Julius Caesar Essays - Julius Caesar, Iulii, Cleopatra, Calpurnia

Julius Caesar The era of Julius Caesar was a time when many people's feelings toward the government began to change. This was one of the first times in Roman history when people began to question the power of their ruler. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, we see a brief picture of this Roman life during the time of the First Triumvirate. In this snap shot, many unfortunate things occur as a result of these strong feelings towards the government of that time. Shakespeare gives us the idea that many people try to circumvent what the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being superstitious. Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life of most Roman citizens, and exists as an important, deciding factor in the events and outcome of the play itself. The setting of the first scene of the play is based upon superstition. The Feast of Lupercal is in honor of the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this time, infertile females are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are supposed to be able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of sexual glorification and happiness. Other scenes depict how mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power to predict the future, roam the streets of Rome. Dictating what is to come through terse tidbits, these people may also be looked upon as superstitious. In the opening scene, one sooth-sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March," an admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although sooth-sayers are looked upon by many as insane, out of touch lower classmen, a good deal of them, obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why citizens would distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements such as the Feast of Lupercal, as well as on a personal level such as with the sooth-sayers, is an important factor in determining the events and the outcome of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and a significant force throughout the entire course of the play. Before the play fully unravels, we see other signs of Caesar's tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning, we see another sign during Caesar's visit with the Augerers, the latter day "psychics". They find "No heart in the beast", which they interpret as advice to Caesar that he should remain at home. Caesar brushes it off and thinks of it as a rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a coward if he does not go out, and so he dismisses the wise advice as hearsay. However, the next morning, his wife Calpurnia wakes up frightened due to a horrible nightmare. She tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the heart of Rome, "Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar painfully dying, such that "...The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." Although Caesar realizes Calpurnia is truly concerned about his well being, he seeks another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that the person who imagines the dream may not be the wisest one to interpret it's meaning. Later Caesar tells his faithful companion Decius about it, and he interprets it quite the contrary, "That it was a vision fair and fortunate," and indeed, today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the day "To give a crown to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is implying here that today is a day where much appreciation and appraisal will be given to Caesar, surely not the endangerment of his well being as Calpurnia interprets it. Caesar predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy believing the more positive of two interpretations. After Caesar's assassination at the hand of Brutus, Cassius, and the rest of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius are chased into the countryside, where we see a few superstitious signs of their forthcoming painful death in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's "ghost", interpreted as an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon the ensign, and instead of the usual stock of eagles, ravens and kites replace them, construed as another sign of their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly, Caesar's death is avenged in the end, with two of the conspirators, Titanius and Brutus' double suicide. The play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, clearly reveals how important superstition was to the people of Rome at the time of

