Managing Diversity at Workplace

Outline Workforce diversity should be treated as a business initiative and not a human resource or personnel department function. There is a strong business case for diversity in the workplace. The 21st century enterprises have a felt need to value, and leverage diversity. It is top agenda item for successful CEOs. It is commonly accepted business reality that heterogeneous groups outperform homogenous groups.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Heterogeneous groups are better at problem solving, effective at decision making, and they are particularly well equipped in generating creative ideas. The advantage comes from the fact that the diversity of the workforce background itself imparts a fertile launch pad for creativity to work at its best. Two brains are better than one is a truism aptly applicable to business situations. The power of brainstormin g to create a dramatic impact in finding creative solutions to business problems is enormous. Modern work teams can do wonders in workplace. Productivity, and work quality significantly go up when employees have, or perceive they have, a full opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. 3M typifies such philosophy abundantly. There is a sense of job ownership, project ownership, ownership of the outcome. Even the most die-hard critic of workforce diversity will be unable to refute the obvious benefits of diversity. Introduction We live in a society that is known for its differences. Diversity in terms of multiculturalism, gender politics, affirmative action, preferences, and mandates have become part of our existence. We are today more actively dividing ourselves by race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, cultural norms, physical ability, and socioeconomic status, than in the past (George, 1961). Though diversity is in existence since long, it is only recently that it has attracted greater attention from the corporate mandarins. Managing diversity is nothing but changing the organisational culture or its standard operating procedures. The fostered culture should enable employees to closely examine their values and beliefs and question themselves as to why others look different for them. Diversity management must essentially create an environment that works naturally for the total diversity mixture. Keeping this in view the present paper attempts to clarify some of the real life business challenges in an environment characterised by diversity in workforce.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Why Diversity Management? Human beings tend to see through their own views and interpret the views by what is accustomed to them. There is an addiction to seek the aggregation of those makes a lot of agnate to them for the acquisition and assurance in similarities. It is difficult for humans to conceive power, and history shows that it is rarely done voluntarily. They abide by the external changes and always strive for an accompaniment of homeostasis. This amusing absoluteness makes an atmosphere appropriate for diversity, which includes anybody; adolescent, old, abandoned and affluent, Hindu or Muslim or Christian. Assortment calls for anniversary being advancing to agreement with his or her attitudes, beliefs, and expectations about others and accepting abundance with the differences. To achieve from the affluence of talents and perspectives that can alone appear from accepting an advanced array of humans in adjustment of authoritative roles, managements accept to alternation advisers to accept the differences that abide aural cultures and as well amount the similarities that abide amid capricious cultures. Even to absorb humans with altered backgrounds and characteristics who are able with appropriate skills, organisations acc ept to ensure that such advisers are not appropriate for their different claimed and cultural ancestry as the amount of inclined behaviour in the organisation; they may acquire their own way to other firms who wish them on their own terms. Different organisations are viewing diversity’ in different ways. By diversity, we commonly mean differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, national origin and sexual orientation. But technically speaking, â€Å"diversity goes beyond these visibilities and encompasses an infinite range of individuals’ unique characteristics and experiences including communication styles, physical characteristics such as height and weight, speed of learning and comprehension, socioeconomics, and education† (Anthony, 2005, p. 1). The diversities associated with education, socioeconomic and work experience are, of course, considered more critical for organisational success today. In this context, diversity has become a res ource for organisations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Diversity at Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the workplace, diversity, if properly managed, optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to the organisational success by encouraging each employee to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been brought into the system for the benefit of both the individual and the organisation. Today, flourishing companies are taking action to appeal people who are blessed with talents, adventures and perspectives, socioeconomic accomplishments and again to alone and aggregately empower them to accord aggregate they accept in adjustment to attain business objectives. The ambition of assortment is not to calculate humans by category, but to account from the best mix of humans of such a category. It is the organisations that could ins til variety into the organisation in tune with their eyes and cardinal objectives accept reaped added benefits. Different Dimensions People exhibit abundant differences in how they recognize changes in the organisation based on claimed characteristics. Of course, there is a hypothesis in psychology, which says that behaviour of an individual is an action of the being interacting with his or her environment. For example, an annoyed worker gets balked while alive for a close that requires approval of place from abounding levels. That is how assortment in the workforce fosters mixed responses, ideas, and outputs in the organisation. Researchers observe particularly seven major differences: Humans alter in productivity; humans alter in adeptness and talent; humans differ in their ability for accomplishing top superior results; humans alter in how abundant they wish to be empowered and involved; humans alter in the appearance of administration they adopt and need; humans alter in their c harge for acquaintance with added people; and humans alter in their bulk of charge and adherence to the firm. Personality differences are another source of diversity. The personality factors such as sociability, affecting stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, artlessness to experience, self-monitoring of behaviour and affecting intelligence make an impact on employee’s achievement at work places. It determines how an employee gathers and evaluates information. Sensation displays individuals’ ability to accept and orderliness in their job action area as employees’ admiration to accept an all-embracing viewpoint and as well adore analytic new problems. Feeling blazon humans are about conformists and by all agency try to abstain disagreement. Contrarily, cerebration blazon individuals await added on their ability rather than affect to break problems.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is believed that a diverse work force is always superior to a homogenous group. A heterogeneous group is proved to be capable of producing higher-quality ideas and is likely to take quality decisions for greater the diversity, greater will be the innovation in the organisation. A company’s mere willingness to employ diverse workforce such as people from different races, genders, cultural backgrounds, the disabled, etc., may make it a darling of the market and thus give a boost to its market cap and sales volumes (Gregory, 1980). Organisation image: The image of an organisation follows same connotations and meanings as that carried by an individual in real life. The organisations also exhibit same traits and behaviour as exhibited by individuals. So organisations must create a culture that values diversity; practices policies that foster mutual respect, a sense of belonging for all, and the acceptance of differences, promote a culture where diversity is valued; and corporat e wide diversity training serves to promote this image. Concern for equality: In their practices, organisations must demonstrate equal respect for minority and majority group members. To achieve this, companies must develop performance expectations and reward systems that are unbiased. Often, minority-group members feel that they work harder than majority group members, but still are not compensated equally (Orlando, 2000). Career development: Companies that want to create a climate where diversity is valued must promote minority group members with the opportunity for development and promotion. Most important, they must provide minorities an access to top-level management positions. Minorities who hold high-level positions can send a message to those in the lower ranks that this is a company that values diversity. Hiring practices: Organisations must work hard to recruit and hire multicultural employees. At the same time companies must provide those prospective workers with an oppor tunity to be hired into well-paying positions, equal to the opportunities extended to majority groups. Companies can benefit from setting goals and guidelines for minority hiring. Unfortunately, some organisations seek to build a diverse work group by hiring many minority group workers into low-paying, unskilled positions. Rather than creating an image of a positive multicultural environment, however, this crowding of minorities at lower positions fosters negative feelings. Minority members sense that they must do the â€Å"dirty work† and feel they are being used by the organisation (John, 1982). Benefits of Workplace Diversity In the global economy, lack of cross-cultural understanding among the business people may lead to delays in getting the job done right, poor performance, decreased revenues and lost opportunities. Similarly, the need for adaptability is found to be quite essential for success in the globalised economy and diversity enhances adaptability. It is only by employing a wide assortment of people; richness of talents and perspectives can be brought into organisations. There are thus more than one reason why companies deliberately take initiatives to build diversity among its employees, of course, in tune with its stated vision and mission statements. Organisations that manage their diverse workers can increase their productivity substantially through many ways, one of which is increased problem-solving ability. Such productivity may result from increase in creativity that has been hypothesised to be related to heterogeneity. For example, bilingualism and biculturalism have been found to be related to divergent thinking, which in turn has been hypothesised to be associated with creativity (John, 1995). Recently, it has been demonstrated that ethnic heterogeneity in small groups is associated with increased quality of ideas generated for solving problems. Increased heterogeneity also brings in another benefit the prevention of group think phenomenon that occurs only in cohesive groups. Such factors however depend on how factors such as amount of diversity, ease of discussing differences, cultural awareness training, and background information on group members affect the quality of idea generation. With the advent of digital economy one of the greatest challenges facing