Business Analysis. Introduction to data modeling

Before you sit down In front of the keyboard and start creating a database application, it is critical that you take a step back and consider your business problem-?in this case, the kitchen supply scenario presented in Lesson 2-? from a conceptual point of view. To facilitate this process, a number of conceptual modeling techniques have been developed by computer scientists, psychologists, and consultants. For our purposes, we can think of a conceptual model as a picture of the Information system we are going to build. To use an analogy, conceptual models are to Information systems what blueprints are to buildings.There are many different conceptual modeling techniques used in practice. Each technique uses a different set of symbols and may focus on a different part of the problem (e. G. , data, processes, information flows, objects, and so on). Despite differences in notation and focus, however, the underlying rationale for conceptual modeling techniques is always the Michael Bryon ([email  protected] Ca) Last update: 02-May-01 1 of 23 An Introduction to data modeling Introduction: The importance of conceptual 3. 1. 1. 1 Entities and attributes What is data modeling?A data model is a simply a diagram that describes the most important â€Å"things† in your business environment from a data-centric point of view. To illustrate, consider the simple RED shown in Figure 3. 1 . The purpose of the diagram is to describe the relationship between the data stored about products and the data stored about the organizations that supply the products. FIGURE 3. 1: An RED showing a relationship between products and suppliers. The rectangles in Figure 3. 1 are called entity types (typically shortened to â€Å"entities†) and the ovals are called attributes.The entities are the â€Å"things† in the business environment about which we want to store data. The attributes provide us with a means of organizing and structuring the data. For example, we need to s tore certain information about the products that we sell, such as the typical selling price of the product (â€Å"Unit price†) and the quantity of the product currently in inventory (â€Å"Sty on hand†). These pieces of data are attributes of the Product entity. It is important to note that the precise manner in which data are used and processed within a particular business application is a separate issue from data modeling.For example, the data model says nothing about how the value of â€Å"Sty on hand† is changed over time. The focus in data modeling is on capturing data about the environment. You will learn how to change this data (e. G. Process orders so that the inventory values are updated) once you have mastered the art of database design. Product Unit price Sty on hand Product Entity supplied by Cardinality Attributes Supplier Relationship Name Address A data modeled assumes that if the right data is available, the other elements of the application will fall into place effortlessly and wonderfully. For now, this is a good working assumption.Introduction: The importance of conceptual environment in which your wholesale company operates. However, it is easy to imagine a different environment in which each product is supplied by multiple suppliers. For example, many suppliers may carry a particular brand of wire whisk. When you run out of whisks, it is up to you to decide where to place your order. In other words, it is possible that a many-to-many relationship exists between suppliers and products. If multiple supplier exist, attributes of the product, such as its price and product number may vary from supplier to supplier.In this situation, the data requirements of a many-tomato environment are slightly more complex than those of the one-to-many environment. If you design and implement your database around the one-to-many assumption but hen discover that certain goods are supplied by multiple suppliers, much effort is going to be r equired to fix the problem. In addition to entities and attributes, Figure 3. 1 shows a relationship between the two entities using a line and a diamond. The relationship construct is used-?not surprisingly-?to indicate the existence or absence of a relationship between entities.A crows foot at either end of a relationship line is used to denote the cardinality of the relationship. For example, the crow's foot on the product side of the relationship in Figure 3. 1 indicates that a particular supplier may provide your company with overall different products, such as bowls, spatulas, wire whisks and so on. The absence of a crow's foot on the supplier side indicates that each product in your inventory is provided by a single supplier. Thus, the relationship in Figure 3. 1 indicates that you always buy all your wire whisks from the same company. . 1. 1. 3 Modeling assumptions The relationship shown in Figure 3. 1 is called one-to-many: each supplier supplies many products (where many me ans â€Å"any number including zero') but each product is supplied by one supplier (where â€Å"one† means â€Å"at most one†). The decision to use a nee-to-many relationship reflects an assumption about the business Herein lies the point of drawing an RED: The diagram makes your assumptions about the relationships within a particular business environment explicit before you start building things. The role of the modeled 3. 1. 1. In the environment used in these tutorials, you are the user, the designer, and the implementer An introduction to data modeling of the system. In a more realistic environment, however, these roles are played by different individuals (or groups) with different (programmers, database specialists, and so on) is that they seldom leave their busbies to communicate with end-users of the software they are writing. Similarly, it is generally safe to assume that users have no interest in, or understanding of, low- level technical details (such as the cardinality of relationships on Reds, mechanisms to enforce referential integrity, and so on).Thus, it is up to the business analyst to bridge the communication gap between the different groups involved in the construction, use, and administration of an information system. As a business analyst (or more generally, a designer), it is critical that you walk through your conceptual oodles with users and make sure that your modeling assumptions are appropriate. In some cases, you may have to examine sample data from the existing computer- based or manual system to determine whether (for instance) there are any products that are supplied by multiple suppliers.At the modeling stage, making changes such as converting a one-to-many relationship to a many-to-many relationship is trivial-? all that is required is the addition of a crows foot to one Introduction: The importance of conceptual end of the relationship, as shown in Figure 3. 2. In contrast, making the same change once you have im plemented tables, lilt a user interface, and written code is a time-consuming and frustrating chore. FIGURE 3. 2: An RED for an environment in which there is a many-to-many relationship between products and suppliers.Product Unit price Sty on hand The addition of a second crows foot transforms the one-to-many relationship into a many-to-many relationship. Supplier Generally, you can count on the lox rule of thumb when building software: the cost of making a change increases by an order of magnitude for each stage of the systems development lifestyle that you complete. An introduction to data modeling Introduction: The importance of conceptual 3. 1. 2. 1 Entities 3. 1 . 2 Data meddlers typically adopt a set of notational conventions so that their diagrams are consistent.For example, large IT organizations and consultancies typically adopt a methodology-?a set of tools and procedures for applying the tools that specifies the notation used within the organization. Enforcing standardiza tion in this way facilitates teamwork on large projects. Similarly, if a computerized software engineering (CASE) tool is used for conceptual modeling and design, notational conventions are often enforced by the software. What follows is a brief summary of the notational conventions that I use when drawing Reds.Keep in mind, however, that Reds are first and foremost a tool for communication between humans. As such, the precise notation you use is not particularly important as long as people can read and understand the diagrams. With experience, you will come to realize that differences in the shapes of the boxes and lines have little effect on the core concepts of data modeling. Entities are drawn as rectangular boxes containing a noun in singular form, as shown in Figure 3. 3. FIGURE 3. 3: An entity named â€Å"Customer†. CustomerYou will see later that each entity you draw ultimately becomes a table in your database. You might want to keep this transformation from entity to table in mind when selecting the names of your entities. For example, your entity names should be short but descriptive. 3. 1. 2. 2 Relationships A relationship between entities is drawn as a line bisected by a diamond. The diamond contains a verb (or short verb phrase) that describes the nature of the relationship between the entities, as shown in Figure 3. 4. Named relationships are used to make the Reds more readable.However, unlike entity names, relationship Ames never show up in the final database. Consequently, it does not really matter how you label your relationships, as long It can be argued that the term â€Å"method† is grammatically preferable. In Europe, for example, the term â€Å"method† tends to be favored. Introduction: The importance of conceptual Generally, Reds make certain assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the underlying business domain. FIGURE 3. 4: A relationship named â€Å"buys†. As the labels make the diagram easier to interp ret.To illustrate, consider the relationship between products and suppliers shown in Figure 3. 1 . The relationship is scribed by the verb phrase â€Å"supplied by'. Although one could have opted for the shorter relationship name â€Å"has† instead, the resulting diagram (e. G. , â€Å"Supplier has product†) would be more difficult for readers of the diagram to interpret. 3. 1. 2. 3 Relationship direction A notational convention supported by some CASE tools is to require two names for each relationship: one that makes sense in one direction (e. G. â€Å"is supplied by'), and another that makes sense in the opposite direction (e. G. , â€Å"supplies†). Although double-naming may make the diagram easier to read, it also adds clutter (twice as any labels) and imposes an additional burden on the modeled. Cardinality 3. 1 . 2. 4 One issue that sometimes troubles neophyte data meddlers is that the direction of the relationship is not made explicit on the diagram. Re turning to Figure 3. 1, it is obvious to me (since I drew the diagram) that the relationship should be read: â€Å"Product is supplied by supplier. Reading the relationship in the other direction (â€Å"Supplier is supplied by product†) makes very little sense to anyone who is familiar with the particular problem domain. As discussed in Section 3. 1. 1. 2, the cardinality of a relationship constrains the umber of instances of one entity type that can be associated with a single instance of the other entity type. The cardinality of relationships has an important impact on number and structure of the tables in the database. Consequently, it is important to get the cardinality right on paper before starting the implementation.An introduction to data modeling There are three fundamental types of cardinality in Reds: ; One-to-many -? You have already seen an example of a one-to-many relationship in Figure 3. 1 . You will soon discover that onto-many relationships are the bread an d butter of relational databases. One-to-one -? At this point in your data modeling career, you should avoid one-tone relationships. To illustrate the basic issue, consider the RED shown in Figure 3. 5. Based on an existing paper-based system, the modeled has assumed that each customer is associated with one â€Å"customer record† (I. . , a paper form containing information about the customer, such as address, fax number, and so on). Clearly, each customer has only one we automate the system and get rid of the paper form, then there is no reason not to combine the Customer and Customer Record entities into a single entity called Customer. Introduction: The importance of conceptual FIGURE 3. 5: An incorrect one-to-one relationship associated with Customer Record In many cases, one-to-one relationships indicate a modeling error. When you have a one-to-one relationship such as the one shown in Figure 3. , you should combine the two entities into a single entity. ; Many-to-many - ? The world is full of monotony-many relationships. A well-used example is â€Å"Student takes course. † Many-to-many relationships also arise when you consider the history of an entity. To illustrate, consider the RED shown in Figure 3. 6. At first glance, the relationship between Family and Single-Family Dwelling (SF) might seem to be one-to-one since a particular family can only live in one SF at a time and each SF can (by definition) only contain a single family. However, it is possible for a family to live in different houses over time.

