Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Human Resource Management - Essay Example This results effective staffing decisions and processes which leads to better performance of the employees. The overall purpose of developing HR policies is to ensure that organization is efficiently able to achieve short term as well as long term goals through its employees rather than technology advancement. Many organizations believe that concentrating on the development of technology is more beneficial for the productivity of the organization rather to concentrate on the effective employee management. But effective use of technology is more important than adopting the same and it needs recruitment and selection of efficient people for the organization (Armstrong, 2006, p.9). Management of human capital is done through five different stages. Human resource policies is effectively designed so that implementation of the policies in these five stages of human management can be efficiently to better performance of the employees as well as for the better productivity of the organizatio n. These stages are planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. Planning is the first stage of human capital management and it develop the organizational structure and find valuable sources from where the organization can get efficient people through a cost effective process of recruitment (Barney & Wright, 1997, p.4). Effective design and application of policies in HR planning, recruitment and selections and their contributions towards effective staffing decisions and organizational effectiveness and decisions making- Critical Evaluation HR planning and systems can have a wide variety of implications in organizations and organizational effectiveness. In the modern society planning and efficiency accounts for some of the prerequisites for organizational effectiveness and performance. In fact all of the HR activities in an organization depend largely on HR planning which subsequently reflects through organizational performance and productivity. Researchers have provided with data and information with regards to the correlation between recruitment and selection procedure and candidates’ competence in organizations which leads to greater creative works, greater collaboration of activities and performance progress in the organization. Research scholars have out forth the fact that through the application of appropriate HR planning systems organizations can effectively influence the actions and contributions of employees and generate their social capital as the potential source of competitive advantage (Mossholder, Richardson & Settoon, 2011, p.34). However, HR systems have largely been restricted to their connections with organizational outcomes and not with individual level behaviors. That is why researchers have increasingly called for the need for understanding HR planning and its influence on employees, inter-relationships between them and performance (Mossholder, Richardson & Settoon, 2011, p.34). Researchers have specifically focused on t he role of HR planning on a firm’s competitive advantage. According to the views of Barney (1995), three basic resources can provide competitive advan

Patient Safety and Quality Essay Example for Free

Patient Safety and Quality Essay The nurse involved with the caring for this family needs to be open to facts of the situation at hand by realizing that it is going to be a period of stress on Susie. At the same time, the goal is to make sure that Susie prioritizes her daily activities which will involve all three of caring for her children, taking in the additional demands of assisting her mother and promoting her health, and of course making sure her career is also focused on. As it is, Susie is overwhelmed and the nurse will need to help the family overcome any additional stress points as well as the specific illness related to her mother and so the nurse will prioritize as well. Since Susie seems to manage the household, the nurse will need to make her the key point of contact with the steps involved with making sure the family stays healthy during this period of additional anxiety. As it has happened now with her mother coming in to the family, she will need to adapt to a new lifestyle that has new demands of caretaking as described in the family structural theory. Family structural theory is a theory where a family is an open and social cultural system, which reacts and adapts to the demands placed (Grand Canyon University). This theory would be best applied by the nurse recognizing the rules and roles the family currently has and how they will need to change to encourage health promotion. Developmental stages give opportunities to family members to realize their potential (Edelman Mandle, 2010). With the children also being a priority to take care, Stage four of the Family Developmental Theory will be applied. Perhaps the nurse will need to better understand through Susie what the latter’s keys to success have been from Stage 1-3 to better help take care of the kids through this. Through these types of conversations, the nurse can help promote health throughout their family by better understanding how the cope with particular situations and helping apply new methods of care. Health promotion can best be accomplished when the nurse focuses on Susie first and then the rest of the family so that Susie can also take care of the family. Health education includes all family members, with learning activities according to each individual. General teaching goal will be same but the approaches and specific goals will be different for each family member. A nurse will have to provide different teaching to each family member. To promote health for Mrs. Jones, nurse can make a plan explaining how Mrs. Jones need to function at her highest level of capacity physically, psychologically, culturally, and spiritually. To promote Susie’s health, nurse will have to educate her on social roles, financial and occupational responsibilities, and reassessing life goals. School aged children health can be promoted by educating on staying away from harmful and unsafe environments such as drug and alcohol abuse. Also, allowing school aged children participate in family conversations and allowing them to speak increases their self-esteem which can be beneficial to Susie to decrease stress. References Edelman, C., Mandle, C. L. (2010). Health promotion throughout the life span (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. â€Å"The Form and Function of The Family.† (2011). Grand Canyon Universtiy, Phoenix, AZ.

Satire, Humor, and Shock Value in Swifts A Modest Proposal Essay

Satire, Humor, and Shock Value in Swifts' A Modest Proposal Swift's message to the English government in "A Modest Proposal" deals with the disgusting state of the English-Irish common people. Swift, as the narrator expresses pity for the poor and oppressed, while maintaining his social status far above them. The poor and oppressed that he refers to are Catholics, peasants, and the poor homeless men, women, and children of the kingdom. This is what Swift is trying to make the English government, in particular the Parliament aware of; the great socioeconomic distance between the increasing number of peasants and the aristocracy, and the effects thereof. Swift conveys his message in a brilliant essay, in which he uses satire, humor and shock value. Swift pursues his main point in the first paragraph: It is a melancholy object to those who walk through [Dublin] . . .when they see . . .beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants, who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work or fight for the Pretender in Spain. (2181) The last statement regarding the Pretender in Spain is a stab at Catholicism, the Pretender, being the Catholic James II, claimant to the English crown. In fact, Catholics are the butt of many sardonic jokes in the essay. ... ...and hammering the "condemning social statement" into the reader. Swift goes beyond just describing the socioeconomic distance between the aristocracy and the poor. He goes beyond showing the deplorable state of the country. Swift clearly shows the ludicrous nature of the society in which he lived, the feudal system, religious conflicts, the lack of social mobility, the aristocracy, and overpopulation. In condemning Catholics, he is condemning the Irish. In making the Irish out to be a problem that can be solved by this proposal, he shows his disapproval of English involvement in Irish affairs, and furthermore, the expanding British Empire. Thus "A Modest Proposal" does not present an answer to the societal problems of its day, but ultimately raises more questions. Not questions of fact, but questions of a profound socio-philosophical nature.

Shakespeares Macbeth - Persuasiveness of Lady Macbeth :: Free Essay Writer

The Persuasiveness of Lady Macbeth  Ã‚   When considering a dilemma, we usually turn towards those we love for advice, since they are the ones to whom we listen. In William Shakespears' Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is greatly responsible for the killing of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth reveals her secret evil nature, which pushes her towards her evil doings. Once Macbeth learns his prophecy to be king, she immediately convinces and persuades Macbeth into following her plan. Towards the end, when the crimes have been committed, Lady Macbeth shows weakness and guilt for her evil deeds. Lady Macbeth expresses a hidden evil throughout the play. Behind closed doors, she shows her evil by voicing her heartless phrases to herself. She shows she has no love but for her evil and knows no bounderies when it comes to having her way. "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" Shows that Lady Macbeth knows that she is evil and is wishing that she could share her evil with Macbeth. "Make thick my blood, Stop up th' Access and Passage to remorse." Expresses Lady Macbeth wanting more evil and is asking for her blood to stop the passage through her heart, so she can continue her evil ways without any remorse or guilt. Although Lady Macbeth is evil, she knows well not to convey this trait to the public, but to be pleasant and sweet to the king and others. Once Macbeth is told his prophecy of being king by the witches, he soon writes a letter to his wife explaining his newly found future, hoping to find some advice in return. Instead, Lady Macbeth quickly begins to think how life could be greater if he were king now. She then persuades Macbeth into killing King Duncan. "And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." says Lady Macbeth, trying to change her husbands mind. She shows Macbeth that if they follow her plan exactly and show remorse for the kings' death. They would not fail, "Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our greifs and clamor roar upon his death?" Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth shows weakness and guilt for her evil plans, and begins to go crazy. "Out damned spot! Out, I say!" " Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him" "The Thane of Fife had a wife.