the organisations is the increasing diversity of workforce. It has become an essential business concern. There is a talent war raging among companies to retain their best talent in a bid to retain their competitive advantage. Diversity management and change management go hand in hand. They mutually support each other (Anton, 1970). Organisations that adapt themselves to change are more likely to be comfortable with managing diversity better. Likewise, organisations are comfortable with diversity and are more likely to be able to anticipate and adapt to changes in the globalised business environment. They will be nimble footed to react instantaneously to the situational demands. It is known that organisations that are ready to accept changes can be stronger inherently as it would benefit them in terms of achieving adaptability to manage complexity, contradictions, and paradoxes. Office technology has felt the revolutionary nature of change the most. The technological sophistication is a natural enabler to the manage diversity in a planned and systematic manner. Technology offers a level playing field to each individual regardless of gender, race, age, and so on. It is a great equaliser (Bertallanfy, 1968). It eliminates the human bias. Electronic meeting is case to point as an example. It is a way of exchange ideas for free. Everyone has an active participative role shot. An electronic meeting paves the way for a secured atmosphere in which ideas and suggestions can be shared and proposed easily. As a marketing strategy in today’s global economy it makes eminent sense to make the workforce represented by people from all wa lks of life covering a broad spectrum like different ethnicities, races, ages, abilities, genders. To ensure that their articles and casework are advised to address to this assorted chump base, advancing companies are hiring people, from those walks of activity for their specialised insights and knowledge. Similarly, companies having direct interface with the clientele are finding increasingly important to match the profile of the workforce with the profile of their customer base. Homogeneous workforce always result in less external interaction and communication and companies that retain such a workforce would not be effective in framing policies and programmes in consultation with people of different tastes and preferences. To stay competitive the workforce diversity helps the companies as a capacity-building strategy. They need to sprint in order to stay where they are. The dynamics of change is no more evolutionary in nature rather it is revolutionary. Companies that advance acce pt the accommodation to actually break problems, bound acclimate to new situations, readily analyse new opportunities and capitalise on them instantaneously. The scope of talent, experience, knowledge, insight, and acuteness accessible in their workforces can go a continued way in architecture the accommodation for the enterprise. Whatever may be reasons that prompt companies, it is an obvious fact that companies that diversify their workforces will have a distinct advantage over those that don’t. The huge allowances of workforce diversity will be experienced, not by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans in animosity of their differences, but by the companies that accept abstruse to apply humans because of them. Diversity Management and implementation of diversity policy The acceptation of workforce diversity has been a cause for worry in contemporary years. Not continued ago, diversity referred to a person’s gender or indigenous group. Diversity today enc ompasses differences in age, administration in an organisation, educational background, human acclimatisation or preference, concrete abilities or qualities and amusing status, bread-and-butter status, lifestyle, religion, ethnicity, and genders a part of abounding added characteristics (James, 2001). Also the abstract suggests that diversity administration refers to efforts to animate a amalgamate workforce to accomplish up to its abounding abeyant in an candid plan ambiance area no one accumulation has advantage or disadvantage. Its focus is on alone differences rather than ability differentials. The main arguments identified in these definitions can be summarised by defining diversity as: Diversity is an authoritative behaviour, which acknowledges and ethics differences and similarities a part of humans and how the differences can plan to advance the organisation. It as well agency compassionates the authoritative environments with an acknowledgment for gender, culture, and indig enous lifestyles. Developing and maintaining programs that foster diversity have proven difficult for companies in which embracing diversity amounts to a cultural change. Because, company cultures are deeply rooted and the resulting beliefs are widely held, and culture is difficult to change. Many organisations have attempted to find quick fixes for diversity enhancements, but sooner or later those firms have learned that there is no such thing as a quick fix. Fostering and managing diversity requires a comprehensive and carefully planned approach. Given below is a diversity management model that the authors have developed through extensive literature review and issues raised by researchers and scholars in the field. The differences in ethnicity, culture, gender, age, and lifestyle impart variety of perspectives to the workplace. All perspectives are not only essential but should be actively sought. The spirit of alternate regard, cooperation and investment through acquainted accomp lishment to advance development of agents leads to synergy the action in which alive calm yields after-effects greater than the sum of alone efforts. Proactively create and sustain an internal climate of equal opportunity for all through work force development initiatives such as job growth opportunities, through mentoring, job shadowing and training, tuition reimbursement, employee recognition, and improved communication on relevant issues and activities. The link between workplace diversity and good management The organisations are also waking up to the fact that managing workplace diversity is imperative. Though organisations acknowledge the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce, efforts are not in tandem with the prominence given to the issue. Workforce diversity is throwing up complexities no doubt, but looking at the broader picture, we see that there has been a movement from simple to complex in all realms of the workplace. System thinking has replaced a simplistic ca use- effect relationship. Managements are trying to integrate and benefit from a diverse workforce by coming up with options like flexi time benefits. Gender diversity training programs aimed at highlighting the politically correct work practices and individual behaviours are gaining popularity worldwide (Christopher, 2000). The flip side is that some managers feel that increased workforce diversity may cause management problems. Diversity brings with it the need for more flexibility, which makes management more complicated (e.g., scheduling, compensation plans, interpersonal communication, ethnic differences) (Philip, 1974). The crux of the issue lies in the fact that women in workforce is a reality and the aim of organisations must be to think of how best to harness this vast pool of talent and not glorify the issues as complications. The boards of companies, which expressed faith and backed their women employees, have been rewarded handsomely. Management research is now focusing on a feminine style of management that highlights the success of adopting a feminine or a softer approach to managing people. Many studies have shown that women in fact can make better managers. Workforce diversity can be managed only through a change in the mindset. Integrating the people working in an organisation successfully should be a product of the organisational culture and not a stand-alone training program. The day the women in organisations are accepted as being indispensable, just as in a family, that will be the day the term gender diversity with its negative connotations will cease to exist. Efforts to build a diverse climate and creation of multicultural opportunities will not by themselves create an organisation that values diversity unless management practices reflect this commitment (Robert, 2001). If diversity is to be optimised, top managers must recognise the capabilities of all employees, take their ideas seriously, and support both minority and majority-group employees. Managers must communicate effectively and accept employees who do not speak the local language. Finally, managers must respect the cultural beliefs and needs of employees and truly value the diversity of the workforce. Strategies that can lead to diversity include diversity-awareness training and the hiring of managers and top executives who reflect variety in gender, race, and ethnicity. The role administration practices plays in acknowledging assortment highlights the charge to appoint and advance top-level agents associates who are acute to the apropos of multicultural employees. The management can do this by incorporating this in their hiring practices to hire people who are sensitive and can relate to multicultural workforce. Conclusion Diversity among workforce becomes an asset business. It enables organisations to have a command over choice. Diversity brings to organisations unique perspectives. Understanding the demographic differences among the workforce can help organisations capitalise on diversity and avoid negative stereotyping. If managed properly, diversity optimises the willingness and ability of all employees to contribute to organisational success besides, encouraging each to draw fully on the talents, different points of view, skills, and practices that have been made available by diverse workforce. Diversity, if managed badly, can become a liability. References Anthony, Ferner, Phil Almond and Trevor Colling (2005), Institutional Theory and the Cross-National Transfer of Employment Policy: The Case of ‘Workforce Diversity’ in US Multinationals. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 36, pp 1- 86 Anton, C. Zijderveld (1970), The Abstract Society-A Cultural Analysis of Our Time, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England Bertallanfy, Von Ludwig (1968), General System Theory: Foundations, Development and Applications, George Braziller, New York Christopher, Earley P. and Elaine Mosakowski (2000), Creating Hybrid Team Cu ltures: An Empirical Test of Transnational Team Functioning, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No1, pp-26-49 Gregory, Bateson (1980), Steps to an Ecology of the Mind (chapter on Double Bind Theory of Schizophrenia), Ballantine Books, New York George, H. Sabine (1961), A History of Political Theory (Chapter Hegel: Dialectic and Nationalism’pp-620-668), George G Harrap co. Ltd., London James, Collins et al (2001), Good to Great, Why Some Companies Make the Leap and others Don’t, Random House, New Zealand John, Naisbitt (1995), Global Paradox, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London John, Naisbitt (1982), Megatrends, Warner Communications, New York Orlando, C. Richard (2000), Racial Diversity, Business Strategy, And Firm Performance: A Resource-based View-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 164-177 Philip, Herbst (1974), Socio-Technical Design, Tavistock Publications, London Robert, J. Keller (2001), Cross Functional Project Groupsin Research and new Pro duct Development-Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 44, No 3, pp-547-557 This report on Managing Diversity at Workplace was written and submitted by user Kaylynn Hebert to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Malvolio Essay essays