Great Corn Laws Debate

Given their numerous wars with France, Protectionists also argued that Great Britain had some public debt that would need o be repaid and this would be done primarily through taxing the farm land. Since the landowners taxes would be going up the stabilized commodity prices were thought to help offset their increased taxation. The last argument and most important according to the protectionists is in regard to national security. If there was no Corn Law, then Great Britain might become dependent on foreigners or enemies for their food supplies in the event they cannot produce enough for their own demand.The protectionists warn that trading partners can cut off supply at any given time and it is necessary to be independent when it comes to the food supply. The free-trade crowd had a differing opinion from the protectionists. Represented mainly by the manufacturing owners and eventually the laborers, they argued that artificial corn prices drove up prices everywhere else In the economy. Bread cost more to buy and food was the main expense of the labor class. Along with food rising so did the labor costs across various sectors such as manufacturing which In turn made them more expensive compared to their competition In other countries.The free-trade crowd also noted that protected agricultural price laws were driving p demand for the land which normally wouldn't be used In agricultural production. This Is seen as a competitive disadvantage because It would take away manufacturing opportunities which may help Great Britain globally. Great Britain lawmakers concede there will be dependence on foreign countries for a food supply and the free-trade crowd points out the fact Great Britain Is wasting resources on developing commercial land for farming.The free-trade crowd also makes the argument that national security would not be In Jeopardy because trade partners would be dependent on the manufactured goods Great Brutal supplies and that loud give them leverage to rema in viable trading partners. Given the arguments above It Is pretty clear that Robert Peel had a big decision to make. On one hand, Britain was the world's leading economic power and had attained this by being a protectionist's economy but at the same time these polices were harming the labor class through higher priced goods, higher rents along with lower or no wages.Something had to be done to reverse this and there was growing opposition to the Corn Laws by the day. A political action group called the â€Å"League† was formed and supported the free-trade agenda along with becoming a voice for he labor class. Through the League, more and more power was able to shift away from the landowners and Into the manufacturing owners along with the laborers. The League needed support from the labor class and they pretty much won them rising pressure from the citizens. By repealing these Corn-Laws many in power might have seen Peel as a radical for doing this but will eventually come a round and praise him.I didn't see any mention of Peel being a farmland or manufacturing owner so he literally had no hidden agenda other than do what was best for Britain. By participating in free-trade instead of protectionism, Britain could reallocate sources effectively as mentioned by Adam Smith's assertion of â€Å"if a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it off them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way which we have some advantage†. The Adam Smith quote to me pretty much tells the story.Since Britain is perceived strongly as a manufacturer then it is more prudent to be known for manufacturing and not for protecting grain trade. Through free-trade, Britain should be able to acquire the additional food for the citizens by importing from trading partners. There are implications for these actions but in the end the market always seems to prevail. Short term implications for Peels de cisions could leave the agricultural industry itself in shock initially given they are now competing globally and there won't be a fixed price for commodities.This would bring down food costs for the citizens but may also cause some of the farms to cut Jobs because of protected crop prices that are significantly higher than the US prices in the appendices. The farming industry in this time period more than likely looked like the 2008 financial crisis in the housing market in the short term. Rent for farmland couldn't be paid because of crop supply and demand being out of control due to Mother Nature yet the pricing structures for rent and crop pricing didn't really account for this.This short-term farming depression might have spread into the other sectors initially but over time I see the markets coming in to balance things out. Once the government is out of the way in terms of regulating the market, the invisible hand is able to work. Long term, land that is not suitable for farmi ng is now used for manufacturing in Britain which in turn leads to more Jobs being created. Competition for agricultural commodities brings down food prices for the labor crowd which then puts money back into the economy.Long term trends would also show trading partnerships develop across allied countries provided they work out appropriate trade arrangements and trade with each other based on their own comparative strengths. I would also note in the long term, more power is shifted between the landowners to the labor class giving them a voice in the long run. Part of this whole debate in my eyes comes down too power grab. Atone point, protectionism made sense for Britain but later on it Just ere out of control.The manufacturers eventually saw the light and conceited on protectionism but the agricultural sector did not. The power seemed to blind the landowners and mask what was going on. Prices across the board were rising on everything except the agricultural commodities and the lab orers were getting tired. The laborers eventually received a voice by Joining forces with the â€Å"League† and helped move Britain towards free-trade in my opinion. I believe Robert Peel saw this momentum along with the destruction the protectionism caused by stifling competition and had to act by repealing the Corn Law.

Project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Project management - Assignment Example However, these kegs would be used in the years to come. Currently the problem is that manufacturing kegs would require cost and the company is not ready to make high investment and therefore it is evaluating whether it should manufacture kegs or not and if they should then in how much quantity. The management feels that so much cost would be tied up in kegs and they would only be able to use it for a month. If the company invests this amount then it can earn 10% interest income on the amount. Considerations for the management while making decision According to the accountant, cost of one keg is ?40 and if the company plans to have 8,000 kegs then a total of ?320,000 would be tied up in kegs unnecessarily. Therefore the opportunity cost of the company for making this investment is ?32,000 as the interest rate is 10%. There are three alternatives that the company currently has and these alternatives are: 1. They need to produce 8,000 kegs 2. They need to produce 4,000 kegs 3. They do n ot need more kegs These are the three alternatives that the company has currently however the management predicts that the demand of these products could increase by the following rates: There are 60% chances that the demand would increase by at least 10% in August. There are 30% chances that the demand would increase by at most 10% in August. ... ion and decisions that the company can make A Decision Mode If demand increases by 10% If demand does not increases by 10% If demand does not increase If demand increases by 10% If demand does not increases by 10% If demand does not increase If demand increases by 10% If demand does not increases by 10% If demand does not increase Decision The decision to order kegs would not only help Applegold to meet the increasing demands in August but at the same time it would impact the customer satisfaction level as well as this decision would be helpful in increasing the customer base. In addition to this, Applegold needs to think about the long term and by investing today in the kegs the company not only would be able to increase its sales for the current year but these kegs could be useful for the years to come. The current market share of Applegold in the cider is approximately 30% and this can be increased which would be helpful for the company in the long run. This decision could also im pact the customer satisfaction level and as when products are not available then customers can become dissatisfied and they might switch to competitors’ product. And once a customer has switched it is difficult to regain him therefore lost of one customer could decrease the revenues that the company might earn in the years to come. In addition to this, a lost customer might also take others with him and it could become a chain for the company and they might start losing customers. Therefore it is important that the company makes an investment as it will be beneficial in the long run. The total revenue of the company was ?60 million along with a pre-tax profit of ?6 million and with this investment the sales of the company would improve further and thus it would also improve the

Reflection Paper - TRENDS & ISSUES IN TOURISM Research

Reflection - TRENDS & ISSUES IN TOURISM - Research Paper Example petite for these distinctive horns has led to the rapid reduction of rhinos to the extent in some regions have become extinct (â€Å"Rhino horn use: Fact vs.Fiction†). Although importation of rhino horns was banned in Yemen, they are still used by Muslims as handles for their curved daggers commonly referred as â€Å"Jambiya†. Many Asian countries such as Malaysia and china also manufacture their medicine from rhino horns, hence contributing to heightened termination of these species (â€Å"Rhino horn use: Fact vs.Fiction†). Africa is the home to the largest population of elephants commonly known as â€Å"Jumbos† (Joyce). Currently, a pound of ivory goes for$1,000 (Joyce). The sudden rise in the value of elephant tusks has led to an increase in the level of poaching throughout the continent (â€Å"BBC News World†). Recently, Kenya port officials managed to confiscate a large consignment of elephant tusks at their Mombasa port from Uganda destined fo r Malaysia (â€Å"BBC News Africa†). Tourism education can help curb poaching. Most of those who take part in poaching are normally citizens of that specific country. They should be made aware of how lack of tourists will greatly affect their economy, hence no income for citizens who own businesses such as lodges and restaurants (Craig). Based on the information presented in these articles, authors have explicitly elaborated the issue of poaching whose statistics are high in the developing states. This is by giving exact figures worth of recent consignments already captured by respective states’ wildlife authorities destined to the eastern states. These articles’ core theme encompasses predicament evident in developing states especially in Africa where poachers and cartels are exterminating â€Å"jumbos†, rhinos to get their tusks and horns respectively. However, they do not highlight measures which respective states have ensured to curb poaching except education. These materials have been of much benefit to me. This is