Management Information System Essays

Management Information System Essays Management Information System Essay Management Information System Essay Faculty of Business, Economics and Public Policy University of Brunei Darussalam Negara Brunei Darussalam Semester II (2011/2012) Module Title: Management Information System (BB5107) Coursework: How can IS/IT help my Organization? A coursework submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Name| Hj Mohd Shril Hj Matsawali| Registration No. | 11M0030| Programme| Master of Business Administration| Lecturer| Dr Hj Mohammad Nabil Almunawarah| Deadline| 15th April 2012| - Abstract This research approaches the issues on role of Information System and how it help organizations, with the aim of finding some conditions that make the organizational context able to manage the change process needed to really get the potential benefits of these technologies. This paper will further explain the process, types, benefits and how to ensure effective implementation of information system. Introduction In any business organization, data is the most important thing. Different type of information is produced from data. When the amount of data is large, it becomes more difficult to process this data manually. In order to get quick results and timely information, an Information System is used in almost all organizations. Information Systems (IS) development raises many important challenges to organizations. Nowadays, depending on the type of organization, to some extent business processes are supported by some kind of IS. It is not unusual to have in some organizations information and procedures islands lacking from a desirable integrated access to information. Managers are increasingly recognizing the competitive and strategic value of information systems. It has been considered that information is the most valuable assets in any organization apart from its personnel, financial capital, plant and equipment because it describes these physical resources and the environment in which they exist. Owning and upgrading their information system is now not an option in this technology-driven era; it is a requirement because organization that use an up-to-date information system to gather, assimilate, and evaluate internal as well as external information are gaining competitive advantage over other firms. What is an organisation? Organization is a social  unit  of people, systematically  structured and managed to meet a  need  or to pursue collective  goals on a  continuing  basis ( businessdictionary. com). An organization is a stable, formal social structure that takes resources from the environment and processes them to produce outputs. (http://phaariz. files. wordpress. com/2010/03/laudon-feature-3. pdf) They are also bureaucracies with clear-cut divisions of labor and specialization and arrange these specialists in a hierarchical manner in which everyone is accountable to someone and authority is limited to specific actions governed by abstract rules or procedures that must abide by laws. The organization is devoted to the principle of efficiency: maximizing output using limited inputs. Other features of organizations include business processes, organizational culture, organizational politics, surrounding environments, structure, goals, constituencies, and leadership styles. Organization is also considered to be an information entity (Lucas H. R. Jr (1994). This means that organization collect and assemble data from number of sources. Data is considered by scholar to be streams of raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical environment before they have been organized and arranged into a form people can understand and use which is usually called information. Information is data that have been shaped into a form that is meaningful and useful to humans. The information however was viewed as an unfortunate, costly by product of doing business – simply â€Å"red-tape† (Laudon K. C, Laudon J. P. 1995). Thus, all of these features surrounding the organization must be acquired and analyzed and this affects the kinds of information systems used by organizations. How organization work traditionally before IS It is important to first understand how organization operates traditionally way before information system is introduced before it can show and compare how information system improve and help organisation. Under the old paradigm, the firm was governed by a relatively rigid functional structure inhibits cross-functional information flows. One of the other key problems identified in conventional organisation is working in silos. Silos are organisational units where there is a breakdown in communication, co-operation and co-ordination with both internal and external parties. In a paper quoting a 2003 Survey on Leadership Challenges by the American Management Association, Florence Stone notes that: â€Å".. getting people who have different agendas to work together is amongst the biggest obstacles facing business today† (Stone, 2004, p 11 cited at Fenwick et al p. ). In a recent paper Conrad Guelke notes that â€Å". organisational parochialism is characterised by a lack of co-operation between [and within] agencies. In a corporate environment where decision-making is being increasingly â€Å"unbundled†, and business unit fiscal performance is the priority, the values of teamwork and co-operation are often neglected† (Guelke, 2005, p 749 cited at Fenwick et al 2009 p. 3). Most organisations and organ isational units will have some silo characteristics at any given time. But silos become problematic when they are develop to a point that good performance suffers. The challenge is to indentify silos that are problematic or that threaten to become so, and to identify and take remedial steps. One of the ways to overcome this problem is by the setting up an information system in the organisation. What is Information System? An information system is a set of organized procedures that, when executed, provides information to support the organization (Lucas H. C. Jr 1994). According to Laudon K. C. et al. 1995), an information system is a set of interrelated components that sense, communicate, analyze, and display information for the purpose of enhancing perception, understanding, control and creative ability. Alter S. (1991) however argued that information system is a combination of work practices, information, people, and information technologies organized to accomplish goals in an organization. Information systems (IS) are sets of components that are organ ized in a way that supports the execution of some function(s) (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering IEEE, 1990 cited at Obeng S. 010). Nickerson (2000) does not limit the components to being only technical – such as computers and code – but sees that the people, the processes, and the information are also parts of an information system. Therefore it can be said that an information system is a system that provides management and other personnel within an organization with up-to-date information regarding the organizations performance; for example, current inventory and sales. Thus, it is important to understand the relationship or role of information ystem in any organization and how it would directly help them. An IS system isnt just a collection of hardware and software, its much more than that, its a tool. This tool can be used in a number of ways, and the value of it really depends on how a business opts to utilize it (Goessl L. 2008). Information systems are rarely innovative or out of the box business solutions. However manager will not be able to design new systems successfully or understand existing systems without understanding your own business organization. Relationship of Information System with Organization All businesses share one common asset, regardless of the type of business. It does not matter if they manufacture goods or provide services. It is a vital part of any business entity, whether a sole proprietorship or a multinational corporation. That common asset is information. The amount of information in organizations is heavily increasing and it has become vitally important to efficiently manage and share information inside the organization (Anna, 2009 cited at Obeng S. 2010). Information enables us to determine the need to create new products and services. Information tells us to move into new markets or to withdraw from other markets. Without information, the goods do not get made, the orders are not placed, the materials are not procured, the shipments are not delivered, the customers are not billed, and the business cannot survive. Information is considered to be the lifeblood of any organization (http://wiki. answers. com). It has far lesser impact when presented only as raw data. On the other hand damaged or lost data due to unorganized can cause disruptions in normal business activities leading to financial losses, law suits, etc. Companies have to be shifted in adopting new technology in order to remain competitive in a continuously developing business environment. This is where information systems (IS) come into play. In other words in order to maximize the value of information, it must be captured, analyzed, quantified, compiled, manipulated, made accessible, and shared through an information system (IS). It must be designed, developed, administered, and maintained which suits organizational needs and requirement. Information systems are organizational subsystems that perform ork related to information (Lucas H. C. Jr (1994) p. 52) Companies and other organizations are investing great sums in introducing information systems in the organization hoping to be able to make business more efficient and information sharing smoothly (Anna, 2009 cited at Obeng S. 2010). A sophisticated computer information system enables companies to monitor employees, to keep managers and employees informed, to coordinate activitie s among divisions, or even to sell their products to customers via the internet. Moreover, in the era of information technology like this, information has become valuable organizational asset just like human resources and inventories. Furthermore, a good information system can facilitate direct communication between firm and suppliers, manufacturers, dealers, and marketers. Together, they can create a value chain as though they were in one organization (Axos 2008). Information systems, which comprise hardware, software, data, applications, communication and people, help an organization to better manage and secure its critical corporate, customer and employee data. Information systems also improve integration and work processes and organization can gain continuous benefits. An information system can be a mainframe, mid-range or network computer concept that allows distributed processing for a group of users accessing the same software application. These systems provide management with control over their data, with various tools to extract data or view data structures and records. The role of an information system is to foster a data management environment that is robust and can be expanded according to an organizations strategic plan for information processing. An information system also satisfies diverse information needs in an organization Roles of Information System in an Organization One reason information system plays such an important role in organization and affect so many people is the soaring power and the decline on cost of computer technology. Organization nowadays can use powerful communication networks to access different locations around the world and coordinate activities across time and space. These networks are transforming the shape and the form of business enterprises. This report will not look into detail on the network used, instead will be focusing on the role and the capability of information system which required the organization to redesign, transform structure, scope of operations, reporting and control mechanisms, work practices, work flows, products and services (Lo P. 2005) Information system can flatten organizations which mean it can reduce number of employees and management levels. In other words, organization can reshape and retrench employee who is in redundancy and no longer need some of the positions. Thus, it reduces the number of levels in an organization by providing managers with information to supervise larger numbers of workers and by giving lower-level employees more decision-making authority. Team members can collaborate closely even from distance locations which means that the management span of control also been broadened. This means managers can manage and control more workers spread over greater distances. Through information system it is now possible to separate work from location and they can organize globally while working locally by the usage of e-mail, internet, and video conferencing. According to Laudon K. C. ; Laudon J. P. 2000, it can link people, assets and ideas to create and distribute products and services without being limited to traditional organizational boundaries or physical location and hence enabling different companies to join together to provide goods and services without physical linkage. It can also help to reorganize work flows and processes and have been progressively replacing manual work procedures with automated work procedures. It allows organization to cut costs significantly through displacing paper and manual routine as well as improving customer service. Redesigned workflows can also facilitate organization efficiency and can enable new organizational structures, products and services. Information system can increase flexibility to both small and large organizations by increasing their ability to respond to changes in the marketplace and to take advantage of new opportunities. It enables transactions such as payments and purchase orders to be exchanges electronically among different companies, thereby reducing the cost of obtaining products and services from outside the firm. Organization can share business data, catalogues or mail messages through such systems. It can create new relationships between organization, its customers and suppliers because information system automates the flow of information across organizational boundaries (Laudon K. C. ; Laudon J. P. (2000). Information System concepts Laudon K. C. ; Laudon J. P. (1995) p. 6 stated three common activities in an information system produce the information organizations need for making decisions, controlling operations, analyzing problems and creating new products or services. Input is the raw data from the world around us (Laudon K. C. et al (1995) p. 2). In other word input captures or collects raw data from within the organization or from its external environment. For example, Customers information, organization’s products and services, internal operations, competitors and all the external data on the economy, markets etc. Processing entails converting this raw data into a useful form which means that computers are used to store data and then manipulate, rearrange, and an alyze this data according to a set of instructions called a program or software. The result of processing on the other hand is called output. Output entails displaying information to users which means that it transfers the processed information to the people or activities where it will be used. For example, many organizations would want their information to be disseminated and shared to the external parties which include the public, stockholders, government and etc. Types of Information Systems in organization Information systems must be sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of users at different levels in an organization. Facilitating the input, processing and output as mentioned earlier requires the use of several different types of information system. Thus, there are different types of information system used in organization. These include transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems and executive information systems. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) Transaction processing systems help production workers to process transactions. Transaction means an event surrounding the production, distribution, sale and transportation of goods and services (Laudon K. C. et al 1995), cash deposits, payroll, credit decisions and the flow of material in the factory (Laudon K. C. ; Laudon J. P. 1995). The powerful feature of TPS is their ability to record routine and well-structured processes (Rowley J. 1996). It also helps to record sales, inventory or financial data. For example if an item were sold, the transaction processing system would ensure that the sale was posted in the sales journal and later when the invoice is raised to the accounts receivable file and to the inventory records. Output would be a printed list of detailed monthly statements for customers or a screen display of the stock levels of items in stock. Management Information System (MIS) Management information systems support managers in making decisions and to produce meaningful reports for managerial use (Rowley J. 1996). The purpose of this system is to help the business firm integrate new knowledge into the business and help organization control the flow of paperwork (Laudon K. C. ; Laudon J. P. 1995). MIS are suitable to use in decision making situations where the information requirements can be gathered and access in advance and the need for information occurs regularly. The highly structured information provided by these systems allows managers to evaluate an organizations performance by comparing current with previous outputs chris-kimble. com/Courses/World_Med_MBA/Types-of-Information-System. html. An example might be the decision to change the price of a given product. In order to make such a decision it is useful to have data on production costs, existing profitability of the product, past sales of that and other products, and the effect that a previous price rise had on sales, as well as data concerning the prices of comparable products from competitors. Decision Support Systems (DSS) Decision support systems help managers monitor, control, organize work, (Laudon K. C. et al 1995) decision making, and administrative activities (Laudon K. C. Laudon J. P. 1995). It is an information system that assists managers with unique, non-recurring strategic decisions that are relatively unstructured (Rowley J. 1996). According to Keen and Morton 1978, the systems support non-routine decision making (as cited in Laudon K. C. Laudon J. P. 1995, p. 13). A decision support system must be very flexible freetutes. com/systemanalysis/types-of-information-system. html It typically provides periodic reports rather than instant information on operations. It is therefore tend to support tactical and strategic decision making in situations where the risk associated with any error is high and a mistake can have serious consequences. These systems are often used to analyze existing structured information and allow managers to project the potential effects of their decisions into the future. An example is a relocation control system that reports on the total moving, house hunting, and home financing costs for employees in all company divisions, noting wherever actual costs exceed budgets. Executive Information Systems (EIS) Executive information systems are designed to assist top-level executives in the acquisition and use of the information that is necessary to support them in their top management of the organization (Rowley J. 1996). In other words it helps them to tackle and address key strategic issues and long term need, both in the firm and in the external environment. Executive Information System are designed to be operated directly by executives without the need for intermediaries and easily tailored to the preferences of the individual using them chris-kimble. com/Courses/World_Med_MBA/Types-of-Information-System. html. EIS support them by providing them quick access to detail and investigation of a problem once the problem or opportunity has been identified. Output on the screen often uses a mixture of graphics and tables. Benefits of using Information Systems Organization practicing pervasive as information systems has a wide range of significant benefits. They often view these as assets and a means to gain a competitive lead in their respective industry. There are number of benefits that organization could gain are as stated below: Enhance jobs Implementing Information Systems can make jobs more efficient in terms of releasing employees to do other important tasks. It is no longer for staff needed to spend valuable time sorting through statistics, data and other pertinent information because the system has ability to gather it for them. Information System provides a cost-effective way to conduct transactions, significantly cutting down the time involved in processing. Differentiation Information System provides the ability to strategically define organization in a way that makes the business stand out from the competition. Information systems can be integrated in such a way where customers can be offered something no one else provides. With a unique design that makes your business appealing to do business with, you can easily increase your customer base. Decision Making Information systems allow the vital element of providing real-time information. In todays competitive environment, a manager needs to make rapid decisions and to do this effectively and they need the most up to date information available to assist them. Properly designing their IS to custom fit the needs will enable them to accomplish this. Communication Information systems possess ways to effectively and efficiently share information. Automated communication is a time and resource saver and can add tremendous value to business. With the help of information system, communication can become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. Organization can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing. Globalization   IS has not only brought the world closer together, but it has allowed the worlds economy to become a single interdependent system. This means that organization can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but they can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information system allowing countries from different continent who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas and information with each other. Increasing Revenues IS used technology to generate revenue, for example by making information products available through computer systems (Lucas H. C. Jr 1994). There is an abundance of financial databases and services to which one can subscribe. It is possible to obtain hundreds of types of data about companies and their financial conditions. The Internet is the main source to advertise your products. Information system on the other hand has also helped to computerize the business process thus streamlining businesses to make them extremely cost effective money making machines. This in turn increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less strenuous working conditions. Reducing Costs -One of the main benefits of implementing IS/IT in organizations has been cost savings. For instance, organization has automated clerical tasks to reduce costs. Insurance companies and banks on the other hand generate products that are really information; bills, notices, renewals, and so on represent output, products that must be printed and distributed to customers. These systems have resulted in elimination of existing positions, whereas others have reduced the number of additional employees needed in the future. Taking Ernst Young for example, the company has successfully reduced its office space by 2 million square feet by allowing their employees to work from home. bukisa. om/articles/20243_the-importance-of-information-system#ixzz1rMCWg2Uz Improving Quality One reason to use IS/IT is to improve the quality of output: computer aided design is a good example. An engineer or draftsman uses a computer terminal to create engineering drawings. He or she stores the drawing on a computer file; it can be recalled later for easy modification. A system like this will also plot a drawing copy; changes are redrawn in minutes. The system reduces m uch of the time of design work and has dramatically reduced the need for draftsman. Another example is through the usage of electronic data interchange (EDI) which connects firms to each other electronically. A typical application is order entry and acknowledgement. The use of EDI contributes to quality by reducing the opportunity for errors since data are entered only once. An information system offers a litany of benefits that help to make the process of managing information easier. Central access, easy back up, central distribution of information, easy record keeping, easy tax preparation, as well as easy customer trait identification blurtit. com/q8104822. html More and more people are working from their homes nowadays. Information technology has become so sophisticated it allows people to choose to work from home. Teleconferencing and video conferencing enable employees to beam in whenever needed How to ensure effective implementation of IS in organization When manager has decided to change processes along with software, they must create a phased in approach to their organizations changes in order to make the change successful. Usually the push towards a new software system is backed by a need to change business from the current way of doing things. Organization will become more efficient, to reduce paper usage, to provide better audit trail, to better market and care for a customer base and/or many other reasons. In order to implement change it is better to use conversion strategies in which to implement new system they cannot just simply forget the old system completely, it must done simultaneously so that change would become more effective. This is because if there is anything happen to the new system, the old system can still be easily retrieved. Changing too many things at once may overwhelm organizations staff. In addition, unless it is a very large company with a dedicated project team, it is very likely that they will not have the resources to properly supervise and implement both new software and new process. It is essential to really understand the full functionality of the system until it is implemented and are utilizing it for a period of time. Manager in organization will make better process decisions after going through the nuts and bolts pieces of the conversion and can now focus on all the bells and whistles the software offers. Organization need to provide sufficient training. It also allows staff to brainstorm with one another as they are getting used to the softwares functionality. It is vital to follow up training after implementation of the system, even if it is only a brief overview. Doing so, will allow manager to realize the full benefits of their system. It will also give organization updated information on the system. It is vital to involve the right people in the organization. It is also important to identify a champion in each key area of the organization that can ensure the success of the implementation. The champions do not necessarily need to be management, or supervisors. In fact, a trusted peer that is dedicated to the project may be able to better connect to the staff on the level of their daily duties (as well as provide excellent feedback regarding implementation details during the project). No matter what approach is being used by organization, implementing new software can definitely be a busy and stressful. Using these tips will assist more or less assist organization to a successful implementation. Conclusion In conclusion, it is surprising facts that there are many more companies still do not use information system in their organization. Information system enables companies to react, respond, cater, store, retrieve, disseminate, and control their new valuable asset that is information. In the years to come, a good information system within a company will be no longer an option; it will become a compulsory in determining success and to gain competitive advantage. Implementing a new system typically comes with a large price tag, but if business requirements and processes are properly and accurately identified, the payoffs can be big. Investing in information systems keeps a business competitive and helps an organization carry the ability to maintain visible status in the global economy. Without IS, a business will more than likely fall rapidly behind. The benefits of integrating technology within an organization can truly be limitless depending on the level of creativity, strategic planning and innovation in the decision making processes. REFERENCES Alter S. 1991, Information Systems: A Management Perspective, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. Axos 2008, The Importance of Information System bukisa. om/articles/20243_the-importance-of-information-system Fenwick T. et al. 2009, Reducing the Impact of Organizational Silos in Resilience, Resilient Organisations Research Report – 2009/01. resorgs. org. nz/pubs/Silos. pdf Laudon K. C. Laudon J. P. 1995, Essentials of Management Information System, Prentice Hall Inc. ________________________ 2000, Management Information Systems, Prentice Hall, New Jersey bonissen. de/ib/summaries/Business%20Informatics%20(2-3). PDF Laudon K. C. et al 1995, Information Technology: Concepts and Issues, Boyd Fraser Publishing Company. Lo. P 2005, The Information System Revolution peter-lo. com/Teaching/M7011/L01. pdf Lucas H. C. Jr 1994, Information Systems Concepts for Management, 5th Edition, Mitchell McGraw Hill Rowley J. 1996, The Basics of Information Systems, 2nd Edition, Library Association Publishing Obeng S. 2010 Information System and Its Importance in Organizations: Case Study of LA General Hospital modernghana. com/blogs/270543/31/information-system-and-its-importance-in-organizat. html Benefits of Information System accessed from: mallbusinessbible. org/advan_disadvan_informationtechnology. html helium. com/items/1703037-the-benefits-and-challenges-of-using-information-systems-in-business basicsofcomputer. com/is_information_system_development_process. htm Types of Information System accessed from: ehow. com/list_6117086_types-information-systems-business-organization. html basicsofcomputer. com/information_system_in_an_organization. htm freetutes. com/systemanalysis/types-of-information-syste m. html ocstoc. com/docs/53534622/Types-of-Information-System docstoc. com/docs/94523820/Types-of-IS chris-kimble. com/Courses/World_Med_MBA/Types-of-Information-System. html What is Organization Accessed from: http://phaariz. files. wordpress. com/2010/03/laudon-feature-3. pdf helium. com/items/853154-maximizing-information-systems-to-gain-a-competitive-advantage businessdictionary. com/definition/organization. html#ixzz1qhG5iYu7 http://wiki. answers. com/Q/Why_do_organizations_need_information_systems