Malvolio Essay essays In the play "Twelfth Night" the character, Malvolio, is an ill mannered steward. Although Malvolio is ill mannered I truly believe he was treated way to harshly be the others. Malvolio's departure also leaves a loose end in the plot which weakens the play. Even if Malvolio was ill mannered, he's treatment by the others was way to harsh. There is no reason for a person to suffer such treatment for being accused of being a "puritan" and so the characters pranks at his expense are more mean than their playfulness suggests. Wishing for Olivia's love and to be more than his current rank and his continuous disapproval of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew's drinking, earns him their hatred and quickly becomes their pawn in a complex romantic ruse. At first I thought the prank was funny and was just to have a little laugh. Sending a letter telling Malvolio that Olivia loves him and that if he wants to make her happy he should do certain foolish things such as wear yellow stockings is the kind of harmless prank we see often enough in our society. If the prank would of ended there it would of been just fine but since they want further and they locked him and tied up in a dark chamber for excuse saying he had gone mad. I don't believe anyone shoul d be locked in a chamber like that even less when they didn't do anything wrong and even worst they accused him of being mad. Malvolio doesn't deserve none of this all his done was be pretty boring and maybe a bit ill mannered which I don't think is all that bad, and they could of at least tried to talk to him about it if it bothered them so much. At the end, Malvolio is released and he leaves threatening to have revenge on the whole pack of them. I don't think he overreacted because I probably would of done something like that. This leaves a loose and in the plot because we don't know what will happen with him, he might just leave and never come back or not leave at all but ...

Privacy about Emailing, AIM or MSN Messenger Essay

Privacy about Emailing, AIM or MSN Messenger - Essay Example It can be a privacy issue because it can identify the location of the user to the receiver because their I.P address is indicated during the process. This is dangerous especially when the user logs into insecure chat rooms to talk to individuals who are strangers. The internet messaging services share a similar implication to emailing, and can easily be applied to forward spam messaging that generate slow progress towards completion of delegated duties. The other provision that the IM and emailing service provide is witnessed in the transfer of viruses that could be transferred from one machine across a network. There is privacy breached in accessing information about the user even when there is no logging process because the information is accorded the server. These systems have proved vulnerable to breach with the society containing system hackers who are capable of obtaining information through tracing vital information on the server system. Recommended technological Solutions The first realization that users should note is that the IM system is not the most secure means to relay information or store vital individual components. There should be application of alternative means if the nature of the information being passed is important in achieving progress (Willner 5). There are limited measures to hide the IP address but an option is given to seize using the automatic logging process. The sites should be accessed only on necessary areas with a careful observation to reduce the online time. AOL has been developed to limit the amount of messages that a server is capable of transmitting. It further applies measures to gain control over the recipient of the messages. This may be implemented through blocking the person that is to receive the message and only allow access when there is the need. In controlling the rate of virus transfer between machines, there should be identification of the secure files. This measure is applied in attributing the source of the r eceived files. The valuable contribution that can be connected to this problem is via applying updated antivirus software in the machine. There is a measure that is applied to block or reduce the IM service through shutting down ports. Moreover, there needs to be an implementation of security policies that define their operations. These rules are expected to regulate on the utilization f the type of software in the policies, and the legislative measure that would be implemented when the set regulations are breached. Before engaging in any communication exercise, the message logging can be disabled. ICQ is provides a system for automatic logging on first users, but the option can be disabled to reduce security risks. This is then vital because the users are not identified during the log in process. Developed Solutions The solutions to reduce the privacy risks are witnessed in applying the measures to hide the identity of user information by disabling the automated logging system. Thi s is applied by most individuals who access the IM systems on pubic environs like in the cyber cafes. These areas provide minimal security for personal information, and the individual may be exposed to demeaning acts that may threaten to invade their private life setting. The measure that can be applied to ensure that the security is maintained would be through clearing the

