Module Review Questions free essay sample

Which features of organizations do managers need to know about to build and use information systems successfully? What is the impact of information systems on organizations? * Define an organization and compare the technical definition of organizations with the behavioral definition. The technical definition of an organization is a stable, formal social structure that takes resources from the environment and develops them to outputs. The definition of an organization also focuses on three elements: Capital, labor, and production and products for consumption. The technical definition also infers that organizations are more stable than an informal group, and are formal legal entities, and are social structures. On the other hand behavioral definition of an organization defines it as a collection of rights, privileges, obligations, and responsibilities that are carefully balanced over a period of time through conflict and conflict resolution. This definition highlights the people within the organization, their ways of working, and their relationships. We will write a custom essay sample on Module Review Questions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The relationship between technical definition and behavioral definition shows us how a firm can combine capital, labor, and information technology which impacts the inner workings of the organization. * Identify and describe the features of organizations that help explain differences in organizations’ use of information systems. Features that are common among an organization include the following: * Routines and business processes: Standard operating procedures (SOP) have been developed to allow an organization to become productive and efficient thereby reducing costs over time. Organizational politics: Differing viewpoints about how resources, rewards, and punishments should be distributed bring about political resistance to organization change. * Organizational culture: Assumptions that define the organizational goals and products create limitation on change, especially technological change. * Organizational environments: A shared relationship exists between an organization and environments; information systems provide organizations a way to identify external changes that might require an organizational response. Organizational structure: Information systems reflect the type of organizational structure entrepreneurial, machine, divisional, and professional bureaucracy, or adhocracy. * Describe the major economic theories that help explain how information systems affect organizations. There are two economic theories discussed in the book: transaction cost theory and agency theory. Transaction cost theory is based on that a firm incurs transaction costs when it buys goods in the marketplace rather than making products for itself. For example, traditional firms seek out to reduce transaction costs by getting bigger, hiring more employees, vertical and horizontal integration, and small-company takeovers. Information technology can help a firm lower the cost of market participation (transaction costs) and help firms shrink in size while producing the same or greater amount of output. In contrast, an agency theory views the firm as an interconnection of contracts among interested individuals. The owner employs employees to perform work on his or her behalf and delegates some decision making authority to them. Therefore employees need constant supervision and management, which creates management costs. As management costs rise the introduction of information technology reduces costs by providing information more easily so that managers can supervise a larger number of people with fewer resources. * Describe the major behavioral theories that help explain how information systems affect organizations. Behavioral theories, ranging from sociology, psychology, and political science, are useful for describing the behavior of individual firms. Behavioral researchers theorize that information technology could change the decision-making hierarchy by lowering the costs of information acquisition and distribution. For instance, IT could eliminate middle managers and their clerical support by sending information from operating units directly to senior management enabling information to be sent directly to lower-level operating units. IT even allows organizations to act as a virtual organization since they are no longer limited by geographic locations. One behavioral approach views information systems as the outcome of political competition between organizational subgroups. IT has become very involved with competition because it controls who has access to what information, and can control who does what, when, where, and how. * Explain why there is considerable organizational resistance to the introduction of information systems. There is considerable organizational resistance to new information systems because they change many important organizational dimensions, such as culture, structure, politics, and work. The first model described by the book states that changes in technology are absorbed, deflected, and defeated by organizational task arrangements, structures, and people. In this model the only way to bring about change is to change the technology, tasks, structure, and people simultaneously. A second model, which requires the need to unfreeze organizations before introducing an innovation, quickly implementing the new system, and then refreezing or institutionalizing the change. * Describe the impact of the Internet and disruptive technologies on organizations. As the Internet increases the accessibility, storage, and distribution of information and knowledge for organizations; nearly any information can be available anywhere at any time. This Internet increases the scope, depth, and range of information and knowledge storage. It also lowers the cost and raises the quality of information and knowledge distribution. Furthermore, lowers transaction costs and information acquisition costs. By using the Internet, organizations may reduce several levels of management, enabling a closer and quicker communication between upper levels and the lower levels management. Disruptive technologies caused by technological changes can have an effects on different companies depending on how they handle the changes. For example, some companies create the disruptions and succeed very well whereas other companies learn about the disruption and successfully adopt it. Other companies are obliterated by the change that they were very efficient at doing what no longer needs to be done. Some disruptions mostly benefit the firm. Other disruptions mostly benefit consumers as well. 2. How does Porter’s competitive forces model help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems? * Define Porter’s competitive forces model and explain how it works. The Porter’s competitive forces model provides a general view of a firm, its competitors, and the firm’s general business environment. In this model, five competitive forces shape the fate of the firm: * traditional competitors * new market entrants * substitute products and services * customers * suppliers * Describe what the competitive forces model explains about competitive advantage. Some businesses do better than others because they have access to special resources that others do not, or they are able to use common available resources more efficiently. The reason for this could be because of greater knowledge and information of assets. Nonetheless, they excel in revenue growth, profitability, or productivity, ultimately increasing their stock market valuations compared to their competitors. * List and describe four competitive strategies enabled by information systems that firms can pursue. Their four generic strategies, each of which has allowed a firm to use of information technology as a strategy. They are: * Low-cost leadership: Lowest operational costs and the lowest prices. Product differentiation: Enable new products and services, or greatly change the customer convenience in using existing products and services. * Focus on market niche: Enable a specific market focus and serve this narrow target market well than its competitors. * Strengthen customer and suppliers: Tighten links with suppliers and develop closeness with customers. * Describe how information systems can support each of these competitive strategies and give examples. Low-cost leadership: Use information systems to improve inventory management, supply management, and create efficient customer response systems. Example: Sam’s Club, Costco Product differentiation: Use information systems to create products and services that are customized and personalized to fit the precise specifications of individual customers. Example: Apple, Starbucks. Focus on market niche: Use information systems to produce and analyze data for finely tuned sales and marketing techniques. Analyze customer buying patterns, tastes, and preferences closely in order to efficiently pitch advertising and marketing campaigns to smaller target markets. Example: Whole Foods. Strengthen customer and supplier intimacies: Use information systems to facilitate direct access from suppliers to information within the company. Increase switching costs and loyalty to the company. Example: Amazon. com * Explain why aligning IT with business objectives is essential for strategic use of systems. The basic principle of IT strategy for a business is to ensure the technology serves the business and not the other way around. The more successfully a firm can align its IT with its business goals, the more profitable it will be. Business people must take an active role in shaping IT to the enterprise. A business cannot ignore IT issues nor tolerate failure in this area or just see it as a nuisance to work around. Businesses must understand what IT can do, how it works, and measure its impact on revenues and profits. 3. How do the value chain and value web models help businesses identify opportunities for strategic information system applications? * Define and describe the value chain model. The value chain model highlights specific activities in the business. The model also identifies specific and critical leverage points where a firm can use information technology the most effectively to enhance its competitive position. The value chain model views the firm as a series of basic activities that add a margin of value to a firm’s products or services. These activities are categorized as either primary or support activities. Primary activities are most directly related to production and distribution of the firm’s products and services, which create value for the customer. Support activities make the delivery of primary activities possible and consist of organization infrastructure. A firm’s value chain can be linked to the value chains of its suppliers, distributors, and customers. * Explain how the value chain model can be used to identify opportunities for information systems. Information systems can be used at each stage of the value chain to improve operational efficiency, lower costs, improve profit margins, and forge a closer relationship with customers and suppliers. Organizations can use information systems to help examine how value-adding activities are performed at each stage of the value chain. Information systems can also improve the relationship with customers and with suppliers. Furthermore, information systems can help businesses track benchmarks in the organization and identify best practices of their particular industries. After analyzing various stages in the value chain, an organization can devise a list of candidate applications for information systems. * Define the value web and show how it is related to the value chain. A value web is a collection of independent firms that use information technology to coordinate their value chains to collectively produce a product or service. Customer driven value web operates in a less linear fashion than the traditional value chain. The value web is a networked system that can synchronize the business processes of customers, suppliers, and trading partners among different companies in an industry or in related industries. * Explain how the value web helps businesses identify opportunities for strategic information systems. Information systems enable value webs to be flexible and adaptive to changes in supply and demand. Relationships can be bundled or unbundled in response to changing market conditions. Firms can accelerate their time to market and to customers by optimizing their value web relationships by making quick decisions on who can deliver the required products or services at the right price and location. Information systems make it possible for companies to establish and operate value webs. * Describe how the Internet has changed competitive forces and competitive advantage The Internet has nearly destroyed some industries and severely threatened others. The Internet has also created entirely new markets and formed the basis of thousands of new businesses. The Internet has enabled new products and services, new business models, and new industries to rapidly develop. For this reason the Internet has created a competitive rivalry which has become much more intense over the last decade. Internet technology is based on universal standards that any company can use, making it easy for rivals to compete on price alone and for new competitors to enter the market. Because of this information is available to everyone, and the Internet raises the bargaining power of customers, who can quickly find the lowest cost provider on the Web.