Raytheon Corporations New International Market in South Africa Research Paper - 4

Raytheon Corporations New International Market in South Africa - Research Paper Example When it comes to devising the most effectual security solutions, Raytheon Corporation employs all its proficiency at its disposal. Raytheon Corporation exploits all its advanced technological expertise and partnering with its experienced teammates and clients in the security field. As an integrator, Raytheon Corporation employs software solutions and equipment that are best suited to meet particular security requirements by clients. The key aspect of Raytheon Corporation’s growth can be attributed to its strong dedication to the international marketplace (Raytheon Corporation, 2014).  With the present global economy, the risk of expanding into other nations can be high; however, South Africa may be a strategic spot in Africa owing to its transportation location and its stabilizing economy. With the South African government being the main target of this expansion, this move may also be the most favorable for Raytheon Corporation. The South African government has the full capa city to expend whatever may be required to aid in maintaining the safety of its assets. South Africa possesses a huge potential to do business with since it has a relatively stable political and economic system. Moreover, South Africa has an excellent position in the African continent; for this reason, it makes transportation by sea more cost efficient and easier.  South Africa’s current exchange rate stands at one U.S. dollar against 10.5432 South African Rand (Oanda, 2014). The political risk in South Africa would be minor since there have been close political ties between the U. S. and South Africa since 1994. With these well-built political ties among the two countries and the multiple ambassadorial trips that are taken by both parties since 1994, the risk of immediate losses owing to politics would be little. Moreover, there is also a local U.S. embassy established in South Africa, to address various diplomatic

Wal-Mart on Becoming the World's Largest Company Essay

Wal-Mart on Becoming the World's Largest Company - Essay Example This was another great idea because store managers were more motivated to succeed and improve their individual stores. Another philosophy Walton had was locating his stores in small towns as opposed to large cities. This allowed him to avoid competition from larger retailers. He also created clusters of stores within a specific region and had giant warehouses built in the middle of these clusters in order to supply the stores in that region (â€Å"Wal-Mart,† 2009). These various strategies and management philosophies that Walton employed made Wal-Mart a tremendous success. Wal-Mart continued to expand in the 80s. Walton introduced â€Å"Sam’s Club† stores in 1983, which allowed customers to buy consumer goods at bulk-quantity prices. In 1987, Wal-Mart purchased a state of the art networking system that instantly communicated inventory and sales information across their network of stores. This greatly increased efficiency and gave Wal-Mart another edge over its co mpetitors. A year later, Wal-Mart introduced their first â€Å"Supercenter† which combined their retail store with a supermarket. They continued to grow in the 90s as they went international in 1995 and introduced the first â€Å"Neighborhood Market† stores, which specialize in groceries, in 1998 (â€Å"Wal-Mart,† 2009).

Global issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Global issues - Assignment Example It is apparent that the city’s culture upholds the challenges faced by the disadvantaged and unfortunate children as necessary to the creation of happiness, a practice despised by the enlightened individuals who resolve to find solace in an unknown destiny. 3. Annie Dillard’s narration of seeing as a factor born to an individual’s verbalization in calling for attention is presumably an ideal illusion (231). Arguably, a person is capable of idealizing the occurrence of an event after realizing the apparent need to pay attention. Therefore, an individual acquires information from seeing and communicating the importance of an event to his brain for the mind to relay additional impulses that will increase the level of attention. 4. Annie Dillard’s narration provokes the perception that the human eye is different from a camera in various aspects. For example, the eye depends on a person’s conscience to conceptualize the events and communicate them to his brain for memorization while a camera depends on the user’s intention to capture and process an occurrence through the device (235). The similarity depicted between a camera and an eye is evident in the visualization and attentiveness provided in capturing a distinct

