Monday, September 30, 2019

I Am From

I'm from â€Å"Let's eat! † and â€Å"Man I sure am stuffed† Cheesy chicken spaghetti and rich death by chocolate. Burned bacon and slimy squash given to the dog to avoid eating. I'm from pineapple cheese pizza with caramelized pineapples atop And creamy chicken Alfredo with delicious golden strands of pasta. I'm from nana's homemade brownies and double chocolate chip cookies Stirred slowly and mixed with a â€Å"secret† recipe and baked with ark chocolate shavings For special occasions such as 4th of July parties and birthdays.FAMILY/MUSIC I'm from a song shared with Shelby. Air Guitar is our main profession. Driving in circles with the windows down Just to find the perfect song to live to Until we were pulled over for screaming the lyrics to We Can't Stop. I'm from Mac Miller blaring through my headphones and car speakers. I'm from Linkin Park. The Lumineers A Day to Remember And always: Maroon 5. Until I grew older and closer to God, and discovered TobyMac.I'm from a brown playful puggle we named Slade; Being lazy and sleeping on any soft surface in 2003. I'm from Alice, the playful powerful puppy. And Daisy our loveable Boston terrier Who chewed up all my socks with her sharp puppy teeth. And unfortunately had to be put down when my step brother was born.I'm from drinking hazelnut coffee beside Shelby on my front porch. Or near the sounds of the waterfall from the creek behind her house. I'm from Heather Hannel in Columbus, Ohio where horses run wild.Silly laughs and precious secrets shared between us. Heathers kindness and guidance Help me through life. I'm trom dreaming And living And my red 2001 Chevy Cavalier. I'm from The Voice And the Carroll family. I'm from wishing and playing and working at ArbVs. Like making roast beef sandwiches. And working with my best friend, Shelby. I'm from stormy Forks, Washington Beautiful Paris, Extravagant England, Exhilarating Disney World. I'm from here. Now. Face-timing my friend and typing my poe m.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Philosophical concept Essay

The Coyote Ugly last 2000: Shy, aspiring songwriter Violet overcomes her stage fright, gets the man of her dreams and is offered a major recording contract after making drinks on top of a bar, clad basically in her skivvies. The movie Coyote Ugly inspire people about the striving of one person to fulfill her dream and overcoming all the hardship in life. The straggle of one person to overcome her fears with the help of people surrounding her in order to survive the big city. This movie symbolizes the growth of a person physically, emotionally, and socially. In this film the client will be immersed in a process of in-depth examination of the meaning and power of images. Images, in fact, are never neutral; their effect is that of conditioning the observer. It is vital, thus, to carry out an analysis of what an image actually is. Image based thinking will be considered both in relation to the creative process and to problem solving. The counseling will start with the philosophical concept of an idea as a mental representation. The symbolism of dreams should be evaluated in order to understand the close relationship between images and the unconscious. The psychoanalytical proposition that a film may be considered the film director’s dream will be closely scrutinized. The concept of Cinematherapy is rooted in the awareness that the film viewer is conditioned by his or her individual life experience, and this in turn makes the viewer’s perception highly unique. The viewer’s intimate interior world and life experiences condition perception of the film, and result in a highly subjective interpretation. This is due to the fact that the viewer assimilates only certain images and edits out others, all on the basis of unique individual experiences. The study of Cinematherapy will enable the viewer to understand the underlying causes of certain emotions experienced during a film, and will shed light on certain aspects of one’s own personality and on how others view the same situation. â€Å"Mining the gold† in movies means uncovering our hidden finest attributes by understanding how we project these virtues on film heroes and heroines. Identifying with a character can help us to develop inner strength as we recall forgotten inner resources and become aware of the right opportunity for those resources to be applied. Like dream work, cinema therapy allows us to gain awareness of our deeper layers of consciousness to help us move toward new perspectives or behavior as well as healing and integration of the total self. As observing helps us to â€Å"step back†, the bigger picture becomes more obvious. This way, watching screen movies helps us learn to understand ourselves and others more deeply in the â€Å"big movie† of our life. In identifying the presenting problems and goals for therapy the questions that are appropriate are by asking yourself, why would this client benefit from a cinematherapy intervention? What would this client get out of it? Can the intervention be tied back to the treatment plan? In assessing clients’ strengths such as interests, hobbies, activities, and type of employment the questions are What type of film would benefit this client: Standard movie, documentary, or instructional? What type of genre would they prefer: Comedy, drama, or science fiction? In determination of the clients’ ability to understand the content of the film and recognize similarities and differences between themselves and the characters the questions are Will the client understand how to use the film as metaphor for their own life? Do they have the mental capabilities to participate in processing the content? Do they recognize the difference between fantasy and reality? By taking into account issues of diversity when choosing a film the questions suitable is Will the film be offensive, or be distracting from the real purpose of the assignment? The therapist should always watch the movie before assigning it. This is so you can process the movie with the client, or know the significant parts to discuss later. Also, it saves time from apologizing for a scene that offended the client or his/her parents. Preparation is essential to cinematherapy. The therapist should provide clients with a rationale for assigning a film. REFERENCE Berg-Cross L. , Jennings, P. & Baruch, R . (1990). Cinematherapy: Theory and Application . In: Psychotherapy in Private Practice 8, no. 1, 135-157 Peske, Nancy and Beverly West (1999) Cinematherapy: The Girl’s Guide to Movies For Every Mood. New York: Dell Ulus, Fuat(2003) Movie Therapy, Moving Therapy! The Healing Power of Film Clips in Therapeutic Settings. New Bern: Trafford Publishing. Tyson, L. , Foster, L. , & Jones, C. (2000). The process of cinematherapy as a therapeutic intervention. Alabama Counseling Association Journal,26(1), 35-41

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Review Of Successful JIT Implementations Information Technology Essay

A Review Of Successful JIT Implementations Information Technology Essay Globalization has led to an enormous increase in competition in all segments. Manufacturing, Service, Banking etc. nobody is protected by it. So to gain an edge over your competitors companies are highly focused on improving their processes and systems to reduce the throughput time which subsequently leads to cost-savings. As Just-In-Time is a lean management principle, it definitely results in overall cost reduction. But even after the underlying benefits of implementing a methodology like JIT, there is still a certain amount of reluctance to adopt this philosophy due to various reasons like lack of understanding of the process, benefits associated with implementation, apprehensions to change from traditional methods of production to modern methods, adopting new technologies, capital expenditure and numerous other factors. Such events hamper the growth of the industries and the growth of the nation as well. What the firms fail to understand is that this is an adopted practice and m ay not produce the exact expected results. Moreover, it takes time to implement JIT because it demands an entire process reform. Even Toyota (inventor of JIT), took more than 20 years to get to the lean system, which the looks upto. With not quickly getting the results and incurring of some initial costs, firms often refrain from getting into the trial phase. The study highlights the major issues Supply Chain faces in India which makes the lean practices difficult and desired output are not obtained. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The study highlights a certain unfairness of the much idealized JIT philosophy if adopted blindly. Every concept behaves in a certain pattern in different scenarios. The main significance of the study is to find out the methods of the Risk Management in Supply Chain for smooth adoption and working of Lean management thus taking a leap ahead towards the successful implementation of JIT. The recommendations mentioned in the end are in context to the stories of Indian Firms but can be applied globally as India has made a mark on the International Globe. The study also highlights methods to overcome these failures related to implementation of JIT in India. REVIEW OF LITERATURE JUST IN TIME It is a manufacturing system with a goal to optimize processes and procedures by continuously pursuing waste reduction. The entire process was developed by Taiichi Ohno after the Second World War in competition to the American Automobile Industry. But the demand being less, the Japanese could not afford to order by EOQ & stock an inventory. So to keep the waste and operational cost to a minimum, Taiichi came up with the concept of Just-In-Time (JIT) where any item moves the production system on need. Systems were non-automated, there was no over-production and the time spent in waiting for parts and processing of order was now minimized. The inventories levels were reduced and so were the waste. When a car was selling at a particular selling price such that PRO FIT = (SELLING PRICE – COST) then cost leveling was the only option to raise profit levels. Also JIT got with itself cellular manufacturing when machines were clustered so that items move smoothly in the process. The workers were now trained to be multi-skilled to be able to work on more than one machine.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Modernist artist Man Ray and the Dada movement Research Paper