Brew Of Life Essays - Anthony Burgess, Burgess, A Clockwork Orange

Brew Of Life Essays - Anthony Burgess, Burgess, A Clockwork Orange Brew Of Life Anthony Burgess, Selective Individualist It is often said that life is full of choices and the choices you make is what makes you yourself. Society, however, has since the dawn of time tried to control the thoughts of individuals by forcing ideas upon them that destroys the person on a mental and emotional level while crushing their physical well-being. With the thoughts of a perfect world, people often forget that when you force a society to conform to standards you also kill the society's existence in the process, making it more machine that human. It takes a strong and educated person to realize these mistakes made by society and try to show others why it's wrong to try force conformity. Anthony Burgess' belief that a man who cannot choose ceases to be a man is exemplified in most of his works, but most notably in A Clockwork Orange in which a so-called good society tries to change the psyche of a troubled youth. Born John Anthony Burgess Wilson, Anthony Burgess is a man of great stature and respect. A big man of sturby, ramshackle appearance, with a blunt disarming manner and awesome energy (Clemons 56). He loved life and expressed it in his works of literature. Born in Manchester, England during the influenza epidemic, during which his mother and sister passed away soon after his birth, Burgess' was ignored by his father who he received little to no attention from. This, however, allowed him to create the thoughts and ideas which he preaches. He was a man of little religious belief because he questioned why man was put on earth. Burgess believed that people should live life in the present not for the future, which labeled him an anarchist by the church of England. He didn't mind the accusations though, he was content with the life he led. (Clemons 56) Anthony Burgess was a frail child, secluded from the world. At the age of four he used his time to try and discover a talent in the arts. He highly enjoyed drawing, writing poems, and essays but was always searching for the one medium that he would succeed at. Burgess found music to be a art form he enjoyed the most and studied it up to college were he was forced to study English because he had a lack of qualifications. Although a little unappreciative at first Burgess soon found a new love in English and obtained a BA degree with honors in 1940 from Manchester University. He Jumped from job to job teaching English soon after, always trying to find happiness. Burgess worked in many diverse areas ranging from a English master in a grammar school near oxford to an education officer for the colonial office an Malaysia. Burgess used his free- time to write, but didn't expect too much to come from it because of a doubt in his talent. It was in Malaysia where he had his first novels, The Malaysian Trilogy published. Burgess soon returned home, however, in 1959 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was told he only had a year to live. At this point Burgess began to write novels to support his widow-to-be wife. This was how the world came to know him, and the reason Burgess started to write as a profession. (Clemons 57) Anthony Burgess acquired a fine taste for writing and was relieved to here the news of a medical error in his diagnosis. Burgess saw a sign, a blessing telling him to live life and do what you want to do not what your told to do. This was the whole basis of his belief that people should be themselves and it was seen in his writings from that point on. Instead of writing about the same topics as other writers of the same time period, [Burgess] concentrated on the themes of the danger of loss of individuality (Tilton 55). However, Burgess was criticized about his ideas because they didn't follow the churches ideas about thinking in terms of your afterlife. This got him in some muddy water, but only fueled the fire within. (Tilton 56) Challenging the church was a hard task. It seemed like it was Burgess against the world in his effort to prove his point, but it didn't phase him just helped him get ideas for writing more controversial material. In the late 1950's Burgess started to work on the one piece of literature that was to share his belief of individuality with the world.