HR Practices for Competitive Advantage

HR Practices for Competitive Advantage The world nowadays is gradually moving fast bringing along several changes in our lives, culture and many others. In other part organisations do encompasses from time to time those experiences which are for some outrageous and therefore impossible to overcome new situations. According to Boddy (2005), human resource is the effective use of human resources in other to enhance organisational performance. This part in organisation is a great starting point, to easily manage the way people with react depending on coming change situation. General environment sometimes known as the macro -environment includes economic, political, social and technological factors that generally affect all organisations. The general factor can split into two aspects as the external environment which for most organisations is a constantly changing source of threats and opportunities this part consist of elements beyond the organisation such as the competitors or the wider PESTLE. Follow by the internal factor s which mostly target the element within the organisation, such as its business processes. We will clearly elaborate in the rest of our work which practises are sustainable and worthy to keep up with competitive advantage and help organisations remain in the top. PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANISATION The importance of human resources within an organization is becoming increasingly understood in todays rapidly changing and uncertain business environment (Davidson Griffin 2000: 18). In order to assist employees in helping an organization to reach its strategic business goals, effective human resource managers often gather job related information in a job analysis and job description, which is vital to creating or re-designing jobs which provide employees with a high level of job satisfaction (Stone 2002: 123). The basic human resource activity of gathering detailed information about a particular jobs duties, tasks and responsibilities, can help organizations achieve strategic goals more efficiently and effectively by avoiding both duplication and overlapping of work in jobs. According to Guest (1987) model of HRM policies goals, this stresses four key concepts- strategic integration, commitment, flexibility and quality. An organization which consists of people with formally assigned roles that works together to achieve the organizations goals, and the manager is the one responsible for the accomplishment of the goals and the management of peoples efforts. Most experts agree that managing involves five functions which represent the managing process as: Planning: establish goals and standards, developing rules and procedures, developing plans and forecasting. Organizing that consists to give each subordinate a specific task. Example1: the human resource manager of Great North Easter Railway decides to elaborate a new management planning which consists to emphasize on customer service and to introduce core competencies for others line mangers. The investment taking the companys annual training budget to  £1.25 million whereby twenty on-board coaches will work alongside inspectors, caterers and others staff to assist them in meeting new delivery standards. Traditionally, managers have told employees what to do say the companys HR development manager, who worked with many members of the coaching staff. The idea of appointing coaches is to create a peer group on board the trains that will help to enhance customer service; also some of the money will be spent on a management new training program. (HRM guide, April 2001) The strategic integration has two interrelated meanings. First here is an internal coherence and integration of employment management policies and practices with each others. For example, if work organization emphasizes teamwork then it would be individu to have a reward system that stressed individual contribution. The second dimension of integration is of human resourcing strategy with overall business strategy. Indeed, there cannot be a human resourcing strategy independent of business strategy, but there needs to be a close interrelationship between the two.. Example2: SAP is a company helping small and medium business to transform their inefficiencies into opportunities by creating innovative and sustainable strategy in long term. In this company HR departments are now being asked to do more with less. To meet this challenge head on, forward-thinking executives are thinking out of the box to transform their fundamental approach to operations. They are adopting progressive approaches including self-service, shared services, and business process outsourcing to gain efficiency, lower costs, and increase service quality on a global scale. Through this transformation, they are finding compelling ways to spend less time on repetitive transactional tasks and focus more on activities and programs that have a greater sustainable impact on the business. To achieve a HR efficiency SAP combine a deep understanding of developing and implementing seamless business models with industry best practices in HR service delivery (www.SAP,2010) Therefore they are able to: Provide self-service access to standard processes via kiosk, laptops, telephony, or mobile devices, so employees can complete routine tasks without the aid of HR staff Support a shared-services model for centralizing expertise, which improves quality and consistency while lowering costs Reach all employees in a cost-efficient manner via a centralized help desk. The second concept, commitment is at the heart of HRM-style policies. The objective is to elicit from employees attitudinal and behavioural commitment that will deliver service to customers and enhance the standing and reputation of the organization and hence its profits. Thus commitment behaviours should ideally come from within the employees who should go through processes of selection; induction and leadership understand what is required of them and deliver it, all the without a constant need of checking and supervising, so that those line tasks may be removed from the organizational structures. Another dimension of the Guest model is quality. Here there is meant to be an interrelationship between high quality employees in whom employers are prepared to invest and develop in the belief that such employees will in turn deliver high quality goods and services that will help distinguish organization from competitors. (Leopold, 2001) Example3: in May 2010 Pepsico the fizzy drink company launched a revolutionary idea involving at the same time high commitment and high quality within the organisation. the company ideas generation by 2020 will be to send nothing to landfill across its supply chain and make all its product packaging from renewable sources. At the same time its agriculture operations call Pepsico plans to use its long term farming contracts to halve the water and carbon impacts of its key crops, such as potatoes and oats. According to the vice president companys the environmental programme is setting of ambitious goals that are beyond the companys current knowledge and how to achieve them. (The guardian, May 2010) Flexibility is also a key in the HRM world, but here the emphasis is more functional rather than rhetorical. The main purpose for that will be to develop workers to be able to operate over a number of key tasks and to end previous demarcation line between particular skills and functions. Example4: During the 1980s the subject of flexibility became a topic of considerable debate partly shaped by the influential Institute of Manpower Studies now (Employment Studies). based on the fact that is possible to identify various types of flexibility which it was suggested , could be combined to form part of a coherent strategy- what now became a flexible firm. Four main types of flexibility are usually identified. The flexibility of work time and particular use of a stock of part-time workers, here the theory of the American engineer Frederick Taylor who focused his idea on, the relationship between the worker and the machine-based production system. Taylor believed the way to achieve the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee was to ensure that each worker reached their state of maximum efficiency.(Taylor, 1917) also contract flexibility regularly use in work agency as REED, Blue Harrow and many others were by workers can join and leave anytime they are willing to because the contract are mostly in short term, although some companies may start by a temporary contract and lastly permanent one. Flexibility reward and functional flexibly are also part of the components (Towers, 1998) IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES FACTORS IN ORGANISATION. The external factors are generally considered to be beyond the direct influence of an individual company. Although many organizations recognize the importance of the environment, all often this analysis ends up making a small or minimal contribution to strategy analysis and formulation in this particular case in relation with human resource importance within the company while undergoing those change.(Bensoussan, Fleisher, 2008) Political/legal influences include governmental regulations, employment and company law, privatisation/ deregulation policies ,government stability, European Union directives and define both formal and informal rules under which a firm must operate. Example5: European governments are gradually liberalising postal services. In 2000 the German government sold a 25 per cent interest in Deutsche Post, German s post operator. Some years before, a US parcels and logistics group, UPS, had complained to the European Commission (EC) in Brussels that Deutsche Post was using its monopoly profit on domestic letters to unfairly subsidise acquisitions and expansion into the international logistic market. In March 2001, following a long inquiry, the EC found Deutsche Post guilty of predatory pricing and anti-competitive practices. The company was fined 24 million Euros and required to split its operations, creating a separate entity to run its business parcel services. The postal operator faces a second EC investigation into whether its use of cash from state-owned property sales effectively constitutes illegal state aid. A finding against the operator in this case could mean receipts having to repay with serious financial consequences for the company. (The economist, 24 march 2001) Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firms cost of capital. For instance interest and inflations rates, exchange and unemployment rates, economic growth, labour costs, energy availability and cost, disposable incomes and the business cycle. Globalisation of some market is being driven by increasing competition and the search for cost advantages. Example6: electronics companies such as National Semiconductor or Seagate have switched many production facilities to low wage economies in Asia to cut costs. Similarly, Marks and Spencer chose to use outsourcing by serve long standing relationships with British clothing manufacturers in order to source clothing supplies from lower cost countries such as Turkey and India. (Boddy, 2002) Social-cultural factors include the demographic and cultural aspects of the external microenvironment. These factors affect the customers needs, changing lifestyle, demographics, values in society, change in consumer tastes and preferences and also level of education. The last factor is the technological one. technology is an increasingly important environment influence and is leading many management to considers fundamentally the way they would have to operate the business, consequently an HR department may carefully target on managing skills when technology go along in term of dealing with the high level of competition. This can influence the business from its overall strategic position through how to manage marketing, design, production and distribution. For example7: The technological innovation brings up an online shopping at Tesco. The leading British supermarket, has become the worlds biggest online retailer. Started in 2000, the business covers 90 per cent of the UK population. By mid-2001 it was taking 70,000 weekly orders, worth 6 million and already turning in a profit. Tescos success is based on its store- picking system, under which orders made up by specially employed pickers selecting items from the shelves of existing stores, using a computer- based system. This contrasts with the system of dedicated warehouses used by other e-tailers that demand a high throughput to be viable and have so far struggled to cover costs. The success of Tescos model attracted the attention of Californians biggest food retailer as well, Safeway. The two have struck a deal under which Tesco is to export its technology in return for a 35 per cent stake in Safeways online business, Groceworks. ROLE OF HR DURING CHANGE While organizations face such a change HR department has to put into place several strategies to overcome the situation. Several strategies can be state as: High performance management or high performance working aims to make an impact on the performance of the organization in such areas as productivity, quality, and levels of customer service, growth and profits. high performance management practices includes a very strict recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance processes. These practices are often called high performance works systems which, as defined by (Appelbaum et al, 2000), comprise practices that can facilitate employee involvement, skill enhancement and motivation. Moreover another strategy that can be use by an HR is a high commitment described by (Wood, 1996) as a form of management which is aimed at eliciting a commitment so that behaviour is primarily self-regulated rather than controlled by sanctions and pressures external to the individual, and relations within the organization are based on the high level of trust. Lastly high involvement works practices that are a specific set of human resource practices that focus on employee decision making power, access to information, training and incentives. Example8: The York plant management met with workers representatives for months in 1981 to achieve a consensus on what was sought and also to ease scepticism. The increases in productivity stemming from these measures were deemed to be the effects of effective communication, shop floor enthusiasm, and increased recognition. Harley Davidson choose to target employee involvement and participation because is one of the most complex, dynamic and controversial aspects of organisational structure and employment relationships in advanced industries counties. The timing is particularly appropriate as significant shifts have taken place in the environment of organizational decision making in recent years.(Harvard Business School, April 2007) For a manager to greatly achieve these strategies he has to well formulate them. As the strategy formation process is complex, and excessively rationalistic models that advocate formalistic linkages between strategic planning and HR planning are not particularly helpful to the understanding of it. Also the business may be an important influence on HR strategy but it is only one of several factors.(Boxall, 1993) After elaborating a plan to be achieved and put into actions some practices the HR strategy will be able to suit the business need at any condition (depending on external changes). The strategy will be able to be turn into actionable programmes that anticipate implementation requirements and problems. It will take into account of the needs of line managers and employees generally as well as those of the organization and its others stakeholders. (Amstrong, 2009) HOW TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH HR PRACTICES DURING CHANGE Human Resources Management mainly need to be forecast of the future needs in the light of an organizations environment, mission and objectives, strategies. These presents special challenges for the Human Resources leader in organizations while undergoing new influences. Effective Human Resources Management requires special HR tools, special approaches to management to tackle the raise of change and seek competitive advantage. There are several useful practices that organisation can implement from human resources. STAFFING Obtaining people with the appropriate skills, abilities knowledge and experience to fill jobs is one of the core achievements in organization with recruitment, selection and job analysis as key practises. Recruitment and selection have always been critical process for organizations. With recent interest on how organizations can achieve high performance associated with engaged and motivated staff who takes a pride in their work, there is a growing attention in the form of bundle of HR practices that lead to a positive psychological contract with employees. Recruitment and subs equal selection is vital stages in formation of the expectations that such a contract, on the basic of which, with an emphasis on a two- way flow communication. Employees are attracted to and select an organization and the work on offer as employers select their employees. (Bratton, Gold, 2007) the purpose of this practice will be to attract, develop and retain high quality people. The direct impact for the welf are of the organization will be to match those people to his strategic and operational needs. Provide for the acquisition, development and retention of talented employees, who can deliver superior performance, productivity, flexibility, innovation and high level of personal customer service and who fit the culture and the strategic requirements of the organisation. Example9: Specialist Cabinets Company had rapidly expanded from a two person operation to a small business of 28 employees. This thriving business catered to those who needed high end cabinet work in custom built homes or office buildings. the recruitment of new manager task have been given to George Zoran a senior supervisor with strong interpersonal skills.(Dickens, 2008) Another one we can give is Example10: the shortage of skilled labor is global issue. According to Scott Gibsons case CEO of the Britehouse, a software company in south Africa with 400 employees. Gibson states that the company could use another 50 workers immediately and could employ an additional 75 people per year for the next few years. Since taking on his role, he has not been able to make sales or market strategy his main focus. Instead his primary focus has been on attracting the talent the needs if it is going to be able to pursue and complete its staffing projects. (source: courtesy of Britehouse) TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT In general, education is a mind preparation and is carried out to remove from the actual area, training is the systematic development of the attitude, knowledge, skill pattern required by a person to perform a given task or job adequately and development is growth of the individual. It also provides to employees with stimulating and interesting work and gives the autonomy and flexibility to perform these jobs well. Moreover enhance job satisfaction and flexibility which encourages greater performance and productivity (Amstrong, 2009). Within the organization educate, train and develop the existent skills of employees will be necessaries in order to: develop workers to undertake higher tasks. provide the conventional training of new and young workers (for example: clerks, apprentices) paise efficiency and standards of performance Example11: Dayton Hudson Corporation is using training and development skills to create future customers. B Dalton bookseller division has earmarked $3 million over four years for a literacy training program- Their, goals are to recruit volunteer tutors and to tell people without basic skills about the free teaching program available in their communities. As part of Dalton, gives grants to local school districts to hire speakers who will persuade teachers to put more emphasis on teaching reading skills. the same process have been used by Texas Instruments, while the result of both the B Dalton and T.I programs gave an immediate benefit to the individuals gaining literacy, the companies broaden their base potential customers over the long run. meet legislative requirements. The practice can be done by induction training, pre-retirement courses, etc..(Schuler and Macmillan, 1984) Example12: When Delco-Remy trained its employees in participative management, it succeeded in differentiating itself from all competitors in the eyes of Honda and others. The successes of this training and resultant competitive advantage are described by Delcos Keith W. Wander: Honda of America was seeking an American battery manufacturer as a supplier to its auto plant in Marysville, Ohio. Honda wanted a plant which had a participative system of management and a reputation for producing a quality product at a competitive price. APPRAISAL Performance appraisal is viewed as one of the most important tools in the management arsenal. Because it is most usually carried out by line managers rather than HR professionals it is important that they understand their role in performance management and how performance appraisal contributes to the overall aims of performance management. Appraisal system complements the emergent strategic planning emphasis in all areas of the corporation. The appraisal reviews will clarify and articulate objectives and expectations for the organization and their employees. It also gives to the company a realistic assessment of its strengths, weaknesses and futures requirements. Another critical aspect of appraising is correcting poor performance. Example13: at Emery Air Freight, the company was losing $1 million annually because employees on the airport loading docks were shipping small packages separately rather than placing those with the same destination in one container that would be carried at lower rates by air carriers. Management also found that the containers were being used 45 percent of the time when they should have been used 90 percent of the time. By establishing a program of a positive consequences and feedback, the nearly $1 million annual loss was eliminated. (Fall, 1984) Example14: GTE performance appraisals are viewed as one of the most 4 important tools in the management arsenal. According to GTE Chairman Theodore F. Brophy, the appraisal system complements the emergent strategic planning emphasis in all areas of the corporation. The appraisal reviews assist executives in clarifying and articulating objectives and expectations for themselves and their employees. They give GTE a realistic assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, and future requirements:. As such,. The company is now able to better utilize its human resources :than at any time, in the past COMPENSATION AND REWARDS In the context of managing people, the reward system emphases a core facet of the employment relationship: that constitutes an economic exchange or relationship. That is an employee undertakes a certain amount of physical/metal effort and accepts instructions of others, in return receiving a level of payment or reward. The motivational power of money often wears off as employees simply get used to their current level of compensation. Many studies have confirmed that as long as employees are paid competitively, money is not the main factor that leads to job selection or performance. Most people are motivated by the job their do and the environment in which they work than the by the money they earn. Therefore the compensation and rewards system organization offer to employees should include both non-monetary and monetary ideas. This system is very praise mostly to develop motivation and job engagement by valuing people in accordance with their contribution. Example15: at Hewlett-Packard, entrepreneurial behaviour is stimulated in project leaders by tying more rewards to their success. Successful project leaders are being given banquets, stocks options and personal computers. At TRW, units or teams are given credit for sales generated in another department in return for helping that department. Also TRW fosters innovation by stimulating interdependence through its compensation practices. And these companies do get what they pay for steady stream of product and service improvements and enhancements that help them stand alone among their competitors. UNION MANAGEMENT RELATIONS Union management relation addresses the collective dimension of the employment relationship. The management of work and people includes both individual and collective relations (Kelly, 2005). As a field study however academics differ over the use of the terms industrial relations labour relations, employment relation (wajcman, 2000). In many companies today, companies face the possible bankruptcy due to the high labour costs. Helping to lower costs are wage reductions reached between unions and management. Example16: recently American Airlines has renegotiated two-tiered wage systems to help reduce total costs by reducing labour costs. Without these jointly negotiated systems, the company would not have survived. Thus a company relationship with its union can be critical to its survival, and the better its relationship with its union are, the more likely it is to ever gain a competitive advantage. CONCLUSION The difficulties of developing an HR system of fitting HRM strategy to business strategy are partly a reflection of the dynamic and uncertain environment within which organizations are operating. Organizations continuously need to adapt and reinvent their human resource management practices if they are to adapt and exploit such change. (Newell, Scarbrough, 2002) this has led to successive waves of new management techniques being adopted by organizations.

