Customer Relationship Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example But if this concept of CRM is evaluated, it can be inferred that CRM does not include one important relation that the organization has. It is its employees. Keeping the above argument in view, CRM has being given a new definition by Reichheld. He has given a concept of Virtuous Circle sometimes colloquially referred to as closing the loop. A diagrammatic representation of this circle is given below: Reichheld has brilliantly explained CRM in one cycle. This cycle depicts that the key to customer loyalty is not the product or the service that is being provided, but the key is the organization’s employees. According to this circle, if the employees are satisfied with their jobs and the company, they can be easily retained by the managers. This would in return increase employee productivity meaning they would give better service to the customers. The customer will be satisfied with the company’s service and would become loyal. Loyal customers are regular customers of the company and in turn also refer the company and its product and services to other potential customers. Thus they serve as a means of word to mouth advertising. This increases the company’s profits and leads the company to growth. The company can then focus on investing the earnings in internal marketing such as rewards, benefits and compensations which would impact the employees. Besides this, employee empowerment, training and development all contribute to employee satisfaction. Thus this cycle goes on and on. John Moore has quoted in his blog ‘Reichheld on Employee Loyalty’ that â€Å"Many marketers view employee relations as a job solely for human resources—they see employees as tools. But employees—happy, rewarded employees—can work wonders for the company’s marketing efforts. There is no better spokesperson for a company, product, and brand than someone who is happy with

Write an analysis of the opening chapter of Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Write an analysis of the opening chapter of Lord of the Flies Essay Lord of the Flies is a book about a group of school boys that land on a glorious desert island. At first the island seems like a boys paradise but the book shows the slow descent into an island of lawlessness and terror. Golding wrote this book to show us how quickly a group of civilised human beings can dramatically change to uncivilised savages. Golding had seen what humans can do to each over in World War 2 with bombs and shells. In the last chapter the naval officer says I should have thought that a pack of British boys- youre all British arent you? Would have been able to put up a better show than that- (p215) Golding also has written this book because of other desert island books such us Coral Island this book is about 3 English boys that get stranded on a desert island. In Coral Island everything is fun and games and this continues thought out the entire book In chapter two After the boys get back from climbing the mountain and exploring, they are telling everybody about how this island is such a paradise. But this is a good island. We-Jack, Simon and me-me climbed the mountain. Its wizard. Theres food and drink, and- Rocks- Blue flowers- Piggy, partly recovered, pointed to the conch in Ralphs hands, and jack and Simon fell silent. Ralph went on. While were waiting we can have a really good time on this island He gesticulated widely Its like being in a book. At once there was a clamour. Treasure island- Swallows and Amazons- Coral Island-. (p25) All the boys thought that this island would be the same magical desert islands in all those book But Golding knew that a group of English boys would never act that way and that it would not always be a paradise and that at some point something would go wrong at which everything would go wrong. Golding chooses an island as a setting because it is a microcosm, a world of its own with no way to get to other people or contact them so that Golding could really get his point across to the reader that when a group of normal school boys with no contact with the outside world slowly deteriorate into mayhem. Another reason Golding choose an island because it was a paradise, it was the complete opposite to hell, golden beaches, palm trees, plenty of wild boar to eat, A glorious sea to swim in , etc. but is this paradise such a paradise. Even in the first chapter Golding shows signs of hell. On page 1 there is a quote saying All around the long scar smashed into the jungle (p1) in this quote Golding uses personification by saying that the plane made a scar in the island when an island can not get a scar. Also in this quote Golding creates a dramatic scene of destruction of where the plane crashed into the island. This quote gives you a forewarning of the hell and destruction of what is to come later on in the book. At first the boys react very well to being on the island. Arent there any grown ups at all? I dont think so The fair boy said this solemnly; but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. No grown-ups! This shows us that quote shows us that he is overjoyed about being on this paradise island with no grown-ups they have the ability to do what ever they want. Even in the first chapter there are many signs that all is not well, on page sixteen there are some of the first signs of conflict. Youre talking too much, said jack Merridew. Shut up Fatty. Laughter arose. Hes not fatty, cried Ralph, his real names Piggy! Piggy! Piggy! Oh, Piggy! A storm of laughter arose and even the tiniest child joined in. For the moment the boys were a closed circuit of sympathy with Piggy outside: he went very pink Bowed his head and cleaned his glasses again. This quote shows us bullying and conflict for the first time in the book and everyone joins into bully him. Piggy is the smartest boy in the book but also the fattest and he cant join in with everybody swimming and hunting because of his asthma. Before piggy came to be on this island he lived with his auntie who owned a sweet shop which is stated on page 3. Piggy is the only boy that does not want to be on the island and is shocked to find out there are no adults at all on the island Arent there any grown ups at all? (p2) Quotes on Piggys appearance. The very fat boy (p1). And then he looked up through thick spectacles. (p2). He was shorter than the fair boy (p1). We do not find out Piggys real name because Golding is trying to show us that this person could be anyone of us or not just one person it could be a certain group of people, whether its a religious group, a group of people from a certain race. He represents all the people in the world that have been discriminated for some reason because of their race, religion, where they are from, etc. Golding wants to show us that if we do not stop killing people without a good reason soon we will destroy our world just like at the end of the novel where the whole island burns down to ashes. Jack Merridew loves being on the island except that he thinks he should be chief because he was head of choir. I ought to be chief, said Jack with simple arrogance, because Im chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp. (p17) But the only people that vote for jack to be chief is his choir. Jack is very authorities and commanding Choir! Stand still! (p16) which makes him a good leader. If it werent for jack on the island they would have nothing to eat because jack is the person who organizes the hunt and after many attempts sticks a pig getting meat for the boys. There are very alarming signs right from the start of this novel Golding starts the island as a paradise but even in the first chapter things deteriorate and take a turn for the worse for instants the group of boys bully piggy by calling him just calling him piggy when Ralph told them that his name was piggy even after he had said he wouldnt tell the others. At first there is order almost like a school where you have to have the conch to be able to speak but this never worked as people always interrupted the speaker. Another threat to the order they have is the ever running conflict between Ralph and jack for leadership of the colony of boys which splits up half way through the book starting a war between the boys.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder Essay -- Mountains Beyond M

There are people existing among us with a special trait or characteristic that makes them stand out above the masses. They are â€Å"heroes† in a sense, who perform great acts of sacrifice and promote hope when it seems that the last drop of faith has evaporated from one’s soul. These individuals remind us of saints who walked before us, healing and caring for the sick and destitute when no other man dared. Author, Tracy Kidder (2004), brings to the forefront the noble deeds of a modern day saint, Paul Farmer, through his writing in Mountains Beyond Mountains. He illustrates how a single man can lead nations toward healing, even in the midst of war, turmoil, limited resources, or â€Å"mountains† of bureaucratic red tape. Although the book tells a story about Farmer’s life, academic achievements, and global contributions toward curing infectious diseases, the main theme, as illustrated by the book title, is that no matter what a person does, there is always more to be done. Beyond the hills and valleys of Farmer’s journey, Kidder (2004) provides scenes of leadership styles along the way. Is a leader born or is leadership learned? A review of Paul Farmer’s mission, through the eyes of the author, may provide insight to support both philosophies. Kidder is an accomplished writer. Having been educated at Harvard and University of Iowa, and having served as a lieutenant in Vietnam (Twenty12fttrees, 2010), he brings research and experience together creating a soul-searching composition in Mountains Beyond Mountains. He is well versed and extremely credible having dedicated so much time immersing himself in the midst of Farmer’s journey. Not only does he take time to review and research Farmer’s published work, he travels across tim... ...ity through medicine, but Kidder (2004) allows the reader to see that Farmer may be curing humanity on many levels by creating an environment in impoverished locations where malnourishment and disease need not exist; where life doesn’t have to end early; where safety and basic needs are met, and where individuals are given a more conducive environment from which leaders can emerge. Works Cited Kidder, T. (2004). Mountains Beyond Mountains. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group. Popple, P. R, & L. Leighninger. (2011). Social Work, Social Welfare, and American Society. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Stohr, M. K, & P. Collins. (2009). Criminal Justice Management. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. Twenty12fttrees (2010). About Tracy Kidder. Tracykidder.com. Retrieved Oct. 23, 2011, from http://www.tracykidder.com/about.php