Chronic disease

Phoenix Material Chronic Disease Resource Guide Imagine that a family member or friend, with a chronic disease, has asked for your help finding resources available to help him or her with the disease. Use the table below to compile a list and explanation of at least five resources available for your family member or friend. Your Assigned Disease: Your Assigned Location: Cancer Georgia Resource: Explanation: John B.Amos Cancer Center This center is here to promote health and healing to all cancer patients. The center offers different services such as, clinical research, gynecologist/medical/radiation oncology, and robotic thoracic surgery. Http://www. Calumniation's. Com/ Chlorofluorocarbons. Asps? ND=1802 Cancer Support Community In Atlanta This group is here for support for cancer patients and their families. Besides support, the group offers classes, information, education programs, stress activities, and fun activities. Http://cancersupportcommunityatlanta. Org/home. PH Perimeter Church This is a cancer support group that provides a safe environment which a person with cancer or their loved ones can share prayer requests and concerns about the Illness. It's also a place to talk with other survivors and learn to live life with purpose. Http:// www. Perimeter. Org/pages/add-l-enlistees/support-groups/cancer-support-group/ This group is here to support cancer patients through the grace and love of Jesus Christ.Through the community resources, they are here to help patients' everyday hysterical and spiritual needs by, helping provide food, prescriptions, and necessities. The volunteers also offer other services, such as hospital visits, errand running, and shuttle service. Http://counterparts. Com/ Atlanta Cancer Care The SAC can deal with one cancer needs. The facility has different caregiver and support information for one with cancer or to help the loved ones cope with it. The facility also has plenty of resources. Http://www. Teleconference. Com/Home. Asps

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps OROTC Program Essay Example

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps OROTC Program Essay Example Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps OROTC Program Essay Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps OROTC Program Essay The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps OROTC program can be a Journey of life changing experiences that can and will build character and leadership. I am currently a freshman and I am enrolled in the JROTC program at Boca Ciega High School, and at first I wasnt sure what to expect and who I would encounter. Throughout my year so far being a cadet, I am being challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I was able to learn more about teamwork and leadership through this short span. The curriculum consists of practical exercises that directly target an individuals leadership and character. JROTC has taught me what I would not have learned in any other class in high school. Older cadets have overcome fears and have formed lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories. And I do intend on being like my role models in this program. Overall, they have found that JROTC has molded a sense of character within them Just it has for me. JROTC unque because it uses a clear chain of command that consists of the students (cadets) themselves. The fact that the organization is cadet-run is great, because it gives us the independence for us to make decisions that impact us directly and because of that, we are free to make the organization our own. Personally, I gained more confidence, better people skills, great grammar, how to talk in a large number of groups, and personality. JROTC brings out the best in me and my fellow cadets because of the high level of maturity expected of them from the instructors and the huge student participation in running the program. The program also prepares us or life after high school, helping us to learn our personality types and how to interact with other types. We also learned to respect ourselves and others when wearing uniform and when we are not. We learn to step outside our comfort zone and become acquainted with the world around us; the world we are to survive in after graduation. Our JROTC instructors help us to learn what life may bring us after we may not see them again. And as for my opinion on my instructors, I have to say that I have enormous amount of respect for who they are and what they did.

Samuel Johnsons Essay on the Decay of Friendship

Samuel Johnsons Essay on the Decay of Friendship For more than three years British author, poet, and lexicographer Samuel Johnson almost single-handedly wrote and edited a biweekly journal, The Rambler. After completing his master work, A Dictionary of the English Language, in 1755, he returned to journalism by contributing essays and reviews to the Literary Magazine and The Idler, where the following essay first appeared. Of the innumerable causes of decayed or destroyed friendships, Johnson examines five in particular. The Decay of Friendship from The Idler, Number 23, September 23, 1758 by Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) Life has no pleasure higher or nobler than that of friendship. It is painful to consider that this sublime enjoyment may be impaired or destroyed by innumerable causes, and that there is no human possession of which the duration is less certain. Many have talked in very exalted language, of the perpetuity of friendship, of invincible constancy, and unalienable kindness; and some examples have been seen of men who have continued faithful to their earliest choice, and whose affection has predominated over changes of fortune, and contrariety of opinion. But these instances are memorable, because they are rare. The friendship which is to be practiced or expected by common mortals, must take its rise from mutual pleasure, and must end when the power ceases of delighting each other. Many accidents therefore may happen by which the ardor of kindness will be abated, without criminal baseness or contemptible inconstancy on either part. To give pleasure is not always in our power; and little does he know himself who believes that he can be always able to receive it. Those who would gladly pass their days together may be separated by the different course of their affairs; and friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions. What we have missed long enough to want it, we value more when it is regained; but that which has been lost till it is forgotten, will be found at last with little gladness, and with still less if a substitute has supplied the place. A man deprived of the companion to whom he used to open his bosom, and with whom he shared the hours of leisure and merriment, feels the day at first hanging heavy on him; his difficulties oppress, and his doubts distract him; he sees time come and go without his wonted gratification, and all is sadness within, and solitude about him. But this uneasiness never lasts long; necessity produces expedients, new amusements are discovered, and new conversation is admitted. No expectation is more frequently disappointed, than that which naturally arises in the mind from the prospect of meeting an old friend after long separation. We expect the attraction to be revived, and the coalition to be renewed; no man considers how much alteration time has made in himself, and very few inquire what effect it has had upon others. The first hour convinces them that the pleasure which they have formerly enjoyed, is forever at an end; different scenes have made different impressions; the opinions of both are changed; and that similitude of manners and sentiment is lost which confirmed them both in the approbation of themselves. Friendship is often destroyed by opposition of interest, not only by the ponderous and visible interest which the desire of wealth and greatness forms and maintains, but by a thousand secret and slight competitions, scarcely known to the mind upon which they operate. There is scarcely any man without some favorite trifle which he values above greater attainments, some desire of petty praise which he cannot patiently suffer to be frustrated. This minute ambition is sometimes crossed before it is known, and sometimes defeated by wanton petulance; but such attacks are seldom made without the loss of friendship; for whoever has once found the vulnerable part will always be feared, and the resentment will burn on in secret, of which shame hinders the discovery. This, however, is a slow malignity, which a wise man will obviate as inconsistent with quiet, and a good man will repress as contrary to virtue; but human happiness is sometimes violated by some more sudden strokes. A dispute begun in jest upon a subject which a moment before was on both parts regarded with careless indifference, is continued by the desire of conquest, till vanity kindles into rage, and opposition rankles into enmity. Against this hasty mischief, I know not what security can be obtained; men will be sometimes surprised into quarrels; and though they might both haste into reconciliation, as soon as their tumult had subsided, yet two minds will seldom be found together, which can at once subdue their discontent, or immediately enjoy the sweets of peace without remembering the wounds of the conflict. Friendship has other enemies. Suspicion is always hardening the cautious, and disgust repelling the delicate. Very slender differences will sometimes part those whom long reciprocation of civility or beneficence has united. Lonelove and Ranger retired into the country to enjoy the company of each other, and returned in six weeks, cold and petulant; Rangers pleasure was to walk in the fields, and Loneloves to sit in a bower; each had complied with the other in his turn, and each was angry that compliance had been exacted. The most fatal disease of friendship is gradual decay, or dislike hourly increased by causes too slender for complaint, and too numerous for removal. Those who are angry may be reconciled; those who have been injured may receive a recompense: but when the desire of pleasing and willingness to be pleased is silently diminished, the renovation of friendship is hopeless; as, when the vital powers sink into languor, there is no longer any use of the physician. Other Essays by Samuel Johnson: On the Style of Jonathan SwiftConversationThe Bugbear StyleAn Encomium on Sleep The Decay of Friendship, by Samuel Johnson, was first published in The Idler, September 23, 1758.

Cut Flower Preservative Recipes

Cut Flower Preservative Recipes You know if you put fresh cut flowers in water it will help keep them from wilting. If you have a packet of cut flower preservative from a florist or the store, it will help the flowers to stay fresh much longer. You can make cut flower preservative yourself, however. There are several good recipes, made using common household ingredients. Keys to Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh Give them water.Give them food.Protect them from decay or infection.Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. The floral preservative provides flowers with water and food and contains a disinfectant to prevent bacteria from growing. Making sure your vase is clean will also help. Try to minimize air circulation, since it speeds evaporation and can dehydrate your flowers. Preparing the Flowers Start by discarding any decaying leaves or flowers. Trim the bottom ends of your flowers with a clean, sharp blade before arranging them in the vase containing the floral preservative. Cut the stems at an angle to increase the surface area for water and to prevent the ends from resting flat on the bottom of the container. The Water In all cases, mix the floral preservative using warm water (100-110 F or 38-40 C) because it will move into the stems more effectively than cold water. Clean tap water will work, but if it is very high in salts or fluorides, consider using distilled water instead. Chlorine in tap water  is fine since it acts as a natural disinfectant. Recipe 1 2 cups lemon-lime carbonated beverage (e.g., Sprite or 7-Up)1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach2 cups warm water Recipe 2 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon sugar1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach1 quart warm water Recipe 3 2 tablespoons white vinegar2 tablespoons sugar1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach1 quart warm water More Tips Trim away any foliage which would be below the water line. The wet leaves encourage microbial growth that can rot your flowers.Remove any unnecessary leaves because they will accelerate dehydration of the flowers.Flowers with milky latexs of these flowers include poinsettia, heliotrope, hollyhock, euphorbia, and poppy. The sap is meant to prevent water loss by the stem, but in a cut flower, it keeps the plant from absorbing water. You can prevent this problem by dipping the bottom tips (~1/2 inch) of the stems in boiling water for about 30 seconds or by flashing the tips of the stems with a lighter or other flame.