Analysis Paper :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have read two particular articles that are about the topic I chose for my analysis. Both articles identify facts that support their beliefs. One true fact from one of the articles states â€Å"The basic is simple: Life begins not at birth, but at conception. It is a scientific and biological one†. Another fact about a different article states, â€Å"In order for it to be a human being it needs an internal organization, organs, and especially a human brain to be considered fully human†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I read both articles to understand each perspective there were two opposites one pro one con. On the Pro side of the argument, I found that the person who wrote the article had a moralistic approach about the topic. The topic that I chose to analyze was Abortion. Abortion always has two sides of a story, which is a very interesting topic to discuss because as you discuss this topic with others you will find that everyone has a different approach to what their beliefs are. I for one am I believer of Pro-Life. The woman that wrote this article has a lot of pro side to her argument. She talked about how chromosomes and eggs come together to form an embryo. She talks about the risk factors when having an abortion that is voluntary. She believed that even though there may be life, or potential life, or however one wants to refer to the fetus, that by denying a woman the right to an abortion is denying her control of her body. Being a woman myself, I am obviously aga inst people trying to control women or their bodies. But the fetus is a completely separate life from the woman. She brought up great ideas to support her belief, which is why this particular topic is very, very intriguing. Now, the other side of the topic is Pro-choice. The ability to decide for yourself that you can have an abortion, the pro-choice philosophy maintains that the availability of good medical abortions protects the health and fertility of women and allows children to be born into homes where they can receive love, care, affection, and respect for their unique individuality, so that these children grow up to be joyful, loving, caring, responsible members of the community, able to enter into meaningful relationships with others. This article talks great opinions to support their debate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many unique tactics that each of the article uses to lure one into believing the way they do.