History J5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History J5 - Essay Example In Burkes political career, he mercilessly defended constitutional limitation of the Crowns authority. He ignored the religious persecution of Catholics in his native land of Ireland. He aired the grievances of Britains American colonies. He contributed in American Independence and vigorously followed the impeachment of Warren Hastings, who was the General Governor of British India, for abuse of power and corruption. In his Reflections, Burke stated that the French Revolution would come to an end in very damaging way because its abstract foundations, being rational, ignored the importance of human nature and society. French Revolution was caused by the following claims, Internal struggle for leadership and empire outstrips for financial resources of the state, Political misunderstanding between the Monarchy and the nobility, over the restart of the tax system that they claimed, led to poverty and bankruptcy. The enlightenment, that is the impulse for reform intensified political conflicts and reinforcing traditional aristocratic constitutionalism. The introduction of new ways of good government and the prestige of being popular sovereignty has also led to bankruptcy. The attack on the catholic regime and advantageous class by the Literary Underground of the broadening influenced the of public opinion. Social differences between two rising groups, the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. Removal of the ineffective leader Luis, economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-1789, generated general discontent and disorders caused by food shortages. This reflection was written immediately after the French Revolution. Burke’s primary antirevolutionary book questioned the motives of the actors and warned against the removal of all, which would prove amazingly prophetic. Edmund Burke expressed his views against the French revolution by criticizing it. The first was the Constitutional Society Edmund criticized this by saying that

Sustainability as a source of competitive advantage in the hospitality Literature review - 1

Sustainability as a source of competitive advantage in the hospitality industry - Literature review Example While sustainability is engineered into large hotels, simpler processes are associated with environmental friendliness in small hotels. The differences between them should be noted in order to better appreciate the scope of sustainability issues in large hotels. For small hotels, a significant solid-waste management (SWM) program becomes the principal concern. Small hotels generate wastes that usually end up in landfills, due to the relatively smaller quantities of various types of waste that defy more economical large-scale waste management. It is not true, however, that effective waste management cannot be conducted in small hotels. There are still methods and techniques by which waste can be segregated, recycled, and reduced to minimize and even eliminate contribution to landfills (Radwan, Jones & Minoli, 2010). Empirical studies have come to explore the consumer dynamics relating to sustainable hotels. Lee, Hsu, Han & Kim (2010) sought to determine the view of consumers concernin g green hotels, and how the hotel’s green image can impact on their behavioural intentions. The diagram following provides a graphic presentation of the factors considered in the conduct of the study. The study takes into account among its assumptions the growing concern among the public about environmental issues in general, and how this affects their viewpoint of the hotel industry. Green technology is viewed herein as a strategic tool that can enhance the hotel’s competitive advantage.

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

None - Essay Example Sales job is task oriented and this job needs a strong evaluation with the passage of time. The sales manager needs to conduct evaluation of all the sales employees individually1. It is very important for the sales manager to supervise all the plans him/her self because sales executives require continuous training and development in their job. The responsibilities of a sales manager increase as he reaches the position of manager. Sales executive is an easier job than the sales manager. The main reason why the sales executive is an easier job is that in such a position the person is responsible only for his/her tasks and goals, but when the executive becomes a manager then he/she is responsible for the overall team. There are different problems that the sales manager has to face. The first problem that is faced at by the sales manager is the missing of objectives or to not clearly identify the objectives to be achieved. This problem is commonly faced by many sales mangers at the initial time of their career as a manager. The company is highly dependent on its sales objectives because the revenue of the company is associated with its sales objectives. Another problem that is very annoying for the sales manager is when the company is not giving the attractive offers to the clients or customers. In such a case the sales manager is required to make effective sales strategy to overcome this issue. Sales mangers consider this problem as one of the most difficult problems. One more issue that is difficult for the mangers at its initial level is the lack of customer identification and the lack of research for finding right prospects for the products or services. This is the fault of marketing professionals of the company for not clearly defining the target market to the sales professionals. This issue is being faced by the mangers that have the responsibility to manage the team of sales personnel. Sales executives or