Africa for Investors Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Africa for Investors - Speech or Presentation Example This paper is an informative speech about Africa. Since time in memorial we have had a perception that Africa is the darkest continent. But has anyone of you taken an initiative to research more about Africa? As I stand here I hope there is no one amongst you branding me an African ambassador. It’s just that I have visited one of the African countries and done more research about other African countries.   I have been to South Africa. Do not ask me whether I saw the lions and the monkeys because there are more to that than you can imagine. From the profound glades and mountains, the flowers, the rivers, hills and the valleys, the seas and the deserts delineate the phase of the Dark Continent.   From the beaches which thaw the coldness we experience during the winter. The heavy equatorial rainfalls and the rumbling of the summer thunders are enough to shake hell out of you. Africa is defined by unique sceneries and dramatic structures that shape out the landscape. Their str ict culture and love for visitors, is enough to send an eternal happiness down ones’ spinal cord. The quiet and calm forests bring a sense of restoration from our rather noisy environment. With all the beauty described, I still wonder why some of us have a negative attitude towards Africa! Sometimes in fear, I have been left flagger basted whether one should concede to the war-torn nations. Fear is the biggest enemy for development. In particular fear for the unknown.  Sometimes in fear, I have been left flagger basted whether one should concede to the war-torn nations. Fear is the biggest enemy for development. In particular fear for the unknown. Africa is beautiful, it is amazing and it is a good ground for investments. From my research it is true that there are some countries which suffer pain of aggressive conflict. These include; Libya, Somali, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Algeria and democratic republic of Congo. Let us now turn to the hard facts. There are about 54 nations in Africa. The countries with related conflicts do not exceed 10 in number. We are left with approximately 46 peaceful African countries. It should not be forgotten that the causes of the conflicts are simple, which might need our intervention in a more noble way. Poverty, leadership wrangles, the vast rich resources and human degradation are some of the things that leave Africans in persistent shadow of despair. For those who read the bible we are told to be our brother’s keeper. How can we be termed as children of God if we cannot empathize with the plight of our fellow people? Ladies and gentlemen, as we are gathered here facts must be told! Though it may sound implausible to the skeptics, Africa is ordained to prosper! Let us have a closer look at the some of the countries that were war-torn but peace now reigns within the nations. Despite having some few issues here and there, peace is being restored in Sudan.

Management of Occupational Health & Safety Essay

Management of Occupational Health & Safety - Essay Example The incident was caused by the night crew putting a condensate injection pump into service, that earlier in the day had been taken out of service for maintenance. Additionally, the magnitude of the disaster was multiplied since a pressure safety valve had been removed for recertification. Such non-routine work increases risk of a catastrophic accident taking place (AICE, 2007: 287). Primarily, operator errors should have been prevented. Written, standardized procedures and permits applying to the entire facility or to the equipment, are a practical necessity for effectively and consistently controlling non-routine work related to high-risk activities. This includes two-way communication through checklists or permits to authorize the work, which highlight particular hazards that might be encountered and specify appropriate safeguards. Permits for non-routine work should be issued and reviewed by a trained person. Additionally, a preventive system of maintenance department locks should be in place (AICE, 2007: 293-295, 298). Further, the offshore installation manager (OIM) at the Piper Alpha was untrained to cope with the emergency. He did not communicate or take crucial decisions to cut off oil production, block supply of gas to the pipelines from the neighbouring facility, call for helicopters for rescue work, delegate authority or alleviate stress in the men (Flin et al, 1996: 262). Engineering design of the different components in the facility was faulty, such as interdependent couplings and linkages among the components of the facility, and with neighbouring installations. Hence, there was no provision for automatic shutdown of production, or for alarm, public address, and other critical systems. The mutual proximity of control room, radio room, electric generators, diesel room, with production modules caused a chain action of component failures due to fire propagation and explosions. The design of fire protection such as

Money and Payments Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Money and Payments - Coursework Example However, with electronic payment systems, commercial law uses solutions designed to transfer funds or assets electronically over long distances. For instance, hotels and banks simply swipe credit cards over ATMs or counter machines to transfer funds and verify information regarding the linked account and its holder. Technological advancements will certainly continue to lower transaction costs by reducing the steps involved with each transaction verification and user authentication protocol (Mastrianna, 2012). In addition, commercial law will grow to integrate more technological innovations in its regulations and allow for smoother transactions among financial institutions, and ultimately lower transaction expenses. The United States government can improve the accuracy of its measurements by encouraging open trade with overseas economies and a new economic incentive platform (Forrest, 2014). This incentive platform offers free cash to the public so that they can buy goods and services rather than pay for bills or invest. The government can make this cash available by lowering taxes, creating more employment opportunities, subcontracting fewer employment opportunities, stabilizing the national budget, enhancing infrastructure, and providing small commercial platforms (Forrest,

Global Interdependence Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Interdependence - Article Example l idea of Simon’s article is the worldwide sense of exhaustion, particularly in the Islamic world, as a result of local conflicts, interference by the US and terrorism. The Israeli-Arab conflict, its fallout on the relations between Syria & Lebanon, the 9/11 disaster leading to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the sanctions against Iran and the latest act of terrorism against Mumbai by suspected terrorists from Pakistan – all continuing disastrous events evading resolution, have been touched upon by Simon to point out that the world is exhausted and looking forward to a new messiah to bring these conflicts to an end. President-elect Mr. Barack Obama, according to Simon, carries this great ‘burden of expectation’ by the people across the globe. If trade or economic matters are the bye-words of globalization, the word Obamania is no less in a globally interdependent world. Mr. Obama assumes office as President on 20th January 2009, and the eagerly awaited change of course from the present administration’s policies. Without saying it in so many words, Krugman hints at the interdependency of the global economy and politics to suggest that expectations indeed run high on both counts at home and abroad. The end of the cold-war period signified by the fall of the former Soviet Union, gave rise to globalization as the solution to economic co-operation and growth. The USA promoted this approach aggressively and prompted most nations to fall in line. Indeed, many poor countries have been seeing the benefits of global marketing, by exporting cheap manufactured products into the rich markets of the western world. However, the success on the economic side has not been repeated in the political area. The decades old conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians continued without abatement and if anything, worsened into an all out conflict between the Islamic and non-Islamic (mainly Christian, Jewish and Hindu) faiths. Exhausted by the expensive wars on one side

INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF PROPERTY Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF PROPERTY - Case Study Example The second way is by, derivatively- this is where an individual sells his property to someone else or he may give it to another person as a gift, under which the ownership of the item is transferred to the other person. The last way is that of succession- in this case we find that the original owner of the item dies; here the item may be passed through to the other person. Under the law of property, we find that ownership is taken as a matter of law while possession is considered as a fact which involves physical custody accompanied by an intention of holding the item as one's own. An example of this is that when an individual is in possession of a pair of shoes decides to throw the shoes in the street, this indicates that he has given up his possession and the person who comes across the shoes and picks them then he becomes the owner of the shoes without paying for them. In law of property, we find that there is also a law of trust whereby, trust is defined as an agreement under which an item either money or property is owned and managed by one person for the benefit of another. It is basically formed when an individual, who is always referred to as a settlor hands over his property to other parties of his own choice who are legally referred to as trustees, under the law of property these trustees are always under the obligation of holding the property for the benefit of other persons. Under the law, for one to come up with a clear intention and the reason for the agreement must be stated. In the Derek case, we find that the reason for this agreement was that since his children had grown up to their twenties, they had a clear intention of purchasing a new house that could accommodate the three of them and also to enable them to take in lodgers so that he may be provided with an extra income. Therefore for one to come up with a trust he should also i dentify the beneficiaries in this case we find that the beneficiaries are Tim and Pam. This trust is always formed through the means of either a written documentation which is referred to as an express trust or it can also be formed by an implied trust.2 Under the implied trust we find that the legal requirements for this particular trust are well adhered to, but the intention for such an agreement are stated, in this case we may find that a reasonable title is not provided and in this case the law comes up with a provision that the grantor for the trust is the beneficiary. In the case of Derek and his children, we find that he was unable to obtain a mortgage loan due to his age and it is explained that, Pam who was able to obtain a loan and took the legal title in her name after which, Derek paid the amount required for deposit, expenses and the mortgage payments, here we find that Derek acted as a grantor according to the implied trust, which according to the law of property is formed in a situation where some of the legal necessities for an express trust are not met, although there is usually the formation of an intention to create a trust on behalf of the parties,

Global Interdependence Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Interdependence - Article Example l idea of Simon’s article is the worldwide sense of exhaustion, particularly in the Islamic world, as a result of local conflicts, interference by the US and terrorism. The Israeli-Arab conflict, its fallout on the relations between Syria & Lebanon, the 9/11 disaster leading to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the sanctions against Iran and the latest act of terrorism against Mumbai by suspected terrorists from Pakistan – all continuing disastrous events evading resolution, have been touched upon by Simon to point out that the world is exhausted and looking forward to a new messiah to bring these conflicts to an end. President-elect Mr. Barack Obama, according to Simon, carries this great ‘burden of expectation’ by the people across the globe. If trade or economic matters are the bye-words of globalization, the word Obamania is no less in a globally interdependent world. Mr. Obama assumes office as President on 20th January 2009, and the eagerly awaited change of course from the present administration’s policies. Without saying it in so many words, Krugman hints at the interdependency of the global economy and politics to suggest that expectations indeed run high on both counts at home and abroad. The end of the cold-war period signified by the fall of the former Soviet Union, gave rise to globalization as the solution to economic co-operation and growth. The USA promoted this approach aggressively and prompted most nations to fall in line. Indeed, many poor countries have been seeing the benefits of global marketing, by exporting cheap manufactured products into the rich markets of the western world. However, the success on the economic side has not been repeated in the political area. The decades old conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians continued without abatement and if anything, worsened into an all out conflict between the Islamic and non-Islamic (mainly Christian, Jewish and Hindu) faiths. Exhausted by the expensive wars on one side