Artist and manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Artist and manager - Essay Example A year later, he worked in partnership with rapper B.o.B on Nothin’ on You and core-wrote Travis McCoy’s Billionaire. These two debut hit songs were Top Ten hits. Bruno turned this impetus in his favor launching a solo profession with his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. I met Bruno Mars by booking a hotel room where the he was staying (Bruno Mars 1). Being a musician tremendous, it is virtually felony that people are permitted to ply music for a living. But like felony, music does not normally pay. To get the gigs that pay, and keep getting them, musicians require to exude a high level of professionalism that is frequently a lot less alluring than the sexy life of a celebrity. Bruno Mars follows directions well Since most musicians make a living playing music for other people, they have to excel at what those individuals want. Whether the artist is hired to play a wedding, be studio musician, they have to excel at taking directions. More often than not, those directi ons are defectively communicated by individuals that do not understand music, but an expert musician understands how to translate any sort of instruction rapidly, without getting frustrated, and make the patron satisfied and happy. Bruno Mars is well organized In a nutshell, a professional musician keeps a calendar and learns how to tell time. There is nothing more annoying that tardiness. Furthermore, an artist possibly needs to keep track of huge quantity of material. Many sidemen play in manifold bands and have to learn unique music by song-composers than hire them, and cover for concerts. Bruno Mars has good communication skills When handling with individuals that do not understand anything about music and not much about the trade, an artist should be capable to lead most of the conversation. Offers recommendations, draw up contracts, and understand how to say what they want without coming off as impatient or greedy (Allen 13-21) SWOT analysis for music industry The beginning of just about every marketing strategy is history begins with what is understood s a SWOT Analysis. Even if I don’t always do it properly, a SWOT analysis is the best way to deal with Bruno Mars’ current status in a market and what the next steps must be. Having one in handle will assist me to establish what the steps of my client’s marketing plan must be and how best to approach the 2-3 months of marketing for Mars’ brand. SWOT analyses are separated into two classifications: internal and external. The strengths and weakness of Bruno Mars brand are things the band can regulate and the chances and threats are things that are outside my control. It is essential to acknowledge this fact when attempting to decide which steps to take moving forward. As Bruno Mar’s manager I like to utilize the SWOT analysis to take a hard look at a band’s present status. The analysis does not to have to be long, but I want to understand that real strengths, weakne sses, opportunities, and threats the musician has. This specific SWOT analysis is done based on Bruno Mars’ new album release (Macy 23-45). Strengths Twitter following: 17, 374, 406 YouTube view count of 100, 000 views each video release for the last 2 months Local press has positively covered the artist in the past Weaknesses The artist has not tour sponsors Not sufficient money to pay for national publicity campaign Live performances have not been set up in a touring route. This makes

The Straight Dope Science Advisory Board Essay Example for Free

The Straight Dope Science Advisory Board Essay Abstract: Is it possible to create a science fiction-type force field? The article begins with a person asking the staff of The Straight Dope Science Advisory Board a question concerning the possibility of creating a fiction-type force field. The staff member asks the person to clarify the question by asking if it is a force field that protects a ship, a tractor beam or something to keep prisons in holding. She then explains the different kinds of forces considered by physicists and ow some theories have combined the different forces. Briefly giving explanations, she looks at the possibility of a force field using the each of the different forces. She covers the four main forces: strong, weak, gravity and electromagnetism. Strong and weak forces cannot create a force field unless there are aliens or enemies with no electrons. The forces are for relatively very short distances, smaller than the protons and neutrons inside a nuclei. In other words, strong and weak forces are inefficient in creating a force field seen in science fiction movies. Next, she evaluated gravity in the possibility of creating a force field. Through her explanation, she shared two reasons gravity is not a good choice for creating a field. First, gravity is the weakest force. It is also is an attractive force, not a repulsive one. It could not prevent aliens or enemies out, but would do the opposite, keep them in. It could be used as a tractor beam; however, but due to calculations, it would need a black hole. Electromagnetism was looked at last as a possibility. The main problem is the fact that these forces work on charged matter. We are electrically neutral and the aliens would likely be as well. She suggested creating an immobile sheet of electrons, basically a wall. Her last suggestion was sharing that to make the force field invisible, you Just use plexiglass.