Delegating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Delegating - Essay Example Delegating is a critical skill for supervisors. Ultimately, the supervisor retains responsibility for the attainment of the goals, but chooses to achieve the goals by delegating to someone else. In the Adult Training and Employment Services (ATES) at The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation there are several Managers who delegate to their employees. In supported employment the supervisor delegates to three employment specialist. The supervisor assists in developing employees in order to strengthen the organization. Although the employment specialist job role is an emerging profession, few managers can refute the importance of these direct service staff to the overall performance of their supported employment programs. The supervisor in supported employment uses the three R's: risk, responsibility, and rewards in delegating staff. The three R's contribute to staff job challenges by setting in motion a supervisory style which encourages and rewards staff creativity, innovation, and governorship of their work. A risk adds an element of excitement to a job and encourages staff curiosity and learning. Supervisors can encourage their employees to take responsibility for their jobs by establishing measurable performance goals and operating guidelines. The supervisor takes every opportunity to promote the good works of the staff and assure they receive proper recognition for a job well done. The supervisor assists in developing employees in order to strengthen the organization. He or she gives up the authority to make decisions that are best made by subordinates. This means that the supervisor allows subordinates the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. He or she does not supervise subordinates' decision-making, but allows them the opportunity to develop their own skills. The supervisor lets subordinates know that he or she is willing to help, but not willing to do their jobs for them. The supervisor is not convinced that the best way for employees to learn is by telling them how to solve a problem. This results in those subordinates becoming dependent on the supervisor. The supervisor allows employees the opportunity to achieve and be credited for it. Equally important to delegate is the idea that when a subordinate is given responsibility for a job, they must also be given the degree of how to perform the job and how to carry it out. For effective delegating the authority granted given to an employee must equal the assigned task. The key to delegating is to delegate gradually. When it comes to delegation, the manager can not delegate their duties to everyone they work with. They delegate their duties to responsible employees within the organization whom they can depend up that those duties will be attended to with a lot of professionalism. When one is delegated a certain task, he take full responsibility of performing it with diligence and ensures that they work hand in hand with other employees within the organization to ensure that organizational goals and objectives are achieved. Delegation is a term that was used even in the ancient days where someone was given full responsibility of certain activities or to run a certain activities on behalf the owner and in turn report to him, about all the activities that took place while he was away. For this case, when one delegates

Recruitment, Selection and Retention of Staff Procedures and Policies Essay

Recruitment, Selection and Retention of Staff Procedures and Policies - Essay Example The company has expanded its housing services all over the country therefore the company is considering to employ the best, qualified and experience country housing director who will oversee the company operation in all the established subsidiaries (Commonwealth Secretariat 2003). To have the process complete and successful appropriate recruitment and selection procedures has to be followed when carrying out this exercise. For a successful functioning of any company an effective recruitment, selection and retention of staff has to be established and all the policies and procedures underlying them followed to the latter. The effectiveness of this ensures that candidates with necessary expertise, skills and qualification are selected for a specified post in the company (Bizmanualz 2008). Recruitment, selection procedures acts a guideline in finding the right person for the right job at the right time and ensuring that they are kept in the company as they are important resource for the company. The formulation and the design of the recruitment selection and retention process, its procedures and policies in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff and employees in Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership Company is based on accountability, clear and suitable policies, team work and shared responsibility and executed by professionals who have the capability to deliver. With the effective coordination and communication between the various departments and the human resource department with it innovations this process can be carried out successfully thus challenges related to poor recruitment and selection are alleviated (Taylor 2002). The selection, recruitment of the country housing direction is a challenge to this company as it expands and its services having high d emand in Scotland. To ensure that a qualified candidate with relevant skills is selected for this demanding job the company has to come up with documentation on how the exercise has to be carried out. The human resource department in liaison with housing service department should execute the exercise using the guidelines provided by the

What Are The Implications For Social Workers In Combating Re-Offending Dissertation

What Are The Implications For Social Workers In Combating Re-Offending Among Children And Young People - Dissertation Example The view is holistic in approach which excavates the theories and situations and how social workers are working on curtailing re-offending among that section of the society. It is understood that the report is meant to analyze these details and intends to continue the work of social workers in the field of re-offending among delinquents and young people. The report mainly relies on the handbook of Social Exclusion in U.K brought out by the Government of U.K. And the journal article of the National Association of social Workers. Many books have been referred to which deals with abnormal psychology and portrays criminal behavior as a clinical problem. The report intends to problem-atize every bit of the topic and proposes to find a solid solution to it. Introduction: To begin with re-offending among children and the youth, one must thoroughly study crime in the first place. Every man born into the society is always penetrated with societal norms through rigorous socialization. Norms are the set of ideas and rules which members of the society must abide by. The next concept is of sanctions. Social norms are mostly accompanied by sanctions to foster conformity and more than that, protect against non-conformity to facilitate social binding.norms are mostly accompanied by sanctions to foster conformity and more than that, protect against non-conformity to facilitate social binding. Positive and negative sanctions have different forms. Punishment is a big form of negative sanction. Sociology has time and again come up with newer theories to explain crime and deviance and mostly juvenile delinquency. As mentioned earlier, socialization helps to make every human being settle in the society with ease and comfort, by abiding the social rules and norms. But many despite being socialized to follow these rules and norms decide to not follow them or rather deviate from them. These elements are usually known as sociopaths – impulsive, judgmental and usually lack insight unlike criminals whose deeds have a planned character. Most children on their path to socialization often take up deviant methods. Anything that is unusual, queer or abnormal is termed as deviant. And the character to deviance differs from each other (Quinn, 2004). Offending is a social term more than legal. But our topic clearly deals with re-offending or repetition of crime may be of the same or different character. Crime and delinquency is the subject we are dealing with. Now both these terms have a strong legal tinge to it. The concept of delinquency differs with the Penal code of different states and countries. Criminal tendency or the inclination to commit a crime is seen not only in adults but also in children. There is entire genre in literatu re dealing with sibling rivalry, dealing with infinite instances of juvenile delinquency. Young offenders are therefore criminal minors. These young people deviate from the cultural norms and commit grievous offences extending from murders to thefts, drinking to brutal sexual activities and so on. The foremost social reason for offending among children and the youth is due to a lack of proper socialization. Socialization happens both from home and peer group. Children often commit crimes under the influence of peer groups; impulsively just to try out something for fun. Or mostly as many social workers have pointed out, it happens due to

Change is a consistent issue for the modern organisation. Discuss the Essay

Change is a consistent issue for the modern organisation. Discuss the various ways in which the employee may offer effective resistance to this change - Essay Example Because both of these forces, inertia and change forces, are necessary and inevitable, both forces are intrinsic to change management equations and need to be managed well. The paper examines the roles that collective resistance, the resistance of key employees in influential positions, and disparate resistance, apathy and cynicism among employees play in successful efforts to thwart and resist organizational change. The paper examines the literature and finds that those factors or forces do make up the very ways that employees are able to resist external pressures to change with much success (Hodgkinson 1999; Singh and Dixit 2011; Visser 2011; Brown and Cregan 2008; Godin 2001; Hannan and Freeman 1984; March 1981; Judge 2001; Taylor 2013; March 1981). The paper aims to discuss the ways that employees may effectively resist change in modern organizations, as detailed in the academic literature. The paper looks at the academic literature to gain a broad perspective of the nature of change in general, and of the way change is inherent in the very nature of organizations of all kinds and of the environments in which those organizations operate. In essence because change is an inherent aspect of life, it is true too that change is an inherent aspect of organizations and the environments that organizations move in. The same holds for the various stakeholders of those organizations, with employees being one of the most vital stakeholder groups in organizations. The paper also looks at the psychology of organizational change and of inertia on the part of organizations and its employees, and why that inertia leads to employees resisting change. Along the way the paper traces the roots of that inertia to natural processes that enshrine est ablished ways of doing, via processes, groups, and practices that become embedded in the standard way of doing things in organizations, because those