An analysis of the micro and macro environment of M&S Research Paper

An analysis of the micro and macro environment of M&S - Research Paper Example However, the company has reported a decline in sales in the current year with a significant reduction of 8.1% in purchases that are made through online mediums (Ahmed, 2014). Even though, the brand name and customer loyalty which is linked with M&S has survived and even grown tremendously over a significant period, the company’s financial woes and slumping sales have emerged as a cause of concern for the management and shareholders. As reported by Rankin (2014) the company’s homeware and clothing divisions have been marked by the demonstration of disappointment monetary performances over a period of the past twelve financial quarters. Despite of the commitment shown by CEO Marc Bolland that revival would come soon enough, the company’s woes which have recently been maximized because of a serious website error and related technical issues continue to grow (Ahmed, 2014). Moreover, competitive concerns from local brands like Primark and international heavyweights like Zara postulate that the company may have to experience challenges in terms of exploring more viable opportunities in the clothing division (Ruddick, 2012). This research aims to aid the development of a critical assessment and analysis of Marks and Spencer’s micro and macro economic situation for the purpose of evaluating the future prospects and options which are available for the company to successfully and effectively cope with present issues. The framework or model of a SWOT analysis is an imperative component in assessing and examining the internal and external issues and prospects within a firm. As noted by Hill and Westbrook (1997), the application of SWOT analysis can aid companies in decision making procedures and aid the development of long term corporate planning to meet the specific requirements which have been outlined by the designated objectives at corporate, business, operational and tactical

Identify the regulations and requirements relevant Essay Example for Free

Identify the regulations and requirements relevant Essay Learning Outcome 1 – Understand the principles and practices of assessment 1.4 Identify the regulations and requirements relevant to the assessment in own area of practice Our policies for management of assessment evidence eg portfolios, assessment records, observation records, physical evidence, learner and witness statements; management of assessment records, are all in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2003). We use the Act’s mandatory guidelines to help us protect the personal data we hold and/ or process. All work and information is processed fairly and lawfully and obtained and used only for specified and lawful purposes. It is made clear to the students that we only keep adequate, relevant and not excessive information so as to keep accurate information that provides an up to date record that we do not keep for longer than necessary. All assessment information is processed in accordance with the individual’s rights and kept secure with the admin team who, all the while, provide learners with the opportunity to request to see the information public authorities hold about them in line with the Freedom of information act (2000) Our storage and retrieval of information is password protected when online/ digital, and under lock and key when physical. The confidentiality of the data is paramount and our use of technology to share information with relevant parties eg learners, other assessors, employer, colleagues, organisation must abide by our protocol before it is considered. The college follows regulations covering sharing of assessment/ personal information following Ofqual’s lead as we protect the interests of learners and promoting ‘public confidence in the national qualifications system’ (Ofqual, 2008, p3) through our thorough and rigorous approach to safeguarding information. By following these procedures the college follows the recognised standards for the Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit framework (2008), Health and safety at work (1974), and the Equality Act (2010) to help its own reputation as a good/ outstanding awarding organisation. This in turn helps the organisations vocational links to the SSC sector skills council and its industry standards of data protection while also increasing the skills and productivity of our  respective sectors workforce under safe, professional circumstances. These guidelines provider us with influence as to how we can better development our own qualifications and apprenticeships. Edexcel is our primary awarding organisation so their policies and guidelines are arguably the most regularly used every day.

Commutative encryption and decryption

Commutative encryption and decryption El Gamal Public Key Cryptosystem The El Gamal public-key encryption scheme can be viewed as Diffie-Hellman key agreement in key transfer mode. Its security is based on the intractability of the discrete logarithm problem and the Diffie-Hellman problem. Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange The first system to make use of public-key or asymmetric cryptographic keys was the Diffie-Hellman algorithm (by Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman, 1976). These systems overcome the difficulties of private-key or symmetric key systems because asymmetric key management is much easier. In the symmetric key system its important for both sides of the communication to have identical keys; the secure exchange of the keys has always been a huge concern. This concern is alleviated using asymmetric key systems because they use two keys one called the private key that secretly belongs to the user and another called the public key that can be shared with the world and thus is distributed without difficulty. Regrettably, the pros of asymmetric key systems are overshadowed by speed they are very slow for any type of bulk encryption. Presently, the typical practice is to use a symmetric system to encrypt the data and then encrypt the symmetric keys used for distribution with an asymmetric syst em. And this is what Diffie-Hellman key exchange does. Basic El Gamal encryption Complete Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange Process The Game: Mental Poker Playing the game of poker without any cards over a telecommunications device (phone or more realistically internet) is known as Mental Poker. The game usually doesnt include a trusted third party dealer or a source of randomness and as such it seems that someone (the dealer) will always know what cards have been given out or alternatively, that players will be able to lie about the cards they have. The first serious attempt at the problem was by Adi Shamir, Ronald Rivest and Leonard Adleman in 1979 in [SRA]. Its this scheme, which relies on commutative encryption. The authors first proved, in an information theoretic sense, that the problem is unsolvable and then went on to offer a solution. Their protocol worked for two players and didnt require a trusted third party. However, it did not offer confidentiality of strategy, requiring the players to reveal their hands at the end of each game. We assume two players and fifty-two cards. Five cards are dealt then one round of betting then all cards shown. Players have disjoint hands, any player can have any possible hand, no player can discover another players hand and any collusion has minimal effect. The SRA protocol was shown to leak at least one bit of information: whether the card was a quadratic residue or not. There were suggestions to overcome this problem but there was still no guarantee that other information was not leaked. The SRA protocol The protocol relies on a commutative encryption scheme i.e.: EA(EB(M)) = EB(EA(M)) Where EX denotes encryption using Xs public key. Likewise, we use DX to denote decryption using Xs private key. Steps Two players Alice and Bob together choose a large prime number n, then Alice chooses her key A s.t. gcd(A,n-1) = 1 and Bob chooses B similarly. Encode the 52 cards as integers. Encryption EA(M) = MA (mod n) Decryption DA(M) = Minv(A) (mod n) Bob permutes the cards to x1, x2, , x52 encrypts them then sends to Alice EB(xi). Alice chooses 5 cards for herself, encrypts them and sends to Bob EA(EB(xi)). Also chooses 5 cards for Bob and sends them to him (without encrypting) EB(xi). Bob can now decrypt his cards to see his hand DB(EB(xi) = xi. He also decrypts Alices cards then sends them back to her. Here is where we need commutativity so DB(EA(EB(xi))) = EA(xi) Alice receives her cards and decrypt them seeing her hand DA(EA(xi)) = xi. Implementation of Game Protocol Security Efficiency of El Gamal encryption The encryption process requires two modular exponentiations, namely ak mod p and (aa)k mod p. These exponentiations can be sped up by selecting random exponents k having some additional structure, for example, having low Hamming weights. Care must be taken that the possible number of exponents is large enough to preclude a search via a baby-step giant-step algorithm. A drawback of El Gamal encryption is that there is message expansion by a factor of 2, i.e., the ciphertext is double the length of the corresponding plaintext. Randomized Encryption Among many other encryption schemes, El Gamal encryption utilizes randomization in the encryption process, an example of others include: McEliece encryption, and Goldwasser-Micali, and Blum-Goldwasser probabilistic encryption. Deterministic encryption schemes such as RSA may also utilize randomization in an effort to avoid some attacks. The basic idea behind randomized encryption techniques is to use randomization to increase the cryptographic security of an encryption process through one or more of the following methods: increasing the effective size of the plaintext message space; precluding or decreasing the effectiveness of chosen-plaintext attacks by virtue of a one-to-many mapping of plaintext to ciphertext; and precluding or decreasing the effectiveness of statistical attacks by leveling the a priori probability distribution of inputs. Security of El Gamal Encryption The problem of breaking the El Gamal encryption scheme, specifically, recovering m given p, a, aa, ?, and d, is equivalent to solving the Diffie-Hellman problem. In reality, the ElGamal encryption scheme can be seen as merely comprising a Diffie-Hellman key exchange to verify a session key aak, and then encrypting the message by multiplication with that session key. Hence, the security of the El- Gamal encryption scheme is said to be based on the discrete logarithm problem in mathbb{Z}_p !,*, although such an equivalence hasnt been verified. It is vital that different random integers k be used to encrypt different messages. Assume the same k is used to encrypt two messages m1 and m2 and the resultant ciphertext pairs are (?1,d1) and (?2,d2). Then d1/ d2 = m1/m2, and m2 could be easily computed if m1 were known. Analysis of Mental Poker Upon receiving the shuffled and encrypted pack of cards she cant tell which is which, therefore, she picks randomly, that is, she is unable to see Bobs hand. When Bob receives Alices double encrypted hand he would be unable to read it even when he partially decrypts it. But is there information leaked by the encryption process? Yes! Its known as Quadratic Residues. Quadratic Residues An integer a, not divisible by an odd prime p, is a quadratic residue modulo p if there is a b in {1, 2,, p-1} s.t. a = b2 (mod p). Otherwise a is a quadratic no residue. So for p = 11, 1=12, 3=52, 4=22, 5=42, 9=32 are the quadratic residues and 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 are the quadratic no residues. This works in general. For a prime p there are (p-1)/2 of both residues and no residues. Cheating In 1981 R. Lipton showed for odd k, xk is a quadratic residue mod p if x is a quadratic residue mod p. So the cards whose representations are quadratic residues are still quadratic residues when they are encrypted. This allows Alice to find the cards that are residues and no residues, for the particular p used, and then choose (on average) high cards for herself and low cards for Bob. Cheat Prevention The easiest way to prevent the attack we have discussed is to only represent cards with quadratic residues. However other, more general attacks have been shown to be effective so SRA isnt a good protocol. Other protocols for the Mental Poker problem have been considered with the most successful ones using probabilistic encryption and zero knowledge proof. Crepeau solved the problem in 1987 although his protocol is not computationally feasible. Research is still going on. Conclusion Mental Poker is an important problem, both for use in the large internet poker business and as a metaphor for other multi-party computations were secrets need to be kept. It is possible to implement the SRA protocol efficiently and securely, however it has a major flaw in that it leaks one bit of information about the cards. Other protocols have been suggested with Crepeau solving the problem in 1987 although with a computationally infeasible algorithm. Bibliography http://www.ics.uci.edu/~goodrich/teach/ics247/W03/notes/poker.pdf http://www.netip.com/articles/keith/diffie-helman.htm http://www.ics.uci.edu/~goodrich/teach/ics247/W03/notes/elgamal.pdf Handbook of Applied Cryptography, by A. Menezes, P. van Oorschot, and S. Vanstone, CRC Press, 1996.