Structural conflict and consensus in Socialization

Structural conflict and consensus in Socialization Explain the relevance of socialization from both the structural conflict and the structural consensus perspectives. Discuss the efficiency and the pitfalls of each approach in relation to youth work. Both structural conflict and structural consensus theories approach the study of social life from a macro perspective, that is, both are concerned with the study of large-scale social structures, such as ideas and belief systems, and institutions, such as the family and education, in their attempts to examine and explain social life (Bilton et al. 1994: p. 10). From this perspective, a better understanding of a given society, and the relationships within it, can be gained through examining the function of social institutions and organizations in terms of the part they play in maintaining social structures within society. An example of this is the study of institutions which are agencies of socialization for example the family and the media to explore the part they play in the production and reproduction of social roles and values (Bilton et al. 1994: p. 12). Socialization, then, is the process through which individuals learn the ways of thought and behaviour considered appropriate in [their] society (Bilton et al. 1994: p. 12), and agencies of socialization function in both formal and informal ways to pass on to the next generation such norms of thought and behaviour. Much early socialization within the family is informal; children learn through observation and interactive experiences with siblings and adults around them the behaviour expected of themselves and others (Ibid). While there is also a degree of formal education within the family, it is within institutions such as schools that children gain much of their formal instruction of the roles and types of behaviour expected of young people in society. The concept of socialization is a useful one and relevant to those working in a range of professional fields, and in particular to those working with young people. This will become more apparent as we now look in more detail at the differences between the structural consensus and the structural conflict approaches. The key difference between structural consensus and structural conflict theories is that, broadly speaking, for consensus theories the values and norms of society that people learn through the process of socialization are shared by all members of society; that is, there is an agreement, or a consensus about, and commitment to, the ideas and beliefs prevalent in society among individuals (Fulcher and Scott 1999: p. 49). Conflict theories, however, argue that, rather than there being a consensus about ideas and beliefs in society, social life is fraught with conflict among different members and groups in society as they struggle with one another to attain or maintain power and control (Ibid: p. 61). This is obviously a simplistic outline of the core tenets of both approaches; however, it may begin to be apparent from this that both perspectives theories of socialization have potential relevance to individuals working with young people. A comparative analysis of both perspectives even at this stage reveals some of the issues encountered by formal and informal educators in this area. In relation to youth work, for example, a key issue for workers, it could be argued, is that of purpose. Is the proper purpose of youth work, as Mark Smith (1988: p. 106) has questioned, to promote the welfare of individuals, serve to secure the reproduction of the means of production and existing power relations, promote community or what? Conflict theorists would argue that socialization of young people in areas such as youth work serves to secure existing power relations; consensus theorists would argue that it serves to promote the welfare of individuals and society as a whole. Smith later concludes that informal educators should be committed [in their work practice] to that which is right rather than that which is correct. However, without a good understanding of conflict and consensus theories, it would be difficult to make judgements regarding the difference in practice between that which is right or correct. It will be argued later that there are, of course, limitations to the extent to which such knowledge is useful in practice, however, this essay will argue that a good understanding of the theories of socialization from the consensus and conflict perspectives can not only give us insight into issues faced by workers in this area, but also help our understanding of our own and our clients feelings and motivations, as well as the agendas and motivations of official institutions and agencies. The questions of purpose and motivation are, it can be argued, very important ones, and are questions into which a study of socialization from consensus and conflict perspectives can give us good insight. In the area of youth work, knowledge and understanding of the above perspectives can lead to healthy questioning of government purpose and motivation when, for example, reviewing official documents such as the DfEE 2001 consultative paper on English youth work. This paper details the governments key priority to help keep young people in good shape (DfEE: 2001: p. 13). Much of what is written in terms of this priority appears to make good sense; for example ensuring young people have access to a rich variety of personal growth experiences and helping them to make informed choices [and] expand their potential (Ibid: pp. 13-14). However, as we shall see, closer analysis of elements of this, and indeed other, official documents and government policies reveal, when studied with knowledge of conflict and consensus theories, underlying official issues and agendas. According to consensus theories, socialization into the cultural values and social norms of society is essential to the stability and cohesion of social structures (Fulcher and Scott 1999: p. 48). From this perspective, all individuals in society share a commitment to societys values, ideas and beliefs. In general we all want the same things and agree that they are the right things to want, for example to secure good employment, achieve our potential, and to contribute to the community. While we may be socialized into such norms and values through formal and informal means, we nevertheless agree that they are right and just. The priorities set out in the DfEE consultative document fit closely with such generally agreed aspirations. The documents authors assert the need to develop preventative strategies and actions which enable [young people] to make informed choices about a range of issues which include avoiding crime, protection from drug or alcohol related dangers, preventing teen age pregnancies and others (DfEE 2001: p. 14). In order to make informed choices about such issues, young people will be able to discuss them with youth workers who have a key role in keeping young people in good shape (Ibid) From a consensus perspective, the socialization of young people regarding these issues is unproblematic; society as a whole can only function effectively if all individuals are properly socialized into the agreed norms and values of society. From a conflict perspective, however, such strategies are not as unproblematic as they may at first appear. While consensus theory sees society as being held together informally by norms, values and a common morality (Ritzer 1996: p. 266) conflict theories argue that order in society stems from the coercion of some members by those at the top (Ibid). As stated earlier, analysis of perspectives such as conflict theories can lead us to question the motivations behind official agenda setting, as well as those behind our own actions and those of others, and here, examining documents such as the DfEE paper, we may begin to question the motivation behind such apparently worthy intervention strategies. The question we may begin to ask, when viewing the world from a conflict perspective, is, in whose interests are the implementation of such policies and strategies? Youth workers and others working with young people do of course want to help young people to live happy and fulfilling lives, and help them to stay safe and well, however, questions can be raised as to whose primary interests some inter vention strategies serve. While the majority may well agree that a state of disorder in society is in no ones particular interest, it is clear that it is certainly in the interests of those in positions of power and advantage to maintain order through effective socialization of individuals into the values and norms of society, in particular the values and norms of society that best suit their own interests. It is, to take what may be considered a more extreme view from the conflict perspective, far better to have good, hard-working, honest citizens paying taxes and refraining from crime, in particular property crime from persons with abundant wealth, than to have gangs of disaffected young people stealing money for drugs and falling pregnant in order to secure valuable government housing. It may now be apparent, then, that comparative analyses of theories of socialization from the conflict and consensus perspective help give us insight and understanding when approaching issues affecting work with young people. The examples above hopefully show the efficiency of this analysis in relation to official agenda setting and policy, however, as mentioned earlier, knowledge and understanding of theories of socialization can also help workers in this area better understand issues facing themselves and their clients. An awareness of whose interests are being served in relation to practice performed by workers with their clients can only work to ensure continued practice evaluation. An understanding of the conflicts in values and norms which many young people may encounter can help workers when making judgements within their own practice with regards to what is right as opposed to correct. One example of the above could be the possible conflict experienced by young people between the values and goals seen by individuals around them, and perhaps by the young people themselves, as fair and just, and the means available to them to embrace such values or achieve such goals. Sociologist R. K. Mertons (1938) theory of anomie addresses this experience of conflict, and suggests that if a society places great emphasis on achieving goals, and less on the appropriate means to obtain them, then an individuals commitment to approved means and thereforeconformity to social norms may be eroded (Fulcher and Scott 1999: p.49). Merton argues that the rift between culturally approved ends, and the means of attaining them, which he refers to as a situation of anomie, can result in individuals resorting to inappropriate means to achieve goals which they, along with the rest of society, agree are worthy. Here individuals have been effectively socialised into the norms and values of approp riate goal attainment, but not so successfully into the appropriate means by which to obtain them. From a conflict perspective, however, it could be argued that the social values placed on goal attainment, and passed on through socialization, do not necessarily serve the best interests of all members of society in the first place. The goal, for example, of buying a large house in an expensive neighbourhood will simply put more revenue the governments way in terms of council tax than will a smaller property, as well as more revenue to mortgage companies, power suppliers and so on. This essay has hopefully shown the relevance, and in the areas discussed, the efficiency of structural conflict and structural consensus perspectives in relation to youth work, however, as stated earlier there are obvious limitations to the extent to which such theories are of use in practice, not least because theories, while helpful, are more usefully conceptualised as tools to stimulate thought and discussion relating to policy and good practice. Finally, all theory is limited because the number of variables present in any given situation means that no theory can simply be taken as a model and then applied. Bibliography Bilton, T. et al., 1994. Introductory Sociology. 2nd edn. London: Macmillan. DfEE, 2001. Transforming Youth Work. London: Department for Education and Employment/Connexions. Also available from: Smith, M. K. (2001) Good Purpose [online] Introduction. Available from: http://www.infed.org/archives/developing_youth_work/dyw6.htm

