The Hot Zone - 9599 Words

The Hot Zone Summary | Part 1, Chapter 1 Something in the Forest Summary Chapter one introduces the reader to Charles Monet. He is a French expatriate working on a sugar plantation in western Kenya. The story begins on New Years Day, 1980, when Charles and a woman take an overnight trip to Mount Elgon, a formerly active volcano. During their trip, they visit Kitum Cave. After returning to his quiet life, Monet becomes ill. The reader knows that he is experiencing a catastrophic illness, but Charles and those who treat him are unaware of how serious it truly is. He experiences headaches and backaches for several days before spiking a fever and vomiting violently for a long period of time. His eyes turn red, his face becomes†¦show more content†¦The author also creates an effective atmosphere of fear by showing that doctors, who are almost always viewed as being superhuman, can so easily contract this virus. The Hot Zone Summary | Part 1, Chapter 3 Diagnosis Summary Several years later, the author visits with Dr. David Silverstein, who has gained a huge reputation in Nairobi. Silverstein relates a 2 a.m. phone call that informed him that Dr. Musokes blood tested positive for Marburg, a virus about which little is known. It was named after a town in Germany where, in 1967, citizens contracted the virus from monkeys transported from Uganda to a local laboratory. Many of the monkeys had been brought in by a trader who was more interested in money than the health of the animals. The virus is different from most because rather than being ball-shaped, it is a filovirus, or has tendrils like hair or worms that tangle together. They can also roll up into loops, a very unique trait. The other well-known filovirus is Ebola. Marburg kills one in four humans who receive medical treatment and is so dangerous that the international community immediately tries to identify the source. The best they can do is to hypothesize that it was a hot island in western Africa populated by sick monkeys that were trapped and sold in other countries. This is also a popular theory about the origin of HIV and AIDS. The viruses mutate enough to spread from monkeys to humans and can have a catastrophic effect.Show MoreRelatedThe Hot Zone By Richard Preston2745 Words   |  11 Pages Introduction With horrifying details and graphic evidence that could scare even the toughest of people, Richard Preston tells the story of any American’s worst nightmare in his nonfiction novel; The Hot Zone. The words on the cover, â€Å"A Terrifying True Story†, make it more than clear to the reader that what they are about to read are some true facts that most would be hesitant to believe. Preston uses various shocking tales and interweaves factual information and scientific jargon to present hisRead MoreArgumentative Essay On The Hot Zone706 Words   |  3 PagesRichard Preston, the author of The Hot Zone, wanted us to believe two things. The first is that the viruses explained throughout the novel, such as Marburg and Ebola, are nature’s defense against the â€Å"infectious parasite† that the human race is on this planet. He emphasizes that the horrible viruses are the earth’s way of punishing the human race for taking over and for preventing their future expansion. The second thing he wanted us to believe is the idea that the Ebola virus could spread very rapidlyRead MoreEssay on The Hot Zone1049 Words   |  5 Pages AUTHOR: Richard Preston PUBLISHER: Random House DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1994 Setting: The setting g takes place in two major places. Reston Maryland which is a suburb of Washington DC. and the second major area is in Kenya Africa. The story takes place in the 1980s. Main Characters: Since this story is a true story there is no one character that is a main character. The author does not create the story around any one main character so Ill just list every character I can remember from the book. 1Read MoreThe Hot Zone by Richard Preston1041 Words   |  4 Pages The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston, is a non-fiction story about the deadly virus (Ebola) spreading throughout the world. Certain strains of this virus are 90% fatal, and cause horrible symptoms, such as facial drooping, muscle aches, reddened eyes, and puking. The Ebola virus was traced back to a man named Charles Monet. After Monet, the virus spread rapidly, and it was leaving no survivors. Charles Monet was a Frenchman who moved to western Kenya, Africa, and worked for a sugar factory. Monet mostlyRead MoreThe Hot Zone By Richard Preston Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pages My unwavering interest in infectious diseases began in middle school when I read the book, The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston that intricately describes the Ebola virus. While the description of how the virus destroys the human body are unpleasant, this virus fascinated me. Consequently, in my spare time I read about other infectious diseases, such as cholera and tuberculosis, on Wikipedia and other web pages for my personal enjoyment. Years later, I participated in Princeton Model Congress in highRead MoreEssay about The Hot Zone1234 Words   |  5 Pages In 1980 a man named Charles Monet went on a trip with a girlfriend up to Mountain Elgon in West Kenya. They spent the night there and went to a large cave called Kitcum cave. Three days after his return home, Charles began to have a headache. A few days later he went to the doctors and they told him he should go to a bigger/better hospital in Nairobi. So Charles flew to Nairobi. During the flight to Nairobi Charles found himself vomiting blood with a black liquid. Charles finally reached the hospitalRead MoreWe Must Stop The Emergency Responders1471 Words   |  6 PagesGuidebook gives information that diagrams how hot zones should be developed, and the base safe detachments from a spill or discharge. Ensuring the range around the event site is secured is a basic limit of the individual accessible as needs be. This is basic in restricting the introduction of the risky material to near to work compel, along these lines reckoning further damage or cross pollution. At in the first place, it may not be clear as for the measure of a zone should be secured. For this circumstanceRead MoreBook Report: the Hot Zone by Richard Preston Essay684 Words   |  3 PagesBook Report: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston In October of l989, Macaque monkeys, housed at the Reston Primate Quarantine Unit in Reston, Virginia, began dying from a mysterious disease at an alarming rate. The monkeys, imported from the Philippines, were to be sold as laboratory animals. Twenty-nine of a shipment of one hundred died within a month. Dan Dalgard, the veterinarian who cared for the monkeys, feared they were dying from Simian Hemorrhagic Fever, a disease lethal to monkeys but harmlessRead MoreMabry Agency Case Study984 Words   |  4 Pagesthe perfect technique for equally distributing effected resources to advance hot spots. The Mabry agency which is in Harmony, Florida is no different, since their crime rates are on the rise. Which is why we are implementing a new policing program that involves hot spots, and a planned outcome evaluation. The purpose for using hot spot policing in the town of Mabry is to simply cut down the amount of crime in those hot spot areas and the surrounding areas, by adding additional patrol vehicles andRead MoreThe Sun As A Medium Sized Star Measuring The Earth1374 Words   |  6 PagesFebruary 2015 The Sun The sun is actually a star just like the stars that shine throughout the night. The sun is a medium-sized star measuring 864,948mi (1,392,000km) across--100 times the diameter of the earth (Farndon 47). The core, the convection zone, and the photosphere are four main layers of the sun. The core makes energy from hydrogen for the world’s sight (Elvis 12). About 99 percent of the energy generated by the sun through nuclear fusion is produced in its core (Koehler 14). Photons transport

Green Architecture Essay - 1451 Words

Green Architecture is a method to reduce the impact on our environment by using natural resources like energy, water, and the materials that are used in the structure recycled materials or the fixtures used in the home with energy saving features, as well as making a healthier environment. With high-efficiency windows and high value insulation in the walls and floors you’re your energy would take less too cool or heat up that area. Written by BOB BOB BOB May 2010 â€Å"The history of a green building goes back further than the 70’s in the middle of the industrial revolution that Henri Becquerel first witnessed the transformation of solar energy into electrical energy. Around this time, the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, a number of solar†¦show more content†¦The use of fans, vents and blowers are used to distribute the heat in the areas that are needed when a roof and walls are built they are made to be well insulated with the windows letting in heat the insulation in the ceiling and walls absorb it and slowly letting off the heat. If an area is a little bigger than sky lights or more windows are used to bring in more heat. With the landscape of the outside in mind as well if you have plants that require more attention then that cost more energy to take care of them. Think of plants that use less water conserving energy will take less to heat or cool your home if you were to have an asphalt drive then it will put off more heat making your use of air conditioning higher to keep the home cool use a natural source of rock to lessen the energy in the home. If you were to do your laundry or the main energy usage on a sunny or windy day your going to have more energy to complete your entire task then you wouldn’t be using your back energy to complete them that is going require the most of your energy sources. Making a home with multi function energy sources gives a wide variety of endless energy with all of them combined it can easily give energy to a home. There is going to be sunny days for your solar energy windy and rainy days for your energy as well so having all sources will make an easier life for your home and less hectic.Show MoreRelatedGreen Buildings/Green Architecture2870 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction A green building (also referred to as sustainable building or green construction) is a structure that employs an approach that is responsible for the environment besides being efficient in regard to resources all through its life cycle: This is from selecting the site to designing it, constructing, operating, maintaining, renovating and demolishing it. To achieve this, the client, the engineers, the architects and the entire design team closely cooperate at all stages of a project (YanRead MoreThe Future Is Green Architecture1890 Words   |  8 Pages Architecture is vital function for all parts of society. Without architects people would have to rethink how they enter buildings, fearing roofs caving in or structural beams giving out. The rigor of an architect’s training leaves these possibilities and worries an unlikely prospect, not considered in the day to day in a person’s events. Architects make both functional and beautiful structures that are appealing to the eye, as well as useful to the world. The world wouldn’t be able to live inRead MoreGreen Architecture and the Environment2044 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Green Architecture Definition and Origin Green architecture or Sustainable building is the practice of building homes which are environment friendly and resource efficient throughout its life time. It is a way of reacting to the global economic crisis, environmental issues, growing human population, destruction of natural resources and the loss of biodiversity. While it may seem that this practice started only a few decades ago when environmentalists and conservationist were givenRead MoreConcepts And Practices Of Sustainability And Green Architecture3239 Words   |  13 Pages 1. INTRODUCTION The activation of the application of the concepts and practices of sustainability and green architecture in the construction industry will lead to finding appropriate solutions to the problems of environmental, economic and functional. Green architecture and sustainable buildings is not a luxury academically, and do not approach the theory or the aspirations and dreams have no place in reality, but because they represent a global trend for the application and start to be professionalRead More Breakthrough Perspective on Green and Sustainable Architecture2076 Words   |  9 Pagesthe climates of the earth and to live our own lives. Architecture is what nature cannot make, yet it is influenced by the rules of nature, as humans evolved so did our way of thinking, and so did our architecture. Green architecture is a breakthrough in human history, Green Architecture is more a more advanced way of building, it has if the building as a life. The purpose of this essay report is to identify the advantages of green Architecture in Canadian Society and its positive effects on our economyRead MoreEssay about Architecture: Green Buildings2338 Words   |  10 Pagesto the existing ecology Introduction Mainly speaking, green building is an original way to construct building and houses so to use the: tools and tools and materials most capably towards the environment. The green technology definition, in simple words, it means the technology which is environmentally sociable, developed and used in such a way so that it doesn’t disturb our environment and conserves natural properties. You may also hear green technology being referred to as environmental technologyRead MoreConstruction Of Urban Regeneration Projects1648 Words   |  7 Pagesit is important that part of an architect to practise practical solutions that brings advantage of the existing urban assests in a smart and sustainable way. Although an architect alone could not maintain a sustainable urban regeneration from an architecture perspective, the role of an architect may contribute to a sustainable urban regeneration projects. From my findings, I found that it is important for architect to involve in an urban rege neration projects as the role of an architect would contributeRead MoreGreen Design Using The Emerging Technology1687 Words   |  7 PagesThe architects have been working tirelessly to come up with green design using the emerging technology as a way of enhancing sustainability not only on the structure, but also to the environment. However, Ghani (21) notes that in order to have a sustainable environment, there is a need to create environmentally responsible minds. The scholar says that we cannot achieve sustainable development if the members of the society do not appreciate and uphold the principles of sustainability. The role ofRead MoreBuilding Design : Green Buildings1120 Words   |  5 PagesGreen Buildings As Goldman Environmental Prize winner Terry Swearingen stated, â€Å"we are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.† In today’s society, the architectural process is beginning to exponentially grow due to the vast need of building construction for evolving communities. However, many architects are massively constructing without truly realizing the side effects of building architecture to the economy or environment. A building plan should not be viewed solely on the physicalRead MoreI Want to Become an Architect633 Words   |  3 PagesEver since I was young, I have admired intricate buildings and structures. I have always appreciated a nice, well thought out home because I do believe home is where the heart is. I have done lots of research on architecture, and what it takes to become an architect. I am naturally drawn to this career because it requires lots of creativity and an eye for design. Being an architect also allows you to interact with people , which is important to me because I am a social person. It also is a steady