Of Mice and Men :: essays research papers

During the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, many people lost their jobs and became very lonely. This was around the time when John Steinbeck released his famous book about these â€Å"bindle stiffs†. The book was called, Of Mice and Men. Loneliness is one of the major themes of this novel. Several of the characters in the book are alone. In this novel, John Steinbeck shows how being alone affects different characters. Each is affected in a different way. Throughout the novel, the theme of loneliness is mostly expressed in the important characters of Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks. Candy, the ranch handyman, lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. He fears that his age is making him useless and unwanted. Candy's age and handicap also contribute to his loneliness. Many of the men reject Candy because of these things and he fears that he will eventually come to the same end as his old dog. Candy is crushed by Lennie and George's dream to get their own piece of land and "live off the fatta the lan'". This dream lifted Candy's spirit and only set him up for a bigger disappointment. This made Candy not only a victim of loneliness, but also of disillusionment. He also feels the burden of loneliness and shows it by his relationship with his sheep dog. The dog, being described as â€Å"ancient†, â€Å"stinky†, and â€Å"half-blind†, had been in Candy’s life and his companion for a very long time and Candy had grown attached to it. He said he, "had him since he was a pup" and he used to &quo t;herd sheep with him." Once the other farmhands had finally gotten fed up with it and stated that the dog needed to be put out of its misery Candy was extremely reluctant to turn it over and let him go. After hearing the shot ring outside, all Candy could do was turn his face towards a wall and not look around. Certainly Candy found this dog to be a loyal companion of his and he had developed a strong relationship with it over the years, which helped him cope with his loneliness on the ranch. Whenever one is taking a deeper look at Of Mice and Men one will probably get a sense of how depressing the ranch really is. These are just a few examples of how different characters dealt with their loneliness. Of Mice and Men :: essays research papers During the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, many people lost their jobs and became very lonely. This was around the time when John Steinbeck released his famous book about these â€Å"bindle stiffs†. The book was called, Of Mice and Men. Loneliness is one of the major themes of this novel. Several of the characters in the book are alone. In this novel, John Steinbeck shows how being alone affects different characters. Each is affected in a different way. Throughout the novel, the theme of loneliness is mostly expressed in the important characters of Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks. Candy, the ranch handyman, lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. He fears that his age is making him useless and unwanted. Candy's age and handicap also contribute to his loneliness. Many of the men reject Candy because of these things and he fears that he will eventually come to the same end as his old dog. Candy is crushed by Lennie and George's dream to get their own piece of land and "live off the fatta the lan'". This dream lifted Candy's spirit and only set him up for a bigger disappointment. This made Candy not only a victim of loneliness, but also of disillusionment. He also feels the burden of loneliness and shows it by his relationship with his sheep dog. The dog, being described as â€Å"ancient†, â€Å"stinky†, and â€Å"half-blind†, had been in Candy’s life and his companion for a very long time and Candy had grown attached to it. He said he, "had him since he was a pup" and he used to &quo t;herd sheep with him." Once the other farmhands had finally gotten fed up with it and stated that the dog needed to be put out of its misery Candy was extremely reluctant to turn it over and let him go. After hearing the shot ring outside, all Candy could do was turn his face towards a wall and not look around. Certainly Candy found this dog to be a loyal companion of his and he had developed a strong relationship with it over the years, which helped him cope with his loneliness on the ranch. Whenever one is taking a deeper look at Of Mice and Men one will probably get a sense of how depressing the ranch really is. These are just a few examples of how different characters dealt with their loneliness.

Controversy Control And Contraception Essay -- Religion

Controversy and contraceptives has been recorded together in some of the earliest writings of man. In Genesis, it was written that when a man spilled his seed on the ground, the Lord was upset and killed the man. â€Å"And it came to pass, when he went into his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also (Genesis 38:9-10).† Many have used this scripture as their reason to be against birth control, but throughout time there have been particular groups of people and parties that have also taken up the issue of birth control and have used it as a way to divide people. Two groups in particular have very opposing views on the issue of contraceptive use, they are Conservatives and Feminists. While feminist believe women should have control over the use of birth control and it should be available for all, contemporary conservatives are against contra ceptives because they believe contraceptives creates moral degradation, and the use of birth control is contrary to God’s will, and that the government is violating religious freedom rights by requiring women access to birth control. Conservatives views on contraceptive uses varies, the type of contraception Conservatives choose to boycott depends on their religious beliefs. Followers of the Vatican strongly oppose all types of birth control. . Ironically, the man responsible for improving the birth control pill, that many use today, was Catholic. Dr. John Rock labeled himself a social conservative and early on in his medical career he began to change his mind about the use of birth control. Dr. Rock began to support contraception within the confines of marriage... ...inter_1118.shtml (accessed May 29, 2012). Hartline, Dave. The American Catholic: In the Birth Control Controversy; The Mocking of Conservative Religios Women By Militant Secularist Will Soon Backfire. February 19, 2012. http://the-american-catholic.com/2012/02/19/the-mocking-of-conservative-religious-women-by-militant-secularists-will-soon-backfire/ (accessed May 29, 2012). Holman, D.S. Commonsense Conservative Views: Are American Women Stupid? March 4, 2012. www.dsholman.com/conservative-politics/are-women-stupid/ (accessed May 3, 2012). MacKinnon, Catherine A. Toward a Feminist Theory of the State. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. NOW. NOW and Abortion Rights?Reproductive Justice. 2011. www.now.org/issues/abortion/ (accessed May 28, 2012). Schrieber, Ronnee. Righting Feminism: Conservative Women and American Politics. Oxford: University Press, 2008.

Public Finance Essay

The city of Eugene has been in a critical position due to budget crisis. Apparently, the city of Eugene has spent more of its resources, which is higher than what the city government has determined to be the budget under the public financing system. Since then, the city government has decided to implement a new approach in dealing with the finances of the city, which was called the â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach. The city government of Eugene has employed the services of Public Strategies Group – an institution acting as a financing consultant based in St. Paul, Minnesota – which recommended the need to cut down spending and limit the budget to expenditure that are agreeable to the citizens. This means that the public financing system will only allocate budget according to the priorities of the city, determined by its constituents. (Russo, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concept of â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† constitutes the genuine essence of public financing and budgeting. It establishes the ideal dimensions of what public financing should be. With this in mind, it is appalling to think that the city government of Eugene only determined the flaws in their public financing system only after experiencing crisis in their budget scheme – which is much difficult to reverse, than situations wherein detection and prevention would have sufficed. Setting this thought aside, the agreeable point in the public finance approach is that the city is willing to implement a responsible method or technique in fixing the public financing system to sustain resources by means of controlling the city’s expenses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach is a responsible means of handling the city’s budget because it will be allocated only to the demands of the city, concentrating on needs and wants and eliminating operating cost for unnecessary features or entities. Moreover, Eugene has viewed the matter logically by determining a plan that will ensure the success of the public financing project. The city government, along with its hired consultant, has formulated several steps in order to realize the purpose of the â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach. First, the city government will review all areas (schools, libraries, health care institutions, law enforcement institutions, etc.) within the dimensions of Eugene that have been receiving funds from the public budget. All areas will be evaluated or assessed in order to determine how roles and responsibilities of each institution are being carried out. This will help the city government determine what areas within the city to focus on and prioritize. (Russo, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second, allocating budget for different areas within the city will be decided upon based on the goals and objectives of the city council. The city government of Eugene has decided to align public spending with the goals and objectives upheld by city council. Third, spending will be based on what the citizens need and demand, such as public safety, health care, education, transport systems, etc. Fourth, the city government will harness all the help or assistance it can get from other institutions (public or private), in order to determine flaws or improvements for the â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† plan. (Russo, 2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The four considerations that the city government is willing to focus on veers away from the concepts of traditional budgeting, setting the desirability of the â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach. Moreover, it improves the face of public financing by focusing on the outcomes that will benefit the city and its constituents, rather than concentrating on how the budget will allocated. It is sensitive to the needs and demands of the city, therefore, transforming it into a people-based and outcome-based public financing system. These ideas establish the positive backdrop of Eugene’s plan for public financing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, although the positive side of the approach has been presented through and through, it is important to confront the impending risks and threats in implementing such an approach. This concern lies in the true meaning of responsibility. Rationality and logic in prioritizing what areas to spend for requires the responsibility and ability to place the more important things ahead of superficialities. The problem of the â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach is the decision-making process imposed by the citizens. These decisions should be true priorities – that is, priorities that genuinely provide the best results that the city will benefit from – and not those that promote personal vested interests. Therefore, to implement an effective â€Å"budgeting for outcomes† approach, it needs not only a carefully made plan, but also a responsible and rational city government and citizenry. References    Russo, E. (2007). City Trying New Approach to Budget. The Register Guard, C19. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from the Gale Group via Questia. Website: http://www.questia.com/read/5024242890

