Importance of Staffing in Organizations Essay - 2711 Words

Importance of Staffing in Organizations Staffing has been an important aspect in all types of organizations’ development. More and more companies have noticed a good staffing plan could increase productivity and reduce operation costs in terms of lower turnover rate and transition costs. Good staffing could be able to minimize cost in order to maximize profit, because it could assist the company to stay more competitive within the industry. According to the definition by Dr. Green, â€Å"staff is the process of identifying work requirements within an organization; determining the number of people and the skills necessary to do the work; and recruiting, selecting and promoting the qualified candidates. It is the selection process of†¦show more content†¦Organizations could select one or more of these tests, but they have to be careful of the reliability and validity of all the results. Some results might be different depending on the environment of the testing area, or the relationship between the applicant s and their previous employer/manager. Many organizations depend only on the result of the test without taking the reliability and validity into considerations, which that might lead to in hiring the wrong people. What is the difference between reliability and validity? â€Å"Reliability is the consistency and the stability of a selection measurement and validity is the degree to which a measure predicts on-the-job performance† (Green, 2003). For instance, the consistency of a test is made for to measure reliability and what kind of method to use to test the candidate is to measure validity. Since reliability and validity are both important aspects in the selection process, let’s look at several methods that are used in today’s industries. College Grade Point Average (GPA) is one of the areas that employers look at and might weighted heavily in the selection process. According to a study, â€Å"grades have a fully corrected validity in the mid .30s for predicting job performance†(Roth, BeVier, Switzer, Schippmann, 1996) and â€Å"a validity for .20 for predicting starting salary† (RothShow MoreRelatedStaffing Planning Paper1199 Words   |  5 PagesStaffing Plan Paper Adrian Gadsden April 25, 2011 Patricia Meunier-Muenks Staffing Solutions for US Military I am familiar with the Infantry and Cavalry division of the military structure and how to make this division of the US government functional is of crucial importance. First, by the very definition, the infantry and cavalry division of military service personnel requires a special mindset. It requires a person who understands that theirRead MoreStaffing System For A Job1719 Words   |  7 PagesMaria Romano MGE 629 HW#3 Chapter #7 1. Imagine and describe a staffing system for a job in which no measures are used A staffing system for a job in which no measures are used would be virtually impossible. Measurement is the key in staffing organizations, as it is a method used for assessing aspects within the organization. A system without methods would have no efficient method for determining a framework in the process of selection. 2. Describe how you might go about determining scores forRead MoreThe Revolutionary Transformation Of The Healthcare Delivery System826 Words   |  4 Pagesorganization’s ability to meet quality outcomes and cost-cutting measures. The emphasis on value-based healthcare makes it essential for appropriate staffing levels to optimize quality of care and patient outcomes (ANA, 2015). Implementing a safe staffing matrix, when compared to other life-saving interventions is extremely cost effective. Healthcare organization administrators are challenging nurses to take care of 10-12 patients at one time. Evidence demonstrates the number of patients assigned to a nurseRead MoreRecruiting And Staffing Top Quality Employees842 Words   |  4 PagesRecruiting and staffing top quality employees can increase organizational effectiveness, productivity, and customer satisfaction. As a result, organizations that want to achieve its recruiting and staffing goals should incorporate practices that are legal, ethical, and encourages diversity. Abiding employment laws, developing a code of ethics, and encouraging different perspectives can also play a major role in employees’ contentedness with their employer. Therefore, it is important for employersRead MoreInternation Recruitment and Selection1678 Words   |  7 Pagesin international business (Shen). Therefore international organizations need to understand the roll that plays the international human resource management (IHRM) department, and the importance of adopting an effective recruiting, selecting, and training strategies that will enable the company to select the right talent for the right places. IHRM plays a very important and challenging roll in the international setting of organizations because â€Å"they must develop practices which will maintain congruenceRead MoreStatistical Data For Forecasting Future Staffing1513 Words   |  7 Pagespredict future staffing requirements. All the more, trend analysis uses historical data for forecasting future staffing needs. Likewise, trend analysis creates a relationship between past and future staffing needs. Trend analysis is appliedwhen organizations have data mostly on historical staffing levels with less detailed information on specific predictions. The breaking down of data into specific time periods of demand are also often used in healthcare and retail settings where staffing levels varyRead MoreHrm Activities774 Words   |  4 Pages(HRM) ACTIVITIES HR management is composed of several groups of interlinked activities taking place within the context of the organization . All managers with HR responsibilities must consider external environmental forces like : 1-legal 2-political 3-economic 4-social 5-cultural Read MoreAnalysis Of Functions Of Effective Management Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Normally, management is generally known as that social process which entails the fulfillment of the given set objectives of a particular organization through effective and economical regulation and operation of the organization. The system is a dynamic process since it consists of handling of different activities and elements each time. However, these elements and activities are not like the operative functions which merely involve finance, purchasing, marketing and many more of similarRead MoreImproving Safe Staffing For Nurses1321 Words   |  6 PagesThe priority issue is safe staffing for nurses working in hospitals. This issue is a priority because many times nurses are overwhelmed with his or her patient load and cannot provide safe, effective patient care. With such a heavy emphasis on patient outcomes and patient satisfaction, more attention should be dedicated to this issue. Research studies consistently find that whenever there is high patient-nurse ratio it negatively impacts patient safety. A great number of studies have demonstratedRead MoreHuman Resources And Inadequate Staffing1336 Words   |  6 PagesHuman Resources and Inadequate Staffing A continuous concern that continues to present itself within the healthcare environment is adequate staffing on nursing units. Most hospital organizations try their very best to accommodate staffing needs, though many units remain understaffed for an unspecified amount of time. Inadequate staffing can negatively affect patient outcomes, lead to nurse burnout, and decrease patient satisfaction scores. Combating this issue will require a great deal of effort

Caravaggio and His Life - 1093 Words

Depending on when and where you lived, there are many words that could describe Caravaggio. Most people who lived around same the time as Caravaggio would describe him as eccentric, murderous, quarrelsome, daring, defiant, and forgettable. As present-day people, we only have the artworks of Caravaggio to portray him as beautiful, insightful, religious, descriptive, innovate, traditional, and probably an â€Å"Italian Badass†. However, we must look at his paintings, his masterpieces, in order to truly understand who Caravaggio really was. Notorious for his reckless private life and his provocative nature as a painter, Caravaggio wanted to make a statement in the arts. His paintings today are still alive with the high drama of his days and the†¦show more content†¦Although this is a daring feature in his art, the way he depicts God and religion can give us insight on his beliefs. Caravaggio was born and raised as a devout Christian, why then, does he not add intricate mysticism to his paintings? The only religious miracles I’ve seen from his work is in The Inspiration of St. Matthew (picture on cover) where there is an angel which looks strikingly close to a human swooping down in the picture and talking to a frightened St. Matthew who has a paper-thin halo around his head. Other than that painting, Caravaggio does not use spirituality in his paintings. In my opinion, he favored the Christian Humanist belief because he focused more on Christ’s presence on earth. Christian Humanism is â€Å"the belief that human freedom and individualism are intrinsic (natural) parts of, or are at least compatible with, Christian doctrine and practice.†( http://christianhumanism.bravehost.com/ ) This definition sounds like Caravaggio wrote it himself. Just like humanists, Caravaggio was a free spirit and believed in the power of self-rule. This sense of i ndividualism most likely inspired most of Caravaggio’s paintings. Caravaggio was his own person, whether it was the traditional painting of a fruit basket or the grotesque portrait of a beheaded Goliath, he painted what he wanted to. He didn’tShow MoreRelatedMichelangelo Merisi (Caravaggio) Essay1707 Words   |  7 Pagescalled Caravaggio, had the most interesting and turbulent life. Caravaggio, was born in Milan in during the late summer or early autumn of 1571. His parents, Fermo Merisi, and Lucia Aratori, had been married on January 14 of that same year. He was the first of their four children. For several generations the Mersi family had lived in the small town of Caravaggio. Caravaggio probably adapted the town name as his own when he left for Rome(Friedlaender 34 – 38). His father workedRead MoreMartha and Mary Magdalene by Caravaggio884 Words   |  4 Pagesvery different meaning today. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio better known as simply Caravaggio was an Italian Baroque master painter born in Italy around 1571. After he apprenticed with a painter in Milan, he moved to Rome, where he lived for most of his life. His work influenced painters around Europe. He’s most known for his gruesome subjects and use of Tenebrism, which was a technique that used heavy shadow to emphasize light areas. His life was filled with great controversy. He was known forRead MoreThe Counter Reformation : A Response From The Catholic Church1288 Words   |  6 Pagessupport; through art so to impress followers and bring in supporters from groups whom didn’t know how to read. Caravaggio was one of many artists in this time that painted and/or sculpted for the church, so let’s explore the effect the Counter Reformation had on his art work (Counter Reformation). The first thing I’d like to look at in Caravaggio’s paintings is his choices of color and lighting. In his works he always used a lot of red for example in Salome with the Head of John the Baptist and in The RaisingRead MoreAnalysis Of Lucca Madonna1176 Words   |  5 PagesJesus. Jan Van Eycks use of space reveals how disproportionate the throne is to the room in which it is located. Disproportion is also seen in how Jesus is drawn, his body and head are not proportionate. The position of the rug, throne and the emphasis of natural lighting guides the eye towards Mary and Jesus. Lucca Madonna is a still life painting, that is a great example of Van Eycks use of iconography. Mary sitting on a throne most likely depicts the strength of the church considering, she wasRead More Caravaggio, Death of St. Matthew Essay1515 Words   |  7 PagesCaravaggio, Death of St. Matthew Michelangelo de Caravaggio is one of the most renowned and popular artists of the Baroque Period. In fact, many paintings from this period, as well as after have been described as â€Å"Caravagesque.† Caravaggio’s works are some of the most popular in Italy, as well as around the world, and have been put into there own stylistic group. In his painting, the Martyrdom of St. Matthew, there contains certain characteristics that make the painting easily recognizableRead MoreArt Appreciation Unit 4 Ip Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pagespostmodern era. 1). Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio; 2) Rembrandt van Rijn; and 3) Peter Paul Rubens, these three artists were known for their religious theme in their art work. The naturalism that was visibly demonstrated in each of the artist work with high contrast of lighting that noticeably appeared in these paintings. Each artist was well known and respected for their work. The three artists Works of Art that I have chosen are: Michelangelo Caravaggio: The Calling of St. Matthew c. 1599-1602Read MoreBaroque Art : The Baroque Period1648 Words   |  7 Pagesin the 17th century knew that the Baroque style of art could be used to endorse the church and give an impression of power and authority. Initial Baroque artists comprised of Caravaggio, a painter who influenced the Baroque style with his use of chiaroscuro and intense realism, and Annibale Carracci, who was well known for his frescoes. The Renaissance had seen an outbreak in art, music, culture and architecture. Italy had not been predisposed much by the protestant reformation and the church was stillRead More Caravaggio Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesCaravaggio Michelangelo Mersi was born at Caravaggio in Lombardy on September 28, 1573. His childhood was lived in a quite atmosphere in the small town located between Brescia and Milan. Caravaggio became orphaned at a very young age, and coincidentally was sent to Milan to study painting. This is where his career started. During the Eighteen years between his arrival in Rome and his death, Caravaggio enjoyed the pleasures of being a young artist. He enjoyed the triumph of a success, theRead MoreGenre Analysis: The Baroque and Rococo Periods Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesThe following is a comparative analysis of Caravaggio’s The Musicians from the Italian Baroque period, and Watteau’s Mezzetin from the Rococo Period. Although both paintings depict a scene or event from everyday life, or a genre scene, the latter was painted more recently during the modern era and it differs immensely. The major differences become evident in the style of the painters as well as their person al representations of the subject matter. The works illustrate the evolvement of a certainRead MoreA Personal Statement about the Things I Have Learned in This Course1366 Words   |  6 PagesThe issues, ideas, concepts, and facts I learned in this course have stimulated my imagination and ability to think critically. I have been intrigued most by learning about art through history, from Caravaggio to Munch. The topic that confused and bothered me the most was related to the American Civil War, which illuminates the dark side of the countrys history. Because of my future ambitions, I believe that our understanding of why Hollywood became the center of the movie industry over other cities

