Monday, September 30, 2019

Thinking About Diversity

The dimensions of cultural diversity are categorized as primary dimensions and secondary dimensions. Primary dimensions are generally considered fixed and involuntary. Age, gender, race, and ethnic heritage would be examples of primary dimensions. People do not have a choice of when they are born and thus their age. Gender, race, and ethnic heritage are also not open to choice. Mental and physical abilities are also usually defined as primary dimensions of diversity. Specific biological functions of the brain can be considered primary dimensions of diversity, but knowledge and education can improve mental ability. It is also possible to improve physical ability to a certain extent by incorporating healthy diet and physical conditioning into one’s lifestyle. Physical ability is listed as a primary dimension of cultural diversity because height, bone structure, and other physical attributes are genetic and not open to choice. Sexual orientation is also a primary dimension of diversity. Secondary dimensions of diversity include attributes that are considered less central to social identity. These dimensions can change based on life experiences. They include where one lives and works, socioeconomic status, education, and religion. Ethnic, Cultural, or Other Groups I Identify With I am a Black female who identifies with the Black community as well as other ethnic groups. I was born and raised in a large metropolitan city. I am a product of my big city upbringing. I believe that being raised in a large city has equipped me to be comfortable in many settings and with people from any group or cultural background. The Black culture and history is very important to my lifestyle. I work with young men and women in the Black community to advise them on career paths and encourage them to make positive life choices. As a woman, I am very concerned with many of the issues that are affecting women. The rise in teen pregnancy is one issue that I address with young women I encounter. Violence against women is also a problem that is prevalent in society. Women continue to be subordinated and discriminated against, and the struggle to change the situation is one of my top priorities. My social circle is made up of professionals who enjoy cultural pursuits such as plays, music, concerts, and charitable activities. Diversity and Inclusion Diversity refers to any mixture of items characterized by differences and similarities, (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p. 11). This definition refers not just to people but also to the differences and similarities of functions or conditions along a given dimension. In identifying diversity in an organization, it is also important to identify the similarities within a group. When management accesses a group of ethnically diverse individuals, if they focus on the similarities a mong them, it will be easier to build common ground and mutual respect. Inclusion is a technique that organizations can use to optimize the benefits of a culturally diverse workplace. Rather than just focusing on cultural diversity as a quota to fill, organizations can use the cultural, ethnic, and experiential differences of employees to add creativity, new ideas, and new strategies. When every individual thinks that he or she is operating in a safe environment, they can be comfortable sharing innovative ideas that may not follow the traditional concepts of the organization. Importance of Workplace Diversity Training Effective workplace diversity training can benefit an organization in many ways. Increased productivity can result when employees appreciate and learn from the cultural or ethnic differences of their fellow employees. Workplace diversity training will increase the emotional intelligence of individuals which will increase their tolerance of differences. Emotional intelligence is awareness of self, managing self, self motivation, awareness of the emotions in others, and managing interpersonal relationships, (Harvey & Allard, 2009). Emotional intelligence and emotional maturity can allow individuals to be open to the possibility of considering differing opinions and strategies. More openness among team members within an organization will increase creativity, cooperation, and collaboration. When cultural and ethnic diversity are successfully managed within an organization, minority employees will feel acceptance and comfort which will encourage them to express innovative ideas without fear of repression or ridicule. The majority employees will be given the opportunity to expand their acceptance and knowledge of different values, beliefs, and opinions. Workplace Culture and Inclusion I have had the opportunity to work in large and small organizations. During high school, I worked in a large department store. There were many races, ethnic groups and ages. The age groups in the workplace were in three categories. There were older workers who had worked in the store for many years and had made it a career. These employees spent most of their free time socializing with each other, such as breaks and lunches. They were generally very friendly and helpful to new employees. The second category was made up of managers ranging in age from about 25 to 40. Most of the managers were college educated and were hired specifically as managers. There were also managers who had started at an entry-level position and worked their way up to management. The third category, which I belonged to, was made up of young high school and college students. This category generally socialized with each other. I do not recall any negative interactions based on race, culture, sexual orientation, or ethnic heritage. Throughout my career I have worked with a variety of ethnic groups, races and ages in a variety of corporate settings. I have always been fortunate to work in very inclusive organizational settings. I have not worked in an organization that discriminated against employees based on their diverse ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Root Of All Evil, Macbeth

G. R. Elliot once said, â€Å"wicked intention must in the end produce wicked action unless it is not merely revoked by the protagonist’s better feelings, but entirely eradicated by his inmost will, aided by Divine grace. † This statement can be directly applied to Macbeth’s descent into the darker recesses of human nature and what human weaknesses this classical tragic figure struggles with and finally succumbs to, causing his downfall. In William Shakespeare’s famous play, Macbeth is drawn to the murder of King Duncan, Banquo, and Fleance by his yearning for power. How could such a ourageous, gentle man such as Macbeth suddenly be transformed and drawn to do such evil? Surely he did not come up with such villainous thoughts of his own. His desire for control, authority, and jurisdiction was strengthened by evil sources, those from both the witches’ prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. In Macbeth it is very clear that evil begets evil. Shakespeare focuses on Macbeth’s courage early in the play. For example, Duncan and the sergeant both compliment Macbeth’s mental and physical bravery in Act I, Scene II. Macbeth â€Å"carv’d out his passage† until he and the enemy eneral were face to face. In the same act, the reader is told that Macbeth is brave because of his â€Å"disdaining Fortune. † In addition to his quality of courage, Macbeth is also a gentle man. Demonstrating his love and devotion for his wife, Macbeth refers to her as â€Å"his dearest partner of greatness† in Act I, Scene V. Lady Macbeth views his kindness as somewhat of a problem for their quest for power. She says that Macbeth is â€Å"too full o’ the milk of human kindness† to place them on the throne of Scotland as a result of murder. Macbeth realizes that Duncan is, n fact, a good and humble king, and other than to fulfill self-centered, uncontrolled ambitions, this is not reason to murder him. Macbeth is soon pressured into the murder of Duncan by both his wife and the three witches. The three witches are supernatural instruments of fate who predicted that Macbeth will become King of Scotland. In act I, scene III, the witches chant, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be King hereafter! When Macbeth hears this prophecy, many questions nstantly begin to run through his head. He begins to wonder, what are they talking about and how will I become king? Macbeth does not entirely trust the witches, for he does identify them with evil. The foretelling of the witches spark the plot of the murder. The spark becomes a flame when Lady Macbeth hears of the prophecy. Lady Macbeth is canny and masterful as she propels Macbeth to kill Duncan. She binds Macbeth’s attention to the throne of Scotland, but never to the severity of the crime. Lady Macbeth is clever when she constantly urges Macbeth to forget about his torments and the brutal death he has aused. Before the actual murder, Macbeth is shrouded with fear. Banquo can also see the fear in Macbeth, although he does not know about the plan of murder when he asks, â€Å"Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear/ Things that do sound so fair? † He ponders what would happen if he fails, and discusses this possibility with his wife. He struggles with fear in the presence of Lady Macbeth but she constantly reassures him that there is nothing to fear and that the murder will be for the better. This fear demonstrates that Macbeth does realize the difference between right and rong, good and evil, and the consequences, but the outcome, which is murder, proves he can be swayed in his beliefs and concerns. Macbeth was pressured to do a horrible deed which was driven by evil. The beginning of the evil was rooted in his wife and the witch’s but quickly spread into his mind and heart. Macbeth was soon contaminated by evil, although he realized what he had done was wrong. Macbeth says, â€Å"To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself,† meaning that committing such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. Evil drives Macbeth to later kill Banquo and Fleance for fear they know hat Macbeth was the murderer. One evil lead to another, for if he had not done evil by killing Duncan then he would not have done evil with the death of his best friend and his son. All the evil they committed to gain power, which was what they always wanted, led to great sorrow. They realized that the dead were much happier. While Macbeth and his wife were wracked with guilt and paranoia, Duncan was seen as the lucky in the eyes of Macbeth. He did not have any threats and was much safer than Macbeth who is feared losing his throne. Macbeth made these feelings clear when he said, â€Å"In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grace;/ After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well. / Treason has done his worst; nor steel, nor poison,/ Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,/ Can touch him further. † Macbeth, soon killed by Macduff, now, too, can rest with worry. Lady Macbeth was also troubled by feelings of guilt. In her sleep she screams, â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out, I say! †¦/Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him. † Lady Macbeth is suffering from a dieses which she created from evil. Trouble and suffering have come into their lives in the place of power. Lady Macbeth ultimately kills herself, ending up in a state of peace without worries along with her husband. Macbeth is a basically good man who is troubled by his conscience and loyalty though at the same time is struggling with evils of ambition and murder. He is led to evil initially by the witches’ predictions and then by his wife’s goading, which he succumbs to because of his love for her. Lady Macbeth rids herself of any kindness that might stand in the way and fills that void with evil to achieve her ambitions. In both cases evil becomes controlling so much that both of there normal lives are ruined.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Intellectual Disabilities and its categories Essay