Explain the theory of Virtue Ethics Essay

Aristotle originally introduced virtue Ethics to society in ancient Greek times. Virtue Ethics tells us that we should look at the character of the person instead of the actions or duties a person performs. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do, virtue ethics asks how you can be a better person. Aristotle claims that leading a virtuous life is easy, and those who do, do so to be happy. Happiness is the ultimate goal for everyone in life. To become a better person, you must practice virtuous acts regularly. After a while, these acts will become routine and so the virtuous acts will be nothing more than everyday life and the person a virtuous person. Aristotle said that although virtues should become a habit we must never forget that we behave in such a way because it is right. For example, if a singer practices singing everyday, they will become better at it and used to doing it. This is the same as people who practice their virtues and soon automatically act in the right way, by practicing our skills we improve them, becoming happier. Virtues should not be an effort, but simply a part of everyone’s personality. Aristotle says that virtue is something that we acquire and are not just born with, people are not inherently good or bad, but become good or bad according to the habits they develop. Aristotle said that a virtue was a ‘Golden Mean’ in between to vices. These ‘Vices’ are two extremes of a scale at opposite ends, one of excess and one of deficiency. For example the vices would be shamelessness and shyness, and the virtue modesty. Another example of this would be rudeness and a sense of humour as the two vices and the virtue as wittiness. Such virtues must be cultivated, we must learn when to use certain virtues and to what extent, for example we must not ever use humour in excess to act like a fool, but at the same time we must also not pass into rudeness. Two philosophers, Anscombe and MacIntyre say that there has been a mistake in how virtues have been portrayed. The majority of people look at the actions a person does to judge whether they are virtuous or not. The way in which we behave provides an opportunity for others to judge our virtues and vices. This however is not right. People should look at the character within and  look at what the person believes is right and how they think they should help people instead of what they do to help. A famous example of a virtuous person is Mother Theresa. She helped millions of suffering people across the world and for this became well known as a virtuous person. There are hundreds of other virtuous people who would have liked to have helped but were unable to do so in such a huge way who are not considered as virtuous, but these people are just as virtuous but not recognised for it. Aristotle tells us that we are most likely to learn virtuous behaviour from watching others. If we experience others being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to practice it then if we were just told to do it. For example, if we were told to be courageous we may occasionally stand up for small things that we disagree with, but if we see someone telling others off for not doing the right thing then we are more likely to not allow bad behaviour towards ourselves. Aristotle said that the best way of becoming virtuous was to follow in the footsteps of a virtuous person, e.g. Mother Theresa and do what they do. Virtue Ethics is relative; Aristotle recognised that virtues in one country may not be the same as virtues in another. He believed that there was no absolute platonic good beyond our world. As virtues have evolved through habits of society it is probable that different societies would deem different actions good or bad. However there is no difference between the virtues of a community and individuals within that community, the supreme happiness that Aristotle talks about is one for the community, and not just and individual. MacIntyre suggests that philosophy is too far removed from ordinary life and said that it is not good enough that philosophers spend their time debating the nature of ethical language or forming reasoned theories of morality in a way that is far removed from real people and real life. All actions are done in order to reach an aim. A successive series of actions are also for an aim, for example getting up in to morning to go to work, is to make money, is to feed our families is to go on nice holidays is to but them nice things etc. all ultimate aims is to make people happy, everything is subordinate to the supreme good, which is happiness. Everyone has  different ideas of what happiness is and different things all make different people happy, and Aristotle called this feeling of all round well being eudemonia. Therefore, Virtue Ethics concentrates on what a person is then what a person does. Its aim is to achieve something, which people genuinely want rather then being based on arguably incoherent ideas about the after-life. It is a system, which can be easily applied and understood by all. It fits into a variety of philosophies, and religions, which both do and don’t include God. However, there are a few problems with Virtue Ethics. Ones of these which has been pointed out by MacIntyre is that although a virtue is the ‘golden mean’ between two vices it cannot be applied to all virtues. Virtues such as promise keeping, loyalty, and compassion do not fall between any two vices and so Aristotle’s theory of this does not really work. Another problem with this theory is that it is of little help to people faced with a moral dilemma. It does not help them make a decision like other theories such a natural law or utilitarianism.

3.European governments have recently passed legislation making it Essay

3.European governments have recently passed legislation making it easier for firms to introduce short-term employment contracts. Evaluate the implications for - Essay Example This old convention, symbolised by an interchange of job security for work done and faithfulness, is being replaced by a new convention wherein employers guarantee to teach workers and enable them to be employed in several firms, but give no assurance of permanent job. The use of short-term contract workers is not restricted to clerical work, but also clinches high-skill profession like engineering, research, computer programming, drafting etc. (Kalleberg; Knoke; Marsden 4) The method of employing provisional short-term contract employees is not a new or an innovative one. IT firms started this method in the mid part of the 1990s and they have been effectively employing contractors since the last decade. But in the last few years, there has been an increasing dependence on contract workers in the fields like medical writing, communications, sales and marketing of the products of pharmaceutical companies. Several huge pharmaceutical as well as biotech firms have understood that it is more lucrative to employ temporary workers on a required basis when compared with keeping costly permanent employees having significantly lesser work. (Contract Employment: A New Paradigm for Pharma and Biotech) Reducing cost has an effect on the size as well as structure of jobs. Companies are able to stimulate a switch of permanent jobs with that of short-term contracts. (Nunziata, L; Stafolani 73) In recent times, there have been labour changes across Europe. It has been argued that the small employment boom that has been witnessed of late in Europe has mainly been due to short-term employment. (Alesina; Giavazzi 9) In France, the law forming the First Employment Contract known as the Contrat Premiere Embauche or CPE was being passed by parliament with regard to an expansive bill relating to equal opportunities. According to the CPE, short-term work contract was to be provided with a 2-year testing

Human resources case study assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resources case study assignment - Essay Example IN 2013 total revenue generated by Babcock was 3.2 billion pounds. Trust to bring best of the products, service and long term value for shareholders. Very important issue which I see in Babcock is gender ratio in employees, majority of the employees are male and only 20% of employees are female which is not a very good number. Female representation in any organization gives a softer image to the world and another aspect is that female empowerment shows a much positive approach of an organization. Babcock should focus on this female hiring to market Babcock in business sector. Another negative point of Babcock is that they are resistant to change, business sector has one rule and that is adaptability, business growth depends upon upgrading and adapting new styles trends and procedures if they are good for company so Babcock needs to expand business by taking Babcock to different countries. This report will focus on flaws which are present in Babcock’s structure and if they elim inate those flaws then Babcock will grow as double speed as it is now. To conduct any research work it is necessary to review the literature of the study. The literature review provides us information about the work done in the specific area with theoretical framework on which the suggested solution of the problem can be built. The literature on the problem is somewhat dispersed from different sources to get a better understanding of the problem under study (KRÄMER, RINGLING & YANG, 2006). A brief review of the literature is given as: A student accountant( September 2008) in his paper explained how business process is important for defining business strategy and suggested ways through which organization can analyze performance of their already existing policies and procedures and how they can change and improve the existing system in order to meet the

Services Based Organisation Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Services Based Organisation Report - Essay Example These developmental processes include coaching, mentoring, eLearning, action learning and blended learning (Becker and Gerhart, 2009). This paper is focused on the employee development of a firm on the grounds of eLearning and how it has been improved over the years to foster employee development and using organisational resources efficiently. The purpose of the human resource management department is not only to look after the employee acquisition and performance level, but also to ensure that the firm is able to improve the employees’ skills and knowledge. An organization with a high skilled employee base is most likely to yield a higher performance level than its competitors. Therefore, it is vital for a firm to engage in employee development to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals (Baumruk and Gorman, 2009). The advent of globalization has made the global business market a more open place; this as a result has also increased the competitiveness of the industry. Therefore the companies constantly seek out new ways to improve their operational and production process so that they can stay ahead of their competitors (Eunmi, 2009). The traditional way to achieve this is to invest in high end manufacturing process and infrastructure. The firms often overlook the importance of the individuals who run the opera tional process. Moreover, owing to the myopic vision of the organization, it is caught up in achieving short term goals only, which as a result deviates the focus from the employees. This as a result reduces the productivity and efficiency of the firm as well as the chances of its sustainability (Sugumaran, 2008). Currie and Kerrin (2010) have stated that one of the effective ways of improving the productivity of the employees is to provide them with proper training. It can be defined as the planned effort of the organization to improve the competencies and knowledge base of the employees, which includes the