Agricultural Land Conservation

Agricultural Land Conservation The issues of land distribution and land conservation in agriculture attract more and more attention, especially when the expansion of cropland is hitting a limit since much more land is conserved for environmental purposes. Soil erosion is devastating the topsoil of land as chemical fertilizers are used to increase output within a limited amount of land. At the same time, livestock production expands at an ever-growing speed, worsening the land use situation.Livestock production, nowadays, consumes a large portion of crop that could be distributed to serve for poor population. A taxation system in favor of production capacity and against environmental damages will encourage farmers to improve their production techniques. Proper regulations could not be emphasized more to make sure that a genuinely sustainable agriculture system will be built with animals to cycle nutrients. Cropland is the land that is suited to or used for crop production. Grazing lan d refers to a field covered with grass or herbage, and suitable for grazing by livestock.FAO is the abbreviation for The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a specialized organization that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. NCGA is the abbreviation for National Corn Growers Association, which represents America’s corn growers. The expansion of cropland has limited potential due to environmental conservation. At present, more than one point five billion hectares is used for crop production, accounting for twelve percent of the globe’s land surface. According to FAO, there is little scope for further expansion of cropland.Despite the presence of considerable amounts of land potentially suitable for agriculture, much of it is covered by forests, protected for environmental reasons, or employed for unban settlements. Compared with livestock production, crop production requires soil that contains more fertile materials, which makes it harder to find suitable cropland. Livestock production is expected to slow down the rate of soil erosion and improve the quality of soil in the long term. In â€Å"Eroding Future,† published July-August 2011 in the Futurist, author Lester R.Brown reviews that people are liquidating the Earth’s natural assets to fuel their consumption and states that, â€Å"soil erosion exceeds soil formation on one-third of the world’s cropland, draining the land of its fertility† (24). With the presence of animals, the situation could be changed. Soil absorbs nutrients from animal manure, allowing grass and other crops to grow without the addition of synthetic fertilizer, which is the primary cause of soil erosion. Animals play a crucial role in keeping balance of the ecosystem. Livestock production expands at a super speed and occupies more land, leading to deforestation.The livestock sector is by far the single largest anthropogenic user of land. According to Julia Whitty, au thor of â€Å"Livestock Revolution Examined,† published March 16, 2010 in the Mother Jones, more than one point seven billion animals are used in livestock production worldwide, and they, â€Å"occupy more than one-fourth of the Earth’s land† (http://www. motherjones. com/blue-marble/2010/03/livestock-revolution-examined). Expansion of grazing land for livestock production is a key factor in deforestation. About seventy percent of grazing land in dry areas is considered degraded due to overgrazing.The presence of animals in a sustainable agriculture system results in further land use in order to feed them. Most livestock that are employed to enrich land with nutrients are fed with imported crops. If a farmer is not growing his own feed, the nutrients going into the soil are generated by eroding other cropland, thereby undermining the benefits of livestock production. James E. McWilliams, the author of â€Å"The Myth of Sustainable Meat,† published April 1 3, 2012 in the New York Times, argues that, â€Å"This kind of rotational grazing works better in theory than in practice† (A31).According to NCGA’s figures from 2010, more than forty percent of crops go into the mouths of animals that people then consume, in the process squandering huge amounts of resources. The limited increase in cropland and deforestation due to rapid expansion of livestock production require more efficient production plans, one of which is an agriculture income taxation system based on unit output of land. Instead of relying on income sources, such as livestock, grains, or other products, farmers’ income tax should be placed on production capacity of per unit of land.This not only encourages crop producers to increase their unit output of land against the declining potential of expanding cropland, but also discourages unorganized blindly exploitation of forested land. This system levies high tax rates on production income generated on new l and. To protect cropland from eroding, proper policies should be enacted to regulate animals feed to prevent further damages on land resources. Instead of feeding animals on farms with imported crops, they should be fed with crops grown on the same farms.Farmers who employ this practice should receive subsidies so that they will not be put into a dilemma where they have to choose between economic benefits and environmental benefits. Environment protection puts a halt on expanding cropland. To increase gross output of food, fertile lands are overused and losing their general production capacity. Nowadays, livestock production is to blame being the largest land user and land destroyer since it accelerates the process of deforestation. Lots of crops that are supposed to feed people are used to feed livestock, which is a huge waste of land resources.Hence, some tax regulations are proposed to help distribute the world’s usable lands to enhance unit production and avoid blind expl oitation. Crop-livestock production is favorable as long as policy makers devote to regulating the process. Works Cited Brown, Lester R. â€Å"Eroding Futures. † Futurist. July-August, 2011: 23-30. McWilliams, James E. â€Å"The Myth of Sustainable Meat. † New York Times. 13 April, 2012: 31. Whitty, Julia. â€Å"Livestock Revolution Examined. † Mother Jones. 16 March, 2010: http://www. motherjones. com/blue-marble/2010/03/livestock-revolution-examined.