The Lasting Effect of Sin and Guilt on Hester and Dimmesdale Essays

Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the struggle to shake off the past is an underlying theme throughout the novel. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with actions that lost them their honorable reputation. Particularly, Hawthorne shows the lasting effect that sin and guilt has on two of the main characters in the book: Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne's guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a significant effect on her life. Hester is publicly seen with the scarlet letter when she first emerges out of the cold dark prison. "It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (49). The spell that is mentioned is the scarlet letter, "so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom" (49). The scarlet letter is what isolates her from everyone else because it symbolizes sin. Hester is in her very own sphere, where her sin affects her livelihood and has completely cut her off from the world. Her entrance into the sphere marks the beginning of her guilt and it occurs when she is in the prison after her first exposure to the crowd. The prison marks the beginning of a new life for Hester, a life full of guilt and seclusion. Her problem is that her shame is slowly surfacing while she faces the crowd realizing that she has been stripped of all her pride and everything that was important to her in the past. The lasting effect of Hester's sin is the shame that she now embodies due to her committing adultery. The shame that is ass... ...is the guilt, which they are left with in the end. On the fateful day where the two committed adultery, they had no idea that this mistake would turn out to be like an ominous black cloud that they would never be able to escape from. When they chose to have Pearl, they unknowingly signed a contract that said they would have to suffer with their guilty conscience as a consequence for having Pearl. At the time, they did not think that they would feel much guilt, but when the word got out that Hester had a baby, everything changed. The mistake had been made and they would now be forced to live with it whether they liked it or not. In the end, Hester and Dimmesdale both sacrifice their peaceful lives to live with the guilt of giving birth to a child who should have never been born. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1986.

Basic Processes

Reproduction is a process by which a new individual organism of the species is produced biologically, which in turn, helps to continue to species. Bacteria usually reproduce by a process of simple cell division (or binary fission), in which one cell would divide into two daughter cells (break in the cell wall and the naked DNA).However, bacteria can also exchange genetic material through various other processes such as transformation, transduction and bacterial conjugation (Spiritus Temporis, 2008).Grasshoppers reproduce sexually through conjugation, when the male introduces the sperms into the ovipositor of the female. Once the eggs get fertilized by the sperms in the micropyles, the female lays the eggs underground or on plants. The eggs take about 3 to 4 weeks to hatch. Finally tiny larvae emerge from the eggs and are ultimately undergo transformation into adults. The grasshoppers are transformed to an adult stage by a process known as hemimetabolous (in which their bodies become bigger and their wing size increases; it involves 6 stages) (Science Jrank, 2008).Fish reproduce by sexual means, and usually lay eggs, although in some species (such as sharks), the young ones are directly born. Through conjugation, the sperms from the males are introduced into the body of the female. Once the eggs get fertilized, the female my either lay them into a nest or further development of the eggs takes place in the body of the female. Besides heterosexual reproduction, a single individual may have both sex organs and produce sperms and eggs.They would fertilize the eggs by themselves and release the eggs that would further hatch. Another mode by which fish can reproduce is ‘parthenogenesis’, by which the unfertilized eggs would be released and develop into embryos (Lookd, 2008). Bears reproduce sexually by mating (which is seasonal), depending on the area in which they live. The seasonal mating is to ensure that the young ones emerge when the conditions are f avorable for survival. The male and the female mate for a few weeks and once this is done, they go their separate ways.Depending on the species of bears, the female is pregnant for about 7 to 9 months. Once the embryo is formed through fertilization of the egg by the sperm, it remains inactive for as long as 6 months without undergoing any growth or development. The embryo then matures in the uterus after getting implanted. After the young ones are born, the mother suckles it till the age of 3 months (MSN Encarta, 2008). References: Lookd (2008). Fish Reproduction, Retrieved on October 12, 2008, from Lookd Web site: http://www. lookd. com/fish/reproduction.html MSN Encarta (2008). Bear, Retrieved on October 12, 2008, from MSN Encarta Web site: http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761572258_3/bear. html Science Jrank (2008). Grasshoppers – Reproduction and Development, Retrieved on October 12, 2008, from Science Jrank Web site: http://science. jrank. org/pages/3124/Grasshoppe rs-Reproduction-development. html Spiritus Temporis (2008). Bacteria Reproduction, Retrieved on October 12, 2008, from Spiritus Temporis Web site: http://www. spiritus-temporis. com/bacteria/reproduction. html