Prohibition in the United States and Christian Temperance Union Free Essays

Prohibition, Why Did Americans Change Their Minds? Alcohol was thought to be the source of several of the nation’s problems. Issues like domestic violence, unemployment and poverty. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union first introduced the idea of prohibition, the illegalization of the buying, selling or consumption of alcohol. We will write a custom essay sample on Prohibition in the United States and Christian Temperance Union or any similar topic only for you Order Now Prohibition was made official in 1919 as Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the proposal. Prohibition took effect one year later in 1920. In the beginning, prohibition had an overwhelming amount of popularity from most of the country however Americans quickly changed their mind. Prohibition ended in 1933 with the 21st amendment to the Constitution. The increase in crime across the nation, several negative financial aspects of prohibition, and the eventual increase in corruption and loss of national restriction were all factors in the nation’s sudden change of heart. Perhaps the largest factor in the change was the overall increase in crime. The most horrifying statistic from the Prohibition Era was the dramatic increase in homicides. Information taken from a FBI statistical report on homicides states that there was an excess of 9 homicides for every 100,000 people. There were more homicides during prohibition than during the upcoming decades, including both World War I and World War II (excluding deaths during combat). In order to continue the supply of alcohol, now illegal, underground operations began popping up in urban cities. Bootleggers ranged from middle class citizens and their homemade moonshine to an elaborate network complete with a supplier and several customers. With limits on law enforcement and the extent of U. S. jurisdiction, it was easy for people to get around the law. The distance off a U. S. coastline and boarders proved to be difficult areas for law enforcement to maintain. Bootleggers could often get out of U. S. jurisdiction and across the border to either Mexico or Canada where alcohol was completely legal for sale and consumption. Another reason Americans changed their opinion was the negative effect prohibition had on several different financial aspects. Prohibition took away an enormous amount of income from the government, first with the absence of sales tax on the illegal merchandise. Any alcohol sold there could be no sales tax and thus gained no profit for the government. For all the tax that could have been collected the country could have paid off their national debt with a surplus of $200,000,000 dollars according to research titled The Last Crusade written by Leslie Gordon. But first and fore most prohibition shut down factories. Manufacturers had to shut down plants putting Americans out of a job. Job loss gave prohibition a negative outlook. The third reason Americans eliminated prohibition in 1933 was the corruption at a government level and the loss of national restriction needed to enforce prohibition laws and limits. Stated by Mabel Willebrandt, Deputy U. S. Attorney General for Prohibition Enforcement, Senators, Congressmen and various government officials, disobeyed prohibition. The very people who put it into effect didn’t follow it. And with the lack of law enforcement, only 3,500 state agents and flying squadrons monitoring the country’s borders, crimes slipped passed the eyes of the police constantly. Crimes also occurred within the country unnoticed by police officers, causing assumptions towards law enforcement with questions on their relationship and involvement with the bootleggers and underground operations. Prohibition put the country in chaos. The increase in crime, lack of income for families and the government, and the government corruption and loss of restriction all became facctors in America’s decision to repeal prohibition. How to cite Prohibition in the United States and Christian Temperance Union, Papers

The Journal of Strategic Information System - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Journal ofStrategic Information System. Answer: Introduction: Strategic planning for Information Technology is regarded as one of the chief components of corporate planning as well as a complex focus area for the governance of any company. Accordingly, this has now become a concern for both the academics as well as practitioners (Loeser, Erek Zarnekow, 2013). For the practitioners the primary concern is to ensure that technology effectively supports and gets support from a companys corporate strategic objectives, so that it can provide the essential capabilities for delivering business value. The advantage of achieving the strategic fitness is to ensure that technology is positioned for assisting to add value to the products as well as services that in turn helps in competitive positioning and management competence through cost controlling and accurate reporting. Similarly, in the academic context, preceding research of strategic planning of technology supports the necessity for ensuring collaboration between IT and the business strategy. This paper has discussed Apples organizational structure along with its products and services. It analyses the companys current process and gaps which the system will fix. The Information system strategy is analysed along with the strategic flexibility that the company can achieve in order to overcome the difficulties. The dissuasion concludes with the problems that the Information system projects faces and provides possible solutions. Structure, products and services of Apple Inc. The paper analyses various issues relating to the information system and discusses a brief overview of the operations of Apple Inc. in order to enable a deep understanding of the overall impact of the information system in the company as well as its relevance to various activities undertaken by Apple. The company was incorporated in 1976 primarily by Ronald Wayne, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Initially the company had lesser financial depth to compete with the big players like IBM and HP but raised the venture capital to set up new corporate. Since 1977, Apple has been launching successful products to create pathway for organisational development. By 1980, the company had several thousand employees and had 50% market share. Gradually the company started to sell computers internationally. However unlike other companies, Apple also faced management and operational hurdles due to lack of communication clarity. The board was focused to bring efficiency by implementing new investors as w ell as employees. These led to division between the new and the old employees therefore, the company changed from a functional organization to a product oriented institution. It was segmented based on the product lines like Apple II, III and Macintosh, Lisa, sales, manufacturing, human resource, administration, services and so on. The discussion on the corporate structure of Apple Inc. discloses the primary and support activities which can help in finding the communication gap. It also addresses the method of effective deployment of the management information systems that that helped in solving the issues. The organisational structure of Apple had undergone several change that was mentions beforehand. Now the company has a linear structure where all the departments work with equal responsibilities. Figure 1. The organizational structure of Apple Inc. The above structure of Apple is quite flatter as well as allied with the functional part of the various directors of the company. In case of Apple, its structure has chiefly been a traditional hierarchy, which have some significant elements from diverse sorts of organizational structures. The organizational structure of Apple is one of the most important contributing factors that marked the organizations successful innovation (Leonardi, 2015). Its organizational structure has created opportunities for growth. However, this structure has also imposed some limits on the firms development of the business. Apples success is closely linked to innovation and leadership of Steve Jobs, but such organization structure is partly responsible to guarantee the support for such kind of leadership. Presently, under Tim Cook the new leader, Apple has introduced some negligible changes in its structure to suit with the market and industry demands. The products that the company offers internationally areiPhone, Mac, MacBook Pro. iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, iPod - touch, shuffle, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV. These hardware varieties are followed by a huge number of software chiefly for Mac OSX and iOS. This includes keynote, pages, iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, Logic Pro. Operations and functionality Current process: This kind of organizational structure undoubtedly enhances power to regulate the organizational operations as well as helps in keeping the attention on core competencies among these different departments of Apple. This type of organizational structure has created numerous possibilities on the part of the lower level manager of the organization and provide them opportunities so that they can foster strength for the company (Apple.com, 2017). The next level of the company is structured in such manner so that it can have competitive advantages even in the foreign markets. The company operates in Americas, Japan and Europe and this mid-managerial level is segregated according to different geographical lands that it serves. This level helps it to be responsive by understanding numerous operational issues in these foreign markets which eventually helps in leveraging the skills internationally. The organizational structure of the company enables it to continue innovation rapidly. The creation of newer products helped and supported to grow the organizational structure. The features are: Spoke-and-wheel hierarchy Function-based grouping Product-based grouping Gaps: There are various limitations in the current process in the company. on the one hand, this hierarchical structure in Apples organization, builds a strong control over the company. According to Tarhini, Ammar and Tarhini (2015), the hierarchy empowers the top leaders for controlling everything that happens within the organization. Through this kind of hierarchy, the function-based grouping and product-based grouping, Apple approves that the CEO along with the senior vice presidents control all the administrative processes. On the other hand, Apples organizational structure has the downside of low flexibility that creates a concern associated with communication because a matrix structure has been created in the lower level. Specific issues and criteria: The functional reporting is conveyed to the corporate directors and the operational elements are reported to the local directors. In order to solve these issues, the company needs to raise the efficiency of the information systems so that it can enable as well as sustain this issue of this dual reporting. The information systems will also help in turning this problem to be an advantage of the company. Information systems strategy: According to Bonham-Carter (2014), the society is changing drastically from the industrial one to an information society. This modern society are mostly driven by new technologies as well as large organizations that are currently operating on the trans-national networks with no geographical boundaries and these ultimately requires high efficient communication systems. Hence, the management information systems are to be described as the chief differentiators that helps the company to differentiate its products from services. The management information system can be described as the system which monitors as well as retrieves information from the environment (Pourbabaei, Parsa Jalalian, 2016). It captures data from the transactions and operations of the organization. After this it filters, arranges and chooses data to present them as information to the managers as well as delivers the means for the manager so that they can generate information as they desire. According to Leonard and Higson (2014), modern management is experiencing changes that can be seen in the progressive organizations in which the management is transforming as system oriented. Through this systems, the information is being made available to the managers when they need. These are helping in organizational planning and controlling all the sectors as they are tied to the operational system of implementation basically for availability of information. According to the researchers, there are various attributes to information such as the purpose of collecting information, mode as well as format of data, its efficiency, frequency of the data reporting, cost for gathering information and its reliability (Haux et al., 2013). Each organizational context has a particular influence upon the problems that it faces as well as the solution that are provided (Denolf et al., 2015). These problems are moulded by the organizational constraints as well as the structure in which the company works. At the time when some unanticipated issues take place within the problem solving process, they are identified as contingencies (Chofreh, Goni Jofreh 2015). This however indicates that the structure of the organization, technology or its technical process along with its environment are significant elements that influence the context of decision making procedure. In the context of strategic information management, Hill, Jones and Schilling (2014), has stated that some principles are required to be recognised that when the strategic information management is designed, there is no supremacy in the information technology organizational structure therefore, it is needed to be adaptive and must provide the value proposition, harmonisation of model to current situation that the organization is facing (Haux et al., 2013). This will arrange the issues according to the new development of the organization. In recent times, there are various developments associated with the strategic information planning or SIP. Despite this fact, the chief focus has always remained on the process of the planning which is the information strategies rather than on the outcomes. According to Dobusch (2012), there are other aspects such as the element of fusion among the strategies of business and the government strategies of IT in the complete blueprint that is to be deve loped for the organization. The another development that can be found in the area of virtual organizations or virtual business that introduces a third dimension of the issues of the information management. The virtual organization can be defined as an assortment of business units where the employees as well as the work processes of the business units are interrelated intensively that finally work for provide benefit for all (Chofreh, Goni Jofreh 2015). Despite the fact that this virtual organization concept is not very prevalent but the elements of this concept are being used by numerous organizations. These elements are applied by the organizations in segments so that the companies can utilise them to build comparative and competitive benefits in the market by leveraging many currently available information technology systems (Peppard, Galliers Thorogood, 2014). These concepts provide multitudes of issues that are usually faced by the different organizations and collects, assimilates and manages plethora of data so that the managers can select required information effectively and timely. Development problems and Solutions: The organisation structure of Apple with its international presence as well as its operation in different domain in electronic industry require a proper system of data dissemination that will enable availability of proper information to right people at right time. This process therefore will help in ensuring that these managers are taking consistent business decisions that will be supported by the appropriate availability of proper information. The researchers like Arvidsson, Holmstrm and Lyytinen (2014) state that the chief objective followed by Apple is its supremacy as innovative leader in the market. This similar philosophy prevails even in the manner that the managers follow to manage its internal communication which demonstrates their leadership. According to Whittington (2014), from the business perspective, there has been growing criticism for the weak alignment of the information systems along with the business needs within the organization. A swelling part of this particula r organizations resources have been spent on the searching, recording, refining and analysing the information, the connection between the information systems and the organizational performance along with strategy have been found to be uncertain. In Apple, most managers along with the users have been facing circumstances where they do not get information on which they can operate their units. Hence, the system development is repeatedly challenged by the companys dynamic nature of business along with the methods that the business activities are being organized as well as supported by the information systems (Huang et al., 2014). However, in solving this problem, the company needs to provide required platform to undertake more developed information systems for undertaking its complex communication process. This will enable the employees access to all required information. On the other hand, this developed systems will enable the company to relate to the chief suppliers as well as developers which will help in building an unlimited value chain in information domain through creating the virtual link between production units and the suppliers (Weiss Thorogood, 2014). Limitations of strategic information systems: According to Dobusch (2012), information technology has become the most valued assets of the modern corporations, expansion of the information systems (IS) is facing many problems. Among these, the most important issues have been low productivity, increasing number of let-downs and inadequate alignment of the information technologies with growing business needs. The first and foremost problem is the low productivity that has been recognized by the term the software crisis. This issue is indicated by development backlog along with maintenance problems (Osman, El Beltagi Hardaker, 2015). Simply, the demands to build new and improved information systems have improved faster than the companys ability to advance them. According to Masoumik, Abdul-Rashid and Olugu (2015) there are Some reasons that include the soaring cost of the software development chiefly when equated to the falling cost of the hardware, the inadequate supply of employees as well as funding with moderate productivity d evelopments. Secondly, information system development efforts resulted in a considerable amount of outright failures (Venkatesh, Brown Bala, 2013). These failures have been often due to financial mismatches for example budget along with schedule overruns. This surprisingly happens often for poor production quality as well as deficient user satisfaction. The survey estimates that more than 75% of developments which are undertaken got never completed or the resultant system has never been used (Goni et al., 2012). According to Nour and Mouakket, (2013), the organizations need to define more study plans for identifying the existing obstacles to use management information system better. They must apply the essential solutions for providing better training courses as well as participation of the managers along with the employees of the organization in this period. Providing an inclusive plan is compulsory for using the information systems before using the systems. Conclusion From the above analysis it can be concluded that the strategic information systems are highly essential as they provide the companies substantive advantages in the markets if administered properly. On the other hand, if these are not planned appropriately and positioned efficiently, the organizations can face a high risk by losing out essential competitive advantages. This also can incur far reaching loss if the taken decisions are not based on the available appropriate information by the managers. Therefore, it can be stated that the strategic information systems are such a difference that can create difference with in the organization. The knowledge based information system are gaining importance in the future therefore building virtual communities for the interacting between the supplier and the employees is essential. This will also help in developing newer technologies which will help the managers for assessing future viabilities. Hence it can be stated that the strategic inform ation systems play vital role in the overall fitness of the company in its markets. References: Apple.com. (2017).Site Map - Apple.Apple.com. Retrieved 19 December 2017, from https://www.apple.com/sitemap/ Arvidsson, V., Holmstrm, J., Lyytinen, K. (2014). Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 45-61. Bonham-Carter, G. F. (2014).Geographic information systems for geoscientists: modelling with GIS(Vol. 13). Elsevier. Chofreh, A. G., Goni, F. A., Jofreh, M. G. (2011). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation process: project management perspective. InAdvanced Materials Research(Vol. 338, pp. 152-155). Trans Tech Publications. Denolf, J. M., Trienekens, J. H., Wognum, P. N., van der Vorst, J. G., Omta, S. O. (2015). Towards a framework of critical success factors for implementing supply chain information systems.Computers in Industry,68, 16-26. Dobusch, L. (2012, January). Strategy as a Practice of Thousands: The case of Wikimedia. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2012, No. 1, pp. 1-1). Academy of Management. Goni, F. A., Sahran, S., Shukor, S. A., Chofreh, A. G. (2013, November). Aligning an information system strategy with sustainability strategy towards sustainable campus. InResearch and Innovation in Information Systems (ICRIIS), 2013 International Conference on(pp. 245-250). IEEE. Haux, R., Winter, A., Ammenwerth, E., Brigl, B. (2013).Strategic information management in hospitals: an introduction to hospital information systems. Springer Science Business Media. Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schilling, M. A. (2014).Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Huang, J., Newell, S., Huang, J., Pan, S. L. (2014). Site-shifting as the source of ambidexterity: Empirical insights from the field of ticketing.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 29-44. Leonard, J., Higson, H. (2014). A strategic activity model of Enterprise System implementation and use: Scaffolding fluidity.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 62-86. Leonardi, P. M. (2015). Materializing strategy: the blurry line between strategy formulation and strategy implementation.British Journal of Management,26(S1). Loeser, F., Erek, K., Zarnekow, R. (2013). Green IT strategies: A conceptual framework for the alignment of information technology and corporate sustainability strategy. InGreen technologies and business practices: An IT approach(pp. 58-95). IGI Global. Masoumik, S. M., Abdul-Rashid, S. H., Olugu, E. U. (2015). Importance-performance analysis of green strategy adoption within the Malaysian manufacturing industry.Procedia CIRP,26, 646-652. Nour, M. A., Mouakket, S. (2013). A classification framework of critical success factors for ERP systems implementation: A multi-stakeholder perspective. InCompetition, Strategy, and Modern Enterprise Information Systems(pp. 98-113). IGI Global. Osman, E., El Beltagi, I. M., Hardaker, G. (2015). The impact of leadership orientation on strategic information system planning processes, with an application to Libyan organizations.Information Technology for Development,21(4), 601-627. Peppard, J., Galliers, R. D., Thorogood, A. (2014). Information systems strategy as practice: Micro strategy and strategizing for IS.J. Strategic Inf. Sys.,23(1), 1-10. Pourbabaei, H., Parsa, K., Jalalian, Z. (2016). The Role of IT-Based Strategies in Organizational Empowerment and Creating Competitive Advantage.European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences: Proceedings,4(1 (s)), pp-1446. Tarhini, A., Ammar, H., Tarhini, T. (2015). Analysis of the critical success factors for enterprise resource planning implementation from stakeholders perspective: A systematic review.International Business Research,8(4), 25. Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., Bala, H. (2013). Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: Guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information systems.MIS quarterly,37(1). Weiss, J. W., Thorogood, A. (2011). Information technology (IT)/business alignment as a strategic weapon: A diagnostic tool.Engineering Management Journal,23(2), 30-41. Whittington, R. (2014). Information systems strategy and strategy-as-practice: a joint agenda.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), 87-91.

