The Evolution Of Human Beings - 2346 Words

†¢ Human beings (Homo sapiens) are a significant species who have developed over time and have accomplished so much after a long period. This has led us to the beings we are today. These human beings have spread continent to continent over time. − Human beings have attributes that differ them from other primates †¢ Ex. Better grip because of thumb, high sexual drive, are able to confide in both plants and animals as their source of energy, facial expressions, etc. †¢ Homo Erectus – Came about 500,000 - 750,000 years ago (less apelike; spread throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe) †¢ Homo sapiens sapiens – Of which we are descended from, came to be 120,000 years ago, in Africa. − Ideas improved in the Paleolithic period †¢ Rituals were held and cave paintings were drawn to show the importance of death and nature’s beauty (culture was then developed) †¢ Greatest achievement: Spread of humans from continent to continent on earth †¢ 7500,000 years ago- first humans left Africa †¢ Theory: Humans crossed a land bridge 17,000 years ago, connecting Siberia and Alaska, reaching South Africa. Others debate it happened earlier due to carbon dating. − The Mesolithic period (12,000 – 800 BCE) was when humans began to improve tools and weapons †¢ Resulted in domesticating animals which were used for food †¢ Many innovations came to be during the Neolithic Revolution such as agriculture, farming, metalworking, etc. They have soon become vital for the human species. − Invention of agricultureShow MoreRelatedThe Evolution of the Human Being693 Words   |  3 Pagesdeveloped into the tool for human speech. She was developing into the humans that we are today. The rest of her upper body, however, was like Lucys, the famous Australopithecus hominid. Her brain was small, her nose flat like a chimpanzees, and her face was long and projective (ibid). Her finger bones too almost resembled those of a chimps and her two shoulders represented those of a gorilla. It was her smaller brain that provides the clue. As the DVD Becoming human shows, Lucys brain was diametricallyRead MoreHuman Primates And Human Primate1661 Words   |  7 Pagesthe behavior of non-human primate and human primate in the literature and movies we went over, compared to the evolutionary understandings of primate behavior. Throughout this class we studied and compared the different primates, including human and non-humans. According to the Wikipedia, â€Å"The primate lineage is thought to go back at least 65 million years ago.† with that one could say that research on non-human and human primate can somehow explain the theory behind evolution. In addition to theRead MoreWhat is Human Evolution?674 Words   |  3 PagesHuman Evolution What is human evolution? Human evolution refers to a process in which human beings developed both physically and emotionally throughout centuries, evolution is mainly influenced by environmental factors, and sometimes people’s diet would also interrupt the way human beings evolve. Normally, human evolves for survivals, in order to get used to the climate, it is necessary for human beings to advance. Throughout millions of years, human beings have developed from the earliest hominidsRead MoreThe Truth About Life On Earth Essay1012 Words   |  5 Pagesnatural processes alone. In essence, a religion of naturalism is being imposed on millions of students. They need to be taught the real nature of science, including its limitations† (â€Å"Ken Ham Quotes†). Evolution is defined according to Webster s dictionary as â€Å"a theory that the differences between modern plants and animals are because of changes that happened by a natural process over a very long timeâ₠¬  (Merriam-Webster). Darwin’s Evolution believes that species evolve overtime to better adapt to theirRead MoreEvolution And Evolution Of Evolution1337 Words   |  6 Pagesultimate goal. Humans, however, are always adapting and changing to the world and environment around, which creates a unique perspective for Anthropologists. Physically and culturally, Anthropologists work to gather data through various subfields within Anthropology to adapt to the human species. Evolution would be defined as when â€Å"something† can develop from something that is simplistic to something that can adapt to the world around it and is more complex. All human beings in past and presentRead MoreAnalysis Of Charles Darwin s The Origin Of Species Declared That Human Beings Developed Overtime From More Simple Forms843 Words   |  4 Pagesbook On the Origin of Species declared that human beings developed overtime from more simple forms. Evolution suggested that the human species originated from ape-like creatures and gradually changed in structure. Essentially, given the changing patterns of weather and environment, the species had to acquire new skills and adapt to survive. Those that could not change were eliminated in a process that is known as Natural Selection (Larson 47). The Evolution theory, since its inception, has promptedRead MoreEvolution vs. Creation Science1650 Words   |  7 Pagesdenying this truth, the world will not be able to develop. Evolution is verifiable in comparison to creation science because of the theories, evidence, and the increasing acceptance in today’s society. In order to discuss the irrefutable nature of evolution, one must be able to fully grasp the history of this groundbreaking knowledge. Evolution is often described as a change that has occurred over an extended period of time. The world evolution conjures several theories, â€Å"scientists generally describeRead MoreEvolution Of Humans : Human Biology And Early Culture Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesEvolution of Humans No one can be absolutely sure when the first humans actually walked the Earth, only approximations can be made. Approximately 200,000 years ago species are developed in Africa. Most human species and most human biology and early culture in its broadest sense originated in Africa. Archaeologist and anthropologist may have been able to pinpoint exactly where the early human species lived and approximately how long ago they lived but are their assumptions correct? A huge part ofRead More Evolution as a Creative Process Essay example968 Words   |  4 PagesEvolution as a Creative Process Evolution is a process that has taken billions of years, and will continue for billions more.It takes hundreds of generations for an evolutionary change to occur, or an impending extinction to become evident. Humans find it difficult to see themselves evolving due to their longer life span, and fewer generations over time compared to other species. It has become a common misconception that humans are finished evolving, and that they have reached the best and mostRead MoreAre Humans Still Evolving?1556 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract evolution has occurred in humans for millions of years; however, in a modern society many scientists and evolutionists are now debating whether or not it is still occurring, and if it follows the same rules. With all of the new technology humans have created, some experts believe that humans have essentially conquered nature, and no further evolutionary changes will occur. Still, others hold opposing views; some experts believe that evolution is still occu rring, but modern societal advancements

Martin Luther King And The White House - 922 Words

Martin Luther King and The White House Throughout the Civil Right Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and other civil rights leaders worked with the executive branch to move towards equal rights. Though the civil rights movement spanned many administrations, the most progress occurred during the terms of President Kennedy and President Johnson, thus we will examine the relationship between two different Presidential administrations Martin Luther King, Jr. Each correspondence between the two groups is different. They vary in formality, recipients, and purpose; therefore these primary sources also show the evolution of the relationship. Citizens of this country, especially minorities, have not always been treated with rights grant to†¦show more content†¦Johnson (Civil Rights). Though Martin Luther King Jr. worked very closely with the White House, many of the early correspondences were very formal. Two prime examples of this are his invitation to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and a telegraph sent in response the Birmingham bombing (Figure 1). The stiffness of the invitation might seem obvious, but it is very important to note. Though MLK did not attend the ceremony, the letter signifies the desire of the administration to have him seen as a political ally. Two years later MLK sent a telegram to the White House. In the telegram, he condemns the bombing and implores the Kennedy administration to make change saying, â€Å"However, I am convinced that unless some steps are taken by the federal government to restore a sense of confidence in the protection of life†¦ we shall see the worst racial holocaust this nation has ever seen,† (Figure 1). This is not a suggestion passed along casually, but an attempt to establish respect on a very perti nent issue. It is true that corresponding with the highest position in the land might call for some formality, but MLK was often times informal during one on one conversation with White House personnel. This can be seen in his letter to Special Assistant Frank D. Reeves. In a letter written on February 28, 1961 King addresses Reeves as one might a friend. King only uses last names in both his greeting and closing of the letters. Moreover, King reveals his personal thoughts on