A Critique of Aristotle Politics

Introduction This paper aims to discuss the thoughts of Aristotle as the philosopher of his time. The paper will examine the applicability of his ideas in the world today. It will analyze the ethics of Aristotle against the way today’s governance. This paper will offer an informed critique of Aristotle’s politics. The paper will discuss the prepositions of Aristotle and the merits and demerits associated with each leadership. Discussion Aristotle politics looks at the world scientifically and can differentiate the ideal and the practical.In his book one of politics, Aristotle outlines the different types of governments that he perceives. In each of these types of governance, he gives the sound and the bad. According to Aristotle, the philosopher king is the ideal governance. In this form, the kings’ interest is in the welfare of his people (Tacitus & Benario 18). The highest form of governance is the monarchy. It is hereditary in nature, and people can associate freely with the royal family. In a monarchy, the interests of the nation take priority above all other matters. When the respectable leadership of a monarchy becomes rogue, Aristotle terms it as tyranny.When leadership becomes self seeking the citizens of this state, suffers thus; cannot achieve happiness (Chuska 277). Aristotle considers aristocracy of philosophers to be the second best leadership. When this form of leadership gets crooked, it becomes oligarchy. Further, he views democracy as the worst form of leadership. In his opinion, the third best form of leadership is one whose polity would combine all the noble forms of leadership. According to Aristotle, a polity is a constitution. Aristotle is of the opinion that, for a polity to be viable, it has to consider the stability and security of its people.The aristocracy as Aristotle puts it is the rule of several. When a virtuous rule of law prevails the society enjoys solidity. In this rule, the needs of the wealthy get priori ty while the rest of the population gets neglected. This brings about class division, and discrimination on the basis of riches. The elite in the society protect and guard their status making it difficult to join the elite group from low class people. According to Aristotle, who was advocating for fairness, elitism in the society is wrong (Chuska 278). Polity is the rule of the majority. This is what Aristotle refers to as the rule of many.In the better form, it concerns with the needy. The leaders take office through an election. It is the citizens of the state who decide the person to rule over them. When this form of leadership becomes fraudulent, Aristotle refers to it as democracy. As Aristotle puts it when the mob rules the minority group suffers. However, in the opinion of Aristotle this corrupt form of polity is the best form of governance in the long run (Aristotle et al 297). In Aristotle’s analysis of the best form of a leader, he says it is that person who pursues virtue. To him virtues are decent habits acquired through legislation and moral education.According to Aristotle, leaders should not work; it is the state to provide for their needs. They should have property and sufficient time for leisure. This will enable them to pursue virtues. This practice is only possible in a monarchy. The views of Aristotle about a monarchy are noble. In the history of Roman Empire, there is a short duration when there was monarchy. The leaders commonly known as the five good empires operated a monarchy with success. The rule was successful without turning to dictatorship. Their interest was in the subjects. They resisted the allure of abusing the unlimited power of their rule.The emperor who took over from the last of the five was Commodus. He started out well following the ideals of a monarch. However, he gradually became corrupt. He started to make laws that were not pleasing to the people. The rules he made were not logical, and the people of the empir e were unhappy. He disregarded the virtues of a leader and started barking orders at a whim. He died by assassination by strangulation in his bath (Aristotle et al 300). This classic example gives reality to the opinions of Aristotle. Monarchy is a worthy form of leadership; however, when corrupt it is the worst form.According to Aristotle the second best form of government is aristocracy. Before the formation of the Roman Empire, there was the Roman republic. There was the rule of law in the republic; it lasted for four hundred years, an unusually long duration. Aristocracy may have succeeded within this duration, but it has the weakness that people do not choose the person to lead them. However, it finally failed when power became centralized. Aristotle advocates for balance between the one, few and many. This is a form of mixed government where the virtues of all the six forms of government combined.According to him this would bring stability and avoid the dangers that a monarchy poses to the society. In the world, today this form of government can be seen in the United Kingdom and the United States. There is a power balance among the three basic components stated by Aristotle. This brings about stability in the society (Chuska 278). Aristotle, in his politics, discusses how a state associates with it members. He maintains that the legitimacy of a government remains through serving it people and offering them a healthy life. According to Aristotle the happiness of the citizens is state is crucial.In his discourse, Aristotle talks of the contentment of the entire state, not just a segment of the state. The perfect society is one whose citizens show moral virtues this is achievable through an ideal government (Chuska 279). Aristotle puts emphasis on the human beings achieving their potentiality. According to him the successful government has to have citizens to choose the needs for their lives. A critical evaluation of the politics of Aristotle shows an incli nation towards communism and authoritarianism. However, in today's world the most successful forms of government are the representative democracies.This is because they include all the groups within the state without leaving out of the minority. The form of government that Aristotle proposes is practical. His concern is in the stability and security of the citizens. The members of a state need security in order to run their day to day activities. Thus, if there is a lack of order in the leadership the citizens suffer. Aristotle proposes a constitution which he calls a polity. He sees it as a long lasting solution to leadership problems as it offers a concrete form of governance. In the contemporary world, we have all forms of governments as discussed by Aristotle.The most successful ones are the democracy. Though they have their short falls, they are more practical compared with other forms of governments. The state has a duty towards the people; however, the people also have a resp onsibility for themselves. The world is competitive, and people cannot wait for the state to take care of them (Tacitus ; Benario 19). In conclusion, Aristotle's politics have an influence on political philosophy up to the present time. They contain thought provoking concerns about politics that governments should consider the quality of the life of their subject. He questions who should be the ruler of the people.Aristotle is keen to emphasize on the moral expectation and obligation of the state and their citizens. A state has to have citizens and the citizens have to have a state. The two must exist together and for that to be, there must be rulers. Works cited Chuska, J. (2000). Aristotle's best regime: A reading of Aristotle's Politics, VII. 1-10. Lanham, Md: University Press of America. Tacitus, C. , & Benario, H. W. (2006). Agricola, Germany, and Dialogue on orators. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Aristotle, . , Bekker, I. , Bolland, W. E. , Lang, A. , & Aristotle, . (1877). Arist otle's Politics: Books I. III. IV. (VII. ). London: Longmans, Green.

