Impact Of Technology On Society What Is Technology Essay

Changes in Technology on society What Is Technology? Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of materials. We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives. We can describe technology as products, processes or organizations. We use technology to extend our abilities, and that makes people as the most important part of any technological system. Technology is comprised of the products and process created by engineers to meet our need and wants to extend our cabalists. Changes in technology Throughout history, developments in technology and communications have gone hand-in-hand, and the latest technological developments such as Industrialization, Urbanization, Modernization, Development of the means of transport and communication, Unemployment, Changes in social institutions have resulted in the advancement of the science of communication to a new level. Industrialization Technology has contributed to the growth of industries or to the process of production. The industry is characterized by heavy, fixed capital investment in plant and building by the application of science to industrial techniques and by mainly large-scale standardized. The Industrial Revolution of 18th century led to the unprecedented growth of industries and is associated with the factory system of production. This has brought down the prices of commodities, improved their quality and maximized their output. The whole process ofShow MoreRelatedTechnology Importance1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Technology, which was always debatable, has now become more controversial. The substantial influence of Technology on our lives has sparked the recent controversy over the potential impact of this trend. It can be agreed that Technology has a profound impact on many communities, however some people claim that it had an adverse impact on many societies. This essay will elaborate both positive and negative aspects of technology on our lives and thus lead to a logical conclusion. Read MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Veldt 1249 Words   |  5 PagesWhen talking about the future of technology, one can only imagine what it will be down the road. The future of technology evokes many questions about the preservation of human existence, human advancement, and intelligence. The story of, The Veldt, shows us how modern technology can destroy a family. The story begins with the mother of the family, Lydia. She seems alarmed or confused about something. At first, this might lead you to believe Lydia has true individual characteristics. However, as youRead MoreThe History and Technology of the Computer in the Nineteenth Century1590 Words   |  7 PagesIn our fast pace society, technology is ever changing. This has ultimately resulted in technology always being at our fingertips. On an average day so many people are dependent on computers for their capabilities; including, police officers, small businesses, Wall Street, and even the average person for leisure. Withou t the invention of the first mechanical computer design in 1822 by Charles Baggage, our society would not be where it is at today. The computer has been noted to be most of theRead MoreThe Impact Of Modern Technology On Us And Our Society Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of the Modern Technology on us and our society. Today it is hard to imagine what our lives would look like without the technology that surrounds us, it is even harder to imagine what our lives would be with the technological advancements that begun to take shape during the industrial revolution that, begun in England during the 18th century. The industrial revolution brought on many changes into humans everyday lives, allowing us as mankind to increasingly become smarter, faster andRead MoreEffects Of Technology On Society s Society1092 Words   |  5 PagesWell, how about a day without bullying, depression, and impolite people? Now that is a day most would probably wish for. Society wants to have causes these wretched events, but doesn’t want to accept that what they want is the main cause of these issues; technology. The lack of interaction that has come along with technology is what is causing severe downfalls in today’s society. This lack of interaction is causing this fall due to its harm of social skills, i ts harm on people’s enjoyment of lifeRead MoreThe Impact of Technology on Family Time1623 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: the impact of technology on family time Do you think technology has changed the way of communication? Is technology slowly taking over people live and affecting their personal relationship? Have we become addicted to the technology that surrounds us everyday and it has sucked us into it? Technology is a use of scientific knowledge for improving the way to do things. It has been playing an important role in our life. It is common today, many developed countries are using high technology to runRead MoreTechnology And Society : Impact Of Technology On Society1511 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Technology has impacted people, businesses and society as a whole. The roles that technology has played on communication, business and education have been more than impactful. As the power of computers continue to increase with help from databases, social networking and businesses, it adds an increase to office productivity compared to using typewriters, and filing cabinets. Although there are plenty of good things about technology, the way we use it determines if it impacts are positiveRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society871 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is technology? Is it the tool that propels humanity forward or is technology the cuffs that hold the everyday man from leaving his own comfort. Or is technology more than a tool, more than a mechanical device? Ray Bradbury s Works are known 4 expanding technology and using speculative fiction to reveal the way technology is consuming the everyday person. but what if Ray Bradbury was never talking about technology and its e ffect on society with society s effect on technology? It is assumedRead MoreTechnopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology by Neil Postman1120 Words   |  5 PagesAs time progresses technology increases and improves. However, this progression could pose as a serious problem for generations to come, and New York University department chair of communication arts Neil Postman expresses this concern in his 1992 book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. In the opening of Postman’s book he expresses that technology is indeed our friend because technology provides our society with fast and easy convenience and accessibility. As with most other thingsRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Technology1600 Words   |  7 PagesTechnology is a very controversial topic in our modern day world. Because of the controversy of the inclusion of technology in the education system, the overuse and abuse of technology, and how it is affecting the way we behave and thin k in the world, various authors and producers over the years have commented about the increasing use and incorporation of technology in today’s world through their work. Many authors have very different views on the topic, some such as Ann Woo and Vannear Bush argue

Langston Hughes s Poem, Negro Speaks Of Rivers - 964 Words

In Langston Hughes’ inspirational poem, â€Å"Negro Speaks of Rivers,† he expresses, â€Å"My soul has grown as deep like the rivers,† (lines 4 and 13), describing how his encounters with racial intolerance have made him stronger as a person in both spiritual and emotional ways; rather than to just step down and submit to the cruelty of racism. The quote could also be interpreted as a sign of perseverance and hope for people who have experienced not only racial injustice, but other forms of degradation in society, both past and present. Langston Hughes uses rivers in his poem as an interpretation of life. At the moment Langston Hughes was inspired to write this poem, he was looking out the window in the train in which he was travelling. On his trip, the train was going across the Mississippi River during sunset he witnessed the magnificence and beauty of nature. This was enough to remind him of hope and all things positive, along with the motivation he needed to compose the poem. I believe the author repeated the use of the word river because it is symbolic. Rivers continue on the path they go; they never stop flowing forward regardless of the circumstances. That is what Langston Hughes wanted the audience to know, and himself as well. Everyone can look forward to a brighter tomorrow even if there is something that holds them back. When everything seems like it is all lost, the only last resort we have is hope. That is the key theme of the entire poem, hope is strength and thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Langston Hughes ´ The Negro Speaks of Rivers927 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes A Poetic of the Harlem Renaissance During the Harlem Renaissance copious African Americans writers arose from this movement including Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, and especially Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes has endured hardships from the time his parents separated to being raised in different cities. Hughes has tried multiple times to reconnect with his father, but it never succeeded. Although Langston Hughes has a complicated relationship with his fatherRead More Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son1651 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son Langston Hughes uses symbolism throughout his poetry. In the poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son, Langston Hughes uses symbolism to convey his meaning of the poems to the readers. Readers may make many interpretations about the symbols used throughout these poems. Throughout the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the readerRead More Langston Hughes Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pagesperhaps even in any century, can be compared to Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote with his heart and soul, creating poems that everyone could understand. He expressed love for all races, colors, and religions and did not judge anybody until he had reason to judge them. He wrote to entertain, to inspire, to teach, and to make a point. His way with words made him the most popular and prolific black writer of the twentieth century (Offinoski, 32). Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902Read MoreThe Negro Speaks Of Rivers By Langston Hughes1055 Words   |  5 Pageswelcome to Radio 7’s first series of â€Å"Strange Fruit† where we analyse and evaluate how a poet presents their values, attitudes and perspectives through their poem. I’m your host PERSON 1 and I’m pleased to be here with the wonderful PERSON 2, a poetry critic and history university lecturer, who will be talking about the poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† by Langston Hughes. So first of all PERSON 2 who is Langston Hughes and when did he write â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†? Langston Hughes was a novelistRead MoreLangston Hughes : African American Poetry1305 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes: African American Poetry Langston Hughes grew up in a time of segregation, as a African American man living during the Civil Rights movement. During this time Langston wrote poetry from this point of view as a African American. Langston Hughes poetry is important due to his content, imagery, and voice. Through Langston’s voice he strengthened African Americans hope while opening the eyes of the white man to see what they are doing is wrong. Langston Hughes was born February 1,1902Read MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1736 Words   |  7 PagesDream Called Langston As an artist, or literature, music or visual art, there is power in creating pieces that move the masses. For an African American artist in the 1920’s, that power was fought for harder and dimmed due the racial inequalities across America. Being acknowledged as a credible artist was equated to being acknowledged as an American during a time where African American citizens were not considered an equal under the law. The Harlem Renaissance, spanning from the mid 1920’s to the lateRead MoreThe Black Man and Langston Hughes1601 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough heritage, tradition, and folk traditions. Langston Hughes to me has been nourishing the black sensibility and inspiring it to create Afro American literation and transforming it into a â€Å"literature of struggle.† The poetry of Langston Hughes has the theme of â€Å" I, too sing America† He made extraordinary contributions to American literature and has came to be regarded as a leading voice in the Renaissance of the arts in the 1920’s. Hughes growing up asked the same question to himself ofRead MoreHarlem : A Middle Class White Community999 Words   |  4 PagesHarlem was once a middle class white community, but by the year 1925, it was known as the Mecca of the new Negros. Back in the history of America, when many black Americans were literally deprived of their liberty of rights, a social and a political movement evolved, which was known as the Harlem Renaissance. It lasted into the early years of the great depression and not only was it a political and a social movement but also an artistic one to be precise. The movement outbreak motivated the trendRead MoreThe Poetry Of Langston Hughes1727 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes is arguably one of the best known American writers of the twentieth century. He played an important influential part in the Harlem Renaissance, his poetry and other literary works helped pave way to a new wave of African American culture and literature. Hughes had a wide variety of works, he was much more than just a poet; he was a short-story writer, novelist, and playwright (Brucker). He was also very involved in the Black Arts Movement, and had works published in â€Å"The Crisis† theRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes And His Views On Early 20th Century African American Society Essay1717 Words   |  7 PagesConnor Gamble Mrs. Carson AP Literature 7 December 2016 Langston Hughes and His Views on Early 20th-Century African American Society When African American slaves were released from slavery following the American Civil War, the ethnic group was now able to control their own lives, and the U.S had to acknowledge their freedoms and rights as American citizens. However, despite bold beliefs from the war, many white Americans still continued to deny equality to those of color. In addition, African Americans