Corporate Governance Benchmarking Free Essays

string(41) " is a company from which MFSI can learn\." Running head: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BENCHMARKING Corporate Governance Benchmarking University of Phoenix Corporate Governance MMPBL 570 November 30, 2009 Corporate Governance Benchmarking McBride Financial Services Inc. is a low cost mortgage provider located in Boise, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, as well as North and South Dakota. Recently, Beltway Investments became the majority investor in McBride Financial Services, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Governance Benchmarking or any similar topic only for you Order Now As a result, McBride’s CEO needs the board of directors’ collaboration while setting up internal governance controls and ensuring proper auditing. To secure that corporate governance benefits the company and investors, McBride’s CEO needs to consider benchmarking. Thus, the authors of this paper examine the benchmarking of Adelphia Communications, Tyco, Calpine Corporation, and Tyson Foods to help develop best practices for McBride Financial Services, Inc. Accordingly, Chew and Gillan (2005) state, â€Å"The role of top management is no longer just control and coordination; it is anticipating, leading, and managing change and articulating the rationale for such change to employees† (p. ). Hence, the lack of corporate governance could not be demonstrated better than the rise and fall of Adelphia Communications. Adelphia Communications was at one time the fifth largest cable provider in the United States. The company was controlled by John Rigas, the founder of Adelphia, and his family; they controlled 60 percent of the total voting shares. The family considered Adelphia funds their own personal funds and spent them lavishly on everything from airplanes to professional sports teams. When all was finally revealed, the Rigas family received $3. 4 billion in loans from Adelphia. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy and was split up in a buyout by Time Warner Cable and Comcast (Comcast, 2006). McBride Financial Services, Inc. (MFSI) is a small company controlled by McBride, the CEO. He is looking to move to the next level, like Adelphia. MFSI has recently formed a partnership with Beltway Investments to allow growth into a regional financial services provider and form a board of directors. It is not a partnership. It is a corporation and owned by Hugh and Beltway. They are not partners which is a different legal form of business. The company needs to embrace the board of directors as an independent oversight committee and not as rubber stamp committee, yet this is the initial direction the CEO wants the board to take (University of Phoenix, 2009). Adelphia Communications failed because the board was part of the corruption and independent from the daily operations of the company. The CEO needs to also allow an external accounting firm to conduct regular audits, regardless of the results, of the company to ensure the corruption of Adelphia is not duplicated because â€Å"The way boards are structured, meeting every other month, they have to rely on outside advisers† (Patsuris, 2002). Another situation to consider is the decline of the stock prices for Tyco, turning out to be quite detrimental because of the same actions of Kozlowski, the former CEO; he failed to lead the company affectively. Kozlowski was found guilty of using company funds for his personal expenses (Cummins, 2006). Even though he was found guilty, the company’s image is still flawed and questioned, the same as the value of company stock prices. Nevertheless, Eric Pillmore is in the process of reclaiming the company’s image by reconstructing and communicating a well built ethical atmosphere. Pillmore may be strict and enforce control to help the company; perhaps if the control had been maintained through corporate governance in the past, and if employees had been at ease in bringing issues to the fore front, Kozlowski would not have been able to send the company into the tailspin it has experienced (Cummins, 2006). MFSI can learn valuable lessons from Tyco; in conjunction with legal action and a marred company because of inadequate corporate governance, Tyco has made strides in changing its business environment. Tyco has managed to make improvements, from restructuring the company ethics statement, to meeting each employee personally, supplying them with a company ethics statement, and publishing a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, and compiling the findings and disciplinary actions (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Pillmore may be strict and controlling but he has turned Tyco around by improving employee behavior, creating a trustful environment and communicating with Tyco employees. MFSI’s CEO needs to consider such changes as Tyco has implemented, to be in compliance with federal guidelines, build trusting relationships with his employees and change the tone of MFSI’s corporate culture by adhering to a new corporate governance plan. Basically, in critiquing and analyzing the roles of the key leaders of corporate governance to assess the function of ethics in compliance, key concepts and the best practices of Calpine Corporation have also been considered to help MFSI. According to Chew and Gillan (2005), â€Å"During the past decade many CEOs of large companies have become highly visible public figures,† and while MFSI is still evolving, pressure to act appropriately exists (p. 1). This visibility increases accountability for leaders’ corporate governance. In the case of MFSI, the CEO is faced with critical decision making. MFSI’s CEO’s corporate governance has the potential of creating undesirable outcomes. However, to help MFSI, the best practices of Calpine demonstrate how decision making can be executed through the code of conduct guidelines. Calpine is a successful company that despite its business strategies, it was challenged with uncontrollable environmental forces. In 1998, Calpine experienced the effects of deregulation; yet leadership followed the company’s good corporate governance to address the issue. Hence, in comparing MFSI with Calpine, it is noted that Calpine’s leadership is committed to act with integrity and transparency while MFSI’s CEO is behaving unethically by disregarding the board of directors’ and shareholders’ input. Chew and Gillan (2005) declare, â€Å"The performance of companies, good or bad, is often attributed—not only by the press, but by the directors and shareholders of the companies—to the CEO’s personal business savvy and leadership† (p. 2). Therefore, in providing MFSI with good corporate governance best practices, Tyson Foods is also considered. Tyson is a company from which MFSI can learn. You read "Corporate Governance Benchmarking" in category "Papers" MFSI’s CEO wants to control the board of directors. He tells them not to worry about doing any work or meeting more than a few times a year; â€Å"I will handle the real work,† exclaims the CEO (University of Phoenix, 2009). Tyson entered into a settlement agreement that not only cost them a considerable amount of money but also required them to practice proper corporate governance. By trying to control the board of directors, and by not offering incentive compensation and stock options, MFSI’s CEO may soon find that investors do not appreciate his self serving financial gain at the cost of their right to a good return n investment. MFSI’s CEO must take seriously, as Tyson now takes seriously, the need to allow the board of directors to be active in the business of the company and to carry out their duty to protect shareholders’ interests (Friedlander, 2008). Also, MFSI’s CEO must set up proper audit procedures, using an impartial outside aud itor while setting up internal controls. MFSI’s CEO needs to understand that corporate governance procedures are not only for his benefit but also for every investor’s welfare. The CEO needs to include others in the decision making, helping to enhance every stakeholder’s benefits. By creating transparency in their procedures and corporate governance, MFSI can help encourage the board of directors to work collaboratively to provide a good return to investors while creating long term gains that will keep the company running strong. If MFSI’s CEO continues to try to circumvent the company’s processes and make the board of directors a powerless figurehead, his investors might soon become disgruntled and take their investments elsewhere. Conclusion Maintaining state and federal guidelines and staying within the company’s code of conduct can be challenging. Thus, top leaders need to delineate the roles of each person in charge of decision making and correct any incompatible behaviors contrary to good corporate governance. In the case of McBride Financial Services, Inc. , for instance, corporate governance was identified as incongruent with the overall ethical code of conduct and responsibility of top leadership. While the best practices of the companies mentioned in this paper offer fundamental principles to executing decision making in managing the interests of stakeholders, it is also critical to adhere to all Federal ethical guidelines to help mitigate any potential undesired outcomes. Synopsis of Adelphia Communication by Michael Gillespie Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Adelphia Communications was a publicly held company owned mostly by the founder John Rigas and his family. Adelphia had a board of directors the consisted of nine people, five of them appointed by the Rigas. Over a five year period of time the Rigas family â€Å"loaned† $3. 1 billion dollars from Adelphia. This was $800 million more than what was initially reported during an SEC investigation (Patsuris, 2002). These â€Å"loans† financed everything rom real estate ventures, airplanes, country club memberships, and operating the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. The Board of Directors fired the auditor of the company, Deloitte Touche, when they began to question some inconsistencies found during an audit (Farrell, 2002). Ironically, Adelphia sued Deloitte Touche for incompetence. If Adelphia’s board of directors had been independent, the board would have had to rel y on reports from management, external auditors and consultants, in order to determine the company’s status. Unfortunately, Adelphia’s board was so packed with insiders it was hardly in this position. Company response to the issue Soon after the termination of Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers was selected as the new auditor for Adelphia. The first step for PWC was to re-audit previous year’s financial statements. Two weeks after the hiring of PWC, Adelphia filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and was able to secure $1. 