Complete Guide How to Write a Public Administration Research Paper

Complete Guide How to Write a Public Administration Research Paper A public administration research paper is a type of academic work that is traditionally based on an independent research in such academic disciplines as Political Sciences, International Relations, and any other fields that focus on organizational governance and administration. Public administration has a direct relation to the implementation of a great variety of government policies and preparation of civil servants for introducing and carrying out public services. Being a researcher of this field, you can be asked to: Do a thorough analysis of the chosen topic on Public Administration; Present the final findings of research; Discuss the research findings and their contribution to the field; Make a logical conclusion from what is investigated; Produce a set of recommendations on further research, etc. You can present your public administration research paper as a traditional term paper and create the significant grounds for many researchers in the future at the same time. For that purpose, you should show some well-developed skills in writing a research paper. All of them are aimed at operating with relevant scientific facts, using the effective research methods, making the readers understand the flow of thoughts fully and so on. Read this public administration research paper writing guide to know how to succeed in research paper writing on Public Administration. List of Research Topics to Choose Quickly to Start Writing Choosing a topic is the first step towards creating the best public administration research paper writing. You should choose an interesting topic that can attract the attention of the audience. By the way, don’t forget that you are actually writing a research paper to someone your professor and others who are interested in knowing more about your topic. Read why the audience matters in writing. The topic has to be captivating; otherwise, you would not be interested in conducting thorough research and your audience would not be interested in the obtained results presented in the paper. For that reason, it is necessary to start researching a topic that is really important for you, motivates you to put in personal efforts, and makes you full of enthusiasm to discover new facts and evidence related to the subject of the paper. The best piece of advice is to focus the attention on a narrow topic that can be easily developed into an extensive study. The field of public administration can be characterized by a considerable number of different topics to be researched. All of them are of great importance to the development of governmental policies and their management. These topics usually are related to administrative and support services, healthcare, military, education, research, and culture. As a result, your research paper can be: The thorough analysis of some governmental policies, The evaluation of different political decisions and their influence on the society, The criticism of local or/and federal budget spendings, The exploration of the duties and responsibilities of different administrative units, The examination of differences in state and federal laws, The investigation of the origin of different political systems and interdisciplinarity. It is necessary for you to make a right choice. Follow a set of easy tips that will help you to choose an appropriate topic for public administration research paper: Think of a particular idea, question, or problem, that is interesting to you and that can be explored without any additional difficulties. It should have some impact on the development of public administration. In this way, focus on a clear topic that can make a contribution to the mentioned field of study. Brainstorm topic ideas effectively. There are some great brainstorming methods to get a lot of valuable ideas related to specific areas of public administration. Nonetheless, you should also keep in mind the general requirements to your research paper and brainstorm ideas within them. Check your old notes and library resources related to the subject. It happens that looking through the related material may help you to think of an excellent research topic and provide the supportive information for it. Generate from three to five research questions, make evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses, and chose the most appropriate of them. Create a thesis statement and develop its main message into the topic. In this way, it becomes possible to define a research question, provide an answer to it, and clarify the main purpose of the conducted research. Pre-Writing Tips to Follow for Better Results in Writing There is a strong need to follow a set of particular guidelines and take into consideration a number of useful tips immediately at the first stage of writing. They help to put all the collected information in the right order, present a topic in a clear and understandable manner, and transmit your primary message to the readers. In addition, writing a research paper demands that you make a deep research of a chosen topic, pay attention to its various aspects, and use only reliable sources of information. For that reason, researching the sources and general information related to public relations, government organizations, financial issues, or human resources is considered to be the most important thing. 1.  Ã‚   Define the Type of Research Paper Writing A research paper may be of two types: argumentative and analytical. If you want to write an argumentative research paper, you should search for the information that is debatable and invited to the discussion. For example, it is possible to compare and contrast laws and legislations in different countries and describe their influence on the welfare of the local citizens. This approach will persuade your readers to support your position on the topic. If you want to write an analytical research paper, you should create a research question and search for the information that can provide the answer to it. For example, it is possible to make an analysis of a newly introduced law and study its effectiveness is solving different social issues. In both cases, there is a need to search for primary and secondary sources and analyze the topic based on the found information. The information on Public Administration can be found online on the official sites of the governments or their departments, in the specialized online journals, archives, or libraries, where all the relevant publications are available in printed versions. The useful data usually is presented by laws, legislation, various government policies, different state or federal projects, political decisions, government accountability, public interests, and public relations. What is important, the data should be up-to-date and contain facts and evidence that are pertinent and up to the point. 2.  Ã‚   Say, â€Å"Yes† Only to Reliable Information Sources The quality of your research paper grows and develops along with the amount of the newly discovered information, including a personal interpretation of the author supported by facts and evidence that should be taken from governmental websites and annual reports. Thus, before starting the research, you should find both primary and secondary sources that will become the ground of your research paper. These sources include articles in peer reviewed sources, official statistics, and professional critical evaluations. In addition, searching for the relevant information not only allows to find valuable sources but also offers you a chance to discover new insights in the field of public administration. Pay significant attention to the fact that the any research paper is not a summary of the chosen topic and the results of research. It is a paper where you should present, explain, and prove your research ideas and support them with relevant facts from reliable sources. To search for valuable sources and make their proper evaluation, it is necessary to spend time. A good source is an essential ground for the well-developed public administration research paper. Only in this way, it is possible to provide the reader with the full amount of necessary information to understand the discussed issue. 3.  Ã‚   Develop the Outline of Your Research Paper Title creates a first impression for the reader. That is why it should present a brief information about the topic you are going to You should avoid unnecessary words and word combinations while creating a title and make sure it is short and comprehensive. Great title examples for your research paper on Public Administration are: The Importance of Forecasting Changes and Patterns in Public R Public Administration Areas Handling of Domestic Issues like Violence and A An Analysis of the Main Reasons Why Cities Have Issues of Administering F Thesis statement presents the main idea of the whole research paper. Therefore, it should include your main arguments and briefly explain your central message to the reader. As the thesis statement sets the tone for the whole paper, you should spend some time developing this large and informative sentence. A great example of the thesis statement for public administration research paper is: â€Å"While both representatives of North and South believed they fought against despotism and repressions, the former concentrated on the repressions of slaves at the time when the latter struggled to hold their privilege for self-government.† Body sections should include three or more well-developed parts. Each of them is devoted to a particular aim to review, explain, prove, or discuss the results of research. Here are useful tips for writing an excellent body of your research: Start with a topic sentence. It should contain keywords that are relevant for your research paper and pointed out by you in advance. Think of further explanation of the first sentence and provide some additional sentences for the readers to understand your message. Introduce strong pieces of evidence. If it is a quote, do not forget to cite it properly. Explain the provided information. The explanation is essential as the readers have to understand the importance of the mentioned facts and be able to evaluate them in relation to the topic. Create a concluding sentence. Each body paragraph should end with a conclusion that demonstrates the contributions of the paragraph to the discussed issue. Take into consideration the following example of the main research paper part: â€Å"Despite the great results in the first month after an introduction of a social program, political experts doubt that it will have a significant influence on the overall development of the local culture. Looking back, the local authorities have already introduced a range of the developmental programs; nonetheless, they only slightly changed the situation for better. As famous journalist Jon Katz once said, â€Å"We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture,† and that is why it is quite difficult to develop and introduce successful cultural programs. Nowadays, people have become more culturally separated, being indifferent to the cultural preferences of the others. Taking into account this fact, there is a need to create more flexible programs that would be able to adapt and function in different cultural communities throughout the country.† Every well-written research paper has a number of logical conclusions an author should arrive at. Yours is no exception. For that reason, include such an essential part of a research paper as a conclusion. Remember that it isn’t just an element of the particular descriptive process. This is the part where you should explain how your research paper can influence the field by naming the findings. Post-Writing Public Administration Research Paper Writing Tips Last but not least is to take into account the following post-writing tips provided be some experienced specialists in academic writing. Thus, all of them highly recommend to proofread a paper. So when the public administration research paper is written, it is crucial to read the whole paper and check its structure and content. Each body paragraph should have particular structure and include topic sentence, its further explanation, a piece of evidence or a fact and its explanation, and a concluding sentence. In addition, all the claims should be supported with the relevant facts and evidence found in reliable sources. The information in the text should be presented in a comprehensive and understandable way without irrelevant words and word combinations. Besides, you should read the paper for the second time and check it for misspellings, improper citations, content inaccuracies, and third-person pronouns. What is more, it is crucial for you to check all the supportive facts, evidence , and final results. Finally, the paper should be presented in a particular format and the reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order.