Leadership in Nursing Administration Free Essays

Leadership is found to be an important factor in the administration of nursing practice, since this practice of nursing requires the leading practioners to be consistent and have knowledge to inspire and encourage others in the working environment through which an individual can provide a better health care in the nursing profession. The qualities for a good leader in this profession include; having a vision, collaborating with others, should have good communication skills. (Grohar and DiCroce, 2002) Research indicates that the nursing professions carry a number of responsibilities shared among staff in a particular health provision center. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership in Nursing Administration or any similar topic only for you Order Now Under this we find that different ranks of nurses are given different responsibilities, whereby the Executive nurse in any health organization is given the mandatory to ensure that the organization he is working with is provided with a kind leadership that proves to be visionary to the nursing services provided. He is also has the authority to uplift the standards of nursing set in the organization. The executive nurses’ obligations are therefore meant to monitor the operations of the nursing team under him in the organization, thus enhancing a better involvement of the nurses in making decisions affecting the management of the organization thus enabling teamwork among the workers. (Grohar and DiCroce, 2002) There are also other types of nurses in the line of leadership in the nursing administration such as the clinical nurse managers whose responsibility is to coordinate and manage the nursing practices in the organization. Nurse Managers also organize and plan giving health care to a large number of people and bringing quality results such as development of staff, strategic planning and care management. Research within the framework of nursing management and leadership has shown that the practices for managerial nurses has changed as a result of good payment, reduced number of people being admitted and reducing the period of stay in the nursing profession.Nursing administrators   have also taken additional responsibilities due to extended nursing care such as mobile health care, outpatient clinics and surgi-centers.The responsibilities include negotiating for contracts, looking for supportive services and managing services in other displines are related to nursing profession (Radcliffe, 2000) Nursing administration includes a number of different leadership and management practices such as consumer’s likes and dislikes, political changes, atmosphere in the market, which brings changes in the health care systems. Nurse administrators have different levels of education which include masters of Science in nursing, masters of health administration, certificates of science in nursing and self-study. Since the nursing administration involves the interaction of the nursing practitioner with the clients, it requires one to have an enormous knowledge in communication and an artistic mind that will permit the administrator to raise and solve issues in an effective manner. This calls for the people interested in leadership in nursing profession to have the professional approach in ensuring that his or her obligation is well executed. The administrator has to carry out a health care plan which is usually formed using nursing procedures. The first step requires the administrator involved to get information about the subject matter after which he or she looks in to the problem and the possible solutions he then gives orders and the way forward to the people under him so that the problem is solved. (Radcliffe, 2000) A leader in the nursing profession should be able to maintain a good relationship with the professional nurses to avoid them leaving the profession due the feelings of inadequacy, oppression, stress, disempowerment, intimidation, undermining and insubordination. Other factors in care hospitals such as low morale, heavier workloads, reduced resources, can contribute to poor performance in the profession hence leaving the profession. It is of great essence that the above issues are taken in to consideration in order to retain the nurses and give them morale to work well and administer effective health care. (Sullivan and Decker1997) A wide category of nursing administration is seen in different fields which include: psychology, research in nursing, health care administration, clinical nursing, social sciences and medicine in general. Ways through which leadership and management are carried out is largely borrowed from business administration so it is highly recommended for nurse administrators to be conversant with business and social science materials. A nurse administrator also should be able to intermingle with other health professionals who are believed to be of higher rank and with great experience so that they can be able to learn from them. A leader in the nursing profession should also be a person who has enough experience in the nursing field. He should be conversant with what happens in the field and daily changes which occur for the benefit of those receiving the nursing services. He should be able to interact with all the people who are under him. An administrator should also be able to seek advice and get suggestions from other administrators from different places whom they hold the same position. Leadership and management should be taken as a collective endeavor and responsibility for every one. It should be shared among all the nursing administration and the nurses themselves regardless of their positions because they have responsibility of correcting the challenging factors in the nursing profession. Good administration of leadership in the nursing profession makes it easier and effective to give good services to those who require nursing services thus preventing risks and illness which may lead to death and achieving and maintaining a better health status for a healthy society. (Sullivan and Decker1997) Reference: Grohar M and DiCroce H (2002), Leadership and Management in Nursing, Third edition, Prentice-Hall Upper Saddle River Radcliffe M (2000), Doctors nurses, new game same result. British medical journal Sullivan E and Decker J (1997): Effective Leadership Management in Nursing. Addison Wesley, Menlo Park, CA How to cite Leadership in Nursing Administration, Essay examples

Definition of Project Methodologies Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Definition of Project Methodologies. Answer: Definition Project methodologies contain all the guiding processes for the members who are involved in a project involving project management. The definition of project methodologies is that the methods that are involved in project management do not need any tool. But the methodologies ofproject management face competition with the software tools ofproject management that is intertwined (Heldman, 2015). Project methodology is basically a model that is employed by project managers for planning, design, achievement and implementation of the projects to fulfill their objectives. The methodology ofproject management is combination of processes, methods and practices that are logically related. These enable the project manager to determine how to plan the best, develop, deliver and control the project through implementation of processes till the successful completion and successful termination of the project. The project methodologies are systematic, disciplined approach and contain methods that are scientifically-proven for the execution, completion and designing the project successfully. The main purpose of methodology is that they allow in controlling the whole process of management by making effective decision and also solves problem that ensures success of particular approaches, methods, technologies, techniques and processes (Kerzner, 2013). The methodology is considered as a skeleton of a project that describes all the steps from depth. By implementing project management, the project manager ensures all the processes in order to implement and deliver the project according to its schedule, client specification and budget. Role of Project Methodologies in Project Management Project management is a collection of relevant knowledge that is structured to make change in methodologies. Project methodologies in project management help in managing projects that are involved in an organization. Project methodologies in a project management does not describe the exact algorithm about how the changing is to be made or about how to manage a particular project but methodologies provide a wide overview of different processes, rules, methods and standards (Leach, 2014). Managing the projects means performing and describing activities that are needed to meet the objectives of making some change in the project. Comparison between PMBOK and PRINCE2 Methodology Feature PMBOK PRINCE2 Definition PMBOK is standard and guide to manage a project This is a structured based project management methodology Knowledge Areas And Themes There are mainly ten knowledge areas PRINCE2 has 7 themes Comprehensive Vs Practical PMBOK is compressive (Mir Pinnington, 2014) PRINCE2 is practical that mainly focuses on the critical areas Techniques All the techniques are covered for all the processes Some of the specific techniques are explained in PRINCE2 method Focus Customer requirements are needed Product and business case are considered Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal skills are required in PMBOK No need of interpersonal skills in PRINCE2 Activities And Processes There are total of 47 processes and 5 process groups There is a total of 35 activities and 7 processes in PRINCE2 method Project Board Role The role of sponsor is only suggested in the PMBOK method Project Board is called to give oversight Management Principle There is as such no management principle This method is managed by exception Environmental Factors And Organizational Assets Environmental Factors And Organizational Assets are integrated strongly with all the processes Environmental Factors And Organizational Assets are covered partly (Matos Lopes, 2013) Principles There is no principle in PMBOK. PRINCE2 method has 7 principles. Prince2 In Project Life Cycle (Plc) The PRINCE2 method in PLC (Project Life Cycle) is known as Projects IN Controlled Environments. This is a method in project methodology that is process driven. The methodology in PRINCE2 fragments the project into many stages and all the stages are managed separately. All the process in the PRINCE2 model is defined with the key outputs and inputs with some particular objectives that are to be achieved and all the activities that are to be carried out. There are mainly seven themes and principles that come in the method of PRINCE2. The first process is about the starting of the project (Saad et al., 2014). The first process that is considered in the PRINCE2 method is the processes that are involved before starting the project. The first phase checks that the project is worthwhile. The main input of PRINCE2 method is that the project is defined in terms of business and the outcome is expected. Then is the process of initiating the project. This initiating phase includes planning of the project in details. The outcome that comes from initiating phase is PID (Project Initiation Document). Next come directing phase of the project. The directing phase starts at the beginning of the project and remains till the end of the project completion (Sanjuan Froese, 2015). The directing phase is aimed at Project Board. The board monitors and manages all reports and controls all the decisions that are taken in the project. Next come control stage . The activities are monitored and controlled by the project Manager. Way of work packages are received and authorized in this stage. There is also a stage known as managing the stage boundaries. In this process, key decisions are taken weather to continue the project or to stop working on the project. This stage involves the processes that are to be done while handling a project. The second last stage is management of the product delivery (Schwalbe, 2015). The link between the team members and the project manager is controlled in this project. The work packages flows are controlled in this process from the starting of the project till its delivery. All the works are done and then it is carried back to the project manager. The last stage is closing the project. In PRINCE2 process, last stage includes the steps that are to be carried out when closing a project. References Heldman, K. (2015).PMP project management professional exam deluxe study guide: updated for the 2015 Exam. John Wiley Sons. Kerzner, H. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Leach, L. P. (2014).Critical chain project management. Artech House. Matos, S., Lopes, E. (2013). Prince2 or PMBOKa question of choice.Procedia Technology,9, 787-794. Mir, F. A., Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success.International journal of project management,32(2), 202-217. Saad, S., Ibrahim, A., Asma, O., Khan, M. S., Akhter, J. (2014). PRINCE2 MEthodology: AN INNovAtIvE WAy foR IMPRovINg PERfoRMANCE of MAlAysIAN AutoMotIvE INdustRy.The Journal of Technology Management and Technopreneurship (JTMT),1(1). Sanjuan, A. G., Froese, T. (2015). Principles, characteristics, and methodology to develop a project management assessment tool at the construction project level. Schwalbe, K. (2015).Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

American Military presence in the Persian Gulf essays

American Military presence in the Persian Gulf essays American Military Presence in the Persian Gulf Even prior to the Gulf War, the U.S. had thrown its immense military, diplomatic, and economic weight behind the monarchies of the Persian Gulf like Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Though they rule over less than 10% of the worlds total population, these countries control most of its petroleum wealth (64% of the worlds oil reserves). Prior to the war, it was difficult for the U.S. to engage in military exercises or even arrange a port call without asking for permission months in advance. However, because the Gulf nations have accepted acceptance of the balance it now brings, there is an effective, permanent U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf. Still, in spite of, and sometimes because of this presence, the regions instability continues. Most Persian Gulf Arabs and their leaders felt threatened after Iraqs seizure of Kuwait and were grateful for the strong U.S. leadership in the 1991 war against Saddam Husseins regime. However, for some, there is an enormous amount of cynicism regarding U.S. motives in waging that war. Many Arabs in the Gulf cannot shake the sense that the war was not fought for international law, self-determination, and human rights, as the Bush administration said, but rather to protect U.S. access to oil and to enable the U.S. to gain a strategic hold in the region. It is apparent that a continued U.S. presence is welcome only as long as Arabs feel they need a foreign military presence to protect them. The U.S. has no formal defense treaties with its southern Gulf allies. It relies on a series of cooperative agreements with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Saudi Arabia declined to sign any agreement even though Saudi-U.S. ties are stronger than American ties with any other Gulf state. Even though the Gulf states refuse the permanent basing of U.S. troops, the U.S. defense planners have arranged...

