should have the primary say in corporate governance. The justification for this ideology is that the primary function of a corporation is the creation of wealth 4. Permitting corporations to focus on profit maximizations as their primary function ensures that businesses create economic growth as oppose to dealing with social considerations which distract them from this objective. It has been argued that directors are not sufficiently experienced in balancing social interests with economic ones and as a result to require them to do so would result in an inefficient system, which would not promote the economic welfare of the market. The Anglo American model starkly contrasts to the stakeholder-oriented approach which is commonly associated with European countries such as Germany and France 5. Under this model, corporations must not only take into account the interest of shareholders but also those of a wide range of constituencies, as well as of the communities within which they operate 6. This helps to assure that corporations operate for the benefit of society as a whole and not solely in the interests of its shareholders. Such a system places less emphasis on the interests of shareholders for the benefit of the wider community 7. There are several characteristics which distinguish the Anglo American model from the stakeholder-oriented approach. Those unique to the Anglo American model are discussed below. Responsibility for Corporation Management The effective functioning of a corporation is dependent on the interrelationship and interaction of its various institutions 1. These institutions consist of the board of directors, the executive management and shareholders 2. The shareholders of the corporation are the owners who have financially invested in the corporation and the board of directors, as well as executive management, are responsible for the operation of the corporation 3 . The Anglo American models primary focus is on maximising profits for the benefit of its shareholders 4. This model does not facilitate input into the corporations affairs by other parties nor does it permit the managers of the corporation to prioritize issues, such as employees or the environment, unless they are compatible with the profitability of the corporation 5. The executive management is charged with the responsibility of operating the company with the view to maximising shareholder profit. The essential role of the management team, who is lead by the corporations Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is to perform the day-to day operations of the corporation 5555. The CEO plays a critical role in administering the companys affairs. The CEO chooses the management team and, from a practical perspective, has the final say in many issues relating to the corporation despite the provisions of many corporate statutes and procedures. The Board exists primarily to be an effective corporate governance mechanism for hiring, firing, monitoring and compensating management 6666. The Board, by legislation and corporate by-laws, are delegated a wide variety of responsibilities which enable them to set the companys main objectives and monitor their application by the executive management. The Board of Directors is therefore the main organ of the company and acts as agents for its owners by supervising the actions of the managers. There are two popular forms of boards of directors namely, the unitary (one-tier) and dual (two-tier) boards 6. The Anglo American model favours the unitary board 7. Under this system of management, the number of directors is usually set in the corporations by-laws and they are elected by the shareholders at the AGM for a set period of time, normally a one year term 8. The Board consists of executive directors (EDs), who are considered employees of the corporation, and non-executive directors (NEDs), who tend to be professionals or experts that are independent of the corporation 9. While an EDs sole responsibility is to increase profits for the shareholders, there is a potential risk that their interests may conflict with those of the corporation 10. The function of NEDs is to strike a balance between the interest of the shareholders and EDs 11. As independent third parties, they should have no conflict of interest and are therefore equipped to monitor the performance of the EDs impa rtially to the benefit of the shareholders should EDs try to deviate from their principal objective. The success of the Anglo American model is dependent on the extent to which the Board can effectively supervise the actions of the executive management 12. While legislation and regulations seek to ensure a balance between the two entities, in practice the executive management is by far more powerful than the Board 13. The nature of publicly held companies is that the executive management has a great deal of flexibility in determining how they discharge their responsibilities in attaining the objectives of the corporation 14. To encourage them to do so, they are more often than not enticed with substantial compensation packages with performance based remuneration. It has been argued that such compensation packages encourage the executive management to concentrate on short term results as oppose to the companys overall or long-term interests 15. This problem is further compounded by the dominant role the CEO plays in the relationship between the executive management and the Board. Whi le in board meetings the Board is technically supervising the CEO and his management team, the former have a large degree of control over the meetings. The CEO sets the agenda for board meetings and decides what information is to be provided to other directors. With this sort of control, it is very easy for the CEO to limit the powers of the Board 16. However, over the past few years, the dominance