5 billion in debt to continue operating. The company hired a new board of directors. To fill these positions the firm went outside the Adelphia umbrella and searched for ethical industry veterans to become board members. John Rigas was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his sons were sentenced to 17 years. Outcomes from the company’s response Adelphia Communications was never able to recover from the lack of corporate governance and the corrupt management of the company. In 2006, Time Warner Cable and Comcast Cable purchased Adelphia for $12. 7 billion in cash and stock options (Comcast, 2006). This deal took over 40 months to complete due to fraud and security investigations and the fact that Adelphia was operating under bankruptcy protection. Synopsis of Tyco by Colleen Holdahl Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Tyco faced major legal issues in 2002 and was responsible to pay a â€Å"$50 million fine to settle claims that it inflated profits from 1996 through 2002† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Dennis Kozlowski, the company’s CEO, was found guilty of embezzling funds to such extravagance as reporting he purchased â€Å"a $6,000 shower curtain† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2) and hosting a â€Å"$2 million birthday party for his wife† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2). With all the turbulence Tyco has gone through, the present leadership is making progress to clean-up the company’s reputation. Eric Pillmore, the current senior vice president of corporate governance, has been the leader of the clean-up. Outcomes from the company’s response Pillmore started ‘cleaning-up’ Tyco by implementing a new corporate governance plan; starting with the replacement of the previous board of directors, developing, and forming a new ethics code. The newly implemented governance plan â€Å"first principle calls for strong leaders who see themselves as stewards of the company and mentors for its future leaders† (Cummins, 2006, para. 9). Pillmore is of the conclusion that some of the former leaders have more concern with their own self significance; seeing themselves as ‘wheeler dealers,’ instead of being responsible and looking out for the best interests of the company. Pillmore also believes one of the most critical functions of his job as chief financial officer is to monitor the finances and act as a mentor to everyone in the company (Cummins, 2006). Among Pillmore’s other philosophies is ‘a web of accountability’ and ‘a robust process to understand why people behave the way they do’. He believes every employee has something to contribute to maintain an ethical business environment and leaders should not be intimidating. Employees should be free to approach their company leaders on ethics and company values issues. Outcomes from the company’s response Eric Pillmore takes the time to meet each employee, supplying them with the company’s ethics statement, and to discuss concerns or issues they may encounter. Tyco â€Å"publishes a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, then the company’s findings and any disciplinary action- leaving out all employees’ names† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). After the turbulence and with the help of Pillmore, Tyco has turned around and once again has a positive company image and the stock has recovered most of its value. Tyco received a rating by the Governance Metrics International as â€Å"one of the most improved companies globally; on a scale of one to te n, Tyco rose from a 1. 5 at the end of 2002 to 8. 5† (Cummins, 2006, para. 13). Synopsis of Calpine Corporation by Marisela Jimenez Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Calpine Corporation is a successful independent power company that has strived to improve its business operations to help it advance its mission, values, and vision. While Calpine has managed to sustain its record high profits, the company, nevertheless, has faced changes in the business environment, particularly in deregulation. In 1998, a national movement, led by state legislation across the country, passed a U. S. Congress bill to accelerate and spread nationwide electric deregulation (FindingUniverse, 2009). This issue affected Calpine’s overall business functioning. Company response to the issue However, Calpine responded to the issue by focusing on the opportunities presented by deregulation. In other words, â€Å"The company’s foundation as a service provider to power plant operators and its subsequent development into a power plant operator itself engendered a vertically integrated enterprise primed for the new competitive era† (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine synergized its operations and focused on developing systems to maximize resources by improving conceptual designs, financing, construction, operation, fuel management, and power marketing. Through the synergistic approach to the business of producing electricity, Calpine managed to remain competitive in the market by strategically preserving profits without cutting the highly aggressive rates. The changes in deregulation helped Calpine’s leadership take immediate action by addressing the uncontrollable forces affecting the company. Leadership realized the potential for deregulation and its implications in the company; therefore, when Congress passed the deregulation bill, Calpine’s leadership was competently prepared. Outcomes from the company’s response Calpine’s outcome of the company’s response to the issue helped expedite the acquisition of 46 gas-fired turbines produced by Siemens Westinghouse. This acquisition radically enhanced Calpine’s market presence; leadership identified the opportunity of expansion as a result of deregulation. Basically, â€Å"The combination of Calpine management’s intuitive powers in foreseeing a growing demand for capacity and its willingness to gamble heavily paid handsome dividends,† enabling Calpine to grow into a successful company (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine’s leadership, however, ensures that their commitment to good corporate governance adheres to the highest ethical standards; thus, leadership behaves with integrity and transparency while maintaining strong levels of communication with stakeholders, including the board of directors, employees, and the community. Calpine’s leadership decision making is guided by the company’s code of conduct, helping to discourage any illegal and unethical behavior (Calpine, 2009). Synopsis of Tyson Foods by Carole Kindt Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Over the years Tyson Foods has handled controversial issues concerning their business practices. They have been questioned over their ties to former President Clinton, unsanitary and dangerous conditions in their plants, plants staffed by low-paid workers, and even questionable campaign contributions (Unknown 1, 2009). In 2008, Tyson entered into a settlement with its investors over questionable practices in a case that named Don Tyson, members of his family, and the Board of Directors. The case alleged misconduct in connection with related party transactions and granting stock options to officers and directors of Tyson (Chase, 2008). The settlement agreement approved by the judge in the case ordered Tyson to pay $4. 5 million to their largest shareholders and forced improvements to Tyson’s corporate governance policies (Chase, 2008). As part of the settlement agreement, Tyson agreed not to engage in any new related party transactions without the approval of the Board and also to hire a consultant to evaluate its internal audit and control processes (Chase, 2008). Company response to the issue Tyson’s Board of Directors immediately began fulfilling the terms of the settlement agreement and they have worked to create a strong corporate governance structure. In 2008, the Board appointed a lead independent director and a new chairman of its compensation committee as well as establishing a nominating committee (Unknown 2, 2008). By focusing on their internal controls and corporate governance, Tyson’s board of directors has returned to their fundamental task, to work in good faith to assure they are upholding their fiduciary duties to the stockholders. Outcomes from the company’s response Tyson’s board of directors received a wake-up call that shook them out of their lassitude and encouraged them to make changes that enhance the long term goals of Tyson Foods as well as the return for their investors (Friedlander, 2008). In this way, Tyson will rebuild its reputation and trust with investors as well as fulfill the company’s long-term goals. By creating committees made up of independent, non-biased members, Tyson will create the transparency necessary to rebuild investor trust and build their company for the future. Good choice of companies and relating some of the take-a-ways to McB. Paper easy to read and follow but you could have worked the lesson into McB in more detail. Grade 96 References Calpine. (2009). Corporate Governance. [Online]. Available: http://www. calpine. com/ About/oc_corpgov. asp (2009, November 25). (Chase R 2008 Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. )Chase, R. (2008). Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. CNA Insurance Journal. Retrieved from http://www. insurancejournal. com /news/national /2008. thm? print=1 database. Chew, D. H. , Gillan, S. L. (2005). Corporate Governance at the Crossroads: A book of readings. 1 ed. ). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Comcast Press Release. (2006). Comcast and Time Warner Complete Adelphia Acquisitions. July 31, 2006. Retrieved on November 26, 2009 from http://www. comcast. com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail. ashx? PRID=55. ComcaCCummins, H. J. (2006). Tyco exec makes the rounds spreading the word on corporate ethics. Star Tribune, p. 1D . Retrieved November 23, 2009, from ProQuest database. Farrell, M. (2002). Deloitte Blasts Adelphia on Audit. Multi Channel News. July 8, 2002. Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. om/company-activities-management/company-structures-ownership/6355799-1. html. (Friedlander J 2008 Overturn Time-Warner Three Different Ways)Friedlander, J. (2008). Overturn Time-Warner Three Different Ways. Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, 33(3), 631-649. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Business Source Complete database Web Site: http://support. ebsco. com. FundingUniverse. (2009). Calpine Corporation. [Online]. Available: http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Calpine-Corporation-Company- History. html (2009, November 25). Patsuris, Patricia (2009). Adelphia Hypocrisy. Forbes. om. Retrieved on November 25, 2009, from http://www. forbes. com/2002/06/10/0610adelphia. html. (Unknown 2 2008)Unknown 2. (2008). Retrieved November 23, 2009, from http://www. tyson. com//C orporate/PressRoom/ViewArticle. aspx? id-2879 Web Site: http://www. tyson. com. (Unknown 2009 Tyson Foods, Inc. )Unknown 1. (2009). Tyson Foods, Inc. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories. /Tyson-Foods-Inc-Company-History Web Site: http://www. fundi nguniverse. com. University of Phoenix (2009). McBride Financial Scenario. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from rEsource student website. How to cite Corporate Governance Benchmarking, Papers