Management Information System Questions Free Essays

————————————————- MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Question 1(10 Marks) Discuss five (5) challenges of Management Information System (MIS). Answers Introduction A Management Information System (MIS) provides information which is needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources such as people, technology and information or decision making. We will write a custom essay sample on Management Information System Questions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that they are used to analyze operation activities in the organization. Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation support of human decision making, e. g. decision support systems, expert systems and executive information systems. The Challenge of Management Information System (MIS) Although information technology is advancing at a blinding pace, there is nothing easy or mechanical about building and using information systems. There are five major challenges confronting managers: 1. The information systems investment challenge It is obvious that one of the greatest challenges facing managers today is ensuring that their companies do indeed obtain meaningful returns on the money they spend on information systems. It’s one thing to use information technology to design, produce, deliver, and maintain new products. It’s another thing to make money doing it. How can organizations obtain a sizable payoff from their investment in information systems? How can management ensure that information systems contribute to corporate value? Senior management can be expected to ask these questions: How can we evaluate our information systems investments as we do other investments? Are we receiving the return on investment from our systems that we should? Do our competitors get more? Far too many firms still cannot answer these questions. Their executives are likely to have trouble determining how much they actually spend on technology or how to measure the returns on their technology investments. Most companies lack a clear-cut decision-making process for eciding which technology investments to pursue and for managing those investments. 2. The strategic challenge What complementary assets are needed to use information technology effectively? Despite heavy information technology investments, many organizations are not realizing significant business value from their systems, because they lack—or fail to appreciate—the complementary assets required to make their technology assets work. The power of computer ha rdware and software has grown much more rapidly than the ability of organizations to apply and use this technology. To benefit fully from information technology, realize genuine productivity, and become competitive and effective, many organizations actually need to be redesigned. They will have to make fundamental changes in employee and management behavior, develop new work models, retire obsolete work rules, and eliminate the inefficiencies of outmoded business processes and organizational structures. New technology alone will not produce meaningful business benefits. 3. The globalization challenge How can firms understand the requirements of a global economic environment? The rapid growth in international trade and the emergence of a global economy call for information systems that can support both producing and selling goods in many different countries. In the past, each regional office of a multinational corporation focused on solving its own unique information problems. Given language, cultural, and political differences among countries, this focus frequently resulted in chaos and the failure of central management controls. To develop integrated, multinational, information systems, businesses must develop global hardware, software, and communications standards; create cross-cultural accounting and reporting structures; and design transnational business processes. 4. The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organizations develop an information technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are changing so rapidly? Many companies are saddled with expensive and unwieldy information technology platforms that cannot adapt to innovation and change. Their information systems are so complex and brittle that they act as constraints on business strategy and execution. Meeting new business and technology challenges may require redesigning the organization and building a new information technology (IT) infrastructure. Creating the IT infrastructure for a digital firm is an especially formidable task. Most companies are crippled by fragmented and incompatible computer hardware, software, telecommunications networks, and information systems that prevent information from flowing freely between different parts of the organization. Although Internet standards are solving some of these connectivity problems, creating data and computing platforms that span the enterprise—and, increasingly, link the enterprise to external business partners—is rarely as seamless as promised. Many organizations are still struggling to integrate their islands of information and technology. 5. Ethics and security challenge: The responsibility and control challenge: How can organizations ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible manner? How can we design information systems that people can control and understand? Although information systems have provided enormous benefits and efficiencies, they have also created new ethical and social problems and challenges. A major management challenge is to make informed decisions that are sensitive to the negative consequences of information systems as well to the positive ones. Managers face an ongoing struggle to maintain security and control. Today, the threat of unauthorized penetration or disruption of information systems has never been greater. Information systems are so essential to business, government, and daily life that organizations must take special steps to ensure their security, accuracy, and reliability. A firm invites disaster if it uses systems that can be disrupted or accessed by outsiders, that do not work as intended, or that do not deliver information in a form that people can correctly use. Information systems must be designed so that they are secure, function as intended, and so that humans can control the process. QUESTION 2 (10 Marks) Explain with example (s) one (1) of the following Enterprise Applications: a) ERP b) SCM c) CRM Answers a) ERP Introduction In 1990, Gartner Group first employed the acronym ERP as an extension of material requirements planning (MRP), later manufacturing resource planning and computer-integrated manufacturing. Without supplanting these terms, ERP came to represent a larger whole, reflecting the evolution of application integration beyond manufacturing. Not all ERP packages were developed from a manufacturing core. Vendors variously began with accounting, maintenance and human resources. By the mid-1990s, ERP systems addressed all core functions of an enterprise. Beyond corporations, governments and non-profit organizations also began to employ ERP systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance or accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application. Their purpose is to facilitate then flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. ERP systems can run on a variety of computer hardware and network configurations, typically employing a database as a repository for information. Characteristics ERP systems typically include the following characteristics:- * An integrated systems that operates in real time (or next to real time), without relying on periodic updates. * A common database, which supports all applications. * A consistent look and feel throughout each module. Installation of the system without elaborate application/data integration by the Information Technology (IT) department. Examples: * Finance/ Accounting : General ledger, payables, cash management, fixed assets, receivables, budgeting and consolidation. * Human Resources : payroll, training, benefits, 401K, recruiting and diversity management. * Manufacturing : Engineerin g, bill of materials, work orders, scheduling, capacity, workflow management, quality control, cost management, manufacturing process, manufacturing projects, manufacturing flow, activity based costing, product lifecycle management. Supply chain management : Order to cash, inventory, order entry, purchasing, product configurator, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling, inspection of goods, claim processing, commissions. * Project management : Costing, billing, time and expense, performance units, activity management. * Customer relationship management : Sales and marketing, commissions, service, customer contact, call center support. * Data services : Various â€Å"self–service† interfaces for customers, suppliers and/or employees. * Access control : Management of user privileges for various processes. Components:- * Transactional database Management portal/dashboard * Business intelligence system * Customizable reporting * External access via technology such as we b services * Search * Document management * Messaging/chat/wiki * Workflow management Connectivity to Plant Floor Information ERP systems connect to real–time data and transaction data in a variety of ways. These systems are typically configured by systems integrators, who bring unique knowledge on process, equipment, and vendor solutions. Direct integration—ERP systems have connectivity (communications to plant floor equipment) as part of their product offering. This requires the vendors to offer specific support for the plant floor equipment that their customers operate. ERP vendors must be expert in their own products, and connectivity to other vendor products, including competitors. Database integration—ERP systems connect to plant floor data sources through staging tables in a database. Plant floor systems deposit the necessary information into the database. The ERP system reads the information in the table. The benefit of staging is that ERP vendors do not need to master the complexities of equipment integration. Connectivity becomes the responsibility of the systems integrator. Enterprise appliance transaction modules (EATM)—These devices communicate directly with plant floor equipment and with the ERP system via methods supported by the ERP system. EATM can employ a staging table, Web Services, or system–specific program interfaces (APIs). The benefit of an EATM is that it offers an off–the–shelf solution. Custom–integration solutions—Many system integrators offer custom solutions. These systems tend to have the highest level of initial integration cost, and can have a higher long term maintenance and reliability costs. Long term costs can be minimized through careful system testing and thorough documentation. Custom–integrated solutions typically run on workstation or server class computers. Implementation ERP’s scope usually implies significant changes to staff work processes and practices. Generally, three types of services are available to help implement such changes—consulting, customization, and support. Implementation time depends on business size, number of modules, customization, the scope of process changes, and the readiness of the customer to take ownership for the project. Modular ERP systems can be implemented in stages. The typical project for a large enterprise consumes about 14 months and requires around 150 consultants. Small projects can require months; multinational and other large implementations can take years. Customization can substantially increase implementation times. Process preparation Implementing ERP typically requires changes in existing business processes. Poor understanding of needed process changes prior to starting implementation is a main reason for project failure. It is therefore crucial that organizations thoroughly analyze business processes before implementation. This analysis can identify