Three Levels of Management

Three Levels of Management Introduction Information system means by which people and organizations utilize technologies, collect, store use and distribute information. Good information system is used to provide important information for decision making. The information technology may be used for the processing, storing or distribution of data. These technologies collectively include information technology and data. It is an organized combination of people, hardware, software, communications networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transform and disseminate information in an organization. Very main functions of information systems issystems analysis and design, that is to say, analyzing a customers business condition (or trouble), with deference towards information processing, and designing and implementing an suitableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ generally computerizedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ solution to the difficulty. Information systems professionals who focus in this part are known assystems analysts. The procedure begins with a complete determination of the clients information needs and business processes. The result normally involves various programming, in addition to the use of a suitable application software package(s), for example a database management system (DBMS) used for designing and implementing a database for the customer. It may also involve a number of networking considerations, depending on the users needs and goals. Levels of management The term level of management refers to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions. The number of levels of management depends upon the size, technology, degree, of diversity and nature of product. There are mainly three levels of management in most of the organization. There are Top level management Middle level management Lower level management Top level management Top level consists of the board of directors, general manager and other senior executives. They fix the objectives of the organization. They fix the objectives of the organization. They prepare policies and takes important decisions to accomplish the objectives of the organization. They issue instruction and orders to lower level management. Every organization runs by the managers in that organization, who are taking opinion in the all step of organizational activities. In a big organization the computer department responsible for giving information or data also called management information department. In an organizational information system is used to communicate and analyze the in every levels of the organization. In this level decides on the board objectives of an organization. Enterprise resource planning Enterprise resource planning is a method to add the information and processes of an organization into one single system. Generally Enterprise resource planning systems will have a lot of works including hardware and software, in order to attain integration, most ERP systems use a joined database to store data for different functions establish all over the organization. The word ERP firstly referred to how a big organization planned to use organizational wide resources. In the past,ERP systemswere used in better more industrial types of companies. However, the use of ERP has changed and is really complete, nowadays the word can refer to every kind of company, no matter what industry it falls in. Actually ERP systems are used in approximately every type of organization large or small. In order for asoftwaresystem to be considered ERP, it must provide an organization with functionality for two or more systems. While some ERP packages exist that only cover two functions for an organization (QuickBooks: Payroll Accounting), most ERP systems cover several functions. Executive Information Systems (EIS) An Executive Information System (EIS) is a type of management information system planned to assist and support the information and decision making needs of senior executives by given that simple access to both internal and external information related to meeting the strategic goals of the organization. The importance of executive information system is on graphical displays and easy to use user interfaces. EIS are enterprise large decision support system that helps top level executives study, evaluate and emphasize trends in important variables so that they can check performance and identify opportunities and troubles. Middle level management Middle level consists of head of financial departments. They are responsible to top management. They are concerned with organization and direction function of management. Interpretation of the programs and policies communicate by the top level management, organizing and manning their departments as per the main plan, plan the departmental operations, guide direct and motivate their workers to attain the objective, co-operate and co-ordinate with other departments, evaluate the performance of his subordinates, collect reports and statics from the lower and send in to top level management. These are the functions of middle level management. Acquire and arrange the resources to meet the goals of an organization. In this level define the detailed tasks to be carried out at the operational level. Management information and reporting systems (MIS):- These systems present mid-level and senior managers through periodic, often summarized, information that help them determine performance (e.g., an exacting regions sales performance in a particular time period) and create right decision based on that information. Provide middle level management with reports that summarize and categorise information derived from company database. Decision support systems (DSS): These systems are considered to assist mid-level and higher-level managers create those complicated decisions about which not all related restriction is known. There are decision support systems that help out groups to create consensus-based decisions; this is well-known as group decision support systems. A type of decision support system that is geared mainly toward high-level higher managers is theexecutive information system(EIS) orexecutive support system(ESS). As this has the ability to do extremely detail analyses, just like a regular DSS, it is designed mainly to help executives continue track of a little particular items that are critical to their day-to-day high-level decisions. Expert systems: An expert system is built with form keen on the computer the thinking processes and decision-making heuristics of a conventional specialist in an exacting field. As a result, this kind of information system istheoreticallyable of making decisions for a customer, based on input received from the customer Lower level management Lower level management is also known as supervisory management. This level includes supervisors, foremen, gang boss, accounts officer, sales officer etc. They are more concerned with direction and control function of management. Their functions are:- plan for a day or weak, organize the activities of his group, allot work to the workers under him, issue instructions at the site, motivate the employees, arrange materials, machines, tools etc. for workers, give guidance and supervise the employees, to maintain discipline and good relations with the groups. Most decisions at in this level require easily defined information that relates to the current status and activities within the basic business functions. Information is gained from detained report which contains information about routine activities. Detailed tasks defined by middle management are carried out by people at operational level. Transaction processing systems (TPS):- These documentation and way of an organizations transactions, for example sales transactions or stock items, from the instant everybody is first created until it leaves the system. This help out the managers at the daily effective level keep track of daily transactions in addition to create decisions on when to put orders, create consignment, and almost immediately. These systems capture and process about business transactions. Sometimes its called as data processing systems. It is mostly used at operational level. Usually creates detailed reports of daily transactions or future transactions. Reports generated are useful only to lower level managers of the organisation. Toyota Enterprises Information Systems Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) is the second largest vehicle manufacturer in Australia. Toyota Australia has exported over 60000 cars to over 20 different commercial locations worldwide in 2003.Toyota Industries is developing and manufacturing information systems, such as the Warehouse Management System (WMS), and the stocking management system for automatic warehouses. When combined with the logistics equipment of TOYOTA Material Handling Company, we are able to provide our customers with optimized logistics solutions at their worksite. Business-to-consumer (B2C):- The main aspects of business -to-consumer this is the most common form in ecommerce. The business is selling its items to an individual. The supplier is the business owner and the purchaser is the individual consumer. In selling items through the website, business owners usually creates catalogs and online shopping carts for the consumers to choose from and for the business owners to accept online payments. Business-to-business (B2B):-The buyers and the sellers are both business owners. This is the type in which selling is among the companies. Mainly products that are sold by businesses are not manufactured by their own company. They immediately purchased those products throughout wholesalers or from the product manufacturer itself. For example, Toyota Motors does plenty of B2B dealings like purchasing the tires, glasses, rubber hoses and other parts of Toyota vehicles from another manufacturer. Consumer-to-consumer (C2C):- Consumer-to-consumer allows process of products between two individuals. This style does not require a middleman. Also the perfect example of this type is eBay in which it allows individuals to sell and purchase their products directly. Conclusion Information technology is very important in business organization. Information technology is used in every levels of the organization. Companies cannot exist without the use of information technology. The basic concept of information systems has been introduced. Hence, a general idea about the importance of information systems should be achieved. It is very clear that information system is very much important for the successful growth and development of the organization. Bibliography John.G.Burch Gary Grudnitski, Information System: Theory Practice. Graham Curtis David Cobham, Business Information Systems: analysis, design practice Robert.D.Galliers, Dorothy.E.Leinder, Strategic Information Management 4thEdition. George Reynolds, Ethics in Information Technology (2003). http://blog.philwebservices.com/different-types-of-ecommerce http://www.turningcourse.com/ukais/isdefn.pdf http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Information_Systems.html http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=7_-67SshOy8Coi=fndpg=PR9dq=information+systems+IN+TOYOTAots=YlWst9DhG2sig=cB9XURgqsBVDVdf80LLTvELxAQk#v=onepageq=information%20systems%20IN%20TOYOTAf=false

Case Study Cyworld Creating And Capturing Value In Social Network

Case Study Cyworld Creating And Capturing Value In Social Network Group Members: Syed Hasan Zaman (20738) Muhammad Wasim (20735) Mansoor Owais Talha Qadri Question 1: Why do people use social network? Answer: Peoples generally use the social networks for the purpose of managing their social lives, also it includes to satisfy the need of socialization of each individual which is required to be satisfied and the social networks are the most commonly used medium now a days in order to satisfy such need.Comparing it to the other mediums such as emailing, messaging or calling the reason for the preference of the social networking sites is because that the audience in the social network is large enough also it gives the opportunity to socialize with other peoples around the globe and making new friends and connections and getting to know peoples, cultures and values around the globe Question 2: How can you segment Cyworld user?Which segment should Cyworld target? How it can create value fo r users in this segment? Answer: The segmentation of user of Cyworld are the teens and the generation in early twenties as the largest user group of Cyworld is the users comprised of the these two age segmentation. The reasons for these segmentation to be attracted towards Cyworld is that there is no membership fee and the generation is neither able to pay huge membership or reactivation feesCyworld should target the youth as they are most interested generation segment in socialization and who are well aware of using such sites and medium to communicate, contact and maintain their relationships with others and also seek to communicate with peoples around the globe in other regions For creating value for its users, Cyworld initiated with the tactics of introducing the idea of creating and managing minihompys by way of buying the virtual items and decorating the minihompys but later Cyworld observed that the users are getting bored of this activity and realized that the Cyworld will n ot be able to capture justified value on providing such services.After surveying all the factors the Cyworld decided to launch Home2 which is in fact the upgraded version of minihompys but this have the option of sharing photos and many other things. This created more value for the users of the Cyworld and shortly around 80,000 users of the Cyworld migrated to the Home2 as it is something new as it was a blend of blogging and minihompys. Question 3: Which is most valuable for Cyworld – An active user, a user who spends a lot of money with Cyworld or a user with a lot of connection? Answer: The most valuable for Cyworld includes the one who are an active user of the site as they are the potential customer of the organization.Considering the fact of generating revenues, the most revenue generation activity for Cyworld was the Paid Items which concludes the 72% of all the revenue generated by the organization but as a matter of fact the organization can only attain such revenue when item are being sold and the people will only buy if they can show that to others on the site as the items are not tangible neither moveable rather they are all virtual so the only value for the customers is the status regime they show by means of placing it on their own minihompys. The users with a lot of connection is considerably valuable for the company because these are not only permanent users of the site as they won’t leave the site because this will cause them to leave the connections they have and this makes them not only the potential customer but also they can attract others to join the site and can increase the users f Cyworld Question 4: How is Cyworld different from Facebook or Myspace? How these social networking sites are differ from other larger websites such as Amazon, Yahoo and Youtube? Answer: Cyworld is different from Facebook or Myspace as on these social sites it is assumed that we are talking to a public at large (for example writing on a firendâ⠂¬â„¢s wall) but the reality is we are still communicating with a specific group of peoples (i. e. only the friends or connections of that person can see what we posted on his wall). The other reason is Cyworld came with the idea of minihomphys where are Facebook and Myspace lacks such availability of option.The websites such as Amazon, Yahoo or Youtube are specific functioned sites like Amazon is used for online shopping, yahoo is a general purpose site which includes features from offering sale purchase to news reading material and many other areas and Youtube is specifically used for watching videos or sharing it, in comparision to Cyworld, Cyworld offers the sharing of ideas, minihompys, videos, photos, music and many other things and this variety of option differentiate Cyworld from the sites such as Facbook, Myspace, Amazon, Yahoo and Youtube Question 5: What should be Cyworld business model – paid items, mobile networking or advertising? Should Cyworld explore any othe r area of opportunity? Answer:Cyworld started generation of revenue from the services of offering paid items and it constitute 72% of the revenues generated by the company but forecasting the future and analyzing the user behavior and trend Cyworld came to the conclusion that the people in future will not be much interested in purchasing virtual items for real money which can give them not much of value and satisfaction and the company realizes that the revenues will drop if the company sticks to the model of Paid Items. After considering all the facts the company came to the conclusion that the company should migrate from paid items model to the advertising models as followed by Facebook and many other sites. Its hard for Cyworld to make its own position in the market where the websites such as Facebook and Myspace are handling the maximum market share