Usability Report on the Battery

Questions: Create a usability report on the battery using the three sections outlined below. 1. Write an Executive Summary. 2. Write a requirements analysis and/or a task analysis. 3. Conduct a usability analysis on the device. Answers: Executive summary Cogstate Brief Battery is a playing card based battery and it is administered by IT technologies. Diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimers disease, dementia, depression, etc., which are neurodegenerative are screened by this battery. The ability of individuals in cognitive tasks are measured by this battery which are impaired with the diseases (Cogstate, 2015., Maruff et al., 2013). There are four tests which the battery is composed of. The tests have been designed so as to measure different domain of diseases. The four tests are as follows: Detection Test: Processing speed is measured by this test through the use of reaction time paradigm. Identification Test: Attention is measured by this test through the use of a choice reaction time paradigm One Card Learning Test: Visual Learning is measured by this test through the use of a pattern separation paradigm and One-back Test: Working memory is measured by this test through the use of an end back paradigm (Cogstate, 2015). Exploration of The One Card Learning Task and The Detection Task will be done for the purpose of this analysis. The clinical trials of Cogstate provide the scientific services and products for optimization of the design and execution of the clinical trials aimed at establishing the cognitive effects of the investigation or the marked products. The designs have the computer tests which are specific to patients populations, in this case, they are reliable for use, brief and concise, valid, sensitive to the changes across the languages and cultural aspects. The cogstate gives the provisions for management for scale, monitoring services, and the paper and pencil neuropsychological testing, and questionarres for the patient reports the outcome. Requirement analysis The batteries engage the study subjects which are the cogstate tests are known to be brief in the industry. For the appropriate site staff it involved with scheduling in the patient and also do the requirement study analysis, and at the end of the survey appreciate the ease use of the cogstate system. The products delivered in the approach of various platforms which are the laptops, web based and also on the tablets. In this case, they do not require to checked by an expert in neuropsychologist, but they can conduct from remote access. The training process for the system is easy. The system has to meet all the relevant regulatory and security requirements, also, the clinical data integrity. The system is procedure guidelines are in line with the ISO 9001:2008. The computerized tests in the cogstate clinical trials have provision rapid, sensitive, and valid measure of the different cognitive functions. The tests use novel and verbal stimuli to enhance the assessment. All the tasks are designed for repetitive practices in the little training and learning factors making them a high factor for the clinical trials. The batteries comprise of some individual tasks each designed to a particular area of cognition. Each single task battery is customizable. The services includes are scientific consultations, scales management; it also includes the selection, training, certification, recalibrations and the quality control measures. The teams in the clinical developments always the cost efficient and scale and high quality cognitive data. The management and training services are provided by the cogstate. High quality cognitive data is of the essence, and will result in the generation and collection of valid questionnaires. The baseline and change in the range of cognitive domains are measured by various cognitive tasks which are computerized. Memory, attention, language cognition, executive function and emotional cognition can be assessed by specific tasks. Not only that the effect of drugs, nutraceuticals, devices are also determined by the batteries. The batteries re also used in screening programs and large scale sports medicine programs. International peer reviewed journals have also validated the cogstate testing method. A wide range of cognitive domains such as attention cognition, social-emotional cognition, simple reaction tome are targeted by these batteries. The tests are designed to decrease the noise from cognitive records taken from the trials in research and increase the signal . and The ability has been proven to detect both the reduction in the in cognition and improvement. Usability analysis on the device There has been extensive use of Cogstate batteries for assessing a number of diseases. Four cognitive domains are assessed by the Cogstate batteries. These are Working memory Visual learning Attention Processing speed Any of the four tests which have been mentioned in the starting of the paper may be used by researchers for measuring the domains. The researchers may choose test according to their suitability and convenience. The use of the cogstate batteries have been very reliable as it has been tested by a large number of researchers. A huge range of language and cultural groups have used these tests and given positive feedbacks with respect to reliability of the batteries. Using and navigation of minimal interface is easy. The difference between a failed and a successful experiment can be made by the services provided by the Cogstate. It will be helpful for the clinical teams. Assessment of cognitive functions in both younger and older adults and in clinical gropus suffering from pysochologiocal illness and dementian are done by the costate batteries. The battery has always been described in detail in the scientific literature and used broadly to guide clinical decision making in early phase settings. Due of its brevity and lack of generation of any practice effects upon repeated administration, it can be given many times in a single day and then on many days in the same experiment. The psychometric characteristics of the Cogstate Early Phase battery and its demonstrated sensitivity to change associated with drug effects are the subject of numerous for peer-review scientific journal publications. In the early phase Clinical Research Units want to imlement a proven, sensitive and rapid test battery to measure the cognitive effect of the new drugs of their Pharmaceutical Sponsor clients, the Cogstate scientific consultancy , software, training and data monitoring systems enable fast yet precise cognitive data collection. The other test batteries, the Cogstate Early Phase battery is easy to use, engaging and brief for subjects. For site staff, the system is quick to set-up, requires minimal training, is very easy to use and requires minimal data reconciliation work. Assessment of the device Benefits are accrued to battery users of targeted clinical population. The users do not need to learn the use of battery and they are also not distracted by the new information while progressing through the test. Thus there is not more interference from the programming which are assessed by the battery. However, there are certain flaws associated with the use of the battery. The Cogstate Research comprises a customizable range of computerized cognitive tasks able to conduct baseline and change in a wide variety of cognitive domains. The baseline and change in the range of cognitive domains are measured by various cognitive tasks which are computerized. Memory, attention, language cognition, executive function and emotional cognition can be assessed by specific tasks. Not only that the effect of drugs, nutraceuticals, devices are also determined by the batteries. It would not be feasible to use the batteries in screening and large-scale sports medicine programs. Audition of the quality and data systems are done by global pharmaceutical companies and by independent consultants. There are flaws associated with the use of battery. The feedbacks of error should be shown in red because red is accepted as an error colour. There is problem in understanding the error tone which accompanies the display as it cannot be heard properly. There are also certain guess abilities associated with the test and both my volunteer and I did not require the reading of detailed instructions while applying the test. There were concise instructions written and the instruction page also contained a start button. Signifiers and conventional constraints were used by the start button. The button was dark and it lit up once an user proceeds. Mapping was also used to establish a similarity between the onscreen keys and the keyboard keys. Thus I completed using the battery without going through much of the instructions. I could easily identify what needed to be done. The feedback for correct responses was being shown in green which was quite pleasing. However the error feedbacks were accompanied by low tone and blue cross and I did not find pleasing at all in the beginning. It created a kind of confusion. I tried to click on the no and yes button as it seemed to me that those buttons were clickable which were actually not. The mapping of the two keys on screen which were analogous to the keyboard was however appreciable. The tasks were quite lengthy and at some points I was getting really confused whether I was still in the practice test or in the real test. The tests being lengthy I was getting a bit bored as well. These were the minor problems associated with the performance of the tasks. Overall the tests have been designed quite well and it was a pleasant experience for me. References Alzheimers disease. BMC Pharmacology Toxicology, 1. doi: 10.1186/2050-7283-1-30 Barbas, N., Darby, D., Giordani, B., Hammers, D., Heidebrink, J., Persad, C., Ryan, K., Spurgeon, E.(2012). Validity of a brief computerized cognitive screening test in dementia. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 25, 89 99. Doi:10.1177/0891988712447894 Cogstate Ltd. (2015, October 10). Cogstate brief battery. Retrieved from: community-dwelling older adults. J Alzheimers.Dis 2011;27(3):627-37. Lim YY, Ellis KA, Harrington K, Ames D, Martins RN, Masters CL, et al. Use of the CogState Brief Battery in the assessment of Alzheimer's disease related cognitive impairment in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study. J Clin Exp.Neuropsychol. 2012;34(4):345-58. Lim, Y. Y., Jaeger, J., Harrington, K., Ashwood, T., Ellis, K. a, Stffler, A., Maruff, P. (2013). Three- Month Stability of the CogState Brief Battery in Healthy Older Adults. Louey, A. G., Cromer, J. A., Schembri, A. J., Darby, D. G., Maruff, P., Makdissi, M., Mccrory, P. (2014). Detecting cognitive impairment after concussion: sensitivity of change from baseline and normative data methods using the CogSport/Axon cognitive test battery. Archives of Clinical Maruff P, Thomas E, Cysique L, Brew B, Collie A, Snyder P, et al. Validity of the CogState brief battery: relationship to standardized tests and sensitivity to cognitive impairment in mild traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, and AIDS dementia complex. Arch.Clin Neuropsychol. 2009;24(2):165-78. Maruff, P., Lim, Y. Y., Darby, D., Ellis, K. A., Pietrzak, R. H., Snyder P. J., Bush, A. I., Szoeke, C., Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimers Disease: Results from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle-Rate of Change Substudy (AIBL-ROCS). Archives of clinical neuropsych.