Cognitive Dissonance Definition and Examples

Cognitive Dissonance Definition and Examples Psychologist Leon Festinger first described the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957. According to Festinger,  cognitive dissonance  occurs when people’s thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with their behavior, which results in an uncomfortable, disharmonious feeling. Examples of such inconsistencies or dissonance could include someone who litters despite caring about the environment, someone who tells a lie despite valuing honesty, or someone who makes an extravagant purchase, but believes in frugality. Experiencing cognitive dissonance can lead people to try to reduce their feelings of discomfort - sometimes in surprising or unexpected ways. Because the experience of dissonance is so uncomfortable, people are highly motivated to try to reduce their dissonance. Festinger goes as far as to propose  that reducing dissonance is a fundamental need: a person who experiences dissonance will try to reduce this feeling in much the same way that a person who feels hungry is compelled to eat. According to psychologists, our actions are likely to produce a higher amount of dissonance if they involve the  way that we see ourselves and we subsequently have trouble justifying why our actions didn’t match our beliefs. For example, since individuals typically want to see themselves as ethical people, acting unethically would produce higher levels of dissonance. Imagine someone paid you $500 to tell a small lie to someone. The average person probably wouldn’t fault you for telling the lie- $500 is a lot of money and for most people would probably be enough to justify a relatively inconsequential lie. However, if you were paid only a couple of dollars, you might have more trouble justifying your lie, and feel less comfortable about doing so. How Cognitive Dissonance Affects Behavior In 1959, Festinger and his colleague James Carlsmith published an influential study showing that cognitive dissonance can affect behavior in unexpected ways. In this study, research participants were asked to spend an hour completing boring tasks (for example, repeatedly loading spools onto a tray). After the tasks were over, some of the participants were told that there were two versions of the study: in one (the version the participant had been in), the participant was not told anything about the study beforehand; in the other, the participant was told that the study was interesting and enjoyable. The researcher told the participant that the next study session was about to start, and that they needed someone to tell the next participant that the study would be enjoyable. They then asked the participant to tell the next participant that the study was interesting (which would have meant lying to the next participant, since the study had been designed to be boring). Some participants were offered $1 to do this, while others were offered $20 (since this study was conducted over 50 years ago, this would have been a lot of money to participants). In actuality, there was no â€Å"other version† of the study in which participants were led to believe the tasks were fun and interesting- when participants told the â€Å"other participant† that the study was fun, they were actually (unknown to them) speaking to a member of the research staff. Festinger and Carlsmith wanted to create a feeling of dissonance in participants- in this case, their belief (that lying should be avoided) is at odds with their action (they just lied to someone). After telling the lie, the crucial part of the study began. Another person (who appeared to not be part of the original study) then asked participants to report on how interesting the study actually was. Results of Festinger and Carlsmiths Study For participants who were not asked to lie, and for participants who lied in exchange for $20, they tended to report that the study indeed wasn’t very interesting. After all, participants who had told a lie for $20 felt that they could justify the lie because they were paid relatively well (in other words, receiving the large sum of money reduced their feelings of dissonance). However, participants who were only paid $1 had more trouble justifying their actions to themselves- they didn’t want to admit to themselves that they told a lie over such a small amount of money. Consequently, participants in this group ended up reducing the dissonance they felt another way- by reporting that the study had indeed been interesting. In other words, it appears that participants reduced the dissonance they felt by deciding that they hadn’t lied when they said the study was enjoyable and that they really had liked the study. Festinger and Carlsmith’s study has an important legacy: it suggests that, sometimes, when people are asked to act in a certain way, they may change their attitude to match the behavior they just engaged in. While we often think that our actions stem from our beliefs, Festinger and Carlsmith suggest that it can be the other way around: our actions can influence what we believe. Culture and Cognitive Dissonance In recent years, psychologists have pointed out that many psychology studies recruit participants from Western countries (North America and Europe) and that doing so neglects the experience of people who live in non-Western cultures. In fact, psychologists who study  cultural psychology  have found that many phenomena that were once assumed to be universal may actually be unique to Western countries. What about cognitive dissonance? Do people from non-Western cultures experience cognitive dissonance as well? Research seems to suggest that people from non-Western cultures do experience cognitive dissonance, but that the  contexts  that lead to feelings of dissonance might differ depending on cultural norms and values. For example, in a  study  conducted by Etsuko Hoshino-Browne and her colleagues, the researchers found that European Canadian participants experienced greater levels of dissonance when they made a decision for themselves, while Japanese participants were more likely to experience dissonance when they were responsible for making a decision for a friend. In other words, it seems that everyone does experience dissonance from time to time- but what causes dissonance for one person might not for someone else. Reducing Cognitive Dissonance According to  Festinger, we can work to reduce the dissonance we feel in several different ways. Changing Behavior One of the simplest ways to address dissonance is to change one’s behavior. For example,  Festinger explains  that a smoker might cope with the discrepancy between their knowledge (that smoking is bad) and their behavior (that they smoke) by quitting. Changing the Environment Sometimes people can reduce dissonance by changing things in their environment- in particular, in their social environment. For example, someone who smokes might surround themselves with other people who smoke instead of with people who have disapproving attitudes about cigarettes. In others words, people sometimes cope with feelings of dissonance by surrounding themselves in â€Å"echo chambers† where their opinions are supported and validated by others. Seeking Out New Information People can also address feelings of dissonance by processing information in a  biased way: they may look for new information that supports their current actions, and they might limit their exposure to information that would make them feel greater levels of dissonance. For example, a coffee drinker might look for research on the benefits of coffee drinking, and avoid reading studies that suggest coffee might have negative effects. Sources Festinger, Leon.  A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.  Stanford University Press, 1957.  https://books.google.com/books?isbn0804709114Festinger, Leon, and James M. Carlsmith. â€Å"Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance.†Ã‚  The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology  58.2 (1959): 203-210.  http://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Motivation/Festinger_Carlsmith_1959_Cognitive_consequences_of_forced_compliance.pdfFiske, Susan T., and Shelley E. Taylor.  Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture. McGraw-Hill, 2008.  https://books.google.com/books?id7qPUDAAAQBAJdqfisketaylorsocialcognitionlrGilovich, Thomas, Dacher Keltner, and Richard E. Nisbett.  Social Psychology. 1st edition, W.W. Norton Company, 2006.  https://books.google.com/books?isbn0393913236Hoshino-Browne, Etsuko, et al. â€Å"On the Cultural Guises of Cognitive Dissonance: The Case of Easterners and Westerners.†Ã‚  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology  89.3 (2 005): 294-310.  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7517343_On_the_Cultural_Guises_of_Cognitive_Dissonance_The_Case_of_Easterners_and_Westerners White, Lawrence. â€Å"Is Cognitive Dissonance Universal?†.  Psychology Today Blog  (2013, Jun. 28).  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-conscious/201306/is-cognitive-dissonance-universal

Ethanol vs methanol as gasoline supplement Research Paper

Ethanol vs methanol as gasoline supplement - Research Paper Example The saturated hydrocarbons are the major components of gasoline mainly alkenes like 2-methyl-2-butene, alkanes like isooctane and cycloalkanes. In addition it also contains oxygenators which are pre used hydrocarbons that contain oxygen and are good substitutes for aromatics besides reducing the smog forming properties of exhaust gases. They include ethanol, methanol, methyl tertiary butyl ether and tertiary amyl methyl ether. Gasoline contains octane enhancers, aromatics like benzene, and blending agents to make high quality gasoline by adding preservatives. Methanol is used as safe way of storing energy. It is yielded by recycling carbon dioxide gas from its toxic state to inexhaustible carbon source. It is also environmental friendly due to its reductive conversion from carbon dioxide. It can also be converted to di-methyl ether which possesses a high calorific value and is an excellent diesel and house hold gas substitute. In addition methanol and related oxygenates can be made f rom carbon dioxide through aqueous electro-catalytic reduction without prior electrolysis of water to yield hydrogen leading to formation of oxygenated fuels through electrolytic conversion of water and carbon dioxide. ... When used as a fuel the engine of the motor vehicle must be designed to run on high alcohol levels (Dewick, Green and Miozzo 134). Also fuels containing ethanol release less energy compared to non-alcoholic fuels. Being an excellent solvent it dissolves fuel system parts, rubbers, plastic, fiber glass and to some extent aluminum. In addition the rubber that is used to in the fuel system parts shrink, swell or loose strength when exposed to ethanol reformulated gasoline. Methanol can be used as alternative fuel in small petrol engines having an advantage over gasoline because it is liquid under atmospheric pressure and also its energy density is about half of that of gasoline (Liu and Zhang 56). The distribution of methanol uses the same infrastructure as for distributing gasoline. The vehicles that are to use methanol needed to be installed with direct methanol fuel cells in contrast to hydrogen consuming devices which require liquid fuel to deliver power to run the automobiles. Use of methanol as fuel is eco-friendly hence posing intrinsic advantages to the environment than using gasoline as it enables efficiency of the engine, greater power density and it is cost effective (Liu and Zhang 55). DISCUSSION Ethanol is hygroscopic and an excellent solvent. Ethanol is added at gasoline pumps after the gas has been produced and delivered at the major gas refinery because of the risk of water contamination when traveling through the pipelines. Studies have shown that 10% ethanol gasoline dissolves 50 times more water than the conventional non-alcohol gasoline. Water dissolves in an ethanol blended fuel leading to the occurrence of phase separation (Miller and Spoolman 420-425). Phase separation of gasoline occurs because too much water is absorbed