Application of Critical Thinking to Business Analysis Essay

Critical thinking is the basis of business analysis. It involves a force of habit, which determines the quality decision that the business analyst makes. Critical thinking is what enables businesspersons to think through challenges and situations. Because of this, critical thinking is vital element that should be refined, nurtured and actively implemented in every business analysis and decision making process. For the analysts to make decisions with the greatest outcome they should apply critical thinking since it involves rational reasoning and reflective thinking. It enables them to put every aspects of the decision into consideration in terms of the pros and cons of every option to be taken. Critical thinking initiates opportunities through exhaustive analysis thus leading to making well-informed decisions. It helps manager avoid the inconvenience of learning through experience. It assists in planning effectively while putting everything into consideration. It helps the administra tors save on costs by mitigating on mistakes that could cost the company to incur extra costs. Critical thinking is important in business analysis because it involves assessing, reflecting, planning and making right decisions while paying attention to details (Nosich, 2012). Critical Thinking in the Context of Business Analysis In order for the efficient implementation of business, it is important to understand the meaning of business analysis. Business analysis therefore refers to a set of techniques and tasks implemented by the various stakeholders. The main purpose of the implementation is to understand the operations, policies and structure of a particular business entity. It also involves the recommendation of various solutions in order for the organization to achieve various goals that it has set forth to achieve. Business analysis therefore entails the understanding of the ways in which various organizations carry out their operations. Production of products defines the capabilities of the organization. These products entail specific goods and services offered in the present market within which the organization is conducting its operations. External stakeholders also play a major role in the product distribution chain of a particular product. For a successful business to prosper, various key steps ne ed to be implemented for a. These strategies require a critical analysis, which will involve the applications of virus concepts of critical thinking (Smith, 2003). In any organization, it becomes very important to define the goals of the organization. The organizational goals relate to the specific objectives set forth. These goals help in the achievement of the goals designed. It also becomes necessary for the team in charge of making various policies and decisions to focus on the various actions that the organization is going to adopt so that it can achieve its set targets and objectives. Finally, it is important also to define how various external entities to the business will interact with each other. For instance, in this particular case, stakeholders and organizational units outside and within the organization will require definition and the mode of interaction defined. Business analysis aids in the understanding of an organization’s current state. It also provides a platform to identify future prospects of business needs that may arise. However, in most cases, the principle aim of conducting business analysis is to validate and pr ovide business solutions that conform to the objectives, goals and needs of a particular entity. The synthesis and analysis of information provided by numerous number of stakeholders tops the priority list. The various business analysts then analyze it. These particular stakeholders include customers, executives, IT professionals and staff. Critical thinking is therefore involved in various process of business analysis. A business analyst has the responsibility of obtaining actual needs from the various stakeholders. The particular process involves an actual distinction with the various desires expressed by particular stakeholders. The business analyst also facilitates the communication and interaction between various units in the business. It therefore means that through critical thinking, a business analyst is able to foster communication and interaction between various business units. It becomes possible through the alignment of various business unit needs. In the business process, the process lightens by the integration of information technology. It serves as an interpreter and a translator between the groups (Smith, 2003). The competitive nature of any business entity originates from the various policies that exist in order to counter competition from various companies. Competition arises due to various factors. Some of these factors include a company offering complementary and supplementary goods, similar to their rivals. In this particular scenario, there is always competition for the market share. Elimination of one firm in this competition may occur if there is no application of critical thinking to devise survival ways to counter such a move. Price becomes a determinant factor when it comes to competition between two rival industries competing for the same market share. Another reason as to why competition arises is the difference in pricing of similar commodities. A rational consumer is always attracted to a firm, which is selling cheaper than others are. Price is a significant determinant of product choice. Majority of the rational consumers exercise the power of choice when products occur in a wide range (Smith, 2003). Majority of the business operations operate based on the types of decisions made across all the levels of production. Critical thinking forms the baseline upon which various policies formed and implemented. The success of a business entity becomes relative to a number of factors that help it be at a competitive level with other businesses in the same industry of operation and service. Several elements exist that become fundamental when implementing critical thinking to help the organization. Critical thinking involves the analysis of the current business operations, procedures and policies. The mastery of this particular process makes it possible for the business analyst to be familiar with the operations that are taking place. It also involves the identification of errors that may have occurred which led to the company not achieving its dreams. Moreover, apart from analyzing the internal factors of the firm that affect its operation, business analysis also focuses on the external en vironment that may affect the operations of a certain business entity. Inward communication strategies, pricing policies, production processes, marketing and branding are internal factors that affect the business entity (Smith, 2003). An analysis of the external environment that includes the political environment, competitors, the economy of a particular country concerning inflation and budget allocation also play a very important role. These may influence the pricing strategy pf a particular company. The political environment also determines the way in which the company interacts with various other companies overseas in terms of the taxes charged on imports and exports. It therefore narrows down to the fact that critical thinking contributes towards the existence of majority of the industries and companies in the world. The study of the market structures to determine the appropriate time for trade is what distinguishes a successful company from a failing company. The ability to fore see a coming calamity and danger and be able to efficiently plan is what critical thinking entails. In the end, it saves the company many resources since evasion of eminent dangers occurs through future prediction. Critical thinking i s an attribute of various business analysts. The presence of these personnel in an organization is important. They constitute the think tank of any industry (Smith, 2003). The application of critical thinking in a business environment happens through all the levels of management. At the strategic level, critical thinking may focus on issues that affect the company in general. At the operational level, critical thinking entails the unique creativity that may exist if a company decides to adopt product differentiation or diversification to have a range of commodities in the market. By giving a rational consumer a wide pool to select from, the company is able to face out different companies, which are providing supplementary products. It is able to wholesome reap from the market all the customers who have great trust in the product that they offer. Critical thinking is always neglected because majority of the companies only react when faced with certain risks. For instance, if the profit margins of a company begin to decline considerably, the management of the company becomes alarmed. At this time, they invest in quick decisions that aim at the company re generating various incomes. It is always a very poor form of responding and managing o frisks. In an ideal situation, the company is supposed to preview their previous strategies and look for elements that contributed to the decline in the revenue gained. After the identification of the various stated problems, an in depth analysis is to be conducted to determine the facts. Critical thinking plays a major part when it comes to the redefinition of the various goals and objectives. These elements are important to ensure a competitive state of the organization (Nosich, 2012). The success of a company is, therefore, dependent on the various decisions made from all the levels of production to management. The careful analysis of various problems that a company faces undergoes analysis and various solutions proposed in an efficient way as opposed to a quick manner. Using this channel, a company is able to get maximum returns from the various activities that it conducts. There are increased chances of lack of fear when it comes to the anticipation of problems. Critical thinking is the center of an organization’s success. The ideas of inventions and product creation derived from a panel composed of individuals explain the importance of critical thinking. Those who think critically through particular scenarios provide a solution that earns the organization maximum massive profits. The strategies in all the organizational units implemented are a success because of the decisions made by the members of a particular panel. Marketing, sales and even production departments all require various skills in critical thinking to produce products that are highly profitable to the organizational entity as a whole. This document therefore recognizes the importance of critical thinking when it comes to the analysis of different business operations to achieve various goals and objectives (Smith, 2003). Application Business analysts use critical thinking to make effective and efficient long term and short term plans for the business organizations. In order for the business managers to make decisions and plans for the business they have to think critically in terms of their objectives and goals in relation to the resources a business firm has. Managers have to think critically so that they can predict the possible threats that the business might face and be able to formulate their respective solution in time. The managers have to ensure that the challenges find the firm adequately prepared. For this to happen there has to be a lot of thinking in the planning process. The administrators have to consider every aspect of their plans in order to come up with short term and long term plans. Critical thinking is what ensures that required measures have been put in place to make a firm prepared for the challenges. Critical thinking helps the administrators to come up with the time frames for the long t erm and short term plans. Critical thinking makes the plans achievable and it helps in the identification of plans and investments that are not viable (Smith, 2003). Business analysts in conforming valid requirements also apply critical thinking. It enables the business analysts and managers to pay attention to details and not the face value or what they hear. Critical thinking enables the administrators to weigh up the evidence produced by stakeholders with relation to the challenges and consequences before making decisions or recommendations. It enables the manager to be future oriented since they have to consider the impact of the decisions or options they take. They have to consider the deadline, available resources and the possible outcome of the requirement. Through critical thinking, administrators go for what the business entity really needs and not what they want. This aids in prevention of unnecessary costs that would have been caused by purchasing excess requirements. It also helps businesses in avoiding wastes (Nosich, 2012). Critical thinking is applied in risk prediction, prevention and mitigation. In planning for the likely risks and hazards that a firm might face the analysts and administrators have to think carefully. They have to think critically to identify possible risks and formulate respective measures and solutions, which can be used to prevent them. Critical thinking in such situation is aided by acquisition of information from other similar firms that have existed in the market for longer periods. Critical thinking enables administrators to implement safety measures in the firms such as emergency doors, exists, fire extinguishers, gloves and aprons. It also enables business firms to determine the right time to enroll in the markets and the right time to withdraw. It enables companies to avoid financial risks, as managers are able to plan and make the right decision (Smith, 2003). It is also applied by the busyness analysts in the seeking solutions of business challenges. Businesses face challenges from time to time. The challenges range from financial, human resource conflicts with other firms and so on. To overcome these tough times the business managers have to think critically and formulate long lasting solutions that will save the companies fate. Conflicts are normal in the Business administration but they require rational thinking and decisions so that they can be overcome. Even the internal conflicts in the firms require the administrator to think critically about the situation and make fair decision or advice to the conflicting parties. The administrators have to listen and think first before passing judgment. This will enable him to avoid prejudice or bias in the decision made (Nosich, 2012). The leaders at the same time have to think and come up with policies that may hinder external and internal conflicts in the firm. Critical thinking is applied in the shortening life cycles of businesses projects. Through it managers are able to determine the required time frame and ensure that the projects move as per the stipulated time. Managers are also able to avoid unnecessary events and occurrences, which have the possibility of delaying the business projects. Critical thinking ensures advance planning and as a result, there is order in the running of the firms. The advance planning ensures everything moves as per the scheduled time and this helps in saving time and shortening the life cycle of the projects as only, the necessary cycles are implemented (Smith, 2003). Critical thinking is also applied in beating competition from similar firms. In order for firms to have competitive advantages the administrators and analysts have to go an extra mile of being creative and innovative. They have to do the same things extra ordinarily right or they have to come up with new ideas and products that will give them an advantage over their competitors. To do this successful they need to brainstorm and think critically. Managers have to do research and be able to predict the future of the company. This will enable them come up with various ideas and policies that will boost their performance. They have to come up with new marketing strategies and new modes of operations. They have to target more customers and become inventors. To implement this, management has to use critical thinking. They have to consider the weaknesses of their competitors and take advantage of them (Smith, 2003). Profit maximization and loss minimization can also be enhanced by application of critical thinking. For profit maximization, the business administrators have to be inventors and innovators. They should come up with new ideas and policies that will make their products and services unique from their counterparts. This requires high level of thinking and that is when critical thinking comes in handy (Nosich, 2012). Critical thinking helps in making the right financial decisions hence the company is able to maintain its profits. Critical thinking enables managers to come up with plans that minimize losses and wastage. They help in shortening duration of projects and in the long run increase productivity. An increase in productivity in turn increases the profits. Business administrators also apply critical thinking in making decisions to do with employment. The management has to determine the required number of employees to be hired and define their specific roles and duties. Critical thinking helps in determining the required number of employees that will provide the most outcomes. Critical thinking assists the manager in employing the employees with the required skills for specific positions. The manager should also know when to scale down and when to add the number of employees. The manager has to think critically of the kind of skill required in the organization before employing a person. Critical thinking helps manager to form the right workforce required for optimum production (Smith, 2003). The business analysts apply critical thinking in the making of right investment policies and decisions. Before making the right decisions on where to invest, analysts have to think through the possible options and take the option that is most viable and profitable. Critical thinking in this case will help the administrators consider the pros and cons of every investment option. This enables them to make the most informed decision by taking the best option. Critical thinking also helps administrators in assessing and evaluating the progress and position of the firm. It is applied to help managers determine if they are on the right track. Managers are able to determine if they are operating on a loss or profit through critical thinking. They have to think through and determine if the projects are moving as per the stipulated plans and goals. Do determine right progress the managers have to carry out various research and consultation in comparison with data at hand (Nosich, 2012). Discussion and Conclusion Various scenarios in the business process have required an individual to apply critical thinking in various business processes. The result of the decisions made in the various panels has resulted into massive goals and targets achieved by the said industries. Companies have been able to rise from various falls while some have succumbed to defeat. New entrants have entered into the marked and dominated the events will the already established monopolistic firms faced out because of this. It is therefore important that a company recognizes the importance of such a key process and invests I it. The using of appropriate skilled experts also goes a long well in helping the industry achieve its goals and objectives. The existence and sustainability of a given organization in the market is highly influenced by the various policies they adopt. Companies have marred up to produce complementary and supplementary products while some faced out. It therefore becomes important that the company look into the various strategies with an in-depth eye with an aim to creating various opportunities and channels for growth and profitability (Nosich, 2012). Business analysis through critical thinking becomes an effective way of determining the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. The implementation of SWOT analysis in a business environment will be effective upon incorporation with critical thinking. The identification of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Time factors require a vision that is not velar by the other firms competing in the same market. In conclusion, this paper finds critical thinking a very important element in the existence of a company in the ever dynamic and competitive business environment. It also views the basis of competition resulting from the difference in the decisions that various companies tackle one particular problem effectively. When companies operate from this basis, they are able to achieve more revenue and expand on their sales. Critical thinking has a direct relationship with the performance of a business. Several aspects in business analysis require the massive application of critica l thinking to provide solutions (Nosich, 2012). References Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum, Boston, MA: Pearson Education. ISBN: 978-0-13-268359-3. Smith, G. F. (2003). Beyond critical thinking and decision making: Teaching business students how to think.  Journal of Management Education,  27(1), 24-51. Source document