Modernist artist Man Ray and the Dada movement - Research Paper Example Man Ray and Dada Movement Biography Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), born in August 27, 1890 was of an immigrant Russian-Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Melach Radnitzky and Manya Radnitzky. In 1897, Melach and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. As he familiarized with Brooklyn, Emmanuel developed greater curiosity towards his surroundings. His interest widened to include ballistics, male and female anatomy, as well as mathematics (Baldwin 34).2 At the age of seven, Man Ray received first, as a birthday gift, a box of crayons from one of his cousins. He from then spent much of his time creating and drawing colorful pictures. At his early age of 14, Emmanuel Radniztky's high school equipped him with free hand and mechanical drawing. He gained much perspective of art and impressive fame through his studies and devotion to drawing. In his second year, his classmates frequently taunted him because of his name. This led to his adoption of the pseudonym Man Ray (Baldwin 48).2 Man Ray and the formal world of art The movement by Man Ray led to his joining Marcel Duchamp’s revolt towards aesthetic tradition. ... Independent men living beyond nationalism and war lived for other ideals. In his multiplicity nature, Man Ray needed escape from the insularity caused by his ethnicity. His emergence responded to the anti-individual and the collective experience of the First World War. Dada allowed Man Ray practice his art in enhancing acceptance and independence of his framework. Dada failed in sustaining itself within New York. Man Ray wrote a letter to the Dadaist Tristan Tzara before entry into Paris. This nihilist Tristan Tzara was of an avant-garde Romanian performance artist, journalist, playwright, film director, art critic and poet (Dachy & Michael 14).4 His heated personality, as well as the uncompromising activism, caused many conflicts in the Dada movement, in France 3and Romania. Despite of him not leaving Dada, Tristan Tzara took up Surrealism eventually (Masters 14).5 He developed his painting career as an apprentice in an engraving studio after completing his studies. He also served a s an illustrator and a draftsman in an advertising agency. Man Ray started taking drawing classes in Manhattan’s Ferrer Modern School where he learnt the world of photography and Alfred Stieglitz. The artist's creation by Pablo Picasso and Paul Cezanne tremendously inspired him. Dada and Surrealism encouraged Ray’s artistic work. Artistic ideas motivated him more than the artistic work itself. Despite his abstract paintings, Man Ray disregarded traditional superiority on photography. He used photography in documenting sculptures with no independent life and capturing activities by the avant-garde friends (Bardis 215).6 In 1915, his first solo exhibition happened at the Daniel Gallery.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Course work - Essay Example How can managers guard against this kind of ‘relapse’? In order to get certification, companies work hard and spend lot of money and resources to meet the set standards. But this process always has the risk of being mistaken as an obligation only upto the moment when the company gets certification. It is often forgotten that quality has to be a constant concern. Once the company gets the certification, there is a tendency to relapse into the old pattern. To guard against this kind of relapse, managers have to always keep an alert atmosphere in the company. There should always be a thrust towards improvement. There should be routine reviews, documentation and updation. When the quality is continuously maintained through these measures, there will be no fear of relapse. Q3. If you have been employed in an organization that has gone through the Baldridge or ISO process, share your experiences. What challenges did you face? Was the payoff to the organization worth the effort? My company had gone through all important accreditation processes. The employees were also fine tuned to the needs of maintaining high quality. At middle manager level, there were routine review meetings. For the certification process, we were maintaining large amount of documents. The process of documentation was a continuous process. But these documents helped us to show case our organization in a candid way before our prospective partner organizations. The risks that my organization faces related to my area of responsibility are primarily lack of coordination because I am entrusted with channnelizing information up and down the middle manager level. If I am absent or fail to do my work properly, there will be lot of confusion both for the clients and the senior managers. Also I have to maintain a client profile so that at any point, every minute information is available regarding each client. My management is fully aware of these risks. They have provided me with all

Discussion Week 5 New Product Development and The Product Life Cycle Assignment

Discussion Week 5 New Product Development and The Product Life Cycle - Assignment Example that would initially enhance product awareness and sustain efforts for product recall; and (2) maintaining an effective competitive pricing strategy that would affirm the product’s core competencies and advantage over its competitors through time. An effective and well sustained advertising and promotional campaigns would ensure that the target market would be aptly aware, persuaded to purchase, and affirm loyalty to the product. Likewise, through these efforts, loyal customers would also invite others to purchase the product. On the other hand, maintaining a competitive pricing strategy would assist in confirming that customers would prefer purchasing their product due to other features, in conjunction with their competitive prices, as compared to those charged by competitors. As such, by not pricing the product way above competition or way below, customers would acknowledge preference to their product over their product life cycle. 2. From the e-Activity (Video) located at bottom, imagine you are on the marketing team for the Smart Car Company, which is looking to expand its current automobile offerings. First, propose one (1) possible new product or extension that your team could offer to either Smart Car Company’s existing target or a new target market. Next, formulate one (1) strategy for marketing your product to your selected market. Justify your response by comparing your strategy to the current Smart Car market and the challenges it is strategically facing. A possible new product extension that could be offered to a new target market for the Smart Car Company (Chapter 8: New Products, n.d.) is focusing on offering this to young professionals who are just beginning to exhibit professional growth. Due to the extremely good price which is considerably low, young professionals could be targeted as potential new clients who could easily afford to buy this. After defining this new target market, the strategy to market this product would be designed as

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-consumer (B2C) Essay

Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-consumer (B2C) - Essay Example Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-consumer (B2C) are two types of e-businesses found on the Internet. E-commerce is an umbrella term used for all business done online but when close studied there are some technical differences which set of type of business apart from another. B2B is the business where both parties are organizations or companies working with each other for some kind of mutual benefit such as Skillbay.com. An example of this would be industrial suppliers or manufacturers who sell to a business that eventually takes final goods to the customers. Whereas most other sites would fall in the category of B2C since organizations are selling their services or products to consumers. Examples include Amazon.com and Walmart.com.The main difference between a B2B and a B2C is that of who purchases at the other end, whether it's the consumer or a business buyer as defined earlier. The other difference is the complexity of the business-to-business setup as compared to a busi ness to consumer setup. Supply chain management gets involved with in a business-to-business setup making the online process all the more complicated. And then there is also an issue of security that needs special consideration in business to business as compared to the business to consumer e-commerce. The other differences could be the negotiation and integration. Negotiation means bargaining prices and in case of business-to-business selling the most important thing is a negotiation.... While the business to consumer seems very easy as the any online retail store would just has to upload a catalog with prices and specification, the negotiation part involves another complexity within the business to business setup and that is of integration. There needs to be integration between the seller and the buyer system for effective business-to-business e-commerce to take place. At times, the buying company could not integrate with the selling company and vice versa which makes the transaction difficult to handle. Channel integration was also a problem for the business to consumer e-commerce in the earlier phase of e-commerce development as a lot of stores declined to connect their Web companies through the internal back office systems. Many companies rejected in an effort to build up a distinct Web unit and articulated much about the efforts of those who approached them as cannibalization of present sites. However, as it proved it was much of a fear than the actual eating up and companies like the Gap without delay adjusted to the new system in order to let customers do online transactions and in case of any default return the products back to the physical retailer. This opportunity and ease pulled out many fears of the customers of an online shopping system and in turn increased online sales as there could be more effective follow-up system online and the order management would be handled more effectively. This not only gave confidence to the online shopper but also increased the value of th e products and services they purchased. There are various ethical and legal regulations to follow when these businesses are started. Like any other business, online organizations have a responsibility towards their clients and this includes

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Kepak case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kepak case study - Essay Example Therefore, Kepak, over the years, has taken certain strategic initiatives such as commencing business through Agra Trading, offering convenience foods along with building a snacking brand spread across European market horizon among others. These incisive strategies as well as the use of co-opetition strategy can be invaluable prospects for the company in the future. However, it has to guard against aspects such as overcapacity to mitigate losses and to avoid downfall in sales. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Kepak has been recognized to be a leading player in the Irish Beef Industry which has over the years tacked several difficult scenarios with its incisive strategic capabilities. The company initially started its operations as a retail business of butchers. However, it gained its major success through supply of its wholesale beef products in the varied market segments especially the UK market. It has been recognized that the beef or meat industry possesses certain significan t challenges for companies operating in the industry such as threat of new entrants, and high buyers’ bargaining power among others. ... nts 3 Introduction 4 Analysis of Kepak’s Business Environment 5 Kepak’s Current Strategy 8 Critical Appraisal of the Strategy 10 References 14 Introduction Kepak was established by Noel Keating, initially as a retail business of butchers during the mid-1960s. Subsequently, Noel Keating commenced the supply of wholesale beef to the food service sector as well as in large markets. The industry for beef in European Union and Ireland during 1970s and 1980s was considered as a commodity business. The process of selling beef under the intervention of Common Agricultural Policy of European Union (EU) was extensively utilised mainly in the regions of North Africa and Middle East. During this period, the strategy used by Kepak was to decrease the prices of products and increase the margin of sales for building Economies of scale and achieving greater monetary success. In that situation, Noel Keating was of the view that the intervention which was applied in the conduction of bus iness was not sustainable in the long run. This prompted him to formulate a strategy based on customer service and differentiation. It was during this period that Kepak started working with Coop Italia, the leading meat producer which was well known for rendering utmost quality based offerings. The company recruited a set of Irish farmers to enhance the quality of production along with maintaining the needs of the customers in the global market context. Kepak used to sell the beef products to Irish and EU retailers for their own profitability and enhancement of their product line. The company also looked for maintaining the quality of products and delivering it to the customers. It has been stated that about 25% of beef volume and quality standards are rigorously controlled by Kepak through the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Improving Health Care Facilities Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Improving Health Care Facilities - Term Paper Example In some cases, patients paid other people to queue on their behalf as they waited for their long-awaited turn to see a doctor. Later on when my turn came, I realized that the long queues were as a result of mismanagement and disorganization at the reception desk. The facility is still using manual filling and patient allocation system to the relevant doctors. This made the attendants at the reception look exhausted hence disinterested in what was happening. The communication channel in the facility can well be described as inefficient. The receptionist shouted the patient name when their turn came to be attended. Other than triggering noise making in the facility hallway, it caused confusion as everyone tried to enquire the owner of the name. In response to such situations, telecommunication application in this facility can best improve their services for instance, installation of microphone communicators. The communicator effectively ensures that the information passed by the reception attendant systematically flows to all hallways in the facility. Consequently, its application ensures organization at the reception since each individual hears their name from wherever they are without much struggle. In effort to reduce the queues, the health facility needs to appreciate the advancement of technology such as the use of computers. Other than reducing the workload at the reception, it organizes the facility’s data in such a manner that each patient’s data appears by the click of a button (Russell, 1927) . Moreover, most facilities now utilize the resources offered by the digital advancements hence offering better services to the respective clients (Julie, Miller & Horowitz, 2010). On the other hand, application of certain frameworks with the intent of improving the facility’s processes best achieves the improvement objective (Teicholz & Ikeda, 1995).  However, focusing on the management of the Information Technology department (IT), the frameworks call for critical assessment first. As a recommendation, the management can start with adoption of technological advancement to increase the efficiency of their department’s services.  