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network Essay

China Unicom's entrance in Brazil for mobile network - Essay Example China Unicom’s Entry Strategic Plan 12 5.1 Product Segmentation 12 5.2 Customer Behaviour 13 5.3 Distribution Channel 13 5.4 Risk Mitigation 14 5.5 Political Implementation 14 6. Conclusion and Recommendations 16 References 17 1. Introduction 1.1 Background In relation to the recent phenomenon of the unconventional business environment, organisations are often recognised to expand their business subsidiaries across different foreign business markets. Moreover, the rapid pace in economic stabilisation of the global countries has long been witnessed to motivate the global marketers for implementing aggressive expansion strategy in order to strengthen their global presence and sustainability in any business industry. In this similar context, Brazil can be duly considered as one of the major and highly preferred business locations for the global marketers while intending to expand their respective business subsidiaries (Rugraff & Hansen, 2011). According to the present day context , Brazil has been identified to attain greater interests of the global marketers to extend their business locations. ... Aims and Objectives Emphasising the increased level in business expansion by the international marketers, the essay intends to critically understand the rising opportunity and develop an effective country analysis for China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) in the Brazilian telecom business industry. In this regard, the aims and objectives of this research are to analyse the economic environment and also the current trend of the telecom industry prevailing in the respective business location. Moreover, the identification of certain specific issues along with challenges persisting in the respective industry as well as in the country or the business market is also the other aim and objective of this research. Moreover, the essay would also focus on demonstrating the current political environment of Brazil and prepare a relevant entry strategy for China Unicom. 2. China Unicom 2.1 Introduction Officially established in the year 2009, China United Network Communi cations Group Co. Ltd (China Unicom) is regarded as one of the leading and dominant telecom service providers across the globe. The organisation is recognised as the merger of the leading telecom service provider of China Netcom and previously developed China Unicom. The organisation is widely renowned as one of the dominant telecom service providers in terms of providing an extensive fixed-line network across its widely accessed global subsidiaries. Moreover, China Unicom is also observed in offering its range of high-speed along with higher-capacity based transmission networks to its global customers. During the year 2008, the company was able to gain its assets beyond 5 hundred billion Yuan and also recorded to incorporate in excess of 460,000 global employees across its different

The raise of Militarization of American Police Essay

The raise of Militarization of American Police - Essay Example On the other hand, community, policing is most concerned with addressing the issues that the community is most concerned about and other concerns that the members of the community may have. Ties are established by assigning officers to certain regions for extended periods so as to get to know the people and to have a better understanding of the geographical location. Call-in programs and town meetings are some of the ways in which rapport is created. This paper looks at the effectiveness of community policing and the reasons as to why it is being adopted by many police departments. Community policing has over the years been evolving and is being changed to become more adaptable with the different setting in which it is to be applied. Its origin is traced to the civil rights movements of the 1960s. It was meant to address the challenges and social upheavals that were made manifest during this time. Riots and racial injustices caused many tensions and led many to view the police service as a symbol of political authority causing wide public criticism. As a result, the president of the Unite States at the time set up a commission in 1967. The committee findings were that the police service ought to be made more sensitive and responsive a rapidly changing society (Kappeler & Gaine, 2012). Over the years, a few factors have led to its evolving in into the many forms of community policing that exist today.. The concern of most of the people was the unfair treatment of the minorities, especially black people by the police. The treatment led to the restructuring of th e police service into geographical regions and aspects such as foot patrol and line officers being introduced. In the 1970s, academic interest in this discipline increased as the many researchers began examining the role and the effectiveness of the traditional strategies that the police service

Java Multithreaded Genetic Algorithm In Solving Computer Science Essay

Java Multithreaded Genetic Algorithm In Solving Computer Science Essay Time table problem is a kind of scheduling problems with many variations. It defines a class of hard-to-solve constrained optimization problems of combinatorial nature (Bhaduri, 2009, p.289). Constraints are the rules that control the schedule process and it not necessarily be satisfied but for certain constraints, it may be inviolable for the problem. Based on the constrains, sometime the scheduling problem may also facing the problem that it only be to obtain a feasible solution but all feasible solution have equal cost. Furthermore, the time table problem (TTP) also is an NP-hard problem and by conventional methods, it is very hard to solve (Even cited in Verma, 2012, p.919).The timetable problem can be of few kinds. E.g. for the transportation purpose, educational institutes, or a hospital roster for nurses. This project is considers a time table in educational, especially for the case of a School (Sapru et al, 2010, p.1). In recent years, interest in meta-heuristic approaches such as simulated annealing, tabu search and genetic algorithms (for school timetabling) has increased due to the ability of these approaches to generate solutions to solving TTP. (Schaerf, 1999, pp.87-127 and Burke et al, 2002, pp.266-280). Solving the real world school timetable problem manually often need a lot of time and resources. In order to handle the problem, many researches in this area has been invested over the year, the automated school timetabling is one of the part or idea in this area for those researches. It is a task that can save a lot of man-hours work. However it is difficult tasks faced by educational institutions. For example, it involves the allocation and distribution of resources to different tasks subjected to different constraints (Verma, 2012, p.919). Those are including of teachers, rooms, classes at a fixed number of available time slots and subjects. The constraints in School Time Table problem are: Certain room (computer lab, music room) cannot have more than one class in a given time slot. No class can have more than one subject in a given time slot. The number of classes per week is a fixed number for each subject, and this number must be met by the prepared schedule. Genetic algorithm (GA) have been used for solving timetable problem since 1990(Bhaduri cited in Bhaduri, 2009, p.289). The GA has global optimization strategy which can avoid falling into local optimum and it also is one kind of the iterative adaptive heuristic probabilistic searching algorithm (Yunfeng Dong, 2011, p.3703). besides that , GA also is the widespread algorithm for the timetable problem(TTP).The main reason for widespread of GA uses are GA do not require a continuous data set or objective function; they also require no gradient or other information (Sapru et al., 2010, p.2). In this project, we attempt to compare the results in time table solving based on the GA with java multithreaded and the GA without java multithreaded. An objective of this study is to prove that java multithreaded optimize the GA in solving school time table problem. Literature Review Genetic algorithm (GA) Li et.al. (2010, p.21) using the genetic algorithm to solve the university test timetable problem, from the experiment result show that the genetic algorithm able to get the optimal solution. However, the examination place is not in a big situation, so it only can guarantee obtains the overall situation optimal solution in the two number random situation. Yunfeng Dong et.al. (2011, p.3705) describe a new algorithm for scheduling system, it is genetic search algorithm . Traditional genetic algorithm has shortcomings of early convergence and variation problem . Genetic search algorithm is an algorithm that makes the improvement based on the genetic algorithm merit . It use partially matched crossover to solve the early convergence problem and the Tabu search algorithm concept instead of using mutation operator to solve the variation problem. A test for solving school time tabling between genetic algorithm, simulated annealing and genetic search algorithm, can be found in the paper .From the test, the time complexity of genetic search algorithm is the most optimal, compare to other .However, the test is only set the population size is 50 and genetic generation is 50 .The next experiment in the paper for the genetic search algorithm also can find out that more genetic generation, consuming more time for the genetic search algorithm . Whil e the genetic generation is increasing , the result is not so optimal compare to the performance in test. In Sheung et.al. (1993, p.448) , a comparison between the results produced by the GA-based (Genetic Algorithm) and the SA-based (Simulated Annealing) time table optimizer was found. From the result (figure 5) , find that the SA-based time table optimizer is better than GA-based time table optimizer , that is because the comparison only until generation is 50.But from the figure 6 , can find that the convergence curve of GA looks more stable and smooth for the larger population. Sheung et.al. (1993, p.448)- figure 5 Sheung et.al. (1993, p.448)- figure 6 Project Scope and Objectives In the title of the project, we find that this project is solving the school timetable problem based on the genetic algorithm (GA) with java multithreaded. By using java multithreaded, it will solve the problem of the speed of generate school timetable based on GA. The speed will faster than the GA without using java multithreaded. 3.1 Project Scope The scope of this project is the systems that generating the school timetable by the GA with java multithreaded and the GA without java multithreaded. The following details will describe the functions that both timetabling system will perform. The systems should be able to generate timetable for students and teachers. The systems should be able to let the students and teachers view their timetable online at anytime. The systems should be able to let teachers to check availability of the lab and book the lab online at any time. The systems should be able to let the officer in charged to add, modify, and delete teachers detail at any time. The systems should be able to provide a user friendly interface for users to use it. The system should be able to provide a simple and nice timetable interface for users to view. 3.2 Project Objectives Based on the project scope, the projects objectives are the proposed idea are: Main Objective Enhance the genetic algorithm (GA) in solving the school timetable problem by using multithreaded programming. The system will apply GA concept into the time tabling procedures to get the result and using the multithreaded programming to increase the speed of generate time table schedule. Sub-Objective To optimize the use of time. The time of generate the school timetable will be decrease. To save workload of the officer in changed and teacher. The system will perform time tabling automatically rather than the officer need to manually schedule the timetable. The system able to let teachers to check availability of the class room and book the class room online. 3.3 Conclusion The system able fully utilize processors to using genetic algorithms (GA) generate the time table schedule faster without changing the concept of GA .That is the innovation of this project compare with other. Methods/Technologies Involved 4.1 Methods GENETIC ALGORITHM (GA) Genetic algorithm (GA) is an optimization and search technique based on the principles of genetics and natural selection.GA uses the concept of genetic recombination of parent chromosomes for traits sharing among their offspring, mutation to bring change among the offspring and survival of the fittest for the population to evolve [17,18]. In this project, the system apply GA concept into the time tabling procedures to get the result (time table schedule). MULTITHREADED PROGRAMMING Sometimes a lightweight process refers by a thread; multithreaded programming allows multiple threads to exist within the context of a single process. These threads execute independently but share the same processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ resources. So, multithreaded program able to operate faster, if that computer system for the program has multiple CPUs or CPUs with multi cores. Java multithreaded is one of the multithreaded programming. The advantages of java multithreaded are given below: Processors are fully utilized. Threads share the same address space. Context-switching between threads is normally inexpensive. Not have as much OS overhead. In this project, the system using the multithreaded programming to increase the speed of generate time table schedule. 4.2 Technologies Involved Notebook (Window) with multi core: writing Java Language and running the system Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE): Developing time tabling system 4.3 Project Methodology The development method that will use for this project is incremental development, because the functions will be implementing in order the rank of according to ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s important in the project and release the latest version from time-to-time until the final version. C:UsersmirroDownloadsincremental.PNG