Harvey the movie essays

Harvey the movie essays The movie that we saw the last week was a film that is hearted as a comedy but if you see it closely it is very clear that is about a serious social commentary of that time, and also of the present time because the same prejudices still exist today. Harvey is a pooka, a bad spirit that manifest itself as a six foot white rabbit. Only Elwood P. Dowd can see Harvey and it is from this that the underlying dark story of an alcoholics friendship with and invisible spirit blends itself in to comic fantasy. The friendship between Elwood P. Dowd and Harvey is implied in the way that Dowd carries an extra coat and hat for Harvey, in the way that he opens doors and lets him walk through and reads to him. The only exception is that Harvey is an imaginary friend but it seems to be like an ideal friendship. When Dowd tells nurse Kelly about how he spends his days in bars, or when he promises his sister that he will go to the western slope water Board to apply, he always includes his friend, saying Harvey and I... Also several times in the play, he phones places looking for Harvey when he was not around. We saw in the movie that this relationship is the most important thing in Dowds life, and that, like the best friendships, Elwood P. Dowd enjoys being with his friend Harvey. This could be one of the themes of the movie, THE FRIENDSHIP. In my personal opinion I thing that perhaps Elwood P. Dowd created Harvey because he felt lonely and that no one really cared to give attention to Elwood. Psychologist also believe that a child who creates an imaginary friend is because they dont have a friend that is physically present for them so the child creates a friend in his mind that no one else can see but himself. The need of having someone there to support you and help you through the good and the bad moments is more than essential; no one should be repressed of having someone else to depend upon. Family membe...

Free Essays on Reefer Maddness

, heavy u... Free Essays on Reefer Maddness Free Essays on Reefer Maddness The Webster’s Online Dictionary defines marijuana as the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect. The heated debate over whether or not reaching this intoxicated state is illegal has been heating up recently. If you read any government funded articles, marijuana is painted in such a bad light that it seems to be a work of the devil. Turn on the TV and this ‘evil drug’ makes you hit little girls in drive-thru’s and shoot your best friend with your Dad’s gun, all because you couldn’t help getting high. If you read the propaganda published by those unapologetic stoners, the information isn’t biased, but takes a more rounded approach to looking at the debated drug. Interestingly enough, both sides use some of the same study findings to support their opposing views. A look at all sides still doesn’t provide the answers to the legalization issues. Marijuana’s effect starts immediately after being inhaled. The user’s heart rate increases, the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is absorbed through the lungs and taken to the brain where it meets cannabinoid receptors located in various regions of the brain. One of the areas with the greatest number of receptors is the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain associated with memory. This explains the short and long-term memory loss experienced by users. The cannabinoid receptors also release the chemical dopamine, which is a pleasure causing neurotransmitter. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999) Regular use of marijuana also exerts a negative effect on short-term memory, learning, and attention span (AAP, 1999). The negative effect marijuana has on memory is also supported by evidence in a study cited by the New Scientist magazine although when it came to remembering a list of words, heavy u...

Abstruse and Obtuse

Abstruse and Obtuse Abstruse and Obtuse Abstruse and Obtuse By Maeve Maddox Some writers seem to be confusing obtuse with the word abstruse, as in these incorrect examples on the web: Believe it or not, the American public wasnt always in love with Alfred Hitchcock. Because his movies were often too intelligent or obtuse, he had more fans in the film elite than he did in the general public. Grizz tends to make Shakespeare-esque, outsider-looking-in type observations about the situations at hand, while Dot Com spouts highly intelligent, yet obtuse references that send you (or maybe just me) to Google. Having finally struggled through Ulysses, and yes it was a struggle, I had no patience at all for FINNEGANS WAKE, which is even more obtuse. Has anyone actually read it? All of it? I chide Brad DeLong all the time for making excuses for Greenspan’s thick, obtuse, obscurant speech. In each of these examples, the context calls for a word that means difficult to understand. That word is abstruse: The mistake of using abstruse where obtuse is intended seems to be less common, but it happens: It is really abstruse to find Avatar not grabbing anything from the Oscars. It was altogether a new theme with a lot of innovations This movie fan seems to be reaching for obtuse, a word that means lacking in perception, stupid. Bottom line: Barely comprehensible language is abstruse. Stupid people are obtuse. Note: Obtuse derives from Latin obtusus, blunted, dull. An obtuse angle is blunt, as opposed to being sharp. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, Whetherâ€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†How Do You Determine Whether to Use Who or Whom?

Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over Dissertation

Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over the years - Dissertation Example Introduction: 17 3.2. Research Purpose: 17 3.3. Research Strategy and Method: 18 3.4. Research Design: 19 3.5. Data Collection: 19 3.6. Methods and Tools used for Collecting Data: 20 3.7. Analysis Techniques: 20 3.8. Validity and Reliability of the Research: 25 3.9. Ethical Considerations: 26 3.10. Summary: 26 4. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 27 4.1. Introduction 27 4.2. Financial ratios 27 4.2.1. Profitability Ratios 28 4.2.2. Liquidity Ratios 39 4.2.3. Activity Ratios or Efficiency Ratios 47 4.2.4. Leverage Ratios 51 4.2.5. Market Ratios 57 5. CONCLUSION 63 5.1. Summary of the findings 63 5.2. Recommendations 65 5.3. Lessons learnt from the study 66 5.4. Limitations 67 5.5. Further research 67 1. introduction 1.1. Background Of The Study Retail industry of UK has been one of the most growing industries over the years, specifically the food retail industry. Because of recession, the overall world economy was not growing despite of that, food retail industry has been one of the industries wh ich reported considerable amount of growth. The food retail industry of UK has a long and solid history. During the fifties and sixties the concept of supermarkets and self service shops became popular; this has been marked as the starting of retail industry in the United Kingdom (Hamlett, Alexander, Bailey, & Shaw, 2008). Despite of the fact that the UK economy was going through recession, the overall sales of the industry had increased in 2009 as it reached a figure of over ?285billion. It has been estimated that this figure will further increase in the years to come. Also with the world economy and UK economy recovers itself from recession, retail industry would be one of the most beneficial industries as this would further increase the total revenue of the firms in the industry (The Scottish Government, 2010). By the end of 2010, the total retail units in the kingdom were approximately 286,000 (Arch, 2010). The food retail industry is an important industry for the UK economy as over the years it has been able to contribute a lot to GDP of the country. In addition to this, food retail industry is a significant one for United Kingdom economy as it has been able to consume considerable portion of the employment. According to a report, there are more than half a million people working in the industry representing almost 13% of the total workforce of United Kingdom. Food retail industry consumed more than 12,750 permanent jobs throughout 2010 which represents an annual growth of 2.1% in the jobs of food retail industry from the year 2009 (The Scottish Government, 2010). There has been an increasing trend of online shopping for people in the UK and this has attracted more people to start online businesses. There are more than 150,000 online retail businesses in United Kingdom and more than 600,000 people are employed because of e-retail industry either directly or indirectly. At present, the online retail business contributes only 7% of the total retail industry revenues (Experian Hitwise, 2008), however it has been predicted that the contribution from online business would further improve with the passage of time. The total sales of online retail industry equalled ?2.8 billion from December, 2009 to December, 2010 i.e. in a year the total sales of the industry was equal to ?2.8 billion (Internet Retailer, 2011). Tesco is the market leader in the UK food retail industry for years and it has been dominating the market with market share of almost 31% (Tesco, 2011). Tesco is

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business management - Essay Example The book gives clear reflections encouraging the application of personal experience and critical thinking on these aspects of management. This paper is a report on some key aspects on this book. Very fundamental to this report are the aspects of individual differences and diversity and control and power within an organization. The book covers these aspects very comprehensively and in a clear way. 1.1. Aims and Objectives The aim of this report is to appreciate the presentation of individual differences and diversity in an organization and appreciate the aspects of control and power while ensuring that they are used effectively towards the realization of an organization’s goals. 2. Individual differences and Diversity This report appreciates the individual differences that exist in organizations. The differences exhibited by Different people in organization explain the differences of people’s behaviour in any organizational set up. This diversity is very critical to the understanding of employees in an organization. The fact that an organization is composed of different stakeholders of different cultural backgrounds, ethnicity, and religious affiliations should be understood from the onset so that they can be understood. This should be besides the personality differences. These differences best explain why different people respond to different circumstances differently. Mullins explains these fundamental differences comprehensively thereby assisting the managers and other stakeholders in an organization understand their employees including the government (2011). The understanding of the individual differences is the first step to ensuring peaceful coexistence and harmonious social relations among people of all walks of life brought together. People in an organization need to have a healthy and friendly environment that favours both work and social interaction. This cannot be realized in an environment where the individual divergences and diversity are not understood let alone appreciated. This understanding also minimises the conflicts that are likely to arise due to the diversity of cultures and other personality related differences. It should be understood very clearly that everyone in an organization has attributes unique to only him/her. It is these attributes that influence the behaviours of different people in the organization. The book provides a deep insight in to these differences and is a great tool not only for learning, but also the application by many organizations in order to develop the skills, talents and capacities of employees (Mullins, 2010). The diversity and differences between the different members of an organization also lends credence to the fact that every can best specialize in a given field. It is, therefore, important, upon this understanding that each individual be allowed to pursue his talents, abilities and skills to enhance his individual potential while at the same time contributing to the dev elopment of the organization. It is important to note that the employees are very important assets in any organization. As a system, they form a significant part of the organization without which the organization cannot perform. Therefore, understanding them and their differences lead to the appreciation of who they are and what they can add to the realization of the aims of the organization. An organization that does not understand its employees is one