Environmental Problem: Buried Waste Disposal Sites

Buried waste disposal sites, especially those are near or the actual spots for residential houses, pose great threats to the health and wellbeing individuals who will be exposed more specifically to contaminated water systems. (â€Å"Background on Buried Waste at INL Site,† 2008) Aside from the contamination of the water system that might result to illnesses and diseases caused by water-borne bacteria and viruses, residential houses built on buried waste disposal sites might experience extreme termite or rodent problems which are unsanitary and harmful to the health of families who live in the area.Another issue is the impending threat of obtaining respiratory illnesses from air pollution caused by the excessive amount of chemicals and other compounds present in the area. (Krieger & Higgins, 2002) When it comes to the safety of living in an area built on a buried waste disposal site, there are little guarantees that the foundation of the houses is solid enough to last for the next decade. Chemical processes that take place due to the contact of chemicals underneath the soil might affect the quality of the land and its ability to be unyielding to deterioration and wreckage.(â€Å"Fact Sheet,† 2006) Learning that the house my family and I has been staying for in the past fifteen years was built over a buried waste disposal site would cause a sudden alarm. There is a need to report this issue to authorities, or institutions who are involved with the issue and will be able to help resolve the problems. Government agencies, real estate institutions, neighbors, and other private institutions that specialize in the area of environmental policies and implementation should be informed of such problem.Next, there is a need to recommend evacuation to safer areas for the meantime while studies will be conducted to determine the potential problems that have affected the topography of the area and the potential problems that might have long-term effects on indi viduals who have stayed in the area during the last decade. Also, undergoing medical examination and health-related assessments would be a great move to determine if the time spent living within the area has had an impact on our health and wellbeing.In terms of evaluating the land located over a buried waste disposal site, there are various techniques or approaches available to evaluate potential problems in the future. To determine the impact of the buried waste on the water system, there is a need to implement the processes of waste containment, area restrictions, and groundwater monitoring. Although water sampling would suffice in determining the level of contamination, if present, in the water system, there is a need to implement a thorough process of involving not only the groundwater but the buried wastes in the area.These processes will help authorities to determine whether the buried waste is affecting the water system, and if not, to establish ways to prevent it from happen ing. Moreover, this will also help in determining whether the people who have lived in the area have been exposed to dangerous bacteria or viruses from the contaminated water system. (â€Å"Fact Sheet,† 2006) Another method of approaching the buried waste disposal site problem is the implementation of the baseline risk assessment. This process helps environmental officers and professionals in determining the types of contaminants present in the area.Through the use of historical records and other information that pertain to how the waste disposal site was managed in the past, environment conscious institutions will be able to determine how to approach the problem. They will be able to determine what types of contaminants to look for based on the types of waste disposed in the area. (â€Å"Buried Waste Environmental Investigation,† 2006) Perhaps the most thorough process of evaluating the risks posed by the buried waste disposal site is the risk screening approach.This process follows the direction of the potential impacts that the waste might produce, from its source to its closing stages. The site will be screened in every aspect and dimensions, making sure that possible effect are identified. Once this is concluded, it is time to conduct prevention measures according to the level or priority – depending on the magnitude of damage or threat that the site may impose on the area and human life. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2007) References â€Å"Background on Buried Waste at INL Site. † (2008).Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Idaho Cleanup Project. Website: http://www. id. doe. gov/NEWS/PressReleases/PR080701-Announcement/HistoryofBuriedWaste. pdf â€Å"Buried Waste Environmental Investigation. † (2006). Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Idaho Cleanup Project. Website: https://idahocleanupproject. com/Portals/0/documents/BuriedWaste%20factsheet%20english%20FINAL. pdf Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). CODE OF PRACT ICE: Environmental Risk Assessment for Unregulated Waste Disposal Sites. Website: http://www. epa.ie/downloads/advice/waste/waste/epa_cop_waste_disposal_sites. pdf â€Å"Fact Sheet. † (2006). Retrieved November 11, 2008, from Environmental Protection Agency. Website: http://www. epa. gov/region7/factsheets/2006/fs_eeca_former_ne_plant_mead_ne1106. htm Krieger, J. & Higgins, D. L. (2002). Housing and Health: Time Again for Public Health Action. American Journal of Public Health, Volume 92, Issue 5. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from ProQuest. Website: http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=118106560&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=4538&RQT=309&VName=PQD