Saturday, September 21, 2019

My Summer Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Summer Vacation Essay The dream summer vacation of every person only comes once in a lifetime. In the summer of 2014 i had just completed my first year of college and my parents wanted to take me some where Ill always remember for my profound work. I had no clue of what their intentions were or what to even expect from them. My parents had invited just about all of our closes relatives and family friends to come along and celebrate the occasion with us. Majority of those that came brought gifts and money to encourage me to do well. Of course this made me the most thrilled person in the world, because I not only had family and friends over to celebrate but they also spent the night over for the trip my parents had put together to take us on. The following morning my Father woke everyone up at 2oclock in the morning to get situated and hit the road for the airport by 3oclock. How ironic they had everything planned out from the bathroom time to the seating in the vehicles. But yet each and every time I pampered the question in their heads as to where we were going they never answered me. Anxious to know I was, so i began thinking of all the possibilities of the places theyd consider going. I began to get drowsy from how early I woke up and all the curiosity running through my veins. After getting to the airport at 4oclock our flight finally left at 6:45am and we arrived at our destination into Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We collected our bags and was on our journey once again this time it had felt as if we had been driving forever. I had woken up to screams and shouting from almost everyone around me, yet I still had no clue as to what was going on. As my dad was trying to find a parking spot I started to look out the window in search of any clues that could help me figure out where exactly we were. Once we pasted the entrance my eyes blew up when I saw the words Carnival Cruise Lines. After seeing all the commercials with all the festivities that occur, all the famous people that appear in person, the amazing games and family activities, the theatre and food that was on board, this was indeed the place I would give the world to go to. When asked by my parents how I liked my gift, I became lost for words and could only smile for how happy and filed with joy I was.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Sterilization by Saturated Steam | Experiment

Sterilization by Saturated Steam | Experiment Introduction Many microorganisms are non-pathogenic and can live in harmony with humans as they do not cause disease. However pathogenic microorganisms can be deadly and therefore need to be eliminated from certain environments. These environments can be hospitals; individuals are already unwell and their immune systems are compromised making them susceptible to infection, water treatment, food and pharmaceutical production; supply available to communities making everyone susceptible, and laboratories; contamination of microorganisms can cause conflicting results. In order to eliminate microorganisms, sterilization of equipment, hospital supplies and production sites are necessary. Sterilization process may involve different methods using heat sterilization, radiation sterilization, filtration, and chemical sterilization. Radiation involves sterilising using gamma waves or ultraviolet light. Chemical sterilization involves using toxic chemicals such as ethylene oxide to sterilise equipment. Filtration sterilises by filtering out microorganism residues from gases and liquids that are sensitive to heat, making them unsuitable for heat sterilization (Goering et al., 2007). Heat sterilization is classified under dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using heat to sterilize by causing denaturation of proteins and oxidative stress onto the cell (Goering et al., 2007).. Moist heat involves using heat and liquid to destroy microorganisms. The most common sterilization method is the use of moist heat in steam sterilization. Steam is considered an easy and effective sterilant, as it is economical, fast working and is harmless to users. Steam is non toxic and economical as it is simply pressurised water in gas phase. Steam sterilization is a fast working process as steam production does not consume a lot of time and high pressure allows exposure to the entire compartment quickly. Steam sterilization is an effective process as it can destroy living microorganisms and at high temperatures it can prevent regermination by destroying endospores as well. Steam sterilization acts by denaturing proteins within cells thereby killing the microorganism. Water vapour releases large amount of heat during condensation, this heat allows penetration of endospores to occur thereby killing endospores. The steam steriliser works using gravity and is therefore often called a gravity sterilizer. The steam sterilizer can have steam be generated from external source or can be produced from a water reservoir internally. Initially the water from a water reservoir or steam from external source enter the steriliser and is heated using a heating element. The steam being produced rises to the top of the chamber leaving cooler air at the bottom. There are drains at the bottom of the autoclave so the cool air can exit the compartment. As the steam fills the steriliser the thermostatic steam trap located at the bottom of the compartment closes. This allows the pressure of the system to build up causing high pressured steam. The timer begins at this point measuring the time set for sterilisation. To maintain the temperature and pressure at set point the heating element turns on and off. After the set time has finished the steam can be removed either to the water reservoir to cool and allow water to condense and be collector before venting to the room, or can be vented straight into the room or a designated safe zone (Dondelinger, 2008). Problems may occur in steam sterilization where it may not work. This can be due to a variety of technical problems such as leaks in the steam line. To monitor the function of steam sterilisers a Sterikon ® plus Bioindicator vial is added to every batch. Sterikon ® plus Bioindicator is made of essential nutrients needed for bacterial growth including sugar, Bacillus stearothermophilus spores and a pH indicator. In a working steriliser these pores should be destroyed in steam at temperature of 121 °C and pressure of 1 bar (VWR, 2002). When all the pores have been killed the vial should stay a pink/red colour. However if the sterilization did not work, in the next 24 hours the B. stearothermophilus spores within the incubated vial will get the opportunity to regerminate. The growth of B. stearothermophilus is facilitated by sugar fermentation producing acid. This acid causes the pH indicator to change colour to yellow and due to the microbe growth the vial will become turbid. (VW R, 2002). This provides an understanding if the steam steriliser is working to safe conditions and helps keep everything sterile. Another method to monitor steam sterilization is the use of Thermalog strips. Thermalog strips are made of two different outer layers, one side is made of foil and the other made of paper, this paper side allows steam to enter. Within these outer layers there is a chemical enclosed with a paper indicator. This chemical liquefies when steam and heat reaches it allowing it to flow along the paper indicator. The length this chemical moves is dependent on the time of exposure to steam, the temperature of steam and the volume of steam (3M, 2010). On the paper side there are two boxes labelled unsafe and safe. If the steam sterilisation occurs properly the chemical will move into the safe window of the strip. However if it does not there must have not been enough steam produced, not high enough temperature or not enough time within steriliser. This experimental report addresses the necessities needed for complete steam sterilization and producing safe equipment. In order to understand the requirements needed for steam sterilization, the experiment is conducted using different methods and conditions for B. stearothermophilus spore strips. The experiment is important as steam sterilization has important applications in preventing spread of disease within the community by sterilising medical equipment and giving reliable results by sterilising laboratory equipment. Hypothesis: Moist heat may be more effective than dry heat in sterilization process as moist heat plays a substantial role in sterilising spores. Steam sterilization is the most used method of sterilization yet its affectivity may be dependent on specific operation conditions. Steam sterilization needs to be monitored as problems may arise with its function, determine these methods of monitoring steam sterilization process. Materials and Methods: Refer to: BMS2052 Microbes in Health and Diseases Practical Class Notes (2010), Department of Microbiology, Monash University. Pages 35 -37. Results: Results 1.1 Thermalog strips were placed in Schott bottles, one with water and loose cap and the other tightly capped with no water added. After 15 minute sterilization at 121 °C the Thermalog strips read either safe or unsafe in relation to microbial presence. Results 1.2 Two bioindicators, initially pink, were separated one underwent steam sterilization and the other had no sterilization. After incubation for 3 days at 56 °C the bioindicators colours were recorded. Results 1.3 All four screw-capped bottles had one strip of B. stearothermophilus spores inside. These four bottles underwent different conditions, e.g. underwent steam sterilization or had liquids added. All these bottles underwent incubation for 3 days at 56 °C. Discussion Steam sterilization experiment shows the affectivity of steam sterilization, the operation conditions and monitoring the process using Thermalog strips and Sterikon plus Bioindicator vials. In order to determine the requirements needed for steam sterilization Thermalog strips are used to measure affectivity of steam sterilization. In the experiment the Schott bottle with water that was loosely capped had a reading on Thermalog as safe. This is due to steam having direct contact to Thermalog strip as water inside the Schott bottle vaporises when inside steriliser and the loose cap on the bottle allows steam to enter during sterilization. However the other Schott bottle that has no water and is tightly capped has a reading on Thermalog strip as unsafe. The Thermalog strip remains in the unsafe window as it has not had enough contact with steam as the cap was tight thereby not allowing steam from the steriliser into the bottle and there was no water within the bottle so steam could not be produced within the bottle either. Thereby this shows for complete sterilization to occur there needs to be direct contact between equipment being sterilised and steam, a high enough temp erature and enough time in the steriliser, all these properties are monitored by Thermalog strips. Thermalog strips are affective at monitoring temperatures and time exposure to steam yet it does not prove that say heat resistance pores will be destroyed at the specific conditions. Therefore Thermalog strips should be used but in combination with other monitoring items. Steam sterilization monitoring can also be done with Sterikon ® plus Bioindicator vials. This experiment shows how the Bioindicator vials work and how effective they are at monitoring the process. Bioindicator vials have B. stearothermophilus spores in a nutrient broth with a pH indicator. Initially both these vials appear to be clear and pink in colour. The Bioindicator vial that is placed in the steriliser stays pink and clear whereas the vial that was not sterilised became cloudy and yellow. This means that the Bioindicator vial sterilised has no bacterial growth, as regermination has not occurred while the vial not steam sterilised did have regermination. Regermination of spores allows formation of bacteria. These bacteria facilitate their growth by fermenting sugar. This fermnattion process generally procuces acidic end products, family of Bacillus do mainly produce lactic acid as an end product. As these products are acidic the pH indicator will change colour in respose to th e formation of these products. The pH indicator changes colour from pink to yellow. The bacterial growth will also cause the vial to look cloudy due to turbidity within. The results showed the Bioindicator vials work consistent with what was expected showing that they are an asset in monitoring steam steriliser function as they show Monitoring the needs to facilitate complete steam sterilisation occurs in the third part of the experiment. Bottle 1 is used as the control showing that the B. stearothermophilus spores have the ability to regerminate from the initial spore strip. If bottle 1 had not shown microbe growth the results obtained would not prove steam sterilization has occurred as the spores may not have had the potential to regerminate at all. Bottle 2 shows that steam sterilization can occur when water is added to the bottle. As the heat within the steam steriliser increases the water within the bottle will vaporise forming steam. This steam will have direct contact with the spores allowing the spores to be completely eradicated. Bottle 3 was tightly capped and had no liquid added to it making it impossible for steam to have direct contact with the spore strip. As the spores were still alive during incubation the spores regerminated and formed bacterial growths within bottle 3, viewed as cloudy. Bottle 3 as it had no contact with steam had only dry heat sterilization working within which is not effective in killing of spores and thereby is less effective than steam sterilization method in bottle 2. Bottle 4/5 was tightly capped and had paraffin oil added to it. It would be expected that this bottle would have bacterial growth as there is no steam in direct contact with the spore strips. The oil could even act as a barrier for any steam, entering through the tight cap, to get in contact with the spores. However the results obtained in the experiment showed that there was no bacterial growth in bottle 4/5. This is most likely due to experimental errors where the spore strip was not completely submerged in paraffin oil and the cap of bottle 4/5 was not tight enough. This would allow steam to enter the bottle and have direct contact with the spore strip as the oil was not covering the whole strip. This experiment showed that for effective steam sterilisation to occur the equipment and instruments must have direct exposure to steam. Steam sterilization experiment has showed that for steam sterilization to occur direct contact with steam is needed; this can be from direct steam from steriliser or water within vaporising. Steam sterilization experiment could have included a few more alternative conditions such as a loosely capped bottle with no water and a loosely capped bottle with oil. This would have showed steam can enter a bottle and cause sterilization. Also a loosely capped bottle with oil would have been able to tell the effect of oil on direct steam sterilization. Steam sterilization is a more effective and time efficient process than dry heat sterilization techniques. Steam sterilization can manage to kill heat resistance bacterial spores whereas most dry heat sterilization cannot. There is a dry heat sterilization method that is effective in killing bacteria regerminating from spores called Tyndallization. Tyndallization involves heating equipment and instruments for a certain time ranging from a few minutes to an hour depending on temperature of heating for three to four days. Initially this will kill all existing bacteria and other microorganisms. On the second day the spores would have regerminated allowing the second row of bacteria to also be killed. The third day will allows time for the late germinating spores to regerminate and heating allows them to be killed (Aminot and Kerouel, 1997). This procedure despite its affectivity this procedure still takes several days to complete therefore steam sterilization is the better option. Sterilization is an important process in hospitals, water treatment facilities, food and pharmaceutical production and laboratories. In hospitals sterilization can prevent the spread of diseases caused by opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia (Goering et al., 2007). Steam sterilization is therefore an ideal form of sterilization in hospitals to prevent spread of disease with the aid of Bioindicator vials to monitor function in every batch and occasional use of Thermalog strips. Conclusion Steam sterilization can only occur if the equipment being sterilised has direct contact with steam from steam provided in steriliser or from heat causing water within to vaporise into steam. Without steam contact the equipment is having only sterilization by heat which is an ineffective sterilization method on spores. Oils, fats and other hydrophobic substances should cause barriers for steam penetration making sterilisation less likely. It is important to monitor steam sterilisers as many mechanical interruptions could prevent complete sterilisation. Sterikon plus Bioindicator vials are an effective way to monitor steam sterilisers as they produce consistent results showing whether sterilisation has occurred or not. Thermalog strips can also be used to monitor if steam sterilising machines are reaching conditions that allow safe sterilisation to occur, for example the right amount of steam, temperature and pressure.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Magical and Realist Elements of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esqui