Digital and Marketing Communications Assignment

Digital and Marketing Communications - Assignment Example Introduction Social media has become an integral part of modern business management practices especially for the past few years. Most of the business firms have already appointed their own social media managers so as to pace with the emerging trend in the business communication tactics. The dramatic change with regard to business communication and business promotion strategies can be attributed to the increasing number of people using social media to keep in touch with their loved ones today. In other words, social media networks like facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Googletalk, etc have become the major platforms for millions of people across the world to interact with individuals from various cultures. Individuals obtain the opportunity to learn more about different cultural practices, norms, and beliefs this way. This is the context that forces business firms to perceive social media as the most innovative and rather potential podium for business promotion. Social media: An overview Inte rnet has been explosively growing over the last decade, for this worldwide network was found constructive for the whole world to be connected always. Internet has greatly changed the way people live and the mode they transact businesses. Needless to say, it is unimaginable to live without internet because this technology is playing a key role in different areas of the daily life. According to Wilder (2006, p. 204), one of the most noticeable effects of increased internet usage is that it promotes socialization, which is a dynamic learning process through which individuals and organizations change over time. Since internet influences cultural transitions, this global network significantly contributes to the pace of socialization (O’Keeffe 2011). Evidently, such dramatic improvements in information flow have had tremendous effects on the way companies run their day to day operations. Social communication websites like Facebook and Twitter allow people to open their own personal accounts and communicate with their friends around the world. It also allows people to make new acquaintances. The form of interaction addressed here is the facility of adding photos and videos. The website allows account holders to add photos and videos, and the viewers of the profiles have the chance to ‘like’, ‘comment’ or ‘share’ the photo and video. When it comes to business perspective, ‘Twitter Business Profile’ allow business firms to communicate with an unlimited number of customers simultaneously. In the same way, ‘Facebook fan page’ also offers very good opportunities for businesses to build their brand image and communicate with their customers in no time. LinkedIn is another network that enables entrepreneurs to find out potential candidates directly. Sony and Social Media As mentioned already, Sony is one of the leading firms that utilises the scope of social media for the promotion of their brand image and business communication. At this juncture, it is relevant to quote the social media policy of the firm; â€Å"Sony participates in social media to listen, learn and share stories of the passionate people who help bring Sony to life† (Sony: Social Media). Among the companies that use social media and web 2.0 technologies, Sony holds the prominent position. They effectively communicate with

Leadership observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership observation - Essay Example For this reason, this paper discusses a leadership observation activity that was conducted in the crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida. Crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida is a facility with a bed capacity of sixty. The mission statement of crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center is to commit to quality care and services to acknowledge, clarify, meet and exceed the expectations of the clients. The facility cares for the health needs of both the patients who need specialized nursing care, as well as those with rehabilitation needs. However, a small facility, Crossroad offers a perfect environment for enhancement of both social and medical health. The medical and non-medical staff maintains a cordial and cooperative, friendly relationship from the administrative level to the housekeepers. Working as a regular staff nurse, I managed to follow and observe L.C, who is a BSN and the unit manager. L.C being the manager of the entire units is in charge of all the sixty patients who are the residents of the facility. This work requires constant interaction with the staff and the pat ients. L.C maintains a cordial relationship with the director of nursing who is her supervisor in the unit. Following and observing L.C as my leader model, I realized she employed a transformational and democratic leadership approach where she influenced her juniors with motivation and need for achievement of objectives (Denhardt & Campbell, 2006). I realized the unit manager was categorical with time management and execution of duty among the employees under her supervision. L.C reports daily and begins by inquiring for the presence of all the staff on duty, this is followed by making a follow up on any staff who may not be present, this goes to a level where she calls the clients to inquire the reason for lateness, and then proceeds to make a work schedule for the day. L.C keeps herself informed of

Biotic Interactions in Plant Communities presentation Speech or

Biotic Interactions in Plant Communities - Speech or Presentation Example EXTINCTION ESTIMATES MADE IN THE 1990s  Due to Deforestation (Karkee, 2004). Estimate and Method of estimation % Global Loss per decade 10 million sp. Annual Loss 30 million sp. Annual Loss Source 0.2-0.3% annually based on tropical deforestation rate of 1% annually 2-3% 20,000-30,000 60,000-90,000 Wilson (1989, 1993) 2-13% loss between 1990 and 2015 using species area curve and increasing deforestation rates 0.8-5.2% 8,000-52,000 24,000-156,000 Reid (1992) Loss of half the species in the area likely to be deforested by 2015 8.3% 83,000 250,000 Raven (1988) Fitting exponential extinction functions based on IUCN red data books 0.6-5% 6,000-50,000 18,000-150,000 Mace (1994) Colombia and the Amazon Basin is a good example of deforestation and the impacts are evident as per the effects described below. One of the regions that have been greatly influenced by deforestation is the Amazon Basin. Tree felling in the Amazon is much greater compared to any other region of the world. The Amazo n tropical forest, which approximately account for 2,488,642 square miles, lost fifteen percent of its forest cover in1970 alone (Naik, 2010). For example, Brazil, which is a residence to about one-thirds of the tropical forests of the world, has been incurring an average loss of 21,536 square miles of forest cover yearly, over the last few years (Olsen, 2009). Deforestation and the consequences on biodiversity interactions In areas of intense deforestation, there exists alterations in microclimate and change in plant reproduction, biological structure and animal distribution, among many other aspects of the forest. Climate change due to overexploitation of forests and plant communities results into loss of biodiversity both the flora and fauna. Climate change causes rise in temperature and low moisture availability in the affected regions and even spreads out (Eade, 2011). Due to the change in climate, there emerges simultaneous increase in the occurrence of fires which actively de stroy the plant communities. Forests assist to uphold the temperature at a low level and avert it from rising. In the deficiency of forest, the earth surface radiates all the heat that the atmosphere does not absorb but instead hit the earth’s surface. Such heat combined with an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to an increase in the atmospheric temperature (Haldar, 2011). Average species lost compared to deforestation rates (Eade, 2011). Climate change emanates into harsh conditions that can easily results into extinction of some animal and epiphytes community. A good example is the scenario whereby, Mycchorizal fungal interactions between plants and the fungi are affected. These two have a symbiotic relationship. In sustaining base level of supply of food, rain forests depend on the microbe’s action of decaying and rotting. In the event that forest cover is reduced, the fungi have less survival rates since they depend on trees for both habitat and food (Haldar, 2011). The impact of deforestation leads to changes in aquatic systems through excessive evaporations. The salinity level increases and the temperature becomes unbearable hence, habitat of the aquatic flora and fauna compromised. Excessive carbon IV oxide due to deforestation also chokes the flora and fauna that are found in the aquatic ecosystem hence reduction of the species that are not best suited for this environment for example, algae

Firewall and Internet security Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Firewall and Internet security - Dissertation Example The advancements in technology have almost pulled every individual on earth into the virtual world of cyber pace.As every day passes by, the rapidity with which internet grows has increased exponentially and the world is shrinking smaller and smaller. People living in extremities of the world could easily communicate just like they are doing it when they are in direct contact with each other. The distance is no more a matter of concern. Despite all the advantages of a networked world, the parallel increase in cyber threats has been an alarming factor. Information is the key to success of any individual or organization. When there is a threat to the security of such an important factor and the manner in which networked computers are hacked within seconds of time has put cyber security as one of the top priorities for technology developers. With the advent of these issues, the installation of firewalls has become a mandatory activity for every internet user. Every time a new level of s ecurity is proposed, a new mode of threat is ‘unearthed’ in this virtual world. So, as a precautionary measure, people protect themselves with having both personal as well as network firewalls. Although many kinds of research has been done on the levels of protection offered by network firewalls and personal firewalls, not much has been done on the perspective of providing a comparison between these two types of firewalls. (CHESWICK et. al, 2003) Continuing on these lines, the primary aim of this research is to examine the current literature comprehensively and produce a compare and contrast analysis of these two types of firewalls in regard to the increase in today's internet security. However, since the category of this itself provides a large scope for a complex and more time consuming analysis, the research question is further refined such that it focuses mainly on the following topic - why implementation of personal firewalls in every system in an enterprise is con sidered to be a difficulty when compared to the implementation of network firewalls. The reason that could be given for the choice of this topic is that irrespective of the number of advancements in firewall technologies, no proper solutions have been found yet, to understand the continued ignorance of affording personal firewalls to every system user in an enterprise instead of network firewalls, which are always considered as the preferred option. (Firewalls, 2003) Objectives of the research Based on the above research questions, the primary objectives of the research can be derived. The most common differences between personal and network firewalls (which are explained in the literature review section) are the architecture and design features, the working environment, technical features and other advantages and disadvantages of each type of firewall. Implementing a personal firewall seems to be a tougher task, as the configuration might not be similar for every system. This makes the process of implementation a difficult task. Each time a firewall is implemented; the system components and modules pose certain restrictions that in turn make the process tedious. The situation is entirely different in a network environment. Since the implementation is done on the network as a whole, the task of installing them in individual system is eradicated. In a network environment, the firewall controls the communication and network traffic. As the functions of a network firewall are composed of easier installation management process, it strikes a greater difference from that of a personal firewall. The disadvantage of a personal firewall strengthens the research question, as it indicates the importance of network firewalls. Hence, the analysis of the areas which were described above is considered to be the primary objectives of the research. Literature Review The progress of internet and development of technology has necessitated the need for