Computer Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Ethics - Case Study Example On the other hand, if a computer professional or a group of professionals ask for ransom in exchange of not holding a computer as a hostage, they are indulging in criminal behavior. Ransom in previous years used to be gained by kidnapping an individual and this activity was recognized as a criminal conduct. Similarly, holding a computer hostage and acquiring ransom is even recognized as criminal behavior. One way through which computer users can protect their computers from being attacked by ransomware is by protecting their computers with security software. This security software has the ability to detect and stop malicious attacks launched on a particular computer. The user needs to ensure that the security software is kept up-to-date. It is essential for the security software to remain up-to-date because new forms and software of ransomware are being launched every day and in order to tackle updated viruses, a computer needs updated security software. Another way of preventing becoming a hostage to ransomware is having a backup of the information and data that is stored on a particular computer (Deccan Herald, 2012). In cases a computer becomes a hostage, the most probable threat that a user faces is the loss of important data. If this data is stored in a backup storage device such as a USB or an external hard drive, the user will not have to give in to the demand of ransom. Government can use both deterrent as well as preventive modes of legislation to counter the issue of ransomware. The government should pass a legislation requiring all organizations and computer users to protect their computers with security systems and having backup of the data. The government can levy hefty fines for not complying with legislation. This will encourage computer users as well as organizations to protect their system in order to avoid hefty sanctions. Government can deter computer hackers who use

Evaluating Truth and Validity Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Truth and Validity Essay Truth and validity are two different concepts which should not be confused, although they are usually taken as synonyms in common language. In logic, it is said that the argument is valid when the conclusion follows deductively from the premises. While of the premises and the conclusion is that they are true or false, the arguments are said to be valid or invalid. The validity or invalidity of the argument does not depend on its conclusion to be true. According to Moss (2007) â€Å"Understanding Truth aims to illuminate the notion of truth, and the role it plays in our ordinary thought, as well as in our logical, philosophical, and scientific theories. The argument is valid, when you have consistency and sense. It has coherence because the premises do not contradict each other and correspond to the conclusion† (para.12). Therefore, we must distinguish between the concept of truth and validity. Truth is something that is preached propositions or statements. Validity is predicated of the arguments. Truth makes reference to the content, and the validity to the shape or structure of the arguments. This reading will address three scenarios in which it will evaluate each argument, using the 4-step process regarding truth and validity. The first scenario is â€Å"Power must be evil because it can corrupt people.† The first thing this paper will address is if the argument is stated fully and in a clear way. The statement has a hidden premise. The premise expressed of the statement can be view as Power is evil because it creates corruption. Therefore must powerful people are corrupt. The statement has errors affecting truth. From the statement we know that the statement is overgeneralizing its context because it is taking a valid point and it is extending it beyond the limits of reasonableness. Sometimes this statement can be true but we can’t assume all powerful people are evil. The fact that power corrupts all people is a negative statement. All throughout history there has been many of people that had power that were not evil. For Example, Nelson Mandela was a very powerful man in South Africa. According to Vallely (2003) â€Å"His life was an inspiration not just in South Africa but throughout the world, to all who are oppressed and deprived, and to all who  are opposed to oppression and deprivation. He was a model of faith, hope and charity† (para.11). In the other hand, there has been people corrupted that had power. For Example, Adolf Hitler and Napoleon were very powerful and corrupt individuals. According to Napoleon and Hitler (2010) â€Å"Both were heartless and cavalier about the lives of their men (Napoleon: A man like me cares little about losing the lives of a million men; Hitler: I can send the flower of German youth into the hell of war without the slightest pity). As for their legacies, Seward states that Napoleon began the irreversible destruction of the old hierarchical, Christian Europe and the Fuhrer completed it† (para.12). According Kivisto (2013) â€Å"Evil is an entity, person, place or thing that does not deserve compromise or negotiation. It must be destroyed. Dictionary. Reference.com describes it as the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin† (para.2) Also, not all corrupt people are evil. Mexico, for example, is full of corrupt leaders, but in the other hand, there are not evil. Another corrupt organization is the Federation International of Football Association, known as FIFA, but is not evil. How corrupt you have to be to be consider â€Å"Evil†. There are people who are corrupt, but are not in any way evil. In conclusion, it is found that this argument is so flawed that the only thing to do is to throw it out and embrace a different argument. It is found that power if used right ca n do so much good, and if power is in the wrong hands it can do enormous harm. The second scenario talks about â€Å"The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should not be permitted to issue credit cards to anyone under age 21. This reading will evaluate truth and validity and also it will talk about the four step process in evaluating an argument. Not all young people are careless spenders. The statement â€Å"The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should not be permitted to issue credit cards to anyone under age 21. Is not truth as it is written. From past experiences people came to the conclusion that in fact people under the age of 21 get into a lot of debt from credit cards, but not all the debt is form credit cards. Also, there is a lot of people that have credit card debt and over 21. This reading  notice that this argument is overgeneralizing its context. This statement could be truth at times. According to Herman (2008) â€Å"Credit card companies have been pursuing teenagers and designing credit cards so they can ‘learn’ about the credit system,† says Gary Herman, President of Consolidated Credit. â€Å"And although most teenagers don’t fully understand the repercussions of using a credit card and the impact it can have on their future financial situations, more teens are working and are spending their own money. Credit card companies believe they have hit the jackpot† (para.3). In the other hand, there have been many people who are filled with credit card debt and are over the age of 21. In the following step checking for validity errors, it is found that this statement is somewhat valid. Credit card companies don’t promote careless spending. It is the parent’s responsibilities to teach their kids of proper way s to manage their finances. The argument talks about credit cards are promoting careless spending in which is true, but there is a lot of people under the age of 21 who are responsible for owning a credit card. Not all young people under 21 are careless spenders. The final step is to validate errors, if found; the reading will revise the argument to eliminate them. The credit card habit promotes careless spending, particularly among young people. Therefore, credit card companies should run credit checks on all people applying for one. The third scenario talks about â€Å"Low grades on a college transcript are a handicap in the job market, so teachers who grade harshly are doing students a disservice. To make the expression complete, the reading will identify the premises that are hidden in this argument. Companies take into consideration a lot of factors when it comes to hiring personal, and one of those is how well they did in school to include grades. Employers want productive employees and ones that perform well. If an applicant with good grades apply for a position and another one with bad grades apply nine out of ten the one with the good grades will get the job. Teacher’s main job is to teach coach and mentor them towards their entrance in the job market and to make sure they meet all the requirements of a desired profession. Teachers who grade harshly are doing disserve to students by many different ways. Teachers may deduct points because of lack of participation or attendance, which it doesn’t means he is a bad student but in the other hand he might have job that intervenes with him being on time. This statement  contains an element of truth, yet it is not accurate. According to Belkin (2003) â€Å"The test, called the Collegiate Learning Assessment, provides an objective, benchmarked report card for critical thinking skills, said David Pate, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at St. John Fisher Colleg e, a small liberal-arts school near Rochester, N.Y. The students will be able to use it to go out and market themselves. The test is part of a movement to find new ways to assess the skills of graduates. Employers say grades can be misleading and that they have grown skeptical of college credentials†. (para.3). In the other hand according to McNicol (1999) â€Å"In the independent performance survey of the 25 colleges, Georgian had impressive results, including above-average scores for graduate placement and satisfaction, Georgian officials said. The survey was conducted as part of the accountability initiatives spearheaded by the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. Called the key performance indicators (KPI) project, it found 90 per cent of 600 Georgian College grads surveyed found work within six months of graduation, slightly higher than the system- wide 89 per cent† (pg.2). In the final step, it will revise the argument to eliminate errors. The statement â€Å"Low grades on a college transcript are a handicap in the job market, so teachers who grade harshly are doing students a disservice† has errors. Not all companies look into college transcripts before they hired a future employee they are several other facts that come in play before the hiring process, for example past experiences, work history, military experience, resume, etc. In conclusion, validity is a property of forms or structures of deductive arguments. It does not mean that their proposals are always true. An invalid form means that even if the premises are true, the conclusion is not necessarily true. Therefore, there are deductive arguments that may be valid, but not true, and, therefore, not solid. References Moss, P. A. (2007). Reconstructing validity. Educational Researcher, 36(8), 470-476. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216903729?accountid=458 Vallely, P. (2013, Dec 07). Nelson Mandela. The Independent Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1465444822?accountid=458 NAPOLEON AND HITLER. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/915700909?accountid=458 Kivisto, P. (2013). Evil. Choice, 50(5), 976. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1312183109?accountid=458 Herman, G. (2008). Teenagers credit cards. Retrieved from www.consalidatedcredit.org: http://www.consolidatedcredit.org/credit-card-debt/teenagers-and-cards/#back Belkin, D. (2013, Aug 25). Are you ready for the post-college SAT?; employers say they dont trust grade-point averages. Wall Street Journal (Online) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1427661410?accountid=458 McNichol, P. (1999, Mar 11). Good grades for georgian: Most grads, employers happy with college courses. Sun Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/349164482?accountid=458