Magical and Realist Elements of Like Water for Chocolate The novel Like Water for Chocolate, published in 1989, was written by Laura Esquivel who is of Spanish heritage. She lives in Mexico, and Like Water for Chocolate was her first novel. I feel that in the story Laura Esquivel gives a lot of magical elements as well as some realist elements in order to evoke emotions about love. While reading Like Water for Chocolate, I thought that how the girl named Tita was not allowed to marry the guy she loved and how she had to watch her sister marry him was interesting. However, I thought that the element was somewhat magical when she was making her sister Rosaura's wedding cake, and at the same time, she was thinking of Pedro whom she is in love with and he is now marrying her sister. As she was thinking of him, she began to cry. As she was crying, a tear drop went into the cake, and they were afraid that it messed up the meringue. I have not baked much, especially using meringue, but I felt that part was a little magical to me. On the other hand, I found the fact real that a person can be in love with somebody else while he or she is getting married. However, I am not sure if there are people out there who marry somebody just so they can be closer to their family member. The fact that her mom did not want Tita to get married was real because people can and do sometimes get upset when they do not want their child getting married. She showed a lot of emotions. Also, preparing for the wedding was a realist element. Many things appeared to be real. One does argue with family members, and daily events happened. Doing chores and cooking are obviously realist elements. However, many realist elements are brought up. Havi... ...on will see magical as well as realistic elements. If one is interested in Like Water for Chocolate, there are many websites he or she can go to. There is plenty of information on Like Water for Chocolate. Works Cited Chanady, Amaryll. "The Territorialization of the Imaginary in Latin America: Self-Affirmation and Resistance to Metropolitan Pilgrims." Magical Realism. Theory, History, Community. Ed Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durkham, N. C: Duke UP, 1995: 125-141 Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Love and Other Illegal Facts. Esquivel, Laura. October 1996. 19 Jan 2001. http://www.salon.com/oct96/interview961104.html Smith, Joan. Laura Esquivel on "Like Water for Chocolate," destiny and the thoughts of inanimate objects. The Interview Love and Other Illegal Acts. October 1996. 19 Jan 2001

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall and A Worn Path Essay -- Compare and

The short stories, â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† by Catherine Anne Porter and â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, have many similarities as well as differences. Both stories have a simple plot with a theme that is symbolic of their lives. These stories include great characterization, description of elements in the stories, and the point of view. Granny Weatherall is characterized as a very old lady who is extremely stubborn and bedridden. Granny Weatherall is a sickly old lady in denial. She believes that she is not sick although she is lying on her deathbed. Her life consisted of two men and her children with them. Granny Weatherall remembers her first love, John, leaving her at the altar. She later marries George who she has many children, one of which, passes away at a very young age...