Biotic Interactions in Plant Communities presentation Speech or

Biotic Interactions in Plant Communities - Speech or Presentation Example EXTINCTION ESTIMATES MADE IN THE 1990s  Due to Deforestation (Karkee, 2004). Estimate and Method of estimation % Global Loss per decade 10 million sp. Annual Loss 30 million sp. Annual Loss Source 0.2-0.3% annually based on tropical deforestation rate of 1% annually 2-3% 20,000-30,000 60,000-90,000 Wilson (1989, 1993) 2-13% loss between 1990 and 2015 using species area curve and increasing deforestation rates 0.8-5.2% 8,000-52,000 24,000-156,000 Reid (1992) Loss of half the species in the area likely to be deforested by 2015 8.3% 83,000 250,000 Raven (1988) Fitting exponential extinction functions based on IUCN red data books 0.6-5% 6,000-50,000 18,000-150,000 Mace (1994) Colombia and the Amazon Basin is a good example of deforestation and the impacts are evident as per the effects described below. One of the regions that have been greatly influenced by deforestation is the Amazon Basin. Tree felling in the Amazon is much greater compared to any other region of the world. The Amazo n tropical forest, which approximately account for 2,488,642 square miles, lost fifteen percent of its forest cover in1970 alone (Naik, 2010). For example, Brazil, which is a residence to about one-thirds of the tropical forests of the world, has been incurring an average loss of 21,536 square miles of forest cover yearly, over the last few years (Olsen, 2009). Deforestation and the consequences on biodiversity interactions In areas of intense deforestation, there exists alterations in microclimate and change in plant reproduction, biological structure and animal distribution, among many other aspects of the forest. Climate change due to overexploitation of forests and plant communities results into loss of biodiversity both the flora and fauna. Climate change causes rise in temperature and low moisture availability in the affected regions and even spreads out (Eade, 2011). Due to the change in climate, there emerges simultaneous increase in the occurrence of fires which actively de stroy the plant communities. Forests assist to uphold the temperature at a low level and avert it from rising. In the deficiency of forest, the earth surface radiates all the heat that the atmosphere does not absorb but instead hit the earth’s surface. Such heat combined with an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to an increase in the atmospheric temperature (Haldar, 2011). Average species lost compared to deforestation rates (Eade, 2011). Climate change emanates into harsh conditions that can easily results into extinction of some animal and epiphytes community. A good example is the scenario whereby, Mycchorizal fungal interactions between plants and the fungi are affected. These two have a symbiotic relationship. In sustaining base level of supply of food, rain forests depend on the microbe’s action of decaying and rotting. In the event that forest cover is reduced, the fungi have less survival rates since they depend on trees for both habitat and food (Haldar, 2011). The impact of deforestation leads to changes in aquatic systems through excessive evaporations. The salinity level increases and the temperature becomes unbearable hence, habitat of the aquatic flora and fauna compromised. Excessive carbon IV oxide due to deforestation also chokes the flora and fauna that are found in the aquatic ecosystem hence reduction of the species that are not best suited for this environment for example, algae

End of Course Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

End of Course Reflection - Essay Example I also learnt time management skills from the assignment deadlines and now I believe I am a better person than I was to join the corporate world. Conversely, the course was well structured as it included all aspects of learning that allowed as students to captivate knowledge and skills to mold our psychology as we go out to the job market (Harvard and Hodkinson, 2004). Personally, I have been elevated by the course since most of the stuff that I previously did not have interest in are currently my new passion. The course has modeled me in all aspects; educationally, socially and morally, thus I am in a better position to solve the current problems in the field and the world since the skills that I possess are enough to enable me come up with a formidable solutions to the current problems in the field. Finally, the course presented a challenge through its objectives, thus we as students had the obligation to satisfy the general goals of the course; I am glad that I have satisfactorily met a significant amount of the course responsibility and hope the knowledge will be of great importance in the practical field (Williamson,

Survey and question design Essay Example for Free

Survey and question design Essay Initial design considerations Before you design your survey Clearly articulate the goals of your survey. Why are you running a survey? What, specifically, will you do with the survey results? How will the information help you improve your customers experience with your agency? Make sure that each question will give you the right kind of feedback to achieve your survey goals. When in doubt, contact a statistician or survey expert for help with survey and question design. Survey design The opening should introduce the survey, explain who is collecting the feedback and why. You should also include some reasons for participation, and share details about the confidentiality of the information you are collecting. The introduction should set expectations about survey length and estimate the time it will take someone to complete. Opening questions should be easy to answer, to increase participant trust and encourage them to continue answering questions. Ensure questions are relevant to participants, to reduce abandonment. To minimize confusion, questions should follow a logical flow, with similar questions grouped together. Keep your survey short and to the point fewer questions will deliver a higher response rate. If you have sensitive questions, or questions requesting personal information, include them towards the end of the survey, after trust has been built. Thank your participants after theyve completed the survey. Test your survey with a small group before launch. Have participants share what they are thinking as they fill out each question, and make improvements where necessary. Question design  Keep questions short and easy to read. The longer and more complex the questions, the less accurate feedback youll get. This is particularly true of phone surveys. Keep questions easy to answer, otherwise participants may abandon the survey, or provide incorrect information (e.g., giving the same  answer/value for all questions, simply to get through the survey). Keep required questions to a minimum. If a participant can’t or doesn’t want to answer a required question, they may abandon the survey. Use a consistent rating scale (e.g., if 5=high and 1=low, keep this consistent throughout all survey questions). For rating scales, make sure your scale is balanced (e.g., provide an equal number of positive and negative response options). Label each point in a response scale to ensure clarity and equal weight to each response option. For closed-ended questions, include all possible answers, and make sure there is no overlap between answer options. Use consistent word choices and definitions throughout the survey. Avoid technical jargon and use language familiar to participants. Be as precise as possible to avoid word choice confusion. Avoid words like â€Å"often† or â€Å"rarely†, which may mean different things to different people. Instead, use a precise phrase like â€Å"fewer than three times per week.† Try to construct the questions as objectively as possible. Common survey question types and examples Multiple choice questions Questions with two or more answer options. Useful for all types of feedback, including collecting demographic information. Answers can be yes/no or a choice of multiple answers. Beware of leaving out an answer option, or using answer options that are not mutually exclusive. Example 1: Are you a U.S. Citizen? Yes / No Example 2: How many times have you called our agency about this issue in the past month? Once Twice Three times More than three times Dont know/not sure Rank order scale questions Questions that require the ranking of potential answer choices by a specific characteristic. These questions can provide insight into how important something is to a customer. Best in online or paper surveys, but doesnt work too well in phone surveys. Rating scale questions Questions that use a rating scale for responses. This type of question is useful for determining the prevalence of an attitude, opinion, knowledge or behavior. There are two common types of scales: Likert scale Participants are typically asked whether they agree or disagree with a statement. Responses often range from â€Å"strongly disagree† to â€Å"strongly agree,† with five total answer options. (For additional answer options, see table below.) Each option is ascribed a score or weight (1 = strong disagree to 5 = strongly agree), and these scores can be used in survey response analysis. For scaled questions, it is important to include a â€Å"neutral† category (â€Å"Neither Agree nor Disagree† below). Guidelines for using a 5-point scale Semantic differential scale In a question using a semantic differential scale, the ends of the scale are labeled with contrasting statements. The scales can vary, typically using either five or seven points. Open-ended questions Questions where there are no specified answer choices. These are particularly helpful for collecting feedback from your participants about their attitudes or opinions. However, these questions may require extra time or can be challenging to answer, so participants may skip the questions or abandon the survey. In addition, the analysis of open-ended questions can be difficult to automate, and may require extra time or resources to review. Consider providing extra motivation to elicit a response (e.g., â€Å"Your comments will help us improve our website†) and ensure there is enough space for a complete response. Example: What are two ways we could have improved your experience with our agency today? We take your feedback very seriously and review comments daily. Avoid these common question design pitfalls Asking two questions at once (double-barreled questions) Example: How satisfied are you with the hours and location of our offices? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] You wont be able to tell whether the participant is responding about the time, or the location, so you should ask this as two separate questions. Leaving out a response choice Example: How many times in the past month have you visited our website? [ 0 1-2 3-4 5 or more] Always include an option for not applicable or don’t know, since some people will not know or remember, and if they guess, their answer will skew the results. Leading questions Based on their structure, certain questions can â€Å"lead† participants to a specific response: Example: This agency was recently ranked as number one in customer satisfaction in the federal government. How satisfied are you with your experience today? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] The first statement influences the response to the question by providing additional information that leads respondents to a positive response, so you should leave that text out. Built-in assumptions Questions that assume familiarity with a given topic: Example: This website is an improvement over our last website. [ 1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree] This question assumes that the survey participant has experience with the earlier version of the website. Tips for technology-based surveys Skip logic or conditional branching When creating technology-based surveys, skip logic can be helpful. Skip logic enables you to guide participants to a specific follow-up question, based on a response to an earlier question. This technique can be used to minimize non-relevant questions for each participant, and for filtering out survey participants. For example, if you are looking for U.S. citizens only to fill out certain parts of your survey, anyone who answers â€Å"no† to the question â€Å"Are you a U. S. citizen?† can be skipped to the next relevant section.