Cognitive Science, In The Study Of How Organisms Process Information A

Cognitive science, in the study of how organisms process information as well carry out life functions. The study of Cognitive science is said to have been originated in the 1940's and 1950's when researchers in various fields of science began to develop theories on the mind based on complex representations and computational procedures (Thagard, Cognitive Science). There are numerous branches of science whose theories contributed to the development of Coginitive Science. These subdivisions include cybernetics, theoretical computer science, linguistics, experimental pyschology, and neuroscience. Cybernetics, a term used by Norbert Wiener is the study of control and communication in animals as well as machines (Lu, Definition of Cognitive Science). Some key events that took place in the 1940's and 50's within the branch of cybernetics that contributed to the advancement of Cognitive Science were two article's, Behavior, Purpose and Teleology by Arturo Rosenblueth, Norbert Wiener, and Julian Bigelow and A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts both published in 1943. These articles discussed regulatory processes. These articles stimulated conferences about Circular Causal and Feedback Mechanisms in Biological and Social Systems and took place between the years of 1944 and 1953. To many, one of the most important events in the development of Cognitive science took place in 1948. This was the year that Norbert Wiener published his book Cybernetics (Jogasurya, Origin of Cybernetics). Alan Turning was an english mathematician heavily involved in the development of theoretical Computer Science. In 1936, Turing invented what is known as the Turing machine. A Turing machine is hypothetical device that represents how computation is done. All computational processes can be abstractly described using a Turing machine. Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Before the 1950's, linguistics was broken down into two main catagories, historical linguistics and structural liguistics. Noam Chomsky, an American linguist played an important role in the development of linguistics. Chomsky founded transformational-generative grammer. Transformation-generative grammer is a highly influential system of linguistic analysis. Because of Chomsky and his contributions, the behaviorsits accounts of language were challenged, human computations became the focus for liguistics, and focus was directed away from how grammer's are learned to how grammers are a mental 'organ' (Andrews, The Birth of Cognitive Science)

My odessius is a hero essays

My odessius is a hero essays Odysseus is a man that embodies the general aspect of an epic hero but does not seem to have the morals of a hero. He fights in an unfair manner, lies to his crew, and he kills for no apparent reason. (Repetition) Odysseus is Superman to the Greeks. (Metaphor) Try to imagine Superman fighting one of his numerous archenemies. Superman fights fair like the bigger man (simile), no matter what. After defeating the monster Superman does not kill it, but takes it to some place that it can live without it hurting others and then he does not lie about what he does. To begin, a hero fights on the side of fairness and would never lay traps to ambush an injured enemy. That would be like Superman breaking someones legs and then challenging them to a fistfight. This is in reference to Odysseus blinding the Cyclops and then taunting them as the beast lays reeling in pain. Then on the way out, Odysseus taunts the blinded enemy again, basically challenging him. This shows Odysseus lack of ability to fight fair. This is not a quality of a hero, epic or otherwise. Second, Odysseus lies to his crew by not telling them of the impending danger. Instead of telling his men he lies and lets the monsters take his crew by surprise. Think of your self in that situation. Row, Row. By the way, duck, there is a huge monster behind you that I forgot to tell you guys about. Would a hero lie and not tell his men about danger? Of course not, all classic heroes always give their people a choice when facing death. Odysseus appears to be acting like a coward and deceiving his crew into following him. Finally, a true hero only kills his enemy as a last resort. Odysseus, after twenty years at sea, comes home to find his wife holding a contest with suitors for her hand. After winning the contest he stands on a table yelling that he will kill them all. We would never think of Superman, someone thought to be hero, yelling that he would kil...

Marketing concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing concept - Essay Example This means they should be given the room to understand what the product/service shall bring for them more than anything else. The marketing concept aims to pinpoint the needs of the target consumers and addresses the same whilst meeting their very needs through the purchase of the product/service and its ultimate usage. If there is no selling of the product, there would be no association of the need with the target audience and hence marketing might not be needed at all. Thus marketing concept looks to solve the problems in which the consumers are tied up and even when there is no problem at all – just to satisfy one’s desires – they are asked to purchase a product/service so as to have a better standing within a particular social circle or society. In other words, this encompasses the basis of self-esteem needs if not anything else (Varey 2001). Successful examples of marketing include the campaigns that have been launched by Coca Cola all over the globe. The pr oduct exists within the minds of the target audiences but even then the company has to market it on a consistent basis (Marco, 2001). This is for the fact that Coca Cola exists and it wants to make a mark on the consumers’ minds at every possible instance.

Pupil Voice in the learning institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Pupil Voice in the learning institutions - Essay Example The intention of this study is the pupil voice as the consultative wing of pupil participation. When we talk of consultation, it means talking with pupils about things that matter in school. These may involve: discussions about teaching and learning, seeking of advice from pupils about new initiatives; calling for comments on ways of solving problems that affect the teacher’s right to teach, as well as, the pupil’s right to learn. It also entails calling for invitation on evaluation comments on current developments in the schools or classroom policy and practice. Hopkins as in Education Resources Information Center states that the Pupil Voice and the active engagement of pupils in shaping their own educational experience are key items to the success of the joyous achievement that every child aspires. There exists an ideal condition for learners to enable pupils to enjoy and achieve their endeavors at school, be it in the classroom, or within the school compound. Therefo re, it is highly crucial that the necessary environment is availed to them to be able to achieve to their best and excel in their quest for knowledge. According to Jackson in nexus magazine, not all learning happens in classrooms, but it is profound that most of it happens inside the learner. The pupil voice being a tool that can effectively influence the learning process has been faced by various issues that have crippled it. It has been remarkably effective in the sense that, not all voice is included in the process. Various reasons have been associated with failure of inclusion in the pupil voice. Few voices are heard in the process of discussing issues pertaining to the school learning activities. One of the key drivers behind eliciting pupil voice has been the rights movement whereby children are seen to be vital contributors to the process of decision making around the provisions of services (Lewis and Porter, 2006).

Business Week Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Week - Article Example These kinds of sessions are particularly important when a company is poised to seek an edge over its counterparts in a rather expanding business. Such sessions supplement the essential steps of decision making, particularly in gathering data and coming up with ideas that can possibly be implemented. Extreme brainstorming sessions entail nearly all the essential steps of decision-making, with particular influence on information gathering and analysis steps. In terms of electronic business, where prices keep plummeting down with unrelenting advancements in technology with each passing day, businesses can only tackle their rivals by fulfilling the needs of customers at lower prices. Business related to electronics is highly versatile, hence it requires creative ideas and in-depth understanding of customers to meet their needs and beat the competition. Best Buy has serious competitors like Newegg and Circuit City; and therefore, such sessions are highly critical to a company’s dec ision making process if it is to mark its name against its competitors. Such sessions would give rise to further creative ideas coming up from employees because people belonging to the same sector and similar expertise would constantly turn up with diversified views of situations, hence these kinds of sessions involve enormous collaboration between employees of similar discipline. In addition to this, having a strong bond with people and sharing of ideas would culminate in supplementary creative thoughts springing up for the business. Irrefutably, businesses such as that of electronics are always at an imminent threat by the competitive world. A slight advancement would leave behind all the old technology; therefore, it requires an acute sense and better understanding of technological changes to survive in electronics retailing business. For this reason, sessions such as these would