The Cultural Politics of Pokemon Capitalism :: Entertainment Games Collectors Papers

The Cultural Politics of Pokemon Capitalism It is fall 1999 and a jet from Japan has just pulled up to its berth at LAX airport in Los Angeles. Immediately a crowd of kids excitedly gathers by the window to view what appears to be a huge flying Pikachu: the yellowy cute, electrically charged mouse-type pocket monster of what was then the biggest kid’s craze of the decade, Pokemon. Even parents recognize this iconic figure, familiar as they are with the basics of the phenomenon. Starting out as a gameboy game in Japan in 1996, it grew quickly to a multi-stranded empire: comic books, cartoon, movies, trading cards, toy figures, video games, tie-in merchandise. And, starting in 1997, Pokemon got exported, hitting the U.S. in August 1998. The principle of the game, duplicated in the plotline of the movies, cartoons, and comics, is to become a pokemon master by trying to capture all 151 monsters (expanded to 251 in recent editions) inhabiting the playscapes of Poke-world. In this world, any child can become a master lik e Satoshi (Ash in English) who, in the story versions, is the 11 year old protagonist traveling the world with his two buddies, Misty (an 11 year old girl) and Brock (a 15 year old teenage boy). All one needs to do is keep playing: maneuver one’s controls to move through this game space, discovering and catching (mainly by fighting) new monsters whom consequently become pocketed as one’s own. Hence, the name â€Å"pocket monster.† Pocketed monsters are trained to fight new monsters therefore becoming both the medium and end of this game. The logic here is acquisition; â€Å"gotta catch ‘em all† is the catchword of Pokemon. But entwined into this, as Benjamin noted about commodity fetishism at the dawn of modernity, is enchantment. The monsters to be gotten are not only things, possessions, and tools but also enchanting beings akin to spirits, pets, or friends. Pikachu iconizes this weave of relationality taken, I will argue, to the age of millennial postmodernity. With its electric powers, Pikachu is a tough, therefore prized, pokemon. But, with its smallish, yellow body, Pikachu is also cuddly and cute: features played up on screen whe re it becomes the best buddy pokemon of the lead character, Ash. This monster is at once property and pal, capital and companion: the key features in a form of intimate or cute

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Media Portrayals of Criminal Justice System

A limited number of people have interaction with or are having the real experience of what and how the criminal justice system works. This is because majority of our ideas are generally drawn from the various forms of mass media – news, television, movies, and print media. Generally, all media forms show a very positive representation of the attainment and honesty of the criminal justice system.   The media helps to mold the mental positions and impressions of the society. It also assists in shaping the public's perceptions regarding criminals, crime, and justice, as well as the people within the system. In fact, the media is a vital source of details and an effective tool of shaping one’s views on the criminal justice system.For the reasons that media builds a social reality, creates a public's plan of action, and designs the government's response toward crime and justice, suggest that there is a complicated interaction between media portrayals of crime itself and th e criminal justice system in general.Broadcast and Print News PortrayalsAn article by Shannon Petersen suggests that modern broadcast and print media portrayals of the criminal justice system unveil greatly about journalism. Petersen coined this as the yellow journalism due to the significantly and specifically shocking, challenging, and unreliable characteristics of the news it brings. This is also because the characteristics of yellow journalism were evident in news stories in broadcast media (television and radio) and in all the nation's major newspapers (Petersen, 1991).The article titled â€Å"Yellow Justice: Media Portrayal of Criminal Trials in the Progressive Era† also states that newspaper, television, and radio companies were motivated more by the financial gain instead of its justice awareness. This oftentimes led to misleading and inaccurate news reports (Petersen, 1991). Petersen (1991) also noted that yellow journalism was very apparent during industrialization boom of newspapers and broadcasting companies.The lack of internal restriction regarding the manner and topic to report also contributed to the wide practice of yellow journalism. In fact, Petersen (1991) reported that during the early part of the twentieth century, courts had not yet adopted judicial practices like jury segregation to avoid the presence and eventually limit the influence of media practitioners in the courtroom.Lastly, Petersen (1991) stated that media portrayals of the judicial trials in the early twentieth century promote more about an advance era of the society. For instance, even a credible newspaper such as the New York Times was tainted when it published a report which showed racism and sexism (Petersen, 1991). This is because the report strengthened tendencies in the society and the criminal justice system.Newspaper and broadcast reports which sensationalized the criminal justice system are stories which deal with racial and gender stereotypes, bigamy, divorc e and traffic violations (Petersen, 1991). According to Pterson (1991), these articles display a knowledgeable skepticism of the ability of the society to refuse the power of the media. Surprisingly, they even show the public's willingness to sacrifice the freedom of the press in the name of justice (Petersen, 1991).Television PortrayalsAltheide (1985), Gerbner and Gross (1976), and Gerbner (1993) presented a great relation between heavy television screening and the socialization of television-prejudiced ideas of reality (cited in McNeely, 1995). According to McNeely (1995), there is a significant involvement and study addressing the concern on violence on television and its influences on the viewers. A large number of works focuses on the issue of whether or not television portrayals of crime and violence have an effect to the viewing population on the aspect of engendering, rather than simply attesting similar mental positions and human conducts.McNeely (1995) suggested that telev ision programs should be utilized to ascertain public images of the criminal justice system itself and how those images might or might not change the knowledge, perspective, and basic understanding of the judicial system and its operation. He added that those said images and impressions can be compared with â€Å"reality† in order to add to one's understanding of the criminal law and social interaction (cited in McNeely, 1995).McNeely (1995), however, clarified that with television portrayals, people might expect to find a comparative match and an increasing level of influence on public notion of the criminal justice system. A growing level of television viewed by the â€Å"postmodern† individual may result in more television-defined public perspectives of criminal justice and law enforcement. McNeely (1995) added that the suggested research, aside from being distinctly absorbing and suggestive, can lead to a somewhat different and persuasive examination of the interac tion between the public and judicial system especially in terms of their interactive investigation. This is because of their significant abstract and experimental implications for related studies of the tradition, government, and the criminal justice studies in general (cited in McNeely, 1995).Movie PortrayalsIn his presentation of the movie portrayals of the criminal justice system, Myers (2006) said that movies reflect some realities about the judicial system regardless of the agreement of their screenplays to Hollywood's commercial mood. The movies shine an unflattering light on the justice system and which gives encouragement to its viewers. The movies tend to illustrate that the justice system is not essentially interested in finding the truth, despite the fact that seeking the truth is a necessary aspect of the crime victims' sense of justice (Myers, 2006).A lot of movie portrayals are critiques of the criminal justice system. Most of them show how the current system lacks in providing true justice to crime victims. This is because in movies, many crime victims and proponents of the legal system participants must resort to their personal and more risky manners of seeking justice for the crimes committed against them or their love ones. This is where the judicial practice fails which the movies apparently portray.First, it does not provide enough resources or counseling to victims that have suffered from the crime. Second, the criminal justice system legal system does not adapt the appropriate punishment for crime suspects. While the court is still wondering whether law is a reflection of the public or simply impacts the perspective of the people, there is no doubt that the justice system, with all its strengths and weaknesses, is portrayed most dramatically and largely on the silver screen.The various media portrayals of the criminal justice system as presented in this paper have true and important impacts on the behavior of the public and the society. B y knowing and understanding the ineffectiveness of the justice system as portrayed by the media, people can become more decisive consumers of media images.The various media forms are in the business of affecting how and what people think of the criminal justice system. Nowadays, it is quite hard to believe that people can just ignore everything they perceive in the media because the portrayals presented are not literally correct or because they are loosely staged models of reality.Although most people understand that what they are seeing in media is not a depiction of â€Å"real events,† the persuasive and powerful presentations of media have somehow affected how the human mind works. In order for a portrayal to be efficient, the audience must, in some way, identify with the characters and what they are doing, even if some aspects of the situation are â€Å"unrealistic.† This is where the media proves to be effective in presenting the true facet of the criminal justice system.ReferencesMcNeely, C. (1995). Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System: Television Imagery and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Public Knowledge in the United States. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Culture, 3(1), 1-20.Myers, R. (2006). Movies About the Legal System and the Portrayal of Crime Victims. Fordham Law Forum on Law, Culture & Society. Retrieved February 5, 2008 from    Fordham Law and Culture Database.Petersen, S. (1999). Yellow Justice: Media Portrayal of Criminal Trials in the ProgressiveEra. Stanford Journal of Legal Studies, 1, 72.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Isabel Calway Great Expectations Coursework Essay

In this essay I am going to write about how Dickens presents Estella and Magwitch, two key characters in the story, and the purpose of them.  Pip firsts meets Magwitch in a graveyard on Christmas Eve. He has a leg iron, this shows that the story was written when leg irons were still used, in the Victorian times.  Pip firsts meets Magwitch in a graveyard on a cold Christmas Eve. Pip finds him threatening and is scared by him we know this because pip tells us that he was ‘a fearful man all in coarse grey’ and when they first meet, Magwitch says ‘keep still you little boy or I’ll cut your throat’. He asks him to bring him some food and drink and a file He does exactly what Magwitch asked him to do, and brings him all the things he needed. Even through pip is threatened by him he is still intrigued and asks Mrs. Joe and Joe about the ‘hulk’ where Magwitch said his was from, even Though every times he asks he gets told off he continues to ask and finds out it is a prison ship and that Magwitch must be a convict. When the police arrive at pips door on Christmas Day pip is scared it is about stealing the pork pie for the convict, but they are just there to get some handcuffs fixed by his brother-in-law Joe Gargery.  Pip makes sure that Magwitch knows it wasn’t him to told the police about his presence on the marshes, and Magwitch sticks up for pip by saying ‘I took some wittles, up at the village over yonder-where the church stands a’ most out on the marshes’ this shows the reader that Magwitch does have a heart and wants to make sure Pip doesn’t want to get him into trouble and actually has the time to say it, when he didn’t have to and it was inconvenience for him. Magwitch is not very well spoken and has an accent, Magwitch say ‘wittles’ meaning food shows he isn’t an gentleman and hasn’t been taught to speak properly he also says ‘lookee here’ and ‘dyee’. He pronounces his ‘v’ as ‘w’. Magwitch comes across as a threatening, strong and violent character but later in the story you find out that he is quite emotional and caring. He benefactors his life saving which he must have worked hard for, he gives them to pip because he lost his daughter.  aPip often refers to Magwitch as ‘my friend’ or ‘my convict’ this shows there is a real connection, most young child when threatened like Pip was would run away, but pip lingers and tries to engage Magwitch. Magwitch does affect pip he is younger life but only a bit, Pip forgets him when he is growing up, but when he finds out that he is his benefactor all of his memories come flooding back. When Pip is becoming a gentleman thanks to Magwitch he is told Magwitch would be taken to prison and maybe killed, Pip feels that it is his duty to help him and act like a son to him, as it, in a way is how Magwitch treated pip. Pip first meets Estella when he is asked to go and play at Miss Havishams home; from the moment he saw her he thought that she was beautiful when she takes him to see Miss Havisham he say that ‘she shines along the dark passage like a star’, and when he is asked by Miss Havisham what he thinks and feels about Estella the first thing he says without hesitation is ‘I think she is very pretty’.  Estella follows Miss Havisham’s every demand. Estella is repeatedly told to break pip heart by Miss Havisham and of course Estella does.  She is vulnerable towards Miss Havisham, and Pip is to her, he falls in love with her very easily even though Estella is very honest towards him by telling him not to and that she has no heart, she does allow him to kiss her on the cheek a few times, this keeps Pips love for her alive and it seems she is always present to Pip even absent. It is because of Estella Pip aspires to be a gentleman in his visits to Miss Havisham Estella frequently says things such as ‘with this boy?!, why he is a common labouring boy!’ and ‘..And what coarse hands he has! And what thick boots’ this made Pip feels negative and embarrassed about himself when before he felt positive and comfortable.  Estella plays a big role in Pips childhood she was his first love and only love, Everything he does has a connection to her, he either does it to impress her or to get closer to her and many other things, if Pip had never of met Estella he would not be so determined to do the things he did, this is a good thing because Pip turned out to have a better life then he would of with Joe, but at the same time is heart is broken, which is not positive.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education Essay

Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live. If one was to compare such fields as medicine, tourism, travel, business, law, banking, engineering and architecture, the impact of ICT across the past two or three decades has been enormous. The way these fields operate today is vastly different from the ways they operated in the past. But when one looks at education, there seems to have been an uncanny lack of influence and far less change than other fields have experienced. A number of people have attempted to explore this lack of activity and influence (e.g. Collis, 2002). There have been a number of factors impeding the wholesale uptake of ICT in education across all sectors. These have included such factors as a lack of funding to support the purchase of the technology, a lack of training among established teaching practitioners, a lack of motivation and need among teachers to adopt ICT as teaching tools (Starr, 2001). But in recent times, factors have emerged which have strengthened and encouraged moves to adopt ICTs into classrooms and learning settings. As we move into the 21st century, these factors and many others are bringing strong forces to bear on the adoption of ICTs in education and contemporary trends suggest we will soon see large scale changes in the way education is planned and delivered as a consequence of the opportunities and affordances of ICT. This paper seeks to explore the likely changes we will see in education as ICT acts as a powerful agent to change many of the educational practices to which we have become accustomed. In particular, the paper will explore the impact both current and emerging information and communication technologies will be likely to have in coming years on what is learned, when and where learning will take place and how the learning will occur. The impact of ICT on what is learned: Conventional teaching has emphasized content. For many years course have been written around textbooks. Teachers have taught through lectures and presentations interspersed with tutorials and learning activities designed to consolidate and rehearse the content. Contemporary settings are now favoring curricula that promote competency and performance. Curricula are starting to Emphasize capabilities and to be concerned more with how the information will be used than with what the information is. A. competency and performance-based curricula: The moves to competency and performance-based curricula are well supported and encouraged by emerging instructional technologies (e.g. Stephenson, 2001). Such curricula tend to require: access to a variety of information sources; access to a variety of information forms and types; student-centered learning settings based on information access and inquiry; learning environments centered on problem-centered and inquiry-based activities; authentic settings and examples; and teachers as coaches and mentors rather than content experts. Contemporary ICTs are able to provide strong support for all these requirements and there are now many outstanding examples of world class settings for competency and performance-based curricula that make sound use of the affordances of these technologies (e.g. Oliver, 2000). For many years, teachers wishing to adopt such curricula have been limited by their resources and tools but with the proliferation and widespread availability of contemporary ICTs, many Restrictions and impediments of the past have been removed. And new technologies will continue to drive these forms of learning further. As students and teachers gain access to higher Bandwidths, more direct forms of communication and access to sharable resources, the capability To support these quality learning settings will continue to grow. B. information literacy Another way in which emerging ICTs are impacting on the content of education curricula stems from the ways in which ICTs are dominating so much of contemporary life and work. Already There has emerged a need for educational institutions to ensure that graduates are able to display Appropriate levels of information literacy, â€Å"the capacity to identify and issue and then to identify, Locate and evaluate relevant information in order to engage with it or to solve a problem arising from it† (McCausland, Wache & Berk, 1999, p.2). The drive to promote such developments Stems from general moves among institutions to ensure their graduates demonstrate not only skills and knowledge in their subject domains but also general attributes and generic skills. Traditionally generic skills have involved such capabilities as an ability to reason formally, to Solve problems, to communicate effectively, to be able to negotiate outcomes, to manage time, Project management, and collaboration and teamwork skills. The growing use of ICTs as tools of Every day life have seen the pool of generic skills expanded in recent years to include information Literacy and it is highly probable that future developments and technology applications will see This set of skills growing even more. The impact of ICT on how students learn Just as technology is influencing and supporting what is being learned in schools and universities, So too is it supporting changes to the way students are learning. Moves from content-centered Curricula to competency-based curricula are associated with moves away from teacher-centered Forms of delivery to student-centered forms. Through technology-facilitated approaches, Contemporary learning settings now encourage students to take responsibility for their own Learning .In the past students have become very comfortable to learning through transmissive Modes. Students have been trained to let others present to them the information that forms the Curriculum. The growing use of ICT as an instructional medium is changing and will likely Continue to change many of the strategies employed by both teachers and students in the learning Process. The following sections describe particular forms of learning that are gaining prominence in universities and schools worldwide. A. Student-centered learning Technology has the capacity to promote and encourage the transformation of education from a Very teacher directed enterprise to one which supports more student-centered models. Evidence of This today is manifested in: The proliferation of capability, competency and outcomes focused curricula Moves towards problem-based learning Increased use of the Web as an information source, Internet users are able to choose the Experts from whom they will learn The use of ICT in educational settings, by itself acts as a catalyst for change in this domain. ICTs By their very nature are tools that encourage and support independent learning. Students using ICTs for learning purposes become immersed in the process of learning and as more and more Students use computers as information sources and cognitive tools (e.g. Reeves & Jonassen, 1996), the influence of the technology on supporting how students learn will continue to increase. B. Supporting knowledge construction The emergence of ICTs as learning technologies has coincided with a growing awareness and recognition of alternative theories for learning. The theories of learning that hold the greatest Sway today is those based on constructivist principles (e.g. Duffy & Cunningham, 1996). These Principles posit that learning is achieved by the active construction of knowledge supported by various perspectives within meaningful contexts. The strengths of constructivism lie in its emphasis on learning as a process of personal understanding and the development of meaning in ways which are active and interpretative. In This domain learning is viewed as the construction of meaning rather than as the memorization of facts (e.g. Lebow, 1993; Jonassen & Reeves, 1996). Learning approaches using contemporary ICTs provide many opportunities for constructivist learning through their provision and support for resource-based, student centered settings and by enabling learning to be related to context and to pra ctice (e.g. Berge, 1998; Barron, 1998). As mentioned previously, any use of ICT in learning Settings can act to support various aspects of knowledge construction and as more and more Students employ ICTs in their learning processes, the more pronounced the impact of this will Become. The impact of ICT on when and where students learn In the past educational institutions have provided little choice for students in terms of the method And manner in which programs have been delivered. Students have typically been forced to Accept what has been delivered and institutions have tended to be quite staid and traditional in terms of the delivery of their programs. ICT applications provide many options and choices and Many institutions are now creating competitive edges for themselves through the choices they are offering students. A. Any place learning The concept of flexibility in the delivery place of educational programs is not new (e.g. Moore & Kersey, 1996). Educational institutions have been offering programs at a distance for many Years and there has been a vast amount of research and development associated with establishing Effective practices and procedures in off-campus teaching and learning. Use of the technology, However, has extended the scope of this activity and whereas previously off-campus delivery was An option for students who were unable to attend campuses, today, many more students are able to make this choice through technology-facilitated learning settings. The scope and extent of this Activity is demonstrated in some of the examples below. The communications capabilities of modern technologies provide opportunities for many Learners to enroll in courses offered by external institutions rather than those situated locally. These opportunities provide such advantages as extended course offerings and eclectic class Cohorts comprised of students of differing backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The freedoms of choice provided by programs that can be accessed at any place are also Supporting the delivery of programs with units and courses from a variety of institutions, There are now countless ways for students completing undergraduate degrees for example, to Study units for a single degree, through a number of different institutions, an activity that Provides considerable diversity and choice for students in the programs they complete. B. Any time learning In concert with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitated educational programs also remove Many of the temporal constraints that face learners with special needs (e.g. Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Students are starting to appreciate the capability to undertake education anywhere, Anytime and any place. This flexibility has heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other commitments (e.g. Young, 2002). Through online technologies learning has become an activity that is no longer set within Programmed schedules and slots. Learners are free to participate in learning activities when time permits and these freedoms have greatly increased the opportunities for many students to Participate in formal programs. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The wide varieties of technologies that support learning are able to provide asynchronous Supports for learning so that the need for real-time participation can be avoided while the Advantages of communication and collaboration with other learners are retained. Emerging Issues A number of other issues have emerged from the uptake of technology whose impacts have yet to Be fully explored. These include changes to the makeup of the teacher pool, changes to the Profile of who are the learners in our courses and paramount in all of this, changes in the costing And economics of course delivery. A. expanding the pool of teachers In the past, the role of teacher in an educational institution was a role given to only highly qualified people. With technology-facilitated learning, there are now opportunities to extend the Teaching pool beyond this specialist set to include many more people. The changing role of the Teacher has seen increased opportunities for others to participate in the process including Workplace trainers, mentors, specialists from the workplace and others. Through the affordances And capabilities of technology, today we have a much expanded pool of teachers with varying Roles able to provide support for learners in a variety of flexible settings. This trend seems set to Continue and to grow with new ICT developments and applications. And within this changed pool of teachers will come changed responsibilities and skill sets for future teaching involving high levels of ICT and the need for more facilitative than didactic teaching roles. B. expanding the pool of students In the past, education has been a privilege and an opportunity that often was unavailable to many students whose situation did not fit the mainstream. Through the flexibilities provided by technology, many students who previously were unable to participate in educational activities are now finding opportunities to do so. The pool of students is changing and will continue to change as more and more people who have a need for education and training are able to take advantage of the increased opportunities. Interesting opportunities are now being observed among, for example, school students studying university courses to overcome limitations in their school programs and workers undertaking courses from their desktops. C. The cost of education Traditional thinking has always been that technology-facilitated learning would provide economies and efficiencies that would see significant reductions in the costs associated with the delivery of educational programs. The costs would come from the ability to create courses with fixed establishment costs, for example technology-based courses, and for which there would be savings in delivery through large scale uptake. We have already seen a number of virtual universities built around technology delivery alone. The reality is that few institutions have been able to realize these aims for economy. There appear to have been many underestimated costs in such areas as course development and course delivery. The costs associated with the development of high quality technology-facilitated learning materials are quite high. It has found to be more than a matter of repackaging existing materials and large scale reengineering has been found to be necessary with large scale costs. Likewise costs associated with delivery have not been found to diminish as expected. The main reason for this has been the need to maintain a relatively stable student to staff ratio and the expectation of students that they will have access to teachers in their courses and programs. Compared to traditional forms of off-campus learning, technology-facilitated learning has proven to be quite expensive in all areas of consideration, infrastructure, course development and course delivery. We may have to brace ourselves for the advantages and affordances which will improve the quality of education in the near future to also increase components of the cost. Efforts of Indian government in this aspect Realizing the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the Ministry of Human Resource Development as per the Mission Document, ICT is the tool in education available to enhance the current enrolment rate in Higher Education, at present 15 percent to 30 percent by the end of the 11th Plan period. The Ministry also launched a web portal named â€Å"SAKSHAT† a ‘One Stop Education Portal’. The high quality e-content once developed will be uploaded on SAKSHAT in all disciplines and subjects. Several projects are in the completion stage and are expected to change the way teaching and learning is done in India. The Mission has two major components viz., (a) content generation and (b) connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It seeks to bR&Dge the digital divide, i.e., the gap in the skills to use computing devices for the purpose of teaching and learning among urban and rural teachers/learners in Higher Education domain and empower those, who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. It plans to focus on appropriate pedagogy for e-learning, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual laboratories, on-line testing and certification, on-line availability of teachers to guide and mentor learners, utilization of available Education Satellite (EduSAT) and Direct to Home (DTH) platforms, training and empowerment of teachers to effectively use the new method of teaching learning etc. On the one hand, the Mission would create high quality e-content for the target groups and on the other, it would simultaneously seek to extend computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18000 colleges in the country including each of the departments of nearly 400 universities/deemed universities and institutions of national importance. The peer group assisted content development would utilize the Wikipedia type of collaborative platform under the supervision of a content advisory committee responsible for vetting the content. Interactivity and problem solving approach would be addressed through â€Å"Talk to a Teacher† segment. It is an opportunity as well as a challenge for the bright faculty members of our Universities and Institutions of Excellence to invest their intellectual capital for the knowledge empowerment of all the learners of our Country. We need to synergize our individual efforts in this direction. Summary and Conclusions This paper has sought to explore the role of ICT in education as we progress into the 21st century. In particular the paper has argued that ICTs have impacted on educational practice in education to date in quite small ways but that the impact will grow considerably in years to come and that ICT will become a strong agent for change among many educational practices. Extrapolating current activities and practices, the continued use and development of ICTs within education will have a strong impact on: What is learned; How it is learned; When and where learning takes place; Who is learning and who is teaching. To ensure that the opportunities and advantages are realized, it will be important as it is in every other walk of life to ensure that the educational research and development dollar is sustained so that education at large can learn from within and that experiences and activities in different institutions and sectors can inform and guide others without the continual need for re-invention of the wheel. Once again ICTs serve to provide the means for much of this activity to realize the potential it holds. References Collis, B. (2002). Information technologies for education and training. In Adelsberger, H., Collis, B, & Pawlowski, J. (Eds.) Handbook on Technologies for Information and Training. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Duffy, T., & Cunningham, D. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and delivery of instruction, Handbook of research for educational telecommunications and technology (pp. 170-198). New York: MacMillan. Oliver, R. (2000). Creating Meaningful Contexts for Learning in Web-based Settings. Proceedings of Open Learning 2000. (pp 53-62). Brisbane: Learning Network, Queensland. Oliver, R. & Towers, S. (2000). Benchmarking ICT literacy in tertiary learning settings. In R. Sims, M. O’Reilly & S. Sawkins (Eds). Learning to choose: Choosing to learn. Proceedings of the 17th Annual ASCILITE Conference (pp 381-390). Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press. Soloway, E. & Pryor, A. (1996). The next generation in human-computer interaction. Communications of the ACM, 39(4), 16-18. Starr, L. (2001). Available at http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech075.shtml [Accessed July 2002]. Stephenson, J., Ed. (2001). Learner-managed learning- an emerging pedagogy for online learning. Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies. London, Kogan Page. Young, J. (2002). The 24-hour professor. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(38), 31-33.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Culture Shock Essay