opportunities for process modernization. It also enables an assessment of the alignment of current processes with those provided by the ERP system. Research indicates that the risk of business process mismatch is decreased by: * linking current processes to the organization’s strategy; * analyzing the effectiveness of each process; * understanding existing automated solutions. ERP implementation is considerably more difficult (and politically charged) in decentralized organizations, because they often have different processes, business rules, data semantics, authorization hierarchies and decision centers. This may require migrating some business units before others, delaying implementation to work through the necessary changes for each unit, possibly reducing integration (e. . linking via Master data management) or customizing the system to meet specific needs. A potential disadvantage is that adopting â€Å"standard† processes can lead to a loss of competitive advantage. While this has happened, losses in one area are often offset by gains in other areas, increasing overall competitive advantage. Configuration Con figuring an ERP system is largely a matter of balancing the way the customer wants the system to work with the way it was designed to work. ERP systems typically build many changeable parameters that modify system operation. For example, an organization can select the type of inventory accounting—FIFO or LIFO—to employ, whether to recognize revenue by geographical unit, product line, or distribution channel and whether to pay for shipping costs when a customer returns a purchase. Customization ERP systems are theoretically based on industry best practices and are intended to be deployed â€Å"as is†. ERP vendors do offer customers configuration options that allow organizations to incorporate their own business rules but there are often functionality gaps remaining even after the configuration is complete. ERP customers have several options to reconcile functionality gaps, each with their own pros/cons. Technical solutions include rewriting part of the delivered functionality, writing a homegrown bolt-on/add-on module within the ERP system, or interfacing to an external system. All three of these options are varying degrees of system customization, with the first being the most invasive and costly to maintain. Alternatively, there are non-technical options such as changing business practices and/or organizational policies to better match the delivered ERP functionality. Key differences between customization and configuration include: * Customization is always optional, whereas the software must always be configured before use (e. g. , setting up cost/profit center structures, organizational trees, purchase approval rules, etc. ) * The software was designed to handle various configurations, and behaves predictably in any allowed configuration. * The effect of configuration changes on system behavior and performance is predictable and is the responsibility of the ERP vendor. The effect of customization is less predictable, is the customer’s responsibility and increases testing activities. Configuration changes survive upgrades to new software versions. Some customizations (e. g. code that uses pre–defined â€Å"hooks† that are called before/after displaying data screens) survive upgrades, though they require retesting. Other customizations (e. g. those involving changes to fundamental data structures) are overwritten during upgrad es and must be re-implemented. Customization Advantages: * Improves user acceptance * Offers the potential to obtain competitive advantage vis-a-vis companies using only standard features. Customization Disadvantages: * Increases time and resources required to both implement and maintain. Inhibits seamless communication between suppliers and customers who use the same ERP system un-customized. * Over reliance on customization undermines the principles of ERP as a standardizing software platform Extensions ERP systems can be extended with third–party software. ERP vendors typically provide access to data and functionality through published interfaces. Extensions offer features such as:- * archiving, reporting and republishing; * capturing transactional data, e. g. using scanners, tills or RFID * access to specialized data/capabilities, such as syndicated marketing data and associated trend analytics. advanced planning and scheduling (APS) Data migration Data migration is the p rocess of moving/copying and restructuring data from an existing system to the ERP system. Migration is critical to implementation success and requires significant planning. Unfortunately, since migration is one of the final activities before the production phase, it often receives insufficient attention. The following steps can structure migration planning: * Identify the data to be migrated * Determine migration timing * Generate the data templates * Freeze the toolset Decide on migration-related setups * Define data archiving policies and procedures. Comparison to special–purpose applications Advantages The fundamental advantage of ERP is that integrating the myriad processes by which businesses operate saves time and expense. Decisions can be made more quickly and with fewer errors. Data becomes visible across the organization. Tasks that benefit from this integration include: * Sales forecasting, which allows inventory optimization * Chronological history of every transa ction through relevant data compilation in every area of operation. Order tracking, from acceptance through fulfillment * Revenue tracking, from invoice through cash receipt * Matching purchase orders (what was ordered), inventory receipts (what arrived), and costing (what the vendor invoiced) ERP systems centralize business data, bringing the following benefits: * They eliminate the need to synchronize changes between multiple systems—consolidation of finance, marketing and sales, human resource, and manufacturing applications * They bring legitimacy and transparency in each bit of statistical data. They enable standard product naming/coding. * They provide a comprehensive enterprise view (no â€Å"islands of information†). They make real–time information available to management anywhere, any time to make proper decisions. * They protect sensitive data by consolidating multiple security systems into a single structure. Disadvantages * Customization is problemat ic. * Re–engineering business processes to fit the ERP system may damage competitiveness and/or divert focus from other critical activities * ERP can cost more than less integrated and or less comprehensive solutions. High switching costs associated with ERP can increase the ERP vendor’s negotiating power which can result in higher support, maintenance, and upgrade expenses. * Overcoming resistance to sharing sensitive information between departments can divert management attention. * Integration of truly independent businesses can create unnecessary dependencies. * Extensive training requirements take resources from daily operations. Due to ERP’s architecture (OLTP, On-Line Transaction Processing) ERP systems are not well suited for production planning and supply chain management (SCM) The limitations of ERP have been recognized sparking new trends in ERP application development, the four significant developments being made in ERP are, creating a more flexible ERP, Web-Enable ERP, Enterprise ERP and e-Business Suites, each of which will potentially address the failings of the current ERP. QUESTION 3 (18 Marks) Describe with example all stages of System Development Lifecycle. Answers Introduction The Systems development life cycle (SDLC), or Software development process in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. In software engineering the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling the creation of an information system: the software development process. Software development contains set of activities which when performed in coordination and in accordance with one another result in the desired result. Software development methodologies are used for the computer based information systems. The growth of the information’s has to pass through various phases or stages these stages are known as System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The SDLC follows a well defined process by which the system is conceived, developed and implemented. To understand system development, we need to recognize that a candidate system has a life cycle, much like a living system or a new product. Systems analysis and design are based to the system life cycle. The stages are described below. The analyst must progress from one stage to another methodically, answering key questions and achieving results in each stage. Figure 1 : System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Stages Step 1: Recognition of Need – What is the Problem? One must know what the problem is before it can be solved. The basis for a candidate system is recognition of a need for improving an information system or a procedure. For example, a supervisor may want to investigate the system flow in purchasing. Or a bank president has been getting complaints about the long lines in the drive – in. This need leads to a preliminary survey or an initial investigation to determine whether an alternative system can solve the problem. It entails looking into the duplication of effort bottlenecks, inefficient existing procedures, or whether parts of the existing system would be candidates for computerization. If the problem is serious enough, management may want to have an analyst look at it, such an assignment implies a commitment, especially if the analyst hired from the utside. In larger environments, where formal procedures are the norm, the analyst’s first task is to prepare a statement specifying the scope and objective of the problem. He/she then reviews it with the user for accuracy at this stage, only a rough â€Å"ball parle† estimate of the development cost of the project may be reached. However, an accurate cost of the next phase – the feasibility study â₠¬â€œ can be produced. Step 2: Feasibility Study Depending on the results of the initial investigation, the survey is expanded to a more detailed feasibility study. As we shall learn, a feasibility study is a test of a system proposal according to its workability impact on the organization, ability to meet user needs, and effective use of resources. It focuses on their major questions: * What are the user’s demonstrable needs and how does a candidate system meet them? * What resources are available for given candidate systems? Is the problem worth solving? * What are the likely impact of the candidate system on the organization? How will it fit within the organization’s master MIS plan? Each of these questions must be answered carefully. They revolve around investigation and evaluation of the problem, identification and description of candidate systems, specification of performance and the cost of each system, and final selection of the best system. The objective of a feasibility study is not to solve the problem but to acquire a sense of its scope. During the study, the problem definition is crystallized and aspects of the problem to be included in the system are determined. Consequently, costs and benefits are estimated with greater accuracy at this stage. The result of the feasibility study is a formal proposal. This is simply a report – a formal document detailing the nature and scope of the proposed solution. The proposal summarizes what is known and what is going to be done. It consists of the following. 1. Statement of the Problem – a carefully worded statement of the problem that led to analysis. 2. Summary of Findings and Recommendations – a list of the major findings and recommendations of the study. It is ideal for the user who required quick access to the results of the analysis of the system under study. Conclusions are stated, followed by a list of the recommendations and a justification for them. 3. Details of Findings – An outline of the methods and procedures undertaken by the existing system, followed by coverage of objectives ; procedures of the candidate system. Included are also discussions of output reports, file structures, and costs and benefits of the candidate system. 