Animation Essay

MICHELLE LEE IAT 343 – D104 #301097226 ANIMATION ESSAY The two three-dimensional animated films that are chosen are Pocoyo animation shorts and a music video by Genki Rockets. I am using music video and short animation for comparison is because they are wonderful at sending messages within a short amount of duration. Also, I will be comparing the cinematic style and techniques of the animations. Pocoyo animations is originated in Spain and targeted towards pre-school children. Their videos often present a certain moral or â€Å"lesson† in them.In the animations, Pocoyo (the main character) and his friends often dance around and play. In an animation, physical actions and facial expressions brings audience into tense anticipation. The narrator talks throughout every episode and leads audience into the story. There are zero backdrops and environmental set design, which gives their targeted audience (pre-schoolers) a more room for endless imaginations on how the surroundin gs may look like depending their background. Hierarchical structures are within Pocoyo animation as some groups of 3D objects are more dominant than other ones.For example, some characters are smaller/further than other ones, and their body structures. This defines importance of the parentschildren relationships. Color creates mood; bright colors flatter children in a content way. The composition of each shot and scene help audience to understand the characters in the story and their actions; keep in mind that their targeted audience are preschoolers, therefore it is more about the storytelling, and compositions will not be complex. In this series, diverse camera views are being lacked.There is only one camera view throughout every episode. Therefore, emotions might not be able to present at its maximum potential. However, tilts and rolls is in there every now and then so it gives scene a stylized look that helps visualize the audience actions and scene tensions. Lighting is also on the minimal setting. It could be the sun being the infinite light, or in a room with fluorescent lights. The music video by Genki Rockets is called â€Å"make. believe†. Genki Rockets is a Japanese virtual band with non-existent musical band and a fictional ocalist. According to their webpage, the vocalist, Rumi who was born â€Å"in space† and has â€Å"never been to Earth†. Due to the fact that the vocalist claims to be from the future outerspace, most of their music videos are computer-generated. Various camera views are widely used and not only can those camera views deliver information, but also able to maximize the scene emotion. Backdrops are shown and surroundings are beautifully illustrated. Slow motion or sudden pause creates time being stopped and makes audience anticipate on the upcoming events.The vocalist (girl in the music video)’s facial expression remains straight for the majority of the video gives 1 MICHELLE LEE IAT 343 – D104 # 301097226 ANIMATION ESSAY the impression that she does not obtain human emotions and traits. Many 3D modeling were done in this video. Scenes like forest, outer-space, castle, desert, skyscrapers are implemented. Lightings play a heavy role in the music video, especially the lighting stimulations with ray-traced reflections, which create realism. Colored lightings always create dramatic in the video.Because of the band and background nature, this video especially captures audience who are interested in space. With both being animations, different mood is conveyed in both of them. Both are created to cater their targeted audience with different compositions. Each shot aids the views to expand their knowledge of the story and characters more. Therefore, both videos have same objective but different results. References: Kerlow, I. (2009). The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effect. (4th ed).New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lee KJ (2011). IAT 343 Animations Lecture Notes (Week1 â₠¬â€œ Week11). Zinkia Entertainment. (2011) Pocoyo. http://www. pocoyo. com/ Granada International. (2011) Pocoyo USA. POCOYO – WHALES BIRTHDAY. Youtube Video http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=gh0KClm8w2s Sony Records. (2011) Genki Rockets. http://www. genkirockets. com/en/ Sony Music Publishing. (2011) Akatoubutudan (2010). Genki Rockets – make. believe. Youtube Video http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=tRDo13wthew 2

IB Biology syllabus definitions Essays - Classical Genetics

IB Biology syllabus definitions Essays - Classical Genetics IB Biology syllabus definitions * Definition given in IB Biology syllabus TOPICWORDDEFINITION Topic 1: CellsOrganelleA discrete structure within a cell, with a specific function.* TissueA group of cells similar to each other, along with their associated intercellular substances, which perform the same function within a multicellular organism. OrganA group of tissues which work together as a single unit to perform a particular function within a multicellular organism. Organ systemA group of organs, vessels, glands, other tissues, and/or pathways which work together to perform a body function within a multicellular organism. Diffusion The passive movement of molecules from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration. OsmosisThe passive movement of water molecules, across a partially permeable membrane, from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration.* Topic 2: The Chemistry of LifeOrganicCompounds containing carbon that are found in living organisms (except hydrogencarbonates, carbonates and oxides of carbon).* EnzymeProteins that act as biological catalysts, speeding the rate at which biochemical reactions proceed but not altering the direction or nature of the reactions. Active siteA specific region of an enzyme where a substrate binds and catalysis takes place. DenaturationA structural change in a protein that results in a loss (usually permanent) of its biological properties. Refer only to heat and pH as agents.* DegenerateHaving more than one base triplet to code for one amino acid.* UniversalFound in all living organisms.* Cell respirationControlled release of energy in the form of ATP from organic compounds in cells.* TOPICWORDDEFINITION Topic 3: GeneticsGeneA heritable factor that controls a specific characteristic. (The differences between structural genes, regulator genes and genes coding for tRNA and rRNA are not expected at SL).* AlleleOne specific form of a gene, differing from other alleles by one or a few bases only and occupying the same gene locus as other alleles of the gene.* GenomeThe whole of the genetic information of an organism.* Gene mutationA change in the base sequence of a gene on DNA. This could be by substitution, deletion, or insertion of a base or bases. The terms point mutation or frameshift mutation will not be used. Homologous chromosomesA pair of chromosomes containing the same linear gene sequences, each derived from one parent. GenotypeThe alleles possessed by an organism.* PhenotypeThe characteristics of an organism.* Dominant alleleAn allele that has the same effect on the phenotype whether it is present in the homozygous or heterozygous state.* Dominant alleles mask the effects of recessive alleles. Recessive alleleAn allele that only has an effect on the phenotype when present in the homozygous state.* Codominant allelesPairs of alleles that both affect the phenotype when present in a heterozygote. (The terms incomplete and partial will no longer be used.)* LocusThe particular position on homologous chromosomes of a gene.* HomozygousHaving two identical alleles of a gene.* HeterozygousHaving two different alleles of a gene.* CarrierAn individual that has a recessive allele of a gene that does not have an effect on their phenotype.* Test crossTesting a suspected heterozygote by crossing it with a known homozygous recessive. (The term backcross is no longer used.)* Sex linkageGenes found on sex chromosomes (X and Y chromosomes) are said to be sex linked. Genetic screeningTesting an individual for the presence or absence of a gene.* CloneA group of genetically identical organisms or a group of cells artificially derived from a single parent cell.* TOPICWORDDEFINITION Topic 4: Ecology and EvolutionEcologyThe study of relationships between living organisms and between organisms and their environment.* EcosystemA community and its abiotic environment.* PopulationA group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time.* CommunityA group of populations living and interacting with each other in an area.* SpeciesA group of organisms which can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.* HabitatThe environment in which a species normally lives or the location of a living organism.* Autotroph (producer)An organism that fixes chemical energy in the form of organic molecules; it "makes its own food" and does not require previously formed organic materials from the environment; e.g. photoautotroph, chemoautotroph. Heterotroph (consumer)An organism that requires chemical energy from already formed organic molecules. DetritivoreAnimal that consumes decomposing organic particles, deriving nutrition primarily from microbes on the particles. Saprotroph (decomposer)Organism that feeds by secreting digestive enzymes onto its food source and absorbing the products of digestion. Fungi and bacteria are examples. Trophic levelStage in a food chain or web leading from primary producers (lowest trophic level) through primary consumers (herbivores) to secondary and tertiary