Having been raised in a traditional Mexican family, I thought that growing up I had a good understanding about the Mexican culture and families. However, I was seriously mistaken upon returning to Mexico for a family vacation. I was expecting to go across the border and experience things similar to what we have in the States, but that was not the case. The experience is completely different and charmingly appealing. The infrastructure is nothing compered to what we have here, the family values are very different and how people would spend their time. When I first arrived in Mexico I was shocked at their way of living. Just seeing the buildings that they call home was enough. The roads were just as bad. Seeing these things for the first time was a he eye opener. The houses were practically falling apart. As we were driving through the town to get to my aunts house, I was thinking to myself â€Å"So this what my parents called home.† And at that moment I started to feel more thankful for everything I had back home. In Mexico I also realized that the value family over individualism. For example, after being at my aunt’s house for a while I asked my cousin if she ever planned to get married (that’s me knowing that she is already 32 years old). She replied to me â€Å"No I don’t, because then that would mean that I would have to move out with my husband and leave my parents.† I was completely shocked by this because I never thought of my parents in that way. In Mexico they find it shameful to put elderly people in nursing homes. This made me think â€Å"Would I be a horrible person if I dare to think of putting and older family member I a nursing home?† When I was in Mexico I was so surprised that I would have this part of a  culture shock. People in Mexico do almost the exact same thing that we do here for fun (depending on their money situations). They go to the movies, and parties and they go to the mall that they have there. Everyone in this world goes through culture shock at one point in his or her life. And it usually is with another culture completely different than theirs. Mine just happened to be the same as my culture. After experiencing this culture shock I felt like I wasn’t really connected to my roots and that I felt more â€Å"Americanized†. Just because I look ‘Mexican’ and speak Spanish and eat Mexican foods doesn’t make me like the people who live in Mexico. Seeing their infrastructure and the way they value family and how they spend their free time made the realize that its good to be different, because that way you can enlighten all kinds of people with your personal experiences.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Personal leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal leadership - Essay Example One of the most notable things about this individual was how they learned to lead. While a handful of managers at the restaurant had experience in hospitality management from formal training, this particular manager had learned his management skills from on the job work. In these regards, his skill-set stood out slightly from managers that had the formal background and in some instances one could detect a slight sense of superiority from those that had actually gone through formal schooling. Instead, this manager had begun his career as a host in one of the less populated restaurants, and later moved to serving. As he succeeded at these positions upper level management soon offered him a managerial position at that particular restaurant; after succeeding at this restaurant he transferred to the larger restaurant, where I came into contact with him. Consider this brief background account, it’s clear that the individual developed their leadership and managerial skills from in-ho use interactions and personal life experience rather than formal training. In examining his leadership skills this was evident as there seemed to be a greater level of understanding, efficiency, and empathy with the employees and business practices than the managers that predominantly had formal training. In terms of defining leadership there are a number of issues that must be considered in relation to this individual’s philosophy. While some my disregard the insight that can be gleamed from the perspective of a restaurant manager, this paper argues that in actuality this perspective is highly relevant to nearly all forms of business as it consists of a combination of a variety of class understandings. For instance, the restaurant provides a solid combination of lower, middle, and upper class patrons that must be considered and negotiated with; there is also a highly diverse workforce, with different ages and nationalities that must be managed. In these respects the position demands a highly malleable individual. In terms of this man’s leadership philosophy it was clear that he adopted a policy of mutual respect for employees. He treated all individuals equitably and had a general understanding demeanor. If there were any specific leadership philosophies embodied in his approach I believe they would generally be linked to this element as a base factor. Extending beyond the equitable treatment of employees and customers there were a number of elements within his treatment of employees that were highly notable. In terms of new employees he was understanding and open, allowing them to develop in a constructive and not overly critical way. In terms of experienced employees his approach was one wherein rather than having to demand respect through professional rank, he gained respect by being a reliable and efficient employee. In very few instances was there employee disrespect, as the general consensus in regards to his leadership approach was positi ve. In achieving this level of respect it was clear that it was accomplished through his daily actions. For example, he always showed up for work on time and was highly efficient in terms of restaurant tasks. One such skill was his ability to route food orders to the specific waiters and ensure the food arrived at the table in a timely way. Another skill was being able to speak with all customers on a level that made them feel comfortable with his