Scott Joplin Essays (298 words) - Music, Rags, Ragtime,

Scott Joplin In the late 1890's ; a craze for a new kind of music called ragtime swept the country off it's feet. Instant popularity of ragtime increased before the turn of the century. By 1910, the "ragtime" mania reached its peak in all elements of music: popular dance, theater, and movie music. Scott Joplin was a young black man that mastered and polish this subtle art. Born in Texarkana, Texas on November 29, 1868, Scott became facinated with the piano at an early age and was mentored by a old german teacher that took him in as a pupil. Scott's style of piano playing stress his smooth singing tone and subtle sense of rhythm. Scott has the tendency to turn melodic lines into delicate and but simple notes. Generally all of his pieces share the customary ragtime layout and composition of a pair of contrasting lines, each repeated and followed by the return to the first line, then a new section consisting of two or three repeated lines emerge and is usually subdominant. In Scott's piece the "Magnetic Rag". The reappearance of the orginal theme at the close of the piece, shares a shocking likeness to Beethoven's famous reoccuring "I am Death Theme". In the "Magnetic Rag", the return of the opening theme at the end of the piece creates a rondo-like structure with a scheme ABCDA, with the outer A section and the central C section stands in tonal harmony. This can be compared to his other famous pieces of work "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer" which all exercise the reappearing theme that shows a tendency to round out by always returning to the home key. "Magnetic Rag" was the last piece that Scott completed. It was subtitled : syncopation classiques because of his wonderful blend of syncopation on every up-beat and mad-cow improvisations tailored to sound like European dance music that influenced early ragtime.