Embryonic cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Embryonic cells - Essay Example stem cells was discovered, and it was thought that we just might be on the threshold of an age of miracles (Cobb,2013).â€Å"Physiological studies have shown that pluripotent stem cells or embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any kind of cell. When an egg is fertilized and it reaches the blastocyst stage i.e. 4-5 days post fertilization, the embryonic cells are formed. During normal growth these cells would differentiate into different specialized and help the baby grow in the womb.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Stem cells are self-renewing, unspecialised cells that can give rise to multiple types all of specialized cells of the body† (Grier,2006) Stem cell technology involves the usage of this concept and derivation of stem cells from embryos such that the cells can be used for various therapeutic purposes and medical treatments. The procedure involves isolation of the embryonic cells from the blastocyst, artificial cell culturing using broth medium which allows cell growth to give rise to an embryonic cell line and finally stimulation of differentiation of these cells to form desired and specific cells and tissues as required. The myth is embryos are killed while harvestation of embryonic stems cells. Couples opting for IVF often have 2-3 extra embryos which they do not use and initially these embryos would end up as biomedical wastes. However, now these embryos are used for research purposes for extraction of embryonic cells which may be maintained as culture sunder laboratory conditions. Yes, it does mean that the embryo will be destroys but one needs to understand that the embryo is not a baby and is only a cluster of a few cells. It lacks organs or even lacks the human form.†Induced pluripotent embryo cells are not human organism† (Huarte & Suarez,2011) and hence ethical questions must not be raised. It rather looks like a ball than a human. Even if it was not harvested, the embryo would have to be thrown away anyways. Many have the opinion and in order

Consciousness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consciousness - Essay Example This is disturbing only if we assume that states of consciousness are mutually exclusive. Insofar as the same subject can experience different forms of consciousness (dreams and waking reality) they need not be mutually exclusive; rather, the fear is that a totally different worldview, and therefore a totally different mode of operating in the world, may be appropriate. For example, it would be unsettling if someone managed to convince us that feudalism is the correct worldview and therefore the correct modus operandi. Our defence of the current worldview (industrial capitalism) would be motivated not only by apprehensions of the alteration in our individual condition (from factory-owner to serf) but perhaps even more by our belief in the props (e.g. belief in free speech and free enterprise) of the current worldview. Our values and beliefs are ultimately determined by our social existence; our knowledge of the world is based on our social relations and conditions. The thesis he posited in contradistinction to Rene Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" and which is central to Karl Marx's body of work is that "It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness" (Critique of Political Economy 2). Existence itself does not depend on consciousness, much less on meta- consciousness; neither does life or productivity depend on consciousness. Rather, given a certain social structure and an individual's relations to it, subjective consciousness arises from physical reality. Physical reality encompasses everyday material activity (Burke 3), which is determined by the configuration of the individual or socioeconomic class in the current relations of production. An early 21st century American farmer's consciousness arises from the sum of all the activities and relationships he enters as a farmer (planting with a seed-drill, selling his grain to a corporate miller, buying seeds from a transnational biotechnology giant); it is different from the consciousness of the miller or the biotech company, and also from that of a farmer in Soviet Russia. It is different and unique not only because of his position in a salient mode of production (industrial capitalism versus socialism), but also, and equally importantly, because of the non-economic institutions that reflect and propagate that mode of production. Thus the early 21st century American farmer's consciousness is determined also by the media, the church, the system of education, the family - in short, by all that can be summed up as 'culture.' Althusser calls these cultural institutions the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) - in contrast to the Repressive State Apparatuses (Althusser 3) which operate by direct force (law, police, army). The ISAs grow up on the base of the mode of production, reflect it, and reinforce it; they represent the ideology of the dominant mode of production. This is true of every human society under every mode or production: it can be understood, not as a conspiracy (Burke 4), but as reflections in ideology of the mode of production. By reflecting the mode of production, ideology also propagates it: every time the status quo is mirrored in culture (e.g. in advertisements or

Several factors have helped bring Essay Example for Free

Several factors have helped bring Essay Several factors have helped bring about progress in medicine. In this essay, I will be discussing these factors. Firstly, I will be discussing how the government has helped to bring about progress in medicine. I will do this by giving an example and explaining. One good example is the measures taken by the government in Britain from the year 1900 to the year 1945. In total, there were nine acts and campaigns to improve health in Britain. This improved conditions in Britain and as a result, the death rate from illnesses and diseases decreased dramatically. Here is a table showing what the government did to improve medicine in Britain. 1902 Midwives Act, compulsory training and setting of standards. 1906 Education (Provision of Meals) Act, local authorities allowed to provide meals in elementary schools. 1907 Notification of Births Act, so that health visitors could be sure they visited all new babies. 1907 Education (Administrative Provision) Act, medical services provided for children at school. 1911 National Insurance Act, free medical treatment for workers who paid a contribution, but not their families. 1918 Maternal and child welfare Act, allowed local authorities to provide free clinics from pregnant woman and infants. 1930 Housing Act, slum clearance undertaken. 1940 Diphtheria immunisation campaign. 1940s Funding for the development of penicillin. War has helped and hindered progress in medicine in many ways. Medical help is needed mostly in wartime. In all wars soldiers were wounded this opened the possibilities for more progress in medicine. The best example is the progress made in the First World War, many things in medicine were improved because of the Great War. WWI was a massive worldwide conflict, more people died in it than in any other war before it. This was a result of new and deadly weapons being used for the first time. The most important breakthrough was through surgery, I will be discussing this later on in the essay. Many powerful guns and weapons were used this caused more severe wounds. In addition, more people were wounded this gave doctors and surgeons more opportunity to experiment with new techniques. Blood transfusion was very effectively improved, the storage and the transportation. Many recruits in the army had low standards of health. This made the government worry more and it also made them more eager to improve health care back home. The soldiers who fought in the war were promised good housing when they returned as a reward. This speeded up the process of getting rid of unhealthy slums in Britain. The soldiers, however, were never given these houses so they were in a way tricked into joining the army. In some ways, the First World War hindered the development of surgical techniques. It stopped a great deal of medical research. However, the war helped more than hindered. During the conflict surgeons did their best for the wounded but their methods, which worked well in a clean hospital operating theatre, were not so effective on a dirty battlefield. They had to develop new techniques to deal with the problems. Some of these techniques had an impact on surgery in civilian hospitals after the war. There were three main improvements in surgery, X-Rays, Blood transfusion and fighting infection. X-Rays were invented before the war but during the war, X-Rays were used for the first time. The X-Ray machine improved the success rate of surgeons in removing deeply lodged bullets and shrapnels, which would otherwise cause fatal infection. Blood transfusion had been used since the 1800s, but mysteriously it only worked sometimes. During WW1, scientists discovered that there were different blood groups and that the patient only recovered if he were given a blood transfusion with the same blood group as his own. This was an important discovery, which saved many lives. Finally, infected wounds, this was a real problem as most soldiers with wounds died from infection. During WW1, fighting infection was improved slightly. Surgeons cut away infected tissues and soaked the wound with a saline solution. War hindered progress in medicine in the following ways: Bullet wounds caused infection and powerful guns caused sever wounds, which not all doctors could cure. Millions of soldiers were killed and war stopped medical research doctors were taken away from their normal work to help the wounded in the war. I agree with the statement: chance by itself has never brought about progress in medicine. This is evident with Pasteurs discovery of a vaccine for chicken cholera. One of Pasteurs scientists injected a chicken with cholera; the scientist was confused because next day the chicken was not dead. Pasteur then asked him which cholera did he use, the scientist found out that the cholera he used was old and that it had been exposed to the air for a long time. They then injected the chicken with some fresh germs and they didnt work on the animal either. Pasteur decided the fresh germs were faulty he decided to try the fresh germs on different chickens. He found out there was nothing wrong with the fresh germs. Pasteur had found another vaccination. The old germs had protected the first group of chickens just like Jenners vaccine. Chance by itself has never brought about progress in medicine but it did play a big part in medicine but without the geniuses like Pasteur we may never have found out treatments and cures for deadly diseases.