of the CEO has been challenged not only by the increasing influence of the board of directors 17,but also by legislation. A clear example of this can be seen from the requirement for the CEO to certify personally in quarterly and annual SEC reports that as far as they know these contain no untrue statements or omissions of material facts which might mislead shareholders and that the firms financial condition and results have been fairly presented 18. The Rights of Shareholders The ability of a shareholder to exercise its ownership rights and protect its investment is a key to the Anglo American model of corporate governance. Due to the fact that the focus of the Anglo American system focus is on the interest of shareholders, this model tends to focus on the nature of ownership and the ability of that ownership to protect its investment 0. One of the clear challenges which arise from the separation of ownership and management is to strike the right balance between the rights of the owners with the control of the managers 1. There are several mechanisms which the Anglo American model utilises to deal with this issue 2. These come in the form of rights which are afforded to the shareholders which enable them to monitor and control the managers of the corporation 3. The Anglo American model utilizes an outsider/arms length system of ownership and control, where share ownership is widely dispersed. Most of the largest corporations in the US and UK are quoted on the stock market and offer their shares to the general public 4. This sort of dispersed ownership is a main feature of this type of model. According to one study, less than one-fifth of the Britains publicly traded companies have an owner who controls more than 25% of the shares 5. It has been argued that the reason for this is because the general public in these co mmunities prefer not to own a high percentage of equities in large firms 6. Having said so, even countries who share a similar trend in ownerships are not always identical. For example, one major difference between the US and UK in terms of ownership is the stronger presence of institutional shareholders in the UK 7. This trend towards ownership by institutional shareholders has an impact on the efficiency of the Anglo American model. The institutional shareholder represents a large number of smaller investors and therefore has the clout to effectively monitor and address managerial misconduct 8. In the UK context, it has become conventional wisdom that prompting institutional investors to consider their responsibility as an important corporate constituent is an additional way to improve managerial accountability 9. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case primarily because many institutional shareholders are driven by short term strategies which may not have as their paramount concern the long term welfare of the corporation. As Hutton says, the consequence [of tax arrangements] has been a flood of institutional savings and acute demand for dividends and the foreshortening of investment time horizons 10. In addition, it has been shown that when dissatisfied with the performance of a corporation, many institutional shareholders would prefer to sell their shareholding than to play some sort of supervisory or monitoring role in the corporation 11. Another problem facing institutional shareholders is how to reconcile their roles as shareholders owning shares in many listed companies with their role as investors of funds 12. Given that their primary motivation is to make profit for their investors, they compete fiercely with each other to attract funds in order to ensure a high return on their investments 13. Consequently, when faced with mismanagement it is easier for them to sell than to hold management to account. Further, it has been argued that even when institutional shareholders were willing to intervene in the corporations affairs, there are practical obstacles which make it difficult for them to do so. One of these is what is commonly referred to as the motivation factor. Proctor and Miles define it as follows There is a disincentive for single institutional shareholders to expend time, effort and resources correcting what they perceive as bad management if other fellow institutional shareholders do not also support this action. Institutional shareholders have different priorities and agendas at any one time. It may be difficult to pool resources to tackle together what to some institutional shareholders may not be a problem at all. 14 In light of the challenges institutional shareholders face in monitoring management of companies, the Anglo American model can only be successful if there are other mechanisms in place which can be used to protect shareholders 15. The main focus of the Anglo American model is in the protection of shareholders 16. In this respect, both the UK and US system are similar in the way corporate directors and senior managers are held accountable to their shareholders 17. Both systems encourage shareholders to work as monitors over managers and senior executives 18. To facilitate this monitoring process, shareholders have many statutory rights and common law rights. The main right afforded to shareholders that provide them with a means of controlling the management of the company is their statutory right to vote on decisions at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 19 . The AGM is an annual meeting which shareholders are entitled to attend 20. At this meeting, the shareholders are informed about the previous and future activities of the corporation 21. It is an opportunity for them to receive copies of the companys accounts as well as review fiscal information for the past year and ask any questions regarding the directions the business will take in the future 22. In addition, the shareholders