Effect of Technology Development on Entertainment

Effect of Technology Development on Entertainment Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Delivering superior content Enhancing user experiences Platform mobility Conclusion References Introduction Over the years, the advancement of the digital technology has created a revolution in TV. Nielsen’s 2012 report stated that the number of homes with high definition TV grew in the US by more than 8 million (Nielsen 2011). This suggested that TV continues to be the dominant platform media for many households. Watching live or time-shifted TV programmes or games connected online via Internet are now using more of this conduit to deliver their contents to the many TV users. The continuous development and advancement in the digital technology continue to make a tremendous impact on television, playing an important part of family lives’ by offering quality entertainment and increasing the way of family bonding. They are achieved through delivering superior content, enhancing the user experiences’ in watching TV and offer excellent platform mobility for both network producers and users. Delivering superior content With the advancement of technologies like streaming video, high-quality video and Internet, it has offered different delivery platforms to deliver TV programs and dramas. However, the real focus remains on the content. In Kelly Scott Madison’s State of media report, it reiterated that â€Å"content is and always will remain, king† (Madison 2013). With quality programming content like ‘Who is HBO’s Girls for?’ (Smith 2012) that shows about different women and their lives, the show has differentiated itself from other media programming content. The show not only caters to mostly female audience demographics where most females are at home watching TV; the audience are able to relate their lives to the series show and this creates the ‘stickiness’ to the television drama series because of its content. This is similar to other shows like â€Å"Sex and the City†. Subscription TV penetration of TV households in Australia is increasing over the years. It is forecasted to increase from 30% in 2008 to 35% in 2017 (Maurer, Emmanuel Parker 2013). Through subscription TV, it provides different content and choices to the viewers like sport, movies, cartoons, variety shows. It also allows, through digital set-top boxes, the viewers can record and view the program as and when he prefers. This is not available in the traditional broadcast TV when the viewers have to watch a show through a fixed schedule. The regulatory environment for free-to-air television in Australia continues to change. In 2012, the Convergence Review highlighted the need for diversity in media and more Australian content (ABC News 2012). With digital and primary channels, it allows broadcasters the flexibility to provide more Australian content. (Cosgrove, Schaffer Horlin 2013) Through digital technologies, viewers can watch ‘live’ broadcast shows like Formula-1 racing, AFL, English Premier League or Australian Open Tennis. In most networks, it also allows viewers to have video-on-demand in which the viewer can select the movies at their own convenience. Viewers can also use time-shifting features in their set-top to skip the advertisements if they would like to. Thus, with superior content and rapid advancement in technology, TV providers and networks can create more value to the TV consumers (Maurer, Emmanuel Parker 2013). Consumers will now spend more hours watching TV and be willing to spend more money in subscription or video-on-demand fees. Enhancing user experiences TV has advanced tremendously in recent years because of digital technologies advancement. From traditional black and white or colour TV, it now has features like high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Dolby surround effects to 3D technology offering real-life effects to viewers. In addition, in the digital era, TV has provided more connectivity with other devices such as Nintendo wii or Xbox 360 game machine, Internet access for online games, music and many more. Many of these devices provide multi-user games that allow family members to enjoy playing the games in the living room together. Imagine the effects on family bonding when parents and their children can enjoy a game of tennis for several hours in front of the television in the living room. Through technologies, TV has created a ‘cocooning impulse’ (Tryon 2012, p. 291) that unite families and brings them together (Cosgrove, Schaffer Horlin 2013), creating bonding and harmony in the family. User experiences are also enhanced through the superior content delivery through digital technologies. Movies are more readily available in household TV through Pay TV or Subscription TV options. TV drama series like ‘Serangoon’ made by Australian TV or Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’ are some examples where these sitcoms series which are made for television (Mundell 2013) have created a ‘glueing’ effects on user experiences to the TV. Technologies like video-on-demand and built-in program recorders of TV show allows time-shifting, thus watching TV becomes a ‘pleasure and a treat’ for housewives (Venkatraman 2013). Statistics have also shown that users are now more than doubled spending time watching time-shifted TV using their DVR (digital video recorder) (Madison 2012). Interactive TV also allows viewers to interact with other viewers through polls, chats, online shopping or voting. 3D technology in TV has now experienced a worldwide resurgence together with high definition video capability and superior sound quality standards. It also brought about a drastic change in television viewing, creating vibrant three dimension and captivating real life effects on the viewers. This has created a ‘3D revolution’ (Uniyal 2012) in the user experiences watching TV at home and not only in cinemas. Technological innovations in 3D technology for TV offer a more interactive television user experience through captivating user interfaces like 3D animations or real-time interaction with online apps like Facebook and Twitter (Connected Media World 2013). Platform mobility Traditional scheduled television broadcasts and viewing through receive-only television sets have been increasingly supplanted by digital technologies offering viewer engagement and convenience through video-on-demand, viewing of television programs across a multitude of devices such as smart mobile phones, Apple iPad tablets, Smart Internet-Ready Television, and sophisticated digital set-top boxes provided by cable and internet television operators. As pointed out by Sterne, people can spend many hours of their time watching specific programs using their mobile devices and still not realizing and thinking of themselves ‘as watching television’ (Sterne 2012). Tyron defines â€Å"platform mobility† as the â€Å"idea that films and television shows can move seamlessly from one device to another with minimal interruption† (Tyron 2012). He also noted that digital delivery technologies allowed workers and families with hectic schedules, the ability to watch television programs ‘wherever and whenever they would like’ (Tyron 2012). This provides them the individual and personalized experiences that cater to their own tastes and needs, enhancing the overall compelling user viewing experiences. Tyron (2012) further argues that the viewer empowerment through digital technologies has an overarching impact on viewer engagement as more mobile devices like iPad tablets, laptops and smartphones can provide the platform mobility to the users. Members of the family can watch different or same television program in different places within the house. This also empowered individual viewer to access to a wide range of choice selection like viewing on-demand movies on personal mobile device, online chat using social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook or speaking with their friends on their mobile phones while watching a sport game. Platform mobility also allows producers like Warner to sell their films through this mode of digital delivery to viewers who can purchase them via iPhone apps. Viewers can choose to view their favorite movies as and when they would like, in the living room or on a bus. Thus it can be said that the resurgence of TV as a home for â€Å"quality† entertainment can be partly attributed to demand spawned by viewers’ mobile and digital era lifestyles, and their desire to be an engaged viewer instead of being a passive one. Conclusion In conclusion, it is apparent that digital technologies will continue to remain a dominant force in the television industry as a home for ‘quality’ entertainment. TV network services providers continue to capitalize on the advancement of the digital technologies so as to explore and offer more innovative and value-add services to TV subscribers. Advancement in the Internet or other media delivery channels like satellite, broadcast via cable, allows service providers to increase their revenue streams by offering more superior content and options and enhancing user experiences by making use of newer technology like 3D. Platform mobility remains the focus of the future research in the digital technologies in the TV industry. This is because of the ever changing lifestyles and demanding needs of the younger generation for more contents and mobility. Hence, we will not see the demise of the television but rather a revolution that television plays an important part in the home for quality entertainment, through the digital technologies; and it continues to provide intrinsic value in family bonding. References ABC News 2012, ‘Government releases convergence review’, viewed 7 June 2014, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/govt-releases-convergence-review/3980316>. Cosgrove, C, Schaffer, B Horlin, S 2013, ‘Free-to-air television’, PWC Outlook: Australian Entertainment Media, viewed 7 June 2014, https://outlook2013.ezimerchant.com/category31_1.htm>. Connected Media World 2013, ‘The evolution of the TV User Experience’, viewed 7 June 2014, http://www.connectedmediaworld.com/NewsArticle.aspx?ArticleID=c73b0e36-43ca-4a84-93be-835f4bfe222e>. Madison, K.S 2012, ‘2012 State of media’, Chicago: KSCMedia Madison, K.S 2013, ‘2013 State of media’, Chicago: KSCMedia Maurer, D, Emmanuel, R Parker, A 2013, ‘Subscription television’, PWC Outlook: Australian Entertainment Media, viewed 7 June 2014, https://outlook2013.ezimerchant.com/category38_1.htm>. Mundell, I 2013, ‘Smallscreen fare makes a big splash’, Variety, viewed 2 June 2014, http://variety.com/2013/film/news/smallscreen-fare-makes-a-big-splash-1118064535/>. Nielsen 2011, ‘The cross-platform report’, State of The Media, pp. 2-10. Smith, S.E. 2012, ‘Who is HBO’s Girls for?’, Global Comment, viewed 7 June 2014, http://globalcomment.com/who-is-hbos-girls-for/#>. Sterne, J 2012, ‘Formatted to fit your screen’, FlowTV, vol. 15, no. 5, http://flowtv.org/2012/01/formatted-to-fit-your-screen/>. Tyron, C 2012, ‘’Make any room your TV room’: digital delivery and media mobility’, Autumn, 53(3), pp. 286-300. Uniyal, D 2012, ‘3D Technology: Shaping the future of entertainment’, Journal of Mass Communication, 10(1), pp. 50-55. Venkatraman, M 2013, ‘Consuming digital technologies and making home’, Journal of Business Research, Issue 66, p. 2 1

Data Warehousing :: essays research papers

The company implementing the Data warehouse is Sears Roebuck & Co. Sears is in the retailing business selling ever thing from under garments to washing machines. The main reason why the company is implementing the DW is because it wants to maximize the use of its information in its credit data warehouse. The prior application processed steps sequentially one processor at a time thus not using the multiprocessor capabilities of its machine to process the huge quantity of data. Mining of data was too slow and could only be performed once a year, which produced inaccurate data for the Marketing department. Due to the meticulous process, other units of the company were barred from the data warehouse, which also cause dilemmas. Sears went to a consultant to solve the problem. The package chosen was the Torrent Systems Orchestrate Package. The reason for choosing this package is because the package fit the needs of the company to a match. It allows the company to convert its application from sequential to parallel by partitioning the data across the processors and running multiple, parallel instances of the application. The benefits from implementing the Orchestrate package is, the new program would examine account attributes like purchasing behavior and payment history, causing more lucrative targeted marketing campaigns and boosting sales and card balances. It will allow the job to be done at a fraction of the time of the prior system. In addition the new system increased the number of credit card accounts from 16 million to 22 million. Overall, from doing this case study I have learned that data mining and data warehouse’s are very important to all organizations especially very large organizations. DW’s help to further organize and use the data of the company to its fullest, which allows companies to operate more smoothly and efficiently. I gained a greater knowledge of DW’s and how they work and are used by organizations.