Implications of Casual Dress At Work

Implications of Casual Dress At Work Contents (Jump to) 1. Abstract 2. Introduction Professional dress Casual dressing at work 3. Literature Review Background/history Definition of casual wear Business casual A brief history of the Bank of America The role played by clothing The origins of casual dressing Consequences of casual wear Positive consequences Negative consequences 4. Methods of analysis Methods of collecting data Results of analysis 5. Conclusion and recommendations 6. References 1. ABSTRACT This paper seeks to establish the effects and implications of getting casual within the work environment of Bank of America. The Bank of America being the largest bank (by assets), it is known for its high levels of professionalism and its workers formal dress code. This paper will therefore discuss the banks service delivery to its clients while at the same time highlighting the aspects of effects of possible causal approaches that may be employed by the bank employees in discharging their duties. This discussion will be done systematically with special emphasis on different sections that will comprise of a table of content, introduction, literature review, method of analysis, results of analysis, the conclusions and recommendations made, a list of the references used in the collection of the information and finally a list appendices showing the additional material used in this discussion. 2. INTRODUCTION The Bank of America Corporation is based in charlotte which is in North Carolina, it is considered to be one of the largest financial institutions that offer financial services, it is also considered to be the largest bank in the assets category (it ahs the highest asset value).The bank is also the largest commercial bank by deposits. It is also ranked as the second largest bank on the basis of market capitalization in the United States. The bank (company) is known to hold about 12.2% of the total U.S deposits. It also holds the number one position of underwriting the global high yield debt, it is considered to be the third largest underwriter of global equity. The Bank plays a very important and critical role as an adviser to the global mergers and acquisition (it is therefore placed at the ninth position as an adviser on global mergers and acquisitions. The total numbers of clients served by the Bank of America originate from more than 150 countries from across the world. It has the highest percentage of relation with the U.S Fortune 500 companies (this percentage stands at 99%).Its relation with the fortune Global 500 stands at 83% (of these companies).The bank is a very important component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and also an influential member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).The bank demonstrated its ability to weather the 2007 credit crisis and emerged as the healthiest financial institution during that period. It later plunged in market value after incurring heavy losses as a result of purchasing the Merrill Lynch. The 2009 first quarter profits were valued at 4.2 billion with 3.7 billion having originated from the Merrill Lynch. Professional dress Before engaging in an informative discussion on the possible impacts of casual dressing at the work place or any other associated aspects of casual attitude in the work environment, it is important to understand the concept of professional dressing and its significance in the professional world of business. Professional dressing has a lot of significance especially in the Financial sector (which the Bank of America is part of).There is great significance that is attached to the color of the professional dress, this is largely due to the different meanings expressed by the different type of colours.For example, deep and dark colors are associated with wealth.Nuetral and the basic colors are most appropriate for business attire. In the Bank of America most senior managers dress in Dark colored suits which is a symbol of authority, the dark colors also symbolize power. Blue is a color that conveys dignity. Green has been labeled as a very inappropriate color for a male suit; this is because it is a common color for many hotel uniforms has cannot live up to the status demanded by the professional world. Gray is a common color that represents success and trustworthiness. The female employees have realized that the black color is an important and is able to complement many of their professional dresses. They therefore need to choose their clothes carefully based on solid colors that can easily blend with as many colors as possible. Female employees can always soften the basic colors for their professional dresses like brown and black by adding jewel tones, these usually demonstrates their confidence and energy, which is much needed by customers they serve in the professional environment of Bank of America. The corporate and professional standards must be respected during the selection of the Professional dresses; the color of these dresses is a key factor to making a good a selection. The type of fabric is also a factor in the selection process simply because it is symbolic (For example the natural fibers like linen, wool, cotton and silk are a symbol of status. The most preferred type of fabric for both male and female employees in the Bank include 100% pure wool. It is the most appropriate fabric for the professional dresses, followed by cotton. The likes of suede, leather, velvet and satin are fabrics that are inappropriate for professional dresses. There have been different interpretations for the meaning of professional dressing in America (different states have their interpretations, for example the Texas and some Western states believe that a business man can wear polished cowboy boots and their business suits and remain professional).Florida and California has a more casual dre ssing standard compared to New York. There are States that have remained very conservative with their dressing style (meaning they tend to dress professionally more often than not) these states include D.C, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago).It is common knowledge that professional dressing has its important significance, in the sense that it builds confidence of the employees and also helps to build a professional environment within the Bank environment which is a plus to the image of the Bank of America. It necessary that the customers or the Bank clients constantly feel that they are dealing with professionals who will at all tomes give them professional advice to help them protect the investments and also give them sound financial advice. It is interesting that professional dressing helps to build this environment. A good professional image for the male employees within the bank is to ensure that they wear good quality suits that are solid and have dark colors. These suits should be complimented with good quality ties. They need to maintain a conservative way of dressing, simply because Bank of America as explained in this introduction is an international bank and has clients all over the world and therefore employees within the American Branch have a high potential of serving customers from all over the world and must remain professional if they are to handle such customers who constantly need assurance that the bank is professional and has safely kept their deposits. Casual dressing at work The major possible causes of the emerging trend of the casual dressing trend in the financial sector with specific interest in the Bank of America include; the need to return to a state of elegance as a new approach of expressing professionalism and slow but progressive change from the formal dress code. This paper will therefore will address the history or origin of the casual dressing and its possible consequences within the Bank of America. Some of the casual dressing trends also adopted by other banking institutions or businesses include the casual Fridays and the dress-down days. 3. LITERATURE REVIEWBackground/history This section of the paper will focus on the corporate history of the bank in an attempt to trace the reasons for the Banks dress code policy in relation to the type of customers or clients that they serve. It must be noted that the term ‘getting casual at work does not specifically refer to the dressing code but can be broadly discussed in the context of the employee behavior within the bank; this behavior could also be referred to as being informal be it in the hierarchal level or towards the delivery of services to customers. The Bank of America does not really have an extremely strict type of dress code but insists on smart business casual or any other dressing style that excludes jeans-shirts or in appropriate dressing, suits are not very common within the Bank(this is with reference to the junior employees who are not part of the management team). There are different types of casual dressing which include: Smart casual, Business Casual and sports wear. The most commonly used casual dressing style is the business casual followed by the smart casual. Definition of the casual wears Smart casual: This type of dress code is loosely defined and is very distinct compared to the business casual. The only challenge is that its definition is not very precise and many confuse the term smart casual with the term business casual, this definition of smart casual contains dress trousers even though other definitions include jean trousers. It also includes long sleeve dress shirt, loafers, tie (is optional), a belt, a sport coat. For female employees this could mean a skirt (either long or short), a fashionable belt, a jacket, a sweater that complements the dress that the employee has worn. The women are free to wear jewelry that compliments there type of dressing. It must be noted that this type of dressing is mostly appropriate in academic circles that majorly involves events where the said expert or professional speaks in front of an audience during lectures. Business casual This is a dress code that emerged in many white collar jobs in a number of western countries; this trend emerged in the early 1970 when there was the energy crisis. During this period the government had decided to raise the thermostat setting which then led to many managers authorizing their employees to do way with ties and jackets. The popularity of the business casual had surpassed the business formal attire wear. There are different definitions with regard to the business casual wear, meaning there is no generally accepted definition for this kind of wear, every organization defines this type of wear according to their interpretation which is majorly structured to suit the objectives or the interest of the organization. A definition given by the New York Times cites job search engine Monster.com states that a business casual wear means dressing professionally and looking neat while at the same time remaining pulled together. Business casual for female employees comprises of a ski rt of reasonable length or even full length pants of non jeans material. This can be complimented with a top. The business casual wear for men is considered as a combination of a collard shirt, belt and shoes (e.g. loafers) with socks. The neck ties and cufflinks are generally not recommended for business casual wear. A brief corporate history of the Bank of America Amadeo Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in the year 1904 in San Francisco. The main function of this bank was to cater to immigrants. Amadeo was brought up by the Fava family; this happened after his lost his father, who was shot trying to collect a debt. Opportunity knocked at Amedeos door step when the San Francisco earthquake struck in the year 1906.He was able to rescue all his funds from the banks building which was ruined. He then used the rescued funds to loan out to individuals who were willing to rebuild. He got his fortunes in the later year after all his debtors paid up their loans. He used his money to start the bank of America and Italy in the year 1922 (this was in Italy where he had bought Banca dellItalia Meridionale which had been established in the year 1918).In the year 1927 Amadeo consolidated his Bank of Italy which already had 101 branches with the Liberty bank of America which had 175 branches. This resulted into the Bank of Italy National TrustSavings Association which had a capital of $30,000,000 and had resources worth $115,000,000.It was later in 1928 that he merged with Bank of America Los Angeles, he later renamed his Bank of Italy to Bank of America in the year 1930.The Merger was completed in the year 19 29 and resulted into BANK OF AMERICA. The role played by the Clothing There is great importance pegged to the dressing style in the corporate world and this includes the Bank of America. It is common for executives within the bank to be associated with Business suits which usually symbolize the executive status. This simply means that the dressing styles acts as a code of differentiating the employees within the bank. In cases where the corporate body has a corporate uniform, there is increased ease of employee identification by the customers (this greatly helps to promote the corporate image).Since there is never a second chance