Intellectual Disabilities and its categories - Essay Example The outcome is severe personality disorder followed by lack of communicational skills. Such patients possess attitude problem like speech disorder, mental disorder and are often tended towards what we call as 'roller coaster of thoughts'. However, the dilemma remains that this lifelong disease is responsible for conducting many suicidal behaviors, mood instabilities and frustration causing serious crime and is still not given that much attention as it supposed to be given. Siever et al describes Schizotypal disability as a disorder, which shares common phenomenological, genetic, biologic, outcome, and treatment response characteristics with more severely ill chronic schizophrenic patients. (Siever & Davis) However, at the same time, they are freer from the multiple artifacts that potentially confound research in schizophrenia including the effects of long-term and usually ongoing medication treatment, multiple hospitalizations or institutionalization, and prolonged functional impairment secondary to chronic psychosis and social deterioration. (Siever & Davis) Genetic Factors: Studies have shown that that if one person has schizophrenia, the chance for another person also sharing the disorder depends on the degree of genetic relatedness between them. For example if one twin has schizophrenia, the chance that the co-twin will also have schizophrenia is around 18% if they are non identical twins but 48% if they are identical twins as identical twins share 100% of their genes. (Rapee, 2001:22) Neurotransmitters/ Disconnection Syndrome: The biological models of schizophrenia emphasize neurochemical dysregulation or anatomical changes in the brain. The most widely disseminated and thoroughly developed biological theories include the neurotransmitter model. (Beebe, 2003) The cause of Schizophrenia is followed by one of the most widely accepted theory named "Dopamine Theory". This hypothesis states that schizophrenia can be understood in cognitive terms, as a failure of functional integration within the brain. Functional integration refers to the interactions of functionally specialised systems (i.e., populations of neurons, cortical areas and sub-areas) that are required for adaptive sensorimotor integration, perceptual synthesis and cognition. (Friston, 2002) According to this theory, most of the symptoms of schizophrenia are the result of having excessive levels of dopamine, especially in the mesolimbic pathways of the brain. (Carson & Sanislow, 1993) Several sources support this theory. First many of the drugs that are used to treat schizophrenia seem to work primarily by blocking certain dopamine receptors in the brain. Second certain drugs that have been found to increase levels of dopamine in the brain also produce symptoms that are very similar to those found in schizophrenia. An appropriate example is the

Friday, September 27, 2019

Women's rights in China and Japan Research Paper

Women's rights in China and Japan - Research Paper Example Chinese women have been deprived their rights in politics, economy, social and familial life through the existing patriarchal feature of Chinese society. Women do not enjoy inheritance of property and possession rights hence they do not have an independent source of income. These inheritance and succession are passed through the male line which makes it impossible for them to enjoy freedom in marriage and have to follow everything dictated to them (Thernstorm 5). The system of polygamy and prostitution subjected to them cause physical and mental torture because they are forced to abide without questioning. According to a research done by Horizon Research and a survey by Ifeng, Com survey in 2012, shows that men own 80% of marital homes (Fichner 1). This indicates a great disparity between property ownership among men and women and many disparities. Most of the married have few or no right or power over the material owned by their families because they are named after their husbands. Education of a woman in china does not matter. When a woman reaches the age of marriage, she has to follow the laid done rules and laws that come with the head of the family. These rules are subject to women battering, and they feel alienated. Both men and women tend to work long hours in paying employment, and an encouragement is given to women to remain in the labor force even after having given birth. Studies have shown battered women in China are more likely to remain in those abusive relationships because of existence of insecure property rights.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Assignment about ethics 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About ethics 5 - Assignment Example The bank was unable to garner sufficient funds from its retail arm through deposits to show sufficient growth on the balance sheet. As a result, the Northern Rock started depending on easily available short-term wholesale market funds to boost its growth. Northern Rock started issuing and selling notes that offered the buyer the right on the capital of the loan portfolio. New loans were bundled and the prevalent accounts were sold through asset-supported securities (Liikanen, 2012). Nothing happened all of a sudden, as by 1995 the worth of capital with the bank had begun deteriorating sharply. In 2005, debt of lower value released in 2001 was equalled to equity. It reduced the margins over the debt value greatly. The bank was not getting better margins from traditional market but it could not control the tightly defined leverage from bursting to a factor of 90 and more (Liikanen, 2012). The Northern Rock announced insolvency on September 13, 2007, asking help from the Bank of England (BoE). Immediate effect of this declaration happened on the bank retail segment customers who had deposited money in various personal accounts. These account holders had lost faith in the capability of the bank to pay back their deposits and the very next day there were long lines of customers in all branches of the Northern Rock to withdraw their funds from the bank. ... Bankruptcy of Northern Rock was due to stepping back from their credit lines by the institutional short-term investors of the Northern Rock. Before the announcement of insolvency, withdrawing back of the short-term institutional investors was a grave issue for the bank before 14 September. The real set back to the bank was faced in the wholesale market when the news broke out that the Northern Rock was arranging money largely from the short-term wholesale funding, which it settled at the time of credit maturity (Liikanen, 2012). Inter-banking problem of Northern Rock and other financial organizations largely stemmed from the deficiency of trust among banks and the inter-banking market. Generally, inter-banking market is always brimming with funds across the world but liquidity just vanished from the market. Retail depositors’ rushing to the bank branches for withdrawing money happened at a time when crisis at the Northern Rock had occurred. Amazing thing was that during the di fficult time of cash shortage crisis, the retail segment of the bank business was shown as the major revenue stream of the Northern Rock. In the end with the huge downward plunge in the share price of Northern Rock from ?12.50 in January 2007 to below ?1 at close of the year 2007, the bank was taken over on 17 February 2008 (Liikanen, 2012). The crisis of the Northern Rock was managed with the financial aid given to it by the Bank of England. After nationalization, all its debts and losses were borne by the government. Certain clarity emerges behind the cause of crisis or failure of the Northern Rock, which is significant to mention to remove ambiguity over its failure. The Northern Rock banking business model failed not because of its borrowers, nor a long line of customers waiting

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Freemasons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Freemasons - Research Paper Example In a matter of three decades, the Masonic fraternity had multiplied all over the Old World and the New World colonies. Freemasonry particularly became popular in the colonies of America. Great men in American history, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and Joseph Warren, became members of the fraternity. Other illustrious Masonic members who participated in the founding of America were John Paul Jones, Lafayette, Nathanael Greene and John Hancock. Chief Justice John Marshall, who was also a Mason, formed the Supreme Court into its modern structure (York 1993). Majority of the Masonic historians and scholars agree that Freemasonry, in its present structure, perhaps developed as an accessory from stonemasons from the Middle Ages through the period until the formation of the Operative Stone Masons Guilds. However, it is still uncertain how or when the conversion occurred from Operative Guild Free-Stone Masonry to scholarly Speculative Freemasonry or those making use of tools of stonemasons, garments and practices as symbolic supports to teach their principles, even though Scottish Lodge Kilwinnings documentations confirming admitted non Operatives by just about 1672 and several Lodges in England were completely non Operative at least by 1646, the time of Elias Ashmole (Jacob 1991). Stonemasons are remarkable. They acquired extraordinary skills to construct the cathedrals, castles and the essential sculpted forms and adornments ordered of their masters. This kind of skill must have looked like almost supernatural to the huge uneducated masses. They were evidently the cream of the crop of the labor force, possessed secret practices and symbols and would have fascinated and attracted several of the most skilled non-educated enlistments (Doan 1993). Though, provided with the intricacy and the focus on morality of the different

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Strategic Management - Essay Example With this concern, the prime target of this paper is to determine the significance of research based view for strategic management. This study would provide a brief overview about the conception of strategic management and its importance. Moreover, the role of strategic management in helping a university in the quest for competitive advantage and the illustration of certain real as well as relevant examples would also be discussed in this paper. Importance of Resource Based View for Strategic Management In order to determine the significance of resource based view particularly for strategic management, it can be stated that resource based view can be duly considered as one of the perspectives that provide a rationale concerning how the different facets of human resourcess (HR) support an organisation to accomplish a greater competitive advantage (Cornell University ILR School, 2001). According to the resource based approach or view, the characteristics of the employees seem to be cri tical issues in the arena of strategic management. ... Research-based view of strategic management gives a clear idea of why different sorts of HR practices lead towards raising competitive advantage of a particular firm (Von Pock, 2007). Conception and Importance Of Strategic Management The conception of strategic management is regarded as an effective and significant management tool which supports an organisation in performing better job tasks (Analoui & Karami, 2003). There are different models or procedures that are used in the strategic management process of any particular organisation. In a similar regard, the procedures comprise identifying, analysing, formulating the recognised problems in a more descriptive way and finally evaluating as well as providing solutions to mitigate the problems identified. In order to determine the significance of strategic management, an organisation can achieve its expected business targets through proper conduct of strategic management. In the context of strategic management, mission as well as vis ion represents the fulfilment of organisational objectives. Moreover, the notion of strategic managements provides a clear idea about the strategic mission and vision of an organisation. Through the approach of strategic management, an organisation can properly identify its strengths along with weaknesses. The importance of strategic management is that it allows an organisation to be more active in performing various operational functions. For various organisations, it is quite necessary to implement a proper strategy because it helps them to comply with the requirements of the customers and most significantly to mitigate any sort of problem or complexity. The aspect of strategic