4. Recommendations and Conclusions – special recommendations regarding the candidate system, including the personal assignments costs, project schedules, and target dates. Three key considerations are involved in the feasibility analysis: economic, technical, behavioral. Let’s briefly review each consideration and how it relates to the systems effort. * Economic Feasibility: Economic analysis is the most frequently used method for evaluating the effectiveness of a candidate system. More commonly known as cost/benefit analysis, the procedure is to determine the benefits and savings that are expected from a candidate system and compare them with costs. If benefits outweigh costs, then the decision is made to design and implement the system. Otherwise, further justification or alterations in the proposed system will have to be made if it is to have a chance of being approved. This is an ongoing effort that improves in accuracy at each phase of the system life cycle. * Technical Feasibility: Technical feasibility centers around the existing computer system (hardware, software etc. ) and to what extent it can support the proposed addition. For example, if the current computer is operating at 80 per cent capacity – an arbitrary ceiling – then running another application could overload the system or require additional hardware. This involves financial considerations to accommodate technical enhancements. If the budget is a serious constraint, then the project is judged not feasible. * Behavioral Feasibility: People are inherently resistant to change, and computers have been known to facilitate change. An estimate should be made of how strong a reaction the user staff is likely to have towards the development of a computerized system. It is common knowledge that computer installations have something to do with turnover, transfers, retraining, and changes in employee job status. Therefore, it is understandable that the introduction of a candidate system requires special effort to educate, sell, and train the staff on new ways of conducting business. After the proposal is viewed by management it becomes a formal agreement that paves the way for actual design and implementation. This is a crucial decision point in the life cycle. Many projects die here, whereas the more promising ones continue through implementation. Changes in the proposal are made in writing, depending on the complexity, size, and cost of the project. It is simply common sense to verify changes before committing the project to design. Step 3: Analysis It is a detailed study of the various operations performed by the system and their relationship within and outside of the system. A key question is – what must be done to solve the problem? One aspect of analysis is defining the boundaries of the system and determining whether or not a candidate system should consider other related systems. During analysis, data are collected on available files, decision points, and transactions handled by the present system. We shall learn about some logical system models and tools that are used in analysis. It requires special skills and sensitivity to the subjects being interviewed. Bias in data collection and interpretation can be problem. Training, experience and common sense are required for collection of the information needed to do the analysis. Once analysis is completed the analyst has a firm understanding of what is to be done. The next step is to decide how the problem might be solved. Thus, in the systems design, we move from the logical to the physical aspects of the life cycle. Step 4: Design The most creative and challenging phase of the system life cycle is system design. The term design describes both a final system and a process by which it is developed. It refers to the technical specifications (analogous to the engineer’s blueprints) that will be applied in implementing the candidate system. It also includes the constructions of programs and programme testing. The key question here is – How should the problem be solved?. The first step is to determine how the output is to be produced and in what format. Samples of the output (and input) are also available. Second, input data and master files (data base) have to be designed to meet the requirements of the proposed output. The operational (processing) phase are handled through programme construction and testing, including a list of the programmes needed to meet the system’s objectives and complete documentation. Finally, details related to justification of the system and an estimate of   the impact of the candidate system on the user and the organization are documented and evaluated by management as a step toward implementation. The final report prior to the implementation phase includes procedural flowcharts, record layouts, report layouts, and a workable plan for implementing the candidate system. Information on personnel, money, hardware, facilities and their estimated cost must also be available. At this point, projected costs must be close to actual costs of implementation. In some firms, separate groups of programmer do the programming whereas other firms employ analyst programmers who do analysis and design as well as code programs. For this discussion, we assume that analysis and programming is carried out by two separate persons. There are certain functions, though, that the analyst must perform while programs are being written operating procedures and documentation must be completed. Security and auditing procedures must also be developed. Step 5: Testing No system design is ever perfect. Communication problems, programmers negligence or time constraints create errors that most be eliminated before the system is ready for user acceptance testing. A system is tested for online response, volume of transactions, stress, recovery form failure and usability. Then comes system testing, which verifies that the whole set of programs hangs together, following system testing is acceptance testing or running the system with live   data by the actual use. System testing requires a test plan that consists of several key activities and steps for programs, string, system and user acceptance testing. The system performance criteria deal with turnaround time, backup, file protection, and the human factor. Step 6: Implementation This phase is less creative than system design. It is primarily concerned with user training, site preparation, and file conversion. When the candidate system is linked to terminals and remote sites the telecommunication network and tests of the network along with the system are also included under implementation. During the final testing, user acceptance is tested, followed by user training. Depending on the nature of the system, extensive user training may be required, conversion usually takes place at about the same time the user is being trained or later. In the extreme, the programmer is falsely viewed as someone who ought to be isolated from other aspects of system development. Programming is itself design work, however. The initial parameter of the candidate system should be modified as a result of programming efforts. Programming provides a â€Å"reality test† for the assumptions made by the analyst. It is therefore a mistake to exclude programmers from the initial system design. System testing checks the readiness and accuracy of the system to access, update and retrieve data from new files. Once the programmes become available, test data are read into the computer and processed against the file(s) provided for testing. If successful, the program(s) is then run with â€Å"live† data. Otherwise, a diagnostic procedure is used to local and correct errors in the program. In most programs, a parallel run is conducted where the new system runs simultaneously with the ‘old’ systems. This method, though costly, provides added assurance against errors in the candidate system and also gives the user-staff an opportunity to gain experience through operation. In some cases, however, parallel processing is not practical. For example, it is not plausible to run two parallel online point-to-sale (POS) systems for a retail chain. In any case, after the candidate system proves itself, the old system is phased out. Step 7: Evaluation During systems testing, the system is used experimentally to ensure that the software does not fail. In other words, we can say that it will run according to its specifications and in the way users expect. Special test data are input for processing, and the results examined. A limited number of users may be allowed to use the system so that analyst can see whether to use it in unforeseen ways. It is desirable to discover any surprises before the organization implements the system and depends on it. Implementation is the process of having systems personnel check out and put new equipment into use, train users, install the new application and construct any files of data needed to use it. This phase is less creative than system design. Depending on the size of the organisation that will be involved in using the application and the risk involved in its use, systems developers may choose to test the operation in only one area of the Firm with only one or two persons. Sometimes, they will run both old and new system in parallel way to compare the results. In still other situations, system developers stop using the old system one day and start using the new one the next. Evaluation of the system is performed to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The actual evaluation can occur along any one of the following dimensions: * Operational Evaluation: Assessment of the manner in which the system functions, impact. * Organizational Impact: Identification and measurement of benefits to the organisation in such areas as financial concerns, operational efficiency and competitive impact. * User Manager Assessment: Evaluation of the attitudes of senior and user manager within the organization, as well as end-users. Development Performance: Evaluation of the development process in accordance with such yardsticks as overall development time and effort, conformance to budgets and standards and other project management criteria. Step 8: Post – Implementation and Maintenance Maintenance is necessary to eliminate errors in the working system during its working life and to tune the system to any variations in its working environment. Often small system defici encies are found as a system is brought into operation and changes are made to remove them. System planners must always plan for resource availability to carry out these maintenance functions. The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. After the installation phase is completed and the user staff is adjusted to changes created by the candidate system, evaluation and maintenance being. Like any system there is an ageing process the requires periodic maintenance of hardware ; software. If the new information is inconsistent with the design specifications, then changes have to be made. Hardware also requires periodic maintenance to keep in time with design specification. The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. BIBLIOGRAFI Gordon b. Davis ; Margrethe H. Olson. (1985). Management Information Systems : Conceptual Foundations, Structure and Development. New York : McGraw-Hill. Lucey. T. (1987). Management Information Systems. 5th Ed. Eastleigh, Hants : D. P Pubns. O’Brien, James A. (2002). Management Information Systems : Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise. Boston : McGraw-Hill. Robert C. Nickerson, Saravanan Muthaiyah. (2004). Introduction to Information Systems. Petaling Jaya : Prentice Hall. McLeod Raymond, P. Shell George. (2004). Management Information Systems. N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall. How to cite Management Information System Questions, Essay examples