Business Proposal for Library at the Exton Campus of Delaware County Co

Business Proposal for Library TABLE OF CONTENTS Background1 Current Environment.2 Proposed Environment...3 Diagram.4 Benefits.6 Business Requirements and Cost Analysis...8 Conclusion9 BACKGROUND I am proposing for a library to be put into the Exton campus of Delaware County Community College. There is currently not a library at this location. In order to have the use of a campus library we must go to the main campus of the college, which is approximately thirty to forty minutes from the Exton location. There are many students that go the Exton campus throughout the year and take a variety of courses. Many of these courses require at least some time spent in the library to write papers, to do research, etc. Not everyone has the time to drive to main campus to use the library so I am proposing for one to be added to the Exton location. The Downingtown campus can use the library as well because it is relatively close. It only seems logical to add a library to a college campus because not only does it make it easier to students to complete their assignments but it also promotes learning. A library is necessary in order to learn. There are many materials in a library that people do not have access to at home. CURRENT ENVIRONMENT The current environment consists of basically nothing right now because there is not library on the Exton campus. The only way for students to use a campus library as of now is to go the main campus of Delaware County Community College in Newtown Square. This is rather inconvenient for most people because many reasons. For example the student may have a family to take care of and therefore not have the extra time to be travelling so far to use a library. Also some students may not have the use of a car in order to travel that far to use a campus library. The only way for an Exton campus student to use the main campus library is to request that certain books be sent to the Exton campus where they can pick them up and use them. This can be a rather lengthy process and most students do not even know this service is available. The only other choice students have right now is to make the drive to main campus. Because... ...log or computer based card catalog ï‚ · Check out/in equipment ï‚ · Desks for check out/in equipment to sit on ï‚ · Carts (at least two) to hold books that need to be reshelved CONCLUSION All in all, I propose to have a fully functioning library added to the Exton campus of Delaware County Community College. Currently there is no library on the campus. Access to the campus library means driving at least thirty to forty minutes. This is rather difficult for many students to work into their busy schedules. With a library on campus will come many benefits not only to the students but also to the school. The students would have an area to meet for group projects and study groups as well as access to research databases and computers. A new library on the Delaware County Community College campuses would bring more prestige to the school and perhaps attract perspective students. A new library would also raise revenue for the school. A new library on the Exton campus would be a smart idea because most of all it is going to help the students better themselves and their learning career. More college graduates means more better paying jobs and a better community. Business Proposal for Library at the Exton Campus of Delaware County Co Business Proposal for Library TABLE OF CONTENTS Background1 Current Environment.2 Proposed Environment...3 Diagram.4 Benefits.6 Business Requirements and Cost Analysis...8 Conclusion9 BACKGROUND I am proposing for a library to be put into the Exton campus of Delaware County Community College. There is currently not a library at this location. In order to have the use of a campus library we must go to the main campus of the college, which is approximately thirty to forty minutes from the Exton location. There are many students that go the Exton campus throughout the year and take a variety of courses. Many of these courses require at least some time spent in the library to write papers, to do research, etc. Not everyone has the time to drive to main campus to use the library so I am proposing for one to be added to the Exton location. The Downingtown campus can use the library as well because it is relatively close. It only seems logical to add a library to a college campus because not only does it make it easier to students to complete their assignments but it also promotes learning. A library is necessary in order to learn. There are many materials in a library that people do not have access to at home. CURRENT ENVIRONMENT The current environment consists of basically nothing right now because there is not library on the Exton campus. The only way for students to use a campus library as of now is to go the main campus of Delaware County Community College in Newtown Square. This is rather inconvenient for most people because many reasons. For example the student may have a family to take care of and therefore not have the extra time to be travelling so far to use a library. Also some students may not have the use of a car in order to travel that far to use a campus library. The only way for an Exton campus student to use the main campus library is to request that certain books be sent to the Exton campus where they can pick them up and use them. This can be a rather lengthy process and most students do not even know this service is available. The only other choice students have right now is to make the drive to main campus. Because... ...log or computer based card catalog ï‚ · Check out/in equipment ï‚ · Desks for check out/in equipment to sit on ï‚ · Carts (at least two) to hold books that need to be reshelved CONCLUSION All in all, I propose to have a fully functioning library added to the Exton campus of Delaware County Community College. Currently there is no library on the campus. Access to the campus library means driving at least thirty to forty minutes. This is rather difficult for many students to work into their busy schedules. With a library on campus will come many benefits not only to the students but also to the school. The students would have an area to meet for group projects and study groups as well as access to research databases and computers. A new library on the Delaware County Community College campuses would bring more prestige to the school and perhaps attract perspective students. A new library would also raise revenue for the school. A new library on the Exton campus would be a smart idea because most of all it is going to help the students better themselves and their learning career. More college graduates means more better paying jobs and a better community.