Monday, September 23, 2019

Physical Activity for Older Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical Activity for Older Adults - Essay Example Apart from the drawing conclusions, the authors of the article have found little nuggets of information that have been overlooked by other researchers, for one reason or another. They are such nuggets that give distinction to the work and make it not only credible but also innovative. The article bases on the specific ways of improving quality of life for older adults including recommendations on intensity, type, frequency, progression and time of exercise followed by disease-specific guidelines. In addition to all the recommendations and exercise instructions, the article deals with the questions of problem-solving and self-monitoring issues. Moreover, the authors give a multilateral analysis of the question considering social and cultural standards, logistics etc. The business of setting up additional material (diagrams, graphs, statistical tables) is taken really very seriously. Illustrative material is carefully chosen and prepared so as to give information. It enlightens and adequately complements the text. Illustrations, text aside, are self-explanatory on their own visual terms. The basic virtues of the illustrations are clarity and relevance. The writers are making an effort to think graphically, to present information conceived visually, not tied to verbal forms. It is not solely a mathematical concept; it is an excellent visual device that helps not only to decide problems of increasing of exercise continuation rates but it also contributes to general desirable health outcomes. All these intensify the projection of the theme. Besides the material used throw direct light upon the point considered in the text. Thus, it is great for the reader to view with ease text and illustrations together. Older Adults and the Arts. The Importance of Aesthetic Forms of Expression in Later Life by Britt-Maj Wilkstrom is a greatly organized article developing an argument about aesthetic forms of expression that contribute to physical and intellectual activities of older adults. The value of the article consists very largely in semi-structured interviews with 166 Swedish participants age 65 to 89. Moreover, it represents bibliographical acknowledgements on the topic in question that specifically and individually document facts and opinions referred to. Without such kind of thematic acknowledgements, the reader would have to read additional sources to get the point. There would only be not proved and doubtful information. And, thus, the source couldn't be considered as a credible one. But besides using a good quantity of well-grounded bibliographical acknowledgements the author leads the reader into the works of others while reasonably comparing the thoughts and ideas. Older Adults and the Arts. The Importance of Aesthetic Forms of Expression in Later Life is a wonderful synthesis of theoretical background and practical qualitative examination, analysis and discussion. The results of this practical study demonstrate that older aesthetic experiences of older adults could actually represent a potential means contributing to successful aging. The figures, data and evidence of this study represent useful practical information both for nurses and physicians to plan and create aesthetic programs in gerontological practice. The

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Genetic Engineering Philosophical Paper Essay Example for Free

Genetic Engineering Philosophical Paper Essay Genetic Engineering Defined We live in a period of science breakthroughs and accomplishments.   For over centuries now, science has been constantly pursuing its ambition to hold nature’s natural course within its grasp.   Perhaps one field that can fit this description is genetic engineering which is a laboratory technique to change the DNA of living organisms (What is Genetic Engineering).   A good view of genetic engineering can perhaps be seen in the film Gattaca where one of the main characters, Vincent (played by Ethan Hawke), is not able to accept his genetic fate.    Basing on his character, the film views how genetic engineering can affect an individual’s self-esteem as well as how far it can push him to practice free will to fill this sense of emptiness. Effects of Genetic Engineering As to its effect on society, the movie shows how it serves as a solution in eliminating if not minimizing the consequences of genetic imperfection such as in-born diseases.   In fact, some also believe that genetic engineering can be beneficial not only with health and medicine but as well as food, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.   Even nowadays genetics have already made its benefits known by aiding in forensic investigations through DNA identification thus lessening the number of violent crimes (Genetic Engineering Benefits Society). However, there can also be possible risks when relying on this field of science particularly with eugenics, or the selection the future makeup of children which could lead to the elimination of some personal traits.   Another risk would be in the usage of biotechnology before exploring other options in terms of reproduction.   One example is implanting an egg from one woman into the uterus of another which might be hazardous if considered as a primary technique (Discovery Education: Genetic Engineering) Perhaps one of the things that the director of the movie Gattaca is trying to present is how genetic engineering can be a remedy or solution in altering human fate by making him somewhat more invincible.   After watching the film, I saw this field of science as something that can affect a person’s religious faith. This issue has been reinforced furthermore by the scene particularly during the birth of Vincent where he said, â€Å"He never understood what possessed his mother to put her faith in God’s hands rather than those of her local geneticists.† secondary to his rejection of the fact that he is too genetically imperfect to achieve his dreams.   As far as the film is concerned, this showed how genetic engineering can have the potential to tolerate such human behaviors which can ultimately lead him to play God once he gets the chance instead of practicing self-acceptance and humility. Ethical Implications of Genetic Engineering It has an ethical implication especially when it comes to religion.   Taking the views of the Church of Scotland for example, it states that although Christians have long regarded scientific research as a way of responding to God’s commands of â€Å"filling the earth and subduing it† from the first chapter of Genesis in the bible, it is but important to draw a line especially in the level of genetics as it is an alteration and manipulation of human genetics which is God’s exclusive rights only. Perhaps there would be exceptions such as issues that call for certain necessities like modifying pig hearts and lungs in case of serious shortage of suitable human donor organs.   However with or without the religious point of view, some practices of genetic manipulation can endanger the life of certain people if these are not properly controlled or monitored especially since we do not hold enough knowledge in harmfully interfering with nature.   Furthermore, this also distorts virtues like humility and creates erroneous perception of what people should be made up of physically in order to be happy (Are We Playing God?). The Swimming Scene   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This particular scene in the movie gives a certain twist in the view of genetic engineering.   Vincent was born with a 99% probability of heart disorder and so every time they do the swim race when they were kids, he often got tired first and lost to Anton.   But when they did it again when they were already grown ups, Anton lost the race and almost drowned.   When Vincent defeated Anton in the swimming race for the first time, this ultimately showed the strength of human spirit and how it can defeat even the genetically superior.   Apparently, it was as though Vincent was able to unconsciously imbibe self-confidence after all those times he spent with the genetically-engineered individuals. Uma Thurman’s Character   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Irene, Vincent’s love interest whom he met in Gattaca, is another perfect example of an individual who lacks self-confidence and spirit.   Compared to Vincent, her genes are almost perfect if not for a certain heart condition.   Perhaps it is due to the fact that Irene has also been a subject of comparison in Gattaca along with the pressures of being considered for a mission to Titan (one of the moons of the planet Saturn) that she is made to focus on her imperfection although in fact it is â€Å"smaller† as compared with her superior qualities.   If she were living in a community much normal than Gattaca, then there might be a greater chance for her to be happy and see her beautiful qualities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With regards to Irene’s character, I think what the director is trying to show is that not even technology can answer for a person’s search for self-fulfillment.   Technology is also capable of deceiving people from seeing reality or from seeing what a person truly is.   Irene fell in love with Vincent in the film but little did she know that he is no more than a mere trespasser in the space agency if not for the help of his friend Jerome, a genetically superior individual who was paralyzed by a car accident and gave his identity to Vincent. The Ending   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie had an amazing ending.   After all the struggles and suspense, Vincent was surprisingly able to pull everything off and made it to the space mission, defeating the majority of his genetically-superior colleagues in Gattaca and taking Jerome’s identity with him.   Jerome on the other hand, committed suicide.   Jerome’s tragic end is the saddest part of the movie.   He has been completely consumed by his misfortune that he literally gave his life away.   He just could not accept what has become of him and the identity that he lost from the accident was the only person he knew how to be, a winner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As to Jerome’s suicide, this brought up an ethical issue that perhaps society cannot approve.   Once again it goes against the views of religion about God’s prerogatives of the human life.   Jerome willing his own death cannot be considered a rightful one for even though he had broken a spine or is out of money, his brain was still functioning well, he was speaking very well, and most of all he did not even lose his good looks from the accident so there could have been a chance for him to charm his way to love. According to an article about ethical issues related to life and death, a person only can have a self-imposed death if he has a terminal illness and his physician proclaims certain death in the very near future wherein artificial bodily support is deemed useless considering the very short period of time left (Ethical Issues Related To Life And Death).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final scene was both puzzling and funny.   There was the main character about to board the space mission and after successfully making it through several nerve-wracking genetic testing, his urine test finally revealed his true invalid identity.   Yet for some strange reasons, the one in charge of this final step let him through after a brief sentimental conversation about his son being a big fan of Jerome a.k.a. Vincent. I cannot figure out whether to consider human compassion as a part of this scene.   But more importantly, what made the ending very significant is the overwhelming sense of triumph that the main character has brought with him after making to the mission and the great sense of relief that he was not apprehended despite revealing his true identity.   The ending of the story gives out a message that no matter how much we go through or change ourselves, we can never lose the person that we truly are and even the best technology cannot take that away. Reference    What is Genetic Engineering. Mothers for Natural Law.   Retrieved 11 February 2008 at http://www.safe-food.org/-issue/ge.html Are We Playing God? Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy.   Retrieved 11 February 2008 at http://www.srtp.org.uk/genthpy1.htm#Manip Coates, J., Mahaffie, J., and Hines, A.   2007.   Genetic Engineering Benefits Society.   Retrieved 11 February 2008 at http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_461576345/Does_Genetic_Engineering_Benefit_Society_.html Genetic Engineering.   Discovery Education.   Retrieved 11 February 2008 at http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/geneticengineering/ Ethical Issues Related To Life And Death.   Retrieved 11 February 2008 at http://www.anabaptists.org/tracts/deathtrc.html