The Latest Developments of Air Transport

The commercial airline industry has grown from a few aircraft to that of a multi-billion pound industry. The Boeing 707 began a revolution in air travel when it entered service in1958.It was the first commercially successful jet aircraft. Since then aircraft manufacturers have strived to provide larger and more economical planes to aircraft companies. The basic appearance of commercial airliners has not changed much for over 50 years. Nevertheless, there has been a considerable increase in innovations and new technology within the aerospace industry. Advancements in engine efficiency, aerodynamics and new materials have all led to a significantly lower operating cost per seat mile of commercial aircraft. There have been a number of significant innovations, especially on the Boeing 787, the latest wide body jet to enter service. Composite materials are now been used in the commercial aircraft industry. The Boeing 787 is primarily constructed from composite materials. They are used in most primary structures, particularly the fuselage (see fig1). By using a unique one piece composite barrel construction, (See fig 2) the 787 eliminates the need for any fuselage lap joints, doubler longitudinal skin splices. This has a dramatic reduction in weight and drag. In addition, it also significantly reduces the amount of maintenance and inspections required. Panel construction in aircraft such as the Boeing 707 requires additional joints, fasteners and splice plates, resulting in increased weight and inspections. An example of a composite, which is used on the Boeing 787 is carbon laminate. It comprises of layers of carbon fibre that are impregnated with a polymer. Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopaedia.. 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/composite+material. [Accessed 20th Novemberr 2011]. The use of composite materials ensures many advantages. They are lighter, stronger, do not corrode or fatigue, resist impacts better and are easier to examine during an inspection, compared with aluminium. Minor damage can be repaired at in less than an hour. Fig1 Corpu, (2007), plane [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=composites+on+aircraf [Accessed 01 December 11]. Fig 2 New Airplane, (2007), 21st Century Fuselage Construction [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.newairplane.com/787/design_highlights/#/VisionaryDesign/Composites/OnePieceBarrelConstruction [Accessed 01 December 11]. The most critical expense areas for aircraft fleets are fuel, maintenance and its residual costs. New aircraft have been designed and manufactured to lower these costs. Maintenance tasks have been reduced by 30 per cent, and inspections are required less frequently. A good example of this is the 787 which does not require its first heavy maintenance check until after 12 years of service. Another advantage of using composite materials, especially in the wing structure is that it gives aircraft such as the 787 a higher aspect ratio than previous aircraft, resulting in a higher Coefficient of Lift. A lighter aircraft will reduce fuel costs and therefore have a positive effect on the range equation. Advancements in aerodynamics have led to an increase in the overall efficiency of aircraft, becoming more fuel efficient by reducing drag. Components such as winglets and wingtip fences decrease vortices created at the wing tips which cause aerodynamic drag. Winglets | Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer. 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.airbus.com/innovation/proven-concepts/in-design/winglets/. [Accessed 24th November 2011]. Raked wing tips create a greater degree of sweep on an aircraft wing. This enhances the wings efficiency, by increasing the aspect ratio of the wing, therefore decreasing the amount of lift induced drag produced by the aircraft. This kind of drag can be reduced by up to 6%.with the implication of raked wing tips. Blended winglets can be attached to the wing giving a level curve in place of a sharp angle reducing interference drag at the wing. Wikipedia. 2011. Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wikipedia.com. [Accessed 24th November 2011]. Riblet technology is a surface modification which consists of minute streamwise ridges and valleys, it has been proven to reduce local turbulent skin friction by up to 6 % . Houghton, E.L, 2003. Aerodynamics for Engineering Students. 5th ed. Oxford: Heinemann (book publisher). On the Boeing 767 double drooped slotted fowler flaps are used, whereas on the later 787 a simple hinged flap with drooping spoilers are used creating smoother wing technology. This results in a decrease in fuel consumption, weight, smaller fairings and fewer parts therefore reducing maintenance. Www.cdti.es/recourses/doc/eventosCDTI/Aerodays(2011) [pdf ]. [Accessed 24th November 2011]. Recently Airbus has completed the first flight of its A320 test aircraft equipped with ‘sharklet' wing-tip. The sharklets can cut fuel burn by up to 3.5% over the current configuration with wing-tip fences and increase the maximum take-off weight by up to 3 tonnes. The engine with the higher value of specific impulse (Isp) is more efficient because it produces more thrust for the same amount of fuel. A higher or more favourable L/D ratio is typically one of the major goals in aircraft design. Using these higher values will obviously increase the range of an aircraft. The latest propulsion systems have advanced, improving the economics of aircraft. Early jet airliners had turbojet engines. These engines operated well at high altitudes and speeds, but had had a high fuel burn rate. When the turbo fan engine was introduced it could move a greater amount of air at lower speeds, than the turbo jet engine, as it had a large fan attached on the front. By enclosing the fan inside a cowling, the aerodynamics was better controlled. This reduced fuel consumption, compared to a turbojet. The next-generation engine technology is provided by Boeing's engine partners, General Electric and Rolls-Royce. The latest engines being the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 and the General Electric GEnx. These engines incorporate a bypass ratio of about 10, compared to the first turbo fan engines having ratios of about 7. The higher bypass ratio allows the engine to be quieter, with significantly reduce fuel consumption. This lowers cost for the 787 operators and reduces emissions, lessening the environmental impact of the aircraft. Chevrons on the nacelles significantly reduce shock cell noise in the aft cabin. Both the Trent 1000 and the GEnx engines are interchangeable at the wing of the 787. This reduces operating costs and gives the 787 liquidity and strong residual value. Both the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 and the GEnx eliminate the engine bleed air system and associated pneumatic system. This improves the reliability and efficiency of the aircraft by further reducing fuel consumption and maintenance costs. The electric system improves efficiency by removing only the power actually needed during each phase of flight. The aircraft have a health management system which monitors the electrical systems, improving the aircrafts productivity. General Electric recently delivered a new innovation in technology producing advanced composite material fan blades .The process results in a 100% defect-free, carbon-reinforced epoxy blade , which means no voids in the fibres. In order to accomplish this, advanced sensor and data acquisition systems were used. This technology will continue to be used on wide-body aircraft of the future, Resulting in lower cost, and greater efficiency. Duncan, Tom, 2010. Engines of Today. Commercial Airliners, 2, 8. An innovation to watch out for in the near future is the use of Titanium aluminide turbine blades. Titanium aluminide’s low density means that a turbine blade will be about half the weight of a blade made from a traditional nickel alloy blades. Reducing the density and the weight of an aircraft engine has huge benefits. Materials of the Future – Online Stuff – Science Museum London . 2011.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/stories/materials_of_the_future.aspx. [Accessed 16 December 2011] Using the range equation you can calculate the range of an aircraft, if you have the value of the following components. R = distance flown (m) u = velocity (m/s) Isp = specific impulse (s) L/D = lift-to-drag ratio (dimensionless) Winitial = gross aircraft weight at the start of cruise (kg) Wfinal = gross weight at the end of cruise (kg) Houghton, E.L.H, 2003. Aerodynamics for engineering students.. 5th ed. Great Britain: Heinemann (book publisher) The engine with the higher value of specific impulse (Isp) is more efficient because it produces more thrust for the same amount of fuel. A higher or more favourable L/D ratio is typically one of the major goals in aircraft design. Using these higher values will obviously increase the range of an aircraft. The appearance of aircraft has not changed much over 50 years because when it was first designed the cone shaped fuselage with wings attached had good design and technology features. The process of designing and producing a new aircraft is very expensive and risky. There is enormous economic risk along with a large investment and liability risk. The (you bet your company curve) plot below shows the cumulative gain or loss in an aircraft project during its life. It was recently estimated that a new large airplane project at Boeing would take 20 billion dollars to develop. Origins of Commercial Aircraft. 2011. Origins of Commercial Aircraft. [ONLINE] Available at: http://adg.stanford.edu/aa241/intro/origins.html. [Accessed13 December 2011] Aircraft manufacturing companies are not likely to take risks on projects that rely on unproven technology. This is the reason that innovative concepts are not likely to be tried out on the next generation of commercial airliners and why aircraft such as the 787 look so much like the Boeing 707. Customers of commercial aircraft manufacturers can sell their planes which are basically the same appearance as 50 years ago. There is not enough financial gain to design an aircraft with a different appearance. In addition, passengers may prefer to board an aircraft that consist of a tube with wings rather than an aircraft in the shape of a large triangle. The new 787 Dreamliner is a prime example of how innovations in new airframe and propulsion technology can lead to a more efficient aircraft. From innovative composite materials to aerodynamics to propulsion technology the 787 has become 70% more fuel efficient than the 1950s-era four-engine Pratt & Whitney JT3D-powered Boeing 707s. This has considerably increased revenue potential through significantly better performance, improved fuel efficiency and lowered maintenance decreasing operating cost per seat mile of commercial aircraft.

Compare the Presentation of Change in Yeats”Sailing to Byzantium’

Compare the presentation of change in Yeats’ ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ and ‘The Second Coming’ Both of Yeats’ poems express his opinions and viewpoint of the changes in society and people’s beliefs. Through the poem ‘The Second Coming’ Yeats highlights his belief that the twentieth century had seen the beginning of a new darker era, full of violence and struggles for independence and the effects of the Great War. The second poem ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ expresses Yeats’ observations of old age and the comforting idea of travelling to Byzantium.Through the poem ‘The Second Coming’ reflects more than just society and politics within Ireland, but expresses Yeats’ turn of attention towards larger scale graphical and spiritual events such as The Great War in 1919. The Christian idea of the ‘Second coming’ that Christ would return is featured as the centre pin to Yeats’ poem a s questions what has become of his present day society, and how it had mutated and evolved from the more traditional, biblical times featured in religious stories and beliefs.The poem showcases Yeats’ acute understanding that a potentially dark time is ahead. The poem ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ features the theme of aging, a popular writing topic of Yeats’ also used in other poems such as ‘Wild Swans at Coole’. The idea of escaping the unaccommodating world and society of youth, and journeying to a calm Island of Byzantium appears a comforting thought. The poem written in when Yeats was around 60 years old provides insight into his thoughts of what it means to be old. The Second Coming’ contains links between how Yeats views society and the birth of Christ and the belief he would return. The first stanza of the poem contains imagery of violence and a lack of order. The phrase ‘mere anarchy’ highlights the main subject of the po em, the loss of a culture or civilisation, this dark imagery is used throughout the poem, ‘ Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold’ implies that the things at the heart of Yeats’ modern culture are literary and metaphorically broken.This change is described using natural imager of water; ‘the blood-dimmed tide’ and ‘the ceremony of innocence is drowned’ create a sense of fear as the natural power of water is uncontrollable, like the change Yeats is experiencing in the society of his time. This idea that the current society is not appropriate is shared in ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ as it is explained that it is ‘no country for old men’ and that ‘an aged man is but a paltry thing’, both phrases express the feeling of being out of place and unwanted ue to aging. Through the development of imagery such as ‘ the salmon- fall’ evoke the energy of youth whilst later ‘ a dying animalâ€⠄¢ contrast youth with age allowing Yeats to highlight the change from youth to experience with age. In the poem ‘The Second Coming’ Yeats uses the line ‘ the falcon cannot hear the falconer’ to give the worrying sense that nature is inverted and things are not as they should be, triggered by the coming change at the birth of a new era.The lines ‘The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity’, built on opposites ‘best and worst’ again support the theme that the change has inverted life for the worst. The religious imagery of the birth of the ‘rough beast’, as it ‘slouches towards Bethlehem’ lacks an hint of human qualities, making it a stark contrast to the biblical, gentle saviour of Christ, but as a dehumanised monster. The use of stark contrast is also used within ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ between the differences of being young and old, ‘the young in one another’s arms’ carefree and ‘sick with desire’ of an aged man jealous of the youthful.The word ‘gyre’ in both poems is used as a common link to highlight to the reader that the changes occurring in both ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ and ‘The Second Coming’ are unavoidable and uncontrollable. While the technique of alliteration, ‘Bethlehem to be born’ in ‘The Second Coming’ supports the momentum and inevitability of change and the new era. Also ‘Fish, flesh, or fowl’ in ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ has a powerful effect as it recaptures all fish, youth and birds and brings them once again to the attention of the reader, as these three species are examples of youth and support the change experienced by the old.In conclusion through both poems Yeats expresses different types of change and the extent they have on people and society. While in ‘The Second Coming’ Yeats fo cuses on the worrying and almost threatening change in society through the twentieth century he highlights the also worrying, for different reason, inevitability of aging and the want to escape from the struggles of modern, youth controlled society.