Strategic Entrepreneurship for Creativity - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Entrepreneurship for Creativity and Desire. Answer: First personal journal entry set The significance of entrepreneurship within the society that has traditional notions and economies has been increasing at a rapid rate which is defying the obsolete concepts. The creation of new ideas through new ventures in business or the manufacturing of new products, ideas or services into the market so as to generate more value and wealth is the most crucial feature of entrepreneurship. It can include the launching of the new business ventures along with developing the existing products. This can be made to happen at any kind of companies both small and large scaled (Alvarez, Audretsch Link, 2016). The prime motivations of the individuals who are on the path of being entrepreneurs relate to gain on growth and profit. On the other hand, the key characteristics of behavior have been related to the strategic thinking and innovation (Bjrnskov Foss, 2013). When it comes to evaluating me in terms of characteristics of entrepreneurship, it is very important to assess the existing and required traits in the measures of five dimensions such as achievement drive, creativity, desire for autonomy and internal locus of control. The drive for achievement is the prime and most important trait that an individual needs to posses from gaining the interest of becoming an entrepreneur. It is a very important entrepreneurial attribute which would denote my need to work hard for achieving success. It is very relevant in my case of aiming to become an entrepreneur as I have high achievement drive and have the attitude of setting targets that are demanding for myself and encourage me to become bold and proactive regarding the accomplishing of objectives (Burgelman, 2015). I can evaluate myself to have a strong drive for achieving and an orienting for taking immediate accountability for the task and displaying of initiatives that are further in resonance with the controlling and planning of events in my organization. I also happen to have the drive of getting regular concrete feedback regarding the level of performance of individuals working under me along with my performance. I very well realize the significance of creativity as vital to the entrepreneurial concept. I happen to have a very good understanding of the fact that the sector of entrepreneurship is primarily dominated by the innovation and creativity. In order to have an effective launch in the market along with maintaining a high position in the market, it is very important to constantly innovate the services or products with renovating business strategies. I realize and have the potential to centralize creativity in my entrepreneurship. The desire for autonomy is very closely associated with the success in entrepreneurship as I definitely want to have proper control over my business, however, at the same time, I also have the understanding that entrepreneurship thrives under the work environment that has a sense of liberty and freedom (Demil, et al., 2015). I have a good potential of maintaining a balance between having proper and effective control on the business along with providing freedom and liberty of working styles for the employees. Regarding internal locus of control which is a very important dimension of entrepreneurship, I could evaluate myself to be a balanced individual with effective control of my business. I could gain high internal score regarding taking control of the environment in which I am or the environment of my business. I can very well assess myself to be seeking out innovative opportunities of business and acquiring required resources (Gallouj Gallouj, 2017). According to the findings of the survey, I could identify the areas where I need to develop in order to be successful as an entrepreneur. Belonging to a family where no family members have been involved in any kind of business and have always been an employee in many companies, I have a family programming of not being involved in taking risks. I need to develop the attitude and mental set up regarding taking risks and seeking out productive opportunities in uncertain environments. I have an environment of friends who have an innate ability and attitudes about taking risks. They have been a very encouraging and helpful for building up my confidence and attitudes towards taking risks in unknown territories (Hughes, et al., 2015). However, in my past endeavors regarding having my business, I had suffered fraudulent behaviors and faced many conflicting instances with many parties due to lack of experience as in-depth knowledge regarding the sector. However, at present, I have gained experience and conduct an in-depth analysis of the sector in which into which I desire of establishing my business. According to the assessment, I could comprehend that I have a very extraversion personality in context to the personality score. I need to have a great deal of social interaction in order to establish the business as provides me with a great deal of knowledge my business sector. I love to interact with people who have a diverse array of ideas and experience which also includes the potential customers, competitors, colleagues, customers, lawyers, coaches, suppliers, and accountants. I find myself to be very comfortable in being in most social situations. Having excellent communication style facilitates me in being a social person which further facilitates achieving effectiveness in business (Ketchen, Ireland Webb, 2014). I have the skills regarding the creativity and innovation about bringing new ideas about products and services which helps my team in designing and implementing the business ideas at a faster and much effective rate (Klein, et al., 2013). In that regards, I am definitely the Hipster which creates the idea regarding various services and products in the business venture. Third Personal Journal Entry Set To start a business, belief is the main thing that is required to address the problem and gives the significant solutions whatever the customer wants. Every large company has a humble story behind their success. All of the dignitaries start from nothing but just with the proper plan conviction, they have achieved everything. The history of the Lamborghini starts in the year 1963. The owner of the company Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini, born in the year 1916, is the root cause of the entire foundation. The company has several phases of the extraordinary history that inspire the young minds of this generation. The time when he decided to build a factory full of luxurious sports cars at that time he was already in a wealthy state. During the period of the Second World War, he has started eth business by launching the tractor factory with full energy and dedication (Niskanen, Piispanen Montonen, 2017). This has created a major history and provides a reference to the industry. By the early sixties, he has already become a successful person and exactly knows what he really wants to do in his life. He always wanted to produce the best sports cars but never thought of this type of popularity in the recent scenario. According to many people, he is mad, but the reality is he is playing with his own dreams to change the trend of the world. After the construction of the cars, the company has become the most popular for producing the extravagance and unexplainable sports car in the world. The moment he decided was the perfect moment to create a tremendous history in the world (Obeng, Robson Haugh, 2014). The mission of the company is for those who love to possess the extraordinary and unusual objects, of high quality and cost. The objectives of the company are to describe the state of extreme, uncompromising, working with enthusiasm and Italian. The passion for transmitting the same brand with new styles and values that are characterized by unmistakable identity and combined with the best quality of materials is the target of the company. The "Collezione" is the best creation of the company which does not refer only to the fashion line but holds the entire "world of Lamborghini". Each collection of the company has the significant logo, attention to the details and high-quality materials. The vision of the company is to bring the spirit and passion of the Italy to the global market with new and distinct products that are inspired by the Italian arts and industrial design (Webb, Ireland Ketchen, 2014). The collections are not limited to cars; they have the stocks of watches, mobile, eyewear, accessories, leather goods, and furniture. The relationship between the employees and managers are quite healthy and acknowledged by every other company. The company has enthralled the enthusiasm of the mechanics as well as the engineers to increase the cutting-edge of the sports car that will always be able to stun the world at each new release. The production teams constantly grow in number and have played a strategic role within the company (Scaringella, 2017). The company mainly tries to achieve the success by beating every record and changing the passionate sense of the customers. The thing that I would love to emulate from the company is the innovative ideas that they are putting in each release. The elegant appeal towards the mechanics and considering them as of their level is something one should learn from them. The culture they have created is the best example to show the efficient production though team performance. Fifth Personal Journal Entry Set The story of the Lamborghini Company is quite inspiring and extraordinary. The thing that inspired me more is the innovative idea and the willpower of the Ferruccio Lamborghini, who instead of wasting and misusing the money and resources, used in a specific manner which was initially started by the tractor company. At the right time, he had decided to the resource to produce the world's best sports car which was considered as a mad idea of the people. Without responding to the views of the people, he has started the company with a clear vision. This shows the dedication of a person to fulfill his desires that are quite innovative and has the little chance of profit. Without thinking about the future success, he has started the company and still today, it is the most desirable sports car company across the world (Shirokova, Vega Sokolova, 2013). Mr. Ferruccio Lamborghini has inspired several young minds of the world that explains the best about life. He has changed the passion as well as the trend of the world in several phases of release. I have learned the best thing from him and that is" don't just live with your dreams, try to make it and then enjoy the dreams of success" (Simsek, Heavey Fox, 2017). According to his perspective "dreams like anything and people will call you crazy". This spirit will only change the shape, feeling, and tradition of a person. The company assures to provide the entire feeling of the Italy as it can't give the Italy exactly. The best part of the company that helps to increase the benefits is the team they have (Tavassoli, Bengtsson Karlsson, 2017). The teams are highly skilled with respect to the technology and cultural sense, works according to the need of the customers and changes in the society. They have the best coordination and team power to resolve the issues of the company. This makes fewer turnovers in the company which is the best part of it. An individual needs to be innovative rather than entrepreneurial. The creative ideas will lead to improving the entrepreneurial ideas of an individual (Wang, Thornhill De Castro, 2017). In the recent scenario, everyone is running for opening a new enterprise but hardly some of them get the success as they lack only in case of the creative ideas. The ideas will build a secure and efficient framework of the company that will lead to achieving the success within a few years. It is only about the ideas, but it is mainly about making it happen. Innovative ideas are the beginning of al fortunes. References Alvarez, S. A., Audretsch, D., Link, A. N. (2016). Advancing our understanding of theory in entrepreneurship.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,10(1), 3-4. Bjrnskov, C., Foss, N. (2013). How strategic entrepreneurship and the institutional context drive economic growth.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,7(1), 50-69. Burgelman, R. A. (2015). 24 Prigogines Theory of the Dynamics of Far-From-Equilibrium Systems: Application to Strategic Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Organizational Evolution.The Oxford Handbook of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, 433. Demil, B., Lecocq, X., Ricart, J. E., Zott, C. (2015). Introduction to the SEJ special issue on business models: business models within the domain of strategic entrepreneurship.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,9(1), 1-11. Gallouj, F., Gallouj, F. (2017). Knowledge Spillover-based Strategic Entrepreneurship.International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior Research,23(4), 726-730. Hughes, M., Hughes, P., Morgan, R. E., Hodgkinson, I. R. (2015). Organizing strategic entrepreneurship to enable product innovation in new and young technology-based firms. Ketchen, D. J., Ireland, R. D., Webb, J. W. (2014). Toward a research agenda for the informal economy: a survey of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal's editorial board.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,8(1), 95-100. Klein, P. G., Mahoney, J. T., McGahan, A. M., Pitelis, C. N. (2013). Capabilities and strategic entrepreneurship in public organizations.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,7(1), 70-91. Niskanen, J., Piispanen, V. V., Montonen, T. (2017). Business models for research-based spin-offs: the strategic entrepreneurship perspective.International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies,8(1-2), 38-53. Obeng, B. A., Robson, P., Haugh, H. (2014). Strategic entrepreneurship and small firm growth in Ghana.International Small Business Journal,32(5), 501-524. Scaringella, L. (2017). Book review: Knowledge spillover-based strategic entrepreneurship Joo J Ferreira, Leo-Paul Dana and Vanessa Ratten (eds). Shirokova, G., Vega, G., Sokolova, L. (2013). Performance of Russian SMEs: Exploration, exploitation and strategic entrepreneurship.Critical perspectives on international business,9(1/2), 173-203. Simsek, Z., Heavey, C., Fox, B. C. (2017). (Meta-) framing strategic entrepreneurship.Strategic Organization, 1476127017711720. Tavassoli, S., Bengtsson, L., Karlsson, C. (2017). Strategic entrepreneurship and knowledge spillovers: spatial and aspatial perspectives.International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal,13(1), 233-249. Wang, T., Thornhill, S., De Castro, J. O. (2017). Entrepreneurial orientation, legitimation, and new venture performance.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Webb, J. W., Ireland, R. D., Ketchen, D. J. (2014). Toward a greater understanding of entrepreneurship and strategy in the informal economy.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,8(1), 1-15.