Saturday, September 21, 2019

International Globalization Marketing Plan of Batik Essay Example for Free

International Globalization Marketing Plan of Batik Essay Our mission is to establish a Global Batik Boutique industry with world-class quality in fashion design to support corporate clients and stylist society of upper market. We would like to be known as an industry driven by social values. We strive to be a â€Å"Choice of Retailer† in developing long-term Batik business relationships with our customers, which are founded on our ability to help identify the style-fashion and recommend the best wares and look’s for our customers. We strive for continuous improvement in providing â€Å"New Design† and â€Å"Good Quality† materials selection through a â€Å"Right-on-Time † fashion delivery. Batek Empat Kawan Sdn Bhd need to grow their revenue by exporting Batik products and expanding into new markets segmentation. With faster communication, transportation and financial flows, the company is planning penetrate into United Kingdom Consumer market on establishment of Batik made garment products . 1. 0 Company Background Batek Empat Kawan Sdn Bhd (BEK Sdn Bhd ) is a Malaysian owned company, a batik fashion and boutique consulting firm head quarters in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, specializing in all kind of batik design garment products. BEK Sdn Bhd incorporated in 2001, has an Sales Office and Manufacturing plant at Kajang.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Itgc review of the foods fantastic company

Itgc review of the foods fantastic company Several months ago, you started working at a large public accounting firm as an IT staff auditor. You are currently working on your first assignment, an ITGC review of the Foods Fantastic Company (FFC). FFC is a publicly traded, regional grocery store chain, headquartered in Mason, Maryland, and includes 50 stores located in the mid-Atlantic area. The centralized data center is in Mason. FFC relies on an integrated suite of application programs that include state-of-the-art software to manage merchandise replenishment, store- level sales forecasting, and point-of-sale data. For example, FFC relies on bar code scanners and credit/debit card readers. To maintain its competitive edge in its market area, FFC recently implemented a fingerprint bio-coding payment system in all of its stores. This new systems implementation required that FFC change several of its general-ledger application programs; in particular, those related to its cash receipts processing. FFC does not use any outside s ervice organizations to provide its IT services. Sophie Ewing, the audit senior who heads up your team, decided that because of FFCs complex and sophisticated IT processing, an IT General Control (ITGC) review is man- datory to meet SAS 109s risk assessment procedures and SOX Section 404 Management Assessment of Internal Controls requirements. You know that an ITGC review is very important because ITGCs provide the foundation for reliance on any financial information FCCs systems produce. Your evaluation will affect the financial auditor in assessing the risk of material misstatement in FFCs financials, and consequently, the audit plan. At your first team meeting, Sophie announced that your firms network security specialists would review the technical issues related to FFCs internal controls. They will evaluate FFCs operating systems, its telecommunications software, and its network configuration and firewalls. In preparation for the meeting, Sophie encouraged you to review the key provisions included in SAS 109, SOX Section 404, applicable sections of PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 5, and your firms internal guidance, which groups ITGCs into the following five areas: IT management, systems development, data security, change management, and business continuity planning (BCP). IT managements key concepts include ITs position within the organization, whether IT goals are aligned with the organizations strategic goals, the use of an IT steering com- mittee, and whether the IT departments structure promotes proper segregation of duties to protect the organizations assets. Your primary concerns are: Does FFC have an IT strategic plan? To whom does the Chief Information Officer (CIO) report? What key responsibility areas report to the CIO? Does FFC have an IT steering committee? Is so, who are the members? Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 Assessing Information Technology General Control Risk: An Instructional Case 65 Systems Development The key concepts within systems development include the existence of a new systems implementation methodology, project management, pre- and post-implementation reviews, quality control, adequate testing, and demonstrated compliance with the selected imple- mentation methodology. Based on this understanding, your teams primary concerns are: Does FFC design, develop, and implement systems in a logical fashion? Does the organization consider internal controls as an integral part of systems design or does it retrofit them after implementation? To what extent is FFCs Internal Audit department involved in systems development activities? Is it part of the project review team? Is it a voting member of the team? In particular, how well did FFC manage the development and implementation of its new fingerprint bio-coding payment system? Data Security The critical concepts within data security include adherence to an established infor- mation security policy, access approval on a need-to-know basis, periodic rotation or change of access controls, monitoring, exception reporting, and incident response. Data security has both physical and logical aspects. On the physical side, data security includes physical access and environmental controls over the data center computer room. On the logical side, data security includes policies related to password configuration, change, and history re- strictions. Logical security also includes prompt review, modification, or removal of access due to personnel transfers, promotions, and terminations. Your teams primary concerns are: How well does FFC control physical access to its data center computer room? Is FFCs computer room adequately protected against environmental dangers, such as fire? Does FFC control logical access to its information systems? In particular, how does it control the logical access of terminated or transferred employees? Does FFC have a current IT security policy? Does FFC produce access violation reports? Do FFC IT personnel adhere to IT policy and follow IT procedures? For example, do appropriate personnel review any access violation reports and take the prescribed action? Change Management Change Managements key concepts include documented change procedures, user au- thorization and approval, separation of duties in implementing changes, management re- view, quality control, and adequate testing. Your audit teams primary concerns are: Does FFC have (and follow) formal change management procedures? In particular, did FFC follow these procedures when making any necessary changes to its current application programs because of the new bio-coding payment system? For example: Were the changes approved? Did the programmers adequately test the changes before putting them into production? Did the application programmer(s) that made the code changes, test the changes, and/or put them into production? Business Continuity Planning Key concepts of BCP are managements expectations regarding a timely recovery of processing capabilities, the existence of a written plan, the currency of the plan, offsite Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 66 Norman, Payne, and Vendrzyk storage of both the plan and data files, and testing of the plan. Your audit teams main concerns are: Does FFC have a written BCP plan? Is it current? When is the last time FFC tested its plan? Does FFC back up its software and data? How often? Where do they store the backups? Did FFC need to recover its systems using its backups during the past fiscal year? Information Collected During the ITGC Review Under Sophie Ewings direction, you and other members of the audit team worked very diligently reviewing FFCs policies and procedures, interviewing FFC client personnel, and observing FFCs various operations and procedures related to its ITGCs. First, your team created an organization chart to document the FFCs management structure (see Ex- hibit 1). Exhibit 2 reflects the information your team collected from interviews, observations, and reviews of corroborating documentation related to FFCs ITGCs. EXHIBIT 1 Foods Fantastic Company Organization Chart Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Senior Vice President and Controller Senior Vice President, Internal Audit Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Senior Vice President and Treasurer Vice President, Applications Vice President, Operations Vice President, Information Security Vice President, Database Administration (Currently V acant) Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 Assessing Information Technology General Control Risk: An Instructional Case 67 EXHIBIT 2 Foods Fantastic Company IT General Control (ITGC) Review Notes Notes from meetings with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Foods Fantastic Company (FFC) implemented a new bio-coding payment system in all of its stores this past fiscal year. FFCs IT Executive Steering Committee develops IT policies and reviews the overall operations of the IT department. The voting members of the committee are: 1. the Senior Vice President (SrVP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) 2. the VP, Applications 3. the VP, Data Base Administration (DBA) 4. the VP, Operations 5. the VP, Information Security (IS) 6. the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) 7. the SrVP, Internal Audit The IT Executive Steering Committee revised FFCs security policy in 2005. The policy addresses all organizational security issues including IT. FFC has no documented business continuity or disaster recovery plan. Management believes such a plan is cost-prohibitive for an organization of its size and FFC has never experienced any major business disruption. In case of disaster, the data center manager would retrieve the most recent backup tapes that are stored offsite. FFC would use these files to recover its systems. Notes from meetings with the SrVP, Internal Audit: FFCs Internal Audit Department is involved as a voting member of the project teams responsible for design, development, and implementation of new projects. Internal audit performs post- implementation reviews on all projects over $2 million. The new bio-coding payment system was 25 percent over its initial time budget and 40 percent over its initial dollar budget. Notes from meetings with the CIO: The VP, Applications is currently responsible for the DBA function. However, the CIO reviews the logs that show the actions of the Application VPs user ID. FFC has an IT strategic plan, which is consistent with its corporate strategic plan. The IT strategic plan outlines the objectives and strategies that the information systems group will implement to assist FFC in meeting its overall business objectives. FFC adopted Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM), an industry- recognized standard for systems development and project management. All projects (buy or build) follow the applicable SSADM phases. The CIO periodically reviews each projects required budget-to-actual reconciliation. FFCs security policy states that the VP, IS is to conduct a user audit on a quarterly basis. The appropriate department manager reviews electronically submitted reports that list each users profile, note changes on the reports, and return the reports to the VP, IS. The VP then makes the appropriate modifications based on the returned reports. The VP maintains the reports, and initials and dates the report after completing all modifications. Notes from meetings with the VP, Human Resources: FFC is currently interviewing individuals to assume the DBAs responsibilities and hopes to hire someone within the next six to eight months. Aside from the security policy, management does not provide any formalized security awareness programs related to data security. Each month, the Human Resources department forwards a Transfers and Terminations report to the VP, IS. (continued on next page) Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 68 Norman, Payne, and Vendrzyk EXHIBIT 2 (continued) Notes from meetings with the VP, Applications: The VP, Applications assigns a project manager and develops an initial time and dollar budget for each new development project. IT personnel adequately tested the new bio-coding payment system prior to its implementation. This testing included integration