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Framework for the Development of Transboundary Offshore Oil and Gas Essay

Framework for the Development of Transboundary Offshore Oil and Gas Resources in Neighbouring States - Essay Example The paper tells that discoveries of deposits of gas and oil that exist on the boundary between two sovereign states present a complex challenge that must be approached with caution. Both sides have different interests and consequently decisions must be made that resolve conflicts and balance the competing interests of the different parties. Transboundary deposits of gas and oil do not conform to the standard laws in relation to political boundaries or property lines. This is because the resource can be exploited from one side of the boundary without the line needing to be crossed. There are several international conventions and guidelines that focus on how to resolve such disputes, however, not all countries have ratified to these, and they have little to no legal power. One important aspect of the development of offshore oil and gas resources is the economic perspective. These resources represent significant means for economic development for the countries in which they are present. However, this is not the only consideration. Other relevant factors are the social, political and environmental factors . These differ between states and two states attempting to reach an agreement over a transboundary resource may differ in how their priorities which may affect the types of technology they are prepared to use or the processes that they want to be involved in. The ideal situation for a transboundary deposit is for the states whose boundary the deposit is on to work collectively. However, the situation becomes more complex as each of the states have different laws, principals and procedures by which they work with the various parts of the oil and gas cycle, such as the discovery of the deposit, exploitation, transportation and eventual decommissioning5. This report aims to examine the current framework for how transboundary offshore oil and gas resources are managed, what the benefits and limitations are, and what appears likely for the future. Legislation Legislati on concerning transboundary offshore resources is not simple, as there is no international legal system that has the authority to create legislation that is legally binding. International law arises from international custom, conventions and general law that is recognized by civilised nations6. However, some countries do not recognise all international law. One important aspect of any state is territory and boundaries. Usually, the states boundaries are well mapped and represent a specific point, which marks the difference between one state and another. Within its boundaries, a state has sovereignty and has the power to exploit any and all natural resources that are present. Oceanic boundaries are more complex. Prior to the 1940s, territorial see was viewed as three miles from the coast of the state and this was not accepted in all cases. In 1945, President Truman declared that the natural resources under the high seas that neighboured the United States were part of its territory an d thus under its control. He did however state that if the continental shelf extended to another state, then ‘equitable principles’ would be used to determine who had the right to the resources7. The 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf defined the continental shelf as being the deep-sea areas that were next to the coast of a territory but were not part of the territorial sea. The coastal state has the right to exploration of the continental shelf and exploitation of any natural resources that are present. In the case of a shelf that is next to two or more costal states, the Convention states that the boundary should be decided by agreement, and if none is made, then the boundary will be the median line between the territories. An important piece of legislation concerning the rights of states and the sea in general is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)8. This article is a comprehensive document with 320 articles, involved more than

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Supply Chain Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supply Chain Management - Research Paper Example In this regard, this involves the processes of demand management and production management. Based on the foregoing, this expose elucidates on the link between both demand management and product planning with logistics planning. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"The increasing complexity of product offerings and marketing tactics in conjunction with shorter product life cycles requires increased accuracy, flexibility, and consistency in determining inventory requirements† (p. 134). In effect, a firm should seek to ensure that their management of the supply chain was accurate, consistent, and allowed flexibility along the supply chain. This effectively inks demand management and logistics management since â€Å"demand management systems seek to provide such capabilities† in two different ways (Bowersox, Closs, & Cooper, 200_, p. 134). First, Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Demand management develops the forecast that drives anticipatory supp ly chain processes† (p. 134). In effect, a firm will determine the amount of goods to produce and its requirements in terms of stock based on a firm’s projections. Secondly, Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Demand management process focuses on creating forecast consistency across multiple products and warehouse facilities† (p. 135). ... m should balance between the capability of its resources, including human resources, and the manufacturing stock while identifying the optimum point, which is the ideal point of production. In order to achieve the optimum point of production and supply goods to customers, firms must practice effective approaches to production planning. Consequently, the need to forecast and identify the optimum point in production links product management to logistics planning. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) support this argument and noted, â€Å"Production planning uses the statement of requirements obtained from demand management in conjunction with manufacturing resources and constraints to develop a workable manufacturing plan† (p. 135). In this case, a firm forecasts using this statement to identify the items required and the time when required by consumers, which enables the firm to manage its resources effectively to produce the desired goods. One of the elements in logistics planni ng involves a firm’s responsiveness to their customer’s needs. In this case, a firm should always make a product available to their customers when required. In effect, a firm’s production planning should be effective to ensure that its products were always available to their customers. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Production planning identifies the items that should be produced in anticipation of the need to remain within production constraints and yet minimize inventor† (p. 135). For this reason, production planning plays an integral role in logistics planning. In conclusion, effective logistics planning should involve accuracy and consistency in the forecasting of the required products by consumers, which is demand planning. In addition, demand planning will enable a firm

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Product Life Cycle of BMW Brands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Product Life Cycle of BMW Brands - Essay Example In this case, new features that would characterize the development of existing products would be introduced in between the stages that would keep on revitalizing the product. As explained in detail below, this strategy is highly recommended as it has a lot of benefits and advantages over other competitors. models over time such that the whole model range is not changed but only changing another model range. Basically, it strives to keep its products in the introduction and growth stages by introducing new models in each of its product lines as well as continually improving its existing products. This strategy is advantageous in that the organization is able to realize its profits every time as a business would be growing every time by way of introducing a range of other models. It can be noted that the product lifecycle shown of other automobile manufactures contrasts drastically with that of BMW. These manufacturers would introduce a model then leave it unchanged over a long period of time until the sales begin to show a decline after reaching the maturity stage which is the peak occasion of sales of a product it can reach before they begin to decline. The product life cycles of other manufactures differ from BMW in that there are mainly characterized by four stages which are introduction, growth, maturity and decline. Indeed, BMW’s product lifecycle is constantly growing by virtue of introducing new models in its product lines. However, the main similarity between these product life cycles is that both of them have a similar introduction and growth stages. The introductory phases are concerned with brand establishment with the main aim of encouraging the use of the product by emphasizing its unique attributes. Both stages show an upward trend in sales of their products. Basically, a marketing strategy is defined as the means by which marketing objectives will be achieved. It encompasses the instruments used in marketing which involve planning, organizing, leading and controlling. The most important part of the marketing strategy is the implementation part. Â  

Monday, September 9, 2019

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Ethics - Essay Example Severance packages or early retirement options as a method of reducing payroll costs can have severe consequences on the organization, especially in terms of motivation to work to business expectations. Even though the package was tempting to the exiting employee and they decided to take it, there are members of the organization who have worked with these exiting colleagues each and every workday. Socialization is bound to be impacted, in relation to the employees’ sense of belonging in the organization, creating difficulty in adjustment for the remaining workers. The HR manager is often the person who develops and offers these early retirement plans, under pressure at the highest levels, and they must also balance their regular job role as the employee champion responsible for issues of motivation and performance. Sudden drops in employee volume, due to the need to cut payroll costs, can over-burden the workers with consolidated jobs roles and create rifts where positive soci alization used to exist. â€Å"Layoffs can send shock waves through a local economy when a company that downsizes is large and when several firms choose to downsize at the same time, in the same region† (Piturro, 1999, p.39). These shock waves can be measured by the higher levels of unemployment in the local area, along with less-quality consumer lifestyles caused by income reductions, as well as loss of commerce at multiple levels, consumer and business-to-business. Early retirement packages are attempts at avoiding situations where local economies suffer, where employees are given incentives to take the option (as far as satisfying their emotional needs), and to improve the company’s bottom line. This is a major benefit, rather than the disadvantages which were discussed earlier, because it reduces the shock waves which often occur when