to make a lasting impression to the customers, it is important for the employees to realize that the appropriate clothing for a given role within the bank can help improve the image of that employee within that role or even potentially help the employee win other roles within the bank. There is an interesting fact about clothing and the role it plays in placing individuals within a given social order. It is undeniable that there are different social orders that exist within the Bank of America, and these social orders are characterized by the dressing styles that are adopted by the employees (this usually happens whether they are aware or not).It is advisable for the employees to identify the type of role that they want to play and then dress the part. Status is another role played by the type of clothing chosen by a bank employee. A museum specialist called Barbara Dickstein argued that clothing was the major thing that represented an individual as opposed to the jewelry they might own. Wallach also stated in the year 1991 that clothing was a way of stating the status, the role of an individual in life and his social position.Role of clothing (examples). Blue velvet represented or symbolized the French nobilities (this was in the seventeenth century).The European court officials in the past wore clothes that were royal blue and purple in color. In Germany, clothing that were red in color were only designated to the members of the upper class. The ‘casual revolution begun in the year 1990, it was noted that during this period many employees including the company Managers were slowly adopting this emerging trend of casual wear. Apart from bank of America the trend was largely noticeable in downtown financial districts, businesses and corporate rooms in America. The characteristic of the trend is that employees would be casually dressed but look very presentable at the same time. As mentioned in the introduction there are different types of casual wear, the most common being the business wear (It is a very interesting dressing style in the sense that it allows the employee to feel comfortable while at the same maintaining his or h er professional image (examples include cotton shins,sweaters,and khaki pants. Care must be taken during the selection of the casual wear, simply because some of them are in appropriate for an office environment. Many employees have ignored the fact that casual does not imply that one should dress in a sloppy manner, examples of inappropriate casual wear include sleeveless shirts, tank tops and sports wear. It is appropriate for the female employees to avoid clothes that are revealing as these fall under inappropriate dressing. The main reason given by many accounting firms like Delloite and Touche and KPMG is that the casual wears affect the professional image of these professional companies that are always expected by their clients to maintain a corporate and professional image. John Molloy who authored the book ‘Dress for Success mentioned in his book that ‘Rulers of the Corporate and Political America wear suits-always have and always will, There are some large American companies that have also embraced the concept of casual dressing, examples of these companies include General motors and the Ford (they have come up with casual dress policies that cover the entire week as shown by Rothenberg, 1995.Another notable example is the Chrysler car company, where the employees at the headquarters are to dress as they please, twice in a week, there is a possibility of this trend completely taking over the dressing policy of the company. The customer expectation is an indispensable factor when it comes to choosing the most appropriate type of dressing. The management team of the Bank of America strongly believes that the dress code could affect the perception of the customers towards the company e.g. inappropriate or unprofessional dressing badly dents the professional image of the company. The Human Resource Manager of Price Water House Coopers (Pat Cooper believes that â€Å"Appropriate dress reflects good judgment and clients feel someone who has good judgment will give good advise† (walker, 1993).There is need for clear dress policy within the bank to assist with the definition of the casual wear that is acceptable to the customers and the bank ultimately. The different origins of casual dressing The current trend of casual wear within the Bank cannot be traced to one particular origin but can be attributed to the egalitarian movement in the business and industrial environment in the early 1980.This also brought with it the idea of empowerment and teamwork which aimed at reducing the distinctions that resulted from class. The dress codes are greatly influenced by the customer and employee demands. The bank only recommends very casual dressing for those events that are considered charitable. Consequences of Casual wear Positive consequences This section of the paper will explore the different aspects of casual wear with respect to their impact on employee behavior towards customers and even the Bank management team. It can be argued that appropriate casual dressing brings with it positive consequences. These positive consequences benefit both the employer and the employee. If the management team of Bank of America would dress more casually then they would be more comfortable and therefore look approachable to the other employees and this could in a great way boost interaction with the management team which could result into sharing of ideas that would otherwise not be shared.There is a growing popular realization that companies can immensely gain from more comfortable and flexible employees, it is an interesting fact that casual wear usually creates a more relaxed environment thus making the employees to have sense of freedom. If this kind of environment was enhanced through positive control, then the productivity level of employees within the Bank of America can be improved greatly. The casual ware also has its secondary impact in the clothing industry. The emerging trend of casual wear has led to an increased sales volume for many casual wear clothing firms; hence they have experienced positive growth in terms of profit margins. The fashion firms have also engaged in extensive campaigns to encourage the firms to adopt the casual wear for their employees. Departmental stores like Jacobsons have realized that they can promote the trend and in turn boost their sales volume in the long run. They have opted to taking the campaign to the door steps of these financial institutions or Banking corporations by giving them free seminars on the type of casual dressing that can be adopted. Negative impacts of casual dressing It is undeniable that the business casual wear and many other types of casual wear which were popular in the early 1990 have sent shock industry across the financial institutions that had adopted them. The focus of this paper will be on the negative impacts of this casual on the Bank of America. The discussion will therefore capture both aspects of the term of ‘getting casual at work. The aspects in this case will refer to the business casual dresses used by the employees and the casual attitude adopted by the employees towards discharging their duties. The current statistics show that this formerly popular trend is on the decline after the Bank realized that this particular type of dressing was projecting an image that was perceived by the Bank customers as unprofessional therefore eroding the confidence of the customers in the bank. The issue that alarmed the Bank is the statistics that showed that employees who dressed more casually at work tended to be more casual at the place of work in the sense that they discharged their duties more casually. This meant serious implications for the Bank. The casual attire was the largest contributor to the damaging of the corporate image, it also led to casual interaction among the employees for example it encouraged slacking off in the work productivity. The employees tended to joke more frequently, engage in non productive discussions through comments that encouraged flirtatious behavior thus creating an environment that could encourage sexual harassment within the work place. This directly meant that the bank could potentially lose skilled employees through court cases and court penalties. It also posed the risk of dragging the Banks image into these court cases (this could dent the banks image).It also led to the loss of manpower hours. Evidence from a survey conducted by a law firm further supports this fact. There survey which was conducted in 1,000 companies revealed that 50% of these companies had noticed an increase in absenteeism and tardiness after implementing a casual dress policy.30% of these companies also realized that flirtatious behavior had risen. Another challenge that faced the casual dress was the fact that there was no clear definition of what casual business attire should entail. Many employees interpreted the casual wear as what they usually put on at home (some even walked around in the office without shoes. This had the potential of making the work environment not conducive. Molloys research showed that women who were trying to get ahead in the corporate world found it increasing challenging to be taken seriously when they were casually dressed. The business casual wear in the bank sent a strong subtextual message to the customers who interpreted the message to mean that the Bank employees were going to handle their financial needs including their hard earned moneys in a very casual manner. This signal sent to the customers was not the message the Bank would at any one point wish to send to its clients and customers, hence casual wear sends a contrary message to what the bank wishes to send to its clients and customers. A critical review of the casual dressing policy reveals that the policy has more disadvantages than the advantages the Bank would want to achieve at the end of the day. Hence the Bank has become very skeptical of the proposed advantages the business casual wear would bring to the Bank environment. The bank bases its argument on the far reaching effects the casual wear would have on its customers who are the Banks number one priority. 4. METHODS OF ANALYSIS The following techniques were used in the analysis of data and information that was collected in this research paper: Case study, this involved conducting inquiries in order to investigate the phenomenon of ‘getting casual at work within its real life context, this was done on purpose because the boundary between the phenomenon and the context was not very evident. It involved the extensive use of qualitative data that was drawn from interviews and observations. It therefore was used to draw a clear understanding of the concept of getting casual at work. It involved the examination of surveys that were conducted in companies that had the casual wear policies and its main focus was on the Bank of America. The second technique used was the Experimental Design, which is an investigative technique that provided maximum control. It enabled the relationship between the casual attitude and dressing at the work place and its possible impacts to the Bank of America in terms of employee productivity and customer relation, to be isolated and then measure accurately in a carefully controlled experimental environment (where there is the experiment and the control) Methods of collecting Data The type of data that was collected in this case was qualitative data which was structured; this kind of data was produced through closed questions. This involved the use of questionnaires, which made the process of data analysis easier and more efficient. The questionnaires were administered to the employees, customers, and even managers of the Bank of America. It important to note that the questionnaires can only allow the prescribe questions and restricted responses. The design of the questionnaire was largely influenced by the type of data analysis. Interviews were also used to collect the data, in this particular case the structured interview approach was used to get information directly from the bank employees, customers and managers. Results of Analysis These will presented through the use of charts and graphical tables 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This paper has demonstrated that ‘getting casual at work poses a potential threat to the image of the Bank of America and can therefore the casual wear can not be adopted as a possible dress code for the bank, this is largely due to the fact that the disadvantages the casual wear holds outweighs the advantages of this concept of ‘getting casual at work. It is important for the bank employees to maintain a professional image by maintaining or putting on professionally recognized dresses. The female employee can dress in the upper class type of business wear that are mostly of natural fibers and respect cultural standards. 6. REFERENCES Button, G. (1995, November 6). No bathrobes, please. FORBES, 130. Davies, R. (1992, September). Managing by listening. Nations Business, 6. Himelstein, L. (1996, April 1). Levis vs. the dress code Business Week, 57. Rothenberg, A. (1995, June). What to wear? Wards Auto World, 32-33.