Crime of the Youth Big Deal! Essay Example

Crime of the Youth: Big Deal! Essay Celebrities like Ashley Simpson, Jojo, Aaron Carter, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Lohan belong to a people that we call youth. They are sometimes part of the headlines whether they are launching new albums or starring in a new movie. They stand as models for other youth that seems to be changing every year. Not only has the fashion trends of these people are being admired and looked on to but also their actions regarding their own lives matter to the people around them. An example of this is Lindsay Lohan whom is a hot and gorgeous singer that has been imprisoned for violating some national rules of their country (Lindsay Lohan). For some the older generations, they may treat her action as an aggressive and arrogant act, which might be very opposite to the outlook of the youth: Lindsay Lohan is really appealing and daring!There are questions that are being imposed by some analysts of culture. Is the media shaping the violence that is acquired by youth? Do the shows in the television matter with the way our youth is acting out on many circumstances? Is media making the youth forget their cultural values that should still be integrated in the future generations? Well, some people just do not seem to care about these issues, but an in depth study can figure out some factors that trigger youth’s risk behavior.Understanding Adolescence and YouthTeenagers or adolescents are at a stage that they are about to discover their real selves and are being prepared to the real world, their career lives. The changes in their physical attributes contribute to their feeling of getting into the adult world. For instance, girls notice their breasts are becoming bigger from months or years after they stepped 9 – 10 year old. There is also a noticeable increase in the size of their hips, making it difficult for their old jeans to be worn. For the boys, they feel the urge of eating more due to the strenuous activities they do as they grow older. Biceps and triceps are n ow the focus of their concerns, so as to add to their masculinity in the future (Home Office). Generally, adolescents feel more conscious about their physical selves and become less cautious of what they do as part of their discoveries of self. They try doing stuffs that are far more different with their hide and seek or their Barbie bonding with other girl friends. They are undergoing a stage when they find security and affection from their peers making them fight for their independence to their parents by breaking house rules and defending themselves the best way they can to their oppressors known as their parents.Adolescent people comprise the bulk of most of our societies where birth control is not implemented. Japan of course is an exemption for this where the huge part of their population contributes to the work force and not to the part that depend their survival with the earnings of their parents. They contribute to the number of youth which is expected to have high contribu tions in the work and labor force of the country in the future.Facing the ChangesFor instance in the adolescent stage, youth really look for something that neither their friends nor their parents can answer. That is the part when adolescents search for their identities and how to make a big difference in this world. Vices are common in this age such as drinking alcohol and smoking, and worst when an adolescent engages in activities that would violate moral laws. Furthermore, adolescents try to establish their own fashion sense through searching in the â€Å"hippest† magazines so as to be identified from the others. Though they may belong to a certain group, they still have their own personalities that distinguish them from the others.Adolescents look for affection and love from others. It is at this stage that they are in search of belongingness from their peers. But as it is mentioned by Brutts in his article, it is very important that concerned people like their parents, gu ardians and teachers should guide the youth.Violence on YouthIt has been a clichà © that the youth today are the problem of the world due to the violence they produce in the society. Many researchers are dwelling on the study on how the youth is acquiring the brutality and cruelty they are showing the media (Institute for Youth Development). For one point in the history, there are studies that pointed out that the media is the main reason of this abrupt change in the culture and norms of the youth.Even though the youth of the world came from various places and origins, the same problems arise from continents to continent. According to reports, there is already a huge increase in the percentage of crimes that were made by the youth. Gang rapes, murders, drug abuse, robbery and other crimes that gravely involve the youth, specifically the male participation, are part of the headlines of news reports in paper and in broadcast aside from the government issues that each country has. Wom en or girls also participate in the aggressiveness of the youth through prostitution in places where this business is not legalized. Furthermore, the cruelty of the youth today is spread widely like an epidemic disease that if not halted may cause distraction not only of self but also of the family and nation.Imagine a community full of young people that are engaged in alcohol and drug abuse. Isn’t that a very dreadful and tragic situation? Indeed, it is. Being given of importance, the youth in other places are funded by the government for their growth. The government has its own plans of honing the skills of its youth to its fullest so that they may become highly competitive with others. If the youth by which these funds are allocated has lives that are not for the professionalism the government is expecting, it would just weaken the forces of labor of the government, thus dismay the leaders and give them punishments that would prohibit their ever wanted freedom and independ ence.Cultural Effects and the FutureThe changes and the development of technology accompanied this aggression of the youth. Media covers up a large factor of this fate given that it has shown the youth of examples of actions that should not be done or should not be morally or culturally accepted by a certain culture or religion. In every part of the earth, there are many developments of the portrayal of the roles of anomalous people such as corrupt government officials, cruel teachers and aggressive mistresses. The youth now sees that doing the wrong things can be just right especially when it is not known by the authority; say their parents or the police. When they do something that is not caught often times, it becomes their habit that comes with their routine making them forget the great values our ancestors had inculcated from generation to generation.However, before we get to the point of concluding the harmful effects of their actions, let us try to search for their reasons of doing so. Psychologists and psychiatrists like Kathie Oginsky and Jeffrey Brutts are trained to analyze human behavior so as to relate them with past, present and even with the future personality of their patients. According from the reports, youth gather their violent thoughts through their interaction with people who might have given them the fear, anger and hatred they are showing to others. Media says that even if a toddler can express this kind of violence with bullying other classmates and seeing no regrets after the action. These behaviors must be treated by the experts to avoid much damage; both for the physical and emotional being of the victim (person being bullied) (Kathie Oginsky, 2001).Another thing is that, youth who are oppressed in their homes with very strict but not violent parents tend to experiment and feel joy upon escaping the claws of the predating mommies and daddies. With this, they try stuffs that they think can make them feel a little better, thus a gram of cocaine will do. This is a very simple example of how youth tries to escape with their frustrations in the family. In the TV series entitled Desperate Housewives, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Van de Kamp turned out to be a cruel son going on disco bars with nude girls dancing, and tried using drugs, but eventually fell into his feet admitting that he is a gay. Such examples are very depressing to parents who tried everything to give their children their best efforts for education and other pleasures of being the one who is served by the parents (Desperate Housewives, 2008).An important thing that we must also consider is how we give our punishments to our children. We all no that no one in this world is born perfect, and that is to say we commit mistakes in our daily lives and with our decisions, we might be very careless that can cause some consequences on it. Our youth also do the same. Since they are preparing to become adults, they try to make decisions on their own sometimes with the habit of just â€Å"crossing the river† when the action is already done. If parents punish their children for example in a very violent way, close to killing them, then they may be also cruel in treating other people. They may punish their subordinates or the people they interact with the same way their parents punish them.In what can be seen, say morally, kids do not consider the things that were being considered 10 years ago. With that very short span of time, the transition of the values of the youth is very explicit. Having a number of condom commercials can be a good proof that media now do not offer so much limitation in what they show to people. This is giving rise to the problem of many, which is youth violence, which are often taken for granted.An article about juvenile delinquency (2003) states that factors for this issue can also be connected with the youth committing violence and crime. The factor that the article mentioned were: economic and social factors t hat are connected with present politics, crises and the like; cultural factors, urbanization that results to modernization of ideals, family that brings about rejection or inferiority complex that usually results to rebellion; migration; media that offers new ways of living life; exclusion, peer influence and delinquent identities. The article also mentioned some practices to prevent such issues like imposing to parents that they must not be treating their children violently because it can trigger violent behavior in the future lives of the young. Income generation is also a way to divert the attention of the youth. Instead of engaging to activities that involve vices and not so good stuffs, youth will be oriented of how hard it is to obtain money in sustaining every day’s expenses. Moreover, if a youth is still under age, they might be given chances to be in sports fest and recreational activities that will enhance their good personalities rather than the aggressive and viol ent part. A good planning of youth activities may indeed help in the success of each goal: preventing youth crime and violence.In order to stop this dispersion of decayed thinking of youth, the government must impose a bill that can control the explicitly inviting pictures to the youth giving them the access to any place in town. Media plays a role in molding the culture of the young people and it is just right that they put discourse to youth crime/youth problems in great attention. In that way of focusing on youth, they can correct the mistakes of the careless past advertisements and at least encourage the youth to participate and contribute to the welfare of the nation (US Scouting Service Project, 2007).Parents must have their close relationships with their sons and daughters. I feel on my part that if the youth is nurtured with adequate love and freedom, they will not seek for something more of their limits. Instead, they will grow as better persons who will have their goals of succeeding more in their loves, whether it concerns their academe, career or family life.ReferencesDesperate Housewives. Bios. Retrieved 14 May 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://abc.go.com/primetime/desperate/index?pn=bios#t=characterLindsay Lohan. Personal Profile. Retrieved 5 June 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.lindsaylohanweb.net/biography.htmlUS Scouting Service Project. 2007. Crime Prevention Award Guidelines for Cub Scouts and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boy Scouts. Retrieved 15 May 2008 from http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/CrimePrevGuide1.aspSwiss Academy for Development. Crime Prevention. Retrieved 13 May 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/youth-crime/Home Office. Youth Crime. Retrieved 13 May 2008 from   http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/youth-crime/Kathie Oginsky. 2001. Investing in Youth: International Approaches to Preventing Crime  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   andVictimization.   Retrieved 13 May 2008 from http://www.crime-prevention-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   intl.org/publications/pub_7_3.pdfJeffrey A. Brutts. 2000. Youth Crime Drop. Retrieved 13 May 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/youth-crime-drop.pdfJolanta Juszkiewicz. Youth Crime/Adult Time: Is Justice Served?. Retrieved 13 May 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/ycat/ycat.htmlJuvenile Deliquency. World Youth Report. 2003. pp. 190 – 211.Youth Crime Watch of America. 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008 from http://www.ycwa.org/Institute for Youth Development: Youth Facts. Youth and Violence. Retrieved 6 June 2008 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.youthdevelopment.org/download/violence.pdf