The `Liberal Tories Essay Example

The `Liberal Tories Essay Example The `Liberal Tories Essay The `Liberal Tories Essay A member of the Tory party believes that the monarch and the Church of England is supreme and will respect their authority. Tories are against parliamentary, and social reform, and due to their belief in the superiority of the protestant church of England, they are also strongly against Catholic emancipation, they did not think that Catholics should have the same rights as others just because of their religion. On the other hand, a Liberal favours individual liberty, free trade and moderate parliamentary and social reform, generally, they are not against Catholic emancipation. In conclusion, a Tory and a Liberal have completely opposite beliefs; therefore will be on different sides of the government. Between 1822 and 1827, the Tory government set up many `Liberal reforms in order to try and improve the countrys economy and industry (especially trade). The first set of reforms were the Economic policies. These reforms aimed to improve Britains trading position with the rest of the world based on the introduction of free trade (a liberal policy). Liverpool was known to support this idea, and he argued to reduce tariffs and taxes imposed on imports from abroad. David Ricardo saw free trade as a part of a national crusade to improve the economic condition of Britain, and Adam Smith argued that the less restrictions there are on the development of an economy, the more successful it would become. The Reciprocity of Duties Act in 1823 was the first example of the new liberal reforms set out by the Tory government in order to improve Britains economy, and to stabilise the state. It attempted to change the navigation laws passed in the 17^th century designed to protect British ships from competition from the Dutch. In response to this, any European ports excluded British ships from their ports, affecting British trade. The Reciprocity Act of 1823 overcame these obstacles by allowing free entry of foreign ships into Britain. The aim was that not only would it be seen as a gesture of goodwill abroad, it would also reduce the costs of imports to British manufactures hopefully resulting in an increase in the countrys GMP. The next step to improve British trading was to relax the restrictions on trade with Britains colonies, which had previously been under strict control. As a result of Huskissons influence, the colonies ould now trade with foreign countries, however the government attempted to retain their support by ensuring that duties were lower on goods trading between Britain and the colonies than non-Imperial trade. The final economic reform set up by the new `Liberal Tory government was the reduction of domestic duties, influenced by Robinson. Robinsons main focus was the reduction of import duties on a variety of raw materials, customs and excise duties. These reductions aimed to encourage demand and improve economic stability. Robinson managed to reduce indirect taxation on a variety of goods. To some extent, all of these economic reforms do support the view of the new `Liberal Tory government. While improvements in the economy were intended to increase the standard of living, there also had to be improvements in the living and working conditions as well as an attempt to improve the legal system for the government to be labelled `Liberal Tory. In 1824, the first of two major social reforms were set up; the repeal of the Combination Laws. Trade unions had been banned since 1799 because of the government belief that they posed a threat to the stability of the state. However, in 1824, trade unions were set up to protect the interests of the workers against exploitation by the employer. Radical MPs such as Sir Francis Burdett and Joseph Hume believed that once workers rights were reinstated there would be an improvement in the relationship between employer and employee, as a result, in 1824, the combination laws were repealed. The penal code (the judicial system) was in desperate need of reform, over 200 offences carried the death penalty, even for just stealing a piece of bread. Research has shown that some of these `criminals that ad been put to death were in fact innocent. The prisons were filthy and unkempt and in urgent need of improvement. Between 1823 and 1830, Peel as home security passed a whole series of reforms that transformed the rather outdated system he inherited. The penal code was modernised, and the death sentence was abolished for over 180 offences. In 1823, the Gaols (Jails) Act was passed, this improved conditions in the prisons. Finally, Peel established the Metropolitan police in 1829; this attempted to stem the alarming rise in crime in Britain. Overall, the social and economic reforms set up between 1822 and 1827, do support the title `Liberal Tory. But there were still many areas that needed reform that the government did not address, for example the lack of parliamentary reforms and catholic emancipation; making the improvements carried out seem less effective in improving the British economy and the peoples discontent. The title `Liberal Tory contradicts itself, making it seem almost impossible because Liberals and Tories are completely different parties with opposite beliefs and priorities. Liberals favour ndividual liberty, free trade, and parliamentary and social reforms; as well as catholic emancipation. Tories, however support the monarchy and the Church of England, and are against parliamentary and social reform, and catholic emancipation. Liberals and Tories are as opposite as hot and cold, you cannot be both. Finally, although the Tories were responsible for many reforms throughout 1822-27, the period 1815-1822 was not as repressive in comparison as once thought. The period 1822-1823 presented great change for the Tory party. In 1822, Canning replaced Castlereagh as foreign secretary; and Peel eplaced Sidmouth as Home secretary. In 1823, Robinson replaced Vansittart as Chancellor of the Exchequer; and Huskisson became the president of the board of trade. But although these men were new to their senior positions within the party, they were not new to the Tory government; the new men did not regard their position as an opportunity to challenge government philosophy-Evans. The argument that much of the groundwork for the reforms, adjustments and improvements had been put through in train by their allegedly reactionary predecessors and by themselves as subordinates. The real distinction is not philosophical but practical, Huskisson and Peel proved to be more able than their predecessors does not support the partys new title `Liberal Tory, and at the same time supporting the argument that the period 1815-1822 was not as repressive as once thought. Lord Liverpool, who was the British Prime Minister from 1812-1827 did not have the ability to create a new ideology, he was a consolidator rather then and innovator, and although he was responsible for keeping the Tory party together,(made evident by the gradual collapse of the Tory government after his resignation as Prime Minister in 1827, shortly before his death) he seemed happier to follow the guidelines of his predecessors then carry out any ideas of his own in order to try and improve the British economy. Liverpool has been accused of creating unrest by introducing the corn laws and the repeal of income tax, Liverpool was not strong enough to pass the policy of income tax through the government. Liverpools weaknesses support the title of `Liberal Tory because it shows how the new Prime ministers were able to improve the economic and social stability of the state. Between 1822-1827 there were many reforms set up, mostly economic and social. For example, the repeal of the combination laws and the legal reforms as well as the improvements in trade and the reductions in domestic duties. However, even though these reforms were liberal, there was no evidence of commitment to catholic emancipation and parliamentary reforms, which made the governments policies less liberal. The Tories appeared to have set up the economic and social reforms in order to strengthen their rule, and to distract the people from the lack of catholic emancipation and parliamentary reforms. Another argument against the title `Liberal Tory is that some historians believe that there was more consistency than originally thought if 1815-22 was less repressive and 1822-27 was less Liberal. This would mean that there was not such a drastic improvement in the stability of the country; and therefore the Tories would not have been as liberal as they had first appeared. The six acts in December 1819 were seen as one of the repressive acts between 1815-22, but the measures introduced were a commonsense reaction to a dangerous situation and deserve to be looked at in a more positive light in erms of their supposed severity on the radical threat to the regime. This quote supports the argument that the period 1815-22 was not as repressive as once thought. Also, although there were many reforms set up between 1822-27, parliamentary reforms and catholic emancipation were not addressed with any seriousness. This evidence suggests that there was more consistency between 1815 and 1827 because it appears that the first half of this time was not as repressive as once thought and the second half of this period was not as liberal as once thought. In conclusion, compared to the previous actions of the Tory overnment, the reforms set up between 1822 and 1827 were more liberal then they had been previously. However, the years 1815-1822 were less repressive then had previously thought, and although there had been many reforms in the later section that had helped to stabilise the state, there was no commitment to parliamentary reforms and catholic emancipation making the period 1822-1827 less liberal. This meant that overall there was more continuity in the years 1815-1827 and the policies and personalities of the members of the Tory cabinet had remained constant making the title `Liberal Tory less reliable.

False Identity or Misrepresentation in Social Media Assignment

False Identity or Misrepresentation in Social Media - Assignment Example Criminals use this opportunity to get access to others’ profiles by sending friend requests. Once approved, they get access to the victim’s personal data, photographs and albums which they might forward to adult sites, or this may lead to telephonic conversations and meetings, and nobody knows about the consequences. The criminal can also adopt identity of real people by using their hacked photographs and information, for the purpose of attracting friends. This topic holds a strong place among ethical issues in e-marketing. Internet savvy persons are getting more and more informed about false e-marketing or fake e-business advertisements. False identity helps the criminal in preplanned attacks against payment systems like pensions and medical insurance. E-marketing ethics require that in order to carry out effective e-marketing, the e-marketer must base the business on honest grounds. If he is honest in displaying his identity, consumers will automatically come to him because e-consumers always do business with the names they can trust. Similarly, it is unethical to adopt the identity of another successful organization as doing so tends to bring harm to the reputation of the owner of the cloned identity. Here is an example when the issue was handled ethically. According to PR Log (2009), a Press Release, twenty fake identity factories had been sealed which were being operated by criminals who produced cloned driving licenses and utility bills. The Metropolitan Police was able to track down these factories in an Operation, arrested the criminals and closed the factories. If such criminals keep on getting caught, then this would be a good lesson for those who think of crossing the ethical boundaries in interacting with social media and in carrying out e-marketing. Let’s discuss an example when this issue was not handled ethically. Johnson (2010) revealed in her article that according

The Boston Tea Party Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

The Boston Tea Party - Article Example According to the article "The Boston Tea Party", the tea party culminated into the movement that resisted the tea act which had gained grounds in the entire British America. The tea act had been previously passed the British parliament in 1773 with the sole objective of helping the much troubled British Indian company survive the calamity of surplus tea that was taken to the warehouse in London (Tilly 22). Closely related to this was the plan to undercut on the cost of the tea that found their way into the British colonies situated in North America. The intention was to convince the colonists to accept the purchase of tea belonging to the company and which duties were paid, in this way, the parliament right to taxation on the tea was to be endorsed (Tilly 26). The act also permitted the company to access with tea North America region and the right to export duty-free tea emanating from Britain. The severity of the parliament’s act was noted by the colonists in the entire region that consisted of thirteen colonies and was not pleased by the move. Just like it happened in the to the Stamp act of 1765, the provision of the act was equally rejected (Tilly 27). A coalition of furious merchants as well as the artisan initiated the opposition to the act and was determined to resist the distribution and delivery procedures of the tea as stipulated by the parliamentary act. Following this opposition, the company’s legitimate consignees were subjected to continuous harassment and this was coupled the resistance of the tea not to be landed.

Strategic implications of Corporate Social Responsibilities Essay

Strategic implications of Corporate Social Responsibilities - Essay Example According to Forbes (2012), involvement in CSR results in creative development and cost reduction within the organisation. An organisation, that is focusing upon sustainability will innovate and undertake methods to achieve the purpose. Such steps often result in creation of a new product that is eco-friendly and cost efficient. Forbes (2012) highlighted at least six reasons for organisations to incorporate CSR in their business activities: innovation, cost advantage, brand differentiation, long term strategic importance, customer engagement and employee engagement. Innovation, in context of CSR, can result in identification of multiple of sustainable business opportunities emerging ahead of an organisation. For instance, Unilever, as a part of its CSR towards environment, was able to develop a new hair conditioner that unlike other substitutes required less water. Once sustainability is incorporated in activities, it is obvious to witness effective utilisation of resources, efficien t consumption of energy and other non-renewable resources and increased usage of eco-friendly materials. It has been observed so far that brand differentiation has become one of the primary reasons for organisations to embrace CSR. Prominent companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi have incorporated brand differentiation in their products such as water bottles that are recyclable in nature, to enhance their brand image as sustainable organisations. In addition to brand differentiation in this interactive environment which can be achieved.