testing, stress testing, and user acceptance testing. User depart- ments corroborated their testing and acceptance of the new system. Application programmers do not have access to the computer room unless escorted by data center personnel (e.g., an operator). FFC instituted formal procedures for change management. The VP, Applications is responsible for change management and maintains all documentation in a fireproof vault in his office. A Change Request form initiates all application software changes, including required software up- grades. A user completes the form, which the users department manager approves. The user forwards the request form to the VP, Applications, who logs each request in a Change Request Log. The VP performs an initial analysis and feasibility study and estimates the required devel- opment hours. The Change Request log is a listing of all requested changes and the status of the change request. The VP, Applications uses this log to track open items and follow up on changes not completed within the original time estimate. The VP, Applications assigns the change request to an applications programmer and issues the current systems documention to the programmer. The applications programmer copies the source code from the systems production region to its development region and makes the change. The pro- grammer works in the systems development region using test data. The programmer tests the change first within the affected module and then within the entire application. Changes are never tested against production data. The programmer updates the necessary systems documentation. The applications programmer migrates the code to the systems test region. A second programmer performs systems integration testing, volume testing, and user acceptance testing, again using test files. The second programmer then performs a quality review of the change, including a source- compare analysis, and reviews the updated systems documentation. Upon completion of testing, the user who requested the change and the appropriate department manager review the test results and accept the change by signing the original request form. The VP, Applications reviews the user-approved request form on which the department manager has indicated that s/he is satisfied that the program is ready for implementation. The VP, Applications also reviews the documentation prior to implementing any new or changed program to ensure that the documentation is adequate. The VP, Applications approves the change, initials the change request form, and transfers the change to the VP, Operations, who officially accepts the change. The VP, Applications then updates the Change Request log and returns the revised systems documentation to the fireproof vault. Notes from meetings with the VP, Operations: FFCs computer room, within its data center, is locked at all times. All outside contractors or visitors must first contact the data center manager for entry into the computer room. Each must bring an official picture ID, sign a visitors log, and be escorted at all times by data center personnel during the visit. In 2002, FFC installed video cameras on all doors entering the computer room to record activity 24/7. Building management staff, who report to the facilities manager, are responsible for main- taining these tapes. The VP, Operations has not needed to review these tapes for at least six months since no unathorized access attempts have been reported. Environmental controls are in place in the computer room (i.e., temperature controls, uninter- rupted power supply, a backup generator, fire-extinguishing equipment, and raised floor). Appro- priate maintenance staff test these controls semi-annually. FFC backs up all of its data each day. It stores its most recent daily backup once a week at a company-owned offsite location, along with the most recent version of its software. FFC did not test backup tapes during the past year and has no plan to test these tapes in the future. The VP, Operations assigns IT operations personnel the task of placing new or changed appli- cations programs into production after the VP, Applications has approved the work. (continued on next page) Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 Assessing Information Technology General Control Risk: An Instructional Case 69 EXHIBIT 2 (continued) Notes from meetings with the VP, Information Security: The VP, IS grants keycard access to the computer room. The VP, IS receives a keycard access report for the computer room on a monthly basis. The VP, IS determines if an unauthorized access attempt into the computer room has occurred. Passwords are not displayed on terminals or reports. Password standards are enforced by security software. FFC requires a minimum password length of six alphanumeric or special characters and a maximum length of nine alphanumeric or special characters. The software prevents the same character from being used more than once in a password and prevents numbers from being used next to each other in a password. The security software forces users to change their pass- words twice each year. The security software maintains a history of two previous passwords and does not permit employees to reuse their two most recent passwords. The security software does not display statistics regarding employees sign-on information. For example, there is no infor- mation regarding a users sign-on attempts (such as date and time of last sign-on), number of invalid sign-on attempts since last successful sign-on, or number of days prior to password expiration. The system allows three access attempts. If the third attempt is unsuccessful, the user ID is automatically disabled. The user must contact the VP, IS to reset the user ID. The system gen- erates a logical access violation report on a daily basis. User access is limited to workstations within the corresponding responsibility area. For example, users with access to the Accounts Payable module can only log in from workstations located in the Accounts Payable area. A workstation can stand idle for up to 60 minutes before the user is logged off. The VP, IS is responsible for maintaining user profiles and authorization lists. The VP grants access to the system to new hires. The appropriate department manager completes a computerized form that specifies the proper level of access. The VP reviews the request form for proper approvals and then either approves or denies the request. If approved, the VP issues the necessary ID and initial password with the requested access via encrypted email. Normal users may have multiple IDs. Each user ID can log on to one sign-on session at a time. The VP, IS, who has unlimited access, can log in from any workstation and have multiple sign- on sessions. The VP, IS is responsible for modifying and/or disabling user IDs for personnel whose job duties change because of promotions, transfers, and/or terminations based on the Transfers and Ter- minations report. The VP, IS maintains the report, and initials and dates the report when the VP, IS has made all of the modifications. Notes from meeting with the facilities manager, who reports to the VP, Human Resources: According to the facilities manager, no one asked to view the computer room video tapes during the past six months. Observations of the audit team: Documentation of the systems development process for the new bio-coding payment system confirms that the VP, Applications complied with SSADM requirements when implementing this new system. The data center is on the first floor of FFCs building. The data center manager reports to the VP, Operations. Company policy requires the VP, IS to review the keycard access report at least once per quarter. During the past six months, the VP has not reviewed the report for any unauthorized access attempts. The team observed no instances in which application programmers were in the computer room without a proper escort. The team observed no instances in which visitors or outside contractors were in the computer room without a proper escort. (continued on next page) Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 70 Norman, Payne, and Vendrzyk EXHIBIT 2 (continued) Documentation of the computer room environment controls test results for the last 18 months shows no irregularities. These files are in the CIOs office. If someone attempts to enter the computer room without authorization, company policy requires that the VP, Operations review the video tapes from the computer room cameras within 24 hours. The FFC security policy requires each employee to sign an acknowledgment that s/he read the current policy. A review of the personnel files of a sample of employees found no exceptions. A review of the selected user profiles and passwords revealed the following: User Vice President, Applications Vice President, Information Systems Password 7LiAcOf# QSECOFR1 Note: The acronym QSECOFR looks familiar. Remember to review A Beginners Guide to Auditing the AS/400 Operating System (Bines 2002). During the past six months, the dates of the modifications were about three weeks after the VP, IS received the HRs Transfers and Terminations report. The VP, IS performed the most recent user audit eight months ago. Company policy requires the VP, IS to review the unauthorized system access report on a monthly basis to check for unusual activity (e.g., multiple violations, changes to the authorization lists, etc.). During the past six months, the VP, IS has not reviewed the report for any unauthorized access attempts. The audit team verified that FFC followed its approved change management procedures when making the bio-code payment-related changes to its cash receipts processing and other financial reporting application programs. In the past fiscal year, no incidents occurred that required FFC to recover its systems using its backup tapes. Case Requirements Sophie Ewing assigned your team the following tasks: 1. For each ITGC area, identify the control issues and classify them as strengths or weak- nesses, using Exhibit 3 to document your work. Exhibit 3 will be part of the audit teams work papers. 2. Determine the level of risk (High, Medium, or Low) that you believe is present in each particular ITGC area. 3. Assess the overall risk of the organizations ITGCs, taking into consideration the five separate risk assessments that you just made (task #2 above), and their relative impor- tance to internal controls over FFCs financial reporting. 4. Prepare a report that documents and appropriately supports your overall IT risk as- sessment (task #3), using the guidance Sophie provided in Exhibit 4. You must include a statement explicitly stating your overall risk assessment in the reports concluding section and attach your completed ITGCs matrix. Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 Assessing Information Technology General Control Risk: An Instructional Case 71 EXHIBIT 3 Foods Fantastic Company IT General Controls Matrix Part A: Strengths and Weaknesses ITGC Area Summary of Issue Strength or Weakness IT Management FFC has an IT strategic plan Strength Part B: Risk Assessment for each ITGC area (Indicate Low, Medium or High) ITGC Area IT Management Systems Development Data Security Change Management Business Continuity Planning Risk Assessment Issues in Accounting Education, February 2009 72 Norman, Payne, and Vendrzyk EXHIBIT 4 Report Guidance IT General Controls Risk Assessment Report Foods Fantastic Company Students Name Date Background: Write a short description of Foods Fantastic Company (FFC) and why the ITGC review is necessary (2-3 sentences). Purpose: Briefly describe the purpose of an ITGC review and why it is important (2-3 sentences). Scope: Provide a short description of the work your team performed at Foods Fantastic to develop your risk assessment (3-4 sentences). Findings: Elaborate on the key finding(s) that influenced your overall risk assessment. Discuss the key control strengths and weaknesses you identified within each of the five ITGC areas and its corresponding risk assessment. Provide enough detail to support your assessment. Include specific examples from the information your team collected (interviews, observations, and reviews of corrob- orating documentation). Your arguments need to be consistent with your risk assessment for the five different areas, as well as your overall risk assessment (4-5 paragraphs). Conclusion: Provide a statement of your overall risk assessment. For example, I set FFCs assessed level of ITGC risk as (Low, Medium, or High) because of . Summarize the primary reasons that contributed to your assessment. Keep in mind the relative im- portance of each of the five ITGC areas in controlling FFCs financial reporting (3-4 sentences).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Faith in Kierkegaards Breaking the Waves Essay -- Kierkegaard Breakin