are able to elect the Board of Directors 23. This right is designed to operate as a check on the managerial actions of the Board of Directors and executive management. Shareholders are able to participate in discussion regarding the companys welfare and vote on important affairs relating to the company 24. While the right to vote at a corporations AGM may at first glance appears to be an effective means for shareholders to protect their interest, in practical terms this is often not the case. Publicly held companies usually consist of a large number of small owners who own very small fractions of the corporations shares 25. Having a small proportion of the corporate equity means that shareholders have little influence on managerial decisions 26. Furthermore, due to the fact that their shareholding is insignificant, it is unlikely to give them any real power at AGMs where they are suppose to be able to exercise their legal rights. As a result, many shareholders are not incentivised to attend AGMs. For this reason, the Anglo American model has additional mechanisms which are designed to enhance the control of the managers by shareholders. Most, if not all, of these legal and organisational safeguards have been devised in response to abuses of corporate power by managers who fail to put t he interests of shareholders first. These mechanisms are intended to encourage minority shareholders to be active in protecting their rights and holding directors accountable for actions 27. The three main mechanisms which will be discussed below are cumulate voting, appraisal rights and shareholders derivative action 28. Cumulative voting is a process by which minority shareholders are permitted to cast all their votes in the election of directors for a single candidate 29. Through this process, the power of the minority is strengthened because they are able to pool their votes together and secure a member of the Board who they feel confident will look after their interests in the corporation 30. Shareholders are also given the right to seek appraisal of their shares in certain fundamental transactions for example where a merger takes place. In these circumstances, a shareholder can seek a court valuation of their shares based upon fair value and be paid in cash 31. This right to sell ones shares can be seen as a protective measure for shareholders, because it encourages directors to seek the highest price in such transactions so as to avoid several shareholders exercising this right 32. Having said so, there are some disadvantages to this right. In most cases the methods of valuation are conservative and therefore shareholders do not necessarily benefit in real terms. The process is time consuming and payments need not be made until the process is complete. Attorneys and experts fees can be high and interest is not assured. Of all of these rights, the derivative suit against directors is probably the strongest tool which can be used by shareholders, particularly minority shareholders. A derivative suit is a claim brought by a shareholder on behalf of the corporation against parties allegedly causing harm to the corporation 33 . This right strengthens the position of shareholders, in particular minority shareholders. As a common law country where case law principles are well developed and where shareholders are said to be better protected, judicial intervention is believed to be an essential element of good corporate governance. A derivative action would not be effective unless the management of a corporation has a duty to its shareholders. The board of directors is a critical part of the corporation and as a result must be held to account to the corporations owners if good corporate governance is to prevail. In the UK, directors are subject to common law fiduciary duties and case law still plays a central role in holding managers and board of directors accountable to the corporation as a separate legal entity. Seeing the relationship between the directors and shareholders as one of agency implies that directors should be elected by shareholders and can be dismissed by them at the AGM. The focus therefore is clearly on ensuring that those who manage the corporation are always acting in the best interest of the corporations shareholders. The lean of the Anglo American system to protect the interests of shareholders is most evident when looking at the manner in which it deals with takeovers and acquisitions of corporations. In instances where there is a takeover bid, shareholders need to be given an opportunity to decide on the merits of a takeover so as to ensure that shareholders of the same class are afforded equivalent treatment by an offeror and thus are being treated fairly. The Anglo American model therefore provides a degree of protection to shareholders in instances where a corporation is subject to a takeover bid. For example, in the UK, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers 7777 (the City Code) ensures that shareholders are treated fairly and are not denied an opportunity to protect their interest 8888. The City Code essentially essentially all defensive actions when a takeover bid is pending or when the target has reason to believe that a bona fide offer might be imminent 9999. Once a bid is made, any defensive action requires shareholder approval. This means management of the corporation cannot supersede the interests of its shareholder, who so ever it shall be. UK case law emphasises that the fundamental decision on takeovers belongs to shareholders, not incumbent managers and generally holds that management actions which go against shareholders rights are not pursuant to a proper purpose and therefore fall outside the scope of the delegated management authority afforded by the common law. Disclosure and Transparency Disclosure and transparency are