Performance Evaluation Using Accounting Information

What is performance evaluation? o Performance evaluations are formal review processes designed to encourage the informal day-to-day practice of performance management, while providing a framework in support of merit pay adjustments, promotion and employment decisions. Evaluating staff performance and helping employees develop their skills are important duties associated with performance management. Performance management begins with supervisors and employees collaboratively setting goals and standards, clearly communicating performance expectations and evaluating the results during the performance evaluation process. o A performance appraisal is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee’s job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. o o Performance evaluation tools are quantitatively and qualitatively based. They utilize a scoring system that assesses numerical data relative to prod uctivity, as well as characteristic data that measures the quality of the employee's work.The indicators on performance evaluations include items such as business ethics, innovation, motivation, job knowledge, skills and expertise, communication, teamwork, work quality, professionalism, task management and project completion. Benefits of performance evaluation: †¢ Facilitation of communication: communication in organizations is considered an essential function of worker motivation. It has been proposed that feedback from performance evaluation aid in minimizing employees’ perceptions of uncertainty.Fundamentally, feedback and management-employee communication can serve as a guide in job performance. †¢ Enhancement of employee focus through promoting trust: behaviors, thoughts, and/or issues may distract employees from their work, and trust issues may be among these distracting factors. Such factors that consume psychological energy can lower job performance and caus e workers to lose sight of organizational goals. Properly constructed and utilized performance evaluation has the ability to lower distracting factors and encourage trust within the organization. Goal setting and desired performance reinforcement: organizations find it efficient to match individual worker’s goals and performance with organizational goals. Performance evaluation provides room for discussion in the collaboration of these individual and organizational goals. Collaboration can also be advantageous by resulting in employee acceptance and satisfaction of appraisal results. †¢ Performance improvement: well constructed performance evaluation can be valuable tools for communication with employees as pertaining to how their job performance stands with organizational expectations. At the organizational level, numerous studies have reported positive relationships between human resource management (HRM) practices and performance improvement at both the individual and organizational levels. †¢ Determination of training needs: â€Å"Employee training and development are crucial components in helping an organization achieve strategic initiatives†. It has been argued that for performance to truly be effective, post-appraisal opportunities for training and development in problem areas, as determined by the appraisal, must be offered. Performance can especially be instrumental for identifying training needs of new employees.Finally, performance can help in the establishment and supervision of employees’ career goals. The Role of Accounting Information in Performance evaluation Accounting information consists of all data that a company records from operating activities and reports to the public at the end of a month or quarter. Accounting information is important for investors, analysts and regulators, management, employees, creditor and debtor. This information is also critical for a firm's management because it provides insight in to the company's financial robustness and profitability in the short and long terms.Accounting data frequently is used in performance evaluations, because it is seen as an objective method to evaluate performance. While there are many advantages to using accounting information for this purpose, small-business owners should be careful to understand that there are drawbacks as well. Knowing the pros and cons of using accounting metrics can help business owners choose the right data to use for evaluating employee performance. Budget to Actual Many businesses expect employees to achieve budget targets as part of their overall performance.While the specifics requirements of each employee differ with the position and nature of the company, it is common for employees to be expected to sell a certain number of items, control costs versus a budgeted amount or reduce waste compared with a benchmark. A potential downfall of using budget information for performance evaluation is that employees may be so concerned with making budget targets that they may do so at the cost of other parts of the business. Sales Growth Sales employees and business management frequently are evaluated on the basis of sales growth.Sales growth usually is calculated as the percentage that sales have increased over the prior year. While this metric is commonly used to gauge performance, it does not come without drawbacks. If the general economy changes from year to year, then sales may naturally be increasing or decreasing. For example, if the economy is in decline, then employees may be modeling the correct behaviors, but sales may still be slow. In contrast, if the economy is growing, employees may be receiving the benefits of increasing sales while developing habits that will keep this sales growth from being sustainable in the future.Net Profit In many small businesses, net profit is used as a performance benchmark for the company's manager. Condensing the operations of a business into its sim plest form, net profit measures the amount of profit left after deducting expenses. While profit is important to businesses, focus on profit can have adverse effects on the company in the long term. For example, cutting advertising expenses will grow net profit in the short-term, but in the long-term, potential customers may not know about the company's products. Expense ReductionFor employees in charge of spending, it is common to evaluate performance based upon cost reduction. This can be a useful metric, as each dollar of expense saved translates into a dollar of profit. However, caution must be exercised, because this performance metric does not account for differences in quality. For example, if a purchasing manager is evaluating on reducing the expense of purchased metal for production, he could be rewarded for buying cheaper substandard material. As such, small-business owners should be cautious when using this metric in isolation. Profitability Analysis: Management analyzes profitability by reviewing the statement of profit and loss, also known as statement of income. This statement indicates a company's revenue and expense items. Profit Margin Profit margin measures a company's business performance over a quarter or month and equals net income divided by total revenue. Return on Equity o Return on equity provides an assessment of profitability on owners' capital and equals net income divided by shareholders' equity. Working Capital Working capital is a gauge of a firm's cash availability in the next 12 months and equals current assets minus current liabilitiesBudgeting o A budget helps a business know where money comes in and where it goes out. With accurate accounting, a business owner can make decisions to cut back in certain budget areas to improve the profit potential of the business. Without accounting data, the company would be forced to guess how much money should be allotted to each department or line item. A budget that is updated quarterly g ives a clear picture of where the business stands financially so that smart money management decisions can be made. Investor Relations A public company has a responsibility to report the company's financial standing to stockholders. The accounting department of the business creates a public report for investors with the intent of disclosing all financial data. Good accounting practices helps investors trust the management team as they know exactly the points of financial strength and weakness of their investment. A company that does not maintain accounting information would be in danger of lawsuits, claims of fraud and lose access to relationships that provide capital necessary to running the business.Employee Retention Providing employees with accounting information helps them to make responsible decisions regarding their futures. A business that does not disclose or maintain accurate accounting information would gradually lose credibility with its employees. Employees with retirem ent accounts managed by their employers rely on the financial stability of companies to ensure their employers follow through Planning o Before most businesses even start operations, some level of planning is done to determine the level of success that can be achieved from operations.Businesses will examine current economic trends like consumer demand, market size, and number of competitors. This analysis helps companies determine which industry best suits their goods and services and then focuses on planning for the necessary plants and equipment needed to create successful business operations. Management Decisions o Once a business starts producing goods and services, executive managers must review each level of the company to ensure that each department is functioning at its peak.Some departments may need to be overhauled to re-create a competitive environment that produces high-quality goods and services. Additionally, management will use accounting information to decide if thei r company could improve operations by purchasing a competitor or enter a new market with their existing production facilities. Profitability o The biggest need for accounting information is to determine overall profitability. Sales, costs of manufacturing, inventory, and expenses are all recorded and presented to company management so the company's profit levels can be determined.Financial statements like the balance sheet or statement of cash flows may also be prepared so executive management can assess the value of the company and the cash-generating functions of business operations. Investing o Once companies have a solid understanding of their profitability, they begin to make decisions on investing their cash and retained income from business operations. Executive management will decide what amount of cash should be reinvested into the business and what amount should be invested in interest-bearing securities.Companies will use these securities investments to generate cash outs ide business operations, giving them higher cash flows. Accountants must track these investments to ensure that the company does not take on too much investment risk. Performance Analysis o After the financial transactions of a company are properly recorded and presented in financial statements, accountants will review the information to determine the strength of business operations. Accountants use financial ratios to break down the financial statements and compare them to the industry or competitors.This analysis will help management find weak areas in the company and help allow them to find solutions for strengthening these operations. Accounting Performance Measurement Tools Budgets o Budgeting initiatives help department heads discuss steps to limit the decision-making authority of specific personnel. These include employees running inefficient operations or segment chiefs unable to whittle away at runaway budget deficits. Top leadership may not strip ineffective segment leader s of their operating prerogatives, but budgeting certainly limits how much they can spend.A budget is a list of planned expenses and revenues, a plan that organizations use to spend and save. 2. Pro Forma Statements o Pro forma or projection-based, accounting reports rely on hypothetical data to illustrate how a firm's operations may fare under specific scenarios. These include â€Å"best,† â€Å"average† and â€Å"worst†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ with these concepts indicating the state of the economy or conditions in the company's competitive landscape, among other factors. For example, worst-case-scenario pro forma statements show whether a business could generate enough revenues to sustain itself if economic conditions deteriorate. . Accounting Reports o Management accountants and corporate leaders use accounting reports to measure operating performance. By doing so, they help prevent the dismal financial situation that arises when a firm consistently posts negative numbers. Department heads rely on accounting statements to determine operating weaknesses and prescribe the right medicine to fix ineffective mechanisms. The most important accounting statements are balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow reports and equity statements. Balance heets are also called statements of financial position or statements of financial condition. 4. Financial Ratios o Corporate executives and business-unit chiefs analyze financial ratios to determine processes to tear up and those to keep or expand. Inefficient processes may drive away profit opportunities and jobs, especially if a company must shed its workforce to maintain solvency. Management accounting metrics include net profit margin and return on equity. ROE equals net profit divided by shareholders' equity. Net profit margin equals net income divided by total sales. 5. Technological Tools Organizations rely on various tools to tackle the often thorny issues of management accounting, performance monitoring a nd regulatory compliance. In the modern era, computer systems play a key role in the way firms record and analyze accounting data. Tools used to evaluate management accounting performance include financial analysis software, project management applications and enterprise resource planning programs. Other tools include industrial control software, calendar and scheduling programs, mainframe computers and computer-aided manufacturing applications. 6. Gap AnalysisA gap analysis is a useful method of measuring performance when there are already fixed performance standards. For example, you may have a goal of producing a certain number of units per month. This could be a performance standard. A gap analysis starts with the established performance measure. After looking at the established performance measure, a manager assesses the current performance level. Finally, the manager will calculate the difference between the performance standard and the actual standard. This provides the gap, which is an indication of how close a company has come to its performance standards.The smaller the gap, the better the company's performance. An advantage of this performance measure is that it provides an indication of what needs to be overcome in order to achieve the desired level of performance. LIMITATIONS OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accounting information is in terms of money. Accounting provides information on events and transactions that are of financial nature or can be expressed in terms of monetary unit. It does not give information in quantity or size terms of in qualitative matters like usefulness or efficient.Non-monetary events or transactions are completely ignored however important these may be. (ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accounting information is expressed in monetary terms and it is assumed that a monetary unit is stable overtime. This is not true at all with the result that the impact of price level changes is not taken into consider ation. The assets remain undervalued in many cases especially land and building. The direct outcome of this practice is that balance sheet figures of assets are not helpful in measuring the true financial positions of the enterprise. iii)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accountancy is as yet a inexact science and depends sometimes on a number of estimates, personal judgment etc. Estimates are inherently inaccurate and personal judgments introduce bias in the accounting information. It is not possible to predict with any degree of accuracy the actual useful life of an asset which is done for calculating the depreciation charge. The same is true about provision for doubtful debts. (iv)  Accounting information cannot be used as only test of managerial performance. The focus of the financial information is on profit or income which is only ne small aspect of the annual story of business. Profits for a period of one year can readily be manipulated by suppressing such costs as advertisements, research and development, depreciation and so on. (v)  Ã‚  Accounting information is not neutral or unbiased. Accountants measure income as conventionally defined: revenues less expenses. But accountants consider only selected revenues and expenses. They fail to give recognition to the benefits received by their efforts to clean up the environment, improve community welfare and introduce safety measures for the workers. vi)  Accounting like other disciplines has to follow certain principles which in some cases are contradictory. Current assets are valued on the basis of cost or market price whichever is less following the principle of conservatism. Accordingly the current assets may be valued on cost basis in some year and at market price in another year. In this manner, the rule of consistency is openly violated. (VII) The historical perspective of financial accounting: In order to obtain a recent estimate of an entity’s financial performance, the corporate managers carefully scrutin ize financial accounting information.In retrospect, this information is based on past performance. The information does provide clarity on the monetary issues but does not provide a definite insight into the strategic future; as the future holds various changes in terms of technology, economic situations as well as political scenarios etc. Such factors in relation to accounting are unpredictable. Therefore, a careful balance between historical accounting as well as the future forecasted outlook is required. (VIII).Inability to reflect the true value of strategic management: Various factors such as goodwill and natural circumstances influence the operations of an enterprise; however, these elements are difficult to measure thus, leading to their unavoidable exclusion from financial reports. For example companies depend upon their shareholders, who in turn depend on the performance of the Chief Executive Officers. Although the CEOs may have been hired by the company based upon prior p erformance, their future performances are not reliably measurable as they may continually vary.In the initial stages, it may be impossible to measure whether the CEO’s presence will deter or appeal to the shareholders, which in turn will influence the profitability of the enterprise. (VIX). Measuring Volatility of external factors: Financial accounting information does not take into consideration volatile and ever increasing changes in the natural and commercial environment. Although scarcely measurable in monetary terms, their unstable nature may have adverse effects if included within the financial reports and have a volatile and cosmetic impact upon the earnings of the firm.For example, tariffs on trade, duties and other environmental issues can have significant short-term volatile effects on the organization Conclusively, In order to obtain a recent estimate of an entity’s financial performance, the corporate managers carefully scrutinize financial accounting infor mation. In retrospect, this information is based on past performance. The information does provide clarity on the monetary issues but does not provide a definite insight into the strategic future; as the future holds various changes in terms of technology, economic situations as well as political scenarios etc.Such factors in relation to accounting are unpredictable. Therefore, a careful balance between historical accounting as well as the future forecasted outlook is required. References: El-Shishimi, H. and Drury C. (2001) : Divisional Performance Measuring in UK companies, paper presented to the annual Congress of the European Accounting Association, Athens Esptein, M and Ray, M. J (1997):Eniromental Management to improve corporate profitability, Journal of cost management , November-December, pp 26-34 Kaplan R. S and Norton D.P (2001) â€Å" Transforming the balance scorecard from performance measurement to strategic management : part 2’, Accounting Horizons March, pp87 Kaplan, S. E. , and J. T. Mackey. 1992. An Examination of the association between organizational design factors and the use of accounting information for managerial performance evaluation. Journal of Management Accounting Research (4): 116-130. BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISAN, OGUN STATE Performance Evaluation uses accounting information, limitation reconsidered Emerging issues Assignment BY ADEYEMI EBENEZER ADESUJI MATRIC NO NS/4270

MBA Career Opportunities by Field of Study

MBA Career Opportunities by Field of Study An MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree opens up a wide variety of career opportunities, depending on the specialty you choose. Nearly every industry imaginable has the need for someone with an MBA. The type of job you can get will depend on your work experience, your MBA specialization, the school or program you graduated from, and your individual skill set. MBA Careers in Accounting MBA students who specialize in accounting could choose to work in public, private, or government accounting careers. Responsibilities may include managing accounts receivable or accounts payable departments and transactions, tax preparation, financial tracking, or accounting consultancy. Job titles may include accountant, comptroller, accounting manager, or financial accounting consultant. MBA Careers in Business Management Many MBA programs offer only a general MBA in management without further specializations. This inevitably makes management a popular career option. Managers are needed in every type of business. Career opportunities are also available in specific areas of management, such as human resources management, operation management, and supply chain management. MBA Careers in Finance Finance is another popular option for the MBA grad. Successful businesses always employ people who are knowledgeable about various areas of the financial market. Possible job titles include financial analyst, budget analyst, finance officer, financial manager, financial planner, and investment banker. MBA Careers in Information Technology The information technology field also needs MBA grads to oversee projects, supervise people, and manage information systems. Career options can vary depending on your MBA specialization. Many MBA grads choose to work as project managers, information technology managers, and information systems managers. MBA Careers in Marketing Marketing is another common career path for MBA grads. Most large businesses (and many small businesses) use marketing professionals in some way. Career options could exist in areas of branding advertising, promotions, and public relations. Popular job titles include marketing manager, branding specialist, advertising executive, public relations specialist, and marketing analyst. Other MBA Career Options There are many other MBA careers, including entrepreneurship, international business, and consulting. The MBA degree is highly respected in the business world, and if you network properly, update your skills regularly, and stay abreast of the industry you are interested in, your career options are virtually endless. Where to Find MBA Careers Most quality business schools have a career services department that can assist you with networking, resumes, cover letters, and recruiting opportunities. Take full advantage of these resources while you are in business school and after graduation. Online sites specifically dedicated to MBA graduates are another good source for your job hunt. A few to explore include: MBACareers.com - A place to search for jobs, post a resume, and explore career resources.MBA Highway - Provides online networking community, job search resources, and a job search engine powered by Indeed.The Best Consulting Firms for MBAs - A list of ThoughtCos best places to work as a consultant using your MBA degree. MBA Career Earnings There is really no limit to what you can earn throughout an MBA career. Many jobs pay in excess of $100,000 and allow for opportunities to earn bonuses or additional income. To determine average earning for a specific type of MBA career, use a Salary Wizard and enter the job title and location.