The Scarlet Ibis :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Ibis Brotherhood can either be "the state or quality of being a brother, or an association of men united in a common interest, work, etc., as a fraternity." That statement says that someone really does not need to have another sibling to be a brother. Friends can act like brothers, or people in a fraternity can be brothers. I am in DeMolay and all the other members are considered my brothers. We all work together to accomplish things, and we never let people down. Brothers are people who get along with other people. In "The Scarlet Ibis," Doodle refers to his older brother quite often. The remarks he makes helps show that brotherhood is the main theme of the story. When Doodle was up on the loft looking at a casket, his brother explained to him that the casket was made for him, Doodle. His brother told Doodle that he will not help him down unless he touches it. Doodle then said that he was not going to touch it, and his brother told him that he will leave him by himself unless he touches it. Doodle's next remark is, "Don't leave me Brother." That shows how Doodle loved his brother, and that he did not want to be separated from him. (By the way, Doodle does touch the casket). Another example is at the end of the story when Doodle and his brother were running to the house during a thunderstorm. Doodle's brother was far ahead and just let his brother behind like he did not care about him. Doodle's brother then hears Doodle scream, "Brother, Brother, don't leave me! Don't leave me!" Doodle's brother kept on running until he became too tired to run. He stopped and waited for Doodle, but nobody came. He then ran back and found Doodle under a bush. Doodle was dead. This shows how selfish and mean Doodle's brother was to Doodle.

Essay --

Qualities of A Successful Nurse In this modern day and age, registered nursing has rapidly sky-rocketed up the ideal career charts, and is becoming a very prominent career. Far too often it becomes easy to just focus on the potential salary you will make. However, it is important to remember that to be a successful nurse you need to have physical endurance, great communication skills, and be adaptive to change. First, nursing is no where close to being the average everyday desk job. A nurse is basically a doctors "Right Hand Man", because they are responsible for following all of the doctor's orders and instructions. Being physically fit is an important quality to have in a successful nurse. There is a possibility that a nurse will have a patient larger than them, and they may have to lift the patient without any help. Also, there is a chance that a patient will fall or is falling around you, and the nurse is responsible for catching them. It is vital to always be prompt in nursing, because everyday is different, and it is good to always be prepared. The typical shift for a nurse is anywhere from ten to twelve hours a day. It is always beneficial to wear proper fitting clothes and most definitely comfortable shoes, because a nurse is on their feet for long periods of time. Although a nurse receives a set schedule, it is important to realize you may have to work longer than originally plann ed. Some of the most obvious reasons for changes in the schedule is a short staff, being scheduled to stay on-call, or if you are assisting in surgery. Most importantly, having great communication skills is key in order to be a great nurse. Strong communication skills are a basic foundation for any career, but for a nurse it is one of the mo... ...finitely not the average job with a set in stone eight to twelve hour shift. Nurses have to understand that even though they may be scheduled for a ten hour shift, there is almost always a possibility that they will have to work longer. To conclude, to be a successful nurse there are a lot of special qualities needed to provide complete care to a patient. This essay discussed three common qualities that can be seen in modern day nurses. Physical endurance is a good quality for nurses to have, because their job involves a lot of standing and physical activity. Great communication skills are especially important, because it enables you to provide the best complete care of a patient, and their family. Being adaptive to change is the last quality discussed in this essay. It is a good quality to have, because it provides the flexibility needed to be a successful nurse.

Behaviors related to microeconomics concepts

Most of us have always wondered why this always happen when they visit a barber. This is just because of the economic concept. The cost of operations in shaving the beards is even more because more care is needed while shaving and different customers have different styles on how they it to be shaved. This wastes time and energy and to pay for this, the price has really to be high. The expenses that are incurred when perfuming this service is the same with that one that you will apply when performing other services and hence there is no reason whatsoever for its price being low.Another factor is the skill factor in that while shaving the beards, more skill is required and this is reflected in price. As much as in shaving the head any other barber can do it the beard shaving requires potential and qualified barbers and it is this that makes the prices improve upwards. (Perloff, M. J 1999) Why does it cost higher for a woman delivering in a private hospital than that one delivering in a government hospital? Most of the women who go in private hospitals are considered as working class.Although the services rendered may be the same as those in public hospital most of them will prefer going I n private hospitals because of their status. most of the consumers do consider social class as a factor while purchasing products or services in the market like if a dress is sold in the market at $8, and the same dress of the same quality from the same company is sold in a beauty mall at a price of $ 15, a consumer who considers herself as from high class will rather go for that dress in a shopping mall than that one in the market because she tends to think that her status does not allow her to purchase in markets.In fact producers take this as opportunities that they think should be utilized and increase prices in high class shops and reduce in low class shops to just increase the total sales in their organization. The doctors on the other hand, will want to serve more clients within a short time to increase their portfolio income but affect the customers by attending more in less time. The real money in a consumer’s portfolio is the one that will determine where he should seek his service. It is actually this factor that determine where and what a consumer should purchase depending on his capability to pay for the services rendered.That is why high qualified doctors can decide to open their own clinic that will cater for another class of people thus serving the needs of most of the consumers in the market. In today’s market, the key point is actually identifying the need of the customer and fulfilling it. (Mas-Colell. A. et al 1995). Why are veils quite expensive in US than in Saudi Arabia? If there are so many customers in Saudi Arabia who need to purchase this commodity, then how come it is still cheap there yet the demand is also high! The prices should have actually gone up to cut down on the demand .This is not the case because of thi s culture factor that most organizations need to consider. Most of the people in Saudi Arabia are Muslims and thus most of them need veil as a requirement because of their faiths. This is unlike the customers us who may be assumed as just those who want it for luxury. The way the veil is taken as a cloth required during the worship is not the way it will be taken in the US market hence the prices will probably go high. Culture being important in the consumer behavior has a real impact in any organization.If a customer perceives that a certain commodity is the best however much it may tend to be expensive, a customer will sacrifice and ay the premium price for this commodity than purchasing another commodity that he has no confidence with it. (Pindyck, R. et al, 2004) Bibliography Mas-Colell. A. et al (1995), Microeconomics Theory, Oxford University Press Perloff, M. J (1999), Microeconomics: Incentives in an Imperfect World, Addison-Wesley Longman. Pindyck, R. et al, (2004), Microec onomics, Pearson Prentice hall