Creatine for Athletic Performance Essay -- Drugs Sports

Creatine for Athletic Performance The Advantages of Creatine for Enhancing Athletic Performance If, about 5 years ago, you were to tell an athlete there was a supplement (which was not an anabolic steroid or other bodybuilding drug) that would help bodybuilders and athletes pack on as much as 10 rock-hard pounds of muscular bodyweight (which could lead to better performance for athletes) in less then 2 weeks; increase their bench press by 25 lbs. (which also would help in enhancing performance) in a mere 10 days; "get a pump like you were loaded on Dianabol"(Phillips 48) (a pump that last for hours and hours which helps in muscle development); and, all the while, help you run faster, jump higher, recover from exercise more quickly, they would probably tell you to get lost. Well all these facts and more have now been proven to be effective on athletes. "Creatine is the safest, most effective supplement out on the market today," says Ron Terjung, a physiology professor at the University of Missouri. Millions of men are buying the dietary supplement, hoping it is the magic pill that can transform them from scrawny to brawny. Creatine has made a strong impact on the athletic world giving many an edge on the competition and enhancing athletic performance. The discovery of Creatine leads back to 1832. A French scientist named Chevreul, identified a naturally occurring organic compound in meat and then was later found to be manufactured by the liver, kidneys and pancreas using three amino acids. The scientist named the compound Creatine after the greek word for flesh(Phillips 8). Creatine is a compound that is naturally made in our bodies to supply energy to our muscles. It is an energy rich metabolite that is found mainly in muscle tissue. It is responsible for supplying the muscle with energy during exercise. Chemically, it is called Methylguanido-acid. Creatine is formed from the three amino acids, argentine, methionine, and glycogen that undergo a chemical process to form Creat ine. Creatine is manufactured in the liver and may be produced in the pancreas and kidneys. It is transported through the blood and taken up by muscle cell, where it is converted into Creatine phosphate; also called phosphocreatine. This reaction involves the enzyme Creatine kinase that helps bond Creatine to a high-energy phosphate group. Once Creatine is bound to ... ...rcise." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine, Science and sports 3 (1993): 143-149. Bamberger, Michael. "The Magic Potion." Sports Illustrated 4 (1998): 58-61. Casey, A. "Creatine Supplementation Favorably Affects Performance and Muscle Metabolism During Maximal Intensity Exercise in Human." American Journal of Physiology 271 (1996): 31-37. Creatine. Available [online]. Address. http://www.vitamin-planet.com/nutrition/creatine.htm Creatine Monohydrate Frequently Asked Questions. Available [online]. Address. http://www.rnlist.utl.pt/~rmlbgs/atpfaq.tex Phillips, Bill. Sports Supplements Review. Golden, Colorado: Mile High Publishing, 1996 Kreider, B. Richard. "Creatine Supplementation." (Internet) http://www.afpafitness.com/Creatine3.html Silila, I. "Supplementary Creatine as a Treatment for Gyrate Atrophy of the Choroid and Retina." New England journal of Medicine 304 (1981): 867-870.(Internet) Timberline, David. "Muscles for Sale: Is Creatine Right for You?" (Internet) http://www.accenthealth.com/mh/intheknow/1999/creatine.html What is the Deal with Creatine? Available [online]. Address. http://www.powersupplement.com/creatine.htm

Who Is Free To Choose :: essays research papers

Who Is Free To Choose?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Internet started out as a tool for transmitting information to learn and study. Free expression on the Internet is one of the things that makes the Internet so great. People can get information on a subject from many different areas. This gives the chance for people to see an issue form other points of view. The Internet has developed into a vast medium of knowledge with many users contributing to its growth. With the growth of the Internet, many people have seen it as a source to express their ideas to the public. Some would even view the Internet as a virtual community, and say it is a democracy. People argue that with such freedom, the Internet should be censored to protect children form pornography, and others from sites that may concern 'objectionable'; material. There are people who live under the 1st Amendment and they use the Internet as an outlet to express their ideas and to incorporate ideas from others. Censorship of the Internet is wrong because it obstructs other pe ople from accessing what they want to see and it inhabits people's free speech. Censorship on the Internet has been a growing concern for the past three years. The wide range of information available has made it a tempting target for those who want to control what a person can see and read. The Random House Webster's School and Office Dictionary defines censorship as, 'An official who examines books, films etc., to suppress anything objectionable';. (CD ROM) The next question is who is going to decide for the millions of users on the Internet what is objectionable for them to see and read. The Internet has developed into a vast medium of knowledge with many users contributing to its growth. In this country, many activists for censorship on the Internet mainly have one thing on their minds. They want to protect children from pornography. Although I view this as big concern, there is a grater issue at hand. Since censorship involves all forms of expression, censoring the Internet woul d hurt many people. The Internet is an international community; we must view it as pertaining to other countries, not just the United States. Not all countries have the privilege of living in a democracy and under the Bill of Rights. As a result, the Internet has brought a new sense of freedom to most people who oppressed by tyrannical governments, or those that disagree with a government but are not allowed to express it.

Persuade to Stop Physical Bullying

Physical Bullying Physical bullying is a serious problem, affecting not only the bully and the victim, but also the other students who witness the bullying. Parents, teachers, and other concerned adults and young people should be aware of what physical bullying is and some of the ways to handle it. There are many types of negative physical interactions that can occur between young people, including fighting, practical jokes, stealing, and sexual harassment. These things are not considered physical bullying unless: * The same victim is targeted repeatedly The bully or bullies intend to hurt, embarrass, or intimidate the victim   * The actions occur in a situation with a real or perceived imbalance of power, such as when the bully is stronger than the victim or has a higher social standing In this context, physical bullying can take many forms: * Hitting * Pushing * Tripping * Slapping * Spitting * Stealing or destroying possessions, including books, clothing, or lunch money Physical bullying may also cross the line into sexual harassment or sexual assault.Physical bullying occurs most often at school, though it can also occur on the way to and from school and after school. Middle school is the age when bullying is most common, with almost all middle school students being affected directly or indirectly by bullying. This is an age where young people want more to fit in with their peers, making some students more likely to bully or condone bullying to fit in, while those who don't fit in stand out more as victims.Bullying can also occur in earlier grades, as well as through high school and even into adulthood. Physical bullying is more likely to occur among males, though females may also be the perpetuators or victims of physical bullying. Bullies may have any number of reasons for bullying others, such as wanting more control over others, and wanting to fit in. Bullies are often physically stronger than their victims and have friends who condone their behavior. Students who bully others, however, often have trouble with self control, following rules, and caring for others, and are at higher risk for problems later in life, such as violence, criminal behavior, or failure in relationships or career. Victims of physical bullying are usually physically weaker than the bullies, and also may be socially marginalized for some reason, including weight, ethnicity, or other characteristics that make it harder for them to fit in. Bullying can have serious consequences for the victim, leading to low self esteem, depression, trouble at school, and sometimes even violent behavior.Some signs that a student may be a victim of physical bullying include: * Coming home from school with bruises, cuts, or other unexplained injuries * Having damaged clothing, books, or possessions * Often â€Å"losing† things that they take to school * Complaining of frequently not feeling well before school or school activities * Skipping certain classes * Wanting to av oid going to school or going to school a certain way, such as taking strange routes home from school or not wanting to ride the bus * Acting sad or depressed Withdrawing from others * Saying they feel picked on * Displaying low self esteem * Mood swings, including anger or sadness * Wanting to run away * Trying to take a weapon to school * Talking about suicide or violence against others If a student is a victim of bullying, show love and support to the child and explain that the bullying is not their fault, and that what the bully is doing is wrong. Talk to the victim to find out when and how the bullying is taking place, then talk to teachers and school administrators about the problem.Bullying should always be taken seriously. Don't encourage the victim to fight back. Often the best way to deal with bullies is to avoid them or react as little as possible. Unfortunately, with physical bullying this is not always possible. Staying with a friend or friends or where adults are superv ising can sometimes help deter the bullying. If the victim is struggling with feelings of depression or anger, seek counseling to help them deal with their emotions. If a student is being a bully, tell them that the behavior is not acceptable.All young people should be taught to respect others and that bullying is not acceptable. Parents should talk to their children often about what goes on at school, including their friends and if they ever see or experience bullying. Parents should encourage their children not to support bullying, even by watching it, and to report it if it's happening. Depending on the situation, the student may be able to stand up to the bully, show support for the victim, or at least walk away from the bullying and report it to an adult.Parents of victims or of bullies can also encourage schools to have stronger anti-bullying measures, like anti-bullying campaigns, careful adult supervision of students, zero-tolerance policies, and counseling for students invo lved in bullying. Sources: SAMHSA Family Guide, â€Å"Bullying Affects All Middle School Kids† [online] Nemours, TeensHealth, â€Å"Dealing with Bullying† [online] Consortium to Prevent School Violence, â€Å"Fact Sheet #2: Bullying Prevention† [online] HealthNewsDigest. com, â€Å"Know the Signs of Physical Bullying† [online]