The Theory of Connectivism

The Theory of Connectivism Educational theory Learning is a crucial activity in the lives of humans and its forms the basis of the educational process (Isman (2011). Consequently, a lot of attention has been paid to the understanding of how learning takes place, leading to the formulation of numerous theories of learning and instruction. These theories have evolved over the years as developments in other areas of education continue to happen.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The Theory of Connectivism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There is no one theory that can be described as the perfect theory that fits in all learning situations. This means that different theories are applied to different learning situations. The various theories of education and learning describe how learning occurs, the factors that shape learning, the importance of memory in learning, and how knowledge is transferred (Ravenscroft (2011). Behaviorism is one of w ell known learning theories. The theory posits that human beings receive a stimulus in the process of learning, which they respond to. According to Isman (2011), this mode of learning is best promoted by task-based learning. Learning under behaviorism is also influenced by the rewards that are obtained from learning, as well as punishment. Repeated experiences end up establishing memory. Cognitivism is the other theory of learning, which posits that learning occurs in a structured way. Yilmaz (2011) argues that knowledge is transferred by duplicating the knowledge of the instructor in cognitive learning. Consequently, problem solving type of learning highly promotes this mode of learning. The third most common learning theory is constructivism, which is a theory that proposes that knowledge is passed through socialization. Social and cultural factors seem to influence learning under this theory. A more recent theory of learning is the connectivism theory, which posits that knowledge is transferred by connecting to the source if knowledge. According to Ravenscroft (2011), connectivism is a complex learning mode where learning is distributed in a web and it is enhanced by technological advancement. Connectivism According to Thomas (2010), the emergence and development of diverse communication tools and the subsequent deployment of these tools in the discharge of education has resulted in the alteration of the learning environment. What is meant here is that there is a lot of change in the way education is discharged.Advertising Looking for dissertation on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This comes from the fact that education is changing from the traditional perspective where it was delivered in specific learning environments that were largely confined in nature to the development of a virtual learning environment where content is not only guided by the teachers, but is also discharged by students who use technology to advance learning between and among themselves. This literature review contains the discussion of how the theory of connectivism has been applied in the field of education. Siemens (2011) argues that information technology has transformed the traditional learning environment in a significant way that necessitates a new learning theory. One rationale for the creation of a new theory of learning is that in the digital age, most learning environments are intertwined, technological, and social in nature (Kaufman Mann, 2007). Kaufman and Mann (2007) further observe that the different connection points in learning have been developed in learning where the use of technology, especially the web 2.0 technology tools are used to create learning groups by students. This is done both in formal literacy and informal literacy within the wide learning environment that is becoming wider due to the prevalence of diverse technology platforms for discharging learning activities. Dunaway (2011) observes that connectivism is one of the foundational theories that provide a critical framework on which learning on the part of the students is characterized in the contemporary learning environment where information and communication technology is taking center stage in the learning environment. The contemporary application of information and communication tools and technologies in learning is slowly but surely resulting in limiting the role and actual influence of teachers as the moderators of learning and is promoting scenes where students are taking the center stage in the contemporary learning environment. At this juncture, it is imperative to revisit the observation by Thomas (2010), whose argument about the application of the connectivism learning theory in the modern learning environment that is technology driven, reiterates on change in the manner in which literacy instruction is discharged.Advertising We will write a custom dissertatio n sample on The Theory of Connectivism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The connectivist approach to learning can, thus, be better informed by looking at the real attributes of learning and literacy as fostered by both the learners and the educators (Dunaway, 2011). Pan and Franklin (2011) found that students had a comfort level customizing social media and educational tools to meet their learning needs. However, for many teachers, it was their first experience with online collaboration and Web 2.0 tools in an educational context. Kvavik (2005) noted that for Web 2.0 tools and a connectivist theory to be embraced, teachers should be eager and ready to utilize the technology. As the online environment matures, the role of both teachers and students grows, especially within group discussions where students interact with one another as opposed to interacting exclusively with the teacher. The connectivist learning theory alters the role of the t eacher, ensuring that students are involved and engaged in learning by answering each others posts as opposed to answering the teacher (Livingston, 2011). In a case study of blogging and its use in the connectivist learning theory, Garcia, Brown, and Elbeltagi (2013) found that connectivism has influenced the way blogs are used in teaching and learning. The change may not only be from the acceptance of blogging as a part of the instructional process, but also in how teachers and students have embraced the connectivist learning style (Garcia et al., 2013). Blogging provided collaborative opportunities for students to communicate online (Richardson, 2010). Another component of blogging that supported the connectivist learning theory is the manner content or remotely located experts could become involved in the learning environment. Blogging also represents an essential aspect of the connectivist principle that students can make associations for learning, while being associated within a network (Boitshwarelo, 2011). Technology has facilitated learners to access a wealth of information resources; for instance, online libraries, peer-reviewed journals, and book reference services along with social media, blogging, and Web 2.0 tools (Lemke, Coughlin, Garcia, Reifsneider, Baas, 2009). The availability of content and the fact that leaners can access information through these tools is a positive indicator of using technology in facilitating learning.Advertising Looking for dissertation on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With the availability of information, the use of teachers as the source of information as embraced in traditional learning environment is quite limited. This is in lime with the observation by London and Hall (2011), who noted that the intense deployment of Web 2.0 technology tools in learning in the contemporary learning environment denotes a shift from the teacher-controlled models of learning to the learner controlled model of learning. The emergence of digital literacies (print to paperless) has also intensified the need for connectivism. Lee, Messom, and Yau (2013) studied one school’s e-book implementation and determined that many surveyed students preferred e-books due to the Web 2.0 component. In the case study, students could post information on discussion boards and join to e-books so that their fellow students and educators could react and remark on posts that were freely accessible by course participants. As theory-guided practice in this case study, cooperation a mong students empowered them to interpret e-book content and to impart information among other learners (Lee et al., 2013). This indicates the ease with which collaboration and networking in learning can be attained in social and technological networks that are developed courtesy of the availability of technology. Tu et al. (2012) applauds the fact that learning is broadened because of the fact that learners can easily connect and establish learning networks on the technology platform. Collaborating on discussion boards facilitated many of the features in a connectivist learning model; for example, allowing communication between students, (Ferdig Trammell, 2004) elevating peer groups to assist in learning (Glogoff, 2005), and the evolution of discussion groups (Macduff, 2009). With the use of technology, students can now easily establish and sustain important learning networks, with only limited support from the instructors (Boitshwarelo, 2011). Another important aspect captured in the new paradigm is the emerging collaborative nature of education (Dunaway, 2011). Williams, Karousou, and Mackness (2011) studied Connectivism and Connective Knowledge (CCK08) at the University of Manitoba. With a rolling enrollment, students were able to plan their own path through the course content that was available on the course website. Students agreed that all knowledge would be created collaboratively and openly shared among all course members. Williams et al. (2011) remarked that CCK08 fulfilled key conditions for a connectivist course, such as asynchronous and synchronous learning events, daily aggregation of knowledge, content experts, discussion boards, and student responsibility for their own learning goals. Williams et al. (2011) noted that many of the students in CCK08 withdrew from the course. Consequently, the authors concluded that connectedness alone does not guarantee collaboration, let alone connectivist learning. CCK08 was a failed attempt to illustrate the application of theory, where the learning process has shifted from a one-sided and impersonal process into a dynamic one characterized by interpersonal communication, distant support, and increased platforms for information besides the instructor, such as access to world-class resources and experts (Kaufman Mann, 2007). Connectivism has informed the practice of librarians seeking greater student engagement in information literacy. Dunaway (2011) proposed that the learning theory of connectivism be merged with the framework of metaliteracy. In so doing, librarians can promote the development of personal learning networks for students. Mackey and Jacobson (2011) defined metaliteracy as a framework that integrates emergent technologies with various literacies, such as cyber, digital, media, and information literacy. Here, connectivism learning theory is embedded in the fact that a lot of people are engaged on social networks supported by the emergent technologies that support these ne tworks. Therefore, different locus of knowledge sharing and dissemination emerges, thereby challenging the traditional culture of learning that emphasized on a single dimension of learning; the use of instructors in discharging learning activities. Friesen and Lowe (2012) observed that the social media, which is part of web 2.0 technology tools, is promoting connective learning in the sense that it promotes the creation of engaged learning environments. New forms of leaning environments that are more engaging keep coming up as people embrace the use of social media in communication. References Dunaway, M. (2011). Connectivism learning theory and pedagogical practice for networked information landscapes. Reference Services Review, 39(4), 675-685. Friesen, N. N., Lowe, S. S. (2012). The questionable promise of social media for education: connective learning and the commercial imperative. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(3), 183-194. Isman, A. (2011). Instructional design in education: New model. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology TOJET, 10(1), 136-142. London, M., Hall, M. (2011). Unlocking the value of Web 2.0 technologies for training and development: The shift from instructor-controlled, adaptive learning to learner-driven, generative learning. Human Resource Management, 50(6), 757-775. Ravenscroft, A. (2011). Dialogue and connectivism: a new approach to understanding and promoting dialogue-rich networked learning. International Review of Research in Open And Distance Learning, 12(3), 139-160. Thomas, H. (2010). Learning spaces, learning environments and the dis‘placement’ of learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(3), 502-511. Tu, C., Sujo-Montes, L., Yen, C., Chan, J., Blocher, M. (2012). The integration of personal learning environments open network learning environments. Techtrends: Linking Research Practice to Improve Learning, 56(3), 13-19. Yilmaz, K. (2011). The cognitive perspective on learning : its theoretical underpinnings and implications for classroom practices. Clearing House, 84(5), 204. doi:10.1080/00098655.2011.568989