Information systems and globalisation

Information systems and globalisation Task 2 Literature Review â€Å"Information systems and globalisation† The purpose of this literature review is to show how information systems relate to globalization and how different cultures affect the use of information systems. In this literature review, cultural diversity and their concerning issues, organisational behaviour, behaviours of individual at workplace due to globalization and what are the key elements for developing a truly global information systems will be discussed. Globalization affects information systems in a lot of aspects like the use of internet by general public in the world, global e-mail providers like hotmail and yahoo connects the whole world together. Information systems has big role in globalization by influencing different cultures through internet, where big economies and developed countries benefit the most out of this. Globalization has revolutionized internal management. It has also made easier the interaction between countries, regions and continents, thus contributing to profitability. It is the private sectors philosophy that propelled efforts to utilize every means, including information technology, to make companies survive, even the biggest and the most powerful company in the world. Global economic integration is growing rapidly, although the precise implications of this growth are subject to debate. The acceleration of this growth has been facilitated in part by information and communication technologies which are supporting organizations that span national and regional cultures. These cultural differences then become intra-organizational differences. As a consequence, information systems reflecting different cultural assumptions must interact effectively. Beyond the core of Western technical development and diffusion lie a number of economies of growing significance subject to a parallel development, modified by successive inward infusions of technology from the west. In North East Asia a number of economies have been relatively late adopters of many facets of office automation because of a range of cultural differences, not least their use of non-Roman characters. Haywood (1995) outlines the complexity of the development of the western alphabets and Shepard ( 1993), writing from direct experience, sets out the technical complexities of networking in an environment that must move beyond the ASCII standard. The situation is in some ways comparable to the technical handicap suffered by Western Europe before the adoption of Arabic numerals. Littleton and Yamsey (1978) emphasize the role of Arabic numerals in facilitating the emergence of the basis for western accounting practices during the fifteenth century. In conjunction with secular literacy, this technical innovation allowed a range of economic developments such as credit, capital and property rights to find expression in the development of written accounts. In North East Asia computer support for numerical and scientific tasks may have reached levels comparable with the west, but the lack of support for non- Roman text so reduced any advantages over established manual systems that office automation has been selective and partial. Such countries have made extensive and effective use of a subset of office automation technologies such as fax and telephone that do not incorporate the requirement of a specific alphabet. Castells and Hall (1994) argue that the development of the fax was driven by a Japanese desire to promote a technology which did not disadvantage them over western users. The sophisticated bit-mapping technology able to deal with ideographic text has emerged relatively late in the process of global diffusion of desktop computing. This means that these increasingly significant players in the world economy are operating in a technical context and to sets of standards, official and de facto, which have been shaped by outside cul tural assumptions. There is a cultural dimension to the established practice and expectations within organizations which imparts its own dynamic to the process of change and development. Grounded, longitudinal observation offers access to this dynamic (Badham et al. 1995; Glaser and Strauss; 1967), however, a complex issue has been further confused by the variety of ways in which culture has been formulated by different writers on organizations. One conception of organizational culture has been used to explain the relative success of individual organizations and entrepreneurs (Peters and Waterman, 1982). Other writers refer to culture in terms of national differences in social and economic organization. Latin, Anglo-Saxon and traditional cultures are reflected in distinctive organizational types identified in studies examined by Lammers and Hickson (1979). Turner (1971) describes industrial subcultures which can be identified across individual organizations, and are distinctive from the larger society. Eldridge and Crombie (1974) define organizational culture as characteristic for individual organizations while Strauss et al. (1973) describe a range of cultures within a single organization. Thompson (1967) utilized the concept of an organizational constituency capable of entering into coalition with other constituencies in order to promote its interest. Such a conception allows the formal elements of an organization to be related to the informal communication and negotiation which often modifies, or in extreme cases frustrates, the intentions of management. It also allows consideration of intra-organizational variations in culture, arising from these differences of interest and experience. The rapid growth in desk-top and end user computing during the 1980s brought about a number of profound changes in the character of organizational i nformation systems. The dramatic reduction of cost and consequently wider availability of computing resources led to a process of commoditisation, initially of the hardware platforms courtesy of the open architecture of the de facto IBM standard clone, then of the operating systems and increasingly of the basic components of business software. Hu (1992) presents several criteria by which we can judge the nationality of the global organizations. According to him truly global organizations are still to emerge and the geographical location and scope of organizations still favours the country of origin, however several prominent organizations might be known as bi-national. Hu suggests that organizations based in relatively small economic countries might locate more of their resources externally, although, management and control is likely to indicate which are the origin locations of the organizations. With some exceptions, the majority of employment is in the home country, and foreigners are not likely to be represented by the organizations. Nobes and Parker (1985) presents a number of taxonomies of different techniques in accounting practice across the globe, which relate zones of influence both to the development of modern accounting in Scotland and England, its spread over other Anglophone cultures and the effect of alternative models on the emergence of spheres of influence. This degree of institutional changes suggests that regional differences in practices will continue to let go technical internal operations for some time to come. Burris (1993) plots the emergence of a technocratic frame in Western development from the enlightenment through the industrial revolution to Taylorist scientific management to Veblens â€Å"soviet of technicians†. She argues that the technocratic rationality is the dominant paradigm for workplace organization, polarizing the internal labour market and favouring abstract diagnostic and technical activities. This paradigm carries with it a range of implicit cultural assumptions, which imply that the global diffusion of western technology is a substantively rational and inevitable process. The technocratic perspective sees cultural variation as either irrational or insignificant and not as a resource. Technocracy is gender and culture blind and incapable of acknowledging cultural differences, understanding of which is critical to smooth inter-operability. Instead a technocratic perspective sees a smooth migration of older techniques to less industrialized countries, while the cor e economies refine advanced technologies. There is already considerable evidence against such a simplistic view and Burris suggests that Reich (1992) demonstrates a better recognition of global implications for core economies, although still exhibiting a bias towards the expert sector. This bias allows optimistic interpretations of the impact of technologies by focusing on the beneficiaries within the workforce, rather than the affected workforce as a whole. IT has played a significant role in the economic and social processes of globalisation. Technology does not determine social and organizational change. The spread of ICT around the world does not result in universal patterns of organizational structure and activities. The World Wide Web is only a few years old and has witnessed explosive growth in terms of the number of people connected and the amount of information available on it. It is now possible to make available an enormous amount of information to anyone with access to the Net and, increasingly, to carry out a variety of transactions from filling in and sending forms to ordering and paying for goods and services on-line. We need to harness the potential of the technologies available. But it is not simply a matter of creating web-based content: the content has to be useful, it must be easy to access and updated regularly. We also need to take special care to ensure that use of IT does not create a new class of haves and have n ots. While, on the one hand, we increase the use of computers, we must also ensure that they are accessible and functional in the rural or remoter areas. This is extremely important because the technology makes it possible for a person in the remotest of areas to have access to the same information base on the internet as someone located at the heart of the most developed cities. However, if the rural communications and networking infrastructure as well as ‘information booths are not put in place, the technology is of no use to the people living in those areas. Internet and intranets are the important trends in new technology. The recent advantages in information technology have opened up opportunities to provide basic government services to a much broader segment of the population with optimal quality at the desired time, place and cost. Some of the state governments have taken initiative to develop â€Å"one-stop shops† to deliver a host of services to the citizens, Technology is not culturally neutral but it is developed in a cultural context and in the case of information rich countries, IT applications carry that cultural context within their designs. Applications of culturally developed systems, such as office and management systems assume the users compliance with the design culture, but this inevitably leads to cultural clashes when the systems are applied outside the design context. The idea that Information Technology (IT) can be an enabling force, not only for business and trade but also for government, has now been widely accepted. However, a cursory glance at the existing initiatives in developing countries seems to suggest a mixed picture. With the exception of several worthwhile utilization of IT in particular sectors, IT applications seem to have had no remarkable effect on the manner in which citizens benefit from the services of the government. Against this backdrop, the efforts of the developing countries to harness Information Technology seem like a major initiative to deliver an improved administration. Todays trade is highly dependent on Information Systems. Information is the most globalized of goods services. There is a low cost to transport information. Information work is readily traded. A global information system supports the operations and decision making of an enterprises multi-country strategy. A global information system supports the operations and decision making of a person over space and time. It amplifes attenuates information exchanges to free up conscious attention References: Haywood, T. (1995), Info-Rich Info-Poor: Access and Exchange in the Global Information Society, Bowker-Saur, London. Shepard, J. (1993), â€Å"Islands in the (data)stream: language, character codes, and electronic isolation in Japan†, in Harasim, L.M., Global Networks: Computers and International Communication, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Littleton, A.C. and Yamsey, B.S (1978), Studies in the History of Accounting, Arno Press, New York, NY. Castells, M. and Hall, P. (1994), Technopoles of the World: The Making of 21st Century Industrial Complexes, Routledge, London. Badham, R., Couchman, P. and Little, S. (1995), â€Å"Getting smart: developing an action research approach to the integrated management of technical and organizational innovation†, Journal of Human Systems Management, Vol. 14 No. 1. Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H. Jr (1982), In Search of Excellence, Warner, New York, NY. Lammers, C.J. and Hickson, D.J. (1979), â€Å"A cross-national and cross-institutional typology of organizations†, in Lammers, C.J. and Hickson, D.J. (Eds), Organizations Alike and Unlike: International and Inter-institutional Studies in the Sociology of Organizations, Routledge Kegan Paul, London. Turner, G. (1971), Exploring the Industrial Subculture, Macmillan, London. Eldridge, J.E.T. and Crombie, A.D. (1974), A Sociology of Organizations, Allen Unwin, London. Glaser, B. and Strauss, A.L. (1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory, Aldine, Chicago, IL. Thompson, J.D. (1967), Organizations in Action, McGraw-Hill, NJ. Percy-Smith, Janie (1996), Downloading Democracy? Information and Communication Technologies in Local Politics. Policy and Politics 24 (1): 43-56. Perry, James L. and Kenneth L. Kraemer (1993), The Implications of Changing Technology. In Frank J. Thompson, ed. Revitalizing State and Local Public Service: Strengthening Performance, Accountability and Citizen Confidence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass: 225-245. Mankin, Don, Cohen, Susan G., and Tora K. Bikson (1996), Teams and Technology: Fulfilling the Promise of the New Organization. Boston: Harvard Business School.