T4A(P) Tax Slip for Canadian Income Taxes

T4A(P) Tax Slip for Canadian Income Taxes A Canadian T4A(P) tax slip, or Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits, is issued by Service Canada to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency how much you received in Canada Pension Plan  benefits during a tax year and the amount of income tax that was deducted. Canada Pension Plan benefits include retirement, survivor, child, and death benefits. Read on to learn important information about T4A(P) tax slips, including the deadline for submitting them, how to file these forms and what to do if your  T4A(P) is missing. Deadline and Filing the T4A(P) T4A(P) tax slips must be issued by the last day of February the year after the calendar year to which the T4A(P) tax slips apply.  When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of the T4A(P) tax slip you received. You can also file your income tax return using: NETFILE, an electronic tax-filing service that allows you to send your individual income tax and benefit return directly to the CRA​EFILE, where you  prepare your own income tax return then take it to a service provider to file it electronically for a fee In either case,  keep copies of your T4A(P) tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them. Missing Tax Slips If you do not receive your T4A(P) tax slip, contact Service Canada at  1-800-277-9914  during regular business hours. You will be asked for your Social Insurance Number. Even if you havent received your T4A(P) tax slip, file your income tax return by the deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate your Canada Pension Plan benefits as well as deductions and credits you can claim using any information you have. Include a note saying what you have done to get a copy of the missing tax slip. Include copies of any statements and information you used in calculating the benefits income and deductions for the missing tax slip. Tax Slip Information You can see what a  T4A(P) tax slip  looks like via the CRA website. You will also find more information about what is included in each box on the T4A(P) and how to deal with it when filing your income tax return through the site. Access more information on what is listed on specific boxes of the T4A(P), including: Taxable CPP benefitsIncome tax deductedYour retirement benefitSurvivor benefit The web page also provides information on the child, death, post-retirement benefits, and more. Other T4 Tax Slips Other T4 tax information slips include: T4:  Statement of remuneration paidT4A: Statement of pension, retirement, annuity, and other incomeT4A(OAS):  Statement of old age securityT4E: statement of Employment Insurance and other benefits Familiarize yourself with these tax slips to ensure that you file your taxes correctly but also receive all of the benefits you are owed.

Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Wal-Mart - Essay Example Porter’s generic strategy provides a clear linkage between strategic management and strategic finance. Wal-Mart’s decisions had a clear linkage between strategic management and strategic finance. Even when entering a foreign country, a firm needs to assess which markets to enter, the timing and the scale of entry (Hill, p488).Whether the strategy is to maintain cost leadership or product differentiation, the ultimate strategy is to gain competitive advantage and enhance profitability. Wal-Mart focused on cost leadership and their low-cost model served them well within the US but the same strategy did not help them in their international operations. In the US they had achieved organic growth but when they decided to expand their ventures overseas, they did not look beyond the low-cost model. According to Mintzberg (1987), a strategy must essentially have two characteristics – it is made in advance of the action undertaken and it must be devised purposefully and co nsciously. Wal-Mart did not follow this principle of strategic management.Wal-Mart did none of these and merely tried to replicate the business model that had brought them success in the US. Another important factor when entering another country is the choice of entry mode which must be based on long-term growth and profit potential. There are four different modes of entries - exporting, contracts (licensing) joint ventures (JV) or wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS) and the choice depends upon the level of control required.

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

Qualitative Processes - Research Paper Example This, being an easier method, has been opted for by me, a nurse who is still a novice. The phenomenological design has been selected as I would be studying the lived experiences of the post-operative patients. Data collection would be a continuous process till saturation is reached. Transcripts and audio-tapes would accompany the written data or oral data. Researcher bias will not be allowed to distort the picture of the lived experiences. The credibility of the study will not be interfered with. Readers will be able to follow the research all through in a systematic manner. The reality experienced by the participants would be related wherever possible in their words more like a narrative or story. The richness and meaning of the findings would be complete as no editing would be done by the researcher. The possibility of interactions deviating away from the focus would be prevented. The information may be collected at more sittings. The participant would be given all liberty to speak and convey his experiences. The researcher would be faithful to the research and focus on the reality of the experiences. Data analysis would consist of looking through every line of the data and selecting prominent phrases or thoughts of experiences. Constant comparative analysis would elicit lesser and lesser categories which could be selected for themes. The significance of the study is that reliable information would be obtained about the changes the surgery has made in the lives of the patients. The quality of care accorded in the hospital could be inferred and the results of the surgery would be available. Whether the surgery has eased the strain of knee problems would be an essential component. Information may be studied for loopholes in the surgery or hospital stay and efforts made to plug these loopholes. The final aim is to raise the quality of patient care. Quantitative study. Evaluation of patient satisfaction following cataract surgery in co-relationship to the informa tion about the surgery provided prior to surgery. It would be appropriate to use the quantitative method for a descriptive study for evaluating the relationship or association between two things or variables. Here the possible variables would be the prior information concerning cataract surgery provided to the patients before the actual surgery and the other would be the patient satisfaction after the surgery. The study would evaluate whether patients undergoing cataract surgery were informed earlier, whether the level of information was sufficient and if they were satisfied with it. Lack of provision of information could lead to patient dissatisfaction. The purpose is to co-relate the information provided before cataract surgery (independent variable) to the patient satisfaction (dependent variable) after it. This would be a descriptive audit study which provides the association between patient satisfaction and information provided and patients would be measured only once. The effe ctiveness of the information prior to surgery will be evaluated against the level of patient satisfaction. The hypothesis that would be proposed is: â€Å"Information provided prior to cataract surgery will improve the level of satisfaction after it†. The sample would be the 40 patients in the post-operative ward in the eye department where I work. Bias would not be a problem as all the patients would be selected. A questionnaire with appropriate questions would be used for interviews. Threats