The Definition of Subject Matter for Inventions and Patents

The Definition of Subject Matter for Inventions and Patents Definition: Subject matter is what something is about. In artwork, the subject matter would be what the artist has chosen to paint, draw or sculpt. In patent law, the subject matter would be the technical content of a patent or patent application found in the description, claims, and drawings. In other words, the subject matter is what the inventor has chosen to invent, and in a patent application, the inventor must reveal the subject matter (invention) in a way dictated by law. Examples: Example 1 The specification must conclude with a claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention or discovery. Example 2 The distinction between patentable and unpatentable subject matter continues to be a topic of debate among software developers, academics, lawyers, and USPTO examiners. Example 3 The patented subject matter and additional subject matter still pending in the US and foreign patent offices includes claims to methods and devices for delivering medicinal substances to the interior of cells in various body tissues

Integration in SEC Football Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Integration in SEC Football - Research Paper Example In southern US colleges, the policy of segregation was deeply ingrained. Universities and colleges refused to admit Black students. Thus, it was natural for their teams to be White with no African-Americans. After the Second World War, the University of northern states desegregated and they admitted numerous African-American players to their respective teams. In spite of this, southern schools remained fully segregated. These colleges went as far as refusing to play desegregated teams from universities from the North even if the games were played in the North2. The Southeastern Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the southeast of the United States. It has its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Currently, it sponsors team championship in nine men's sports and twelve women's sports. This makes it one of the largest in the world. As a sports institution located in the South, it was plagued with the issue of segregation for many years. It was part of a larger effort to prevent mixing of Blacks and Whites in America. This trend changed when the changes of the Civil Rights Movement hit the institutions of the United States. In doing this, the following objectives would be met: The integration of African-American footballers into the SEC can best be described in the wider context of the SEC and its unique position in American history. This is because SEC football is just a subset of the SEC which went through several changes as a unit rather than in individual sports. Thus, the approach that can best be used would be to examine the SEC as a whole with the emphasis on football. Â  

Jazz-duke ellington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jazz-duke ellington - Essay Example Today’s American music though technically complex, has directness and simplicity of expression largely present in that of Ellington as they tend to perform in different styles. People are brought to their first great achievements through very few minutes’ performance and they later write music for all kinds of settings for instance; the comedy stage, the ballroom, the movie house, the nightclub, the concert hall, and the theater. His blues writing were due to new conceptions of form, harmony, and piece of song and he grew to become the leader of the romantic ballad creating much work that faceted the enormous soloists in his jazz group (Crease 100). This has greatly been portrayed in today’s performers in that they write their music basing on the current happenings and rumors quickly spreading throughout the world. Some of the musicians’ sense of musical drama make them stand out. Their blend of rhythms, subtle sonic movements, and melodies give audiences a new experience—complex yet accessible that makes their heart swing in joy. Most of the musicians perform in restaurants and clubs. Duke Ellington was an American jazz player and his full names were,† Edward Kennedy Ellington, and he bore the stage name, â€Å"Duke†. ... He was one of the jazz composers as he was one of the most prolific composers during the early twentieth century as far as both variety of forms and number of compositions were concerned. Duke Ellington has been credited for being the most significant composer of jazz in history. He also receives credit for being a bandleader who strongly held his large group together for close to fifty years. He had two aspects of his career, which were closely related. He used his band as a laboratory for music for the most ne compositions as well as shaped his writing skills particularly to showcase the abilities of his band members, most of whom remained by his side for a long period. In addition to composing jazz, he also wrote stage musicals and film scores. Most of his instrumental works were later adapted into standard songs (Ford 90). Irrespective of the fact that he toured a lot, he recorded extensively, a factor that resulted to his tremendous body of work that was assessed for a reasonabl y long time after his death. The many celebrations he received in 1999 evidences that he continued been regarded as a strong jazz composer. He was talented so much to overcome oddity. He was the primary writer of his band, allowing his players room to solo in his compositions. This resulted to a creation of a body of work that would have allowed jazz to enter the institutional and academic realms, which was its direction during the end of the 20th century. It is, therefore, arguable that he predicted the future of jazz and would have laid a claim as one of the most significant practitioners of jazz. He had impact of popular music of the twentieth century. He travelled across the world both as a bandleader and piano player

Recommendation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Recommendation - Essay Example Moreover, the availability of the loans could lead to high prices for the autos hence putting the consumer at a disadvantage. The paper presents the following recommendations to solve the issues presented in the case. The first recommendation is for the banks to reduce the period of repayment of the loan. The longer the period, the higher the risk because the political or economic environment may change over time. Another option on the same is to charge high interest rates on longer years of repayment and low interest rates on few years. By so doing, the consumers will be prompted to go for the fewer years and be sensitive to borrowing that will reduce their borrowing rate. The banks, on the other hand will also be able to get profits within a short period of time and be less vulnerable for offering the loans on a short term basis. Another recommendation is for the banks to base their lending on the payment history of the customers if they had previously borrowed the loans. However, for the new customers, the banks should relate lending to the income and payment abilities of consumers. Considering such elements will lead balance between the banks and their clients. The customers will not be strained to pay the loans while the banks will have a higher surety that the loans will be paid. Another recommendation to solve the problem is based on the root cause of high lending rates. The banks are said to be lending largely due recovery from to a recession period where many of them made big loses. Therefore, this paper recommends that such situation can be solved by government involvement. Government involvement, either through direct involvement or subsidies, could offer financial support to the banks or do away with the need for them to largely lend in order to increase the number of sales. It will also reduce the amount of borrowing from the public. Finally, instead of high lending rates, car scrapping