Faith in Kierkegaard's Breaking the Waves In Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, he discusses the "Three Movements to Faith." For Kierkegaard, faith of any kind involves a paradox. This paradox, as well as Kierkegaard's suggested path to faith, is illustrated by the main characters of Breaking the Waves, Bess and Jan. Kierkegaard explains there are steps one can take towards faith; however, they are so difficult he believes only one person, the "Knight of Faith," has completed the movements. The first step is for one to make her/his wish the complete focus of her/his concentration. This finite desire must dominate one's consciousness, and must be the only wish she/he hopes for. Although the desire may seem impossible, it becomes possible when expressed spiritually. Kierkegaard calls the second movement the "infinite resignation": this involves the person acknowledging the impossibility of her/his wish. By resigning the finite desire, says Kierkegaard, the wish is bent inward. With this, the wish becomes religious, and thus not finite, but infinite. The third step involves...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

All Americans Need Access to Health Care Essay -- ObamaCare Essays

America is known for democracy, freedom, and the American Dream. American citizens have the right to free speech, free press, the right to bear arms, and the right to religious freedom to name a few. The Declaration of Independence states that American citizens have the rights including â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† America promises equality and freedom and the protection of their rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But with all the rights and freedoms that American citizens enjoy, there is one particular area where the United States seems to be lacking. That area is health care. The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t have some form of legal recognition of a right to health care (Yamin 1157). Health care reform in the United States has become a major controversy for politicians, health care professionals, businesses, and citizens. Those in opposition to reform claim that health care is not a human right, therefore the government should not be involved. Supporters of reform believe that health care is most definitely a human right and should be available to everyone in the United States instead of only those who can afford it, and that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold that right. Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t have a universal health care plan (Yamin 1157). The current health care system in the United States relies on employer-sponsored insurance programs or purchase of individual insurance plans. Employer-sponsored coverage has dropped from roughly 80 percent in 1982 to a little over 60 percent in 2006 (Kinney 809). The government does provide... ... Mar. 2011. "It Is Possible for the United States to Achieve Universal Health Care While Protecting Scientific Innovation." Universal Health Care. Ed. Susan C. Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. Kinney, Eleanor D. "Realization of the International Human Right to Health in an Economically Integrated North America." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 37.4 (2009): 807-818. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. "National Insurance Could Prove Disastrous. (Cover story)." USA Today Magazine 133.2719 (2005): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. Yamin, Alicia Ely. "The Right to Health Under International Law and Its Relevance to the United States." American Journal of Public Health 95.7 (2005): 1156-1161. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Pro Clean Case Essay

Pro Clean’s owner has more than 15 years of experience, has good reputation in Knoxville and has established a sustainable customer base. The company offers good service at considerable price, and maintains good relation with its past customers. Weaknesses: The Company has many problems in its marketing, management and accounting systems. It tries to reach out to customers from every segment, and probably exceeding its capacity. The company’s staff has very limited skills in sales, can only approach certain group of customers, and has ambiguous responsibility in day-to-day functions. Lastly, the company is financially weak, due to poor financial management. This is likely to be the problem to their higher operating cost and cash flow problem. Opportunities: Given the current environment, Pro Clean has certain opportunities to survive in Knoxville. There is clear market segmentation, which to allows Pro Clean to avoid direct competition with competitors from other strategic group. Threats: Pro Clean faces other competitors who offer similar or service at the same price, threatening its customer base. Also, a change in financial policy, such as an increase in interest rates, can threaten the survival of the company, given its current financial situation. (See Appendix C for the SWOT analysis table) Building Core Competency From our analysis in the previous segments, we advise Pro Clean to build its core competency in two dimensions: Customer Relationship in combination with an excellent cleaning service and a high quality. Valuable: By focusing and creating an unique relationship with its customers, Pro Clean can definitely be considered as a valuable company * Rare: Pro Clean will offer a wide range of extra services and supporting tools which aren’t offered by other cleaning companies * In-imitate: By providing innovative services, Pro Clean will enjoy a competitive advantage over its competitors. * Non-substitutable: Once become a member of the custom er base, customers will be offered an excellent service and loyalty programs. The better the relationship between Pro Clean and its customers, the higher the switching costs will be for the customers. Value Chain Analysis The following is a value chain analysis on what activities Pro Clean can do based on their core competencies, and also some of the other activities that they can improve on to give them a strategic competitive advantage: Primary Services: Currently, the service quality of Pro Clean is good and we feel that they can leverage on it, by adding on the hardwood floor cleaning service and improving their scheduling to suit the customers’. Sales & Marketing: To grow the business, Pro Clean should focus on market penetration and increasing their revenue stream from its existing customer base. Increase penetration: * Referral programmes can be initiated by offering discounts to customers who refer their neighbours. * Wilson should also take advantage of the on-site estimate service by rewarding employees who bring in more of such jobs. Doing so should increase the closing rate, and increase sales. * Sales can also be improved by â€Å"advertising† the other services that Pro Clean has to offer. They can also get employees to ask customers if they need other services while they are on-site. * Pro Clean should also explore the possibility of expanding into the commercial business, as it is currently a greatly underserved market. Increase average customer spending: * As a large part of sales is derived from people seeing Pro Clean’s van being driven around the neighbourhood, Pro Clean can get technicians to drive the van around the neighbourhood more often to increase their visibility. They can also come up with a bigger range of packaged services to cross sell to customers. Support Infrastructure: It was identified earlier that Wilson is pretty weak in managing the finances of the company. Hence we recommend that he should outsource this part of the business to an accountant. In addition, we think that he should also move his operations back to his home office to cut costs. HR management: This is an area that also needs to be worked on in order to successfully implemen t the other plans. We think that a new staffing plan is needed. We propose that Turner should be re-hired as a technician for the skills that he already has and keep Scott as the sales/marketing manager. A detailed portrayal of the new organization structure can be found in appendix D. Vision Our aim is to become a household name, associated with high service quality, in the cleaning services industry with 100% customer satisfaction. Mission Statement Our mission is to provide the highest quality cleaning service to our customers, within the shortest response time possible at the convenience of our customers.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Hrm598 Case Study 2