Human Service Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Service Integration - Essay Example To understand the actual sense of Service Integration, it is very important that a body of knowledge is developed on how delivering human services, informed by inter-organizational collaboration, impacts the lives of human service recipients. However, Longoria (2003) highlighted that inter-organizational collaboration has come into view as a statement of direction for social welfare policy and professional practice. Longoria in his studies has suggested that symbolism is often integral to social welfare policy development and central to an institutional theoretical framework of inter-organizational relations. Even though the nature of service integration is well established in speculation, making it an operational reality has remained elusive over the last few years, but not for lack of effort or creativity some agencies have made phenomenal progress toward service integration, despite complex and ever-changing political, economic, demographic, and technological conditions. As we know that, Morrison (1996) argued that "partnerships with families cannot be considered separately from partnership practice between and within agencies deficits in collaboration undermine the experience of partnership for families" (p.135). Research on the human service proposes that the notion and outcomes of inter-organizational collaboration are not understood in a better manner. One-stop shops have emerged, joint planning has been initiated, colocation of two or more service agency's staff has been implemented, standard initial screening tools and eligibility processes have been established, and the merging of data systems is ongoing in many jurisdictions. While there have been successful pilot programs over the years, there have been few broadly implemented system changes that have brought service integration pilot programs "to scale." In light of a blurred understanding of collaboration, this research recommends the perception has commanding symbolic qualities, which affects its continued use. Gottshall, (2002) saw traditionally associate "leadership" with the work of the chief executive, the missing component in successfully integrating services is leadership work performed throughout the organization (p.6). An organization with sufficient leadership capacity to integrate services is made up of employees who all perform components of leadership work, management work, task/technical work, and team skills. Policy makers, administrators, and the common citizens are energetically endorsing collaboration between human service organizations in the United States (Atkinson, 1999). Nevertheless, the concept and outcomes of collaboration are not well understood (Reitman, 2005). The encouragement of collaboration may have roots in its worth as a sign of sagacity, efficiency, authenticity, and social responsibility (Morrison, 1996). In light of an array of rising accountability potentials which link funding streams to an organization's attainment of explicit performance standards, an unconditional and overzealous embrace of inter-organizational collaboration may result in a marked reduction in the already limited resources for human service stakeholders and

EnERGY WEDGES Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EnERGY WEDGES - Lab Report Example Our group resorted to construction of an energy wedge, which we thought would be fit and endorsed by the whole world as a sufficient means of controlling carbon emission in the atmosphere by the years 2055. As a group, we opted for full implementation and use of renewable resources as the major and the cheapest means of energy production. The renewable sources coded with green color include the conservation of vegetation cover such as the forest. The trees and other vegetation cover absorb half of carbon produced by the atmosphere hence it is possible that if the vegetation cover is increased it can act as a means of controlling the amount of atmospheric carbon (UNEP, 2007). Other renewable source of energy includes use of wind as source of energy. Use of solar panels as a substitute for electricity is also a major way of reducing carbon as a source of energy. Others include soil cover, and use of bio-fuels. Our next energy wedge includes full use of nuclear power. I disagree with the group on this choice mainly because nuclear power faces poor political good will. Secondly, most of the countries always intend to use it as a weapon of mass destruction. The energy power is already designated using red color, which indicates danger. The next wedge included use of fossil fuel. I also disagree with the group based on their choice. The reason being this is not an immediate and easy way of cutting carbon emission in the atmosphere. I opt for efficient use of carbon energy sources in place of the use of biofuels. This is because it is already in use and it is easy to implement (Nesta, 2009). (Levy, A 2020 Low Carbon Economy) From the work sheet, it is evident that our energy wedge did not earn the interest of the taxpayers. This can be attributed by the use of nuclear power as a source of energy. The energy companies rated the energy wedges lowly for a reason