Non Commissioned Officers in the Army

With the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, the United States found itself in another major war. Mobilization greatly increased the numbers of Army non-commissioned officers. Ironically, mobilization, combined with other factors, created a staggering growth in the percentage of non-commissioned officers to total forces. The proportion of non-commissioned officers in the Army increased from 20 percent of the enlisted ranks in 1941, to nearly 50 percent in 1945, resulting in reduced prestige for many non-commissioned officer ranks. Coupled with this growth in numbers, the eight-man infantry squad increased to twelve, with the sergeant then staff sergeant, replacing the corporal as its leader. The rank of corporal came to mean very little, even though he was in theory and by tradition a combat leader. Basic training in World War II focused on hands-on experience instead of the classroom. NCOs conducted all training for soldiers. After basic training, a soldier went to his unit where his individual training continued. The major problem was that the rapid expansion of the Army had led to a proportionate decrease in experienced men in the non-commissioned officer ranks. Making this condition worse was the practice of quickly advancing in rank soldiers who showed potential while combat losses reduced the number of experienced NCOs. Fighting in the Pacific and Europe required large numbers of men. Millions of men enlisted and America drafted millions more. Still the Army suffered from manpower shortages. In 1942 the Army formally added women to its ranks. By 1945 over 90,000 women had enlisted in the Army. Women served in administrative, technical, motor vehicle, food, supply, and communications, mechanical and electrical Positions during the war. http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/nco_history/history-of-the-nco-from-f.shtml World war II made more demands on non commissioned officers corp. and had a greater impact upon the NCOs role and status than any previous conflict in American history. By the end of the war, there were 23,328 infantry squads in 288 active infantry regiments. More than seventy separate battalions, including armoured infantry and rangers, raised the total number of such squads to over 25,000, all needing non-commissioned leaders. Drafted, trained, and promoted during the hectic months of 1942 and 1943, these citizen soldiers carried our their duties as non commissioned officers superbly, in countless engagements on every front during WWII, but especially those where small unit leadership was at a premium, such as jungle warfare of new guinea in the pacific and the Hurtgeen forest battle in Europe. There were many Heroes of WWII and you could choose any one of them but here we have the first secret hero America had in World War II. WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 29, 2005) — Fifty years ago an Army Reserve non-commissioned officer performed an act of heroism that led to him becoming America's first secret hero. Manning a hilltop position near Taejon-ni, Korea, Cpl. Hiroshi Miyamura, formerly of the Enlisted Reserve Corps, was a long way from his home in Gallup, N.M. on the night of April 24, 1951. A major Chinese Communist offensive had been launched against the United Nations line. Miyamura, a machine gun squad leader in Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Division, was 25/5/07 Ordered by his platoon sergeant to take 15 men — machine gunners, riflemen and ammo carriers — to a hill south of the Imjin River and hold the position against the Advancing Chinese Communists as long as possible. He did exactly that throughout the night, Miyamura directed the heavy and light machine guns of his squad as they held off repeated attacks by the Chinese. The combat was savage. Miyamura kept yelling at his gunners to use short bursts. He joined in with automatic fire from his carbine and threw grenades at the enemy, whose attacks were accompanied by bugles, whistles, flares, and supporting mortar bursts. At one critical point, he charged the enemy with his bayoneted carbine and killed ten of them in close-in-combat, breaking up the attack. Finally, it was time for those Americans still alive to fall back. Miyamura slid into the heavy machine gun position and told the unwounded members of the crew and two riflemen to help the injured soldiers away; he would cover them. They moved out and Miyamura was alone, waiting. Then the bugles and whistles sounded again. The Chinese were coming up the hill again. Miyamura fired his machine gun until it ran out of ammunition. He then threw grenades towards the advancing Chinese. With his final grenade, he destroyed the machine gun and took off for a nearby trench, where he literally ran into a Chinese soldier. Despite the surprise encounter, he shot the Chinese and wounded him. The Chinese got off a grenade, which Miyamura kicked away. It exploded, killing its thrower and wounding Miyamura in the leg. As enemy soldiers poured up the hill, Miyamura tried to get away but stumbled into American barbed wire in the dark, causing him further injury. Freeing himself, Miyamura dropped into a hole playing dead while the Chinese swarmed over the area. One Chinese soldier was not fooled and he pointed a pistol at the young corporal, telling him to get up. Four days later, a task force from Chinese around Miyamura's machine gun position. There was no Trace the 3rd Division recaptured the hill. There were more than 50 dead of Miyamura among the dead G.I.s of his section. The man who so fiercely defended that hill joined the Army during World War II and became part of one of the most famous units in American military history, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. This unit, composed entirely of Americans of Japanese Ancestry, except for some white officers, was — for its size and length of service — the most decorated unit in the Army. Along with the attached 100th Infantry Battalion, its members earned more than 18,000 individual decorations, to include one wartime Medal of Honour, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 588 Silver Stars, 5,200 Bronze Stars and more than 9,480 Purple Hearts. We cannot of course forget Ira Hayes the hero, On February 19, 1945, Hayes took part in the landing on Iwo Jima. He then participated in the battle for the island and was among the group of Marines that took Mount Suribachi four days later, on February 23, 1945. The raising of the second American flag on Suribachi by five Marines, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, and Mike Strank, and a Navy Corpsman, John Bradley, was immortalized by photographer Joe Rosenthal and became an icon of the war. Overnight, Hayes (on the far left of the photograph) became a national hero, along with the two other survivors of the famous photograph, Rene Gagnon and John Bradley. Hayes's story drew particular attention because he was Native American. Hayes was promoted to the rank of corporal before being discharged from the Marine Corps. His decorations and medals include the following: Commendation medal with â€Å"V† combat device, Presidential Unit Citation with one star (for Iwo Jima), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four stars (for Vella Lavella, Bougainville, Consolidation of the Northern Solomons, and Iwo Jima) and the World War II Victory Medal This then is the Heroes, now we will have a look at the weapons. The total allied forces in the Second World War were, Tanks 210,950 added to this vast number of fighting machines we had the help of Merchant Shipping, which totalled 44,431,300, and of course the Warships of which there was a grand total of 10,853,200 in the allied forces. Of course you also need to mention the warplanes that numbered 582,500. But the biggest weapon that we used and is still not recognised as such is the terrific amount of manpower that was needed, 109,705,100 men fought in the war and they above the weapons need to be mentioned, yes the weapons helped but it is the sheer blood and guts of the men and women that fought so bravely that got us all through. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/weapons_and_manpower.htm Part of the creed of NCOs is as follows and tells us what his duties are. Competence is my watchword; my two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind. Accomplishment of my mission, and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient, all soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership and I will provide that leadership, I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both reward and punishment. Officers of my unit will have ample time to fulfil their duties. They will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those I serve, seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative, by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity. Nor my moral courage, I will not forget nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals. Non-commissioned officers, and leaders. http://ncohistory.com/files/Origins.pdf Throughout history, training noncommissioned officers of the United States Army had been accomplished using on-the-job training (OJT) in the unit, and many believed that is where it should stay. Training noncommissioned officers was conducted by officers in the regiment and was the commanding officer’s responsibility. It was accepted that unit training was the best means of developing noncommissioned officers and potential noncommissioned officers. In most early writings the NCO was regarded with the Enlisted man and as such received little interest. They should teach the soldiers of their squad how to dress with a soldier like air, how to clean their arms, accoutrements, etc and how to mount and dismount their Firelocks. {Instructions for the Sergeant and corporal Von Steubens 1779 Blue Book} Citation Page http://ncohistory.com/files/Origins.pdf http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/weapons_and_manpower.htm http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/nco_history/history-of-the-nco-from-f.shtml   ;

Corruption Is a Curse Essay

Corruption is a curse The act of taking some kind of advantage through an immoral way is corruption. It is one of the most serious social problems of Bangladesh. Because, corruption has become the policy of some people in our society. From the highest level of the public administration to the grass-root level, every level of the society has been polluted by corruption. The national development is hindered and the wheel of progress is caught up by corruption. It is a matter of shame for us that Transparency International by means of survey has recently ranked Bangladesh among the ten most corrupt countries of the world for five consecutive years. The spread of corruption is visible in every level of our society. Misappropriation of bank loans by the borrowers, illegal occupation of public property, misappropriation of relief goods such as tin, food, clothes, stealing of electricity, water and gas, income tax fraud, operating fake company and deceive the unemployed, smuggling, black marketing, share market fraud, employment of unqualified persons through bribery, leaking of public examination test papers for money, bribing the judge to influence the judgment, selling and buying of fake educational certificates, bribing the police for not arresting a criminal are some examples of corruption in our society. People are losing their faith 1 in moral values and righteousness. The common people are stricken with corruption in their every day life. Corruption has polluted our politics, economics, education, administration, the department of justice. Extortion of common people with political power has become very common incident. Corruption is the main obstacle to the development of Bangladesh. Corruption has faded the success earned through the toil of the mass people. Development of the country is hindered by immoral acts of political leaders and their indulgence to the corrupt party members. They are plundering the national assets. We all have our contribution to the creation of this prevailing situation which is now making us suffer. Dishonest persons came to power through our support and our vote. We failed to support and vote honest persons in the political process. 2

Is a Computer playing chess using 'brute force' unbeatable Essay

Is a Computer playing chess using 'brute force' unbeatable - Essay Example The computer intelligence and cognition is simply based on the several moves that are stored in its memory. It goes through all the possible moves and chooses the one with the best probability (Razmov V (2010)). The brute force method also tended to have a non evaluative advantage over and above the chess master Garry Kasporov. Human mind cannot record and evaluate all the possible moves in a given situation as it doesn’t have that much retaining capacity. However, after Garry Kasporov defeated the chess player Deep Blue, they refused for a re-match because they feared that Garry had understood their algorithm codes and approaches (Feng-Hsiung, H., 2006, p. 51). They did not want the world to believe that Deep Blue actually has no cognitive power or intelligence except for its highly fast processing power. Thus, the brute force method does not use any artificial intelligence or cognitive powers; it simply is a fast processing and evaluating method used by the computer chess player. It thus looks possible and realistic as Garry Kaporov was able to break the code of the computer and win against it. Chess News (no date)  Nettavisen: We have tested the worlds best chess program  [Online]. Available at:  http://en.chessbase.com/post/nettavisen-we-have-tested-the-world-s-best-che-program  (Accessed on 10