Industrial Revolution and Web. Essays

Industrial Revolution and Web. Essays Industrial Revolution and Web. Essay Industrial Revolution and Web. Essay 1982. Print . Impacts of the Industrial Revolution 17 February 2003. Industrial Revolution . Web. 26 Octomber 2013. Kreis, Steven. The Orgins of the Industrial Revolution in England. 2001. History Guide . Web. 25 October 2013. Pearson Education. Industrial Revolution, Its Effects. 013. Infoplease . Web. 25 October 2013. BBC. Why the Industrial Revolution Happened in Britain 14 January 2013. BBC. Web. 25 October 2013. Pearson Education. Industrial Revolution, Its E ffects. 2013. BBC. Why the Industrial Revolution Happened in Britain . 14 January 2013. BBC Revolution . 17 February 2003. Industrial Revolution . Web. 26 Octomber 2013. Kreis, BBC. Why the Industrial Revolution Happened in Britain . 14 January 2013. BSC. Infoplease . Web. 25 October 2013.

Harley Davidson marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Harley Davidson marketing plan - Essay Example This study aims to provide a complete marketing plan and strategy for bringing Harley on the UK market segment. The plan is to include marketing principles, tools and models to bring effective outcomes for the future market growth and valuation. The study will analyze the segments of environment, market structure, competition and organizations key functions to comprise a deliberate market plan for the respective three years period. The study will include two parts, the first will have a market analysis and the second will have the actual plan to get applied on the market circumstances (Grant, 2004). Company Profile and Background Harley-Davidson mostly symbolized by H-D is an American based company, heading forward since the start of 20th century with Harley Classic Motorbikes. With a strong market share of 10.77 Billion, the brand is on its march in the United States market, a market where the brand took its origin and got recognized from the very first Harley lovers (Leffingwell, 2 003). The specialty lies in the Harley heavy-bikes and Harley classic models which are on an esteem of Harley patrons. It is one of the brands that survived the period of low quality control and competition from the Japanese rivalries, which shows corporation’s diversified approach to deal with market challenges (Grant, 2004). A distinctive class like a class of luxury stands out for the upcoming models of Harley motorbikes. This shows that there is a strong commitment which Harley customers show to Harley products and services (Grant, 2004). According to Jim Ziemer (Former President at Harley Davidson Inc), â€Å"It is a unique brand that is built on personal relationship and deep connections with customers, unmatched riding experiences, and proud history† (Qumer & Purkayastha, 2012). It is in the trend and culture of Harley Davidson that they have been producing designer based luxury bikes. In Harley’s models there is an exclusivity of heavyweight, cruiser, to uring and custom motorbikes, which are always overwhelming and astonishing for the luxury bike lovers. With heavy design attribute, Harley has been able to inspire the motorbike brand industry, as the designs are enough to amaze and surprise the motorbike branders (Leffingwell, 2003). The design includes heavy customization, which has become Harley’s attraction point for selling its new brand models. No matter where Harley has been intruding like in Argentina, Aruba, Germany, Australia, Chile, China or Costa rice, there heavyweight design attribute has been the trade mark to lead out the brand on diversified markets (Walker & Broughton, 2010). It is one culture that started from classic Harleys (early 20th century) and then transferred to second and third generations of Harley Davidson motorbikes (Scott, 2008). With the rise there has been falls too which Harley experienced in its business journey. It was the year 2009, when reports indicated a loss of US$ 55.1 million in Har ley Davidson m

Labour Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Labour Law - Essay Example It is submitted at the outset that the issue remains contentious particularly in light of the continuous changes in working practices. From a statutory perspective, the legal definition of employee is described under Section 230(1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) as â€Å"an individual who has entered into or works under†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..a contract of employment†. The section 230 definition has been criticised for being ambiguous (Honeyball & Bowers. 2006) and it is necessary to refer to the common law test for defining the status of employee. The statutory provision is bolstered by the Ready Mixed Concrete test (Ready Mixed Concrete (South East) Ltd v Minister of Pensions & National Insurance [1968] 2 QB 497), which requires an examination of the â€Å"overall picture† (Jupp, 2005) The starting point for determining whether an individual is an employee is the â€Å"control† test (Honeyball & Bowers. 2006). This was established in Yewens v Noakes (1880 6 Q.B.D. 530), where Bramwell LJ asserted that:â€Å"a servant is a person subject to the command of his master as to the manner in which he shall do his work† (at pp.532-533). However, socio-economic developments in the labour market have changed the shape of employment status, thereby undermining the suitability of the control test as a sole determinant of employment status (Pitt, G. 2007). This was further acknowledged by the Court of Appeal in Walker v Crystal Palace FC ([1910] 1 KB 87), where the control test was given a different slant by focusing on whether the employer had the right to control the background arrangements for the work such as when and where the work was done, payments and holiday entitlements. However, the Walker extension of the control test was further developed into the â€Å"integration† test as propounded by Lord Denning in the case of Stevenson Jordan and Harrison v MacDonald & Evans ([1952] 1 TLR 101) â€Å"†¦under a contract of service, a man is employed as part of the

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Alternative Courses of Action - Essay Example An example one has gone through in gathering and evaluating information from a number of sources prior to making a decision would thereby be presented as follows: As one was pursuing a Business Management Degree from 2007 to 2011, it was deemed crucial that to assist in supporting one’s academic requirements, there is a need to find employment where one’s knowledge, abilities, and skills would be appropriately used and developed. Finding the preferred job according to one’s academic background, competencies and skills that would fit the requirements of the position is an example of a situation that necessitates gathering and evaluating different options and where ones decision would actually depend on the organizations which would relay a positive response to one’s job application. After two years of studying, one sought possible employment in fields seeking positions that do not require specific educational qualifications but where minimum criteria could be immediately met. There were positions open for Care Assistants or for Customer Service Representatives. Since these two positions were preferred, these became one’s alternative courses of action: to choose applying for a Care Assistant job or to select a Customer Service Representative Job. To gather pertinent information needed to analyze these options, one searched online sources of job descriptions, average annual income, locations of employer, the skills and educational requirements. Both positions offer basically the same salary ranges ( £15,000 per annum) but the job descriptions and responsibilities are contrasting. Care assistants focus on â€Å"provides help and support to people with limited mobility or other care needs.

Netsuite customer relationship management for the Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Netsuite customer relationship management for the Banking Sector Essay NetSuite is the worlds leading provider of on-demand business application software combining accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and  ecommerce capabilities in a completely integrated solution. With over 12,000 customers globally, NetSuite companies are enabled to manage all key business operations uniting departments, automating processes and gaining unparalleled insight into their business. Netsuite is built around a single customer record, so all areas of the business; sales, support, accounting, distribution, shipping and billing, use the same information for every interaction. Because NetSuite gives vital business intelligence in real time, businesses can make informed decisions faster. Deliver better business management powerful real-time, customisable dashboards, NetSuite business management software gives managers and employees the functionality, information and tools they need to manage their entire business better and streamline operations. Eliminate data re-entry because NetSuite software is built on a single record for every aspect of business, theres no need to waste time re-inputting data into separate systems. Eliminate IT maintenance and upgrade costs NetSuite is cloud-based, business management software with a 99.5% uptime guarantee. This gives greater reliability and security while eliminating the need for on-site hardware and software. Make better decisions faster NetSuite business management software gives real-time business intelligence dashboards for any and every aspect of the organisation from leads, commissions, sales revenue and forecasts to bank balances, receivable and payable anywhere and anytime. Increase collaboration NetSuite SaaS offers portals that allow customers, partners and vendors to collaborate allowing organisations to get closer to customers and partners, move quickly and seize opportunities.