important in managing the relationship between shareholders on the one hand and the executive management on the other. Shareholders have a right to make decisions in relation to the corporation based on information that is accurate and correct 1. This is the only way they can be sure that the corporation is being managed properly. Financial reporting frauds have attracted high-profile attention recently provoked by widespread irregularities at large corporations 2. It is managements responsibility to prevent such problems before they begin 31. To do so, it is necessary to establish a control environment designed to identify and immediately stamp out any fraudulent reporting that does occur 32. One of the tools which is used to protect shareholders interests in this respect is the audit committee 3. An audit committee is an operating committee of the Board of Directors charged with oversight of financial reporting and disclosure 4 . Committee members are drawn from members of the companys board of directors, with a Chairperson selected from among the committee members 33. To be effective, the committee must be composed of independent outside directors with at least one qualifying as a financial expert 34. The audit committee plays an important role as a board subcommittee. The Smith Report 5 explains its role as follows: While all directors have a duty to act in the interests of the company, the audit committee has a particular role, acting independently from the executive, to ensure that the interests of shareholders are properly protected in relation to financial reporting and internal control. An analysis of the corporate governance codes of twenty European countries by Collier and Zaman (2005) 6 showed that their codes assign a set of functions which should be fulfilled by an audit committee as follows: a) oversight of external audit; b) oversight of internal audit; c) involvement in external auditor selection or dismissal; d) oversight of risk and internal control reporting by the board; and e) oversight of financial reporting quality. In carrying out these functions, the committee operates as a liaison between the Board, external auditors, internal auditors, the finance director and the operating 7 . They are for all intents and purposes the final safeguard in ensuring the financial statements of the corporation which are released to shareholders and other stakeholders are accurate. The Board often relies on the audit committee to notice and question any unusual business practices, aggressive accounting methods or violations of the companys code of business conduct. But at many companies audit committee members may not have the expertise in matters of internal control 8. In addition, some people serving on audit committees have very little accounting or financial experience 9. Accordingly, audit committee members need a reference guide to their responsibilities. That is the function of an audit committee charter 10. A comprehensive charter enhances the effectiveness of the audit committee, serving as a road map fo r committee members 11. A well-thought-out charter also should describe the committees composition and specify access to appropriate resources. OECD PRINCIPLES Good corporate governance is key to the integrity of corporations, financial institutions and markets 1. They also play an important role in promoting the health and stability of a states economy. Many international organizations have come to understand the importance of good corporate governance including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2. To this end, the OECD established the first set of internationally acceptable standards of corporate governance, known as the OECD Principles, which have become a reference point used by both developed and developing countries not only for self-assessment but also for issuing and developing codes of best practice 3. The OECD work in corporate governance is centered on promoting the implementation of these principles throughout the world. They are arguably one of the most substantial efforts made to highlight the importance which should be given to corporate governance. The OECD Principles were first released in 1999 and revised in 2004 4. It sets out the key standards of corporate governance which are required for international financial stability. The Principles are intended to assist governments to evaluate and improve the legal, institutional and regulatory framework for corporate governance in their own countries 5. The Principles primarily focus on publicly traded companies, but provide a good guideline for other forms of corporations. The main principles of the OECD Principles 6are: The corporate governance framework should promote transparent and efficient markets, be consistent with the rule of law and clearly articulate the division of responsibilities among different supervisory, regulatory and enforcement authorities. The corporate governance framework should protect and facilitate the exercise of shareholders rights. The corporate governance framework should ensure the equitable treatment of all shareholders, including minority and foreign shareholders. All shareholders should have the opportunity to obtain effective redress for violation of their rights. The corporate governance framework should recognise the rights of stakeholders established by law or through mutual agreements and encourage active co-operation between corporations and stakeholders in creating wealth, jobs, and the sustainability of financially sound enterprises. The corporate governance framework should ensure that timely and accurate disclosure is made on all material matters regarding the corporation, including the financial situation, performance, ownership, and governance of the company. The corporate governance framework should ensure the strategic guidance of the company, the effective monitoring of management by the board, and the boards accountability to the company and the shareholders. In addition to the OECD, business-related organizations like the Centre for International Private Enterprise have also considered corporate governance to be important in the promotion of good business practices 7. The Centre has an affiliate located in Egypt which was established to educate, raise the awareness of the importance of establishing suitable corporate governance standards in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 8