HRM 598 Case Study: Getting and Using Compensation Information â€Å"Compensation is a systematic approach to providing monetary value to employees in exchange for work performed. Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job performance, and job satisfaction. Compensation is a tool used by management for a variety of purposes to further the existence of the company. Compensation may be adjusted according to the business needs, goals, and available resources. The three careers I chose for this case study are Public Relations Specialist, High School Teacher, and Project Coordinator. The reason for me choosing these specific careers was that I’ve held each one at some point in time. In this case study we will examine why each job has different salary ranges and why. Question #1 Doing this research I’ve come to find that out of the three jobs that I selected, a project coordinator is paid the most on average. The project coordinator is paid $89,5 09 a year on average.I was shocked to find out that out of the three careers chosen, that a public relations specialist is paid the least of all three. The public relations specialist on average is paid $45,931 a year. I expected that the project coordinator position would be the highest paid out of the three, however I did not expect for the teacher to be paid more ($53,447 a year on average) than the public relations specialist. I expected the teacher to be paid the least of all three. Usually teachers are thought to be paid the least when comparison to other professions.Some factors that could play a part in the difference could be number of days worked (teachers usually have a 9 month work year), levels of responsibility the job carries (project coordinators are generally in charge of seeing an operation through from beginning to end) whether or not the company is private or state funded (teachers are usually employees of the state, less money is involved) are some factors that could possibly be the differences in pay just to name a few. Question 2 Different jobs come with different benefit packages, and that’s just how the cookie crumbles.Project coordinators on average make $7,217 on average a year in bonuses. The project coordinators have the highest bonuses out of three companies selected. Next out of the three is public relations specialist. The public relation specialists on average make $532 in bonuses a year. Lastly we have the teachers. Teachers make $0 in bonuses a year on average. Teachers may have the most important job in the public eye, but in terms of bonuses there is no merit to issue bonuses. Teachers are expected to show up and teach the students so that they will do well on the state test.The project coordinator on the other hand makes a nice little penny when it comes to bonuses. Project coordinators have a lot of tasks to accomplish with a short period of time to do so. When deadlines are met or beat certain bonuses may be award ed. Bonuses in this field are performance based. When dealing with public relations specialist it’s tricky to talk about bonuses. Some factors that effect bonuses in this field are, is the company private owned or are you working for a person, what field you are doing PR in just to name a few. Depending on what pay scale the company has in place could affect how bonuses are set up as well.Question#3 Stock options are benefits in the form of an option given by a company to an employee to buy stock in the company at a discount or at a stated fixed price. With the data that was present for these three careers, there was no stock option information available. To me the Teacher is the only professions out of the three that I think aren’t allowed stock options. There are no stocks in public schools, so you can’t earn something that doesn’t exist. Project coordinator and public relations specialist are entitled to stock options.The determining factors to whether or not stock options are made available lye solely with company. If the company offers stock options, the people who are in the public relations specialist and project coordinator positions are eligible, it just depends on the company. Teachers can’t get them, because they are not offered in that public sector. Question4 After reading the job descriptions for the three careers I chose, I found the program coordinator and the public relations specialist descriptions were pretty much right on the money, however the teaching description was acking and left a lot to be desired. The description for the program coordinator was right on the money. It gives you an accurate run down on what’s expected from the position, and what is required to fulfill the position at its maximum capacity. The description I read for the public relations specialist may have been the best one. The description given for this job painted a clear and accurate picture of the position. From my persona l experience the description I read for the teaching position was generic and lacking of substance. It didn’t quite detail what the job entails in detail.I think the descriptions were worded to give the job seeker an overall view of the job. Question #5 After researching these positions in my local area my findings were not that surprising. The area I did my study for was Chicago, IL, and Chicago wages are a lot higher than most other cities. The reason why I think Chicago wages are higher than most is due to the cost of living for one. Another is the Illinois state tax is higher than most cities as well. Location is one of the biggest reason I can say as to why the pay grades are higher here in Chicago.Some factors that play a part in location that effects pay could be, but not limited to; crime, taxes, cost of living, and environmental conditions. With the public relations specialist, and program coordinator positions, their pay is 7% higher in the city of Chicago. Teachers in Chicago on average make $14,670 more than the average stated on the websites. These findings really weren’t surprising at all, they were sort of expected. Question #6 The information on this site would be very beneficial to a graduate fresh out of college doing their contract negotiations.I would use the information in my negations by starting off with getting a clear understanding of my duties going off the description set forth by the website. The website gives good information to start a salary negotiation, because it gives you a median to start your negotiation off with. When doing these negotiations I would show the median numbers for the task set forth by the description giving. A few factors that might have a bearing on the salary could be but not limited too; location, the company’s’ revenue intake, years of experience, and education level just to name a few.Question #7 The labor markets for these particular jobs are large in the sense of the fact th at these careers have markets all over the world and in many different fields. When talking about labor markets you have to remember that labor markets may be local or national in their scope and are made up of smaller, interacting labor markets for different qualifications, skills, and geographical locations. They depend on the exchange of information between employers and job seekers about wage rates, conditions of employment, level of competition, and job location.People working in the three fields I’m covering in this case study are recruited all over the country to fill positions they are qualified for. The geographical location of these jobs plays a huge part in the salary wages paid out. After doing some research it seems like southern rural states have the lowest paying wages. Using the â€Å"teacher† position for example, a teacher starts of at $32,400 a year in Jackson, MS, but that same teacher would start of at 44,230 a year in the suburbs of Chicago. Geogr aphical location plays a major part in wages.In the States of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia all these positions are paid less than states such as Illinois, New York, Washington D. C, Florida, and Dallas. Question 8 The median teaching salary was $52,447 on average for the year. The minimal salary is $34,327, that’s an $18,120 difference. Geographical location plays a huge part in these wages and the differences. Like I stated before the rural and southern locations generally have the lowest wages. The highest pay on average for a teacher is $71,093 a year, that’s an $18,646 difference from the median salary.The median salary for a public relations specialist is $45,931 dollars a year. The minimal salary for this position is $34,121 a year, there’s an $11,810 difference in the pay. The highest level of pay for this position is $55,657, there’s a $9,726 difference. In this position, bigger cities have the best market for this career. A program coordinator income on average is $89,509 a year. This career is paid rather well. The lowest average salary is 68,779 a year, that’s a $20,730 difference. The highest pay on average for this position is $116,436 a year, that’s a $26,927 difference.The higher pay is usually located in major cities, with large populations. There is a large number in variations in these salaries. Some factors that can play a part in these variations are but not limited too; education, geographical location, years on jobs, the employers financial state just to name a few. Question #9 The information on www. salary. com is very sufficient. What makes me think this that they covered all bases? I feel they go above and beyond, especially the fact they have their compensation consultants create a composite view for each job using a proprietary mathematical model built by Salary. om. The model takes into account the statistical reliability of each data point, the robustness of the data within each data point, the effective date of the data reported, and the industry, geography, or company size biases within each survey. What else leads me to believe that the information is accurate is that they also have their compensation consultants have collected and reviewed data covering more than 29 million individuals working at more than 16,000 companies. The implications of using inaccurate data can be fatal to the potential employer and employee.Having the wrong salary information could have an employer paying an employee too much for the position, and or vice versa. The implications of wrong salary data could be very detrimental. It could affect the employer and or employee for a long amount of time. Question 10 Although salary. com is free and has tons of useful information, hiring a consultant could still be very beneficiary to the company. The information provided on salary is gathered from a wide range of data. Information gathered for the site may lean heavily toward a pa rticular geographical location.Hiring the outside consultant could give you the actual numbers in your geographical area. The consultant could possibly provide more realistic numbers for the company. The hiring of the consultant could also be done to double check or just verify the numbers for the company’s own edification. Question 11 As a manager you have many responsibilities, and one of those responsibilities is paying your employees. As a manager there are a few reasons I could think of to justify paying an employee more than what salary. com suggest. One reason is internal equity.A manager should review the experience of the employee in relation to his position on the salary scale when justifying his or her salary. Another factor is that of external equity. A manager should review the employee's prior salary history. Another factor is market forces. Managers can justify offering more money in a period of economic growth, particularly when numerous companies are competin g to attract the best employees. Another factor that may play a role in offering more than salary. com could be geographical location. If the cost of living is steady rising, a manager might offer more to compensate in that rise of the cost of living.These are a few factors that would heavily influence my decision as a manager. Completing this case study enlighten me on many things that I would have never thought of. I never imagined that the teacher would be making more than the public relations specialist. Another thing that this case study opened my mind up to was location. Geographical location can be the difference in thousands of dollars of pay. Geographical location embodies a lot of sub factors. Some factors are but not limited to taxes, cost of living, and weather and work conditions. This case study was very insightful and beneficial.Bibliography 1. ) www. salary. com 2. ) http://smallbusiness. chron. com/managers-justify-paying-employees-high-low-14526. html 3. ) http://s wz. salary. com/docs/salwizhtmls/methodology. html 4. ) http://smallbusiness. foxbusiness. com/legal-hr/2011/04/25/picking-best-pay-structure-business/ 5. ) http://www. mde. k12. ms. us/school-financial-services/school-financial-services-teacher-salary-schedule 6. ) http://money. usnews. com/careers/best-jobs/public-relations-specialist 7. ) http://www. indeed. com/salary/Program-Coordinator. html 8. ) http://www. wikipedia. org/

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Poem Introductions- Stories of Ourselves Cie

Because I Could Not Stop for Death In â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† the author is taken on a metaphorical â€Å"ride† past her entire life and to her end by a personified death. Symbolism, personification and alliteration are used to highlight the fact that she has come to accept fate as natural and is even happy with her new, â€Å"eternal,† life. My Parents Kept Me from Children Who Were Rough â€Å"My Parents Kept Me from Children Who Were Rough† tells of an author looking back on his life as a sheltered, high class boy that is harassed by the town's â€Å"common kids.† He is abused both physically and emotionally while he, following higher class norms, ignores them. Similes, verbs in past tense, diction such as â€Å"kept† and symbolism help describe not only the situation but give insight on the boy's true desire: acceptance. Attack â€Å"Attack† is a poem about fear, anxiety, uncertainty and danger. The author uses imagery, personification and onomatopoeia to paint a picture of war, describe the dangers as â€Å"alive† and out to get you and reflect the quick and crude sound of bombs and bullets. Anthem For Doomed Youth â€Å"Anthem For Doomed Youth† is a tragic depiction of the meaningless and devastating ends young soldiers meet in battle. Their deaths, unhonored, are blended into the overall war landscape of â€Å"stuttering rifles† and â€Å"angered guns.† Alliteration, personification and metaphors are used to illustrate a landscape filled with gun and bomb sounds and dangers that parallel the human condition during the war. My Dreams Are Of A Field Afar â€Å"My Dreams are of a field afar† is a song of guilt in which a man remembers his fallen comrades and laments not having acted in a certain way. The author mentions the fact that he remains alive because, unlike his mates, he failed to react in an honorable and satisfactory manner; this conflict serves as the root of his remorse. One Art In â€Å"One Art,† the author tries to confront her emotions towards losing a loved one by comparing it to many trivial things. The authors hesitation to write at the end and the change in tone when she says â€Å"the art of losing's not too hard† (an obvious diversion from the confidence expressed in previous lines) show that no matter how much she wants to believe that the â€Å"art of losing,† might be perfected to the point of indifference, she will continue to be affected. Personification in the beginning parallels the nature of the more significant loss at the end of the poem. Tears, Idle Tears Tears, Idle Tears is a poem about the past: a past that although filled with happiness and love is remembered as dead with regret and sadness. Using metaphors, imagery and the repetition of the last line in each stanza, the author paints a picture of a beautiful â€Å"before† that has somehow been lost. Death is made a synonym of that love that once was, but is now a thing of the past. Because I liked You Better â€Å"Because I Like You Better† is a poem of unreciprocated love, a love so strong it was willing to deny itself for the other’s sake. Metaphors are used to see exemplify the effect actions and events have on the author, i.e pain and reluctant agreement. The author might, to a degree, be scornful of his situation since he decides to, without much trouble, accept rejection and describes his love as â€Å"†¦better than suits a man to say.†