Free Essays on Mergers

Mergers and Acquisitions Since the 1980's, and even more now in the late nineties, it has become a growing trend for companies, both large and small, domestic and foreign, to form strategic alliances within their particular industries. There are many specific goals that companies may be looking to achieve by dong this, but the main underlying reason is to guarantee the long-term sustained achievement of "fast profitable growth" for their business. They have to keep up with a rapidly increasing diversified global market and increased competition. Nowadays, with the struggle for competitive advantage becoming stronger and stronger, it is almost essential to form alliances. Diversifying and expanding techniques such as mergers and acquisitions are very popular methods for forming these alliances. Basically stated, a merger is a joining of forces and acquisition is a purchase of a company, whether it is welcome or hostile. The two terms are often used interchangeably. Much research and p lanning is required in the early stages of these processes, which starts with an acquisition strategy used in trying to find a suitable company to merge with. Advantages and disadvantages of the merger must be thought out, as well as many other important aspects, such as risk factors and new organizational structures that must be considered and closely monitored throughout all of the stages of the merger or acquisition. It is of these competitive strategies, mergers and acquisitions, as well as a recent case study following the conclusion, that will be the focus of my paper. Before going further into the merger and acquisition process, a more complete explanation is necessary. A merger is the combining of two or more companies into a single corporation. This is achieved when one company or business purchases the property or some other form of assets from another company. The result of this action is the formation of one corporate structure. This new corporat... Free Essays on Mergers Free Essays on Mergers Mergers and Acquisitions Since the 1980's, and even more now in the late nineties, it has become a growing trend for companies, both large and small, domestic and foreign, to form strategic alliances within their particular industries. There are many specific goals that companies may be looking to achieve by dong this, but the main underlying reason is to guarantee the long-term sustained achievement of "fast profitable growth" for their business. They have to keep up with a rapidly increasing diversified global market and increased competition. Nowadays, with the struggle for competitive advantage becoming stronger and stronger, it is almost essential to form alliances. Diversifying and expanding techniques such as mergers and acquisitions are very popular methods for forming these alliances. Basically stated, a merger is a joining of forces and acquisition is a purchase of a company, whether it is welcome or hostile. The two terms are often used interchangeably. Much research and p lanning is required in the early stages of these processes, which starts with an acquisition strategy used in trying to find a suitable company to merge with. Advantages and disadvantages of the merger must be thought out, as well as many other important aspects, such as risk factors and new organizational structures that must be considered and closely monitored throughout all of the stages of the merger or acquisition. It is of these competitive strategies, mergers and acquisitions, as well as a recent case study following the conclusion, that will be the focus of my paper. Before going further into the merger and acquisition process, a more complete explanation is necessary. A merger is the combining of two or more companies into a single corporation. This is achieved when one company or business purchases the property or some other form of assets from another company. The result of this action is the formation of one corporate structure. This new corporat...

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Taxation - Essay Example A good example is the when the tax revenue collected is allocated towards paying for government services such as the police, the military and the government administration. Taxes are also collected for purposes of subsidizing the needs of its citizens such as the subsidization of a staple food or education. Taxation carries the weight of bearing the load of administration as well as providing its citizens a chance to run their country. As taxpayers many people are given the opportunity over voting rights as well as social security and welfare in times of hardship. Consumption Tax: It is a system whose tax base is consumption. This includes the goods bought by an individual. The most common is the VAT (Value Added Tax) and is added already on all legal goods that are being purchased. Excises: Excise does not depend on the quality of the object rather, based on quantity amount of tax payable is calculated. It modifies the consumption pattern of user. If excise in alcohol is made higher then, rate of alcohol consumption will definitely come down. Income Tax: Tax imposed on financial income of the person is known as income tax. Income taxes are also inclusive of the profits of a business if the individual is self-employed. This tax is inclusive of a person’s savings in correlation to the amount of money that has been saved. Poll Tax: Poll tax is the fixed amount of tax that is levied to each and every individual irrespective of his/her financial strength. Though they are cheap and easily manageable but, it has one basic drawback: Poorer people need to pay higher proportion than rich persons. Property Tax: Individuals who own property are required to pay a certain amount of tax. Inheritance taxes, Stamp Duties and a tax on gifts that you have made seven years before an individuals’ death. This tax is also inclusive of all the properties a UK citizen has overseas whether or not money is brought into the

Marriage equality and human rights violations Essay

Marriage equality and human rights violations - Essay Example The discrimination of the same sex marriage is a violation of human rights. President Obama accepted the same-sex marriage during the election campaigns which was controversial but helped in the achievement of the goal of re-election. According to the American president, the issue should be approached using the state to state approach. The advocating for a state approach to the problem would culminate in a national issue and finally lead to the success of the acceptance of the same-sex marriage. The impact of the approach would be different based on the legal implications of the problem. (Wolfson 23) The legal implications of the problem included a change in the legal direction of the country in relation to marriage and definition. Marriage equality is defined as same-sex marriage that is legally recognized in the society as the marriage between mature or adult persons. The major question posed by the proponents of the idea is based on the protection of human rights that is protected fundamentally by the constitution. The bill of rights stipulates the major issues that must be addressed in the protection of human freedom. Based on these freedoms including the freedom of association, it becomes challenging when defining marriage equality. Equality in marriage and marriage equality in the contemporary society means two different things today. Equality in marriage is the protection of the rights of individuals in marriage while marriage equality is the struggle to accept the new set of marriage partners resulting from homosexual and lesbian relationship in the society. In fact, the push for recognition has led to serious challenge in the society because of the resistance posed by conservatives (Casey 23). Despite the challenges in defining the term, it is widely accepted culturally to mean the relationship between same-sex partners and their intention to live together as a couple. Human rights violation in relation to marriage equality The protection of gay indivi duals in the society has been an issue of great concern. In fact, it involves the understanding of the bill of rights. However, despite the existence of the bill of rights, the acceptance of the same-sex marriage has been emotive issue and has led to various protests with an aim of seeking recognition. In fact, around the world, gays have conducted demonstrations seeking to be recognized and be accorded the necessary support compared to heterosexual relations (Olson 68). Consequently, a proposal by the conservative wing of the population believes that banning of the same-sex marriage could solve the already heated debate. However, it may create a more serious challenge as compared to the current problem. The freedom of association and relations will be affected in the event that the country decides to ban same-sex marriage (Pearson 6). Discrimination is the taking of the rights of the people by restricting or even denying people the right of association or relationship. The protecti on of gay rights in the society has been an issue of concern. They have been subjected to trauma and massive legal challenges.

Virtue Theory, Utilitarianism, and Deontological Ethics Essay

Virtue Theory, Utilitarianism, and Deontological Ethics - Essay Example The central point of virtue ethics entails honesty. Honest persons tend to do the right thing with or without supervision. For example, as a student who is guided by the virtual of honesty I cannot cheat in an exam. Moreover, a person with the right victuals and morals may not steal or cause harm to others. In addition, a person with the virtual of humbleness tends to respect others and act as servant to others despite his higher status in the society. This means that virtual ethics can be utilized to determine the ethics and morality of certain action. For example, virtual ethics may be employed to determine whether a particular action is ethically and morally acceptable or not (Garrett, 2005). Unlike virtual theory which emphasizes on personal inside characters in determining something, Utilitarianism /focuses on the preposition that any think that bring pleasure and happiness to human being is ethically and morally acceptable while anything that bring suffering and pain to the hum an being should be avoided. This means that utilitarianism focuses on the consequences. However, in utilitarianism it tends to be quite difficult to determine the ultimate consequence of a particular action without executing it. In addition, a particular action may be difficult to determine whether it will be morally and ethically acceptable prior executing that act so that the consequences can be raveled. This means that, if the consequences result to pleasure and happiness to the greatest number.