Positive environments for children and young people Essay

Positive environment A positive environment is one that supports all aspects of the child’s development; staff members/carers can provide the children different ways to extend their developments. By doing activities and guiding the children through their learning, this creates a positive environment for them. Example: Reading and writing activities will help the child or young person’s cognitive and intellectual development. Singing and speaking to the children or young people will help further their communication and language development. Praising and positive responses will encourage good behaviour and will help them understand right from wrong. This will help extend the child or young person’s physical and intellectual development. In the nursery that I am training in we allow the children and young people to have access to outside and inside, we call this ‘free play’. We have some staff inside and some outside to supervise the children and young people. Inside: We will set out an activity for them on the tables and in the ‘role-play. These activities could be finger painting, gluing and sticking; each activity we do with the children and young people will cover all aspects of their developments. All of these activities are supervised by either a member of staff or a student to ensure they are behaving and that they are all safe. ’ We have a baby gate that’s blocking the children and young people from the kitchen area, where the adults (members of staff will prepare their food, this is to ensure their safety. Outside Children and young people will have sand and water activities outside. They also have a variety of toys and places to explore such as the ‘shed shop’ and the ‘outdoor kitchen’. The children and young people also play with the bikes and scooters, these will only be taken out by and adult/member of  staff. The garden itself is surrounded by a wooden fence that has a gate (fire exit), this gate has a high bolt that can be moved by a member of staff. For both inside and outside we ensure that all the children and young people are supervised and that their needs are met; nappy changing, nap time and their lunch/snack time. We also provide the children and young people with a cold compress if they have had a bump or fall; we have a first aid kit for any other injuries the children may get when doing an activity. Regulatory requirements that underpin a positive environment for children and young people Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework All early year providers must ensure that children and young people’s educational and intellectual needs are met and that the child or young people develop well. Ensures children are kept healthy and safe Ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school EYFS ensures that every child or young person makes good progress and no child gets left behind Learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers Childcare Act 2006 Reduce child poverty: To support parents and carers to work, and focus on the provision of good quality childcare for working parents or adults. Reduce inequalities between young children: Focus on supporting children most at risk of poor outcomes because of deprivation and disadvantage and promote social mobility. Improve wellbeing for young people and children HSWA (the health & safety at work act 1974) Securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work; Protecting persons, other than persons at work, against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work; Controlling of highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, stored correctly or locked away to prevent any harm or danger to any persons Cleaning and ensuring the work equipment is in working order and that instructions, training or supervision is given if needed Providing protective clothing or equipment if risks cannot be removed but can be prevented Report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences Care Standards Act 2006 People running day-care services for children up to eight years old must register with Ofsted Early Years (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) Regular inspections must be carried out to ensure that the childcare setting is both safe and suitable for all young people and or those that are vulnerable In a childcare setting there must be an activity plan for all children and young people to ensure their educational needs and to help extend all their developments Safeguarding and welfare requirements Protection to all child and young persons Data protection Qualified staff, Training, Support and Skills Safety and Suitability of Premises, Environment and Equipment Confidentiality Staff Record Sheet Complaints Procedure Registration Form Safeguarding Children Policy Safeguarding Children Procedure Social Networking Policy Partnership with Parents Policy Settling In/Child Induction Policy Accident Record Form Recruitment Policy & Procedure Staff Employment Contract First Aid Box Guidance References Contribute to the Support of Positive Environments for Children and Young By lillie94 | March 2012 People http://www.studymode.com/essays/Contribute-To-The-Support-Of-Positive-944399.html How is Childcare Regulated? Page last updated: 11 September 2013 http://www.tameside.gov.uk/surestart/childcare/regulations#reg gov.uk Built by the Government Digital Service https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

A Study on Comparison Between Chinese Values and American Values

On the culture shock in the film of Gua Sha Culture shock was introduced to descried the anxiety produced when a person moves to a completely new environment, especially when a person arrives in a new country where he is confronted with a new cultural environment. In our modern society, more and more people get this sick. You step into a new culture world. Everything around you is new. You begin to adapt. One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign environment.Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least one of five distinct phases: Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment, Mastery and Independence, are the most common attributes that pertain to existing problems, further hindrances include: information overload, language barrier, generation gap, technology gap, skill interdependence, formulation dependency, homesickness, infinite regress, boredom, response ability. There is no true way to entirely prevent culture shock, as individuals in an y society are personally affected by cultural contrasts differently.But, this process takes time. Generally speaking, culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. Culture shock involved two aspects: physical symptoms of culture shock and psychological symptoms of culture shock. And, how can we cure culture shock? The first coping mechanism is called â€Å"repression. † This happens when we pretend that everything is acceptable and that nothing bothers us. The second one is called â€Å"regression. † We forget everything, and something we become careless and irresponsible.The third kind of defense mechanism is called â€Å"isolation. † It is one of the worst coping mechanisms we can use because it separates us from those things that could really help us. Grandfather Xu comes from China to visit the family of his son, Datong Xu, in St. Louis. While there, he gives his grandson, Dennis X u , a treatment of Gua Sha to treat a slight fever. The authorities, however, mistake the harmless traditional Chinese medical treatment for child abuse due to the obvious marks left on Dennis' back. The family goes through hell when the child is taken away by the child protection agency.Meanwhile, Grandfather Xu leaves America because he finds that the living environment is really not suitable for him, as he feels that a simple, harmless treatment like Gua Sha, which is so common in China, is treated as child abuse in America. Furthermore, he cannot converse in English. An American friend of the father, Benton Davi), tries gua sha and proves that the treatment leaves painful-looking marks that are not actually painful or harmful at all. Finally, the father is able to return home and the family is reunited.Returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above. This results from the psychosomatic and psychological conseq uences of the readjustment process to the primary culture. The affected person often finds this more surprising and difficult to deal with than the original culture shock. This phenomenon, the reactions that members of the re-entered culture exhibit toward the re-entrant, and the inevitability of the two are encapsulated in the saying â€Å"you can't go home again,† first coined by Thomas Wolfe in his book of that title.Honeymoon phase During this period, the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new food, the pace of life, and the locals' habits. During the first few weeks, most people are fascinated by the new culture. They associate with nationals who speak their language, and who are polite to the foreigners. This period is full of observations and new discoveries.Like most honeymoon periods, this stage after some time, differences between the old and new culture beco me apparent and may create anxiety. Excitement may eventually give way to unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as one continues to experience unfavorable events that may be perceived as strange and offensive to one's cultural attitude. Language barriers, stark differences in public hygiene, traffic safety, food accessibility and quality may heighten the sense of disconnection from the surroundings.While being transferred into a different environment puts special pressure on communication skills, there are practical difficulties to overcome, such as circadian rhythm disruption that often leads to insomnia and daylight drowsiness; adaptation of gut flora to different bacteria levels and concentrations in food and water; difficulty in seeking treatment for illness, as medicines may have different names from the native country's and the same active ingredients might be hard to recognize.Still, the most important change in the period is communication: People adjusting to a new cu lture often feel lonely and homesick because they are not yet used to the new environment and meet people with whom they are not familiar every day. The language barrier may become a major obstacle in creating new relationships: special attention must be paid to one's and others' culture-specific body language signs, linguistic faux pas, conversation tone, linguistic nuances and customs, and false fries.In the case of Gua Sha, some develop additional symptoms of loneliness that ultimately affect their lifestyles as a whole. Due to the strain of living in a different country without parental support, international students often feel anxious and feel more pressure while adjusting to new cultures—even more so when the cultural distances are wide, as patterns of logic and speech are different and a special emphasis is put on rhetoric.Again, after some time, one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host cou ntry no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more â€Å"normal†. One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture and begins to accept the culture's ways with a positive attitude. The culture begins to make sense, and negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced.In the mastery stage assignees are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage. You step into a new cultural world. Everything around you is new. We should devise defense mechanisms to help us cope with the effects of culture shock.