Saturday, September 14, 2019

I’m Bored- What your Child Is Really Telling You Essay

In the short essay, I’m Bored: What Your Child is Really Telling You, by Linda Morgan, children everywhere are having issues with saying what they really mean when they say they are bored. Whether at home or in school, when a child says those two words, â€Å"I’m bored†, he may be in need of parental attention, redirection of school work, and direction in completing projects and activities. In today’s world, technology takes over a child’s extra time. Instead of going outside to play with friends or having a specific hobby, adolescents find themselves caught in an Xbox or computer game. Yet after they have beaten the game or moved on to something else they still complain that they are â€Å"bored†. But what does that really mean? According to Dr. Danielle Kassow, when a child states that they are uninterested in whatever they are doing or working on, it could mean that they simply want their parents, teachers, and daycare provider’s attention. It’s common for a child to want the attentiveness of an adult. Being a kid in society today, direction is still needed by the parent; whether in school or not. Adolescents need that extra push in order to make up their own mind about what they want to do next or what they are interested in. In order to help a child make up their mind, it could help to ask them questions like â€Å"what’s your favorite hobby† or give the child educational projects to do. These questions and projects will stimulate their minds and allow them to actually pay attention to something. Unlike a project that is hands on, games on any kind of technological device will allow them the chance to put their attention on something. If a child comes home from school and starts their homework, says he is bored in the middle of the assignment, it could mean that he needs a redirection of school work. His assignments may not be as challenging as they need to be for him. He is not becoming engaged in his school work, therefore he gets bored while doing or listening to his lessons. Also, it could mean that he needs a clearer pathway as to what he should start on or how he should start the homework. Children need a coach, whether it’s the parent or the teacher. Help him become motivated and less confused as to how or where he should start. Make his understanding grow a little clearer when pushing him in the direction to where he needs to start. This â€Å"coach† persona will help to child pick up an understanding about how to layout or outline his projects or assignments. It will not only give him a head start it will help him with all the assignments he may have some trouble with in the future. At times, a child saying they are bored could mean that they are independent and wants to organize their own activities. When adolescents get caught up in the technological world, they lose sight of how to rely on themselves to create their next activity. This causes them to want the guidance from the parent or teacher. While there are still children that find themselves independent, they may get bored because they don’t know how to entertain themselves. Kids need to find activities that they are able to do on their own. Things like drawing, simple building, or going outside to socialize or play with friends. Children need the time to be allowed to decide what they want to do, something that they are able to do. Giving them this time will help them reconnect with physical activities and not so much mental activities. When kids are doing their homework, and they seem to rely on their parents or teachers too much, you could give them a little time to themselves. In order to get them to think on their own without their parent saying â€Å"you aren’t doing this right† or â€Å"this is wrong do it again, let them work the assignment without any interruptions and eventually they will understand why they didn’t get the right answer at first and how they got the correct answer in the end. After they are done the parent or teacher could check their work and then tell them what they got wrong or right. This is important for the child so they can be able to learn on their own without needing the help from the teacher or parent all the time. These little techniques will come to the guardian as an advantage. Not only is the child engaging in the activity, but he or she is enjoying the process. It’s important to know what a child means when they say they are bored so they can be helped. Whether it’s tough to figure out or there is a very easy solution, in the end there will be a drastic change in the child attention skills. Boredom is a concurring epidemic in today’s society because of all the technology we rely on. Kids do not need to be exposed to all these advantages we have at a young age. Being able to rely on themselves is important in the early stages of life. Although sometimes kids say those words some parents hate to hear â€Å"I’m Bored†, it could have a complex meaning to it. Children may need attention from the parent or teacher, redirection of their school work, and some direction in completing projects and assignments. There are many ways to help children fall away from spending too much times playing computer games, or PlayStation games and allowing them to have the responsibility of choosing their own activities. Helping them move in the right direction in school work, whether they are not getting the challenge they need or simply needing that extra help starting an assignment will ultimately have a positive effect on their progress. Independent children will need the time to figure out the correct answer on their own. The guardian will also get a positive result from giving them that time to correct their issues. Children are all different, when they say they are bored, it could be something drastic or something ve ry simple. It’s up to the parent or teacher to decide what the next move is for the child.

Culture and Gender

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adheres to strict Koran laws. Among them is the veiling of women, structuring of their work and lives away from men, and driving (Wikipedia, 2007). Though education in the West is slowly changing this, it is not in any way translated to policy changes or reforms (Bradley, 2006). We aim to ink a deal with the Saudi government for the setting-up of a supermarket chain. To be successful, the negotiators must show respect to the country’s laws and norms. The Saudi government- through the religious police- is the primary proponent and advocate of strict laws and norms pertaining to women hence they should be dealt with sensitively. I choose the budding male executive over the veteran female to head the team. In the country, women are not expected to work in positions which allow them to interact with men. Sending a woman as head of the negotiating team would be an insult to the Saudis with their deeply-entrenched conservative values. Should the CEO insist on sending her, I will ensure that she will not be the front liner. She will still head the negotiations but the spokesman will be the male executive. She will still make the decision but through the latter. My decision will send a message to within and outside the company that we are serious in our business transactions.   It is by complying with the norms and laws of wherever you do business which wins deals. As a leader, it will show my flexibility in matters not wholly congruent to traditional norms of conducting business. Part II- Power Corruption Cycle Power Corruption Cycle is an organizational phenomena characterized by the use of rank to intimidate or bribe the lower-echelons to allow an illegitimate or corrupt practice to happen and/or continue. When the latter become managers or executives themselves, they apply the same corrupt practices which also influence those with lower positions. This cycle- if uninterrupted by new management- would go on and on. It poisons an organization in that the quality of service/s and/or products will be compromised which will eventually lead to its downfall. An example is on the awarding of contracts to bidders in government projects. The members of the bids and awards committee are all corrupt and have a mutual understanding of granting the contract not to the one which offers the premium bid but to the one who can offer the largest kickback. A young, newly-hired assistant to the committee intends to follow stated rules in bidding but soon finds out about the â€Å"unwritten rules†. He is co-opted and fits permanently into the organization. The people- recipients of developmental projects- suffer through sub-standard infrastructure and incoherent development projects and services. This leads to mistrust and enmity towards the government which will create a longing in society to reform, if not replace the government in power and/or the system. ReferenceBradley, J. (2006). Saudi Arabia exposed: Inside a kingdom in crisis. NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. 2007. Islam in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved Feb. 13, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Saudi_Arabia#Islamism_in_Saudi_Arabia.      

Friday, September 13, 2019

Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Show - Essay Example how is to isolate the contestants and then observe their behavior and interactions with all the other participants as they are completely cut off from the outside world. The eligibility criteria is simple, the individual must be 21 years of age and must be willing to travel at his or her own expense. US citizenship is mandatory and the individual should be fit mentally and physically. The layout of the show requires complete informed consent from the contestants that allows the producers to conduct a full background check. These are some of the eligibility requirements that are set by the CBS Entertainment Corporation. If the requirements are fulfilled then the individual needs to fill out an application form and send in an introductory video, upon receipt of these materials subsequent interviews decides whether or not they get to appear on the show. Their survival in the house under heavy scrutiny takes them a step closer to the cash prize and turns them into a celebrity

Thursday, September 12, 2019

What is panopticism, and how is related to Google Glass Essay

What is panopticism, and how is related to Google Glass - Essay Example The first one was that there was strict spatial partitioning, then the inspection functions were carried out ceaselessly and that the surveillance was based on a system of permanent registration. He also constructs on Bentham’s conceptualization of the panopticon as he expounded upon the purpose of disciplinary mechanisms in such a prison and showed the work of discipline as a tool of power. This paper, therefore, is going to talk briefly about panopticism and how it is related to Google Glass. Panopticism is yet again further explained by Foucault as the power that is not known. The operator of the tower that as centrally placed and suggesting that they have come and observed that anyone can be able to come and exercise in the central tower the functions of surveillance holds it. That being the case Foucault can gain a clear idea of practicing surveillance. The architecture hinted that this panoptic design could be in use for any population under observation and control, for example; prisoners, schoolchildren, medical patients, or workers. To add to that, panopticism is related to Google Glass in a way, and that is what the paper wants to look at expound on. Google Glass has stirred many media attention ever since the parent company, which is Mountain View Company, announced the gadget in the start of the year 2013 that the device was available for developers to obtain. Google from then has been able to put promotions on ambitious media campaign with the main aim of convincing users of the benevolence of their new gadget. When this device can be made general amongst, the public people will be able to see how the relation with machines will be a closer one. It is since people have been able to use mobile applications like connectivity, geo-localization, and immediate access to information. All these people have already had a taste of thanks to the manufacture of the smart phones (Foucault, 1995, pp 197-