The Concept Of Collaborative Working Social Work Essay

The Concept Of Collaborative Working Social Work Essay Collaboration is a interprofessional process of communication and decision making that enables shared knowledge and skills in health care providers to synergistically influence the ways service user/patient care and the broader community health services are provided (Way et al, 2002). The development of collaborative working will necessarily entail close interprofessional working (Wilson et al., 2008). According to Wilson et al, (2008) and Hughes, Hemmingway Smith, (2005) interprofessional and collaborative working describes considering the service user in a holistic way, and the benefits to the service user that different organisations, such as Social Workers (SW), Occupational Therapists (OT) and District Nurse (DN) and other health professionals can bring working together can achieve. These definitions describe collaborative working as the act of people working together toward common goals. Integrated working involves putting the service user at the centre of decision making to m eet their needs and improve their lives (Dept of Health, 2009). This paper will focus first see why health care students learn about working together then reviewing government policy and how this can be applied in a Social Care context, then on influencing factors on the outcomes of collaborative working references within the professional literature, and finally, reviewing evidence on collaborative practice in health and social care. Learning to work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies is a clear expectation of social worker in the prescribed curriculum for the new Social Work Degree (DoH 2002). The reasons are plain: à ¢-  Service users want social workers who can collaborate effectively with others to obtain and provide services (Audit Commission 2002) à ¢-  Collaboration is central in implementing strategies for effective care and protection of children and of vulnerable adultsas underlined, respectively, by the recent report of the Victoria Climbià © Inquiry (Laming 2003) and the earlier No Secrets policies (DoH 2000) à ¢-  Effective collaboration between staff at the front-line is also a crucial ingredient in delivering the Governments broader goals of partnership between services (Whittington 2003). Experience is growing of what is involved in learning for collaborative practice. This experience promises valuable information for Social Work Degree providers and others developing learning opportunities but has not been systematically researched in UK social work programmes for a decade (Whittington 1992; Whittington et al 1994). The providers of Diploma in Social Work programmes (DipSW) represented an untapped source of directly transferable experience in this area of learning and were therefore chosen as the focus of the study. Making collaborative practice a reality in institutions requires an understanding of the essential elements, persistent and continuing efforts, and rigorous evaluation of outcomes. Satisfaction, quality, and cost effectiveness are essential factors on two dimensions: outcomes for patient care providers; and outcomes for patients. Ultimately, collaborative practice can be recognized by demonstrated effective communication patterns, achievement of enhanced patient care outcomes, and efficient and effective support services in place. If these criteria are not met, collaborative practice is a myth and not a reality in your institution. Simms LM, Dalston JW, Roberts PW. Collaborative practice: myth or reality? Hosp Health Serv Adm. 1984 Nov-Dec;29(6):36-48. PubMed PMID: 10268659. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed Health care students are thought about collaboration so that they can see the unique contribution that each professional can bring to the provision of care in a truly holistic way. Learning about working together can help prevent the development of negative stereotypes, which can inhabit interprofessional collaboration. (Tunstall-Pedoe et al 2003) Health care students can link theory they have leant with practice and bring added value of successful collaborative practice. (www.facuity.londondeanery.ac.uk) Learning collaborative practice with other professionals is the core expectation in social work education both qualifying and post grad. Effective collaboration and interaction can directly influence a SU treatment, in a positive way, and the opposite can be said about ineffective collaboration that can have severe ramifications, which has been cited in numerous public inquiries. Professionals should also share information about SUs to keep themselves and their colleagues safe from harm. Working together to safeguard children states that training on safeguarding children and young people should be embedded within a wider framework of commitment to inter and multi-agency working at strategic and operational levels underpinned by shared goals, planning processes and values. The Children Act 1989 recognised that the identification and investigation of child abuse, together with the protection and support of victims and their families, requires multi-agency collaboration. Caring for People (DH, 1989) stated that successful collaboration required a clear, mutual understanding by every agency of each others responsibilities and powers, in order to make plain how and with whom collaboration should be secured. It is evident from the above that Government has been actively promoting collaborative working, and this is reflected in professional literature. Hence, the policy climate and legislative backdrop were established to facilitate inter-agency and intra-agency collaborati on. The stated aim has been to create high quality, needs-led, co-ordinated services that maximised choice for the service user (Payne, 1995). Political pressure in recent years has focused attention on interprofessional collaboration in SW (Pollard, Sellman Senior, 2005) and when viewed as a good thing, it is worthwhile to critically examine its benefits and drawbacks just what is so good about it. (Leathard, 2003). Interprofessional collaboration benefits the service user by the use of complementary skills, shared knowledge, resources and possibility better job satisfaction. Soon after the new Labour government in 1997 gave a powerful new impetus to the concept of collaboration and partnership between health professionals and services, they recognised this and there was a plethora of social policy initiatives official on collaborative working published. A clear indication of this can be found in NHS Plan (DH, 2000), Modernising the Social Services (DH, 1998a). Policies concentrat ed on agency structures and better joint working. This was nothing new, since the 1970s there has been a growing emphasis on multiagency working. 1974 saw the first big press involvement in the death of a child (Maria Coldwell) and they questioned why professionals were not able to protect children who they had identified as most at risk. The pendulum of threat to children then swung too much the other way and the thresholds for interventions were significantly lowered, which culminated with the Cleveland Inquiry of 1988 when children were removed from their families when there was little concrete evidence of harm (Butler-Sloss, 1988), with too much emphasis put on the medical opinion. An equilibrium was needed for a collaborative work ethic to share knowledge and skills and Munro (2010) states that other service agencies cannot and should not replace SWs, but there is a requirement for agencies to engage professionally about children, young people and families on their caseloads. T he Children Act 2004 (Dept of Health, 2004) and associated government guidance, introduced following the Public Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbià © in 2000, including Every Child Matters (Dept of Health, 2003), were written to stress the importance of interprofessional and multiagency working and to help improve it. The failure to collaborate effectively was highlighted as one of many missed opportunities by the inquiry into the tragic death of Victoria Climbià © (Laming, 2003) and Baby Peter (Munro, 2009). There is an assumption that shared information is information understood problems with information sharing and effective commination are cited again and again in public enquiry reports Rose and Barnes 2008; Brandon et al, 2008). These problems can simply be about very practical issues, such as delays in information shearing, lost messages, names and addresses that are incorrectly recorded (Laming 2003 cited in Ten pitfalls and how to avoid them 2010) An explicit aim was to motivate the contribution of multiagency working. By 1997 Labour had been re elected and rolled out a number of studies into collaboration. These studies revealed the many complexities and obstacles to collaborative working (Weinstein, 2003). The main drivers of the governments health and social care policies were partnership, collaboration and multi-disciplinary working. One of the areas covered by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 (Dept of Health, 2010) stated that organisations and agencies should work together to recognise and manage any individual who presents a risk of harm to children. The Children Act 1989 (Dept of Health, 1989) requires multi-agency collaboration to help indentify and investigate any cases of child abuse, and the protection and support of victims and their families. It should be remembered that everyone brings their piece of expertise/ knowledge to help build the jigsaw (Working Together 2010) and to assess the service user i n a holistic way. Although the merits of collaboration have rarely been disputed, the risk of conflict between the professional groups remains. Some of the barriers to collaboration are different resource allocation systems, different accountability structures, professional tribalism, pace of change and spending constraints The disadvantages are if commissioning was led by health, an over-emphasis on health care needs, and inequities between patients from different practices There are challenges in terms of professional and personal resistance to change; it is difficult to change entrenched attitudes even through inter-professional education. Sometimes professionals disagree about the causes of and the solutions to problems, they may have different objectives because of different paradigms (Pierson M, 2010). There are also several concerns for SWs which include not knowing which assessments to use, appearing to be different or work differently from others in the team, not being taken seriously or listened to by colleagues and not having sufficient time or resources because of budget constraints (Warren, 2007). Some of the reasoning for this pessimistic mood is feelings of inequality and rivalries, the relative status and power of professionals, professional identity and territory. Different patterns of accountability and discretion between professionals, are all contributing factors to these feelings (Hudson, 2002). Thompson (2009) suggests that instead of the SW being viewed as the expert with all the answers to the problems, they should step back and look at what other professionals can contribute. Collaborative working offers a way forward, in which the SW works with everyone involved with the clients; carers, voluntary workers and other professional staff, to maximise the resources, thus giving an opportunity for making progress and affording the service user the best possible care. Weinstein, et al, (2003) stated that although there are problems with collaborative working, the potential positive outcomes out-weight the negatives. There could be a more integrated, timely and coherent response to the many complex human problems, fewer visits, better record keeping and transfer of information, and some reduction of risk; therefore the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. If SWs work in silos, working in a vacuum, they are unlikely to maximise their impact (Brodie, 2008). It is important to use collaboration and an interprofessional/multi agency working culture in Social Work in order that the most vulnerable service users receive the best possible assessments of their needs. The advantages are better understanding of the constraints of each agency and system overall, shared information on local needs, reduction in duplication of assessments, better planning, avoiding the blame culture when problems occurred and accessing social care via health less stigmatising. Greater knowledge of the SWs roles and responsibilities by other health care professionals will ensure that the SWs role is not substituted in assessment of the service users circumstances and needs (Munro, 2010). The Munro Report (2010) also states that if everyone holds a piece of the jigsaw a full picture is impossible until every piece is put together. Working together to Safeguard Children states a multi-professional approach is required to ensure collaboration among all involved, which may include ambulance staff, AE department staff, coroners officers, police, GPs, health visitors, school nurses, community childrens nurses, midwives, paediatricians, palliative or end of life care staff, mental health professionals, substance misuse workers, hospital bereavement staff, voluntary agencies, coroners, pathologists, forensic medical examiners, local authority childrens social care, YOTs, probation, schools, prison staff where a child has died in custody and any others who may find themselves with a contribution to make in individual cases (for example, fire fighters or faith leaders). In a study by Carpenter et al (2003) concerning the impact on staff of providing integrated care in multi-disciplinary mental health teams in the North of England, the most positive results were found in areas where services were fully integrated. There is much evidence to suggest that collaboration represents an ethical method of practice where differences are respected, but used creatively to find solutions to complex problems. In essence the service user should be cared for in a holistic approach and to achieve this collaboration is the answer. (1516) Professor Munro askes Some local areas have introduced social work-led, multi-agency locality teams to help inform best next steps in respect of a child or young person, including whether a formal child protection intervention is needed. Do you think this is useful? Do you have evidence of it working well? What are the practical implications of this approach? (http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2011/01/04/116046/munro-asks-frontline-workers-what-needs-to-change.htm)

Essay example --

Chile is a very dynamic country with many interesting features that have shaped their aviation industry to be one of the most unique in the world. Apart from having a very unique shape, it also has many land features that set it apart from other countries. These features have affected the international aviation industry in Chile and made it very distinctive. Before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, Chile was home to the Inca tribe in the north and the Mapuche ruled central and southern Chile. Overtime the Spanish began to take over and drive out the native people. The Spanish ruled Chile until they were driven out in the War of The Pacific in the early 1800’s. Over the next few centuries Chile's governance was very unstable, changing rulers and governments every few decades. Things began to settle down starting in 1990 when Chile inaugurated a freely elected president. With this new government system Chile saw steady economic growth, the poverty rate was cut in half, and it began to establish itself as a stable, democratic nation. In January 2014, Chile acquired a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2014-2015 term (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). The Chilean economy is market oriented meaning that it has a lot of foreign trade and has also established itself as a home for strong financial institutions earning it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014). Exporting goods and natural resources accounts for approximately one third of Chile’s Gross Domestic Product and copper provides 19 percent of the government’s revenue, making it the world’s leading producer of copper (Heritage Foundation, 2014). Chile’s other export... ...tion, 2013). Another issue that Chile has to face is the possibility of volcanic eruptions and subsequent ash clouds. If a major eruption occurs in Chile it could greatly affect the air travel in and out of Chile for a long time. The last major eruption occurred in 2011 and not only grounded flights in Chile but also Australia and New Zealand as the ash cloud was blown a great distance (Williams, 2011). Chile has a very strong and stable aviation industry today. Since the government stabilized and remained consistent over the past years the focus of the government was clearly on enhancing the aviation industry in Chile. From airline giants like LAN to some of the most treacherous, mountainous regions in the world, it is amazing that the aviation industry has been able to thrive as much as it has. Chile truly has one of the best aviation industries in the world.

Increase Petrol Price

Bad traffic and increasing pollution are thorny issues challenging every major city in the globe. To combat such problems, government encourages companies to mark up gas price in an effort to decrease car use and cut down waste gas. However it may temporarily alleviate the problem, but is doubtfully the optimal solution. First of all, consumers and economy would be victimized by such measures. The number of cars in a country directly depends on the proportion of the population affluent enough to own cars.As a result, raises in gas price could invoke hard feelings among this segment of people but would not drastically change their behavior in using cars. Even if the number of cars on road is reduced due to higher gas cost, this is not the best way to solve traffic problems. Such policy would hurt the auto industry, place higher costs on current and prospect car owners, and undermine the economy of a nation. In the long run, the final way out could be the construction of better roads a nd more effective use of available transport facilities.Secondly, there is evidence that waste gas from cars is not the leading cause of air pollution. The culprit may be the discharge of polluting substances into the atmosphere due to the rapidly growing manufacturing industry. As a result, reduction of the number of cars would not return us a blue sky and fresh air. We could better handle this problem if we could increase control over industrial waste discharge and adopt more environmental friendly materials and production equipment. Finally, other measures like the application of cheaper and cleaner energy resources could also be a better solution.For example, we now have the ability to make cell-powered or even solar-powered cars. Such energy is completely clean and plentiful. However we still have a very long way to go to turn such technologically possible into afford able and practical products. To conclude, it is not the best way to control traffic and pollution by increasing gas price because such action will hurt consumers and economy without achieving what it is aimed for. Measures such as construction of better transport facilities and development of new energy resources could be more effective solutions.