Analysis of the Four Seasons Hotel and its business strategy in the luxury hotel Industry

Analysis of the Four Seasons Hotel and its business strategy in the luxury hotel Industry INTRODUCTIONMethodology of ReportThe following report was derived from the primary use of secondary sources, in addition to telephone contact with hotel representatives. Secondary sources included research from the Internet, industry books, company marketing communications, trade and general business newspapers and magazines, among others. Through all the sources, relevant data and information was extracted into the report's appendices. After individual analysis and group discussion, the following report was devised. The mandate of this report is to provide a macro examination of the luxury hotel industry and specifically the future outlook of Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, Inc.Company History and BackgroundThe vision for Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts (FSH) began back in the 1960's when current chairman and CEO, Isadore Sharp, envisioned a luxury lodging chain that was able to set itself apart by focusing on personalized and quality services. This has proven to be a fruitful strate gy as FSH's success has placed it as one of the world's largest luxury hotel chains and has earned a 5-year return on equity of approximately 19-20% (Refer to Appendix 16).hotel room camera obscuraToday FSH has expanded from being a single hotel operating in one country to having 55 properties in 25 countries. FSH is mostly involved with management operations in hotels and resorts, however, it has recently ventured into non-hotel endeavours. The firm is currently involved in 3 lines of businesses, ranging from hotels to resorts to residential condominiums all around the world (Refer to Appendix 9).The origin of FSH was rooted in ownership operations, whereby the corporation owned both the real estate and the building. In addition, the firm would manage the hotel or resort's daily operating activities. In more recent times, FSH has realized that management operations is actually a more lucrative business model that also...

All together Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

All together - Essay Example A common definition of desire is simply an individual wish. In this world, everybody has a wish but one common desire for everybody is success. A part from success I would also wish to have more money so that I can meet all of my expenses. In addition, I also desire to have peace of mind, essence of well-being, love, fun, fulfillments, and love. The desire is my driving force, that is to say, it is my motivation, and therefore, it keeps my dreams a live as I strive to realize my goals and aspirations. Up to this point, the desire is like my touchstone that provides the extra energy needed to realize my potential. I believe that if I write down and spell aloud what I want to achieve then I will be able to realize it. By doing this, I tend to have a conviction that I am precisely sending my intentions to the universe. It is widely believed that by being precise and clear in your intention, the universe is most likely to reward you with high power that is helpful in fulfilling your dreams. In my case, I have a diary where I do write down my intentions and achievements on daily basis as a way of success monitoring. As one of my success factor skills, I do pledge that I will always do everything possible within my capabilities to realize my personal objectives so that I can have a smooth and a fulfilling life. To me, this is what commitment is all about. In most cases, I do not let my ego come between I and my ambitions, I do not find it very difficult to swallow my pride and apologize to those I have wronged. As I succeed, I do not want to accumulate enemies but friends with mutual respect. Furthermore, this success factor skill is vital as it assist in easing an individual mind from the personal life burden (Gray, 1999). There is no one in the world that is fully independent, which is evident from the common saying ‘no one

The role of the RN in the Rehabilitation Facility Essay

The role of the RN in the Rehabilitation Facility - Essay Example Rehabilitation is a complex process aimed towards the achievement of a quality life; thus, providers of care in the rehabilitation facilities (such as the nurse) must be knowledgeable, competent, and skillful in rendering rehabilitative care. Registered nurses play an important role in the rehabilitation facilities and are considered as important members of the rehabilitation team. Often, nurses in the rehabilitation team collaborate with the physicians, psychiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, speech-language therapists, psychologists, spiritual advisors, social workers, vocational councilors, orthotists or prosthetists, and sex councilors. With a number of professionals to which the nurse collaborates, a nurse in the rehabilitation facility must have excellent communication skills and knowledge of each scope of practice. In addition, nurses assume an equal role with other professionals in the rehabilitation process but usually take the m ost critical roles in the provision of rehabilitative care. Jester (2007) stated that the nurses’ roles in the rehabilitation facilities include three main components, among of which are: general maintenance, specialist, and carry-on role (p. 14-15). The nurse’s role in general maintenance includes overall ward management and maintenance of patient’s physical well-being such as nutrition, hygiene, and skin care. The nurse as a specialist in a rehabilitation facility has an inherent degree of expertise in specific areas of rehabilitation such as orthopedic rehabilitation, geriatric rehabilitation, or substance abuse rehabilitation. Lastly, nurses in the rehabilitation facilities also perform the carry-on-role or the role of the nurse to maintain the progress made by other professionals such as the physician (e.g., the nurse is responsible for monitoring the WBC levels of patients being prescribed with Clozapine). In addition to the performance of carry-on-role is the 24-hour-a-day/7-days-a-week role of the nurse in supervision and continuing practice of what the patients learned from other professionals (Squires & Hastings, 2002, 219). The main goal of rehabilitation is to return the individual to the highest level of independence by maximizing function and minimizing disabilities (Flanagan, Zaretsky & Moroz, 2011, 354). To achieve this goal, nurse rehabilitation professionals are commonly asked to evaluate and participate in the treatment of the patients. Thus, a nurse’s role in the rehabilitation facilities does not only centers on the provision of care but also on engaging to the planning and implementation of rehabilitation programs. The role of the nurse in the nurse in the rehabilitation settings is still underdeveloped and too general to identify by other professional groups, patients, and families. Nurses in the rehabilitation facilities are still struggling to make their roles specific and be recognized. Among the reasons de rived from literatures why nurses’ roles in rehabilitation facilities is underdeveloped include lack of specific educational programs for post-registration nurses, organizational difficulties and funding, professional tribalism and turf wars between nurses and therapists, and role confusion (Jester, 2007,16). Nurses have to be competent in order to render an effective rehabilitative care; likewise, the federal government and the organization to which nurses belong also have the responsibility of equipping the nurses with adequate knowledge and skills preparation in the form of