Stigma in Mental Illness: Causes and Impacts

Stigma in Mental Illness: Causes and Impacts This chapter will examine the term stigma and discuss the negative attitudes that the public hold towards mental health and mental illness and suggest why they may have adopted these views and attitudes. It will also address the medias role in portraying these views and sustaining these attitudes towards mental illness. An enormous number of individuals are affected by mental illness worldwide: the World Health Organization (WHO) (2001) has estimated that 1 in 5 persons will suffer from a mental illness each year. A question that could be asked if mental illness is a dominant and prevalent issue within society today why do people still hold these negative views and attitudes within society? Finally the chapter will conclude by making some recommendations for practice, ways that stigma can be reduced and how mental health and mental illness can be portrayed in a more positive light. To fully appreciate the views and attitudes towards mental illness it is important to understand the concept of stigma. Stigma is derived from the Greek for a mark branded on a slave or criminal (White, 1998). Goffmans (1963) seminal work on stigmatization has, over the years, stimulated a great variety of educational discussion on the nature, sources, and effects of stigma (Link and Phelan, 2001). According to Goffman (1963) stigma is a physical or psychological mark of disgrace that makes an individual stand out from society. Three types of stigmatizing marks identified by Goffman include, Abominations of the body, tribal stigma, and blemishes of individual character (Goffman, 1963, pg 14). People who encompass these physical or psychological marks are often devalued and dehumanised which consequently leads to their position within society being corrupted by the distressing effects of stigmatization (Goffman, 1963). A definition that can be seen to encompass all aspects alongside Goffman is offered by Miles (1981) cited in Brunton (1997) who says, Societal reaction which singles out certain attributes evaluates them as an undesirable and devalues the persons who possess them. (p. 892) The suffering and loss of opportunities that seems to always come hand in hand with a diagnosis of mental illness can be seen to be connected to the psychiatric symptoms that can be observed e.g. talking to voices, the decrease in daily functioning, and the dip in a persons social functioning in society (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). However, the loss of opportunities and the person with a mental illness devaluing their own self worth take place for the reason of the stigma that surrounds mental illness (Corrigan and Kleinlein, 2005). For the purposes of this dissertation negative attitudes refers to discriminatory attitudes that are based on prejudice, stereotypes or inaccurate information. Stereotypes are firmly set judgements that are learnt throughout life and held firmly in our mind (Stier and Hinshaw, 2007). They are discriminating views or images related to members of particular groups (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Prejudice effects individuals in an emotional manner (Stier and Hinshaw, 2007) and occurs when people within society have the same opinion about a particular stereotype and affix this to a group of people making negative connotations towards that particular group (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Then again, Corrigan and Wassel (2008) state that discriminative behaviour can be seen as a direct result of prejudice. This involves a specific group being treated in a dissimilar way leading to that group not being able to access opportunities available to them or their rights being restricted (Stier and Hin shaw, 2007). Negative attitudes towards people with mental distress may be manifested by physical and verbal abuse, problems in the workplace or discrimination from people who provide services to people with a mental illness (Mind, 2010). Negative attitudes are partly constructed in the language we use to describe mental illness. People with mental distress are often being described in derogatory terms. For example, perpetrators of acts of violence are often described as Lunatics, mad person (Tudor, 1996), schizos, nutters, psychos, fiends, monsters and maniacs (Twomley, 2007). This makes a clear link between violence and mental distress, it must be acknowledged though that not everyone who is violent necessarily has a mental illness. Angermeyer and Schulze (2001) suggest the general public view people with mental illness as bizarre, fear-provoking, impulsive, violent and lack self-discipline. From this, therefore, it could be suggested that people who have a mental illness are deviants or have deviant behaviour. Becker (1963) defines deviance as any trait or behaviour that was abnormal when compared to the average population (pg. ). If mental illness is classed as deviant then how bad does someone have to act or behave to be classed as deviant. This demonstrates that social rules that are made allow people to judge others as different or in this case deviant (Becker, 1963). This is further supported by Baumann (2007) who suggest that the individuals picture of the world is created by comparatively constant norms, principles and expectations. Angermeyer and Matschinger (2005) suggests a diagnosis of schizophrenia has, particularly, been found to be stigmatizing and linked with negative stereotypes such as violence and dangerousness. This shows that by mental health being medicalised it is profoundly unhelpful due to the diagnostic terms such as psychosis which can shackle people to the mental health system (Watkins, 2007). In contrast Shepherd et al (2008) describe the recovery model   as taking ownership and responsibility for an illness and what can and cant be done, focusing on the strengths and issues rather than a diagnosis. This is a reliable source provided by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health. The recovery model will be discussed more in-depth in chapter three. There is no doubt that the media plays a part in reinforcing the attitudes towards mental health and mental illness. In everyday life the public come into contact with the media by newspapers, TV and radio on a daily basis. The way people with a mental illness are viewed as dangerous can be seen to be fuelled by tabloid media publicity about psycho-killers (Tudor, 1996). Examples of this are included in the appendix. The report, Screening for madness, by Byrne (2009) reveals that films representations of people with experience of mental health problems have become more harmful, he suggests that, Mental health stereotypes have not changed over a century of cinema. If anything, the comedy is crueler and the deranged psycho killer even more demonic. (pg. 4) One flew over the Cuckoos Nest can be seen as the film most remembered for depicting someone with a mental illness acting strangely or violently (reference). Even though this was released 35 years ago it shows the influence of movie stereotypes on attitudes and how these can last generations. This is also demonstrated with the recent film Batman-the Dark Knight depicting mental illness with violence which more or less is based around the mental illness schizophrenia (Byrne, 2009). This would suggest that ignorance and lack of understanding of mental illness are still very prominent in society today. It must be acknowledged there are some exceptions to this, of more recent films that have portrayed a less sensational and more insightful picture of mental illness. For instance, A Beautiful Mind, in 2002, depicted the true story of a maths genius who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, while Shine, in 1996, was the story of a brilliant pianist who had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, the more positive portrayals can represent mental distress as exotic, dramatic or romantic in ways that bear little resemblance to real-life experiences (Lott, 2006). Likewise, media portrayals of mental health have been far from flattering and largely sensationalized. A survey undertaken in 2000 by MIND found that 73% of people with mental health problems felt that the reporting of mental health issues were unjust, biased and pessimistic (MIND, 2000 cited in Rethink, 2006). In addition a study by Chopra and Doody (1997) looked at 98 newspaper articles and found there was no significant difference in the portrayal of schizophrenia. They did find overall that 36.1% of articles were negative in tone, 56.7% were neutral and 7.2% were positive. The word schizophrenic is often used in tabloid stories in conjunction with violent events, somehow suggesting that the diagnosis can justify why the violence happened in the first place (Twomey, 2007). In reality, the person who happens to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia may have acted in such a way due to taking illegal drugs or may have a violent personality, we need to look at all aspect of what led to a violent situation happening and not just that someone was mentally ill. The media can often be seen to be responsible for stigmatizing stereotypes of mental illness (Byrne, 1997),however, if the media was used to its potential it can challenge prejudice, enlighten and instigate discussions, helping to reduce the stigma that is so often experienced by people with a mental illness (Salter and Byrne, 2000). It is still evident through reporting on mental health that a diagnosis of a mental illness is linked to violence. There is however, some evidence of positive change where The Sun newspaper was made to remove a headline of Bonkers Bruno locked up which was reporting on the sectioning of the boxer frank Bruno under the Mental Health Act (MIND, 2010). In 2006, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) published a code of practice, which banned the use of stigmatising language around mental illness which reduced the use of the terms such as schizo and nutter (PCC, 2006). This gives an example of just how much the media has moved on over the years and that there are some strategies to prevent harm being done to people with mental health problems. Becker (1963) concludes that people who are mentally ill are blamed for things that happen in society therefore you would think they would be punished or persecuted. It must be acknowledged that there are extensive resources devoted to the benevolent care and support of those with an enduring mental illness. Even though this is an old source it is relevant even today and apparent how services are developing for people with mental health problems. Nevertheless, people suffering from a mental illness are still feared and excluded from society (Becker, 1963 and Watkins, 2007). When people have acute mental health problems they can appear to the public to be frightening and exhibit odd behaviours which can often lead to police involvement (Taylor, 2008). At such times they can commit criminal acts, often escaping prosecution due to their mental illness at the time (Bowers, 1998; Taylor, 2008). Therefore, it could be argued that the public hold these views due to such examples where peopl e are excused from their actions on the basis of some supposed illness. It could be suggested that they should be held accountable for their actions as anyone else would be (Bowers, 1998). It can be argued that these attitudes towards mental illness can be seen in a direct parallel to racism (Bowers, 1998). So why do people continue showing negative attitudes and views towards mental health as much work has been done in helping to combat racism, can the same not be done for people with mental illness. Negative attitudes towards individuals with mental illness is widespread and can be capable of creating a significant barrier to treatment (Piner and Kahle, 1984). It has been established that negative attitudes can be individually the most significant obstruction to integration of people with a mental illness in to society (Piner and Kahle, 1984). Negative attitudes towards mental health can influence the path and result of their mental illness (Bowers, 1998). This can also lead to self-stigma which occurs when an individual with a mental health illness internalizes the stigma and believes they are of less value (Halter, 2004; Corrigan, 2007). This may result in low self-worth, loss of dignity, and lead to feelings of hopelessness (Campbell and Deacon, 2006). People who experience a mental illness often see no potential for them to undertake full time employment due to internalizing these negative attitudes that are held about the psychiatric system (Watkins, 2007). If we dont help people recover from mental illnesses it is inevitable that it may become an enduring illness. An analogy given compares it to having a broken leg; if you dont rest it then it wont heal properly, the same could be said for the mind. Maybe if people were more positive towards mental health and mental illness then people with mental health problems would be encouraged to flourish in the community and not be seen as deviant. This is supported by Sayce (2000) who suggests that being part of the social foundations of the community is necessary for our psychological well being. Generally most people would like to think they are compassionate and have inclusive attitudes towards people who experience a breakdown in their mental health (Ross and Read, 2004). Except, discrimination is still communicated in everyday social situations in subtly distancing, condescending exchanges, flippant outlooks or obvious hostility leaving people feeling socially isolated (Watkins, 2007). This could be due to the fact that mental illness shows how fragile human nature is therefore peoples/societies anxieties and fears about mental health may be due to seeing the potential that any one of us could develop a mental health disorder (Becker, 1963). From my practice to date the following example really brought home to me the level of stigma and negative attitudes people have towards mental illness. When listening to an account from a service user it made me realise how public attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties is still a big issue and a real challenge for health care professionals. Mary explained that when taking a taxi to give a talk to students about living with mental illness she got talking to the taxi driver. At first he thought she was a lecturer but when she explained what she was going to do he became very quiet and stopped conversation with her. She found this a very ignorant and closed way of dealing with the situation and became quite upset about it. Having examined the concepts of stigma, discussed the negative attitudes that the public hold towards mental health and mental illness, suggested why they may have adopted these views and attitudes and addressed the medias role in portraying these views and sustaining these attitudes towards mental illness. It is now important to draw some recommendations and challenges that can help reduce the stigma of mental illness and promote a more positive picture to members of the public. These recommendations include education and public contact. Firstly, education of the public both at school and after (Murphy et al 1993; Penn et al 1994) about mental health and its prevalence among every one of us is really important. Education is widely approved for influencing prejudice and discrimination (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Corrigan and Wassel (2008) ask the important question, If people had the correct knowledge or effective problem solving skills, would they be able to give up public stigma and handle associated concerns more directly? (pg. 45) Education can generate small effects on attitudes; unfortunately, this kind of change in attitude is seen to not be maintained over time (Corrigan et al, 2001). This demonstrates the need to continually re-educate people to reinforce the message. Challenging the public is most effective when it targets people who frequently interact with individuals with mental illness: landlords, employers, GPs, police officers etc (Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). Secondly, most importantly the media needs to comply with their code of practice (2006). If something does appear in the media that appears stigmatising people should protest against it not accept it and reiterate that it wont be tolerated. As nurses we need to encourage that positive things surrounding mental health of mental health are promoted in the media. Lastly, the public need more contact with people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. This type of contact can provide the most healthy and positive findings toward changing public stigma (Penn et al,1994; Pettigrew and Tropp, 2000). It can be something as small as someone speaking about their mental illness in a group situation to co-workers learning of someone coping with a mental illness. The effectiveness of utilising contact can be improved when the person with a mental illness is seen by society as in the same social class as them (Gaertner et al, 1996). In Link and Cullens (1986) study they found people who had contact with someone who had a mental illness showed much lower anxiety around danger compared to those who had no contact. Murphy et als (1993) study contradicted this as they found having contact with someone with a mental illness did not impact on their attitude. However, they did establish that people who spoke of having knowledge of mental illness showe d a reduced anxiety and fear of mental illness. Finally, the prevalence of mental illness in society cannot be underestimated. As previously alluded to with 1 in 5 people suffering from a mental illness (WHO, 2001) we cannot afford to ignore the impact of stigma, all health care professionals especially nurses need to advocate for clients and work with others to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of those in their care, their families and carers, and the wider community (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008). Having discussed the views and attitudes that the public hold towards mental illness and those experiencing mental health difficulties it is now important, in the next chapter, to examine the views and attitudes of general nurses. Many will come into contact with people with mental health problems particularly in accident and emergency (a and e) and a medical setting.