Free Essays on Deaf Culture

Deaf Culture: Is it all Peaceful? Deafness is not a disability but a different way of being. â€Å"So the members of the American deaf community are not characteristically isolated, or uncommunicative, or unintelligent or childlike, or needy, or any of these things we imagine them to be,† stated Harlan Lane (269). The deaf produce their own culture and way of living. Knowing that, what is a culture, what are factors in their culture, and why is there negativity associated with the deaf community producing their own culture? Culture is what individuals learn in life. Cultures are taught. Individuals learn their culture from people within their society. They learn language, acceptable behavior, beliefs, customs, and values to help them throughout life. Cultures can also be viewed as a standard of living and be used as a sense of belonging. There are many cultures in this world. They range from cultures of a particular country to cultures of a certain group. There are even cultures within a culture. The deaf community for example has more than one culture. The main culture they learn is the culture they are raised in, basically, what their countries’ cultures are, but they are also part of their own culture. Deaf individuals have their own language, needs, and customs along with the mainstream culture they live in. In the deaf community, they have their own opportunities for their group of people. They have schools, social activities, jobs, and forms of communication to say the least. Deaf grade schools and colleges are all over the country. One of the better-known colleges is Gallaudet University. According to Oliver Sacks, â€Å"Gallaudet is the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world and is, moreover, the core of the world’s deaf community† as of 1988 (236). Gallaudet is also known for a riot that took place in March of 1988. The riot was to protest against selection of a hearing president for ... Free Essays on Deaf Culture Free Essays on Deaf Culture Deaf Culture: Is it all Peaceful? Deafness is not a disability but a different way of being. â€Å"So the members of the American deaf community are not characteristically isolated, or uncommunicative, or unintelligent or childlike, or needy, or any of these things we imagine them to be,† stated Harlan Lane (269). The deaf produce their own culture and way of living. Knowing that, what is a culture, what are factors in their culture, and why is there negativity associated with the deaf community producing their own culture? Culture is what individuals learn in life. Cultures are taught. Individuals learn their culture from people within their society. They learn language, acceptable behavior, beliefs, customs, and values to help them throughout life. Cultures can also be viewed as a standard of living and be used as a sense of belonging. There are many cultures in this world. They range from cultures of a particular country to cultures of a certain group. There are even cultures within a culture. The deaf community for example has more than one culture. The main culture they learn is the culture they are raised in, basically, what their countries’ cultures are, but they are also part of their own culture. Deaf individuals have their own language, needs, and customs along with the mainstream culture they live in. In the deaf community, they have their own opportunities for their group of people. They have schools, social activities, jobs, and forms of communication to say the least. Deaf grade schools and colleges are all over the country. One of the better-known colleges is Gallaudet University. According to Oliver Sacks, â€Å"Gallaudet is the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world and is, moreover, the core of the world’s deaf community† as of 1988 (236). Gallaudet is also known for a riot that took place in March of 1988. The riot was to protest against selection of a hearing president for ...

Free Essays on Why Study Pearl Harbor

Why study Pearl Harbor? An event 60 years past would, on the face of it, seem irrelevant today. Sure, the movie will be out soon and the interest is inevitable. But let's put Pearl Harbor into proper perspective: This attack shaped generations of American military and political thinking. The cold was consumed by a "peace through strength" mentality burned into their memories by the events of that December. As a "baby-boomer" I concur with Thurston Clarke who wrote: "I was... in the earliest of post war generations, one that grew up listening to war stories, surrounded by German helmets, Japanese bayonets, and the flight jackets we wore as teenagers. For us bravery was defined by Omaha Beach, leadership by Winston Churchill, evil by the Holocaust, and treachery by Pearl Harbor. The war we know was immediate, its wounds raw, its issues simple. We were too close to it for historical perspective, too removed to understand its ironies and moral ambiguities. The movies we saw and the books we read were often wartime propaganda, but we were too young to separate the real from the bogus. And after watching all those black and white documentaries, reading those fat histories, and participating in those philosophical disputes that could never be argued without reference to Hitler, and after comparing our restless, unfulfilled generation with the one before it, perhaps it is not surprising we fel t such second-hand nostalgia for a time we had never lived and a was we had never fought, nor surprising that my second-hand memories had become second-hand grudges" [against the Japanese]. For many the wounds are still raw, so be prepared for a two-pronged response to this history section. One generation remembers December 7th, 1941 as a reverent event; another may just think the planes and ships are "cool". Both will respond through their own prisms. All are welcome. Future articles will feature technical stories of ships and planes as well as huma... Free Essays on Why Study Pearl Harbor Free Essays on Why Study Pearl Harbor Why study Pearl Harbor? An event 60 years past would, on the face of it, seem irrelevant today. Sure, the movie will be out soon and the interest is inevitable. But let's put Pearl Harbor into proper perspective: This attack shaped generations of American military and political thinking. The cold was consumed by a "peace through strength" mentality burned into their memories by the events of that December. As a "baby-boomer" I concur with Thurston Clarke who wrote: "I was... in the earliest of post war generations, one that grew up listening to war stories, surrounded by German helmets, Japanese bayonets, and the flight jackets we wore as teenagers. For us bravery was defined by Omaha Beach, leadership by Winston Churchill, evil by the Holocaust, and treachery by Pearl Harbor. The war we know was immediate, its wounds raw, its issues simple. We were too close to it for historical perspective, too removed to understand its ironies and moral ambiguities. The movies we saw and the books we read were often wartime propaganda, but we were too young to separate the real from the bogus. And after watching all those black and white documentaries, reading those fat histories, and participating in those philosophical disputes that could never be argued without reference to Hitler, and after comparing our restless, unfulfilled generation with the one before it, perhaps it is not surprising we fel t such second-hand nostalgia for a time we had never lived and a was we had never fought, nor surprising that my second-hand memories had become second-hand grudges" [against the Japanese]. For many the wounds are still raw, so be prepared for a two-pronged response to this history section. One generation remembers December 7th, 1941 as a reverent event; another may just think the planes and ships are "cool". Both will respond through their own prisms. All are welcome. Future articles will feature technical stories of ships and planes as well as huma...

Is brain dead really dead Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is brain dead really dead - Research Paper Example Advances in medical knowledge and practice have made it possible for respiratory and cardiovascular functions to be taken over by sophisticated machines and advanced therapies. The significance of recognizing brain death is based on the costs of maintaining patients on life support, intellectual progression and utilitarian purposes. Despite the importance of recognizing brain death, concerns have been raised over challenges to determining brain death. The first challenge is that brain death is not death while the second challenge is that brain death is death but the clinical criteria used to recognize it are unreliable. This essay will discuss the importance of recognizing brain death, in addition to discussing the challenges to brain death. Brain death is a clinical manifestation characterized by irreversible cessation of all the functions of the human brain, including the brain stem (Machado, 2007). Even though the concept of brain death has commonly been applied to organ donation and transplantation, brain death has become a contested issue in general medical practice. Strict guidelines have been developed to certify brain death and only specialist medical practitioners are allowed to make the determination. Recognition of brain death is crucial in medical practice given the medical, bioethical and legal contestations associated with brain death. Much as brain death is considered to be effective in making definite recognition of death, the legal, ethical and human aspects associated with death make brain death a very complex clinical issue. The permanent cessation of the respiratory and cardiovascular functions was traditionally used as the basis upon which death was recognized. Regardless of a patient’s situation, this criterion was widely accepted as the standard for recognizing death (Wijdicks, 2013). Conversely, advancements in medical technology and knowledge have

Design System and Security Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Design System and Security Control - Essay Example This includes user errors, malicious and non-malicious attacks, accidents as well as external attack from hackers, who try to gain access to the system and disrupt the various system operations hence rendering it useless, or data alteration or even data loss. There are a number of system security and control requirements that are required for the implementation of the ACA Technology. The system will need protection in terms of the following aspects of data. The system should ensure confidentiality. This implies that the system should hold information that requires its protection from any unauthorized disclosures. This includes personal information as well as business proprietary information. Authentication Secondly, authentication is another important aspect of any given system. This is defined as the act of establishing the identity of a given user as well as the host being used. The first objective of authentication is usually first to establish that the given person and/ or system which is attempting to gain access to the system has the permission to do so. The second objective is usually the gathering of the information detailing the way the particular user is gaining access to the system. Smart cards, bank cards, computer chips are used to identify the identity of a given person. Some of the devices require the user to also supply a password or personal identification number (PIN) to verify their identity. The third method is by use of Biometric identification. This method uses the Biometric science that identifies a given person based on their physical characteristics. This includes voice recognition, palm, thumbprint identification as well as retinal scan. Authorization Thirdly is the authorization which is another vital aspect of system control. This is defined as the act of determining the access level that a particular user has to behavior and data. Under this aspect of system control, effective approaches to authorization need to be first established . A number of questions need to be addressed i.e. â€Å"What shall we control access to?† As we know it’s possible to implement secure access to both data and functionality for example access to monthly sales figures and the ability to fire a given employee respectively. While this is being done a number of factors need to be checked to ensure that the implementation is cost effective and conforms to the performance constraints. The second question that arises is â€Å"what rules shall be applicable?† to be in a position to answer this question effectively, the stakeholders' requirements need to be factored in and included should be other security factors which the stakeholders may not be aware of. These factors will include; the connection type, update access, the time of the day, the existence, privileges level, global permissions etc.

The Subjectivity of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Subjectivity of Ethics - Essay Example How I view the world depends on my perspective, and there are as many perspectives as there are people. My perspective is a unique creature born of a combination of factors like where I was born (my cultural background), my personal experiences, my gender, my mental make-up and even my physical make-up. My perspective could definitely alter from time to time, and with it so could my ideas of what is right and what is wrong. However, since personal values do not change so fast, or are subject to change only if I experience a major transformation in my own life, we may say that personal ethics do not change - they evolve - over a period of time, in response to my maturing outlook on life. Since each person views the world differently, it is virtually impossible to have a uniform code of conduct for people. Since morality depends on beliefs, we would have to conclude that there are as many systems of morality as there are people upon this earth, as each person comes ensconced in his own cocoon of beliefs. However, even if ethicality and morality are subjective, there still are certain universal human values. There are some basic rules of conduct that are binding on all persons at all times. Let us try and identify some of these basic values, which are accepted across cultures, and over the centuries as necessary for the continuation of human life. They are respect for human life, respect for the person and basic dignity of a human being, and respecting certain mores of sexual conduct and behavior, to mention a few. There are circumstances where transgressing universal human values would not be wrong, and may even become necessary. Let us examine the afore-mentioned permanent human values. Respect for human life. In all cultures, in all ages, it has been agreed that human life should be treated with the utmost respect. Are there any circumstances where the taking of a human life is morally defensible Definitely, there are. If I am attacked, and the only way to protect myself is by counter attack, would not this counter attack be morally defensible Those who advocate pacifism of a Gandhian variety may not agree. But most others would. How about euthanasia - aiding someone to die Aiding someone who is terminally ill, suffering a lot, and is even perhaps old and has already lived a long and fulfilling life. I may speed that person on her way, out of love and compassion for her. Coming to another example - respect for human life is enshrined in the taboo against eating human flesh. Now suppose, jus t suppose someone is drifting on the ocean, or trapped somewhere with nothing to eat. Suppose he has a companion who dies, and he is left to battle for life against hunger and cold and the wilderness. Suppose that this person transgresses a fundamental human value, and actually eats the flesh of a dead companion to keep alive, would he be doing a wrong It is easy to discuss the rightness or the wrong of such actions, theoretically, and even denounce them. But going even for a day without food or drink is so difficult for most people, how can we judge what happens to a person when he is tested in extreme situations of hunger and deprivation, and pass judgment

Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire Essay Example for Free

Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire Essay Analyze the Main CharacterThe main character named Elphaba, in the novel Wicked, raises the debate to whether evil is inherited genetically or developed by social injustice. Elphaba, having been born with a pale green skin tone and razor sharp teeth was automatically rejected by society at birth. As she grew older she developed a vast knowledge of the world around her which led her desire to be influential towards the greater good. Even though her intentions were genuinely efficacious she was labeled wicked due to the narrow views on eccentricity throughout society. This is the conflict in which Elphaba was to succumb in order to fulfill her desire to better the world. Elphaba was born a munchkinlander to the reverend of a unionist church and the daughter of a wealthy family. Even though she was born to a promising background she was destined for failure due to birth defects. Elphaba was born with green skin and razor sharp teeth because of a green elixir in which her mother ingested in large quantities during the pregnancy. These abnormal traits caused even the narrow minds of her parents to have distaste for her; her parents were afraid of her at first but later learned to love her for she had become an extremely kind and loving person. She was born with a negative connotation to her name which could possibly dampen her future. Despite the constant badgering and scrutinizing due to her irregularities Elphaba developed a mind of phenomenal capacity. Her father spent much time tutoring her in her younger years and teaching her to love knowledge. With this love for knowledge she excelled in public schooling and was accepted with full decoration to attend Shiz University. Wishing to attend Shiz to develop her brain she was soon discovered to be that of a witch with potential to develop amazing powers. She was then lead on by the head mistress madam Morrible to pursue her powers and then later to engage in a meeting with the wizard of Oz. Now, having developed a great magical ability, Elphaba was to meet the wizard who she thought could be able to help her fulfill her desire to better the world. To her surprise, it was revealed that the wizard had no power at all  and with the help of madam Morrible planned to use Elphaba as the power in order to fuel his own dictatorship. Elphaba quickly rejected the wizards proposal and went into hiding promptly. In doing so the wizard persuaded society that she was wicked because of her abnormal looks and that she was capable of destroying their Land of Oz. Society surged against Elphaba killing everyone and everything she ever loved. This drove Elphaba to lose all control and use her divine magical powers to harm the society that rejected her. This could be considered the point in which Elphaba fulfilled her title as wicked.Elphaba was born to abnormal looks with a kind heart but later became wicked because of the cruel behavior of society. If she were only given the chance to prove her intentions she may have succeeded in improving the status of the world. But due to the evil intentions of the wizard her life was thus written as the wickedest of them all.

Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Analysis

Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Analysis Personal Constructs Theory – A Systematic Study Title/Abstract In this study we aim to provide an analysis of a subject’s problems using the Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) suggested by Kelly. The subject is a 35 year old female full time employee working in the same company as the researcher and has shown no barriers to construing. The subject’s problems with her relationships have been determined using the Repertory grid interview and we discuss results and provide an analysis of the findings following the interview and data collection. The interview was done to identify elements within the client’s relationships and all interview limitations have been considered for the study. We provide an analysis of Personal Constructs Theory in general giving a brief overview of its main premises and principles and then move on to its applications including the Grid interview technique on our client. We discuss the results and analyse the findings accordingly. Introduction George Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory (PCT) emphasises that the world is ‘perceived’ by a person according to the meaning the person applies to it and the person has the freedom to choose a meaning according to what he or she wants (Kelly, 1955). Thus a person has the freedom to choose a meaning in terms of which he perceives the world and can apply alternative constructions or meanings to his past, present and future events. Thus a person is not a victim of his events but can liberate himself from unpleasant events by reinterpreting and redefining them. According to Kelly (1955) PCT attempts to explain why a man does what he does and is a theory about ‘how the human process flows, how it strives in new directions as well as in old, and how it may dare for the first time to reach into the depths of newly perceived dimensions’ Kelly states that a ‘persons processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipate the events’(1955). Here, the subject is the process and the individual is a behaving organism who may need an external force to initiate an event. The processes include those of self-definition and relationships with others, and how we interpret events around us as well as the events we perceive and tasks at hand (Kelly 1955). Kelly based his theory of PCT on ‘man as the scientist’ model and the basic points were as follows: the individual creates his or her own ways of seeing the world and interprets events according to how he perceive them the individual builds percepts and constructs; these constructs are organized into systems, or group of constructs which embody relationships; two or more systems may contain the same events, yet the events are separate from any of the systems; any individual’s systems have a definite foci The term construct is a concept that represents the view a person has constructed about the world as he experiences it. Constructs also represent the way a person is likely to construe the world and the construct system as a whole represents the history and predisposition to perceive the world in a particular way. Kelly also distinguished between social reality, individual reality and communality. Individuality denotes that every individual differ from each other in how they construct or perceive the world, communality refers to the underlying similarities or common elements in perception and how the construction of experience in one person is similar to that of another (Kelly, 1955). Social reality is perception of how one person construes the construction processes of another person and how they are involved in a social role. Personal construct theory has been used in several sociological and scientific disciplines and it has been emphasised that social reality and communality should be considered along with the individual or personal reality and both have to be considered together in developing an understanding of the psychological processes (Dalton, 1992). The theory of Personal Constructs, points out that it is our personal psychological constructs that make the world predictable. We use construct systems to help in perception of the world and respond to all situations according to these perceptions. Our construct systems help us to make sense of the world, to make it predictable, to draw conclusions about causes and effects and we learn from experiences and adjust our behaviour accordingly (Fransella, 1995). Kelly wrote that the construct systems influence our expectations and perceptions and reflect our past experiences according to which we shape our future expectations. For example since we known from our past experiences that winters are cold, we would take adequate measures of protection during winter because we expect winters to be cold. However according to Kelly, our construct systems grow and change and are not static and are either confirmed or challenged when we are conscious. We adapt and immunise our constructs according to the situation and alter our feelings according to our experiences. We also tend to think and react according to our construct systems and some constructs represent values and key relationships which are difficult to change and fixed whereas some other constructs are less complex and more flexible and adaptive. The truth about the world as understood and experienced determines the nature of the construct system. Construct systems are not generally judged according to any objective truth and depend on an individual’s personal feelings, perceptions and choices (Dalton, 1992). One individual’s construct system may be different from another’s and when there is a general disagreement in constructs, it is generally denoted by prejudice or preconception. Although conflicts and differences of opinions are unpleasant, these events help us to understand differences in people and help us to learn how other people perceive things (Stevens, 1996). However construct systems change and may not be altogether internally consistent. People may react or perceive things differently even in similar circumstances and this is normal as there is a certain degree of internal inconsistency in perception of events. Distortions of judgement due to internal inconsistency of personal constructs can be harmful for a person as he may suffer from personal distress. The extent to which one person can appreciate and react to another person’s constructs is a measure of empathy or how one perceives another (Banister, 1985). One person’s construct system may be markedly different from another person’s constructs yet one should be able to infer the other person’s construct in order to empathise and develop a sense of social oneness and responsibility. Kellyâ €™s theory is one of the most effective theories in social research and helps to provide a psychological explanation of social similarities and differences. The applications of Kelly’s theory of Personal constructs are wide and varied as it helps to provide mathematical representations of constructs systems. Construct systems are multidimensional mathematical models and a person’s language is used to classify his or her experiences. Kelly developed a number of mathematical models and representations of construct systems and tested hypotheses that followed from basic personal construct theory (Fransella and Bannister, 1977). To understand people’s personal construct systems the repertory Grid Interview technique was developed, also known as the Role Construct Repertory Test. The repertoire of constructs that a person develops represents some form of perception, judgement or evaluation and is always comparative. Thus judgement of anything good is in comparison with the concept of bad. Thus in using a Grid interview three elements are considered and then two are paired in contrast with a third. The theory of personal co nstructs can be applied to personal experiences and relationships and so parents, relations, friends, colleagues and the individual are largely responsible for the formation of constructs (Smith et al, 1995; Kalekin-Fishman et al, 1996). Kelly elicited a patient’s constructs, rated the different elements on the constructs and used the resultant grid to point out to the client what his primary problems or concerns were. This helped to decide which therapy would be important and helped to determine the progress and effectiveness of therapy. For example one could find the two elements in a personal relationship of a patient and his mother and use this technique to find out differences between a patient’s perception of himself and what his mother would like him to be. The patient would then be encouraged to provide a self description and work through means of making his relationship with his mother more pleasant and productive. If there are paranoid elements recognised in a patient’s perception of himself or his relationships, appropriate therapeutic interventions are suggested. The Repertory Grid interviewing technique was developed by Kelly to overcome some of the methodological limitations of the interview method. The main steps of the Grid technique include Selecting a set of elements – this could be anything from relationships to issues and the elements could be people involved in these relationships with the client. The elements are taken in groups of three and the client is asked to pair two of them separating the third according to a special characteristic (Adams-Webber, 1983). Thus here the differentiation is done according to constructs determined by the client and is done on a bipolar scale with the interviewer setting up the question but the client determining the content (Anderson, 1987). The constructs are examined in some detail and after the interview the constructs are made into scales of 1-5 and the interviewee is expected to rate every element for every construct on this scale. The result is a matrix and this is then analysed statistically to show the client his problems and how they can be tackled. The statistical analysis helps to give measurements of individual people characteristics and compares people’s perceptions before and after the interview. The Grid is thus a statistical, and content free process and although the interviewer initiates its functions, it is the patient who drives it allowing him to come out with his own perceptions thus giving the process a freedom from any interviewer bias and allows complete transparency(Anderson, 1987). Since it is also a standardised interviewing technique any interviewer can read the interview and understand its implications. Russell and Cox (2003) and Morrison (1991) have stressed on the importance of repertory grid in the analysis of individual perceptions. Considering Kelly’s constructivist alternativism, we can assume that all our present perceptions of the world could be subject to changes and revisions and accordingly our perceptions of people and subsequently our interpersonal relationships could also be changed according to this principle. Method A 35 year old female colleague, Marie Oliver was selected for the interview process. The client was having some relationship problems, especially with her work colleagues and has been showing maladjustment along with problems of anxiety, depression and lack of productivity at work. The participant was apprised of the purpose of the interviewing and was asked to participate suggesting that participation in the interview would help her in overcoming her personal problems. A Repertory Grid Interview was done and the first step was identifying elements or grid components. For this all the possible elements including people in relationships were identified. Thus elements are work colleagues known to the participant and to the researcher, and the participant used triad method with the elements to create constructs around any one chosen topic. Elements were then compared by asking participant to take 3 elements and ascertain where 2 are similar and 1 is different, and the participant was en couraged to continue until all possible combinations were exhausted of 3 elements from the set of 10. The instruction given in this case was , ‘choose any three of these known people and group two of them together separating a possible third to show why two of them are similar and how they differ from the third person.’ This process was used to identify similarities and differences of individuals until the participant ran out of constructs. Several mini-grids were developed in advance to ensure that the participant was comfortable with the process of grid construction. Then the Participant followed the process, generated the first grid, to ascertain whether each element is more like the similarity pole or difference pole by marking with ‘x’ or ‘o’ respectively. The participant then generated a second grid to rate each element on each of the 10 constructs using 1-5 point scale, but presented the grid to experimenter without ratings, experimenter then created the final grid as the participant. The main aim and purpose of the interview was agreed with the participant and views about other work colleagues were thus taken. The participant was fully informed from outset regarding the possibility that the revelations from the Grid Interview could be unsettling for her. However for these purposes, participant’s consent form was also signed in advance and the constructs were then set up on the grid allowing to be revealed. In the process of the interview, the researcher made notes on participant behaviour and perceptions as verbally revealed. In this case, the participant Marie was asked to identify the elements in her workplace that could be considered in her relationships with colleagues. Marie identified 10 colleagues at her workplace and separated two of them as distinct from a third. The common points and the differences were noted. Each of the 10 constructs chosen were rated on a 1-5 scale and the grids were created with similarity and difference poles marked by x or an o. This was done in case of determining constructs and relationships with work colleagues. After the formation of a grid, an analysis was drawn up. Findings/Analysis The two assumptions of the Grid Interview by Kelly were as follows: 1. If we can identify an individuals construct map there is a strong possibility we can predict that individuals behaviour. 2. We may be able to modify an individuals map, and therefore behaviour, by some form of training. The two aspects of the Repertory Grid are 1. Elements which are the objects of an individuals thinking and to which they relate their concepts or values. These elements may be people with qualities like effective, unprofessional, etc or they may be objects or abstract, concrete concepts like the interview or a test 2. Constructs are the qualities used to describe the elements in our personal, individual relationships thus a person is effective because he has a pleasant relationship with his staff which reflects personal construct as applied to the element of an effective individual The main elements in an analysis when a grid is applied to an individual are: 1. The results relate to that individual alone 2. Only one grid has to be analysed for an individual’s report. 3. A grid scoring form is used to perform the analysis The Findings and Analysis help us to probe the following questions: To what extent was the study helpful in understanding the participant’s view of the topic of examination? Identification and justification of apparent areas of understanding and lack of understanding Is a pattern of understanding evident? How does the analysis link with the notes made prior to completing grids on expected areas of degree of understanding? What is the meaning revealed by the participant’s choice of elements and constructs? Do the elements and constructs reveal a similar or different view of the topic of analysis chosen? What does the degree of the match imply? Was the study any more helpful when conversation elaboration was also used as an extended method? Is some analysis of new understandings reached during feedback conversation helpful for the process? What do the notes and quotes as revealed by the client suggest? The findings are given as follows: (Mostly worked together with these individuals) Close agreement on 4, 5, 6 – elements Less agreement on 9 – element (Mostly worked separately with these individuals) Little agreement on 1,2,3,7,8,10- elements with different negative personal experiences working with E7 and E8 on particular projects. Close agreement on 6 – constructs (professional conduct). Upon discussion, views were similar regarding the meaning of professional conduct and who could be trusted. Less agreement on 1,3,4,5,7,9 – constructs. Upon discussion, researcher and client shared similar/same definitions of each construct. Little agreement on 2,8,10 constructs. Upon discussion, our definitions were different, hence our measurement of each element came from a different understanding of constructs. The elements identified by Marie were individuals at the workplace and Marie revealed that she worked closely with elements 4, 5 and 6 although had less agreement with element or colleague 9. Marie revealed that she has worked separately and had negative personal experiences with colleagues identified as elements 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10 although she said she was working on the same project with two of these negatively perceived colleagues 7 and 8. Mari suggested a close agreement with 6 on professional conduct and said that her views with 6 were similar regarding professional conduct, friendships and trust issues as to who in the office should or should not be trusted. Marie suggested that her constructs were either in contrast to or were not compatible with those of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 elements or colleagues identified. Marie and the researcher had some discussions on the nature and definition of particular perceptions and constructs and the general definition of these identified by th e researcher were similar to that of the subject. The subject’s perceptions, feedback and opinions on the constructs were noted separately. Marie identified that two of the colleagues were friendly and amicable and compared with the other person who in contrast has been described as unfriendly and not easy to get along with. The Repertory Grid Scoring sheet is drawn as follows: The process of producing the Repertory Grid can be broken down into the following steps: Step One The participant Marie identifies ten colleagues whom she knows well. Among these ten colleagues Marie should go along well with at least two of them ideally. Step Two – Marie is given six pieces of card or paper on which she is asked to write the names of the people she has identified. These are the elements described. A number can also be added to the card/paper to signify description and added at the head of column on the scoring sheet. Alternatively, the name itself of the element identified can be entered on the scoring sheet as well. Step Three – Three cards are selected, for example 1, 2 and 3, and Marie is asked to identify some aspect related to these colleagues’ behaviour which makes two of the three people selected different from the third. The construct word or phrase is written in the top left side of the vertical columns. In the top right side of the vertical columns is written the description of the person one who is different from the other two. This process of obtaining constructs from the three people is continued until no further constructs or perceived characteristics could be elicited from the participant. Step Four – Once the constructs have been completely elicited and entered on the scoresheet, the cards are returned. Each element person is then given a score on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 1 or 2 is allocated to those who are suited to the description in the left-hand column, the column with the description of the pair. Scores of 5 or 4 are allocated to those who match with the description in the right-hand column, the description of the odd person out Step Five – A different set of three cards is then selected, cards 4, 5 and 6 and the process in steps 3 and 4 is repeated, ensuring that the description of pairs is recorded in the left-hand column and a score of 1 or 2 relates to the pairs similarity and score points of 4 and 5 relate to the description of the single person. A score of 3 is average score. A score of at least one 1 and one 5 is helpful when allocated usually from the set of three people for whom the constructs are being elicited. Step Six – Step five is repeated and the various combinations of the elements are aimed to be covered until the participants run out of perceived characteristics or constructs that could be entered on the card. After the grid consideration, the grid scoring sheet is used to record the views of the participant for each element against each construct which has been offered. The data collected is then subject to analysis. A manual analysis can generate and extract considerable information from the grid and all the constructs are related to the personal characteristics of each work colleague considered in the study by Marie. Step Seven – In this case study we consider the behavioural aspects of work colleagues of Marie which is related to their overall friendliness, therefore at the end of the grid Marie is asked to rate the elements in a single, given construct over a scale of friendly to unfriendly. The scoring for friendliness is then compared with other individual aspects to highlight differences and to provide indicators for friendliness. Step Eight – The scores for each construct are obtained by marking the difference for each element against the general friendliness figure. Step Nine – In this phase, we analyse the various constructs on the basis that if the score is low the aspect measured is significant in the ranking for friendliness It is the duty of interviewer to remain without any bias and to refrain from giving any suggestion to the participant on what constructs should be drawn. Forming the constructs is entirely dependent on the participant and the researcher has no role in its formation. They must be according to the thoughts and perceptions of the individual who is being interviewed in this case, Marie although the constructs must be clear, meaningful. Here the analyst has helped her in one or two cases when she couldn’t describe the construct and sought help of the analyst to come out with the right word. After the constructs are listed against the elements, the grid results are scored and are ready to be used for analysis. From the example used in this study -the aspects which go towards the behavioural skills of colleague at work, are identified as follows: Has empathy with other colleagues Has a proper work culture and attitude Has an ethical sense Is friendly and amicable Is knowledgeable and professional Always has a good style and appearance Is a team oriented person Is a leader in the group Comes out with fresh new ideas Is helpful and cooperative Discussion In this study we selected Marie Oliver, a 35 year old colleague who was suffering from some initial maladjustment in the workplace. Marie was asked to participate in the Repertory Grid Interview process to identify the reasons of her problems, categorise them and come out with possible suggestions. The approach taken was qualitative analysis by using the Personal Constructs theory developed by Kelly and a final analysis using scoring sheet and identifying elements through the Repertory Grid Interview technique. Marie was asked to select characteristics and constructs of persons in her workplace. She identified the most desirable and friendly characteristics in her colleagues against the least desirable ones. The notes taken during conversation with Marie reveal that Marie felt she got along only with a few colleagues only three as mentioned. There were basic differences in professional ethic and conduct with at least two colleagues she was working in collaboration with. The behaviour al skills Marie identified as important in defining her good relationship with the colleagues are empathic characteristics in others; any concept of an ideal colleague is also associated with being able to follow a proper work culture and having a proper attitude. Having an ethical sense, a sense of justice and being knowledgeable, professional with a good sense of humour are also identified as important characteristics in a proper friendly colleague. Marie indicated that being friendly, amicable and with good style and appearance has been noted in at least two of her colleagues and this is stark contrast to a third colleague she identified and with whom she doesn’t seem to get along. If we consider Kelly’s perspective of constructive alternativism, it is possible to have alternative perceptions as our perceptions of the world depend completely on our personal constructs. Marie also identified leadership skills, helpfulness and cooperativeness, being able to come out with fresh ideas and following a proper work culture as important aspects of professional behaviour and gave high scores on these aspects to at least two of her colleagues. Overall, a Repertory Grid Interview on Marie showed that she has good and easygoing relations with two of her colleagues but doesn’t seem to go well with many of them. The negative implications of the findings which suggest why Marie did not get along with most of her colleagues and seem to show anxiety and depression symptoms as well as dissatisfaction with her workplace were revealed in her perception of constructs on most of her colleagues. Marie suggested that some of her colleagues were low on cooperativeness and helpfulness, friendliness and proper professional attitude making the atmosphere competitive and hostile. The dynamics of Marie’s actual relations with her colleagues were thus revealed usin g this Grid interviewing procedure and Marie’s own perception of her work situation, perception of her situation and role in the office, and perception of her relations with her colleagues and her job were also revealed through this study. As Morrison (1991) used the repertory grid technique to understand nurses’ perception of care and their evaluation of caring attitudes in nursing, Marie’s perception of her work culture could easily reveal her ideal understanding of a workplace and what she sought in her colleagues. Her inner constructs, precepts and how she saw the world as an individual were revealed and so were her expectations in the future. Considering Marie’s perceptions, some psychological counselling to improve her working and professional relationships was recommended. Limitations: The methodological limitations and concerns of interview as a means of knowing people’s construct system were many, as noted by Kelly. These are: Interview Bias – sometimes the interviewer and the school he belongs to whether behaviourist or psychoanalytic could determine the way the session goes and this undermines the objectivity and validity of the study Dependence on the interviewer – the role of the therapist should be minimal and the therapist should just be a tool to facilitate self perception according to Kelly. Most individuals have the capacity to understand his or her problems and any overdependence on the researcher should be avoided. There may be problems with measuring and predicting individual or group characteristics. Although psychology seeks to understand laws of human behaviour, large scale studies showing correlations of different behaviour may not be helpful for study of personal constructs which is based on the understanding of individuals or a small group of people. These methodological limitations have been kept in mind while conducting the interview and interviewer bias and any dependence on the interviewer has been kept to a minimum. Interviewer intervention has also been minimal. Conclusion: In this discussion, we set out with an overview of the Personal Constructs Theory proposed by Kelly (1955). We discussed the different tenets of the constructs theory, the inconsistency of personal constructs and how constructs tend to vary in different people or in same people in different situations. Thus situational factors seem important in constructs and perceptions on other people. Individual constructs form the construct systems and Kelly established the grid method to determine the different elements in a social situation that can be considered as responsible for an individual’s disturbed social relationships. In our study of Marie Oliver, a 35 year old employee, her social relationships and possible disturbances were studied using the Repertory Grid Interview technique and her analysis of good and bad characteristics of ten of her colleagues were indicated on the card given to her. The scores were drawn up and according to the analysis the desirable characteristics th at Marie perceived in some of her workmates and not in others, were found out. Marie’s behavioural problems and her unique relationships with her colleagues are then analysed suggesting whether Marie needed any further psychological help for her anxiety, depression and other work related maladjustments. Bibliography Kelly, George Alexander The psych