Positive Discrimination and Gender Equality

Positive Discrimination and Gender Equality Positive discrimination is sometimes used to help enforce gender equality in the working place. Basic questions to be answered before analyzing the concept of positive discrimination deal with the necessity of action. What does the gender situation look like in the working place? Is there actually a need for action, for positive discrimination? Looking at employment statistics gives a direction in finding answers to such questions. Only 57.2% of the women aged 15-64 in the European Union were working 2006 while 71.6% of men were. The difference in unemployment was not so large with 9.0 % of women being unemployed compared to 7.6% of men in 2006. However, the share of part time workers in total employment shows significant differences. Of the working women 31.4 % worked only part time in 2007 while the male percentage was considerably lower with only 7.8 %. The pay gap between womens and mens earnings, another important factor to measure equality which indicates the difference in average gross hourly earnings as a percentage of mens average gross hourly earnings, was at 15 % in 2006 in the EU. All these figures show that a gender gap exists in working life. The qualitative aspect of employment illustrates the inequality even more obviously. Womens share among managers in enterprises and administrations in the European Union for example was only at 32.6 % in 2006 (all figures from the Commission of the European Communities 2008). These statistics show clearly that gender equality is by far not reached. In order to strengthen equality within the working place positive discrimination measures are introduced in different forms and places according to the legal framework. Whether such measures are indeed helpful tools in enforcing gender equality will be the main topic of this paper. In order to be as precise as possible the discussion will concentrate on the situation in Europe. The basic ideas and arguments however should be universally valid. After introducing the concept of positive action an illustrating example from Norway concerning gender quotas on company boards will be presented. Thereafter the general arguments in favor and against positive discrimination will be discussed before concluding with the legal limits of the concept within the European Union. 2. Positive Discrimination What is positive discrimination? First of all, when discussing positive discrimination, the terminology needs to be clarified. Within this discussion several terms sometimes used as synonyms sometimes used with a different meaning can be found. The most common of these terms are positive discrimination, positive action and affirmative action. As this paper will concentrate on the situation in Europe, the terms positive action and positive discrimination will be used only. Positive action is a common European synonym of affirmative action whereas the usage of positive discrimination implies that the targets of the actions receive special favors (Bacchi C.L. 1996: X). Positive action constitutes proactive programs redressing past and present discrimination of certain group members identified mostly by race and gender (Bacchi 1996: X). Sterba defines affirmative action, which is in this case a synonym for positive action, as a policy of favoring qualified women and minority candidates over qualified men or non-minority candidates with the immediate goals of outreach remedying discrimination, or achieving diversity, and the ultimate goals of attaining a colorblind (racially just) and a gender-free (sexually just) society (in Burns and Schapper 2008: 373). Although the concept is used for several discrimination features, this paper will discuss positive action in the context of gender only. Positive action can be applied in the private and the public sector. However, the latter one is more often addressed by legal regulations (Bacchi 1996: 16). We usually find two classifications of positive action: soft options that increase the possibility of promotion and recruitment for the underrepresented group, for example through training, and hard or strong options that target promotion and recruitment of the underrepresented gender, for example through quota requirements (Bacchi C.L. 1996: 16). This paper will concentrate on the latter form of positive action and refer to it as positive discrimination. Example: Gender quotas on company boards in Norway When looking at different positive discrimination measures in Europe, one regulation stands out: the legislation on representation of both sexes on company boards in Norway. The country has come up with a law forcing companies to constitute their boards in a way that both sexes are represented by at least 40%. This implies not only for state-owned companies but also for public limited companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, in other words, companies in the private sector (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005). As positive discrimination usually takes place in the public sector the Norwegian initiative is quite an astonishing regulation. Also the harsh enforcement is remarkable. If companies fail to fulfil the requirement of the 40% quota, they can actually be dissolved (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005). As for the reason for such a policy the Norwegian government argued that balanced representation is a question of democracy. Furthermore it stated that making use of all the resources in a country is necessary and that the Norwegian women are equally qualified as men. Ultimately, the government believed increased diversity in the board rooms to lead to higher successes of the companies (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005). Critics of the quota claimed that the owners should decide upon the recruitment and not a quota. Furthermore they emphasized that attitudes cannot be changed by legal enforcement. Also, they pointed at the risk of not finding enough qualified women (Criscione 2008). However, another reason for the objection was the danger of losing power. The Director of Norways Professional Boards Forum, Elin Hurvenes, stated The outrage was not only about opening boardroom doors to women it was about pushing men out the same doors (in Criscione 2008). When the law came into force in 2006 the affected companies had two years to adapt to the regulation without being penalized, until since 2008 they must comply with it (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005). And they do so, as no company was dissolved so far. While women on corporate boards made up only 6 % in 2002, they reached more than 40% by the beginning of 2009 due to the quota (Winsnes RÃ ¸dland 2009). Supporters of the initiative argue that the companies had no problems in finding enough qualified women. Furthermore they suggest that the recruitment process in general has become more systematically both for finding men and women (Lindstad 2009). A study undertaken by the Institute for Social Research in Oslo stated that there is no embarrassment among women because of to the quota. The women know they would not be on the company boards without legal enforcement but at the same time they know exactly they have the qualifications for i t (Lindstad 2009). Arguments for and against As seen with the Norwegian argumentation, supporters of positive discrimination believe that diversity adds to success and that using all human capital is vital (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005, Bekkemellem 2006). This view is supported by a study of the US non-profit organization Catalyst which found out that companies who have three or more women on the board perform better on profits and sales (Criscione 2008). Furthermore supporters argue that it is only fair and democratic to let women reach positions of power because they are equally qualified as men (Norwegian Government Ministry of children, equality and social Inclusion 2005, Lindstad 2009). Missing qualification is one of the main arguments of the opponents of positive discrimination. They believe that the economy suffers from favouring women who are not qualified enough (Burns and Schapper 2008: 372). Additionally they bring forward the argument that through positive discrimination gender plays a role again, the opposite of which is supposed to be the goal of gender equality. They argue that such measures are not fair and lawful as they create another form of discrimination based on gender (Burns and Schapper 2008: 372). This view is also manifested in the terminology of positive discrimination and the sometimes used term reverse discrimination (Burns and Schapper 2008: 372). Moreover the legitimacy of favouring the rights of a group, namely the women, at the expense of the right of an individual, namely a man, is questioned (Burns and Schapper 2008: 373). Some criticism argues that it is not fair to let individuals suffer for past discrimination that was committed by others (America 1986: 73). Opponents are also against quotas in the private sector, because they suggest that the owners of companies should decide whom to appoint and that legal enforcement cannot change attitudes (Criscione 2008). They point at the perception of women as well and suggest that positive discrimination might result in negative reactions from the potential or intended beneficiaries (Taylor-Carter, Doverspike and Alexander 1995: 285). This reaction was at least not the case in Norway. As mentioned above, women felt no embarrassment due to the quota (Lindstad 2009). Another reason for objecting positive discrimination is often forwarded by the supporters of it to emphasize that the criticism is not justified: only because men are not willing to give up their power positions they fight so aggressively against positive discrimination (Criscione 2008; Burns and Schapper 2008: 374). Furthermore, supporters question the fact that recruitment is really based on qualification when men are appointed (Burns and Schapper 2008: 377). Some see the reason for appointing mainly men in the fact that the employers are male as well. Thus, they tend to favour candidates that are like them and to avoid differences, which means appointing someone from the different sex (Burns and Schapper 2008: 377). If this thesis holds, positive discrimination could result in appointing women to higher posts naturally in the long run, because women are then already included in the decision-making process as well. A final argumentation is as simple as this statement by the former Minister of Children and Equality in Norway, Karita Bekkemellem: So why then regulate this policy area by a new law? Because we realized, that the wanted development in Norway did not go fast enough! We do not have the patience to wait another 100 years! (Bekkemellem 2006). In other words, supporters believe positive discrimination measures are better than waiting until balanced representation will naturally arise. Legal limits to positive discrimination No matter whether positive discrimination is indeed helpful or not, the concept needs legal enforcement in order to be a powerful tool. While Norway for example goes very far with implementing positive discrimination measures as could be seen in the example concerning equal representation in board rooms, the situation looks somewhat different for other countries within Europe. The usage of positive discrimination policies is at the same time supported and restricted by the legal framework of the European Union. The Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions states that there shall be no gender discrimination (The Council of the European Communities 1976). However, the directive contains an article that gives some room for positive action measures. Article 2.4 states: This Directive shall be without prejudice to mea sures to promote equal opportunity for men and women, in particular by removing existing inequalities which affect womens opportunities [] (The Council of the European Communities 1976). The judgement of the European Court of Justice in the case of Eckhard Kalanke, who was denied promotion because of favouring a woman who was equally qualified, shows limits to implementing such measures. The Court declared that a measure automatically favouring an equally qualified woman is illegal (The European Court of Justice 1995). Another case brought some clarification of what kind of actions are legal. In the case of Helmut Marschall a regulation was held lawful that suggested preferential treatment in the case of equal qualification unless reasons specific to an individual [male] candidate tilt the balance in his favour (European Court of Justice 1997). With such a savings clause, which indicates no automatic or unconditional favouring, positive discrimination is lawful. It can be derived that measures of positive discrimination within the European Union are allowed only with strong limitation. It is thus not reasonable to describe positive discrimination as a perfect tool to enforce gender equality. Positive discrimination cannot be forced upon. Regulations need to contain a savings clause and such a clause allows for avoiding the promotion and recruitment of women. 3. Conclusion In conclusion it needs to be affirmed that positive discrimination can help enforce a more gender balanced distribution in the areas where implemented as seen with the example from Norway. In such cases it helps to create the intended result. However, legal limits constrain the concept of positive discrimination. Within the European Union it is a tool that can be used only with equal qualifications of the candidates and a savings clause that leaves room to avoid positive discrimination. Therefore another aspect to be considered concerns the attitudes of society. Without changing them, positive discrimination constitutes only a tool to affect the result. Real gender equality where gender plays no role in appointments is not reached through it, as positive discrimination is another form of discrimination based on gender. Nevertheless, there might be other effects than just creating a result when considering the long run. By accustoming people to a balanced gender distribution, attitudes might be changed in the long run and furthermore the decision-making process might be influenced by women resulting in equal treatment. Whether positive discrimination is fair and beneficial depends on the personal point of view. Taking all the arguments and limits into account it can be concluded that positive discrimination is definitely not a perfect tool. It is the tool with the quickest results though and can thus be described as an adequate tool if the wish for balanced gender re presentation is judged to be more important than the objections against positive discrimination. However, discussing it we should not neglect the necessity of changing attitudes by strengthening the conscience for gender equality in public, for example through the media. Furthermore, the lighter forms of positive action like increasing training measures might be of importance as well (Rees 1992: 130). In the long run this could destroy the argument of women being not qualified enough. Additionally, the question of reconciliation of work and family life should play a major role in the discussion of gender equality and the efficiency of positive discrimination. Taking into consideration the constraints imposed by family life tasks and looking for options and measures to help overcome these could prove to be of great significance.