Alcohol and Nutrition :: Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

Alcohol and Nutrition Nutrition is a course that has two purposes: to provide energy and to maintain body structure and function. Food supplies energy and provides the building blocks needed to replace worn or damaged cells and the nutritional components needed for body function. Alcoholics often eat poorly, limiting their supply of essential nutrients and affecting both energy supply and structure maintenance. Once ingested, food must be digested so it is available for energy and maintenance of body structure and function. Alcohol inhibits the breakdown of nutrients into usable molecules by decreasing secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. Alcohol impairs nutrient absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestines and disabling transport of some nutrients into the blood. In addition, nutritional deficiencies themselves may lead to further absorption problems. For example, foliate deficiency alters the cells lining the small intestine, which in turn impairs absorption of water and nutrients including glucose, sodium, and additional foliate. Even if nutrients are digested and absorbed, alcohol can prevent them from being fully utilized by altering their transport, storage, and excretion. Decreased liver stores of vitamins such as vitamin A and increased excretion of nutrients such as fat, indicate impaired utilization of nutrients by alcoholics. The three basic nutritional components found in food--carbohydrates, proteins, and fats--are used as energy after being converted to simpler products. Some alcoholics ingest as much as 50 percent of their total daily calories from alcohol, often neglecting important foods. Even when food intake is adequate, alcohol can damage the mechanisms by which the body controls blood glucose levels, resulting in either increased or decreased blood glucose (glucose is the body's principal sugar. As a result, alcohol causes the brain and other body tissue to be deprived of glucose needed for energy and function. Although alcohol is an energy source, how the body processes and uses the energy from alcohol is more complex than can be explained by a simple calorie conversion value. For example, alcohol provides an average of 20 percent of the calories in the diet of the upper third of drinking Americans, and we might expect many drinkers who consume such amounts to be obese. Instead, national data i ndicate that, despite higher caloric intake, drinkers are no more obese than nondrinkers. Also, when alcohol is substituted for carbohydrates, calorie for calorie, subjects tend to lose weight, indicating that they derive less energy from alcohol than from food

Depression: A Mental Health Condition Essay -- mental and emotional he

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health related situations and events that impact a community (McKenzie, Pinger, & Kotecki, 2008). A common state that impacts a community is depression. Depression is a mental health condition that affects people of all ages. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2011), depression is described by a state of sadness and hopelessness. Some symptoms of depression include no interest in daily activities, fatigue, inability to perform daily tasks, loss of appetite, and thoughts of suicide (CDC, 2011). There are two main forms of depression. The two types are dysthymia and major depression (CDC, 2011). Dysthymia is a type of depressive disorder that usually continues up to two years. This type of depression is of "low-grade mood impairment" which does not have a severe and long-lasting impairment on an individual's moods (CDC, 2011, para. 5). The population that is most affected by dysthymia are children and adolescents. Many who suffer from dysthymia can develop a more serious form of depression, which is major depression (CDC, 2011). The symptoms related to major depression include restlessness, difficulty concentrating on daily activities, feeling of helplessness, decreased energy, attempts and thoughts of suicide. The most serious consequence of major depression is suicide (CDC, 2011; NIMH, 2011). As stated by the CDC, "depression poses a substantial burden globally-" (CDC, 2011, para. 2). Friends and family of a person suffering from depression are also affected. Relationships amongst an individual and their supported networks diminishes as the individual suffering from depression withdraws from society and becomes isolated (CDC, 2011, para. 2... ...ental Health. (2011). Depression. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/health/publications/depression/index.shtml National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Depression in children and adolescents [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-in-children-and-adolescents/index.shtml Riolo, S. A., Nguyen, T. A., Greden, J. F., & King, C. A. (2005). Prevalence of depression by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national health and nutrition examination survey III. American Journal of Public Health, 95(6), 998-1000. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2011). Depression. (NIH publication no. 11-3561). Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml